MA'AN SON OF ZAIDAH AND THE BADAWI.
Now Ma'an bin Záidah went forth one day to the chase with his
company, and they came upon a herd of gazelles; so they separated
in pursuit and Ma'an was left alone to chase one of them. When he
had made prize of it he alighted and slaughtered it; and as he
was thus engaged, he espied a person[FN#136] coming forth out of
the desert on an ass. So he remounted and riding up to the new-
comer, saluted him and asked him, "Whence comest thou?" Quoth
he, "I come from the land of Kuzá'ah, where we have had a two
years' dearth; but this year it was a season of plenty and I
sowed early cucumbers.[FN#137] They came up before their time, so
I gathered what seemed the best of them and set out to carry them
to the Emir Ma'an bin Zaidah, because of his well-known
beneficence and notorious munificence." Asked Ma'an, "How much
dost thou hope to get of him?"; and the Badawi answered, "A
thousand dinars." Quoth the Emir, "What if he say this is too
much?" Said the Badawi, "Then I will ask five hundred dinars."
"And if he say, too much?" "Then three hundred!" "And if he say
yet, too much?" "Then two hundred!" "And if he say yet, too
much?" "Then one hundred!" "And if he say yet, too much?" "Then,
fifty!" "And if he say yet, too much?" "Then thirty!" "And if he
say still, too much?" asked Ma'an bin Zaidah. Answered the
Badawi, "I will make my ass set his four feet in his Honour's
home[FN#138] and return to my people, disappointed and empty-
handed." So Ma'an laughed at him and urged his steed till he came
up with his suite and returned to his place, when he said to his
chamberlain, "An there come to thee a man with cucumbers and
riding on an ass admit him to me." Presently up came the Badawi
and was admitted to Ma'an's presence; but knew not the Emir for
the man he had met in the desert, by reason of the gravity and
majesty of his semblance and the multitude of his eunuchs and
attendants, for he was seated on his chair of state with his
officers ranged in lines before him and on either side. So he
saluted him and Ma'an said to him "What bringeth thee, O brother
of the Arabs?" Answered the Badawi, "I hoped in the Emir, and
have brought him curly cucumbers out of season." Asked Ma'an,
"And how much dost thou expect of us?" "A thousand dinars,"
answered the Badawi. "This is far too much," quoth Ma'an. Quoth
he, "Five hundred." "Too much!" "Then three hundred." "Too much!"
"Two hundred." "Too much!" "One hundred." "Too much!" "Fifty."
"Too much!" At last the Badawi came down to thirty dinars; but
Ma'an still replied, "Too much!" So the Badawi cried, "By Allah,
the man who met me in the desert brought me bad luck! But I will
not go lower than thirty dinars." The Emir laughed and said
nothing; whereupon the wild Arab knew that it was he whom he had
met and said, "O my lord, except thou bring the thirty dinars,
see ye, there is the ass tied ready at the door and here sits
Ma'an, his honour, at home." So Ma'an laughed, till he fell on
his back; and, calling his steward, said to him, "Give him a
thousand dinars and five hundred and three hundred and two
hundred and one hundred and fifty and thirty; and leave the ass
tied up where he is." So the Arab to his amazement, received two
thousand one hundred and eighty dinars, and Allah have mercy on
them both and on all generous men! And I have also heard, O
auspicious King, a tale of
