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The blear eyed 'scapes the pits * Wherein the lynx eyed fall: A

word the wise man slays * And saves the natural: The Moslem fails

of food * The Kafir feasts in hall: What art or act is man's? *

God's will obligeth all!

Now when he had ended his verse he said, So I entered Cairo and

took off my loads and stored my stuffs in the Khan

"Al-Masrur."[FN#518] Then I gave the servant a few silvers

wherewith to buy me some food and lay down to sleep awhile. When

I awoke I went to the street called "Bayn al-Kasrayn"-Between the

two Palaces-and presently returned and rested my night in the

Khan. When it was morning I opened a bale and took out some stuff

saying to myself, "I will be off and go through some of the

bazars and see the state of the market." So I loaded the stuff on

some of my slaves and fared forth till I reached the Kaysariyah

or Exchange of Jaharkas;[FN#519] where the brokers who knew of my

coming came to meet me. They took the stuffs and cried them for

sale, but could not get the prime cost of them. I was vexed at

this, however the Shaykh of the brokers said to me, "O my lord, I

will tell thee how thou mayest make a profit of thy goods.