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Presently he took the host unawares; and, raising his arm till

the white of his armpit appeared, dealt him such a cuff on the

nape of his neck that the palace echoed to it.

Then he came down upon him with a second cuff and the entertainer

cried aloud "What is this, O thou scum of the earth?" "O my

lord," replied my brother, "thou hast shown much kindness to thy

slave, and admitted him into thine abode and given him to eat of

thy victual; then thou madest him drink of thine old wine till he

became drunken and boisterous; but thou art too noble not to bear

with his ignorance and pardon his offence." When the Barmaki

heard my brother's words he laughed his loudest and said, "Long

have I been wont to make mock of men and play the madcap among my

intimates, but never yet have I come across a single one who had

the patience and the wit to enter into all my humours save

thyself: so I forgive thee, and thou shalt be my boon companion

in very sooth and never leave me." Then he ordered the servants

to lay the table in earnest and they set on all the dishes of

which he had spoken in sport; and he and my brother ate till they

were satisfied; after which they removed to the drinking chamber,

where they found damsels like moons who sang all manner songs and

played on all manner instruments.