Pagina 655 di 1116

The Sultan was captivated by his converse and, regarding him as a

friend, asked, "What meaning is there in the saw 'Shurayh is

foxier than the fox'?" And he answered, "Know, O King (whom

Almighty Allah keep!) that the legist Shurayh [FN#491] was wont,

during the days of the plague, to make a visitation to Al-Najaf;

and, whenever he stood up to pray, there came a fox which would

plant himself facing him and which, by mimicking his movements,

distracted him from his devotions. Now when this became longsome

to him, one day he doffed his shirt and set it upon a cane and

shook out the sleeves; then placing his turband on the top and

girding its middle with a shawl, he stuck it up in the place

where he used to pray. Presently up trotted the fox according to

his custom and stood over against the figure, whereupon Shurayh

came behind him, and took him.