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When he enters to-morrow, sit ye down about him and say some one

of you to some other, 'By Allah none shall play with us at this

game except he tell us the names of his mamma and his papa; for

he who knows not the names of his mother and his father is a

bastard, a son of adultery, [FN#449] and he shall not play with

us.'" When morning dawned the boys came to school, Ajib being one

of them, and all flocked around him saying, "We will play a game

wherein none can join save he can tell the name of his mamma and

his papa." And they all cried, "By Allah, good!" Then quoth one

of them, "My name is Majid and my mammy's name is Alawiyah and my

daddy's Izz al-Din." Another spoke in like guise and yet a third,

till Ajid's turn came, and he said, "MY name is Ajib, and my

mother's is Sitt al-Husn, and my father's Shams al-Din, the Wazir

of Cairo." "By Allah," cried they, "the Wazir is not thy true

father." Ajib answered, "The Wazir is my father in very deed."

Then the boys all laughed and clapped their hands at him, saying

"He does not know who is his papa: get out from among us, for

none shall play with us except he know his father's name."

Thereupon they dispersed from around him and laughed him to

scorn; so his breast was straitened and he well nigh choked with

tears and hurt feelings.