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Presently she said to Badr al-Din, "Hast thou by thee a cut piece

of stuff woven with thread of pure gold?" So he brought out to

her a piece from those he had bought of me and sold it to her for

one thousand two hundred dirhams; when she said, "I will take the

piece home with me and send thee its price." "That is impossible,

O my lady," the merchant replied, "for here is the owner of the

stuff and I owe him a share of profit." "Fie upon thee!" she

cried, "Do I not use to take from thee entire rolls of costly

stuff, and give thee a greater profit than thou expectest, and

send thee the money?" "Yes," rejoined he; "but I stand in

pressing need of the price this very day." Hereupon she took up

the piece and threw it back upon his lap, saying "Out on thee!

Allah confound the tribe of you which estimates none at the right

value;" and she turned to go.