And said 'By Allah, I must try them all: there may be one amongst
them who will stand me in the stead of the rest.' So he went
round to all the ten, but not one of them opened his door to him
or showed himself to him or broke a cake of bread in his face;
whereupon he repeated the following verses:
A man in time of affluence is like unto a tree, Round which the
folk collect, as long as fruit thereon they see,
Till, when its burden it hath cast, they turn from it away, Leave
it to suffer heat and dust and all inclemency.
Out on the people of this age! perdition to them all! Since not a
single one of ten is faithful found to be.
Then he returned to his slave-girl, and indeed his concern was
doubled, and she said to him, 'O my lord, did I not tell thee
that they would not profit thee aught?' 'By Allah,' replied he,
'not one of them would show me his face or take any notice of
me!' 'O my lord! said she, 'sell some of the furniture and
household stuff, little by little, and live on the proceed,
against God the Most High provide.' So he sold all that was in
the house, till there was nothing left, when he turned to her and
said, 'What is to be done now?' 'O my lord,' replied she, 'it is
my advice that thou rise and take me down to the market and sell
me. Thou knowest that thy father bought me for ten thousand
dinars; perhaps God may help thee to near that price, and if it
be His will that we be reunited, we shall meet again.
Pages:
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444