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Asleep And Awake
by
[Footnote 8] “Platter bread,” i.e. bread baked in a platter, instead of, as usual with the Arabs, in an oven or earthen jar previously heated, to the sides of which the thin cakes of dough are applied, “is lighter than oven bread, especially if it be made thin and leavened.”–Shecouri, a medical writer quoted by Dozy.
His hospitality pleased the Khalif and the goodliness of his fashion, and he said to him, “O youth, who art thou? Make me acquainted with thyself, so I may requite thee thy kindness.” But Aboulhusn smiled and said, “O my lord, far be it that what is past should recur and that I be in company with thee at other than this time!” “Why so?” asked the Khalif. “And why wilt thou not acquaint me with thy case?” And Aboulhusn said, “Know, O my lord, that my story is extraordinary and that there is a cause for this affair.” Quoth the Khalif, “And what is the cause?” And he answered, “The cause hath a tail.” The Khalif laughed at his words and Aboulhusn said, “I will explain to thee this [saying] by the story of the lackpenny and the cook. Know, O my lord, that
STORY OF THE LACKPENNY AND THE COOK.
One of the good-for-noughts found himself one day without aught and the world was straitened upon him and his patience failed; so he lay down to sleep and gave not over sleeping till the sun burnt him and the foam came out upon his mouth, whereupon he arose, and he was penniless and had not so much as one dirhem. Presently, he came to the shop of a cook, who had set up therein his pans[9] [over the fire] and wiped his scales and washed his saucers and swept his shop and sprinkled it; and indeed his oils[10] were clear[11] and his spices fragrant and he himself stood behind his cooking-pots [waiting for custom]. So the lackpenny went up to him and saluting him, said to him, ‘Weigh me half a dirhem’s worth of meat and a quarter of a dirhem’s worth of kouskoussou[12] and the like of bread.’ So the cook weighed out to him [that which he sought] and the lackpenny entered the shop, whereupon the cook set the food before him and he ate till he had gobbled up the whole and licked the saucers and abode perplexed, knowing not how he should do with the cook concerning the price of that which he had eaten and turning his eyes about upon everything in the shop.
[Footnote 9] Or cooking-pots.
[Footnote 10] Or fats for frying.
[Footnote 11] Or clarified.
[Footnote 12] Taam, lit. food, the name given by the inhabitants of Northern Africa to the preparation of millet-flour (something like semolina) called kouskoussou, which forms the staple food of the people.
Presently, he caught sight of an earthen pan turned over upon its mouth; so he raised it from the ground and found under it a horse’s tail, freshly cut off, and the blood oozing from it; whereby he knew that the cook adulterated his meat with horses’ flesh. When he discovered this default, he rejoiced therein and washing his hands, bowed his head and went out; and when the cook saw that he went and gave him nought, he cried out, saying, ‘Stay, O sneak, O slink-thief!’ So the lackpenny stopped and said to him, ‘Dost thou cry out upon me and becall [me] with these words, O cuckold?’ Whereat the cook was angry and coming down from the shop, said, ‘What meanest thou by thy speech, O thou that devourest meat and kouskoussou and bread and seasoning and goest forth with “Peace[13][be on thee!],” as it were the thing had not been, and payest down nought for it?’ Quoth the lackpenny, ‘Thou liest, O son of a cuckold!’ Wherewith the cook cried out and laying hold of the lackpenny’s collar, said, ‘O Muslims, this fellow is my first customer[14] this day and he hath eaten my food and given me nought.’