Quoth the
Khalif, 'Dost thou laugh in derision of me or art thou mad?'
'Neither, by Allah, O Commander of the Faithful,' answered
Mesrour, 'by thy kinship to the Prince of Apostles, I did it
not of my free-will; but I went out yesterday to walk and
coming to the bank of the Tigris, saw there the folk collected
about a man named Ibn el Caribi, who was making them laugh; and
but now I recalled what he said, and laughter got the better of
me; and I crave pardon of thee, O Commander of the Faithful!'
'Bring him to me forthright,' said the Khalif. So Mesrour
repaired in all haste to Ibn el Caribi and said to him, 'The
Commander of the Faithful calls for thee.' 'I hear and obey,'
answered the droll. 'But on condition,' added Mesrour, 'that,
if he give thee aught, thou shalt have a fourth and the rest
shall be mine.' 'Nay,' replied the other, 'thou shalt have half
and I half.' 'Not so,' insisted Mesrour; 'I will have three-
quarters.' 'Thou shalt have two-thirds, then,' rejoined Ibn el
Caribi; 'and I the other third.' To this Mesrour agreed, after
much haggling, and they returned to the palace together.
When Ibn el Caribi came into the Khalif's presence, he saluted
him, as became his rank, and stood before him; whereupon said
Er Reshid to him, 'If thou do not make me laugh, I will give
thee three blows with this bag.
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