Whereupon straightway it swooped down and perched on his finger. Then quoth he, Return to thy place; and it did so. Presently he said, Alight on the hand of the Commander of the Faithful; but it refused there to perch, and he cried to his father, It is thou that disgracest me amongst the Holy [FN#160] Ones, by the love of the world; and now I am resolved to part from thee, never to return to thee, save in the world to come. Then he went down to Bassorah, where he took to working with those which wrought in clay, [FN#161] receiving, as his days hire, but a dirham and a danik; [FN#162] and with the danik he fed himself and gave alms of the dirham. (Quoth Abú Amir of Bassorah) There fell down a wall in my house; so I went forth to the station of the artisans to find a man who should repair it for me, and my eyes fell on a handsome youth of a radiant countenance. So I saluted him and asked him, O my friend, dost thou seek work? Yes, answered he; and I said, Come with me and build a wall. He replied, On certain conditions I will make with thee. Quoth I What are they, O my friend?; and quoth he, My wage must be a dirham and a danik, and again when the Muezzin calleth to prayer, thou shalt let me go pray with the congregation. It is well, answered I and carried him to my lace, where he fell to work, such work as I never saw the like of. Presented I named to him the morning-meal; but he said, No; and I knew that he was fasting. [FN#163] When he heard the call to prayer, he said to me, Thou knowest the condition? Yes, answered i. So he loosed his girdle and, applying himself to the lesser ablution, made it after a fashion than which I never saw a fairer; [FN#164] then he went to the mosque and
