pushing the door, that was ajar, went into
the passage, and cried, "Beit!"

"Who is there?" was the reply.

"May the stones, and the walls, and the
roof of this dwelling be blessed!" exclaimed
the loquacious barber. "I demand permission
to enter. I bring a message."

"Come up," said Abu Munchar, leaning
from the gallery.

So Ali went upstairs; and, having kissed
the hands of his false friend, told him, with a
thousand circumlocutions, of what had taken
place.

"Is it possible," cried Abu Munchar, "that
the Emir Maza of Dorkân is in the condition
which thou hast described? He is the chief
and president of our company, but has been
absent a whole year on a wonderful adventure.
Let me hasten to receive him."

So the wag went down and embraced Maza,
and took him away; leaving the poor barber
in a state of amazement and delight that he
should have had an opportunity of giving
hospitality to an emir.

Next day, Abu Munchar came to Ali's
shop, and entered invoking blessings on the
owner.

"O fortunate barber!" he cried, "thou art
about to attain the accomplishment of thy
wishes. The Emir of Dorkân hath consented
to receive thee into our company; being
amazed with thy learning, and charmed by thy
wit, and fascinated by thy elegant demeanour.
There remain but some few trifling formalities
to undergo, which of course will not stand in
the way."

Ali was profuse in his expressions of delight,
and promised to comply with whatever
was demanded of him.

"In the first place," said Abu Munchar,
"thou must exercise thy razor upon thy face,
and shave it until not one hair remaineth to
look at another. Then thou must undress,
keeping nothing on but thy shirt and thy
under-clothing. Afterwards thou must take a
kurbeh (water-skin) and fill it with foul water,
and go about the streets offering to the thirsty.
Many things may befall thee; but, depend
upon it, ere long, thou wilt belong to the
company of the wise and happy. Remember,
however, should any one ask an explanation
of thy conduct, say that thou wert commanded
by Maza, the Emir of Dorkân."

Ali consented to do all this, although in
his heart he feared the consequences.
Accordingly, next day, having thrown away his
beard, clotted with soap, he went forth in his
shirt and drawers, bearing on his back a
kurbeh filled from the Kalish. The weather
was very hot, and before he had taken ten paces
a crowd of boys and girls followed him laughing
and crying, "O mad Sakka, give us to drink;"
and he gave them from a brass cup, and they
spluttered, and cursed him, and pelted him
with stones, so that he was forced to take
refuge in a crowded bazaar. Here the people
made way for him, crying, "This is a man
performing a penance." Some asked to be
refreshed; and many were deceived into
tasting what he gave. Whereupon they kicked
and buffetted him from one end of the bazaar
to the other, and said, "This is one of the
wags. Let us make him have cause to weep
instead of to laugh."

In this way he passed from one quarter to
another, without ever failing to be beaten in
any one, until he felt his brain whirl.

"Woe be unto me!" exclaimed the
unfortunate shaver at length. "This matter is not
agreeable. It will be well if I reach my
destination soon, otherwise I shall not have
strength to taste the felicity that is prepared
for me."

As he uttered these words a Bey, riding
upon a horse, passed with his attendants; and
seeing the Sakka (water-carrier), who was now
covered with dirt and in rags, asked for a drink,
intending to present him afterwards with a
piece of gold. But, when he tasted the foul
drink he was enraged, and ordered his people
to seize the offender, and to beat him, and to
drag him to prison. He was accordingly
dragged to prison, and thrown in amidst
thieves and bad servants, and passed the rest
of that day and the whole night in misery,
bemoaning himself, and wishing that he had
never undertaken this adventure. In the
morning they brought him before the head of
the police, who questioned him as to the
motives of his conduct. Remembering what
had been told him, Ali avowed that he had
obeyed the instructions of the Emir of
Dorkân.

"Dorkân!" cried the Zabib, "I know no
Dorkân; therefore there can be no such
place as Dorkân. Who ever heard of Dorkân?
This man is guilty of impiety. He hath
added a place to Allah's earth. Let him be
beaten for speaking of Dorkân!"

According to this wise decision, poor Ali
was beaten until he was incapable of standing.
Pain and suffering deprived him of his wits;
and, when they cast him forth into the street,
he mowed and gibbered at all who passed.
Some compassionate folks now took him on
their shoulders, and carried him to the
Moristân or madhouse, where they chained
him to a ring and beat him, that he might
return to his senses. But they at length grew
weary of their benevolent exertions, and left
him as foolish as ever.

When they ceased to torment him he
imagined strange things; as that he was a
prince of a vast country, and was surrounded
with wealth and bright scenes and beautiful
damsels. So he danced and rattled his
chains and shouted "Blessings on Abu
Munchar and the Emir of Dorkân." Then,
the keepers came and fell upon him with
sticks, crying, "What an obstinate maniac is
this! he has been beaten enough to make
three wise men; and lo! he will not leave
howling."
Ali remained in this miserable condition