cut short this foolish connection and shake off the pre-occupation wherein thou art, for there hath befallen that which may bring about the loss of thy life and good.’  Now when he heard this, he was troubled and strongly moved; and he said to me, ’O my brother, tell me what hath happened.’  Replied I, ’O my lord, know that such and such things have happened and thou art lost without recourse, if thou abide in this thy house till the end of the day.’  At this, he was confounded and his soul well-nigh departed his body, but he recovered himself and said to me, ’What shall I do, O my brother, and what counsel hast thou to offer.’  Answered I, ’My advice is that thou take what thou canst of thy property and whom of thy slaves thou trustest, and flee with us to a land other than this, ere this very day come to an end.’  And he said, ‘I hear and I obey.’  So he rose, confused and dazed like one in epilepsy, now walking and now falling, and took what came under his hand.  Then he made an excuse to his household and gave them his last injunctions, after which he loaded three camels and mounted his beast; and I did likewise.  We went forth privily in disguise and fared on and ceased not our wayfare the rest of that day and all its night, till nigh upon morning, when we unloaded and, hobbling our camels, lay down to sleep.  But we were worn with fatigue and we neglected to keep watch, so that there fell upon us robbers, who stripped us of all we had and slew our slaves, when these would have beaten them off, leaving us naked and in the sorriest of plights, after they had taken our money and lifted our beasts and disappeared.  As soon as they were gone, we arose and walked on till morning dawned, when we came to a village which we entered, and finding a mosque took refuge therein for we were naked.  So we sat in a corner all that day and we passed the next night without meat or drink; and at day-break we prayed our dawn-prayer and sat down again.  Presently behold, a man entered and saluting us prayed a two-bow prayer, after which he turned to us and said, ‘O folk, are ye strangers?’ We replied, ’Yes:  the bandits waylaid us and stripped us naked, and we came to this town but know none here with whom we may shelter.’  Quoth he, ‘What say ye? will you come home with me?’ And” (pursued the jeweller) “I said to Ali bin Bakkar, ’Up and let us go with him, and we shall escape two evils; the first, our fear lest some one who knoweth us enter this mosque and recognise us, so that we come to disgrace; and the second, that we are strangers and have no place wherein to lodge.’  And he answered helplessly, ’As thou wilt.’  Then the man said to us again, ’O ye poor folk, give ear unto me and come with me to my place,’ and I replied, ’Hearkening and obedience;’ whereupon he pulled off a part of his own clothes and covered us therewith and made his excuses to us and spoke kindly to us.  Then we arose and accompanied him to his house and he knocked at the door, whereupon