and they fell on the food like cannibals. Then
he gave his mother the rest of his gold saying, “If
my brothers come to thee, give them wherewithal to
buy food and eat in my absence.” He slept
well that night and next morning he took his net and
going down to Lake Karun stood there and was about
to cast his net, when behold, there came up to him
a second Maghribi, riding on a she mule more handsomely
accoutred than he of the day before and having with
him a pair of saddle bags of which each pocket contained
a casket. “Peace be with thee, O Judar!”
said the Moor: “And with thee be peace,
O my lord, the pilgrim!” replied Judar.
Asked the Moor, “Did there come to thee yesterday
a Moor riding on a mule like this of mine?” Hereat
Judar was alarmed and answered, “I saw none,”
fearing lest the other say, “Whither went he?”
and if he replied, “He was drowned in the lake,”
that haply he should charge him with having drowned
him; wherefore he could not but deny. Rejoined
the Moor, “Hark ye, O unhappy![FN#266] this
was my brother, who is gone before me.”
Judar persisted, “I know naught of him.”
Then the Moor enquired, “Didst thou not bind
his arms behind him and throw him into the lake, and
did he not say to thee, ’If my hands appear
above the water first, cast thy net over me and drag
me out in haste; but, if my feet show first, know
that I am dead and carry the mule to the Jew Shamayah,
who shall give thee an hundred dinars?’”
Quoth Judar, “Since thou knowest all this why
and wherefore dost thou question me?”; and quoth
the Moor, “I would have thee do with me as thou
didst with my brother.” Then he gave him
a silken cord, saying, “Bind my hands behind
me and throw me in, and if I fare as did my brother,
take the mule to the Jew and he will give thee other
hundred dinars.” Said Judar, “Come
on;” so he came and he bound him and pushed
him into the lake, where he sank. Then Judar
sat watching and after awhile, his feet appeared above
the water and the fisher said, “He is dead and
damned! Inshallah, may Maghribis come to me every
day, and I will pinion them and push them in and they
shall die; and I will content me with an hundred dinars
for each dead man.” Then he took the mule
to the Jew, who seeing him asked, “The other
is dead?” Answered Judar, “May thy head
live!”; and the Jew said, “This is the
reward of the covetous!” Then he took the mule
and gave Judar an hundred dinars, with which he returned
to his mother. “O my son,” said she,
“whence hast thou this?” So he told her,
and she said, “Go not again to Lake Karun, indeed
I fear for thee from the Moors.” Said he,
“O my mother, I do but cast them in by their
own wish, and what am I to do? This craft bringeth
me an hundred dinars a day and I return speedily;
wherefore, by Allah, I will not leave going to Lake
Karun, till the race of the Magharibah[FN#267] is
cut off and not one of them is left.” So,
on the morrow which was the third day, he went down
to the lake and stood there, till there came up a