and they gripped and grappled and throttled each other.  When the folk saw them fighting, they came up to them and asked them, “What is this strife between you and no cause for it?” and the Lackpenny answered, “Ay, by Allah, but there is a cause for it, and the cause hath a tail!” Whereupon, cried the Cook, “Yea, by Allah, now thou mindest me of thyself and thy dirham!  Yes, he gave me a dirham and but a quarter of the coin is spent.  Come back and take the rest of the price of thy dirham.”  For he understood what was to do, at the mention of the tail; “and I, O my brother” (added Abu al-Hasan), “my story hath a cause, which I will tell thee.”  The Caliph laughed at his speech and said, “By Allah, this is none other than a pleasant tale!  Tell me thy story and the cause.”  Replied the host, “With love and goodly gree!  Know, O my lord, that my name is Abu al-Hasan al-Khali’a and that my father died and left me abundant wealth of which I made two parts.  One I laid up and with the other I betook myself to enjoying the pleasures of friendship and conviviality and consorting with intimates and boon-companions and with the sons of the merchants, nor did I leave one but I caroused with him and he with me, and I lavished all my money on comrades and good cheer, till there remained with me naught;[FN#15] whereupon I betook myself to the friends and fellow-topers upon whom I had wasted my wealth, so perhaps they might provide for my case; but, when I visited them and went round about to them all, I found no vantage in one of them, nor would any so much as break a bittock of bread in my face.  So I wept for myself and repairing to my mother, complained to her of my case.  Quoth she:—­’Such are friends; an thou have aught, they frequent thee and devour thee, but, an thou have naught, they cast thee off and chase thee away.’ then I brought out the other half of my money and bound myself to an oath that I would never entertain any save one single night, after which I would never again salute him nor notice him; hence my saying to thee:—­’Far be it, alas! that what is past should again come to pass, for I will never again company with thee after this night.’” when the Commander of the Faithful heard this, he laughed a loud laugh and said, “By Allah, O my brother, thou art indeed excused in this matter, now that I know the cause and that the cause hath a tail.  Nevertheless, Inshallah, I will not sever myself from thee.” replied Abu al-Hasan, “O my guest, did I not say to thee, ’Far be it, alas! that what is past should again come to pass?  For indeed I will never again foregather with any!’” then the Caliph rose and the host set before him a dish of roast goose and a bannock of first-bread[FN#16] and sitting down, fell to cutting off morsels and morselling the Caliph therewith.  They gave not over eating till they were filled, when Abu al-Hasan brought basin and ewer and potash[FN#17] and they washed their hands.  Then he lighted three wax-candles