Sir, before I commence the recital of the story you have permitted me to relate, I beg leave to acquaint you, that I have not the honour to be born in any part of your majesty’s empire.  I am a stranger, born at Cairo in Egypt, a Copt by nation, and by religion a Christian.  My father was a broker, and realized considerable property, which he left me at his death.  I followed his example, and pursued the same employment.  While I was standing in the public inn frequented by the corn merchants, there came up to me a handsome young man, well dressed, and mounted on an ass.  He saluted me, and pulling out a handkerchief, in which he had a sample of sesame or Turkey corn, asked me how much a bushel of such sesame would fetch.

I examined the corn the young man shewed me, and told him it was worth a hundred dirhems of silver per bushel.  “Pray,” said he, “look out for some merchant to take it at that price, and come to me at the Victory gate, where you will see a khan at a distance from the houses.”  So saying, he left me the sample, and I shewed it to several merchants, who told me, that they would take as much as I could spare at a hundred and ten dirhems per bushel, so that I reckoned on getting ten dirhems per bushel for my commission.  Full of the expectation of this profit, I went to the Victory gate, where I found the young merchant expecting me, and he took me into his granary, which was full of sesame.  He had then a hundred and fifty bushels, which I measured out, and having carried them off upon asses, sold them for five thousand dirhems of silver.  “Out of this sum,” said the young man, “there are five hundred dirhems coming to you, at the rate of ten dirhems per bushel.  This I give you; and as for the rest which pertains to me, take it out of the merchants’ hands, and keep it till I call or send for it, for I have no occasion for it at present.”  I answered, it should be ready for him whenever he pleased to demand it; and so, kissing his hand, took leave of him, with a grateful sense of his generosity.

A month passed before he came near me:  then he asked for the sum he had committed to my trust.  I told him it was ready, and should be counted to him immediately.  He was mounted on his ass, and I desired him to alight, and do me the honour to eat a mouthful with me before he received his money.  “No,” said he, “I cannot alight at present, I have urgent business that obliges me to be at a place just by; but I will return this way, and then take the money which I desired you would have in readiness.”  This said, he disappeared, and I still expected his return, but it was a full month before I saw him again.  “This young merchant,” thought I, “has great confidence in me, leaving so great a sum in my hands without knowing me; any other man would have been afraid I should have run away with it.”  To be short, he came again at the end of the third month, and was still mounted on his ass, but more handsomely dressed than before.