Understanding at last that the caliph was dead, I returned to Bagdad, where I found not one of my brothers alive.  It was on my return to this city that I did the lame young man the important service which you have heard.  You are, however, witnesses of his ingratitude, and of the injurious manner in which he treated me; instead of testifying his obligation, he rather chose to fly from me and leave his own country.  When I understood that he was not at Bagdad, though no one could tell me whither he was gone, I determined to seek him.  I travelled from province to province a long time; and when I least expected, met him this day, but I little thought to find him so incensed against me.

When the barber had concluded his story, we found that the young man was not to blame for calling him a great chatterer.  However, he wished him to stay with us, and partake of the entertainment which the master of the house had prepared.  We sat down to table, and were merry together till afternoon prayers; when all the company parted, and I went to my shop, till it was time to return home.  It was during this interval that humpback came half drunk before my shop, where he sung and played on his tabor.  I thought that, by carrying him home with me, I should divert my wife, therefore I took him in:  my wife gave us a dish of fish, and I presented humpback with some, which he ate, without taking notice of a bone.  He fell down dead before us, and after having in vain essayed to help him, in the trouble and fear occasioned by such an unlucky accident, we carried the corpse out, and dexterously lodged him with the Jewish doctor.  The Jewish doctor put him into the chamber of the purveyor, and the purveyor carried him out into the street, where it was believed the merchant had killed him.  “This sir,” added the tailor, “is what I had to say to satisfy your majesty, who must pronounce whether we be worthy of mercy or wrath, life or death.”

The sultan of Casgar shewed a satisfaction in his countenance, which restored the tailor and his comrades to life.  “I cannot but acknowledge,” said he, “that I am more struck with the history of the young cripple, with that of the barber, and with the adventures of his brothers, than with the story of my jester:  but before I send you all away, and we proceed to bury humpback, I should like to see the barber who is the occasion of my pardoning you; since he is in my capital, it is easy to satisfy my curiosity.”  At the same time he sent an officer with the tailor to find him.

The officer and the tailor went immediately and brought the barber, whom they presented to the sultan:  the barber was a venerable man about ninety years of age; his eye-brows and beard were white as snow, his ears hanging down, and his nose very long.  The sultan could not forbear laughing when he saw him.  “Silent man,” said he to him, “I understand that you know wonderful stories, will you tell me some of them?”