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and turban lying in the sun at a distance from him, with no one by them; so he watched him, till he dived again, when he pounced down upon the clothes and made off with them. Presently, Khelif came ashore and missing his gown and turban, was mightily chagrined for their loss and ascended a high mound, to look for some passer-by, of whom he might enquire [concerning them], but found none.
Now the Khalif [Haroun er Reshid] had gone a-hunting that day and returning at the season of the [noontide] heat, was oppressed thereby and thirsted; so he looked from afar off [seeking water] and seeing a naked man standing on the mound aforesaid, said to Jaafer, ‘Seest thou what I see?’ ‘Yes, O Commander of the Faithful,’ answered the Vizier; ‘I see a man standing on a knoll.’ ‘What is he?’ asked Er Reshid, and Jaafer said, ‘Belike he is the guardian of a cucumber-plot.’ Quoth the Khalif, ‘Belike he is a pious man;[1] I would fain go to him, alone, and desire him of his prayers; and abide ye in your stead.’ So he went up to Khelif and saluting him, said to him, ‘What art thou, O man?’ Quoth the fisherman, ‘Dost thou not know me? I am Khelif the fisherman.’ And the Khalif said, ‘[What?] The fisherman with the woollen gown and the [yellow] turban?’[2]
When Khelif heard him name the clothes he had lost, he said in himself, ‘This is he who took my gear: belike he did but jest with me.’ So he came down from the knoll and said, ‘Can I not take a noonday nap but thou must play me this trick? I saw thee take my clothes and knew that thou wast jesting with me.’ At this, laughter got the better of the Khalif and he said, ‘What clothes hast thou lost? I know nothing of that whereof thou speakest, O Khelif.’
