6 THE STORY OF ES-SINDIBAD OF THE SEA

the Merciful,”—ate until he was satisfied and
satiated, when he said, ‘Praise be to God in
every case !”—and washed his hands, and thanked
them for this.

The master of the house then said, ‘Thou art
welcome, and thy day is blessed. What is thy
name, and what trade dost thou follow ?”—“ O my
master,” he answered, “ my name is Es-Sindibad the
Porter, and I bear upon my head men’s merchan-
dise for hire.’ And at this, the master of the
house smiled, and he said to him, ‘“‘ Know, O
porter, that thy name is like mine; for I am Es-
Sindibad of the Sea: but, O porter, I desire that
thou let me hear the verses that thou wast reciting
when thou wast at the door.” The porter there-
fore was ashamed, and said to him, “I conjure
thee by Allah that thou be not angry with me;
for fatigue and trouble, and paucity of what the
hand possesseth, teach a man ill manners, and
impertinence.” His host, however, replied, “Be
not ashamed; for thou hast become my brother :
recite then the verses, since they pleased me when
I heard them from thee as thou recitedst them at
the door.” So upon this the porter recited to him
those verses, and they pleased him, and he was
moved with delight on hearing them. He then
said to him: O porter, know that my story is