w dark, wax
candles were lighted, and Abou Hassan, after requesting his
mother to take care of the caliph's slave, set on bottles and
glasses.

Abou Hassan sitting down with the pretended Moussul merchant
again, filled out a glass of wine before he touched the fruit;
and holding it in his hand, said to the caliph, "You know, sir,
that the cock never drinks before he calls to his hens to come
and drink with him; I invite you to follow my example. I do not
know what you may think; but, for my part, I cannot reckon him a
wise man who does not love wine. Let us leave that sort of people
to their dull melancholy humours, and seek for mirth, which is
only to be found in a bumper."

While Abou Hassan was drinking' the caliph taking the glass that
was set for him, said, "You are an honest fellow; I like your
pleasant temper, and expect you will fill me as much." Abou
Hassan, as soon as he had drunk, filled the caliph's glass, and
giving it to him, "Taste this wine, sir," said he, "I will
warrant it good." "I am well persuaded of that," replied the
caliph, laughing, "you know how to choose the best." "O," replied
Abou Hassan, while the caliph was drinking his glass, "one need
only look in your face to be assured that you have seen the
world, and know what good living is. If," added he in Arabic
verse, "my house could think and express its joy, how happy would
it be to possess you, and, bowing before you, would exclaim, 'How
overjoyed am I to see myself honoured with the company of so
accomplished and polite a personage, and for meeting with a man
of your merit.'"

The caliph, naturally fond of merriment, was highly diverted with
these sallies of Abou Hassan, and artfully promoted drinking,
often asking for wine, thinking that when it began to operate, he
might from his talkativeness satisfy his curiosity. He asked him
his name, his business, and how he spent his life. "My name,
sir," replied he, "is Abou Hassan. I lost my father, who was a
merchant of Bagdad, and though not the richest, yet lived very
comfortably. When he died, he left me money enough to live free
from business; but as he always kept a very strict hand over me,
I was willing, when he was gone, to make up for the time I
thought I had lost. Notwithstanding this," continued Abou Hassan,
"I was more prudent than most young people who give themselves up
to debauchery, without any thought, pursue it till they reduce
themselves to the utmost poverty, and are for