is of necessity attendant upon a ragged state
of drapery. It meandered over his bony form in all the beauty of
ill-sewn patches. His turban was of the finest kind of linen for
lasting: a kind of canvas, and so mixed with elementary substances
that its original colour, if it still existed, was invisible. But, of
all his habiliments, his slippers were most deserving the study of the
curious. They were the extreme cases, both of his body and his dirt.
The soles consisted chiefly of huge nails, and the upper leathers of
almost everything. The ship of the Argonauts was not a greater
miscellany. During the ten years of their performance in the character
of shoes, the most skilful cobblers had exercised their science and
ingenuity in keeping them together. The accumulation of materials had
been so great, and their weight was so heavy in proportion, that they
were promoted to honours of proverbialism; and Abon Casem's slippers
became a favourite comparison when a superfluity of weight was the
subject of discourse.

It happened one day, as this precious merchant was walking in the
market, that he had a great quantity of fine glass bottles offered him
for sale; and, as the proposed bargain was greatly on his side, and he
made it still more so, he bought them. The vendor informed him,
furthermore, that a perfumer having lately become bankrupt, had no
resource left but to sell, at a very low price, a large quantity of
rose-water; and Casem, greatly rejoicing at this news, and, hastening
to the poor man's shop, bought up all the rose-water at half its
value. He then carried it home, and comfortably put it in his bottles.
Delighted with these good bargains, and buoyant in his spirits, our
hero, instead of making a feast, according to the custom of his
fellows, thought it more advisable to go to the bath, where he had not
been for some time.

While employed in the intricate business of undressing, one of his
friends, or one whom he believed such--for your misers seldom have
any--observed that his pantofles had made him quite the bye-word of
the city, and that it was high time to buy a new pair.

"To say the truth," said Casem, "I have long thought of doing so; but
they are not yet so worn as to be unable to serve me a little longer."
And, having undressed himself, he went into the stove.

During the luxury he was there enjoying, the Cadi of Bagdad came in,
and, having undressed himself, he went into the stove likewise. Casem
soo