say to Hussain, that he wished him to
accept of it as a token of former friendship. A short time after this,
the slave returned with the cloth, and said that his master had looked
upon it as a great insult, that a merchant presumed to offer presents
to the cadi, as these must always look, more or less, like bribes; and
that Ibrahim ought to name a price for it, as the cadi was quite able
to pay for it, although he did not every year bring home riches on his
mules. This haughty answer was so revolting to Ibrahim, that he took
the cloth from the slave's hands, and tearing it to pieces, exclaimed:
"Tell your master, that thus I tear the last bonds of our former
friendship,--that I tear up by the roots the flowers which childhood
had woven into the golden ground of our life."

Late in the evening of the day on which this had happened, and after
Ibrahim had for some time shut up his shop, he heard a knock at the
door. He went and opened it, but did not see any body. He had
scarcely gone away, when the knocking was repeated. He opened again,
and again saw no one. Vexed at this, he was returning to his room,
when suddenly a louder knocking than before was heard. He now ran
quickly to the door, and burst it open, in hopes of meeting the
insolent person who was thus tantalising him. As soon as he had opened
it, there stood outside a pretty, middle-aged woman in black, holding a
staff in her hand. "What do you want?" cried Ibrahim.

"I have a request to make, friend," said she. "My beautiful daughter
is soon to be married; I am poor, and cannot afford a handsome bridal
dress, such as she deserves. Give me the gold cloth which you have
torn to-day; it will be good enough for us, and has lost its greatest
value for you. If old friends forsake us, we must look for new ones."

Ibrahim, who was liberal, gave her the cloth, which she contemplated
attentively, and then said: "It has suffered great injury; it will cost
pains to stick it together again; still it can be remedied." Upon this
she saluted Ibrahim kindly, and went away, and he never again saw her.

Ibrahim now gave daily vent to his anger in vehement words against
Hussain; and whatever he said was reported to the latter, with
additions, so that the enraged cadi only watched for an opportunity to
take revenge. This occurred sooner than he expected. The kind, mild
government of Haroun al Raschid, however beneficent in some respects,
produced in a certain degre