and
waft your supposes into the ear of the caliph, upon which to frame out
his stupid fetvas."

"I heartily ask your forgiveness, and I am dumb," replied Giaffar.

"Then you are wise for once; prove yourself still wise and hasten away
before I reach my cudgel."

Perceiving that Yussuf's eyes twinkled with anger, they thought it right
to follow his advice. "We shall see you again, good Yussuf," said the
caliph, as they descended.

"To the devil with you all three, and never let me see your ugly faces
again," replied the water-carrier, slamming the door after they were
out. The caliph went away much amused, and with his attendants entered
the private gate of the seraglio.

The next morning the caliph held a solemn divan, at which all the
mollahs, as well as the chief officers, were present, and he issued a
decree, that every bath throughout Bagdad should be shut for three days,
on pain of impalement. The inhabitants of Bagdad were swallowed up with
wonder and perplexity. "How," exclaimed they, "what can this mean?
Yesterday we were ordered not to use the waters of the Tigris, to-day
the baths are denied us. Perhaps, to-morrow the mosques may be ordered
to be shut up," and they shook their heads, as if to hint to each other
that the caliph was not in his senses: but they exclaimed, "In Allah
only safety is to be found." Nevertheless, the decree was enforced by
the proper officers, who went round to the different baths. First they
closed the Hummaum Alraschid, next that of Ziet Zobeide, then the bath
of Giaffar Bermuki, at which Yussuf had found employment the day before.
When it was closed, the master and attendants looked at the door, and
they reproached the assistants who had befriended Yussuf, saying, he was
a water-carrier, and the business was stopped by a decree. You have
brought him to the baths, and now they are shut. In the meantime Yussuf
was perceived striding towards the bath, muttering to himself, "I am
Yussuf--my trust is in God. As an assistant at the hummaum will I live
and die." Ignorant of the decree, he approached the door of the
building, round which the servants were clustered, and accosted them.
"How now, my friends, do you wait for the key? if any thing ails the
lock, trust to the strength of Yussuf."

"Have you not heard that the caliph has ordered the baths to be shut for
three days, on pain of impalement?"

Yussuf started back with astonishment. "Now, may the graves of their
f