he was admitted and spoke as follows: "Praise be
to Allah, who has healed our wound and restored us to life! We lived
in trouble and distress, but the justice of your majesty's government
is the theme of every tongue; all our apprehensions have vanished, and
we hope for security under the wings of your protection, because it is
said that a noble Sultan is to his subjects like a kind father to his
children, and protects them against all evils."

'The king replied: "You are welcome in this region; here you may live
in safety among the best of neighbours, and I grant you protection."
Accordingly, the partridge returned to his spouse, whom he informed of
the condescension of his majesty, whose service both accordingly
entered, and whose favour they afterwards gained, so that they lived
happily to the end of their days.'

The 'Merzuban namah' contains also several stories about Kesra
Nausherwan the Just, and his minister Buzarjimehr, but they are not
very interesting. The extracts given above sufficiently show the
nature of this work, which puts into the mouths of animals how men and
women ought to act under various circumstances, and it bears a strong
resemblance in many ways to the 'Kalilah wa Dimnah.'

Two stories have been selected from the celebrated Arabic work
entitled 'Al--Mustatraf,' or 'The Gleaner,' or 'The Collector.' The
full title of this work is 'Al-Mustatraf min kell finn al-mustazraf,'
which may be translated thus: 'Gleanings from every kind of Elegant
(or Pleasing) Composition.' The similarity of the first and last word
of the title is attributable to the fondness of the Arabs for
alliterative or rhyming titles. As there are several meanings attached
to the word Mustatraf in the dictionaries, it might also be
interpreted as 'The Book of Pleasing Novelties.' It contains an
anthology of anecdotes, stories, proverbs, and elegant extracts by
Shaikh Muhammad Bin Ahmad Al-Bashihi. The work is mentioned by Fluegel
in his edition of Haji Khalfa's great work.

I.

Abbas, the chief of the police of the Khalif Mamun, said: 'One day I
was present in an assembly of the Prince of the Faithful, before whom
a man was standing heavily fettered with chains of iron. As soon as
the Khalif perceived me he said: "Abbas, take good care of this man,
and produce him again to-morrow." Accordingly I called for some of my
people, and they carried him away, because he was so heavily shackled
that he could scarcely move. Consi