of three blows, of
which my share would be one, and Masrur's two. I have received mine,
and now is his turn to take his." Rashid laughed, called for Masrur,
and struck him; Masrur groaned from pain, and said: "I present him
with the remainder." The Khalif laughed and ordered them to be
presented with one thousand dinars, of which each received five
hundred, and Ben Almugazeli went away grateful.'

In this work there are several other stories concerning various
Khalifs, the Barmekide family, and other people, but the extracts
given above are sufficient to show the nature of the volume.

Two short anecdotes are taken from the 'Sihr-ul-oyoon,' or 'Magic of
the eyes,' a work known to Haji Khalfa, and noted by Fluegel in his
lexicon. This book contains seven chapters, with some drawings of the
eye, and an appendix consisting entirely of poetry, which, however, is
also interspersed throughout the work, excepting in the chapters
treating on the anatomy, the infirmities of, and the remedies for the
eye.

I.

Moghairah bin Shabah states that he never was so cunningly deceived as
by a youth of the Benou-ul-Hareth. He intended to sue for the hand of
a girl of that tribe, when this youth, who stood near him, said: 'O
Amir, you have no need of her.' 'Why?' 'I saw a man kiss her.'
Accordingly Moghairah went away, but heard some time afterwards that
the said youth had married the girl himself. On meeting again
Moghairah said to the youth: 'Did you not tell me that you had seen a
man kiss her.' 'Certainly I did,' the young man replied, 'but that man
was her father.'

II.

A man happened to find on the road a silver brooch, which women use
for applying collyrium to their eyes. This pin was handsome, and he
concluded that the girl who had lost it must have very beautiful eyes.
He indulged so much in this fancy that he conceived an affection for
the owner of the brooch, and was fond of showing the precious article
to his acquaintances. One day a friend paid him a visit, and after the
wine they had drunk had taken effect, he took out the said brooch
according to his wont, kissed it, and wept over it. The friend, who
knew the brooch, asked whence he had obtained it, but he replied:
'Pray do not question me, I am in love with the proprietress of it; my
heart is melting, and it is so dear to me that I get jealous when
other eyes beside my own look at it.' The friend said: 'I shall bring
about a meeting between you and your mi