villain, if ever again I see thee standing at the door of this

dyery, I will forthwith send thee to the King, and he will commit thee
to the Chief of Police, that he may strike thy neck. Begone, may Allah

not bless thee!" So Abu Sir departed from him, brokenhearted by reason
of the beating and shame that had betided him, whilst the bystanders

asked Abu Kir, "What hath this man done?" He answered: "The fellow
is a thief, who stealeth the stuffs of folk. He hath robbed me of

cloth, how many a time! And I still said to myself, 'Allah forgive
him!' He is a poor man, and I cared not to deal roughly with him, so I

used to give my customers the worth of their goods and forbid him
gently, but he would not be forbidden. And if he come again, I will

send him to the King, who will put him to death and rid the people
of his mischief." And the bystanders fell to abusing the barber

after his back was turned.
Such was the behavior of Abu Kir, but as regards Abu Sir, he

returned to the khan, where he sat pondering that which the dyer had
done by him, and he remained seated till the burning of the beating

subsided, when he went out and walked about the markets of the city.
Presently he bethought him to go to the hammam bath, so he said to one

of-the townsfolk, "O my brother, which is the way to the baths?" Quoth
the man, "And what manner of thing may the baths be?" and quoth Abu

Sir, "'Tis a place where people wash themselves and do away their dirt
and defilements, and it is of the best of the good things of the

world." Replied the townsman, "Get thee to the sea," but the barber
rejoined, "I want the hammam baths." Cried the other: "We know not

what manner of thing is the hammam, for we all resort to the sea. Even
the King, when he would wash, betaketh himself to the sea."

When Abu Sir was assured that there was no bath in the city and that
the folk knew not the baths nor the fashion thereof, he betook himself

to the King's Divan and, kissing ground between his hands, called down
blessings on him and said: "I am a stranger and a bathman by trade,

and I entered thy city and thought to go to the hammam, but found
not one therein. How cometh a city of this comely quality to lack a

hammam, seeing that the bath is of the highest of the delights of this
world?" Quoth the King, "What manner of thing is the hammam?" So Abu

Sir proceeded to set forth to him the quality of the bath, saying,
"Thy capital will not be a perfect city till there be a hammam

therein." "Welcome to thee!" said the King and clad him in a dress
that had not its like and gave him a horse and two blackamoor

slaves, presently adding four handmaids and as many white Mamelukes.
He also appointed him a furnished house and honored him yet more

abundantly than he had honored the dyer.
After this he sent builders with him, saying to them, "Build him a

hammam in what place soever shall please him." So he took them and
went with them through the midst of the city till he saw a stead

that suited him. He pointed it out to the builders and they set to
work, whilst he directed them, and they wrought till they builded

him a hammam that had not its like. Then he bade them paint it, and
they painted it rarely, so that it was a delight to the beholders.

After which Abu Sir went up to the King and told him that they had
made an end of building and decorating the hammam, adding, "There

lacketh naught save the furniture." The King gave him ten thousand
dinars wherewith he furnished the bath and ranged the napkins on the

ropes, and all who passed by the door stared at it and their mind
was confounded at its decorations. So the people crowded to this

spectacle, whose like they had never in their lives seen, and
solaced themselves by staring at it and saying, "What is this

thing?" To which Abu Sir replied, "This is a hammam," and they
marveled thereat. Then he heated water and set the bath a-working, and

he made a jetting fountain in the great basin, which ravished the
wit of an who saw it of the people of the city.

Furthermore, he sought of the King ten Mamelukes not yet come to
manhood, and he gave him ten boys like moons, whereupon Abu Sir

proceeded to shampoo them, saying, "Do in this wise with the bathers."
Then he burnt perfumes and sent out a crier to cry aloud in the

city, saying, "O creatures of Allah, get ye to the baths which be
called the Sultan's Hammam!" So the lieges came thither and Abu Sir

bade the slave boys wash their bodies. The folk went down into the
tank and coming forth, seated themselves on the raised pavementwhilst

the boys shampooed them, even as Abu Sir had taught them. And they
continued to enter the hammam and do their need therein gratis and

go out, without paying, for the space of three days.
On the fourth day the barber invited the King, who took horse with

his grandees and rode to the baths, where he put off his clothes and
entered. Then Abu Sir came in to him and rubbed his body with the

bag gloves, peeling from his skin dirt rolls like lampwicks and
showing them to the King, who rejoiced therein, and clapping his

hand upon his limbs, heard them ring again for very smoothness and
cleanliness. After which thorough washing Abu Sir mingled rosewater

with the water of the tank and the King went down therein. When he
came forth, his body was refreshed and he felt a lightness and

liveliness such as he had never known in his life. Then the barber
made him sit on the dais and the boys proceeded to shampoo him, whilst

the censers fumed with the finest lign aloes.
Then said the King, "O master, is this the hammam?" and Abu Sir

said, "Yes." Quoth the King; "As my head liveth, my city is not become
a city indeed but by this bath," presently adding, "But what pay

takest thou for each person?" Quoth Abu Sir, "That which thou
biddest will I take," whereupon the King cried, "Take a thousand

gold pieces for everyone who washeth in thy hammam." Abu Sir, however,
said: "Pardon, O King of the Age! All men are not alike, but there are

amongst them rich and poor, and if I take of each a thousand dinars,
the hammam will stand empty, for the poor man cannot pay this

price." Asked the King, "How then wilt thou do for the price?" and the
barber answered: "I will leave it to their generosity. Each who can

afford aught shall pay that which his soul grudgeth not to give, and
we will take from every man after the measure of his means. On this

wise will the folk come to us, and he who is wealthy" target="_blank" title="a.富有的；丰富的">wealthy shall give
according to his station and he who is wealthless shall give what he

can afford. Under such condition the hammam will still be at work
and prosperexceedingly" target="_blank" title="ad.非常地，极度地">exceedingly. But a thousand dinars is a monarch's gift,

and not every man can avail to this."
The lords of the realm confirmed Abu Sir's words, saying: "This is

the truth, O King of the Age! Thinkest thou that all folk are like
unto thee, O glorious King?" The King replied: "Ye say sooth, but this

man is a stranger and poor, and 'tis incumbent on us to deal
generously with him, for that he hath made in our city this hammam

whose like we have never in our lives seen and without which our
city were not adorned nor hath gotten importance. Wherefore, an we

favor him with increase of fee, 'twill not be much." But the
grandees said: "An thou wilt guerdon him, be generous with thine own

moneys, and let the King's bounty be extended to the poor by means
of the low price of the hammam, so the lieges may bless thee. But as

for the thousand dinars, we are the lords of thy land, yet do our
souls grudge to pay it, and how then should the poor be pleased to

afford it?" Quoth the King: "O my Grandees, for this time let each
of you give him a hundred dinars and a Mameluke, a slave girl, and a

blackamoor," and quoth they: "'Tis well. We will give it, but after
today whoso entereth shall give him only what he can afford, without

grudging." "No harm in that," said the King, and they gave him the
thousand gold pieces and three chattels.

Now the number of the nobles who were washed with the King that
day was four hundred souls, so that the total of that which they

gave him was forty thousand dinars, besides four hundred Mamelukes and
a like number of Negroes and slave girls. Moreover, the King gave