And nowwith thy leaveI will show theefor thy diversion，something of what I can do.'Do what thou wilt，'answered Er Reshid'that we may see.'I hear and obey，'said Abou Mohammed and moving his lipsbeckoned to the battlements of the palace，whereupon they inclined to him；then he made another sign to themand they returned to their place. Then he made a sign with his eyeand there appeared before him cabinets with closed doorsto which he spokeand lothe voices of birds answered him [from within]. The Khalif marvelled exceedingly at this and said to him'How camest thou by all thisseeing that thou art only known as Abou Mohammed the Lazyand they tell me that thy father was a barber-surgeonserving in a public bathand left thee nothing？'O Commander of the Faithful，'answered he，'listen to my storyfor it is an extraordinary one and its particulars are wonderful；were it graven with needles upon the corners of the eyeit would serve as a lesson to him who can profit by admonition.'Let us hear it，'said the Khalif.
'Know thenO Commander of the Faithful，'replied Abou Mohammed，'（may God prolong to thee glory and dominion，）that the report of the folkthat I am known as the Lazy and that my father left me nothingis true；for he wasas thou hast saidbut a barber-surgeon in a bath. In my youth I was the laziest wight on the face of the earth；indeedso great was my sluggishness that，if I lay asleep in the sultry season and the sun came round upon meI was too lazy to rise and remove from the sun to the shade；
and thus I abode till I reached my fifteenth yearwhen my father was admitted to the mercy of God the Most High and left me nothing. Howevermy mother used to go out to service and feed me and give me to drinkwhilst I lay on my side.
One dayshe came in to mewith five silver dirhemsand said to me'O my sonI hear that the Sheikh Aboul Muzeffer is about to go a voyage to China.'（Now this Sheikh was a good and charitable man and loved the poor.）'So comelet us carry him these five dirhems and beg him to buy thee therewith somewhat from the land of Chinaso haply thou mayst make a profit of itby the bounty of God the Most High！'I was too lazy to move；but she swore by Allah thatexcept I rose and went with hershe would neither bring me meat nor drink nor come in to mebut would leave me to die of hunger and thirst. When I heard thisO Commander of the FaithfulI knew she would do as she said；so I said to her，'Help me to sit up.'She did soand I wept the while and said to her'Bring me my shoes.'Accordinglyshe brought them and I said'Put them on my feet.'She put them on my feet and I said，'Lift me up.'So she lifted me up and I said'Support methat I may walk.'So she supported me and I went along thusstill stumbling in my skirtstill we came to the river-bankwhere we saluted the Sheikh and I said to him'O uncleart thou Aboul Muzeffer？'At thy service，'answered heand I said'Take these dirhems and buy me somewhat from the land of China： haplyGod may vouchsafe me a profit of it.'Quoth the Sheikh to his companions'Do ye know this youth？'Yes，'replied they；'he is known as Abou Mohammed the Lazyand we never saw him stir from his house till now.'Then said he to me'O my songive me the dirhems and the blessing of God the Most High go with them！'So he took the moneysaying'In the name of God！'and I returned home with my mother.
Meanwhile the Sheikh set sailwith a company of merchantsand stayed not till they reached the land of Chinawhere they bought and soldand having done their intentset out on their homeward voyage. When they had been three days at seathe Sheikh said to his company'Stay the ship！'And they asked him what was to do with him. 'Know，'replied he'that I have forgotten the commission with which Abou Mohammed the Lazy charged me；so let us turn backthat we may buy him somewhat whereby he may profit.'We conjure theeby God the Most High，'exclaimed they，'turn not back with us；for we have traversed an exceeding great distance and endured sore hardship and many perils.'Quoth he，'There is no help for it；'and they said 'Take from us double the profit of the five dirhems and turn not back with us.'So he agreed to this and they collected for him a great sum of money.
Then they sailed ontill they came to an islandwherein was much people；so they moored thereto and the merchants went ashoreto buy thence precious metals and pearls and jewels and so forth. PresentlyAboul Muzeffer saw a man seatedwith many apes before himand amongst them one whose hair had been plucked off. As often as the man's attention was diverted from themthe other apes fell upon the plucked one and beat him and threw him on their master；whereupon the latter rose and beat them and bound them and punished them for this；and all the apes were wroth with the plucked ape therefor and beat him the more. When Aboul Muzeffer saw thishe took compassion upon the plucked ape and said to his master'Wilt thou sell me yonder ape？'Buy，'replied the manand Aboul Muzeffer rejoined'I have with me five dirhemsbelonging to an orphan lad. Wilt thou sell me the ape for that sum？'He is thine，'answered the ape-merchant. 'May God give thee a blessing of him！'So the Sheikh paid the money and his slaves took the ape and tied him up in the ship.
Then they loosed sail and made for another islandwhere they cast anchor；and there came down diverswho dived for pearls and corals and other jewels. So the merchants hired them for money and they dived. When the ape saw thishe did himself loose from his bonds and leaping off the ship's sidedived with them；whereupon quoth Aboul Muzeffer'There is no power and no virtue but in God the Most Highthe Supreme！ The ape is lost to usby the [ill] fortune of the poor fellow for whom we bought him.'And they despaired of him；butafter awhilethe company of divers rose to the surfaceand with them the apewith his hands full of jewels of pricewhich he threw down before Aboul Muzeffer，who marvelled at this and said'There hangs some great mystery by this ape！'
