The Khalif El Hakim bi Amrillah was riding out in state one day，when he came to a gardenin which he saw a mansurrounded by slaves and servants. He asked him for a draught of waterand the man gave him to drinksaying'Peradventurethe Commander of the Faithful will honour me by alighting in this my garden.'
So the Khalif dismounted and entered the garden with his suite；whereupon the man brought out to them a hundred carpets and a hundred leather mats and a hundred cushions and set before them a hundred dishes of fruitsa hundred saucers of sweetmeats and a hundred bowls full of sherbets of sugar；whereat the Khalif marvelled and said to his host'O manthis thy case is a strange one. Didst thou know of our coming and make this preparation for us？'Noby AllahO Commander of the Faithful，'
answered the other'I knew not of thy coming and am but a merchant of the rest of thy subjects. But I have a hundred concubines；sowhen the Commander of the Faithful honoured me by alighting with meI sent to each of thembidding her send me the morning-meal here. So they sent me each of her furniture and of the excess of her meat and drink： and every day each sends me a dish of meat and another of marinadesalso a plate of fruits and a saucer of sweetmeats and a bowl of sherbet. This is my every- day noon-mealnor have I added aught thereto for thee.'
The Khalif prostrated himself in thanksgiving to God the Most High and said'Praised be Godwho hath been so bountiful to one of our subjectsthat he entertaineth the Khalif and his suitewithout making ready for thembut of the surplus of his day's victual！'Then he sent for all the dirhems in the treasurythat had been struck that year，--and they were in number three thousand and seven hundred thousand；--nor did he mounttill the money camewhen he gave it to the merchant，saying'Use this for the maintenance of thy state；and thy desert is more than this.'Then he mounted and rode away.
