party, big and little, stood still and said to me, "O our lord, we are athirst and burning with drowthiness, nor can we stir from this spot and if we leave it without drinking we shall all die." Now there was in that place a draw-well, but it was deep and we had nor pitcher nor bucket nor aught wherein to draw water and the scholars still suffered from exceeding thirst. We had with us, however, cooking-gear such as chauldrons and platters; so I said to them, "O boys, whoso carrieth a cord or hath bound his belongings with one let him bring it hither!" They did my bidding and I tied these articles together and spliced them as strongly as I could: then said I to the lads, "Bind me under the arm-pits." Accordingly they made me fast by passing the rope around me and I took with me a chauldron, whereupon they let me down bucket-wise into the well till I reached the water. Then I loosed the bandage from under my armpits and tied it to the chauldron which I filled brim-full and shook the rope for a signal to the boys above. They haled at the vessel till they pulled it up and began drinking and giving drink; and on this wise they drew a first chauldron and a second and a third and a fourth till they were satisfied and could no more and cried out to me, "We have had enough, quite enough." Hereupon I bound the bandage under my armpits, as it was when I went down, and I shook it as a signal and they haled me up till I had well-nigh reached the kerbstone of the well when a fit of sneezing seized me and I sneezed violently. At this all let go their hold and carrying their arms over their breasts, cried aloud, "Allah have ruth upon thee, O our lord!" but I, as soon as they loosed hold, fell into the depths of the well and brake my back. I shrieked for excess of agony and all the boys ran on all sides screaming for aid till they were heard by some wayfaring folk; and these haled at me and drew me out. They placed me upon the ass and bore me home: then they brought a leach to medicine me and at last I became even as thou seest me, O Sultan of the Age. Such, then, is my story showing the weakness of my wits; for had I not enjoined and enforced over-respect the boys would not have let go their hold when I happened to sneeze nor would my back have been broken. "Thou speakest sooth, O Shaykh," said the Sultan, "and indeed thou hast made evident the weakness of thy wit." Then quoth he to the man who was cloven of mouth. "And thou, the other, what was it split thy gape?" "The weakness of my wit, O my lord the Sultan," quoth he, and fell to telling the Story of the Split-Mouthed Schoolmaster.[FN#137]