Then said he, “O Ibrahim, sing this song after me, and preserving the mode thereof in thy singing, teach it to thy slave-girls.” Quoth I, “Repeat it to me.” But he answered, “There needs no repetition; thou hast it by heart nor is there more to learn.” Then he suddenly vanished from my sight. At this I was amazed and running to my sword drew it and made for the door of the Harim, but found it closed and said to the women, “What have ye heard?” Quoth they, “We have heard the sweetest of singing and the goodliest.” Then I went forth amazed, to the house-door and, finding it locked, questioned the doorkeepers of the old man. They replied, “What old man? By Allah, no one hath gone in to thee this day!” So I returned pondering the matter, when, behold, there arose from one of the corners of the house, a Vox et præterea nihil, saying, “O Abu Ishak, no harm shall befal thee. ’Tis I, Abú Murrah,[FN#123] who have been thy cup-companion this day, so fear nothing!” Then I mounted and rode to the palace, where I told Al-Rashid what had passed, and he said, “Repeat to me the airs thou heardest from him.” So I took the lute and played and sang them to him; for, behold, they were rooted in my heart. The Caliph was charmed with them and drank thereto, albeit he was no confirmed wine-bibber, saying, “Would he would some day pleasure us with his company, as he hath pleasured thee!”[FN#124] Then he ordered me a present and I took it and went away. And men relate this story anent THE LOVERS OF THE BANU UZRAH.[FN#125] Quoth Masrur the Eunuch:—The Caliph Harun Al-Rashid was very wakeful one night and said to me, “See which of the poets is at the door to-night.” So I went out and finding Jamíl bin Ma’amar al-Uzrí[FN#126] in the antechamber, said to him, “Answer the Commander of the Faithful.” Quoth he, “I hear and I obey,” and going in with me, saluted the Caliph, who returned his greeting and bade him sit down. Then he said to him, “O Jamil, hast thou any of thy wonderful new stories to tell us?” He replied, “Yes, O Commander of the Faithful: wouldst thou fainer hear that which I have seen with mine eyes or that which I have only heard?” Quoth the Caliph, “Tell me something thou hast actually beheld.” Quoth Jamil, “’Tis well, O Prince of True Believers; incline thy heart to me and lend me thine ears.” The Caliph took a bolster of red brocade, purfled with gold and stuffed with ostrich-feathers and, laying it under his thighs, propped up both elbows thereon; then he said to Jamil, “Now[FN#127] for thy tale, O Jamil!” Thereupon he begun:—Know, O Commander of the Faithful, that I was once desperately enamoured of a certain girl and used to pay her frequent visits.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say. When it was the Six Hundred and Eighty-ninth Night,