"His highness the pacha," replied Mustapha, coming forward. Both the men prostrated themselves, while the pacha directed Mustapha that they should be brought before him on the following day: and the vizier, having given them in charge to the slaves who had followed at a distance, returned home with the pacha; who was delighted at the rich harvest which he expected to reap from the two people who accused each other of telling such long stories. When the divan of the following day had closed, the two men were summoned into the presence of the pacha. "I shall now decide upon the merits of your stories," observed he. "Sit down there both of you, and agree between yourselves which of you will begin." "May it please your highness, you will never be able to listen to this man Ali," observed Hussan: "you had better send him away." "Allah preserve your highness from all evil," replied Ali, "but more especially from the talking of Hussan, which is as oppressive as the hot wind of the desert." "I have not sent for you to hear you dispute in my presence, but to hear your stories. Ali, do you begin." "I do assure your highness," interrupted Hussan, "that you will not listen to him three minutes." "I do assure you," retorted the pacha, "that if you say one word more, until you are ordered, you will be rewarded with the bastinado for your trouble. Ali, begin your story." "Well, your highness, it was about thirty years ago, _you know_, that I was a little boy, _you know_." Here Hussan lifted up his hands, and smiled. "Well, your highness, _you know_----" "I don't know, Ali; how can I know until you tell me," observed the pacha. "Well, then, your highness must know that ever since I was born I have lived in the same street where your highness saw us seated last night, and thirty years, you know is a long period in a man's life. My father was a gardener, and people of his condition, _you know_, are obliged to get up early, that they may be in time for the market, where, _you know_, they bring their vegetables for sale." "This is all very true, I dare say," observed the pacha; "but you will oblige me by leaving out all those _you knows_, which I agree with your comrade Hussan to be very tedious." "That's what I have already told him, your highness--'Ali,' _says I_, 'if you can only leave out your _you knows_,' _says I_, 'your story might be amusing, but,' _says I_----" "Silence with your _says I's_," observed the pacha; "have you forgotten the bastinado? there seems to be a pair of you. Ali, go on with the story and remember my injunction; the felek and ferashes are at hand." "Well, your highness, one morning he rose earlier than usual, as he was anxious to be the first in the market with some onions, which, _you know_, are very plentiful; and having laden his ass, he set off, at a good round pace, for the city. There, _you know_, he arrived at the market-place a little after the day had dawned, when, _you know_,----"