manner of daily bread;" and he began re citing in extempore
verse:--

O toiler through the glooms of night in peril and in pain * Thy
toiling stint for daily bread comes not by might and main!
Seest thou not the fisher seek afloat upon the sea * His bread,
while glimmer stars of night as set in tangled skein.
Anon he plungeth in despite the buffet of the waves * The while
to sight the bellying net his eager glances strain;
Till joying at the night's success, a fish he bringeth home *
Whose gullet by the hook of Fate was caught and cut in
twain.
When buys that fish of him a man who spent the hours of night *
Reckless of cold and wet and gloom in ease and comfort fain,
Laud to the Lord who gives to this, to that denies his wishes *
And dooms one toil and catch the prey and other eat the
fishes.[FN#60]

Then quoth he, "Up and to it; I am sure of His beneficence,
Inshallah!" So he continued:--

When thou art seized of Evil Fate, assume * The noble soul's long
suffering: 'tis thy best:
Complain not to the creature; this be plaint * From one most
Ruthful to the ruthlessest.

The Fisherman, when he had looked at the dead ass, got it free of
the toils and wrung out and spread his net; then he plunged into
the sea, saying, "In Allah's name!" and made a cast and pulled at
it, but it grew heavy and settled down more firmly than the first