honest men to bear witness against thee that thou didst so
accepting the condition, and that thou knewest of my fault which
is to tell one lie every year. Now this is only a half lie, but
by the end of the year I will tell the other half, then will the
lie stand whole and complete." "O dog, son of a dog!", cried my
master, "O most accursed of slaves, is this all of it but a half
lie? Verily if it be a half lie 'tis a whole calamity! Get thee
from me, thou art free in the face of Allah!" "By Allah,"
rejoined I, if thou free me, I will not free thee till my year is
completed and I have told thee the half lie which is left. When
this is done, go down with me to the slave market and sell me as
thou boughtest me to whoso will buy me with my blemish; but thou
shalt not manumit me, for I have no handicraft whereby to gain my
living;[FN#99] and this my demand is a matter of law which the
doctors have laid down in the Chapter of Emancipation."[FN#100]
While we were at these words, up came the crowd of people, and
the neighbours of the quarter, men, women and children, together
with the Governor and his suite offering condolence. So my master
and the other merchants went up to him and informed him of the
adventure, and how this was but a half lie, at which all
wondered, deeming it a whole lie and a big one. And they cursed
me and reviled me, while I stood laughing and grinning at them,
till at last I asked, "How shall my master slay me when he bought
me with this my blemish?" Then my master returned home and found
his house in ruins, and it was I who had laid waste the greater
part of it,[FN#101] having broken things which were worth much
money, as also had done his wife, who said to him, "'Twas Kafur
who broke the vessels and chinaware." Thereupon his rage
redoubled and he struck hand upon hand exclaiming, "By Allah! in
my life never saw I a whoreson like this slave; and he saith this