When the evening evened, the king summoned the vizier and
required of him the hearing of the [promised] story. So he said,
"Hearkening and obedience. Know, O king, that





STORY OF THE SHARPERS WITH THE
MONEY-CHANGER AND THE ASS.



Four sharpers once plotted against a money-changer, a man of
abounding wealth, and agreed upon a device for the taking of
somewhat of his money. So one of them took an ass and laying on
it a bag, wherein was money, lighted down at the money-changer's
shop and sought of him change for the money. The money- changer
brought out to him the change and bartered it with him, whilst
the sharper was easy with him in the matter of the exchange, so
he might give him confidence in himself. [As they were thus
engaged,] up came the [other three] sharpers and surrounded the
ass; and one of them said, '[It is] he,' and another said, 'Wait
till I look at him.' Then he fell to looking on the ass and
stroking him from his mane to his crupper; whilst the third went
up to him and handled him and felt him from head to tail, saying,
' Yes, [it is] in him.' Quoth another, ['Nay,] it is not in him.'
And they gave not over doing the like of this.

Then they accosted the owner of the ass and chaffered with him