to thee, O friend, and welcome fair and fain!"
For whoso doth rejoice in meeting him shall have Largesse and
gifts galore at his dismounting gain.

When the troops entered Baghdad, each of them alighted in his
pavilion, whilst El Abbas encamped apart in a place near the
Tigris and commanded to slaughter for the troops, each day, that
which should suffice them of oxen and sheep and bake them bread
and spread the tables. So the folk ceased not to come to him and
eat of his banquet. Moreover, all the people of the country came
to him with presents and rarities and he requited them many times
the like of their gifts, so that the lands were filled with his
tidings and the report of him was bruited abroad among the folk
of the deserts and the cities.

Then, when he rode to his house that he had bought, the
shopkeeper and his wife came to him and gave him joy of his
safety; whereupon he ordered them three swift thoroughbred horses
and ten dromedaries and an hundred head of sheep and clad them
both in sumptuous dresses of honour. Then he chose out ten
slave-girls and ten black slaves and fifty horses and the like
number of she- camels and three hundred head of sheep, together
with twenty ounces of musk and as many of camphor, and sent all
this to the King of Baghdad. When this came to Ins ben Cais, his
wit fled for joy and he was perplexed wherewithal to requite him.
Moreover, El Abbas gave gifts and largesse and bestowed dresses
of honour upon great and small, each after the measure of his
station, save only Mariyeh; for unto her he sent nothing.

This was grievous to the princess and it irked her sore that he