with him and embarked on the sea, so he might travel.

The ship tarried with him some days, till he should be certified
what he would do,[FN#104] and he said, 'I will enquire of the
merchants what this merchandise profiteth and in what country it
lacketh and how much is the gain thereon.' [So he questioned them
and] they directed him to a far country, where his dirhem should
profit a hundredfold. Accordingly, he set sail and steered for
the land in question; but, as he went, there blew on him a
tempestuous wind and the ship foundered. The merchant saved
himself on a plank and the wind cast him up, naked as he was, on
the sea-shore, hard by a town there. So he praised God and gave
Him thanks for his preservation; then, seeing a great village
hard by, he betook himself thither and saw, seated therein, a
very old man, whom he acquainted with his case and that which had
betided him. The old man grieved sore for him, when he heard his
story, and set food before him. So he ate and the old man said to
him, 'Abide here with me, so I may make thee my steward and
factor over a farm I have here, and thou shall have of me five
dirhems [FN#105] a day.' 'God make fair thy reward,' answered the
merchant, 'and requite thee with benefits!'

So he abode in this employ, till he had sowed and reaped and
threshed and winnowed, and all was sheer in his hand and the
owner appointed neither inspector nor overseer, but relied
altogether upon him. Then he bethought himself and said, '_I_*
misdoubt me the owner of this grain will not give me my due; so I
were better take of it, after the measure of my hire; and if he
give me my due, I will restore him that which I have taken.' So
he took of the grain, after the measure of that which fell to