ng,
as if complaining to him. The Caliph marvelled at this and said to the
governor, “Tell me the history of these two dogs and the reason of thy
beating them and after entreating them with honour.” He replied, “O
Vicar of Allah, these be no dogs, but two young men, endowed with beauty
and seemliness, symmetry and shapeliness, and they are my brothers and
the sons of my father and mother.” Asked the Caliph, “How is it that
they were men and are become dogs?”; and he answered, “An thou give me
leave, O Prince of True Believers, I will acquaint thee with the truth
of the circumstance.” Said Al-Rashid, “Tell me and ’ware of leasing, for
’tis of the fashion of the hypocrites, and look thou tell truth, for
that is the Ark[486] of safety and the mark of virtuous men.” Rejoined
Abdullah, “Know then, O viceregent of Allah, when I tell thee the story
of these dogs, they will both bear witness against me: an I speak sooth
they will certify it and if I lie they will give me the lie.” Cried the
Caliph, “These are of the dogs; they cannot speak nor answer; so how can
they testify for thee or against thee?” But Abdullah said to them, “O my
brothers, if I speak a lying word, do ye lift your heads and stare with
your eyes; but, if I say sooth hang down your heads and lower your
eyes.” Then said he to the Caliph:—Know, O Commander of the Faithful,
that we are three brothers by one mother and the same father. Our sire’s
name was Fazil and he was so named because his mother bare two sons at
one birth, one of whom died forthright and the other twin remained
alive, wherefore his sire named him Fazil—the Remainder. His father
brought him up and reared him well, till he grew to manhood when he
married him to our mother and died. Our mother conceived a first time
and bare this my first brother, whom our sire named Mansúr; then she
conceived again and bare this my second brother, whom he named
Násir[487]; after which she conceived a third time and bare me, whom he
named Abdullah. My father rear