jewels; and when fruit failed from the
gardens, he carried him raisins and almonds and filberts and walnuts and
figs and so forth; and all that he brought for him the Merman accepted
and returned him the fish-basket full of jewels according to his custom.
Now it chanced one day that he carried him the crate, full of dry[255]
fruits as was his wont, and his friend took them from him. Then they sat
down to converse, Abdullah the fisherman on the beach and Abdullah the
Merman in the water near the shore, and discoursed; and the talk went
round between them, till it fell upon the subject of sepulchres; whereat
quoth the Merman, “O my brother, they say that the Prophet (whom Allah
assain and save!) is buried with you on the land. Knowest thou his
tomb?” Abdullah replied, “Yes; it lieth in a city called Yathrib.[256]”
Asked the Merman, “And do the people of the land visit it?” “Yes,”
answered the fisherman, and the other said, “I give you joy, O people of
the land, of visiting[257] that noble Prophet and compassionate, which
whoso visiteth meriteth his intercession! Hast thou made such
visitation, O my brother?” Replied the fisherman, “No: for I was poor
and had not the necessary sum[258] to spend by the way, nor have I been
in easy case but since I knew thee and thou bestowedst on me this good
fortune. But such visitation behoveth me after I have pilgrimed to the
Holy House of Allah[259] and naught withholdeth me therefrom but my love
to thee, because I cannot leave thee for one day.” Rejoined the Merman,
“And dost thou set the love of me before the visitation of the tomb of
Mohammed (whom Allah assain and save!), who shall intercede for thee on
the Day of Review before Allah and shall save thee from the Fire and
through whose intercession thou shalt enter Paradise? And dost thou, for
the love of the world, neglect to visit the tomb of thy Prophet[260]
Mohammed, whom God bless and preserve?” Replied Abdullah, “No, by Allah,
I set the visitation of the Prophet’s tomb above all else, and 