A pious and rich man had an only son. He was a
merchant but for a long time the son showed no wish to
trade. Urged by his friends, he one day asked his father to
give him 1000 dinars with which to travel abroad and trade.
He came to a town and found the people in great uproar.
A pious and good man had died but his creditors would not
allow him to be buried until his debts had been paid. A
fire had destroyed his warehouse and therefore he had been
unable to pay. The young man paid the debts and gave him
a proper burial, spending the 1000 dinars on it. On his return
his father was quite satisfied. Again he took 1000 dinars and
went away to trade. This time he ransomed a captive girl
and paid 1000 dinars for her and brought her home. His
father was again satisfied. The girl grew up and they became betrothed. She was the daughter of a king and the
young man asked his father to allow them to go to her
parents to abtain their consent to be married. It was a very
distant country but at last the father agreed. They sailed
for 30 days when the ship foundered not far from the
shore. All were drowned except these two. A fisherman
got hold of them and dragged them to the strand. He then
told them to go to an inn, to send messengers to the king
and on the eighth day of the wedding to come at midnight
to the same spot bringing with them picks, shovels, planks
of wood and a straw mat. Everything happened as he had
foretold and at midnight on the eighth day all suddenly fell
asleep except these two who came to the spot where the
man was waiting for them. He told them to dig a deep
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hole, to line it with planks, for he said he wanted to catch
fish and put them in it. When the hole was deep he got in,
as he said he wanted to see whether it was large enough.
He lay down and stretched himself out, told them to wrap
round him with the straw mat and cover him all over with
earth with the exception of his head. When they had done
so, he told them that he was the dead man whom the young
man had saved from disgrace. When the ship had been
foundering, at his request, God allowed him to come down
and save them. He had now requited his benefactor and he
asked them to fill up the grave and give him proper burial.
They did so and returned to the young man’s home.
439. A pious and rich man had an only son. He was a
merchant but for a long time the son showed no wish to
trade. Urged by his friends, he one day asked his father to
give him 1000 dinars with which to travel abroad and trade.
He came to a town and found the people in great uproar.
A pious and good man had died but his creditors would not
allow him to be buried until his debts had been paid. A
fire had destroyed his warehouse and therefore he had been
unable to pay. The young man paid the debts and gave him
a proper burial, spending the 1000 dinars on it. On his return
his father was quite satisfied. Again he took 1000 dinars and
went away to trade. This time he ransomed a captive girl
and paid 1000 dinars for her and brought her home. His
father was again satisfied. The girl grew up and they became betrothed. She was the daughter of a king and the
young man asked his father to allow them to go to her
parents to abtain their consent to be married. It was a very
distant country but at last the father agreed. They sailed
for 30 days when the ship foundered not far from the
shore. All were drowned except these two. A fisherman
got hold of them and dragged them to the strand. He then
told them to go to an inn, to send messengers to the king
and on the eighth day of the wedding to come at midnight
to the same spot bringing with them picks, shovels, planks
of wood and a straw mat. Everything happened as he had
foretold and at midnight on the eighth day all suddenly fell
asleep except these two who came to the spot where the
man was waiting for them. He told them to dig a deep
- 173 -
hole, to line it with planks, for he said he wanted to catch
fish and put them in it. When the hole was deep he got in,
as he said he wanted to see whether it was large enough.
He lay down and stretched himself out, told them to wrap
round him with the straw mat and cover him all over with
earth with the exception of his head. When they had done
so, he told them that he was the dead man whom the young
man had saved from disgrace. When the ship had been
foundering, at his request, God allowed him to come down
and save them. He had now requited his benefactor and he
asked them to fill up the grave and give him proper burial.
They did so and returned to the young man’s home.
