The laughable stories collected by Mâr Gregory John Bar Hebræ

STORIES ABOUT WEALTHY AND LIBERAL MEN.
IO9
saying, "I have taken nine hundred thousand pieces
"of silver;"
and he began to return thanks [to the king].
And when he had gone out, the king said to those
who were about him, "What have I said to him.^ [I
"told him] to take the money and to come forth with
"us that he might spend it upon what we needed, but
"he thought that I had given it as a gift to him. As,
"however, he has thought thus, even as he hath be-
"lieved so shall it be to him." So he allowed him to
have all this sum [of money].
CCCCXXVI. Another rich man being asked, "What
"is the height of liberality?" said, "For a man to grant
"the request of the poor man in the time of his need."
CCCCXXVII. A poet having gone to the house of
a certain governor and sung a song in his praise, the
And it
governor made him a present of much money.
came to pass that when he wished to depart the governor's
servants did not attend him to set him on his
way, neither did they pay attention unto him [when
he called]. And when he began to reprove them for
behaving thus, the servants said unto him, "We do not
"consider that we are obliged to wait upon him that
"is about to leave us, but only upon him that arriveth,
"and we rejoice more in him that cometh than in him
"that goeth away, because we are accustomed to receive
"travellers only." Then the poet, wondering at their
intelligence, said, "Ye are much more worthy of praise
"than
your master."
CCCCXXVIII. A certain lawyer related [the following
story].
" There were three of us students together,
"and each of us invested ten [talents] of silver. With
"their money my companions bought houses,
and vine-
"yards, and gardens, but I spent mine on my own wants