The laughable stories collected by Mâr Gregory John Bar Hebræ

PROFITABLE SAYINGS OF MUHAMMEDAN KINGS. 63
"value of half a zusa." When his father heard of it,
he said to him, " Having now understood that a suza
"may be halved thou mayest also understand that thou
"art not able to prosper."
CCXXXVIIL Another king said, "If men only knew
"how pleasant to me it is to forgive faults there is
"not one of them who would not commit them."
CCXXXIX. A certain prince had a little servant
who used to learn with him in school, and who suddenly
sickened and died. And when the king said to
him, "My son, thy servant is dead," he replied, "Yes,
"he is dead, and he hath escaped from the school."
CCXL. A certain Byzantine king wrote a letter to
one of the Arab kings using threatening words, and the
Arab king wrote back, saying, "Our complete answer
"to that which thou hast written will be something
"which can be seen and not read," that is to say, "We
"will come in person to meet thee."
CCXLI. Another Arab king was pleased in his mind
because they had brought to him certain baked meats
which he loved. And '
having begun to eat he found
therein a fly; and when he had thrown it away and
had eaten a little more, he found another fly and yet
another; and when he had eaten and they had taken
away the table, he said, "Let them cook for me only
"a portion of this meat to-morrow, so that there may
"be fewer of flies
therein."
CCXLII. Another sage said, "The gratification which
"ariseth from forgiveness is very much better than that
"which ariseth from vengeance, because to forgiveness
"praise appertaineth, and to vengeance repentance."
CCXLIII. Another sage said, "Do not speak too freely
"and openly with him that is thy superior, lest he be