（Quoth Ishac ben Ibrahim el Mausili）One daybeing weary of assiduous attendance upon the KhalifI mounted my horse and went forthat break of dayhaving a mind to ride out and take my pleasure in the open countryand I said to my servant'If there come a messenger from the Khalif or anothersay that I set out at daybreakupon a pressing businessand that thou knowest not whither I am gone.'So I rode forth alone and went round about the citytill the sun grew hotwhen I halted in a streetknown as El Heremand stood my horse under the spacious jutting porch of one of the houses thereto shelter me from the glare of the sun.
I had not stood longbefore there came up a black slave，leading an ass with jewelled housingson which sat a damsel，clad in the richest of clothesrichness can go no farther；and I saw that she was elegantly madewith languorous looks and graceful carriage. I asked one of the passers-by who she was，and he said'She is a singer.'And I fell in love with her at sightso that I could scarce keep my seat on my horse's back.
She entered the house at whose gate I stood；and as I cast about for a device to gain access to herthere came up two comely young menwho sought admissionand the master of the house gave them leave to enter. So they alighted and entered，and I with themthey supposing that the master of the house had invited me；and we sat awhiletill food was brought and we ate. Then they set wine before usand the damsel came out，with a lute in her hand. She sang and we dranktill I rose to do an occasion. During my absencethe host questioned the two others of meand they replied that they knew me not；whereupon quoth he'This fellow is a spungerbut he is well-bred and pleasant；so entreat him fairly.'Then I came back and sat down in my placewhilst the damsel sang the following verses to a pleasing air：
Say thou unto the she-gazellewho yet is no gazelleAnd the wild heiferlanguorous-eyedwho yet no heifer is，'Onewho in dalliance affects the maleno female isAnd he who is effeminate of step's no maleywis.'
She sang it excellent welland the company drank and her song pleased them. Then she sang various songs to rare tunesand amongst the rest one of mineto the following words：
The pleasant girls have gone and left The homesteads empty and bereft Of their sweet converseafter cheerAll void and ruined by Time's theft.
She sang this even better than the first；then she sang other rare songsold and newand amongst themanother of mine，with the following words：
To the loved onewho turneth in anger away And vrithdraweth himself far apart from theesay，'The mischief thou wroughtestthou wroughtest indeedFor all，per-adventurethou west but in play.'
I asked her to repeat the songthat I might correct it for her；whereupon one of the men turned to me and said'Never saw I a more brazen-faced parasite than thou. Art thou not content with spungingbut thou must meddleto boot？ Verilyin thee is the saying made true'A parasite and a meddler.'I hung down my head for shame and made him no answerwhilst his companion would have restrained him from me；but he would not be restrained. Presentlythey rose to praybut I hung behind a little and taking the lutetuned it after a particular fashion and stood up to pray with the rest. When we had made an end of prayerthe same man fell again to flouting and reviling me and persisted in his churlishnesswhilst I held my peace.
