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| Lowe | Mr Fox |
There once was a rich merchant called Abu Kasim and he lived in Baghdad. He kept a chemist shop, the largest chemist shop in Baghdad; he was an apothecary.
Now Abu Kasim was famous for three reasons, the first of these was that he was a very mean man or as they said in Baghdad he had short arms and long pockets. The second reason Abu Kasim was famous was because he had a bath once a year or as he would say he had a bath once a year whether he needed it or not. The third and last reason why Abu Kasim was famous or should I say infamous was because of his slippers. Now Abu Kasim’s had a beautiful pair of green slippers designed in the fashion of the day, turned up at the front. Now Abu Kasim’s slippers were not famous because of their greenness or because of their design rather they were famous because Abu Kasim only had a bath once a year. As a result of this his slippers were very very hard and very very smelly, you could smell them coming a mile away.
Now it was Abu Kasim’s birthday and this was the day when he always had his annual bath so he made his way to the bathhouse. He was greeted by the bath attendant and he took his slippers off and left them in the portico, the attendant lead him to a bath cubicle. He disrobed and lowered himself gently into the warm water and started to soap his body and apply the scrubbing brush. Well bearing in mind that Abu Kasim hadn’t had a bath for a year in no time at all the water was as black as the ace of spades. He finished his bath and towelled himself down and put his clothes back on. Now Abu Kasim got to be thinking that now he’d had his annual bath perhaps he should have a new pair of slippers. Now unlike you or me he didn’t think to go to a shoe shop and buy himself a new pair; oh no, bear in mind that this was Abu Kasim he of the short arms and long pockets. He rolled out his prayer mat, knelt down and proceeded to pray to Allah.
Oh great merciful and all knowing Allah, I your humble servant Abu Kasim do pray and beseech that you provide me with a new pair of slippers.
Meanwhile another rich merchant approached the bathhouse. He could smell Abu Kasim’s slippers a mile away. When he arrived at the portico he berated the bath attendant.
I refuse to enter a bathhouse where Abu Kasim’s slippers are plainly and openly on display.
The attendant always one to be of assistance moved Abu Kasim’s slippers out of view behind a pillar. The rich merchant took his beautiful red slippers off and proceeded to a bath cubicle.
Abu Kasim having completed his prayers came out of his bath cubicle and proceeded to the portico and there he saw the beautiful red slippers and of course he thought that his prayers had been answered. He put the slippers on and walked back to his chemist shop.
Now Abu Kasim arrived back a little early and he found his assistant asleep on the counter. Abu Kasim was so mean and his assistant had to work such long hours that when his master was away he would have a nap. Abu Kasim was enraged.
I don’t pay the likes of you to sleep on my time, get back to work.
Meanwhile back at the bathhouse the rich merchant had finished his bath and emerged from his cubicle.
Where are my slippers?
The attendant replied:
The only person to pass this way recently was Abu Kasim; as a matter of fact I don’t think he took his slippers with him.
Enraged the merchant picked up Abu Kasim beautiful green slippers and made his way to the chemist shop. There in front of all his customers and staff he banged the slippers down on the counter.
Abu Kasim, you thief; give me back my slippers.
So Abu Kasim had to take off the beautiful red slippers and hand them over to the rich merchant. Abu Kasim was deeply embarrassed and decided there and then that his slippers would have to go.
The following day Abu Kasim made his way down to the banks of the Tigris Euphrates, which runs through the middle of Baghdad, and he flung his beautiful green slippers as far as he could out into the river. Now the river at that point is very wide and there are many fishing craft plying along it. Towards evening a fisherman drew in his net and he was appalled to see that his fish were all very very green and very very dead and yes you’ve guessed it he discovered Abu Kasim’s beautiful green slippers. Enraged he made his way to the chemist shop and slammed the slippers down on the counter.
Abu Kasim I demand compensation for the loss of my catch and for the indignity of finding your slippers in my net.
Abu Kasim was forced in front of all his customers and staff to pay the fisherman a hundred gold dinars or as he would put it a hundred wasp stings in compensation. He was even more determined to get rid of his slippers.
He waited till midnight and taking a lamp he made his way out into his garden. Now Abu Kasim had a very beautiful garden. He was a very mean man and in consequence he was very rich and his garden was his pride and joy. It was laid out in terraces with a fountain and there were all his beautiful flowers and the herbs that he grew for his chemist shop. He dug a hole and he buried his beautiful green slippers. Now what he didn’t know was that his neighbours were looking out of their windows.
What is Abu Kasim, he of the short arms and long pockets burying in his garden?
The next morning Abu Kasim was woken early by the sound of digging in his garden. Looking out of the window he saw over a hundred people digging away. He had to pay them a gold dinar each to go away, it cost him a hundred gold dinars.
In the afternoon Abu Kasim made his way to the law courts and there in front of the magistrates and court officials and all of the people he solemnly placed his beautiful green slippers on the bench and took a step backwards.
I Abu Kasim being of sound mind do hereby declare that I am no longer the owner of these slippers, I am no longer responsible for anything they may say or do. And with that he turned around and walked out of the law court and as far as I know he never wore another pair of slippers from that day onwards ever again.