An I bury it，they will take it，and if I put it out on deposit，they will deny that I did so，and if I carry it on my head，[278] they will snatch it，and if I tie it to my sleeve，they will cut it away.'Presently，he espied a little breast-pocket in the gown and said，'By Allah，this is fine！'Tis under my throat and hard by my mouth： if any put out his hand to hend it，I can come down on it with my mouth and hide it in my throttle.'So he set the rag containing the gold in the pocket and lay down，but slept not that night for suspicion and trouble and anxious thought.On the morrow，he fared forth of his lodging on fishing intent and，betaking himself to the river，went down into the water，up to his knees.Then he threw the net and shook it with might and main；whereupon the purse fell down into the stream.So he tore off gown and turband and plunged in after it；saying，'There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah；the Glorious，the Great！'Nor did he give over diving and searching the stream-bed，till the day was half spent，but found not the purse.Now one saw him from afar diving and plunging and his gown and turband lying in the sun at a distance from him；with no one by them；so he watched him，till he dived again when he dashed at the clothes and made off with them.Presently；Khalif came ashore and，missing his gown and turband，was chagrined for their loss with passing cark and care and ascended a mound，to look for some passer-by，of whom he might enquire concerning them，but found none.Now the Caliph Harun al-Rashid had gone a-hunting and chasing that day；and，returning at the time of the noon heat，was oppressed thereby and thirsted；so he looked for water from afar and seeing a naked man standing on the mound said to Ja'afar，'Seest thou what I see？'Replied the Wazir，'Yes，O Commander of the Faithful；I see a man standing on a hillock.'Al-Rashid asked，'What is he？'；and Ja'afar answered；'Haply he is the guardian of a cucumber-plot.'Quoth the Caliph；'Perhaps he is a pious man[279]；I would fain go to him；alone，and desire of him his prayers；and abide ye where you are.'So he went up to Khalif and saluting him with the salam said to him，'What art thou，O man？'Replied the fisherman，'Dost thou not know me？ I am Khalif the Fisherman；'and the Caliph rejoined，'What？ The Fisherman with the woollen gown and the honey-coloured turband[280]？'When Khalif heard him name the clothes he had lost，he said in himself，'This is he who took my duds： belike he did but jest with me.'So he came down from the knoll and said，'Can I not take a noontide nap[281] but thou must trick me this trick？ I saw thee take my gear and knew that thou wast joking with me.'At this，laughter got the better of the Caliph and he said；'What clothes hast thou lost？ I know nothing of that whereof thou speakest，O Khalif.'Cried the Fisherman，'By God the Great，except thou bring me back the gear；I will smash thy ribs with this staff！'（For he always carried a quarterstaff.） Quoth the Caliph，'By Allah，I have not seen the things whereof thou speakest！'；and quoth Khalif'I will go with thee and take note of thy dwelling-place and complain of thee to the Chief of Police，so thou mayst not trick me this trick again.
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