A certain man of Bassora once bought a slave-girl and reared and educated her excellent well. Moreoverhe loved her very dearly and spent all his substance in pleasuring and making merry with hertill he had nothing left and want was very sore upon him. So she said to him'O my mastersell me；for thou needest my price and it makes my heart ache to see the sorry plight to which want hath brought thee. It thou sell me and make use of my priceit will be better for thee than keeping meand haply God the Most High will prosper thee and mend thy fortune.'He agreed to thisof the straitness of his caseand carried her to the bazaarwhere the broker offered her for sale to the Governor of Bassoraby name Abballah ben Maamer et Teimiand she pleased him. So he bought herfor five hundred dinarsof her masterwho took the money and was about to go awaywhen the girl burst into tears and repeated the following verses：
May Allah prosper unto thee the money thou hast got！ For me，nought's left me but lament and memory and woe.