A certain simple fellow was once going alonghaling his ass after him by the halterwhen a couple of sharpers saw him and one said to his fellow'I will take that ass from yonder man.'
'How wilt thou do that？'asked the other. 'Follow me and I will show thee，'replied the first. So he went up to the ass and loosing it from the haltergave the beast to his fellow；then clapped the halter on his own head and followed the simpleton，till he knew that the other had got clean off with the ass，when he stood still. The man pulled at the halterbut the thief stirred not；so he turned and seeing the halter on a man's necksaid to him'Who art thou？'Quoth the sharper'I am thine ass and my story is a strange one. Know that I have a pious old mother and came in to her one daydrunk；and she said to me'O my sonrepent to God the Most High of these thy transgressions.'But I took the cudgel and beat herwhereupon she cursed me and God the Most High changed me into an ass and caused me fall into thy handswhere I have remained till now.
Howeverto-daymy mother called me to mind and her heart relented towards me；so she prayed for meand God restored me to my former shape of a man.'There is no power and no virtue but in God the Most Highthe Supreme！'cried the simpleton. 'O my brotherI conjure thee by Allahacquit me of what I have done with theein the way of riding and so forth.'