Pg. 604
¶ 1 Leave a comment on paragraph 1 0 604 HOUSEHOLD WORDS. [Conducted by
¶ 2 Leave a comment on paragraph 2 0 impossible that he should not conceive a great affection for me.”
¶ 3 Leave a comment on paragraph 3 1 Now it happened, that whilst he was thus speaking to himself, Abu Munchar was looking at him from his window, and saying: “This is one of the idiots who brought upon me the visit of the head of the police. He has a villanous face, with but one eye, and is evidently a conceited person. It would be a pleasant thing to play some good trick upon him, that he might learn not to meddle with things that concern him not, and to have a less opinion of his own merit.”
¶ 4 Leave a comment on paragraph 4 0 A little while afterwards, having matured his plan, he went to the shop of the barber, and expressed his wish to be shaved. At the same time, a messenger came from the bath requesting his services. “Tell the Maallim,” quoth the poor fellow, “that I am shaving the head of an emir, and cannot come.” So the messenger went away, another barber was called, and Ali lost his connection with the bath.
¶ 5 Leave a comment on paragraph 5 1 Abu Munchar took off his turban, and placed himself on the bench with exceeding gravity, that he might be shaved. Ali began at once to sharpen his razor, to prepare the lather, and to talk, as barbers ever do; for Allah has given them a tongue a span in length. He vaunted both his own cleverness and the respect he entertained for his customer, endeavouring to insinuate himself into his good graces. Unfortunate man! his advances were only too well received; and ere the last polish was given to that round head, Abu Munchar had confessed that he felt wonderfully inclined to do good to the barber. Ali was delighted, and said that if that were the case, he would speak out. So he related his surmises on the subject of his patient’s way of life, and begged to be told whether or not he possessed the secret of happiness.
¶ 6 Leave a comment on paragraph 6 0 “Thy penetration is marvellous, thy capacity is unexampled, O Ali!” was the reply. “The source of my felicity is indeed not ordinary. I was born poor, and lived, until of late, poor, as thou hast surmised; but I chanced to obtain admission into the Company of the Wise and Happy; so that now my lot is to be envied.”
¶ 7 Leave a comment on paragraph 7 0 “And what is that company?” inquired the barber.
¶ 8 Leave a comment on paragraph 8 0 “It consists of a variety of individuals of all ranks and conditions, who have the power of obtaining whatsoever they may wish, when united in the ordained place of meeting. We meet together at stated intervals. One wishes for a purse of gold, another for a beautiful maiden, another for a handsome garment; and no one ever fails to obtain what he may desire.”
¶ 9 Leave a comment on paragraph 9 0 “O Allah! Allah! why may I not become a member of this worshipful company?”
¶ 10 Leave a comment on paragraph 10 0 “That is impossible,” replied the wag, in a grave voice. “I have gratified thy curiosity; but, do not let thy hopes go astray in quest of what is forbidden.”
¶ 11 Leave a comment on paragraph 11 0 The barber was afraid for the time to press the matter further, although he did not despair of ultimately succeeding in his wishes. When the shave was over, he refused to accept payment for his trouble; declaring with many oaths that he esteemed it an honour to handle the head of his respected neighbour. Abu Munchar did not much insist, but went away and related to his intimates how he had got a barber at his service for nothing.
¶ 12 Leave a comment on paragraph 12 0 Some time afterwards, it was agreed between the merry man and one of his friends, named Maza, that the joke should be carried out to its extremity. Every preparation having been made, Maza went, dressed as a poor man; and, feigning sickness, fell down upon the threshold of the barber’s shop. The luckless rogue, who, since he had lost his connection with the bath, had gained scarcely sufficient to buy him a loaf for dinner, was sitting sharpening his razor for the hundredth time that day. On hearing a noise, he started as if from slumber, cried “hader” (ready), and began to make a lather, without looking at his customer. On turning round at length, however, he saw as it were a corpse in the doorway, and felt terribly alarmed; but he recovered soon, and, humanity prompting him, drew Maza into the shop, tweaked his nose, slapped his hands, and succeeded in making him open his eyes and pretend to recover.
¶ 13 Leave a comment on paragraph 13 0 “Where am I?” said he, in a faint voice.
¶ 14 Leave a comment on paragraph 14 0 “In the shop of Ali, the cleverest and the poorest barber in Cairo. A miserable wretch, who has scarcely a glass of water to offer thee; but who is ready to shave thy head for the honour of the Prophet.”
¶ 15 Leave a comment on paragraph 15 0 “I demand not to be shaved, but to be taken to the house of Abu Munchar, if he be known in this quarter.”
¶ 16 Leave a comment on paragraph 16 0 “Known!” exclaimed Ali. “Why, he is my most intimate friend, and scarcely ever passes a day without stepping in to hear me discourse wisely of all things; for he has seen that I am a man of sagacity, who knows sentences, and can expound history and doctrine. He has seen that I am capable of enlightening the imbecility of his mind, and enlarging the bounds of his knowledge, and showing him the right path, and giving him rules of conduct, and directions in the search of wealth, and means to avoid the rod of government, and advice and assistance of all valuable kinds; besides ….”
¶ 17 Leave a comment on paragraph 17 0 “This is enough,” replied Maza, “to persuade me that thou knowest the man. Show me his dwelling, and thou shalt be rewarded —by my thanks.”
¶ 18 Leave a comment on paragraph 18 0 “Nay,” quoth Ali, “it seemeth to me that thou art sick and unable to walk. Remain in my shop, and I will call upon my neighbour, and mention thy name and describe thy qualities, and bring him to thee.”
¶ 19
Leave a comment on paragraph 19 0
“Be it so,” said Maza; and Ali,
who was delighted at the opportunity of entering his neighbour’s house, crossed
the street, and
Matt
Taylor Posik
Abu doesn’t simply play a trick on Ali out of desire to laugh, but rather as a plot of revenge. It is revealed here that Ali is one of (if not the single person) who reported Abu Munchar to the police saying he was the renowned thief they were searching for. It is here that Dickens is setting up the foolishness of Ali, and that he is an incredibly impulsive soul who is quick to believe anything he hears. Essentially, there are hints that show Abu feels remorse for this prank, but he believes that the lessons Ali will learn will make the hardships faced worthwhile.