use to ride，is she safe？''No，by Allah，O my master，the house walls and the stable walls buried every living thing that was within doors，even to the sheep and geese and poultry，so that they all became a heap of flesh and the dogs and cats are eating them and not one of them is left alive.''And hath not thy master，my elder son，escaped？''No，by Allah！ not one of them was saved，and now there is naught left of house or household，nor even a sign of them： and，as for the sheep and geese and hens，the cats and dogs have devoured them.'When my master heard this the light became night before his sight； his wits were dazed and he so lost command of his senses that he could not stand firm on his feet： he was as one struck with a sudden palsy and his back was like to break. Then he rent his raiment and plucked out his beard and，casting his turband from off his head，buffeted his face till the blood ran down and he cried aloud，'Alas，my children！ Alas，my wife！ Alas，my calamity！ To whom ever befel that which hath befallen me？'The merchants，his friends，also cried aloud at his crying and wept for his weeping and tore their clothes，being moved to pity of his case； and so my master went out of the garden，smiting his face with such violence that from excess of pain he staggered like one drunken with wine. As he and the merchants came forth from the garden gate，behold，they saw a great cloud of dust and heard a loud noise of crying and lamentation； so they looked and lo！ it was the Governor with his attendants and the townsfolk，a world of people，who had come out to look on，and my master's family following them，all screaming and crying aloud and weeping exceeding sore weeping. The first to address my owner were his wife and children； and when he saw them he was confounded and laughed[98] and said to them，'How is it with all of you and what befel you in the house and what hath come to pass to you？'When they saw him they exclaimed，'Praise be to Allah for thy preservation！'and threw themselves upon him and his children hung about him crying，'Slack，our father！
Thanks to Allah for thy safety，O our father！'And his wife said to him，'Art thou indeed well！ Laud to Allah who hath shown us thy face in safety！'And indeed she was confounded and her reason fled when she saw him，and she asked，'O，my lord，how didst thou escape，thou and thy friends the merchants？'and he answered her，'And how fared it with thee in the house？'Quoth they，'We were all well，whole and healthy，nor hath aught of evil befallen us in the house，save that thy slave Kafur came to us，bareheaded with torn garments and howling，'Alas，the master！ Alas the master！'So we asked him，'What tidings，O Kafur？'and he answered 'A wall of the garden hath fallen on my master and his friends the merchants，and they are all crushed and dead！''By Allah，'said my master，'he came to me but now howling，'Alas，my mistress！ Alas，the children of the mistress！'，and said，'My mistress and her children are all dead，every one of them！''Then he looked round and seeing me with my turband rent in rags round my neck，howling and weeping with exceeding weeping and throwing dust upon my head，he cried out at me. So I came to him and he said，'Woe to thee，O ill omened slave！ O whoreson knave！ O thou damned breed！ What mischief thou hast wrought？ By Allah！ I will flog thy skin from thy flesh and cut thy flesh from thy bones！'I
rejoined，'By Allah，thou canst do nothing of the kind with me，O my lord，for thou boughtest me with my blemish； and there are honest men to bear witness against thee that thou didst so accepting the condition，and that thou knewest of my fault which is to tell one lie every year. Now this is only a half lie，but by the end of the year I will tell the other half，then will the lie stand whole and complete.''O dog，son of a dog！'，cried my master，'O most accursed of slaves，is this all of it but a half lie？ Verily if it be a half lie 'tis a whole calamity！ Get thee from me，thou art free in the face of Allah！''By Allah，'rejoined I，if thou free me，I will not free thee till my year is completed and I have told thee the half lie which is left. When this is done，go down with me to the slave market and sell me as thou boughtest me to whoso will buy me with my blemish； but thou shalt not manumit me，for I have no handicraft whereby to gain my living；[99] and this my demand is a matter of law which the doctors have laid down in the Chapter of Emancipation.'[100]
While we were at these words，up came the crowd of people，and the neighbours of the quarter，men，women and children，together with the Governor and his suite offering condolence. So my master and the other merchants went up to him and informed him of the adventure，and how this was but a half lie，at which all wondered，deeming it a whole lie and a big one. And they cursed me and reviled me，while I stood laughing and grinning at them，till at last I asked，'How shall my master slay me when he bought me with this my blemish？'Then my master returned home and found his house in ruins，and it was I who had laid waste the greater part of it，[101] having broken things which were worth much money，as also had done his wife，who said to him，''Twas Kafur who broke the vessels and chinaware.'Thereupon his rage redoubled and he struck hand upon hand exclaiming，'By Allah！ in my life never saw I a whoreson like this slave； and he saith this is but a half lie！ How，then，if he had told me a whole lie？ He would ruin a city，aye or even two.'Then in his fury he went to the Governor，and they gave me a neat thing in the bastinado-line and made me eat stick till I was lost to the world and a fainting fit came on me；and，whilst I was yet senseless，they brought the barber who docked me and gelded me[102] and cauterised the wound. When I revived I found myself a clean eunuch with nothing left，and my master said to me，'Even as thou hast burned my heart for the things I held dearest，so have I burnt thy heart for that of thy members whereby thou settest most store！'Then he took me and sold me at a profit，for that I was become an eunuch.
