Among the sayings of Sufyan eth Thauri， with which he admonished Ali ben el Hassan es Selemi was the following， "Look that thou practice sincerity and beware of falsehood and treachery and hypocrisy and presumption for God annuls good works with either of these things. Borrow not but of Him who is merciful to His debtors and let thy comrade be one who will cause thee to abstain from the world. Let the thought of death be ever present with thee and be constant in asking pardon of God and beseeching of Him peace for what remains of thy life. Give loyal counsel to every true-believer， when he asks thee concerning the things of his faith， and beware of betraying a believer， for he who betrays a believer betrays God and His apostle. Avoid dissension and litigation and leave that which awakens doubt in thee， betaking；，thyself rather to those things that will not disquiet thee； so shalt thou be at peace. Enjoin that which is just and forbid that which is evil， so shalt thou be beloved of God. Make fair thine inner man， and God shall make fair thine outer man. Accept the excuse of him who excuses himself to thee and hate none of the true-believers. Draw near unto those that reject thee and forgive those that oppress thee； so shalt thou be the companion of the prophets. Commit thine affair to God， both in public and in private， and fear Him with the fear of one who knows that he must die and be raised again to stand before the Almighty， remembering that thou art destined for one of two dwellings， either Paradise the glorious or the flaming fire."" Having spoken thus， the old woman sat down beside the damsels.
When the late King thy father heard their discourse， he knew that they were the most accomplished of the people of their time and seeing their beauty and grace and the greatness of their learning， he showed them all favour. Moreover， he turned to the old woman and entreated her with honour， setting apart for her and her damsels the palace that had been the lodging of the princess Abrizeh， to which he let carry all that they needed of the best. Here they abode ten days， and whenever the King visited them， he found the old woman absorbed in prayer， watching by night and fasting by day； wherefore love of her took hold upon his heart and he said to me， "O Vizier， verily this old woman is a pious soul， and reverence for her is strong in my heart." On the eleventh day， the King visited her， that he might pay her the price of the five damsels； but she said to him， "O King， know that the price of these passes the competence of men， for I seek for them neither gold nor silver nor jewels， be it little or much." The King wondered at this and said， "O my lady， what is their price？" "I will not sell them to thee，" replied she， "save on condition that thou fast a whole month， watching by night and fasting by day for the love of God the Most High： but if thou wilt do this， they are thine， to use as thou pleasest." The King wondered at the perfectness of her piety and devotion and abnegation and she was magnified in his eyes， and he said， "May God make this pious old woman to profit us！" So he agreed to her proposal， and she said to him， "I will help thee with my prayers." Then she called for a gugglet of water and muttered over it words in an unknown language and abode awhile， speaking over it things that we understood not. Then she covered it with a cloth and sealing it up， gave it to the King， saying， "When thou has fasted ten days， break thy fast on the eleventh night with what is in this cup， for it will root out the love of the world from thy heart and fill it with light and faith. As for me， I purpose to go out to-morrow to visit my brethren of the invisible world， for I yearn after them， and I will return to thee when the ten days are past." So the King took the gugglet and setting it apart in a closet of his palace， locked the door and put the key in his pocket. Next day， the old woman departed and the King entered upon his fast. When he had accomplished the first ten days thereof， he opened the gugglet and drank what was therein and found it cordial to his stomach. Within the next ten days，the old woman returned， bringing sweetmeats wrapped in a green leaf， like no leaf of a tree. She went in to the King and saluted him； and when he saw her he rose to meet her， saying， "Welcome， O pious lady！" "O King，" said she， "the spirits salute thee， for I told them of thee， and they rejoiced in thee and have sent thee this cake， which is of the sweetmeats of the other world. Do thou break thy fast on it at the end of the day." The King rejoiced greatly at this and exclaimed， "Praised be God who hath given me brethren of the invisible world！" And he thanked the old woman and kissed her hands and entreated her and the damsels with exceeding honour. Then he fasted till twenty days were past， at the end of which time the old woman came to him and said， "Know，O King， that I told the spirits of the love that is between thee and me and how I had left the damsels with thee， and they were glad that the damsels should belong to a King like thee； for they were wont， when they saw them， to be strenuous in offering up effectual prayer on their behalf. So I would fain carry them to the spirits， that they may benefit by their favours， and they shall surely not return to thee without some treasure of the treasures of the earth， that thou， after the completion of thy fast， mayst occupy thyself with their dress and help thyself to the fulfilment of thy wishes with that which they shall bring thee." The King thanked her and said， "But that I fear to cross thee， I would not accept the treasure or aught else： but when wilt thou set out with them？" "On the seven-and-twentieth night，"
