King Núshírwán, being once in need of money for a campaign, instructed his minister to raise the sum required by a loan from the merchants and capitalists. The minister accordingly consulted one of the chief merchants, who at once offered himself to pay the money into the Royal Treasury, asking in return that his only son, a man of remarkable intelligence, in whose education he had for thirty years spared no pains, might be admitted to the government service (f. 22a), and given a suitable rank and title. When this proposal was submitted to the king, he replied, “When the children of the base-born are educated, they seek high offices, obtaining which they seek to abase the noble and the well-born, and to humble the great and mighty; but I will protect the honour of the noble from being shared by base and evil men.” The merchant, on hearing this answer, was deeply disappointed, but entreated the minister at least to accept the money, and to honour him by being his guest at a banquet. To this the minister consented, and on the morrow was entertained at an epoch-making banquet (<Arabic>). When evening approached (<Arabic>), wine was brought in, and they sat down to drink. A lamp-stand was set down before the minister, and, at a sign from the merchant, a trained cat ran in, lifted up this lamp-stand in its two paws, and placed it on its head, where it held it. The minister at once perceived that the merchant’s object in this exhibition was to say by implication, “If I can so train and educate a cat, which has no rational soul (f. 22b), how can it be supposed that I should fail in the case of my own son, who is endowed with so many natural talents?” Thereupon the minister secretly ordered one of his companions to go and fetch a mouse and shew it to the cat. As soon as the cat saw it, it dropped the lamp and rushed towards the mouse; the lamp-oil was upset, some of it on the clothes and hair of the guests. The merchant, overcome with shame, would have retired to his private appartments, but the minister summoned him and said, “I have no doubt as to your son’s capacity or training, but at the first promotion which he gets, he will make such disturbance as did this cat at the sight of the mouse.” It has been said:
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and again:
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Though Sámirí’s Calf (f. 23a) was of gold, it was only a calf.
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Here follows a further dissertation on the impossibility of “making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear”, concluding with the verse: