Suddenly the cat leaps out upon it, seizes it, and cries, “O miserable mouse, how wilt thou save thy life?”

The mouse, effectively sobered now, adopts a tone of piteous entreaty, saying, “I am thy slave: pardon me these sins! If I ate dirt (i.e. talked nonsense) I was drunk, and drunkards eat much dirt! I am your slave, your devoted slave…”:

The cat, however, pays no heed to the mouse's supplications, kills and eats it, and then goes to the mosque to pray and repent of its mouse-eating:

Another mouse which was hiding in the pulpit of the mosque hears these edifying utterances and hastens to bear the good news of the cat's repentance to the other mice, saying, in a verse which has become proverbial and is alluded to by Ḥáfiẓ: * <text in Arabic script omitted>

“Good tidings, for the cat has become devout, an ascetic, a true believer, a Musulmán!”

The mice thereupon decide to express their satisfaction by sending to the cat a deputation of seven mice bearing suitable presents of wine, roasted meats, sweets, nuts, fruits and sherbets. The cat invites them to approach, and then seizes five of them, one in its mouth and one in each of its four paws, while the two survivors escape and carry the sad news of the cat's unchanged nature to the other mice. After a week's mourning for their lost comrades, the mice, 330,000 in number, under the command of their king, march out to do battle with the cats. After a fierce struggle, the cats are defeated, and the chief offender, taken captive, is brought before the king of the mice, who condemns it to die on the gibbet, but at the end the cat breaks away from its captors, kills the king of the mice, and scatters or slays his followers. The poem ends:

“This strange and wonderful story is a memento of 'Ubayd-i-Zákání.”

Passing now to 'Ubayd-i-Zákání's prose works, we shall 'Ubayd-iZákání's “Ethics of the Aristocracy” first consider his “Ethics of the Aristocracy” (Akhláqu'l-Ashráf), which is a very bitter satire on the morals of his time, composed in 740/1340, and comprising a Preface and seven chapters, each of which deals with one of the virtues in the following order: (1) Wisdom; (2) Courage; (3) Chastity; (4) Justice; (5) Generosity; (6) Clemency and Fidelity; (7) Modesty, Mercy, etc. In each chapter the author treats first of the old or “abrogated” conception of the virtue in question (madh-hab-i-mansúkh), and then of the new or “adopted” view (madh-hab-i-mukhtár) of the moderns, whom he ironically extols for their discovery, that, for instance, Courage is not really a virtue, as the ancients taught, but a very dangerous and harmful quality. Concerning the purpose of his book he thus speaks in the Preface:

“Just as the physicians have expended their energies on removing the ailments of the body and maintaining its health, so likewise the prophets have concentrated their attention on removing the maladies and misfortunes of the spirit, so that they may bring it out of the perilous gulfs and whirlpools of ignorance and imperfection to the shores of salvation and perfection. When the wise man regards with attentive gaze, it will become plain to him that the object of the mission of those on whom has devolved the Prophet's trust is the refining of the qualities and purification of the attributes of God's servants, a truth thus enunciated in the words of the poet:

<text in Arabic script omitted>

‘Whether or no a Prophet comes, be thou virtuous in conduct,
For he whose conduct is virtuous will not go to Hell.’

“His Holiness the Prophet himself has removed the veil from the virgin face of this idea, and has revealed the beauty implicit therein on the bridal throne of this assurance—‘I have been sent to complete virtuous qualities,’ while learned men of former times have committed to writing, in lengthy treatises, most of which the defective intelligence of this humble writer fails to comprehend, the laws of this science, known as ‘Ethics’ or ‘Practical Philosophy,’ whereby, in the best and safest way, human nature may be perfected. From the auspicious time of the pure Adam until these days the noblest of mankind, with much trouble and extreme endeavour, have made the most strenuous efforts to acquire the four cardinal virtues of Wisdom, Courage, Chastity and Justice, which they account the chief means to happiness in this world and salvation in the world to come, and concerning which they say:

<text in Arabic script omitted>

‘Of whatever creed thou art, be a well-doer and a giver,
For Infidelity combined with good character is better than Islám
combined with immorality.’

“But now in this age, which is the cream of all the ages and the crown of all times, the nature of the leaders of mankind has been sublimated, and great and powerful thinkers have appeared who have concentrated their luminous thoughts and salutary meditations on all matters appertaining to this life and the next, and in their clear vision the ancient laws and practices appeared contemptible and unsubstantial. Moreover, by the lapse of ages and passage of time, most of these rules had become obsolete, and the observance of these ethical principles and practices proved burdensome to the powerful minds and luminous intellects of these people. Therefore they manfully trampled under foot these principles and practices; adopted instead, for their guidance in this life and the next, the method now current amongst the great and noble (to the elucidation of some portion of which this epitome is devoted); and based on it their conduct of the affairs of this world and the next. The portals of thought being thus opened and the chain of speech extended, let us enter upon the matter in hand.

“It is now some time since this humble writer 'Ubayd-i-Zákání conceived the ambition of writing a compendious treatise dealing with certain ethical conceptions of the ancients, which the people of our time regard as ‘obsolete,’ and some portion of the principles and practices of the leaders of thought in this age, which they regard as ‘adopted,’ in order that this treatise might benefit students of this science and neophytes in this path. Now at last, in this year 740 of the Flight (A.D. 1339-1340) he hath hastily penned this epitome, entitled ‘Ethics of the Aristocracy,’ dividing it into seven chapters, each of which contains two views, first the ‘obsolete’ view, in accordance with which our forefathers regulated their lives; and second the ‘adopted’ view, now discovered by our great thinkers, whereby they regulate their affairs here and hereafter. And although this treatise borders on ribaldry, yet—

‘He who is familiar with the city will know whence our goods are obtained.’

“The humble author's hope in striving to complete this brief treatise is that—

<text in Arabic script omitted>

‘Perchance somewhere and somewhen some man of heart
May utter a prayer on behalf of this poor fellow.’”

After these preliminary remarks, the author proceeds to discuss in turn each of the seven virtues already enumerated, beginning in each case with the “obsolete view” (which is exactly modelled on what is set forth at greater length in such well-known treatises on Ethics as the earlier Akhláq-i-Náṣirí or the later Akhláq-i-Jalálí or Akhláq-i-Muḥsiní ), and then passing on to the “adopted” view of his contemporaries. As a specimen we may take the first chapter, which is less ribald than most.