There was once shown to the Amir Ali ben Mohammed ben Abdallah ben Tahir a slave-girlwho was excellently handsome and well-bred and an accomplished poetess；and he asked her of her name. 'May God advance the Amir，'replied she'my name is Mounis.'Now he knew this before；so he bowed his head awhile，then raising his eyes to herrecited the following verse：
What dost thou say of oneon whom sickness and pain have wroughtFor love and longing after theetill he is grown distraught？
'God exalt the Amir！'answered she and recited this verse in reply：
An if we saw a lover trueon whom the pangs of love Were sore，we would to him vouchsafe the favours that he sought.
Her reply pleased him；so he bought her for threescore and ten thousand dirhems and begat on her Obeidallah teen Mohammed，after police-magistrate [at Baghdad].
