A man of elegant culture once entered a school and sitting down by the masterentered into discourse with him and found him an accomplished theologianpoetgrammarian and lexicographer，intelligentwell bred and pleasant；whereat he wondered，saying in himself'It cannot be that a manwho teaches children in a schoolshould have a perfect wit.' When he was about to go awaythe schoolmaster said to him'Thou art my guest to-night；' and he consented and accompanied him to his housewhere he made much of him and set food before him. They ate and drank and sat talkingtill a third part of the night was pastwhen the host spread his guest a bed and went up to his harem. The other lay down and addressed himself to sleep，whenbeholdthere arose a great clamour in the harem. He asked what was to doand they said'A terrible thing hath befallen the sheikhand he is at the last gasp.'Take me up to him，' said he. So they carried him to the schoolmasterwhom he found lying insensiblewith his blood streaming down. He sprinkled water on his face and when he revivedhe said to him'What has betided thee？ When thou leftest methou west in all good cheer and sound of body.'O my brother，' answered the schoolmaster'after I left theeI sat meditating on the works of God the Most High and said to myself'In every thing God hath created for man there is an use；for He（to whom be glory）
created the hands to seizethe feet to walkthe eyes to see，the ears to hear and the yard to do the deed of kind；and so on with all the members of the bodyexcept these two cullions；there is no use in them.' So I took a razor I had by me and cut them off；and there befell me what thou seest.' So the guest left him and went awaysaving'He was in the right who said，'No schoolmaster who teaches children can have a perfect wit，though he know all sciences.'