Harun and the Fisherman

On one of the official festival days, Harun al-Rashid was sitting with his wife Zubaydah, playing chess. Bahlool entered and sat to watch them play.

At that moment, a fisherman brought a very large and fat fish as a gift for the Caliph. Harun, feeling generous, ordered a reward of four thousand dirhams for the fisherman.

Zubaydah objected and said, “This amount is excessive for a fisherman. You must also reward military officers and statesmen every day. If you give them less than this, they will say they are worth less than a fisherman. If you give them more, your treasury will soon be depleted.”

Harun found her reasoning persuasive and asked, “What should I do now?”

Zubaydah advised, “Call the fisherman and ask whether the fish is male or female. If he says male, tell him it does not please you. If he says female, also tell him it does not please you. He will have no choice but to take the fish back and leave the reward behind.”

Bahlool interjected, saying, “Don’t be swayed by your wife. Don’t trouble the fisherman.”
But Harun ignored Bahlool’s advice, summoned the fisherman, and asked, “Is this fish male or female?”

The fisherman replied, “This fish is neither male nor female; it is neutral (hermaphrodite).”

Harun was amused by the fisherman’s clever answer and ordered an additional four thousand dirhams for him.

The fisherman collected the money, placed it in a sack, and as he was descending the palace steps, a single dirham fell to the ground. The fisherman bent down to pick it up.

Zubaydah remarked, “What a lowly man, unable to leave even a single dirham.”

Harun, now displeased with the fisherman’s “pettiness,” called him back. Bahlool again said, “Don’t trouble him further.”
Harun ignored Bahlool once more and said to the fisherman, “How petty of you to not leave even one dirham for my servants!”

The fisherman responded, “I am not petty; I am respectful. I picked up the dirham because one side bears Quranic verses, and the other side bears your name. Leaving it on the ground where it could be stepped on would be disrespectful.”

Harun was pleased again by the fisherman’s answer and ordered another four thousand dirhams to be given to him.

Turning to Bahlool, Harun said, “You are not as crazy as I am, for you advised me three times not to interfere with the fisherman, yet I followed my wife’s advice instead and ended up losing so much more.”