People in the play

THE BARMECIDE (pronounce Bar-me-side)
He is a great prince and ruler in the Eastern city of Bagdad.

SCHACABAC, a Beggar (pronounce Shack-a-back)

ALI, a Gate-keeper

SERVANTS

ACT-I

SCENE: A street in Bagdad, and a courtyard outside the BARMECIDE'S house. The tall gates of are open; inside, several servants standing about. Beyond is the door of the house, wide open. ALI, the gate-keeper, stands just inside the gates.

SCHACABAC, the beggar, dressed in rags, comes up the street to the gates, walking very slowly.

SCHACABAC: Alas! Alas! How hungry I am, and how faint I feel! I fear I cannot walk much further. [looking up at the gates and into the courtyard] What a splendid house this is! who is the owner, I wonder? He must be a very rich man. [He sees Ali, and goes up to him.] Master, can you tell me to whom this house belongs?

ALI [looking surprised]: Good man, where have you come from, that you ask me such a question? Do you not know that this is the palace of the Barmecide, one of the richest and wisest rulers in all Bagdad?

SCHACABAC: The Barmecide! I have heard of him, and I have heard too that he is a kind man and gives freely to the poor. Good master, will you give me a coin, that I may buy something to eat?

ALI: If you wish for something to eat, go into the house. No one will try to stop you. Find my master, who is inside, and tell him what your need is. He will send you back satisfied.

SCHACABAC [gratefully]: Thank you, master. I will go in. [He enters the gates. Ali and the other servants stand aside to let him pass through the courtyard, and he goes in at the open house door.]

ALI [to the other servants]: there goes a strange guest for our noble master. But he will treat him well.

SERVANTS: Yes, that he will.

ACT-II

SCENE: A room in the Barmecide's house. It is richly furnished with fine paintings and silken curtains and cushions. On a couch at the far end of the room sits the BARMECIDE, an old man with a long white beard.
Schacabac enters. He stands at the door, as if afraid to come further.

BARMECIDE: Come in, poor man. You are very welcome. What do you want?

SCHACABAC [coming slowly up the room and kneeling down before the Barmecide]: My lord. I am a poor man who stands in need of help. I declare to you that I have not eaten a scrap of food to-day.

BARMECIDE: Is it true that you are fasting until now? Alas, poor man, you must be ready to die of hunger! [He claps his hands and calls, as if to someone in the next room.] Ho, boy! Bring a basin and water, that we may wash our hands before we eat.

[No one appears but the Barmecide pretends to pour water over his hands, and to rub them, as if he were washing.] Come, my guest, and wash with me.

SCHACABAC [looking surprised, but speaking to himself]: How can I wash when there is no water? But my lord likes a jest, it seems. Poor folk must agree with rich ones, if they wish to have anything from them. So I will do as he does. [he comes forward, sits down upon the floor, and pretends to wash his hands with the Barmecide.]

BARMECIDE [clapping his hands and calling again]: Ho, there! Bring us something to eat, and do not let us wait! [No food is brought, but he begins to cut, as if something had been put before him on a plate. Then he pretends to eat.] Come, friend [to Schacabac] eat as freely as if you were at home. You said you were very hungry, but really you are not eating anything.

SCHACABAC [to himself]: Indeed, I wish I were eating something! [Aloud] Pardon me, my lord, you can see that I am losing no time. [He pretends to eat quickly.]

BARMECIDE: How do you like this bread? Is it not good?

SCHACABAC [to himself]: what bread? [Aloud] Oh, my lord, I have never eaten anything so white and so fine.

BARMECIDE: Eat as much of it as you wish. [Calling] Ho, boy! Bring us a goose and sweet sauce! [He pretends to carve the goose which is not there, and to help Schacabac.] Well, how do you like that, my good man?

SCHACABAC [to himself]: l should like it better if I could see it and taste it! [Aloud] It is really a most wonderful dish, my lord.

BARMECIDE: Yes, I thought that you would like it. [They both go on cutting and eating the pretended meal. Schacabac watches the Barmecide closely, and copies his movements.] Now we will have some fruit. [Raising his voice] Bring us fruit and nuts, boy! [As before, no one comes; but the Barmecide pretends to choose some fruit, and peel it.] Help yourself, my friend. Take what you like, and try these almonds. They are fresh and very good. [Schacabac pretends to help himself, and keeps on moving his jaws busily, as if he were chewing.] I fear that you are not having enough. You do not eat as if you were so very hungry after all.

SCHACABAC [to himself]: Eat! My jaws are aching with chewing nothing. [Aloud] I declare to you, my lord, I am so full now that I cannot eat one bit more. [He sits back at his ease, as if he had just finished a good meal.]

BARMECIDE [laughing heartily]: Ha! ha! ha! Very good, very good indeed! Ha! ha! ha! I have long been seeking for a man like you. [He rises from the couch, and takes Schacabac by the hand.] You are the kind of man I wish for a friend. You have had the patience to bear with me, and the good temper to keep the jest up to the very end. There is not one starving man in a hundred who would have done as you have done. So from this time we must be friends, and you must make my house your home; and now we will feast in earnest [clapping his hands again] Ho, my servants! Bring in the feast. And some of you bring rich robes, for this good friend and guest of mine.

[Many servants enter; they quickly lay a table, a place dishes of food upon it. Other servants take off Schacabac’s ragged coat, and clothe him in silk robes. Then the Barmecide leads him to the table, and makes him sit down beside him.]

SCHACABAC: Oh, my lord, how can thank you for so much kindness? [Looking at the table] Why, here are all the things to eat that we only pretended to eat before! Here is beautiful white bread, and a fine roast goose, and fruit and nuts, and everything that one's heart could wish for. Oh, thank you, my lord! Thank you a thousand times! How glad I am that I came to the Barmecide's feast.