King Khusrau of Persia loved fish；and one dayas he sat in his saloonhe and Shirin his wifethere came a fishermanwith a great fishand presented it to the Kingwho was pleased and ordered the man four thousand dirhems. When he was goneShirin said to the King'Thou hast done ill.'
'Wherefore？'asked he；and she answered'Because ifafter thisthou give one of thy courtiers a like sumhe will disdain it and say'He hath but given me the like of what he gave the fisherman.'And if thou give him lesshe will say，'He makes light of me and gives me less than he gave the fisherman.''Thou art right，'rejoined Khusrau；'but the thing is done and it ill becomes a king to go back on his gift.'
Quoth Shirin'An thou wiltI will contrive thee a means to get it back from him.'How so？'asked he；and she said'Call back the fisherman and ask him if the fish be male or female.
If he say'Male，'say thou'We want a female，'and if he say，'Female，'say'We want a male.'
So he sent for the fishermanwho was a man of wit and discernmentand said to him'Is this fish male or female？'
The fisherman kissed the ground and answered'It is of the neuter genderneither male nor female.'The King laughed and ordered him other four thousand dirhems. So the fisherman went to the treasurer and taking his eight thousand dirhemsput them in a bag he had with him. Thenthrowing the bag over his shoulderhe was going awaywhen he dropped a dirhem；so he laid the bag off his back and stooped down to pick it up. Now the King and Shirin were looking onand the latter said'O Kingdidst thou note the meanness and greediness of yon man，in that he must needs stoop downto pick up the one dirhem，and could not bring himself to leave it for one of the King's servants？'When the King heard thishe was wroth with the fisherman and said'Thou art rightO Shirin！'So he called the man back and said to him'Thou low-minded fellow！ Thou art no man！ How couldst thou put the bag off thy shoulder and stoop to pick up the one dirhem and grudge to leave it where it fell？'The fisherman kissed the earth before him and answered，'May God prolong the King's life！ IndeedI did not pick up the dirhembecause of its value in my eyes；but because on one of its faces is the likeness of the King and on the other his name；and I feared lest any should unwittingly set his foot upon itthus dishonouring the name and presentment of the Kingand I be blamed for the offence.'The King wondered at his wit and shrewdness and ordered him yet other four thousand dirhems. Moreoverhe let cry abroad in his kingdomsaying，'It behoveth none to order himself by women's counsel；for whoso followeth their advicelosethwith his one dirhem，other two.'
