he said the gazelle was a marvel of miserliness. he would come from his home with a loaf of bread in his sleeve and most of his time he would eat it without any food. when he was exhausted he would take a guava with a grain from his inhabitant and put a fils on it in his account. when he wanted to have lunch he would take a guava wipe it on the surface of the loaf then bite it. sometimes he would open the belly of the guava and line its sides and belly with morsel after morsel. when he feared that this would exhaust it and its belly would shrink he would ask the fishmonger for some fish salt. he would stuff it inside to inflate it and to make it seem that this was the salt with which it was salted. sometimes his desire would overcome him so he would bruise the tip of its nose and take from the tip of the rabbit what would make his morsel taste good. he would only do that at the end of it to freshen his mouth with it then put it aside. when he bought yarn from a woman he would include that guava in the price of the yarn by way of introducing goods and he would count it against her as a fils. the capital is recovered and the adam is preferred.
قال وكان الغزال أعجوبة في البخل، وكان يجيء من منزله ومعه رغيف في كمه، فكان أكثر دهره يأكله بلا أدم، فإذا أعيا عليه الأمر أخذ من ساكنه جوافة بحبة ١ وأثبت عليها فلسا في حسابه. فإذا أراد أن يتغدى أخذ الجوافة، فمسحها على وجه الرغيف، ثم عض عليه. وربما فتح بطن الجوافة فبطن جنبيها وبطنها باللقمة بعد اللقمة. فإذا خاف أن ينهكها ذلك وينضم بطنها، طلب من ذلك السماك شيئا من ملح السمك. فحشا جوفها لينفخها، وليوهم أن هذا هو ملحها الذي ملحت به. ولربما غلبت شهوته، فكدم ٢ طرف أنفها، وأخذ من طرف الأرنبة ما يسيغ به لقمته. وكان ذلك منه لا يكون إلا في آخرها لقمة، ليطيب فمه بها، ثم يضعها في ناحية، فإذا اشترى من إمرأة غزلا أدخل تلك الجوافة في ثمن الغزل، من طريق إدخال العروض، وحسبها عليها بفلس. فيسترجع رأس المال، ويفضل الأدم.