alamash was illmannered and closedminded. the hadith scholars would annoy him and force him to publish what he would like to keep secret from them and to repeat what he told them. they would be stubborn with him so he would swear that he would not tell them for a month or more or less. when he did that his chest would tighten with what was in it and the news would look forward to coming out of it. so he would turn to a sheep that he had and tell it news and jurisprudence until some of the hadith scholars would say i wish i were the sheep of alamash.
وكان الأعمش سيئ الخلق غلقا، وكان أصحاب الحديث يضجرونه ويسومونه نشر ما يحب طيه عنهم، وتكرار ما يحدثهم به، ويتعنتونه، فيحلف لا يحدثهم الشهر والأكثر والأقل، فإذا فعل ذلك ضاق صدره بما فيه، وتطلعت الأخبار إلى الخروج منه، فيقبل على شاة كانت له فيحدثها بالأخبار والفقه، حتى كان بعض أصحاب الحديث يقول ليت أني كنت شاة الأعمش .