judge yunus bin abdullah told me i remember in my youth a slave girl in a certain neighborhood who was loved by a young man of letters one of the sons of kings and she loved him. they corresponded with each other and the ambassador and messenger between them with their letters was a young man of his age who used to reach her. when the slave girl was offered for sale the one who loved her wanted to buy her but the one who was the messenger rushed and bought her. one day he entered upon her and found that she had opened a drawer to ask for some of her needs. he went to her and began searching the drawer and a letter came out to him from that young man who loved her perfumed with musk preserved and honored. he became angry and said where did this come from you wicked man? she said you brought it to me. he said perhaps it was invented after that time. she said it is only from the old days that you know. he said it was as if i had thrown a stone at him and it fell into his hand and he was silent.
ولقد حدثني القاضي يونس بن عبد الله قال أذكر في الصبا جارية في بعض السدد يهواها فتى من أهل الأدب من أبناء الملوك وتهواه ويتراسلان، وكان السفير بينهما والرسول بكتبهما فتى من أترابه كان يصل إليها، فلما عرضت الجارية للبيع أراد الذي كان يحبها ابتياعها، فبدر الذي كان رسولا فاشتراها. فدخل عليها يوما فوجدها قد فتحت درجا لها تطلب فيه بعض حوائجها، فأتى إليها وجعل يفتش الدرج، فخرج إليه كتاب من ذلك الفتى الذي كان يهواها مضمخا بالغالية مصونا مكرما، فغضب وقال من أين هذا يا فاسقه قالت أنت سقته إلي، فقال لعله محدث بعد ذلك الحين، فقالت ما هو إلا من قديم تلك التي تعرف؛ قال فكأنما ألقمته حجرا، فسقط في يده وسكت.