Between You and Me!

One day al-Hajjaj went out hunting and became separated from his retinue in the desert. A man met him, not knowing that he was the emir, and al-Hajjaj said: "O man of the desert, how is your emir?"

He said: "A tyrant and an oppressor."

He said: "Then why have you not complained of him to Abd al-Malik?"

He said: "He is more tyrannical still, and more oppressive."

A little later al-Hajjaj's retinue caught up with him, and the Bedouin realized that this was al-Hajjaj himself, so he said:

"O Hajjaj... the secret that is between you and me—I should like it to be kept hidden."

And al-Hajjaj laughed at him, and his quick wit pleased him.