Source text:

Translation:

Ibn ul-Jassas messed up in his apology

Ibn ul-Jassas met ibn ul-Furat, the Khaganate minister, while holding a watermelon. He intended to give the watermelon to the minister and to spit into the Tigris (1). Instead, he spit onto the face of the minister and threw the watermelon into the Tigris. The minister was shocked and ibn ul-Jassas became worried and confused with what he just did. So, ibn ul-Jassas apologized by explaining: “I swear by God that I mixed up my actions and I made a big mistake! What I actually wanted to do was to spit onto your face and to throw the watermelon into the Tigris!”

The minister responded: “That was exactly what you did, idiot!”

Certainly, ibn ul-Jassas mixed up in his actions and messed up in his apology.

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Translated by Syawal

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Notes:

1.  Tigris River and the Euphrates are the two rivers that make up the Mesopotamia in present day Iraq.