(469) My father and lord Abu al-Fath—may God grant him satisfaction—narrated to me, saying: Abu al-Abbas Muhammad ibn Yusuf the Judge narrated to me: Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari narrated to me: Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn al-Hasan the Grammarian narrated to me in Wasit, in the house of Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Madarani, where the discussion turned to science, prestidigitation, and wondrous matters. He said: I shall narrate to you a story told to me by Abu Bakr al-Tabari the Grammarian, who was among those who sought the people of knowledge and wrote from them. Abu Bakr the Grammarian said: A man described to me a person known as Abu Shu’ayb Muhammad ibn Nusayr al-Numayri, saying he was a man of knowledge, grammar, and the arts of literature. I sought him out and found him as described and wrote under him. I used to frequent him often to read to him. I entered upon him one day and found him sitting in a fine assembly, with a large citron¹ before him and a small closed door to his right. I offered him peace and sat before him, reading what I had with me. I wrote many things from him, then sought his permission to depart. He ordered me to sit, then struck the citron with his hand and tossed it toward the outside of the house; suddenly it had become a speckled hen. He said: "O servant, slaughter this hen and prepare it" so-and-so. This became grave to me and my wonder increased. When he saw me wondering, he said to me: "Look." He opened the small door to his right, and suddenly there were gardens more beautiful than I had ever seen, with the pleasantest of scents, surrounded by fruit-bearing trees and varieties of winter and summer fruits out of their season. Likewise all varieties of winter and summer aromatic plants; I smelled scents whose like I had never smelled among the flowers I was witnessing. My wonder increased even more. He shut the door then opened it again and said: "Look."