One must play the game according to rules given him.

Once there was a rich old man who lived in a beautiful palace, surrounded by flower gardens. He was called the Barmecide. In the same town there was a very poor man who often went hungry because he had no money to buy food. His name was Shacabac.

One day Shacabac was hungrier than usual and decided to ask the Barmecide to help him. So he went up to the palace door and knocked and the servant said, “Come in, my master will be glad to see you.”

Shacabac went in the palace, through rooms with beautiful furniture, and over soft carpets, and into a large hall when he saw an old man with a long beard. He knew this was the Barmecide, and so he bowed very low, and said, “I am very hungry, sir, and I have come to ask you to give me some food. I have not eaten for three days.”

The Barmecide said, “My poor man, you must eat with me at once.” Then he rang a bell and told the servant to bring water. The servant brought an empty bowl, and the Barmecide rubbed his hands as though there was plenty of water, and made Shacabac do likewise.

“Come now, we will have supper,” said the Barmecide. So they sat down to a table on which there were no dishes and no food. The Barmecide pretended to carve a roast, and help poor Shacabac, who saw no food, and who was surprised to see the Barmecide eating heartily when nothing appeared to go into his mouth. But Shacabac was not to be outdone, so he pretended to eat also and praised the roast as the finest he had ever tasted.

“Now for some roast goose, and apple sauce,” said the Barmecide. And that was eaten in the same way as the roast meat. Then the servant pretended to hand around green peas and honey and figs and other things that made Shacabac almost faint when he heard their names. But he chewed just as the Barmecide did, and swallowed and praised each thing as though he was enjoying the feast. This invisible feast was not very satisfying, but he smiled and ate on.

At last the Barmecide said, “Now we have finished our meal. Have you liked it?” To which Shacabac said, “It was very wonderful. I never ate so much in all my life.” Then the Barmecide laughed and said, “You are a true sport, my friend, and the first man I have ever entertained who did not call me a madman.”

Then he called for real food and all the things that he had pretended to eat came on in reality, and he and Shacabac ate and laughed until late in the night. And Shacabac lived with the Barmecide ever afterwards, because he knew how to make the best of circumstances.