Witticism

The caliph said to Ja'far, "Damn it, tell her who we are, lest we are slain by this mistake." Ja'far replied, "This is part of what we deserve." The caliph yelled at him, saying, "This is no time for your witticisms."

"The Story of the Porter and the Three Ladies," The Arabian Nights, translated by Husain Hadawy