Which explains why Baba Abdalla asks every person who gives him alms to give him a box on the ear, as well?

The story of Baba Abdalla is a classic Arabic folktale that appears in the collection of the One Thousand and One Nights. It tells the story of a man who was so consumed by avarice it led him to his downfall.

In the story, Baba Abdalla ends up being a beggar, after all his struggle and the loss of his wealth. He then asks everyone who gives him money to also give him a blow to the head. The reason, he argues, is that he wants to expiate the sin of avarice, that has caused him so much suffering.