When Suhayl failed to recognize the hadith, al-Darāwardī explained that Rabīʿah had narrated it from Suhayl himself. Later, rather than pretending to remember the first transmission directly, Suhayl reported it through Rabīʿah, who was conveying Suhayl's own earlier narration back to him.
The chain insight: Suhayl receives from Rabīʿah an account of what Rabīʿah previously heard from Suhayl. This is an unusual loop in transmission history, not a normal straight line of distinct teachers.
Two lessons follow: 1. failed recall is not certain negation; 2. each genuine intermediary should be preserved accurately, so the earlier and later occasions of hearing are not confused.