So we went with him till he came to the place where my slave had buried the money and dug there and brought it out; whereat I marvelled with the utmost wonder and we carried it to the prefect’s house. When the latter saw the money, he rejoiced with an exceeding joy and bestowed on me a dress of honour. Then he restored the money straightway to the Sultan and we left the youth in prison; whilst I said to my slave who had taken the money, “Did yonder young man see thee, what time thou buriedst the money?” “No, by the Great God!” answered he. So I went in to the young man, the prisoner, and plied him with wine till he recovered, when I said to him, “Tell me how thou stolest the money.” “By Allah,” answered he, “I stole it not, nor did I ever set eyes on it till I brought it forth of the earth!” Quoth I, “How so?” And he said, “Know that the cause of my falling into your hands was my mother’s imprecation against me; for that I evil entreated her yesternight and beat her and she said to me, ‘By Allah, O my son, God shall assuredly deliver thee into the hand of the oppressor!’ Now she is a pious woman. So I went out forthright and thou sawest me in the way and didst that which thou didst; and when beating was prolonged on me, my senses failed me and I heard one saying to me, ‘Fetch it.’ So I said to you what I said and he guided me till I came to the place and there befell what befell of the bringing out of the money.”
I marvelled at this with the utmost wonderment and knew that he was of the sons of the pious. So I bestirred myself for his release and tended him [till he recovered] and besought him of quittance and absolution of responsibility.’
All those who were present marvelled at this story with the utmost marvel, and the twelfth officer came forward and said, ‘I will tell you a pleasant trait that I had from a certain man, concerning an adventure that befell him with one of the thieves. (Quoth he)
John Payne’s translation: detailed table of contents
THE TWELFTH OFFICER’S STORY.
As I was passing one day in the market, I found that a thief had broken into the shop of a money-changer and taken thence a casket, with which he had made off to the burial-grounds. So I followed him thither [and came up to him, as] he opened the casket and fell a-looking into it; whereupon I accosted him, saying, “Peace be on thee!” And he was startled at me. Then I left him and went away from him.
Some months after this, I met him again under arrest, in the midst of the guards and officers of the police, and he said to them, “Seize yonder man.” So they laid hands on me and carried me to the chief of the police, who said, “What hast thou to do with this fellow?” The thief turned to me and looking a long while in my face, said, “Who took this man?” Quoth the officers, “Thou badest us take him; so we took him.” And he said, “I seek refuge with God! I know not this man, nor knoweth he me; and I said not that to you but of a man other than this.” So they released me, and awhile afterward the thief met me in the street and saluted me, saying, “O my lord, fright for fright! Hadst thou taken aught from me, thou hadst had a part in the calamity.” And I said to him, “God [judge] between thee and me!” And this is what I have to tell’
Then came forward the thirteenth officer and said, ‘I will tell you a story that a man of my friends told me. (Quoth he)
John Payne’s translation: detailed table of contents
THE THIRTEENTH OFFICER’S STORY.
I went out one night to the house of one of my friends and when it was the middle of the night, I sallied forth alone [to go home]. When I came into the road, I espied a sort of thieves and they saw me, whereupon my spittle dried up; but I feigned myself drunken and staggered from side to side, crying out and saying, “I am drunken.” And I went up to the walls right and left and made as if I saw not the thieves, who followed me till I reached my house and knocked at the door, when they went away.
Some days after this, as I stood at the door of my house, there came up to me a young man, with a chain about his neck and with him a trooper, and he said to me, “O my lord, charity for the love of God!” Quoth I, “God open!” and he looked at me a long while and said, “That which thou shouldst give me would not come to the value of thy turban or thy waistcloth or what not else of thy raiment, to say nothing of the gold and the silver that was about thee.” “How so?” asked I, and he said, “On such a night, when thou fellest into peril and the thieves would have stripped thee, I was with them and said to them, ‘Yonder man is my lord and my master who reared me.’ So was I the cause of thy deliverance and thus I saved thee from them.” When I heard this, I said to him, “Stop;” and entering my house, brought him that which God the Most High made easy [to me]. So he went his way. And this is my story.’
Then came forward the fourteenth officer and said, ‘Know that the story I have to tell is pleasanter and more extraordinary than this; and it is as follows.
John Payne’s translation: detailed table of contents
THE FOURTEENTH OFFICER’S STORY.
Before I entered this corporation, I had a draper’s shop and there used to come to me a man whom I knew not, save by his face, and I would give him what he sought and have patience with him, till he could pay me. One day, I foregathered with certain of my friends and we sat down to drink. So we drank and made merry and played at Tab; and we made one of us Vizier and another Sultan and a third headsman.
Presently, there came in upon us a spunger, without leave, and we went on playing, whilst he played with us. Then quoth the Sultan to the Vizier, “Bring the spunger who cometh in to the folk, without leave or bidding, that we may enquire into his case. Then will I cut off his head.” So the headsman arose and dragged the spunger before the Sultan, who bade cut off his head. Now there was with them a sword, that would not cut curd; so the headsman smote him therewith and his head flew from his body. When we saw this, the wine fled from our heads and we became in the sorriest of plights. Then my friends took up the body and went out with it, that they might hide it, whilst I took the head and made for the river.
Now I was drunken and my clothes were drenched with the blood; and as I passed along the road, I met a thief. When he saw me, he knew me and said to me, “Harkye, such an one!” “Well?” answered I, and he said, “What is that thou hast with thee?” So I acquainted him with the case and he took the head from me. Then we went on till we came to the river, where he washed the head and considering it straitly, said, “By Allah, this is my brother, my father’s son. and he used to spunge upon the folk.” Then he threw the head into the river. As for me, I was like a dead man [for fear]; but he said to me, “Fear not neither grieve, for thou art quit of my brother’s blood.”
Then he took my clothes and washed them and dried them, and put them on me; after which he said to me, “Get thee gone to thy house.” So I returned to my house and he accompanied me, till I came thither, when he said to me, “May God not forsake thee! I am thy friend [such an one, who used to take of thee goods on credit,] and I am beholden to thee for kindness; but henceforward thou wilt never see me more.”’
The company marvelled at the generosity of this man and his clemency and courtesy, and the Sultan said, ‘Tell us another of thy stories.’ ‘It is well,’ answered the officer, ‘They avouch that
John Payne’s translation: detailed table of contents
A MERRY JEST OF A THIEF.
A thief of the thieves of the Arabs went [one night] to a certain man’s house, to steal from a heap of wheat there, and the people of the house surprised him. Now on the heap was a great copper measure, and the thief buried himself in the corn and covered his head with the measure, so that the folk found him not and went away; but, as they were going, behold, there came a great crack of wind forth of the corn. So they went up to the measure and [raising it], discovered the thief and laid hands on him. Quoth he, “I have eased you of the trouble of seeking me: for I purposed, [in letting wind], to direct you to my [hiding-]place; wherefore do ye ease me and have compassion on me, so may God have compassion on you!” So they let him go and harmed him not.
And f
or another story of the same kind,’ continued the officer,
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STORY OF THE OLD SHARPER.
‘There was once an old man renowned for roguery, and he went, he and his mates, to one of the markets and stole thence a parcel of stuffs. Then they separated and returned each to his quarter. Awhile after this, the old man assembled a company of his fellows and one of them pulled out a costly piece of stuff and said, “Will any one of you sell this piece of stuff in its own market whence it was stolen, that we may confess his [pre-eminence in] sharping?” Quoth the old man, “I will;” and they said, “Go, and God the Most High prosper thee!”
So on the morrow, early, he took the stuff and carrying it to the market whence it had been stolen, sat down at the shop whence it had been stolen and gave it to the broker, who took it and cried it for sale. Its owner knew it and bidding for it, [bought it] and sent after the chief of the police, who seized the sharper and seeing him an old man of venerable appearance, handsomely clad, said to him, “Whence hadst thou this piece of stuff?” “I had it from this market,” answered he, “and from yonder shop where I was sitting.” Quoth the prefect, “Did its owner sell it to thee?” “Nay,” replied the thief; “I stole it and other than it.” Then said the magistrate, “How camest thou to bring it [for sale] to the place whence thou stolest it?” And he answered, “I will not tell my story save to the Sultan, for that I have an advertisement wherewith I would fain bespeak him.” Quoth the prefect, “Name it.” And the thief said, “Art thou the Sultan?” “No,” replied the other; and the old man said, “I will not tell it but to himself.”
So the prefect carried him up to the Sultan and he said, “I have an advertisement for thee, O my lord.” “What is thine advertisement?” asked the Sultan; and the thief said, “I repent and will deliver into thy hand all who are evildoers; and whomsoever I bring not, I will stand in his stead.” Quoth the Sultan, “Give him a dress of honour and accept his profession of repentance.” So he went down from the presence and returning to his comrades, related to them that which had passed and they confessed his subtlety and gave him that which they had promised him. Then he took the rest of the stolen goods and went up with them to the Sultan. When the latter saw him, he was magnified in his eyes and he commanded that nought should be taken from him. Then, when he went down, [the Sultan’s] attention was diverted from him, little by little, till the case was forgotten, and so he saved the booty [for himself].’ The folk marvelled at this and the fifteenth officer came forward and said, ‘Know that among those who make a trade of knavery are those whom God the Most High taketh on their own evidence against themselves.’ ‘How so?’ asked they; and he said.
John Payne’s translation: detailed table of contents
THE FIFTEENTH OFFICER’S STORY.
‘It is told of a certain doughty thief, that he used to rob and stop the way by himself upon caravans, and whenever the prefect of police and the magistrates sought him, he would flee from them and fortify himself in the mountains. Now it befell that a certain man journeyed along the road wherein was the robber in question, and this man was alone and knew not the perils that beset his way. So the highwayman came out upon him and said to him, “Bring out that which is with thee, for I mean to slay thee without fail.” Quoth the traveller, “Slay me not, but take these saddle-bags and divide [that which is in] them and take the fourth part [thereof].” And the thief answered, “I will not take aught but the whole.” “Take half,” rejoined the traveller, “and let me go.” But the robber replied, “I will take nought but the whole, and I will slay thee [to boot].” And the traveller said, “Take it.”
So the highwayman took the saddle-bags and offered to kill the traveller, who said, “What is this? Thou hast no blood-feud against me, that should make my slaughter incumbent [on thee]. Quoth the other, “Needs must I slay thee;” whereupon the traveller dismounted from his horse and grovelled on the earth, beseeching the robber and speaking him fair. The latter hearkened not to his prayers, but cast him to the ground; whereupon the traveller [raised his eyes and seeing a francolin flying over him,] said, in his agony,” O francolin, bear witness that this man slayeth me unjustly and wickedly; for indeed I have given him all that was with me and besought him to let me go, for my children’s sake; yet would he not consent unto this. But be thou witness against him, for God is not unmindful of that which is done of the oppressors.” The highwayman paid no heed to this speech, but smote him and cut off his head.
After this, the authorities compounded with the highwayman for his submission, and when he came before them, they enriched him and he became in such favour with the Sultan’s deputy that he used to eat and drink with him and there befell familiar converse between them. On this wise they abode a great while, till, one day, the Sultan’s deputy made a banquet, and therein, for a wonder, was a roasted francolin, which when the robber saw, he laughed aloud. The deputy was angered against him and said to him, “What is the meaning of thy laughter? Seest thou default [in the entertainment] or dost thou mock at us, of thy lack of breeding?” “Not so, by Allah, O my lord,” answered the highwayman. “But I saw yonder francolin and bethought myself thereanent of an extraordinary thing; and it was on this wise. In the days of my youth, I used to stop the way, and one day I fell in with a man, who had with him a pair of saddle-bags and money therein. So I said to him, ‘Leave these bags, for I mean to kill thee.’ Quoth he, ‘Take the fourth part of [that which is in] them and leave [me] the rest.’ And I said, ‘Needs must I take the whole and slay thee, to boot.’ Then said he, ‘Take the saddle-bags and let me go my way.’ But I answered, ‘Needs must I slay thee.’ As we were in this contention, he and I, behold, he saw a francolin and turning to it, said, ‘Bear witness against him, O francolin, that he slayeth me unjustly and letteth me not go to my children, for all he hath gotten my money.’ However, I took no pity on him neither hearkened to that which he said, but slew him and concerned not myself with the francolin’s testimony.”
His story troubled the Sultan’s deputy and he was sore enraged against him; so he drew his sword and smiting him, cut off his head; whereupon one recited the following verses:
An you’d of evil be quit, look that no evil yon do; Nay, but do
good, for the like God will still render to you.
All things, indeed, that betide to you are fore-ordered of God;
Yet still in your deeds is the source to which their
fulfilment is due.
Now this was the francolin that bore witness against him.’
The company marvelled at this story and said all, ‘Woe to the oppressor!’ Then came forward the sixteenth officer and said, ‘And I also will tell you a marvellous story, and it is on this wise.
John Payne’s translation: detailed table of contents
THE SIXTEENTH OFFICER’S STORY.
I went forth one day, purposing to make a journey, and fell in with a man whose wont it was to stop the way. When he came up with me, he offered to slay me and I said to him, “I have nothing with me whereby thou mayst profit.” Quoth he, “My profit shall be the taking of thy life.” “What is the cause of this?” asked I. “Hath there been feud between us aforetime?” And he answered, “No; but needs must I slay thee.” Therewithal I fled from him to the river-side; but he overtook me and casting me to the ground, sat down on my breast. So I sought help of the Sheikh El Hejjaj and said to him, “Protect me from this oppressor!” And indeed he had drawn a knife, wherewith to cut my throat, when, behold, there came a great crocodile forth of the river and snatching him up from off my breast, plunged with him into the water, with the knife still in his hand; whilst I abode extolling the perfection of God the Most High and rendering thanks for my preservation to Him who had delivered me from the hand of that oppressor.’
John Payne’s translation: detailed table of contents
ABDALLAH BEN NAFI AND THE KING’S SON OF CASHGHAR.
There abode on
ce, of old days and in bygone ages and times, in the city of Baghdad, the Abode of Peace, the Khalif Haroun er Reshid, and he had boon-companions and story-tellers, to entertain him by night Among his boon-companions was a man called Abdallah ben Nan, who was high in favour with him and dear unto him, so that he was not forgetful of him a single hour. Now it befell, by the ordinance of destiny, that it became manifest to Abdallah that he was grown of little account with the Khalif and that he paid no heed unto him; nor, if he absented himself, did he enquire concerning him, as had been his wont. This was grievous to Abdallah and he said in himself, “Verily, the heart of the Commander of the Faithful and his fashions are changed towards me and nevermore shall I get of him that cordiality wherewith he was wont to entreat me.” And this was distressful to him and concern waxed upon him, so that he recited the following verses:
If, in his own land, midst his folk, abjection and despite
Afflict a man, then exile sure were better for the wight.
So get thee gone, then, from a house wherein thou art abased And
let not severance from friends lie heavy on thy spright.
Crude amber in its native land unheeded goes, but, when
It comes abroad, upon the necks to raise it men delight.
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