Commander of the faithful, said he to the caliph, my third
brother, whose name was Backback, was blind, and his ill destiny
reduced him to beg from door to door. He had been so long
accustomed to walk through the streets alone, that he had no need
of one to lead him: he had a custom to knock at people's doors,
and apt to answer till they opened to him. One day he knocked
thus at a door, and the master of the house, who was alone,
cried, Who is there? My brother gave no answer, and knocked a
second time: the master of the house asked again, Who is there?
but to no purpose; my brother did not answer: upon which the man
of the house came down, opened the door, and asked my brother
what he wanted. That you would give me something, for heaven's
sake! said Backback. You seem to be blind, replied the master of
the house. Yes, to my sorrow, said my brother. Give me your hand,
said the master of the house. My brother did so, thinking he was
going to give him alms; but he only took him by the hand, to lead
him up to his chamber: Backback thought he had been carrying him
to dinner with him, as several other people had done. When they
came up to the chamber, the man loosed his hand out of my
brother's, and sitting down, asked again what he wanted. I have
already told you, said Backback, that I want something for God's
sake. Good blind man, replied the master of the house, all that I
can do for you is to wish that God may restore you your sight.
You might have told me that at the door, said my brother, and not
have given me the trouble to come up. And why, fool, said the man
of the house, do you not answer at first, when people ask you who
is there? Why do you give any body the trouble to come and open
the door when they speak to you? What will you do with me, then?
said my brother. I tell you again, said the man of the house, I
have nothing to give you. Help me down stairs, then, replied
Backback, as you helped me up. The stairs are before you, said
the man of the house, and you may go down alone if you will. My
brother went to go down, but missing a step about the middle of
the stairs, he fell down and hurt his head and his back: he got
up again with a great deal of difficulty, and complained heavily
of the master of the house, who only laughed at his fall.
As my brother went out of the house, two blind men, his
companions, going by, knew him by his voice, and asked him what
was the matter. He told them what had happened to him, and
afterwards said, I have eaten nothing to-day; I conjure you to go
along with me to my house, that I may take some of the money that
we three have in common, to buy me something for supper. The two
blind men agreed to it, and they went home with him.
You must know that the master of the house where my brother was
so ill used, was a highwayman, and naturally cunning and
malicious. He heard at his window what Backback had said to his
companions, and therefore came down and followed them to my
brother's house. The blind men being seated, Backback said to
them, brethren, we must shut the door, and take care there be no
strangers with us. At this the highwayman was much perplexed, but
perceiving a rope hanging down from a beam, he caught hold of it,
and hung by it, while the blind men shut the door, and felt about
the room with their sticks. When they had done this, and sat down
again in their places, the highwayman left his rope, and sat down
softly by my brother, who thinking himself alone with his blind
comrades, said to them, Brothers, since you have trusted me with
the money, which we all three have gathered a long time, I will
show you that I am not unworthy of the trust that you repose in
me. The last time we reckoned, you know we had ten thousand
drams, and that we put them into ten bags; I will show you that I
have not touched one of them. Having said so, he put his hand
among some old lumber, and taking out the bags, one after
another, gave them to his comrades, saying, There they are; you
may judge by their weight that they are whole, or you may tell
them if you please. His comrades answered, there was no occasion,
they did not mistrust him; so opened one of the bags, and took
out ten drams, and each of the other blind men did the like.
My brother put the bags into their place again; after which one
of them said to him, There is no need to lay out any thing for
supper, for I have got as much provision from good people as will
serve us all three. At the same time he took out of his bag bread
and cheese, and some fruit; and, putting them all upon the table,
they began to eat. The highwayman, who sat at my brother's right
hand, picked out the best, and ate with them; but, whatever care
he took to make no noise, Backback heard his jaws going, and
cried out immediately, We are undone! there is a stranger among
us! and having said so, he stretched out his hand, and catching
hold of the highwayman by the arm, cried out, Thieves! fell upon
him, and boxed him. The other blind men fell upon him in like
manner, and the highwayman defended himself as well as he could;
but being young and vigorous, and having the advantage of his
eyes, he gave furious blows, sometimes to one, sometimes to
another, as he could come at them, and cried out Thieves! louder
than they did. The neighbours came running at the noise, broke
open the door, and had much ado to separate the combatants; but,
having at last done it, they asked the cause of their quarrel. My
brother, who still had hold of the highwayman, cried out,
Gentlemen, this man I have hold of is a thief, and stole in with
us on purpose to rob us of the little money we have. The thief,
who shut his eyes as soon as the neighbours came, feigned himself
also to be blind, and cried out, Gentlemen, he is a liar. I swear
to you by Heaven, and by the life of the caliph, that I am their
companion, and they refuse to give me my just share! They have
all three fallen upon me, and I demand justice. The neighbours
would not meddle with their quarrel, but carried them all before
a judge.
When they came before the magistrate, the highwayman, without
staying to be examined, cried out, still feigning himself to be
blind, Sir, since you are deputed to administer justice by the
caliph, whom God prosper, I declare to you that we are equally
criminal, my three comrades and I; but we have all engaged upon
oath to confess nothing unless we be bastinadoed; so that if you
would know our crime, you need only order us to be bastinadoed,
and begin with me. My brother would have spoken, but was not
allowed to do so; and the highwayman was put under the bastinado.
The robber, being under the bastinado, had the courage to bear
twenty or thirty blows; when, seeming to be overcome with pain he
first opened one eye, and then the other; and, crying out for
mercy, begged the judge would put a stop to the blows, The judge,
perceiving that he looked upon him with his eyes open, was much
surprised, and said to him, Rogue! what is the meaning of this
miracle? Sir, replied the highwayman, I will discover to you an
important secret, if you pardon me, and give me, as a pledge that
you will keep your word, the seal-ring which you have on your
finger. The judge agreed to it, gave him his ring, and promised
him pardon. Upon this, said the highwayman, I must confess to
you, Sir, that I and my three comrades do all see very well: we
feigned ourselves to be blind, that we might more freely enter
people's houses, and into women's apartments, where we abuse
their frailty. I must further, confess to you, that by this trick
we have gained together ten thousand drams. This day I demanded
of my partners two thousand five hundred that belong to me as my
share, but they refused, because I told them I would leave them;
and they were afraid I should accuse them. Upon pressing still to
have my share, they all three fell upon me; for the truth of
which I appeal to those people who brought us before you, I
expect from your justice, that you will make them deliver to me
the two thousand five hundred drams which are my due; and if you
have a mind to make my comrades confess the truth, you must order
them three times as many blows as I have had, and you will find
they will open their eyes as well as I did.
My brother and the other two blind men would have cleared
themselves of this horrid cheat, but the judge would not hear
them: Villains! said he, do you feign yourselves blind then, and
under that pretext cheat people, by begging their charity, and
abusing poor women? He is a cheat, cried my brother; we take God
to witness that none of us can see!
All that my brother could say was in vain; his comrades and he
received each of them two hundred blows. The judge looked always
when they should have opened their eyes, and ascribed to their
obstinacy what really they could not do. All the while the
highwayman said to the blind men, Poor fools that you are, open
your eyes, and do not suffer yourselves to be killed with blows.
Then addressing himself to the judge, said, I perceive, sir, that
they will be maliciously obstinate to the last, and will never
open their eyes: they have a mind certainly to avoid the shame of
reading their own condemnation in the face of every one who looks
upon them; it were better, if you think fit, to pardon them, and
to send some person along with me for the ten thousand drams they
have hid.
The judge did so, gave the highwayman two thousand five hundred
drams, and kept the rest to himself; and as for my brother and
his two companions, he thought he showed them a great deal of
pity by sentencing them only to be banished. As soon as I heard
what befel my brother, I ran after him; he told me his
misfortune, and I brought him back secretly to the town. I could
easily have justified him to the judge, and have got the
highwayman punished as he deserved, but durst not attempt it, for
fear of bringing myself into trouble. Thus I finished the sad
adventure of my honest blind brother. The caliph laughed at it,
as much as at those he had heard before, and ordered again that
something should be given me; but, without staying for it, I
began the story of my fourth brother.