I once had ten thieves hanged, each on his own gibbet, and set
guards to watch them and hinder the folk from taking them down.
Next morning, when I came to look at them, I found two bodies
hanging from one gibbet and said to the guards, "Who did this,
and where is the tenth gibbet?" But they denied all knowledge
of it, and I was about to beat them, when they said, "Know, O
Amir, that we fell asleep last night, and when we awoke, we
found one of the bodies gone, gibbet and all, whereat we were
alarmed, fearing thy wrath. But, presently, up came a peasant,
jogging along on his ass; so we laid hands on him and killing
him, hung his body upon this gibbet, in the stead of the
missing thief."
When I heard this, I marvelled and said to them, "Had he aught
with him?" "He had a pair of saddle-bags on the ass," answered
they. "What was in them?" asked I and they said, "We know not."
Quoth I, "Bring them hither." So they brought them to me and I
bade open them, when, behold, therein was the body of a
murdered man, cut in pieces. When I saw this, I marvelled and
said in myself, "Glory be to God! The cause of the hanging of
this peasant was no other but his crime against this murdered
man; and the Lord is no unjust dealer with [His] servants."'
[FN#56]