A certain simple fellow was once going along, haling his ass
after him by the halter, when a couple of sharpers saw him and
one said to his fellow, 'I will take that ass from yonder man.'
'How wilt thou do that?' asked the other. 'Follow me and I will
show thee,' replied the first. So he went up to the ass and
loosing it from the halter, gave the beast to his fellow; then
clapped the halter on his own head and followed the simpleton,
till he knew that the other had got clean off with the ass,
when he stood still. The man pulled at the halter, but the
thief stirred not; so he turned and seeing the halter on a
man's neck, said to him, 'Who art thou?' Quoth the sharper, 'I
am thine ass and my story is a strange one. Know that I have a
pious old mother and came in to her one day, drunk; and she
said to me, "O my son, repent to God the Most High of these thy
transgressions." But I took the cudgel and beat her, whereupon
she cursed me and God the Most High changed me into an ass and
caused me fall into thy hands, where I have remained till now.
However, to-day, my mother called me to mind and her heart
relented towards me; so she prayed for me, and God restored me
to my former shape of a man.' 'There is no power and no virtue
but in God the Most High, the Supreme!' cried the simpleton. 'O
my brother, I conjure thee by Allah, acquit me of what I have
done with thee, in the way of riding and so forth.'
Then he let the sharper go and returned home, drunken with
chagrin and concern. His wife asked him, 'What ails thee and
where is the ass?' And he answered, 'Thou knowest not what was
this ass; but I will tell thee.' So he told her the story, and
she exclaimed, 'Woe worth us for God the Most High! How could
we have used a man as a beast of burden, all this while?' And
she gave alms and asked pardon of God. Then the man abode
awhile at home, idle, till she said to him, 'How long wilt thou
sit at home, idle? Go to the market and buy us an ass and do
thy business with it.' Accordingly, he went to the market and
stopping by the ass-stand, saw his own ass for sale. So he went
up to it and clapping his mouth to its ear, said to it, 'Out on
thee, thou good-for-nought! Doubtless thou hast been getting
drunk again and beating thy mother! But, by Allah, I will never
buy thee more!' And he left it and went away.
THE IMAM ABOU YOUSUF WITH HAROUN ER
RESHID AND ZUBEIDEH.
The Khalif Haroun er Reshid went up one noon-tide to his couch,
to lie down, and mounting, found thereon fresh semen; whereat
he was startled and sore perturbed and troubled. So he called
the princess Zubeideh and said to her, 'What is that spilt on
the bed?' She looked at it and replied, 'O Commander of the
Faithful, it is semen.' 'Tell me truly what this means,' said he;
'or I will lay violent hands on thee forthright.' 'O Commander of
the Faithful,' answered she, 'indeed, I know not how it came
there and I am guiltless of that whereof thou suspectest me.'
So he sent for the Imam Abou Yousuf and told him the case. The
Imam raised his eyes to the roof and seeing a crack therein,
said to the Khalif, 'O Commander of the Faithful, the bat hath
semen like that of a man, and this is bats' semen.' Then he
called for a lance and thrust it into the crack, whereupon down
fell the bat. In this manner the Khalif's suspicions were
dispelled and Zubeideh's innocence was made manifest; whereat
she gave vent to her joy and promised Abou Yousuf a liberal
reward.
Now there were with her magnificent fruits, out of their
season, and she knew of others in the garden; so she said to
Abou Yousuf, 'O Imam of the Faith, which wouldst thou rather of
the two kinds of fruits, those that are here or those that are
not here?' 'Our code forbids us to pronounce judgment on the
absent,' answered he. 'When they are present, we will give
judgment.' So she caused bring the two kinds of fruits before
him, and he ate of both. Quoth she, 'What is the difference
between them?' And he answered, 'As often as I think to praise
one kind, the other puts in its claim.' The Khalif laughed at
his answer and made him a present. Zubeideh also gave him what
she had promised him, and he went away, rejoicing. See, then,
the blessed qualities of this Imam and how at his hands were
made manifest the truth and the innocence of the lady Zubeideh.