that? But we accept what thou sayst." Then he ordered him a dress of
honour and a thousand dinars, and he went away rejoicing. And among
tales they tell is one of
THE MAN WHO STOLE THE DISH OF GOLD WHEREIN THE DOG ATE.
Sometime erst there was a man, who had accumulated debts, and his case
was straitened upon him, so that he left his people and family and went
forth in distraction; and he ceased not wandering on at random till he
came after a time to a city tall of walls and firm of foundations. He
entered it in a state of despondency and despair, harried by hunger and
worn with the weariness of his way. As he passed through one of the
main streets, he saw a company of the great going along; so he followed
them till they reached a house like to a royal-palace. He entered with
them, and they stayed not faring forwards till they came in presence of
a person seated at the upper end of a saloon, a man of the most
dignified and majestic aspect, surrounded by pages and eunuchs, as he
were of the sons of the Wazirs.When he saw the visitors, he rose to
greet them and received them with honour; but the poor man aforesaid
was confounded at his own boldness, when beholding——And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Three Hundred and Forty-first Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the poor man
aforesaid was confounded at his own boldness, when beholding the
goodliness of the place and the crowd of servants and attendants; so
drawing back, in perplexity and fear for his life sat down apart in a
place afar off. where none should see him. Now it chanced that whilst
he was sitting, behold, in came a man with four sporting-dogs, whereon
were various kinds of raw silk and brocade[FN#392] and wearing round
their necks collars of gold with chains of silver, and tied up each dog
in a place set privy for him; after which he went out and presently
returned with four dishes of gold, full of rich meats, which he set
severally before the dogs, one for each. Then he went away and left
them, whilst the poor man began to eye the food, for stress of hunger,
and longed to go up to one of the dogs and eat with him, but fear of
them withheld him. Presently, one of the dogs looked at him and Allah
Almighty inspired the dog with a knowledge of his case; so he drew back
from the platter and signed to the man, who came and ate till he was
filled. Then he would have withdrawn, but the dog again signed to him
to take for himself the dish and what food was left in it, and pushed
it towards him with his fore-paw. So the man took the dish and leaving
the house, went his way, and none followed him. Then he journeyed to
another city where he sold the dish and buying with the price a
stock-in-trade, returned to his own town. There he sold his goods and
paid his debts; and he throve and became affluent and rose to perfect
prosperity. He abode in his own land; but after some years had passed
he said to himself, "Needs must I repair to the city of the owner of
the dish, and, carry him a fit and handsome present and pay him the
money-value of that which his dog bestowed upon me." So he took the
price of the dish and a suitable gift; and, setting out, journeyed day
and night, till he came to that city; he entered it and sought the
place where the man lived; but he found there naught save ruins
mouldering in row and croak of crow, and house and home desolate and
all conditions in changed state. At this, his heart and soul were
troubled, and he repeated the saying of him who saith,
"Void are the private rooms of treasury: * As void were hearts of
fear and piety:
Changed is the Wady nor are its gazelles * Those fawns, nor sand-
hills those I wont to see."
And that of another,
"In sleep came Su'adб's[FN#393] shade and wakened me * Near dawn,
when comrades all a-sleeping lay:
But waking found I that the shade was fled, * And saw air empty
and shrine far away."
Now when the man saw these mouldering ruins and witnessed what the hand
of time had manifestly done with the place, leaving but traces of the
substantial-things that erewhiles had been, a little reflection made it
needless for him to enquire of the case; so he turned away. Presently,
seeing a wretched man, in a plight which made him shudder and feel
goose-skin, and which would have moved the very rock to rush, he said
to him, "Ho thou! What have time and fortune done with the lord of this
place? Where are his lovely faces, his shining full moons and splendid
stars; and what is the cause of the ruin that is come upon his abode,
so that nothing save the walls thereof remain?" Quoth the other, "He is
the miserable thou seest mourning that which hath left him naked. But
knowest thou not the words of the Apostle (whom Allah bless and keep!),
wherein is a lesson to him who will learn by it and a warning to whoso
will be warned thereby and guided in the right way, 'Verily it is the
way of Allah Almighty to raise up nothing of this world, except He cast
it down again?'[FN#394] If thou question of the cause of this accident,
indeed it is no wonder, considering the chances and changes of Fortune.
I was the lord of this place and I builded it and founded it and owned
it; and I was the proud possessor of its full moons lucent and its
circumstance resplendent and its damsels radiant and its garniture
magnificent, but Time turned and did away from me wealth and servants
and took from me what it had lent (not given); and brought upon me
calamities which it held in store hidden. But there must needs be some
reason for this thy question: so tell it me and leave wondering."
Thereupon, the man who had waxed wealthy being sore concerned, told him
the whole story, and added, "I have brought thee a present, such as
souls desire, and the price of thy dish of gold which I took; for it
was the cause of my affluence after poverty, and of the replenishment
of my dwelling-place, after desolation, and of the dispersion of my
trouble and straitness." But the man shook his head, and weeping and
groaning and complaining of his lot answered, "Ho thou! methinks thou
art mad; for this is not the way of a man of sense. How should a dog of
mine make generous gift to thee of a dish of gold and I meanly take
back the price of what a dog gave? This were indeed a strange thing!
Were I in extremest unease and misery, by Allah, I would not accept of
thee aught; no, not the worth of a nail-paring! So return whence thou
camest in health and safety."[FN#395] Whereupon the merchant kissed his
feet and taking leave of him, returned whence he came, praising him and
reciting this couplet,
"Men and dogs together are all gone by, * So peace be with all of them!
dogs and men!'
And Allah is All knowing! Again men tell the tale of
THE SHARPER OF ALEXANDRIA AND THE CHIEF OF POLICE.
There was once in the coast-fortress of Alexandria, a Chief of Police,
Husбm al-Din highs, the sharp Scymitar of the Faith. Now one night as
he sat in his seat of office, behold, there came in to him a
trooper-wight who said, "Know, O my lord the Chief, that I entered your
city this night and alighted at such a khan and slept there till a
third part of the night was past when I awoke and found my saddle-bags
sliced open and a purse of a thousand gold pieces stolen from them." No
sooner had he done speaking than the Chief summoned his chief officials
and bade them lay hands on all in the khan and clap them in limbo till
the morning; and on the morrow, he caused bring the rods and whips used
in punishment, and, sending for the prisoners, was about to flog them
till they confessed in the presence of the owner of the stolen money
when, lo! a man broke through the crowd till he came up to the Chief of
Police,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
When it was the Three Hundred and Forty-second Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Chief was
about to flog them when lo! a man broke through the crowd till he came
up to the Chief of Police and the trooper and said; "Ho! Emir, let
these folk go, for they are wrongously accused. It was I who robbed
this trooper, and see, here is the purse I stole from his saddle-bags."
So saying, he pulled out the purse from his sleeve and laid it before
Husam al-Din, who said to the soldier, "Take thy money and pouch it;
thou now hast no ground of complaint against the people of the khan."
Thereupon these folk and all who were present fell to praising the
thief and blessing him; but he said, "Ho! Emir, the skill is not in
that I came to thee in person and brought thee the purse; the
cleverness was in taking it a second time from this trooper." Asked the
Chief, "And how didst thou do to take it, O sharper?"; and the robber
replied, "O Emir, I was standing in the Shroff's[FN#396] bazar at
Cairo, when I saw this soldier receive the gold in change and put it in
yonder purse; so I followed him from by-street to by- street, but found
no occasion of stealing it. Then he travelled from Cairo and I followed
him from town to town, plotting and planning by the way to rob him, but
without avail, till he entered this city and I dogged him to the khan.
I took up my lodging beside him and watched him till he fell asleep and
I heard him sleeping; when I went up to him softly, softly; and I slit
open his saddle-bags with this knife, and took the purse in the way I
am now taking it." So saying, he put out his hand and took the purse
from before the Chief of Police and the trooper, both of whom, together
with the folk, drew back watching him and thinking he would show them
how he took the purse from the saddle-bags. But, behold! he suddenly
broke into a run and threw himself into a pool of standing
water[FN#397] hard by. So the Chief of the Police shouted to his
officers, "Stop thief!" and many made after him; but before they could
doff their clothes and descend the steps, he had made off; and they
sought for him, but found him not; for that the by-streets and lanes of
Alexandria all communicate. So they came back without bringing the
purse; and the Chief of Police said to the trooper, "Thou hast no
demand upon the folk; for thou fondest him who robbed thee and
receivedst back thy money, but didst not keep it." So the trooper went
away, having lost his money, whilst the folk were delivered from his
hands and those of the Chief of Police, and all this was of the favour
of Almighty Allah.[FN#398] And they also tell the tale of
AL-MALIK AL-NASIR AND THE THREE CHIEFS OF POLICE.
Once upon a time Al-Malik al-Nбsir[FN#399] sent for the Wбlis or Chiefs
of Police of Cairo, Bulak, and Fostat[FN#400] and said to them, "I
desire each of you to recount me the marvellousest thing that hath
befallen him during his term of office."—And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Three Hundred and Forty-third Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that quoth Al-Malik
al-Nasir to the three Walis, "I desire each of you to recount me the
marvellousest thing which hath befallen him during his term of office."
So they answered, "We hear and we obey." Then said the Chief of the
Police of Cairo, "Know thou, O our lord the Sultan, the most wonderful
thing that befel me, during my term of office, was on this wise:" and
he began
The Story of the Chief of Police of Cairo.
"There were in this city two men of good repute fit to bear
witness[FN#401] in matters of murder and wounds; but they were both
secretly addicted to intrigues with low women and to wine- bibbing and
to dissolute doings, nor could I succeed (do what I would) in bringing
them to book, and I began to despair of success. So I charged the
taverners and confectioners and fruiterers and candle-chandlers and the
keepers of brothels and bawdy houses to acquaint me of these two good
men whenever they should anywhere be engaged in drinking or other
debauchery, or together or apart; and ordered that, if they both or if
either of them bought at their shops aught for the purpose of wassail
and carousel, the vendors should not conceal-it from me. And they
replied, 'We hear and obey.' Presently it chanced that one night, a man
came to me and said, 'O my master, know that the two just men, the two
witnesses, are in such a street in such a house, engaged in abominable
wickedness.' So I disguised myself, I and my body-servant, and ceased
not trudging till I came to the house and knocked at the door,
whereupon a slave-girl came out and opened to me, saying, 'Who art
thou?' I entered without answering her and saw the two legal-witnesses
and the house-master sitting, and lewd women by their side and before
them great plenty of wine. When they saw me, they rose to receive me,
and made much of me, seating me in the place of honour and saying to
me, 'Welcome for an illustrious guest and well come for a pleasant cup-
companion!' And on this wise they met me without showing a sign of
alarm or trouble. Presently, the master of the house arose from amongst
us and went out and returned after a while with three hundred dinars,
when the men said to me, without the least fear, 'Know, O our lord the
Wali, it is in thy power to do even more than disgrace and punish us;
but this will bring thee in return nothing but weariness: so we reck
thou wouldest do better to take this much money and protect us; for
Almighty Allah is named the Protector and loveth those of His servants
who protect their Moslem neighbours; and thou shalt have thy reward in
this world and due recompense in the world to come.' So I said to
myself, 'I will take the money and protect them this once, but, if ever
again I have them in my power, I will take my wreak of them;' for, you
see, the money had tempted me. Thereupon I took it and went away
thinking that no one would know it; but, next day, on a sudden one of
the Kazi's messengers came to me and said to me, 'O Wali, be good
enough to answer the summons of the Kazi who wanteth thee.' So I arose
and accompanied him, knowing not the meaning of all this; and when I
came into the judge's presence, I saw the two witnesses and the master
of the house, who had given me the money, sitting by his side.
Thereupon this man rose and sued me for three hundred dinars, nor was
it in my power to deny the debt; for he produced a written obligation
and his two companions, the legal witnesses, testified against me that
I owed the amount. Their evidence satisfied the Kazi and he ordered me
to pay the sum, nor did I leave the Court till they had of me the three
hundred gold pieces. So I went away, in the utmost wrath and shame,
vowing mischief and vengeance against them and repenting that I had not
punished them. Such, then is the most remarkable event which befel me
during my term of office." Thereupon rose the Chief of the Bulak Police
and said, "As for me, O our lord the Sultan, the most marvellous thing
that happened to me, since I became Wali, was as follows:" and he began
The Story of the Chief of the Bulak Police.
"I was once in debt to the full amount of three hundred thousand gold
pieces;[FN#402] and, being distressed thereby, I sold all that was
behind me and what was before me and all I hent in hand, but I could
collect no more than an hundred thousand dinars"—And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Three Hundred and Forty-fourth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wali of Bulak
continued: "So I sold all that was behind and before me, but could
collect no more than an hundred thousand dinars and remained in great
perplexity. Now one night, as I sat at home in this state, behold,
there came a knocking; so I said to one of my servants, 'See who is at
the door.' He went out and returned, wan of face, changed in
countenance and with his side-muscles a- quivering; so I asked him,
'What aileth thee?'; and he answered, 'There is a man at the door; he
is half naked, clad in skins, with sword in hand and knife in girdle,
and with him are a company of the same fashion and he asketh for thee.'
So I took my sword and going out to see who these were, behold, I found
them as the boy had reported and said to them, 'What is your business?'
They replied, 'Of a truth we be thieves and have done fine work this
night; so we appointed the swag to thy use, that thou mayst pay
therewith the debts which sadden thee and deliver thee from thy
distress.' Quoth I, 'Where is the plunder?'; and they brought me a
great chest, full of vessels of gold and silver; which when I saw, I
rejoiced and said to myself, 'Herewith I will settle all claims upon me
and there will remain as much again.' So I took the money and going
inside said in my mind, 'It were ignoble to let them fare away
empty-handed.' Whereupon I brought out the hundred thousand dinars I
had by me and gave it to them, thanking them for their kindness; and
they pouched the monies and went their way, under cover of the night so
that none might know of them. But when morning dawned I examined the
contents of the chest, and found them copper and tin[FN#403] washed
with gold worth five hundred dirhams at the most; and this was grievous
to me, for I had lost what monies I had and trouble was added to my
trouble. Such, then, is the most remarkable event which befel me during
my term of office." Then rose the Chief of the Police of Old Cairo and
said, "O our lord the Sultan, the most marvellous thing that happened
to me, since I became Wali, was on this wise;" and he began
The Story of the Chief of the Old Cairo Police.
"I once hanged ten thieves each on his own gibbet, and especially
charged the guards to watch them and hinder the folk from taking any
one of them down. Next morning when I came to look at them, I found two
bodies hanging from one gallows 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 till they owned the truth, when they said,
'Know, O Emir, that we fell asleep last night, and when we awoke, we
found that some one had stolen one of the bodies, gibbet and all; so we
were alarmed and feared thy wrath. But, behold, up came a
peasant-fellow driving his ass; whereupon we laid hands on him and
killed him and hanged his body upon this gallows, in the stead of the
thief who had been stolen.'[FN#404] Now when I heard this, I marvelled
and asked them, 'What had he with him?'; and they answered, 'He had a
pair of saddle-bags on the ass.' Quoth I, 'What was in them?'; quoth
they, 'We know not.' So I said, 'Bring them hither;' and when they
brought them to me I bade open them, behold, therein was the body of a
murdered man, cut in pieces. Now as soon as I saw this, I marvelled at
the case and said in myself, 'Glory to God! The cause of the hanging of
this peasant was none other but his crime against this murdered man;
and thy Lord is not unjust towards His servants.'"[FN#405] And men also
tell the tale of
THE THIEF AND THE SHROFF.
A certain Shroff, bearing a bag of gold pieces, once passed by a
company of thieves, and one of these sharpers said to the others, "I,
and I only, have the power to steal yonder purse." So they asked, "How
wilt thou do it?"; and he answered, "Look ye all!"; and followed the
money-changer, till he entered his house, when he threw the bag on a
shelf[FN#406] and, being affected with diabetes, went into the chapel
of ease to do his want, calling to the slave-girl, "Bring me an ewer of
water." She took the ewer and followed him to the privy, leaving the
door open, whereupon the thief entered and, seizing the money-bag, made
off with it to his companions, to whom he told what had passed.—And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted
say.
When it was the Three Hundred and Forty-fifth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the thief took
the money-bag and made off with it to his companions to whom he told
what had passed. Said they, "By Allah, thou hast played a clever trick!
''tis not every one could do it; but, presently the money-changer will
come out of the privy; and missing the bag of money, he will beat the
slave-girl and torture her with grievous torture. 'Tis as though thou
hast at present done nothing worthy of praise; so, if thou be indeed a
sharper, return and save the girl from being beaten and questioned."
Quoth he, ' Inshallah! I will save both girl and purse." Then the prig
went back to the Shroff's house and found him punishing the girl
because of the purse; so he knocked at the door and the man said, "Who
is there?" Cried the thief, "I am the servant of thy neighbour in the
Exchange;" whereupon he came out to him and said, "What is thy
business?" The thief replied, "My master saluteth thee and saith to
thee: 'Surely thou art deranged and thoroughly so, to cast the like of
this bag of money down at the door of thy shop and go away and leave
it.' Had a stranger hit upon it he had made off with it and, except my
master had seen it and taken care of it, it had assuredly been lost to
thee." So saying, he pulled out the purse and showed it to the Shroff
who on seeing it said, "That is my very purse," and put out his hand to
take it; but the thief said, "By Allah, I will not give thee this same,
till thou write me a receipt declaring that thou hast received it! for
indeed I fear my master will not believe that thou hast recovered the
purse, unless I bring him thy writing to that effect, and sealed with
thy signet-seal." The money changer went in to write the paper
required; and in the meantime the thief made off with the bag of money
and thus was the slave-girl saved her beating. And men also tell a tale
of
THE CHIEF OF THE KUS POLICE AND THE SHARPER.
It is related that Alб al-Dнn, Chief of Police at Kъs,[FN#407] was
sitting one night in his house, when behold, a personage of handsome
appearance and dignified aspect came to the door, accompanied by a
servant bearing a chest upon his head and, standing there said to one
of the Wali's young men, "Go in and tell the Emir that I would have
audience of him on some privy business." So the servant went in and
told his master, who bade admit the visitor. When he entered, the Emir
saw him to be a man of handsome semblance and portly presence; so he
received him with honour and high distinction, seating him beside
himself, and said to him, "What is thy wish?" Replied the stranger, "I
am a highwayman and am minded to repent at thy hands and turn to
Almighty Allah; but I would have thee help me to this, for that I am in
thy district and under thine inspection. Now I have here a chest,
wherein are matters worth some forty thousand dinars; and none hath so
good a right to it as thou; so do thou take it and give me in exchange
a thousand dinars, of thine own monies lawfully gotten, that I may have
a little capital, to aid me in my repentance,[FN#408] and save me from
resorting to sin for my subsistence; and with Allah Almighty be thy
reward!" Speaking thus he opened the chest and showed the Wali that it
was full of trinkets and jewels and bullion and ring-gems and pearls,
whereat he was amazed and rejoiced with great joy. So he cried out to
his treasurer, saying, "Bring hither a certain purse containing a
thousand dinars,"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to
say her permitted say.
When it was the Three Hundred and Forty-sixth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wali cried
out to his treasurer, saying "Bring hither a certain purse containing a
thousand dinars; and gave it to the highwayman, who took it and
thanking him, went his way under cover of the night. Now when it was
the morrow, the Emir sent for the chief of the goldsmiths and showed
him the chest and what was therein; but the goldsmith found it nothing
but tin and brass, and the jewels and bezel stones and pearls all of
glass; whereat the Wali was sore chagrined and sent in quest of the
highwayman; but none could come at him. And men also tell the tale of
IBRAHIM BIN AL-MAHDI AND THE MERCHANT'S SISTER.