There was a man, whose name was Backbac; he was blind, and his evil
destiny reduced him to beg from door to door. He had been so long
accustomed to walk through the streets alone, that he wanted none to
lead him: he had a custom to knock at people's doors, and not answer
till they opened to him. One day he knocked thus, and the master of the
house, who was alone, cried, "who is there?" Backbac made no answer, and
knocked a second time: the master of the house asked again and again,
"who is there?" but to no purpose, no one answered; upon which he
came down, opened the door, and asked the man what he wanted? "Give me
something, for Heaven's sake," said Backbac; "you seem to be blind,"
replied the master of the house; "yes, to my sorrow," answered Backbac.
"Give me your hand," resumed the master of the house; he 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. Backbac thought he had been carrying
him to dine with him, as many people had done. When they reached the
chamber, the man let go his hand, and sitting down, asked him again
what he wanted? "I have already told you," said Backbac, "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 your sight."
"You might have told me that at the door," replied Backbac, "and not
have given me the trouble to come up stairs."
"And why, fool," said the man of the house, "do not you 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?" asked Backbac; "I tell you again," said the man of the
house, "I have nothing to give you."
"Help me down the stairs then, as you brought me up."--"The stairs are
before you," said the man of the house, "and you may go down by yourself
if you will." The blind man attempted to descend, but missing a step,
about the middle of the stairs, fell to the bottom and hurt his head and
his back: he got up again with much difficulty, and went out, cursing
the master of the house, who laughed at his fall.
As Backbac went out of the house, three blind men, his companions, were
going by, knew him by his voice, and asked him what was the matter? He
told them what had happened; 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 this money that we four have in common, to buy me something for
supper." The blind men agreed, and they went home with him.
You must know that the master of the house where Backbac was so ill
used, was a robber, and of a cunning and malicious disposition; he
overheard from his window what Backbac had said to his companions, and
came down and followed them to Backbac's house. The blind men being
seated, Backbac said to them, "brothers, we must shut the door, and take
care there be no stranger with us." At this the robber 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, and had sat down
again in their places, the robber left his rope, and seated himself
softly by Backbac: who, thinking himself alone with his blind comrades,
said to them, "brothers, since you have trusted me with the money, which
we have been a long time gathering, I will shew you that I am not
unworthy of the confidence you repose in me. The last time we reckoned,
you know that we had ten thousand dirhems, and that we put them into ten
bags: I will shew you that I have not touched one of them;" having so
said, he put his hand among some old clothes, 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 need, they did not
mistrust him;" so he opened one of the bags, and took out ten dirhems,
and each of the other blind men did the like.
Backbac put the bags into their place again; after which, one of the
blind men said to him, "there is no need to lay out any thing for
supper, for I have collected as much victuals from good people as will
serve us all;" at the same time he took out of his bag bread and cheese,
and some fruit, and putting all upon the table, they began to eat. The
robber, who sat at Backbac's right hand, picked out the best, and eat
with them; but, whatever care he took to make no noise, Backbac heard
his chaps going, and cried out immediately, "We are undone, there is
a stranger among us!" Having so said, he stretched out his hand, and
caught hold of the robber by the arm, cried out "_thieves!_" fell upon
him, and struck him. The other blind men fell upon him in like manner;
the robber defended himself as well as he could, and being young and
vigorous, besides having the advantage of his eyes, he swung by the
hanging rope, and gave furious kicks, sometimes to one, sometimes to
another, and cried out "_thieves!_" louder than they did.
[Illustration: 029]
The neighbours came running at the noise, broke open the door, and had
much ado to separate the combatants; but having at last succeeded, they
asked the cause of their quarrel. Backbac, who still had hold of the
robber, 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
blind, and exclaimed, "gentlemen, he is a liar. I swear to you by
heavens, and by the life of the caliph, that I am their companion, and
they, refuse to give me my just share. They have all four fallen upon
me, and I demand justice." The neighbours would not interfere in their
quarrel, but carried them all before the judge. When they came before
the magistrate, the robber, without staying to be examined, cried out,
still feigning 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 four comrades and I; but we have all engaged, upon
oath, to confess nothing except we be bastinadoed; so that if you would
know our crime, you need only order us to be bastinadoed, and begin with
me." Backbac would have spoken, but was not allowed to do so, and the
robber was put under the bastinado.
The robber, being under the bastinado, had the courage to bear twenty or
thirty blows: when, pretending 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 robber, "I will discover to you an important secret,
if you will 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 consented,
gave him his ring, and promised him pardon. "Under this promise,"
continued the robber, "I must confess to you, sir, that I and my four
comrades do all see very well. We feigned ourselves to be blind, that
we might freely enter people's houses, and women's apartments, where we
abuse their weakness. I must farther confess to you, that by this trick
we have gained together ten thousand dirhems: this day I demanded of
my partners two thousand that belonged to my share, but they refused,
because I told them I would leave them, and they were afraid I should
accuse them. Upon my pressing still to have my share, they fell upon me;
for which I appeal to those people who brought us before you. I expect
from your justice, sir, that you will make them deliver me the two
thousand dirhems which are my due; and if you have a mind that my
comrades should 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 have done." Backbac, and the other three blind men, would have
cleared themselves of this horrid charge, but the judge would not hear
them; "villains," said he, "do you feign yourselves blind then, and,
under that pretext of moving their compassion, cheat people, and commit
such crimes?"
"He is an impostor," cried Backbac, "and we take God to witness that
none of us can see." All that Backbac could say was in vain, his
comrades and he received each of them two hundred blows. The judge
expected them to open their eyes, and ascribed to their obstinacy what
really they could not do; all the while the robber said to the blind
men, "_Poor fools that you are, open your eyes, and do not suffer
yourselves to be beaten to death_." 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 wish certainly to
avoid the shame of reading their own condemnation in the face of every
one that 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 dirhems
they have hidden."
The judge consented to give the robber two thousand dirhems, and kept
the rest himself; and as for Backbac and his three companions, he
thought he shewed them pity by sentencing them only to be banished.
[Illustration: 032]