A certain assessor was one day taken with a woman and much people
assembled before his house and the lieutenant of police and his
men came to him and knocked at the door. The assessor looked out
of window and seeing the folk, said, "What aileth you?" Quoth
they, "[Come,] speak with the lieutenant of police such an one."
So he came down and they said to him, "Bring forth the woman that
is with thee." Quoth he, "Are ye not ashamed? How shall I bring
forth my wife?" And they said, "Is she thy wife by
contract[FN#118] or without contract?" ["By contract,"] answered
he, "according to the Book of God and the Institutes of His
Apostle." "Where is the contract?" asked they; and he replied,
"Her contract is in her mother's house." Quoth they, "Arise and
come down and show us the contract." And he said to them, "Go
from her way, so she may come forth." Now, as soon as he got wind
of the matter, he had written the contract and fashioned it after
her fashion, to suit with the case, and written therein the names
of certain of his friends as witnesses and forged the signatures
of the drawer and the wife's next friend and made it a contract
of marriage with his wife and appointed it for an excuse.[FN#119]
So, when the woman was about to go out from him, he gave her the
contract that be had forged, and the Amir sent with her a servant
of his, to bring her to her father. So the servant went with her
and when she came to her door, she said to him, "I will not
return to the citation of the Amir; but let the witnesses[FN#120]
present themselves and take my contract."
Accordingly, the servant carried this message to the lieutenant
of police, who was standing at the assessor's door, and he said,
"This is reasonable." Then said [the assessor] to the servant,
"Harkye, O eunuch! Go and fetch us such an one the notary;" for
that he was his friend [and it was he whose name he had forged as
the drawer-up of the contract]. So the lieutenant of police sent
after him and fetched him to the assessor, who, when he saw him,
said to him, "Get thee to such an one, her with whom thou
marriedst me, and cry out upon her, and when she cometh to thee,
demand of her the contract and take it from her and bring it to
us." And he signed to him, as who should say, "Bear me out in the
lie and screen me, for that she is a strange woman and I am in
fear of the lieutenant of police who standeth at the door; and we
beseech God the Most High to screen us and you from the trouble
of this world. Amen."
So the notary went up to the lieutenant, who was among the
witnesses, and said "It is well. Is she not such an one whose
marriage contract we drew up in such a place?" Then he betook
himself to the woman's house and cried out upon her; whereupon
she brought him the [forged] contract and he took it and returned
with it to the lieutenant of police. When the latter had taken
cognizance [of the document and professed himself satisfied, the
assessor] said [to the notary,] "Go to our lord and master, the
Cadi of the Cadis, and acquaint him with that which befalleth his
assessors." The notary rose to go, but the lieutenant of police
feared [for himself] and was profuse in beseeching the assessor
and kissing his hands, till he forgave him; whereupon the
lieutenant went away in the utterest of concern and affright. On
this wise the assessor ordered the case and carried out the
forgery and feigned marriage with the woman; [and thus was
calamity warded off from him] by the excellence of his
contrivance."[FN#121]
The folk marvelled at this story with the utmost wonderment and
the seventh officer said, 'There befell me in Alexandria the
[God-]guarded a marvellous thing, [and it was that one told me
the following story].