There came one day an old woman [to the stuff-market], with a
casket of precious workmanship, containing trinkets, and she was
accompanied by a damsel great with child. The old woman sat down
at the shop of a draper and giving him to know that the damsel
was with child by the prefect of police of the city, took of him,
on credit, stuffs to the value of a thousand dinars and deposited
with him the casket as security. [She opened the casket and]
showed him that which was therein; and he found it full of
trinkets [apparently] of price; [so he trusted her with the
goods] and she took leave of him and carrying the stuffs to the
damsel, who was with her, [went her way]. Then the old woman was
absent from him a great while, and when her absence was
prolonged, the draper despaired of her; so he went up to the
prefect's house and enquired of the woman of his household, [who
had taken his stuffs on credit;] but could get no tidings of her
nor lit on aught of her trace.
Then he brought out the casket of jewellery [and showed it to an
expert,] who told him that the trinkets were gilt and that their
worth was but an hundred dirhems. When he heard this, he was sore
concerned thereat and presenting himself before the Sultan's
deputy, made his complaint to him; whereupon the latter knew that
a trick had been put off upon him and that the folk had cozened
him and gotten the better of him and taken his stuffs. Now the
magistrate in question was a man of good counsel and judgment,
well versed in affairs; so he said to the draper, "Remove
somewhat from thy shop, [and amongst the rest the casket,] and on
the morrow break the lock and cry out and come to me and complain
that they have plundered all thy shop. Moreover, do thou call
[upon God for succour] and cry aloud and acquaint the folk, so
that all the people may resort to thee and see the breach of the
lock and that which is missing from thy shop; and do thou show it
to every one who presenteth himself, so the news may be noised
abroad, and tell them that thy chief concern is for a casket of
great value, deposited with thee by a great man of the town and
that thou standest in fear of him. But be thou not afraid and
still say in thy converse, 'My casket belonged to such an one,
and I fear him and dare not bespeak him; but you, O company and
all ye who are present, I call you to witness of this for me.'
And if there be with thee more than this talk, [say it;] and the
old woman will come to thee."
The draper answered with "Hearkening and obedience" and going
forth from the deputy's presence, betook himself to his shop and
brought out thence [the casket and] somewhat considerable, which
he removed to his house. At break of day he arose and going to
his shop, broke the lock and cried out and shrieked and called
[on God for help,] till the folk assembled about him and all who
were in the city were present, whereupon he cried out to them,
saying even as the prefect had bidden him; and this was bruited
abroad. Then he made for the prefecture and presenting himself
before the chief of the police, cried out and complained and made
a show of distraction.
After three days, the old woman came to him and bringing him the
[thousand dinars, the] price of the stuffs, demanded the
casket.[FN#122] When he saw her, he laid hold of her and carried
her to the prefect of the city; and when she came before the
Cadi, he said to her, "O Sataness, did not thy first deed suffice
thee, but thou must come a second time?" Quoth she, "I am of
those who seek their salvation[FN#123] in the cities, and we
foregather every month; and yesterday we foregathered." "Canst
thou [bring me to] lay hold of them?" asked the prefect; and she
answered, "Yes; but, if thou wait till to-morrow, they will have
dispersed. So I will deliver them to thee to-night." Quoth he to
her, "Go;" and she said, "Send with me one who shall go with me
to them and obey me in that which I shall say to him, and all
that I bid him he shall give ear unto and obey me therein." So he
gave her a company of men and she took them and bringing them to
a certain door, said to them, "Stand at this door, and whoso
cometh out to you, lay hands on him; and I will come out to you
last of all." "Hearkening and obedience," answered they and stood
at the door, whilst the old woman went in. They waited a long
while, even as the Sultan's deputy had bidden them, but none came
out to them and their standing was prolonged. When they were
weary of waiting, they went up to the door and smote upon it
heavily and violently, so that they came nigh to break the lock.
Then one of them entered and was absent a long while, but found
nought; so he returned to his comrades and said to them,"This is
the door of a passage, leading to such a street; and indeed she
laughed at you and left you and went away."When they heard his
words, they returned to the Amir and acquainted him with the
case, whereby he knew that the old woman was a crafty trickstress
and that she had laughed at them and cozened them and put a cheat
on them, to save herself. Consider, then, the cunning of this
woman and that which she contrived of wiles, for all her lack of
foresight in presenting herself [a second time] to the draper and
not apprehending that his conduct was but a trick; yet, when she
found herself in danger, she straightway devised a shift for her
deliverance.'
When the company heard the seventh officer's story, they were
moved to exceeding mirth, and El Melik ez Zahir Bibers rejoiced
in that which he heard and said, 'By Allah, there betide things
in this world, from which kings are shut out, by reason of their
exalted station!" Then came forward another man from amongst the
company and said, 'There hath reached me from one of my friends
another story bearing on the malice of women and their craft, and
it is rarer and more extraordinary and more diverting than all
that hath been told to you."
Quoth the company, 'Tell us thy story and expound it unto us, so
we may see that which it hath of extraordinary.' And he said
'Know, then, that