'A great theft had been committed in the city and I was
cited,[FN#139] I and my fellows. Now it was a matter of
considerable value and they[FN#140] pressed hard upon us; but we
obtained of them some days' grace and dispersed in quest of the
stolen goods. As for me, I sallied forth with five men and went
round about the city that day; and on the morrow we fared forth
[into the suburbs]. When we came a parasang or two parasangs'
distance from the city, we were athirst; and presently we came to
a garden. So I went in and going up to the water-wheel,[FN#141]
entered it and drank and made the ablution and prayed. Presently
up came the keeper of the garden and said to me, "Out on thee!
Who brought thee into this water-wheel?" And he cuffed me and
squeezed my ribs till I was like to die. Then he bound me with
one of his bulls and made me turn in the water-wheel, flogging me
the while with a cattle whip he had with him, till my heart was
on fire; after which he loosed me and I went out, knowing not the
way.
When I came forth, I swooned away: so I sat down till my trouble
subsided; then I made for my comrades and said to them, "I have
found the booty and the thief, and I affrighted him not neither
troubled him, lest he should flee; but now, come, let us go to
him, so we may make shift to lay hold upon him." Then I took them
and repaired to the keeper of the garden, who had tortured me
with beating, meaning to make him taste the like of that which he
had done with me and lie against him and cause him eat stick. So
we rushed into the water-wheel and seizing the keeper, pinioned
him.
Now there was with him a youth and he said, "By Allah, I was not
with him and indeed it is six months since I entered the city,
nor did I set eyes on the stuffs until they were brought hither."
Quoth we, "Show us the stuffs." So he carried us to a place
wherein was a pit, beside the water-wheel, and digging there,
brought out the stolen goods, with not a stitch of them missing.
So we took them and carried the keeper to the prefecture, where
we stripped him and beat him with palm-rods till he confessed to
thefts galore. Now I did this by way of mockery against my
comrades, and it succeeded.'[FN#142]
The company marvelled at this story with the utmost wonderment,
and the eleventh officer rose and said, 'I know a story yet rarer
than this: but it happened not to myself.