Page:Ali Baba, or, The forty thieves, destroyed by Morgiana, a female slave.pdf/22

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A Grocer of the city of Smyrna had a son who, with the help of the little learning the country could afford, rose to the post of Naib, or deputy to the Cady, or mayor of the city, and as such visited the markets, and inspected the weights and measures of all retail dealers. One day, while going his rounds, his father was advised by the neighbours to remove his weights, which they knew to be deficient. The old cheat, depending on his relationship to the inspector, laughed at their advice, and, at his shop door, calmly awaited his coming. The Naib, however, was well assured of the dishonesty and unfair dealing of his father, and resolved to detect his villany, and make an example of him. Accordingly, he stopt at the door, and coolly said to him, ‘Good man, fetch out your weights, that we may examine them.’ Instead of obeying, the grocer was desirous to put it off with a laugh, but was soon convinced his son was serious, by hearing him order the officers to search his shop, and seeing them produce the instruments of his fraud, which, after an impartial examination, were openly condemned and broken to pieces. His shame and confusion, however, he hoped, would plead with a son to excuse him all further punishment of his crime; the Naib, however, sentenced him to a fine of fifty piastres,