Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 1.djvu/188

168 chest; so hang me for her and do her justice on me!’ When Jaafer heard this, he rejoiced at his own deliverance, but grieved for the young man; and whilst they were yet talking, behold, a man far advanced in years made his way through the crowd, till he came to Jaafer and the youth, when he saluted them and said, ‘O Vizier and noble lord, credit not what this young man says. None killed the damsel but I; so do thou avenge her on me, or I will accuse thee before God the Most High.’ Then said the youth, ‘O Vizier, this is a doting old man, who knows not what he says: it was I killed her, so do thou avenge her on me.’ ‘O my son,’ said the old man, ‘thou art young and desirest the things of the world, and I am old and weary of the world. I will ransom thee and the Vizier and his kinsmen with my life. None killed the damsel but I; so God on thee, make haste to hang me, or there is no living for me after her!’ The Vizier marvelled at all this and taking the youth and the old man, carried them before the Khalif and said to him, ‘O Commander of the Faithful, I bring thee the murderer of the damsel.’ ‘Where is he?’ asked the Khalif, and Jaafer answered, ‘This youth says he killed her, but this old man gives him the lie and affirms that he himself killed her: and behold, they are both in thy hands.’ The Khalif looked at them and said, ‘Which of you killed the damsel?’ The youth replied, ‘It was I.’ And the old man, ‘Indeed, none killed her but myself.’ Then the Khalif said to Jaafer, ‘Take them and hang them both.’ But the Vizier replied, ‘If one of them be the murderer, to hang the other were unjust.’ ‘By Him who vaulted the heavens and spread out the earth like a carpet,’ cried the youth, ‘it was I killed her!’ And he set forth the circumstance of her death and how they had found her body, so that the Khalif was certified that he was the murderer, whereat he wondered and said to him, ‘Why