Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 4.djvu/156

132 dirhems, saying, “Furnish thyself with this, and when the day of estate comes round, come thou to me, that I may invest thee with an office.”

So I took the money and returned home, where I prayed the morning-prayer. Presently came the Khorassani, so I carried him into the house and brought out to him ten thousand dirhems, saying, “Here is thy money.” “It is not my very money,” answered he. “How cometh this?” So I told him the whole story, and he wept and said, “By Allah, hadst thou told me the truth at first, I had not pressed thee! And now, by Allah, I will not accept aught of the money; and thou art quit of it.” So saying, he went away and I set my affairs in order and repaired on the appointed day to the Divan, where I found the Khalif seated. When he saw me, he called me to him and bringing forth to me a paper from under his prayer-carpet, said to me, “This is a patent, conferring on thee the office of Cadi of the western division of the Holy City from the Bab es Selam to the end of the town; and I appoint thee such and such monthly allowances. So fear God (to whom belong might and majesty) and be mindful of the solicitude of His Apostle (whom may He bless and preserve) on thine account.” The folk marvelled at the Khalif’s words and questioned me of their meaning; so I told them the whole story and it spread abroad amongst the people.’

And [quoth he who tells the tale] Abou Hassan ez Ziyadi ceased not to be Cadi of the Holy City, till he died in the days of El Mamoun, the mercy of God be on him!