Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 8.djvu/273

261 “Your counsel is just; let us make this wolf judge between us, for he is the strongest of beasts and his father was sultan over us aforetime; wherefore we hope in God that he will do justice between us.” So they accosted the wolf and acquainting him with their determination, said to him, “We make thee judge between us, so thou mayst allot unto each of us his day’s meat, after the measure of his need, lest the strong of us overbear the weak and some of us destroy other some.”

The wolf consented to take the governance of their affairs and allotted unto each of them what sufficed him that day; but on the morrow he said in himself, “If I divide this camel amongst these weaklings, no part thereof will come to me, save that which they assign to me, and if I eat it alone, they can do me no hurt, seeing that they are a prey to me and to the people of my house. Who shall hinder me from taking it for myself? Surely, it is God who hath bestowed it on me, by way of provision, and no thanks to them. It were best that I keep it for myself, and henceforth I will give them nought.” Accordingly, when the foxes came to him, as of wont, and sought of him their food, saying, “O Abou Sirhan, give us our day’s provender,” he answered, “I have nothing left to give you.” Whereupon they went away in the sorriest case, saying, “Verily, God hath cast us into grievous trouble with this vile traitor, that feareth not God neither respecteth Him; but we have neither power nor resource.” But one of them said, “Belike it was but stress of hunger that moved him to this; so let him eat his fill to-day, and to-morrow we will go to him again.”

So, on the morrow, they again betook themselves to the wolf and said to him, “O Abou Sirhan, we set thee in authority over us, that thou mightest allot unto each of us his day’s meat and do the weak justice against the strong