Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 8.djvu/63

51 ‘ [sic]Cast this dog on the ground and smite him on the face with your sandals and beat him soundly, for his offence is unpardonable.’ So they pulled off his silken clothes and clad him in his wife’s raiment of hair-cloth, after which they threw him down and plucked out his beard and belaboured him about the face with sandals. Then they set him on an ass, face to crupper, and causing him take its tail in his hand, paraded him round about the town, after which they brought him back to the Cadis, who all condemned him to have his feet and hands cut off and after be crucified. When the accursed wretch heard this, his wit forsook him and he was confounded and said, ‘O my lords the Cadis, what would ye of me?’ ‘Say,’ answered they, ‘“This damsel is not my wife and the money is her money, and I have transgressed against her and brought her far from her country.”’ So he confessed to this and the Cadis recorded his confession in legal form and taking the money from him, gave it to Zein el Mewasif, together with their voucher. Then she went away and all who saw her were confounded at her beauty and grace, whilst each of the Cadis looked for her to fall to his share. But, when she came to her lodging, she made ready all that she needed and waited till night. Then she took what was light of carriage and heavy of worth, and setting out with her maids, under cover of the darkness, fared on three days and three nights without stopping.

Meanwhile, the Cadis ordered the Jew to prison and on the morrow they looked for her coming to them, they and their assessors; but she presented herself not to any of them. Then said the Chief Cadi, ‘I wish to-day to go a-pleasuring without the town on an occasion I have.’ So he mounted his mule and taking his servant with him, went coasting about the streets of the town, searching high and low for Zein el Mewasif, but to no effect.