Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/157

137 claim on him, let him say, ‘He oweth me so and so,so,’ [sic] and I will satisfy it to him, that I may acquit my father’s responsibility.”

“O Abdallah,” replied the merchants, “verily the goods of this world stand not in stead of those of the world to come, and we are no fraudful folk, but all of us know the lawful from the unlawful and fear God the Most High and abstain from devouring the substance of the orphan. We know that thy father (may God have mercy on him!) still let his good lie with the folk, nor did he suffer any one’s claim on him to go unquitted, and we have often heard him say, ‘I am fearful of the people’s substance.’ He used always to say, when he prayed, ‘O my God, Thou art my stay and my hope! Let me not die in debt.’ And it was of his wont that, if he owed any one aught, he would pay it to him, without asking, and if any owed him aught, he would not dun him, but would say to him, ‘At thy leisure.’ If his debtor were poor, he would forgive him the debt and acquit him of responsibility; and if he were not poor and died [without paying], he would say, ‘God forgive him what he owed me!’ And we all testify that he owed no one aught.”

“May God bless you!” said I. Then I turned to these my brothers and said to them, “O my brothers, our father owed no man aught and hath left us much money and stuffs, besides the house and shop. Now we are three brothers and each of us is entitled to one third part.