Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 4.djvu/297



AL-MALIK AL-NASIR AND THE THREE CHIEFS OF POLICE.
Once upon a time Al-Malik al-Násir sent for the Wális or Chiefs of Police of Cairo, Bulak, and Fostat and said to them, "I desire each of you to recount me the marvellousest thing that hath befallen him during his term of office."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Three Hundred and Forty-third Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that quoth Al-Malik al-Nasir to the three Walis, "I desire each of you to recount me the marvellousest thing which hath befallen him during his term of office." So they answered, "We hear and we obey." Then said the Chief of the Police of Cairo, "Know thou, O our lord the Sultan, the most wonderful thing that befel me, during my term of office, was on this wise:" and he began

The Story of the Chief of Police of Cairo.

"There were in this city two men of good repute fit to bear witness in matters of murder and wounds; but they were both secretly addicted to intrigues with low women and to wine- bibbing and to dissolute doings, nor could I succeed (do what I would) in bringing them to book, and I began to despair of success. So I charged the