Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 5.djvu/128

 me and laid hands on me and before thee carried me.  Quoth Omar (Almighty Allah accept of him!), Thou hast confessed what thou committedest, and of acquittal there is no possible occasion; for urgent is the law of retaliation and they cried for mercy but it was not a time to escape. [FN#148]  the youth answered, I hear and obey the judgement of the Imam, and I consent to all required by the law of Al-Islam; but I have a young brother, whose old father, before his decease, appointed to him wealth in great store and gold galore, and committed his affair to me before Allah, saying: I give this into thy hand for thy brother; keep it for him with all thy might.  So I took the money and buried it; nor doth any know of it but I. Now, if thou adjudge me to be justiced forthright, the money will lost and thou shalt be the cause of its loss; wherefore the child will sue thee for his due on the day when the Creator shall judge between His creatures. But, if thou wilt grant me three days delay, I will appoint some guardian to administer the affairs of the boy and return to answer my debt; and I have one who will be my surety for the fulfillment of this my promise.  So the Commander of the Faithful bowed his head awhile, then raised it and looking round upon those present, said, Who will stand surety by me for his return to this place?  And the youth looked at the faces of those who were in company and pointing to Abu Zarr, [FN#149] in preference to all present, said, This man shall answer for me and be my bail. -- And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Three Hundred and Ninety-seventh Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the youth pointed to Abu Zarr and said, This man shall answer for me and be my bail, Omar (Allah accept of him!) said, O Abu Zarr, dost thou hear these words and wilt thou be surety to me for