Page:The New Monthly Magazine - Volume 099.djvu/103

Rh entered his house, and slept till the day appeared. And he said to his wife, "Bring me some clothes," and she brought them. And he made the morning prayer, and when he had finished his prayer he sat down on his seat of judgment grieved at heart.

And his wife said to him, "Why art thou sorrowful, oh my lord?"

And he related unto her the story from the beginning to the end, and said to her, "If this robber had disputed with Malik, or Abu Hanyfeh, or Es-Shafai, or the Imam Ahmed bin Hambel, he would have overcome them, and taken away their clothes, with his arguments and traditions."

And while they were talking, behold a knock at the gate; and he said, "Oh, wife! see who is there."

And she said to him, "A man riding on a mule with some clothes."

And he said, "Shut the door, that the robber may not enter into us."

And he had not finished speaking when the robber entered, and sat down in the seat of honour without giving the salam.

And the cadi said, "Why have you not given the salam? Do you not know that the proof of a true believer is the salam?"

The robber answered, "The salam presents one of two aspects, either fear or covetousness; now I neither fear or covet."

And the cadi said, "Why have you come to me, and what do you want with me?"

"I am come, oh worshipful cadi," replied the thief, "on account of something which you have forgotten."

"What is that?" said the cadi.

And the robber answered, "When I parted from you and returned to my house I lit a lamp, and turned over some of my books, and I found, oh reverend sir, that a cadi is a slave." (A Mamluk.)

And the cadi said, "Refrain your tongue from these words, and tell me what you want of me, and what is your intention."

And the robber answered, "After I had left you last night I bought a house for fifty dinars, and your ring was only worth five dinars, so I am come to you that you may give me the remainder; and if you will give them to me I will write you a quittance with my own hand, that there shall be no lawsuit, and no demand between me and thee."

And the cadi said, "With all my heart."

And he gave him the money, and the robber went out and left him and departed.

And the cadi's wife came to him and said, "Was it not sufficient what he did to you yesterday, but he must come again to-day?"

And the cadi said, "Be silent, lest he hear your words and return, and claim you as his wife, and prove it by demonstrations and arguments from the traditions and the Koran."

And this is what has reached us of the story of the cadi and the robber.

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the universe!