TALE OF THE LOVER WHO FEIGNED HIMSELF A
THIEF.
When Khálid bin Abdallah al-Kasri[FN#218] was Emir of Bassorah,
there came to him one day a company of men dragging a youth of
exceeding beauty and lofty bearing and perfumed attire; whose
aspect expressed good breeding, abundant wit and dignity of the
gravest. They brought him before the Governor, who asked what it
was and they replied, "This fellow is a thief, whom we caught
last night in our dwelling-house." Whereupon Khálid looked at him
and was pleased with his well-favouredness and elegant aspect; so
he said to the others, "Loose him," and going up to the young
man, asked what he had to say for himself. He replied, "Verily
the folk have spoken truly and the case is as they have said."
Quoth Khálid, "And what moved thee to this and thou so noble of
port and comely of mien?" Quoth the other "The lust after worldly
goods, and the ordinance of Allah (extolled exalted be He!)."
Rejoined Khálid, "Be thy mother bereaved of thee![FN#219] Hadst
thou not, in thy fair face and sound sense and good breeding,
what should restrain thee from thieving?" Answered the young man,
"O Emir, leave this talk and proceed to what Almighty Allah hath
ordained; this is what my hands have earned, and, 'God is not
unjust towards mankind.'"[FN#220] So Khálid was silent awhile
considering the matter then he bade the young man draw near him
and said, "Verily, thy confession before witnesses perplexeth me,
for I cannot believe thee to be a thief: haply thou hast some
story that is other than one of theft; and if so tell it me."
Replied the youth "O Emir, imagine naught other than what I have
confessed to in thy presence; for I have no tale to tell save
that verily I entered these folks' house and stole what I could
lay hands on and they caught me and took the stuff from me and
carried me before thee." Then Khalid bade clap him in gaol and
commended a crier to cry throughout Bassorah, "O yes! O yes!
Whoso be minded to look upon the punishment of such an one, the
thief, and the cutting-off of his hand, let him be present to-
morrow morning at such a place!" Now when the young man found
himself in prison, with irons on his feet, he sighed heavily and
with tears streaming from his eyes extemporized these couplets,
"When Khálid menaced off to strike my hand * If I refuse to tell
him of her case;
Quoth I, 'Far, far fro' me that I should tell * A love, which
ever shall my heart engrace;
Loss of my hand for sin I have confessed * To me were easier than
to shame her face.'"
The warders heard him and went and told Khálid who, when it was
dark night, sent for the youth and conversed with him. He found
him clever and well-bred, intelligent, lively and a pleasant
companion; so he ordered him food and he ate. Then after an
hour's talk said Khálid, "I know indeed thou hast a story to tell
that is no thief's; so when the Kazi shall come to-morrow morning
and shall question thee about this robbery, do thou deny the
charge of theft and avouch what may avert the pain and penalty of
cutting off thy hand; for the Apostle (whom Allah bless and
keep!) saith, 'In cases of doubt, eschew punishment.'" Then he
sent him back to prison,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Ninety-eighth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Khálid,
after conversing with the youth, sent him back to prison, where
he passed the night. And when morning dawned the folk assembled
to see his hand cut off, nor was there a soul in Bassorah, man or
woman, but was present to look upon the punishment of that
handsome youth. Then Khálid mounted in company of the notables of
the city and others; and, summoning all four Kazis, sent for the
young man, who came hobbling and stumbling in his fetters. There
was none saw him but wept over him and the women all lifted up
their voices in lamentation as for the dead. Then the Kazi bade
silence the women and said to the prisoner, "These folk avouch
that thou didst enter their dwelling-house and steal their goods:
belike thou stolest less than a quarter dinar[FN#221]?" Replied
he, "Nay, I stole that and more." "Peradventure," rejoined the
Kazi "thou art partner with the folk in some of the goods?" Quoth
the young man; "Not so: it was all theirs, and I had no right in
it." At this the Khálid was wroth and rose and smote him on the
face with his whip, applying to his own case this couplet,
"Man wills his wish to him accorded be; * But Allah naught
accords save what He wills."
Then he called for the butcher to do the work, who came and drew
forth his knife and taking the prisoner's hand set the blade to
it, when, behold, a damsel pressed through the crowd of women,
clad in tattered clothes,[FN#222] and cried out and threw herself
on the young man. Then she unveiled and showed a face like the
moon whereupon the people raised a mighty clamour and there was
like to have been a riot amongst them and a violent scene. But
she cried out her loudest, saying, "I conjure thee, by Allah, O
Emir, hasten not to cut off this man's hand, till thou have read
what is in this scroll!" So saying, she gave him a scroll, and
Khálid took it and opened it and read therein these couplets,
"Ah Khálid! this one is a slave of love distraught, * And these
bowed eye-lashes sent shaft that caused his grief:
Shot him an arrow sped by eyes of mine, for he, * Wedded to
burning love of ills hath no relief:
He hath avowed a deed he never did, the while * Deeming this
better than disgrace of lover fief:
Bear then, I pray, with this distracted lover mine * Whose noble
nature falsely calls himself a thief!"
When Khálid had read these lines he withdrew himself from the
people and summoned the girl and questioned her; and she told him
that the young man was her lover and she his mistress; and that
thinking to visit her he came to the dwelling of her people and
threw a stone into the house, to warn her of his coming. Her
father and brothers heard the noise of the stone and sallied out
on him; but he, hearing them coming, caught up all the household
stuff and made himself appear a robber to cover his mistress's
honour. "Now when they saw him they seized him (continued she),
crying:--A thief! and brought him before thee, whereupon he
confessed to the robbery and persisted in his confession, that he
might spare me disgrace; and this he did, making himself a thief,
of the exceeding nobility and generosity of his nature." Khálid
answered, "He is indeed worthy to have his desire;" and, calling
the young man to him, kissed him between the eyes. Then he sent
for the girl's father and bespoke him, saying, "O Shaykh, we
thought to carry out the law of mutilation in the case of this
young man; but Allah (to whom be Honour and Glory!) hath
preserved us from this, and I now adjudge him the sum of ten
thousand dirhams, for that he would have given his hand for the
preservation of thine honour and that of thy daughter and for the
sparing of shame to you both. Moreover, I adjudge other ten
thousand dirhams to thy daughter, for that she made known to me
the truth of the case; and I ask thy leave to marry her to him."
Rejoined the old man, "O Emir, thou hast my consent." So Khálid
praised Allah and thanked Him and improved the occasion by
preaching a goodly sermon and a prayerful;--And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Ninety-ninth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Khálid
praised Allah and thanked Him and improved the occasion by
preaching a goodly sermon and a prayerful; after which he said to
the young man, "I give thee to wife the damsel, such an one here
present, with her own permission and her father's consent; and
her wedding settlement shall be this money, to wit, ten thousand
dirhams." "I accept this marriage at thy hands," replied the
youth; and Khálid bade them carry the money on brass trays in
procession to the young man's house, whilst the people dispersed,
fully satisfied. "And surely (quoth he who tells the
tale[FN#223]) never saw I a rarer day than this, for that it
began with tears and annoy; and it ended with smiles and joy."
And in contrast of this story is this piteous tale of
