AL-MALIK AL-NASIR AND THE THREE CHIEFS OF
POLICE.
Once upon a time Al-Malik al-Násir[FN#399] sent for the Wális or
Chiefs of Police of Cairo, Bulak, and Fostat[FN#400] 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[FN#401] 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 taverners and confectioners and
fruiterers and candle-chandlers and the keepers of brothels and
bawdy houses to acquaint me of these two good men whenever they
should anywhere be engaged in drinking or other debauchery, or
together or apart; and ordered that, if they both or if either of
them bought at their shops aught for the purpose of wassail and
carousel, the vendors should not conceal-it from me. And they
replied, 'We hear and obey.' Presently it chanced that one night,
a man came to me and said, 'O my master, know that the two just
men, the two witnesses, are in such a street in such a house,
engaged in abominable wickedness.' So I disguised myself, I and
my body-servant, and ceased not trudging till I came to the house
and knocked at the door, whereupon a slave-girl came out and
opened to me, saying, 'Who art thou?' I entered without answering
her and saw the two legal-witnesses and the house-master sitting,
and lewd women by their side and before them great plenty of
wine. When they saw me, they rose to receive me, and made much of
me, seating me in the place of honour and saying to me, 'Welcome
for an illustrious guest and well come for a pleasant cup-
companion!' And on this wise they met me without showing a sign
of alarm or trouble. Presently, the master of the house arose
from amongst us and went out and returned after a while with
three hundred dinars, when the men said to me, without the least
fear, 'Know, O our lord the Wali, it is in thy power to do even
more than disgrace and punish us; but this will bring thee in
return nothing but weariness: so we reck thou wouldest do better
to take this much money and protect us; for Almighty Allah is
named the Protector and loveth those of His servants who protect
their Moslem neighbours; and thou shalt have thy reward in this
world and due recompense in the world to come.' So I said to
myself, 'I will take the money and protect them this once, but,
if ever again I have them in my power, I will take my wreak of
them;' for, you see, the money had tempted me. Thereupon I took
it and went away thinking that no one would know it; but, next
day, on a sudden one of the Kazi's messengers came to me and said
to me, 'O Wali, be good enough to answer the summons of the Kazi
who wanteth thee.' So I arose and accompanied him, knowing not
the meaning of all this; and when I came into the judge's
presence, I saw the two witnesses and the master of the house,
who had given me the money, sitting by his side. Thereupon this
man rose and sued me for three hundred dinars, nor was it in my
power to deny the debt; for he produced a written obligation and
his two companions, the legal witnesses, testified against me
that I owed the amount. Their evidence satisfied the Kazi and he
ordered me to pay the sum, nor did I leave the Court till they
had of me the three hundred gold pieces. So I went away, in the
utmost wrath and shame, vowing mischief and vengeance against
them and repenting that I had not punished them. Such, then is
the most remarkable event which befel me during my term of
office." Thereupon rose the Chief of the Bulak Police and said,
"As for me, O our lord the Sultan, the most marvellous thing that
happened to me, since I became Wali, was as follows:" and he
began
The Story of the Chief of the Bulak Police.
"I was once in debt to the full amount of three hundred thousand
gold pieces;[FN#402] and, being distressed thereby, I sold all
that was behind me and what was before me and all I hent in hand,
but I could collect no more than an hundred thousand dinars"--And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
When it was the Three Hundred and Forty-fourth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wali of
Bulak continued: "So I sold all that was behind and before me,
but could collect no more than an hundred thousand dinars and
remained in great perplexity. Now one night, as I sat at home in
this state, behold, there came a knocking; so I said to one of my
servants, 'See who is at the door.' He went out and returned, wan
of face, changed in countenance and with his side-muscles a-
quivering; so I asked him, 'What aileth thee?'; and he answered,
'There is a man at the door; he is half naked, clad in skins,
with sword in hand and knife in girdle, and with him are a
company of the same fashion and he asketh for thee.' So I took my
sword and going out to see who these were, behold, I found them
as the boy had reported and said to them, 'What is your
business?' They replied, 'Of a truth we be thieves and have done
fine work this night; so we appointed the swag to thy use, that
thou mayst pay therewith the debts which sadden thee and deliver
thee from thy distress.' Quoth I, 'Where is the plunder?'; and
they brought me a great chest, full of vessels of gold and
silver; which when I saw, I rejoiced and said to myself,
'Herewith I will settle all claims upon me and there will remain
as much again.' So I took the money and going inside said in my
mind, 'It were ignoble to let them fare away empty-handed.'
Whereupon I brought out the hundred thousand dinars I had by me
and gave it to them, thanking them for their kindness; and they
pouched the monies and went their way, under cover of the night
so that none might know of them. But when morning dawned I
examined the contents of the chest, and found them copper and
tin[FN#403] washed with gold worth five hundred dirhams at the
most; and this was grievous to me, for I had lost what monies I
had and trouble was added to my trouble. Such, then, is the most
remarkable event which befel me during my term of office." Then
rose the Chief of the Police of Old Cairo and said, "O our lord
the Sultan, the most marvellous thing that happened to me, since
I became Wali, was on this wise;" and he began
The Story of the Chief of the Old Cairo Police.
"I once hanged ten thieves each on his own gibbet, and especially
charged the guards to watch them and hinder the folk from taking
any one of them down. Next morning when I came to look at them, I
found two bodies hanging from one gallows and said to the guards,
'Who did this, and where is the tenth gibbet?' But they denied
all knowledge of it, and I was about to beat them till they owned
the truth, when they said, 'Know, O Emir, that we fell asleep
last night, and when we awoke, we found that some one had stolen
one of the bodies, gibbet and all; so we were alarmed and feared
thy wrath. But, behold, up came a peasant-fellow driving his ass;
whereupon we laid hands on him and killed him and hanged his body
upon this gallows, in the stead of the thief who had been
stolen.'[FN#404] Now when I heard this, I marvelled and asked
them, 'What had he with him?'; and they answered, 'He had a pair
of saddle-bags on the ass.' Quoth I, 'What was in them?'; quoth
they, 'We know not.' So I said, 'Bring them hither;' and when
they brought them to me I bade open them, behold, therein was the
body of a murdered man, cut in pieces. Now as soon as I saw this,
I marvelled at the case and said in myself, 'Glory to God! The
cause of the hanging of this peasant was none other but his crime
against this murdered man; and thy Lord is not unjust towards His
servants.'"[FN#405] And men also tell the tale of
