THE KAZI ABU YUSUF WITH HARUN AL-RASHID
AND QUEEN ZUBAYDAH
The Caliph Harun al-Rashid went up one noon-tide to his couch, to
lie down; and mounting, found upon the bed-clothes semen freshly
emitted; whereat he was startled and troubled with sore trouble.
So he called the Lady Zubaydah and said to her, "What is that
spilt on the bed?" She looked at it and replied, "O Commander of
the Faithful, it is semen." Quoth he, "Tell me truly what this
meaneth or I will lay violent hands on thee forthright." Quoth
she, "By Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, indeed I know not
how it came there and I am guiltless of that whereof you
suspectest me." So he sent for the Kazi Abú Yúsuf and acquainted
him of the case. The Judge raised his eyes to the ceiling and,
seeing a crack therein, said to the Caliph, "O Commander of the
Faithful, in very sooth the bat hath seed like that of a
man,[FN#121] and this is bat's semen." Then he called for a
spear and thrust it into the crevice, whereupon down fell the
bat. In this manner the Caliph's suspicions were dispelled,--And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
When it was the Three hundred and Eighty-ninth Night
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Kazi Abu Yusuf took the spear and thrust it into the crevice,
down fell the bat, and thus the Caliph's suspicions were
dispelled and the innocence of Zubaydah was made manifest;
whereat she gave loud and liberal vent to her joy and promised
Abu Yusuf a magnificent reward. Now there were with her certain
delicious fruits, out of their season, and she knew of others in
the garden; so she asked Abu Yusuf, "O Imam of the Faith, which
wouldst thou rather have of the two kinds of fruits, those that
are here or those that are not here?" And he answered, "Our code
forbiddeth us to pronounce judgement on the absent; whenas they
are present, we will give our decision." So she let bring the
two kinds of fruits before him; and he ate of both. Quoth she,
"What is the difference between them?" and quoth he, "As often as
I think to praise one kind, the adversary putteth in its claim."
The Caliph laughed at his answer[FN#122] and made him a rich
present; and Zubaydah also gave him what she had promised him,
and he went away, rejoicing. See, then the virtues of this Imám
and how his hands were manifest the truth and the innocence of
the Lady Zubaydah. And amongst other stories is that of
