It is related that Alá al-Dín, Chief of Police at Kús,
FN#407
was sitting one night in his house, when behold, a personage of
handsome appearance and dignified aspect came to the door,
accompanied by a servant bearing a chest upon his head and,
standing there said to one of the Wali's young men, "Go in and
tell the Emir that I would have audience of him on some privy
business." So the servant went in and told his master, who bade
admit the visitor. When he entered, the Emir saw him to be a man
of handsome semblance and portly presence; so he received him
with honour and high distinction, seating him beside himself, and
said to him, "What is thy wish?" Replied the stranger, "I am a
highwayman and am minded to repent at thy hands and turn to
Almighty Allah; but I would have thee help me to this, for that I
am in thy district and under thine inspection. Now I have here a
chest, wherein are matters worth some forty thousand dinars; and
none hath so good a right to it as thou; so do thou take it and
give me in exchange a thousand dinars, of thine own monies
lawfully gotten, that I may have a little capital, to aid me in
my repentance,
FN#408 and save me from resorting to sin for my
subsistence; and with Allah Almighty be thy reward!" Speaking
thus he opened the chest and showed the Wali that it was full of
trinkets and jewels and bullion and ring-gems and pearls, whereat
he was amazed and rejoiced with great joy. So he cried out to his
treasurer, saying, "Bring hither a certain purse containing a
thousand dinars,"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Three Hundred and Forty-sixth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wali
cried out to his treasurer, saying "Bring hither a certain purse
containing a thousand dinars; and gave it to the highwayman, who
took it and thanking him, went his way under cover of the night.
Now when it was the morrow, the Emir sent for the chief of the
goldsmiths and showed him the chest and what was therein; but the
goldsmith found it nothing but tin and brass, and the jewels and
bezel stones and pearls all of glass; whereat the Wali was sore
chagrined and sent in quest of the highwayman; but none could
come at him. And men also tell the tale of
IBRAHIM BIN AL-MAHDI AND THE MERCHANT'S SISTER.
