第57章

Replied Ali： 'Hearkening and obedience.Know thou，O Commander of the Faithful，that some years ago I left this my native city of Baghdad on a journey，having with me a lad who carried a light leathern bag.Presently we came to a certain city，where，as I was buying and selling，behold，a rascally Kurd fell on me and seized my wallet perforce，saying，'This is my bag，and all which is in it is my property.' Thereupon，I cried aloud 'Ho Moslems，[211] one and all，deliver me from the hand of the vilest of oppressors！' But the folk said，'Come，both of you，to the Kazi and abide ye by his judgment with joint consent.' So I

agreed to submit myself to such decision and we both presented ourselves before the Kazi，who said，'What bringeth you hither and what is your case and your quarrel？' Quoth I，'We are men at difference，who appeal to thee and make complaint and submit ourselves to thy judgment.' Asked the Kazi，'Which of you is the complainant？'； so the Kurd came forward[212] and said，'Allah preserve our lord the Kazi！ Verily，this bag is my bag and all that is in it is my swag.It was lost from me and I found it with this man mine enemy.' The Kazi asked，'When didst thou lose it？'

and the Kurd answered，'But yesterday，and I passed a sleepless night by reason of its loss.' 'An it be thy bag，' quoth the Kazi，'tell me what is in it.' Quoth the Kurd，'There were in my bag two silver styles for eye-powder and antimony for the eyes and a kerchief for the hands，wherein I had laid two gilt cups and two candlesticks.Moreover it contained two tents and two platters and two spoons and a cushion and two leather rugs and two ewers and a brass tray and two basins and a cooking-pot and two water-jars and a ladle and a sacking-needle and a she-cat and two bitches and a wooden trencher and two sacks and two saddles and a gown and two fur pelisses and a cow and two calves and a she-goat and two sheep and an ewe and two lambs and two green pavilions and a camel and two she-camels and a lioness and two lions and a she-bear and two jackals and a mattress and two sofas and an upper chamber and two saloons and a portico and two sitting-rooms and a kitchen with two doors and a company of Kurds who will bear witness that the bag is my bag.' Then said the Kazi to me，'And thou，sirrah，what sayest thou？' So I came forward，O Commander of the Faithful （and indeed the Kurd's speech had bewildered me）

and said，'Allah advance our lord the Kazi！ Verily，there was naught in this my wallet，save a little ruined tenement and another without a door and a dog house and a boys' school and youths playing dice and tents and tent-ropes and the cities of Bassorah and Baghdad and the palace of Shaddad bin Ad and an ironsmith's forge and a fishing-net and cudgels and pickets and girls and boys and a thousand pimps who will testify that the bag is my bag.' Now when the Kurd heard my words，he wept and wailed and said，'O my lord the Kazi，this my bag is known and what is in it is a matter of renown； for in this bag there be castles and citadels and cranes and beasts of prey and men playing chess and draughts.Furthermore，in this my bag is a brood-mare and two colts and a stallion and two blood-steeds and two long lances；

and it containeth eke a lion and two hares and a city and two villages and a whore and two sharking panders and an hermaphrodite and two gallows birds and a blind man and two wights with good sight and a limping cripple and two lameters and a Christian ecclesiastic and two deacons and a patriarch and two monks and a Kazi and two assessors，who will be evidence that the bag is my bag.' Quoth the Kazi to me，'And what sayst thou，O Ali？' So，O Commander of the Faithful，being filled with rage，I came forward and said，'Allah keep our lord the Kazi！''--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.