Speaker 1: The withered hand from the Turkish. One of the caliphs
Speaker 1: of theirbasids, named Mutasit blayansurbinur Ullah, was a sovereign of
Speaker 1: great good judgment and careful justice. He one day, in
Speaker 1: company with his attendants, visited a palace situated on the
Speaker 1: banks of the Tigris, where he observed an expert fisherman
Speaker 1: threw his net into the river, and after hauling it out,
Speaker 1: found only three or four fish in it. The caliph,
Speaker 1: remarking this, commanded the fisherman to throw it into the
Speaker 1: water again for his sake, and let us see, said
Speaker 1: he what my luck will be. The man did as
Speaker 1: he was ordered, and soon after hauling his net out,
Speaker 1: felt something weighty among its meshes. In consequence of the
Speaker 1: increased weight, the attendants of the caliph had to aid him,
Speaker 1: and when the net was on shore they found in
Speaker 1: it a leather bag tightly bound round the mouth. In
Speaker 1: this bag they at first perceived a number of tiles,
Speaker 1: and finally at its bottom the hand of a tender
Speaker 1: and young girl bent and shriveled. The caliph, on seeing
Speaker 1: the hand, exclaimed, poor creature, what work is this that
Speaker 1: the servants of God mussulmans should be thus cut to
Speaker 1: pieces and thrown to the river without our knowledge. We
Speaker 1: must find the committer of this wicked act. Now with
Speaker 1: a caliph was one of his cuddies judges, who spoke
Speaker 1: and said, oh, a mirror of the faithful, give your
Speaker 1: precious self no trouble about this matter, for by your
Speaker 1: favor we will investigate and with proper care and circumspection
Speaker 1: bring it to light. The Caliph at the same time
Speaker 1: called the governor of the city of bark, and, giving
Speaker 1: the bag into his hands, said go to the bazaar,
Speaker 1: show it to the sex seers and inquire whose work
Speaker 1: it is. They know each other's work. And if you
Speaker 1: find the individual who sued it, bring him to me.
Speaker 1: The Kadi had the sex shown to the sewers, and
Speaker 1: an old, grave looking man, on seeing it, exclaimed that
Speaker 1: it was his own work. Lately I sold it, added
Speaker 1: he and two others to one Yahi ya Illah, a
Speaker 1: native of Damascus, of the family of the Mahides. The Kadi,
Speaker 1: on hearing this, said, come with me to the Caliph.
Speaker 1: Fear nothing. He has only a few questions to ask you.
Speaker 1: So the old man accompanied him into the presence of
Speaker 1: the Caliph, who demanded of him to whom he had
Speaker 1: sold it. The old man answered as before, adding, O
Speaker 1: Prince of the faith. He is a man of high rank,
Speaker 1: but very wicked and tyrannical, and continually does injury and
Speaker 1: vexation to true believers. Everyone fears him, and none dare
Speaker 1: complain against him to the Caliph. Lately, a lady named
Speaker 1: Inan Maginet purchased a female slave for one thousand dinars,
Speaker 1: who was very fair and beautiful, and moreover a poetess.
Speaker 1: This man supposed her mistress would sell her to him,
Speaker 1: but receiving the lady's reply that she had already given
Speaker 1: her her freedom, he sent her word that there was
Speaker 1: to be a wedding in the house, and requested that
Speaker 1: the female should be loaned him for the occasion. The
Speaker 1: lady therefore sent her as a loan for three days,
Speaker 1: and after four or five had elapsed, sending to demand
Speaker 1: her received for answer that she had already left his
Speaker 1: house two or three days ago, and nonewithstanding the lady's
Speaker 1: tears and complaints, she could not obtain her slave, not
Speaker 1: even hear any news of her. The lady, from fear
Speaker 1: of this man's violence held her peace and left the
Speaker 1: quarter wherein she had resided, for it is said he
Speaker 1: had already put several of his neighbors to death. When
Speaker 1: the old man was done speaking, the Caliph seemed greatly rejoiced,
Speaker 1: and commanded that Yahi a Ilah should forthwith be brought
Speaker 1: before him. He came, and when he was shown the
Speaker 1: hand found in the back, his color changed, and he
Speaker 1: falsely endeavored to exculpate himself. The lady was likewise brought,
Speaker 1: and so soon as she saw the hand, she commenced weeping,
Speaker 1: and exclaimed, Yes, indeed, it is the hand of my
Speaker 1: poor murdered slave. Speak, said the Caliph to the Mahidas,
Speaker 1: For by my I swear to know the truth of
Speaker 1: this affair. So the man acknowledged that he had killed
Speaker 1: the slave, and the Caliph, in consideration of Hashim footnote
Speaker 1: Bni Hashim, one of the most ancient Arabian tribes from
Speaker 1: which the prophet descended eight and a footnote, sentenced him
Speaker 1: to pay to the owner of the slave one thousand
Speaker 1: pieces of gold for the loss which she had sustained,
Speaker 1: and one hundred thousand more for the law of retaliation,
Speaker 1: after which he allowed him three days in which to
Speaker 1: settle his affairs in the city, and then leave it forever.
Speaker 1: On learning this sentence, the public loudly praised the caliph's
Speaker 1: judgment and commended his justice in equity.