Thousand & One Nights: 72nd Night

When the story was completed by the young man the king was astonished. "By God, I will hang none," said the king. But he had already decided to find out the slave who played trick on the young man.
He said to Ja'far, "Go to the city and bring the slave, or I will strike your neck."

Ja'far left in tears in search of the slave. How could he identify the slave who snatched the apple from the young man's son. He thought, "There is no escape from death this time, for the jar cannot be saved everytime. All powerful and omnipotent God who saved me always save me again. By God, I will stay home for three days until God's will is accomplished. He stayed home for two days, and for the third day, by noon, giving himself up for lost, Ja'far summoned the judges and witnesses, and made his will. Then he called his children to him, bade them farewell, and wept. Soon a messenger from the Caliph arrived. He informed that the Caliph was in great rage and swore that vizier shall be hanged. Ja'far wept. His children wept and his slaves wept. All the members of his family wept. He bade farewell to all of them. His pretty little daughter came to bid farewell to him. Because she was pretty he loved her more than anyone else. He embraced her and kissed her and bid farewell to her. As he embraced her to comfort her, pressing her hard to his aching heart, he felt something round in her pocket.
"My little girl, what is in your pocket?" he asked.
The little one replied, "It is an apple with the name of our lord the Caliph written on it. Rayhan, our slave brought it. But he would not let me have it until I gave him two dinars for it." Ja'far heard her mention the apple and slave and it was a spark to him. Putting his hand in her pocket he took out the apple, and cried out "O speedy Deliverer!"
He bade the slaves to brought before him. The slave was brought. "Rayhan, where did you get the apple?"
He replied, "Although a lie may save a man, truth is better and safer. By God, my lord, I did not steal the apple from your palace or the palace of the Commander of the Faithful or from his garden. Four days ago, I was walking along one of the alleys of the city. I saw some children play. One of them dropped this apple. I beat him, and snatched it from him. He cried and said to me, 'Kind gentleman, this apple belongs to my mother, who is ill. She had told my father that she had a craving for apples. Father journeyed fourteen days and bought it from Basra. I took it without the permission of my mother. Give it back to me.' But I refused to return. I brought it here and gave it to my little lady for two dinars. This is the story of the apple."
Ja'far marveled at the story. His own slave was the trouble maker. He was happy, the jar was saved. He took the slave to the Caliph. 
The Caliph could not believe it. It may be a ploy by the vizier. "Do you mean that this slave of yours is the cause of all trouble?"
Ja'far felt that the Caliph was a doubting Thomas, replied, "Do not Marvel at this story. I would narrate to you the story of two viziers, Nur al-Din Ali al Misri and Badr al-Din Hasan. They are more amazing and more extraordinary. I will not relate it to you, save on one condition."
Eager to hear the story, the Caliph said, "Come on, my vizier, let me hear it. If it is more amazing, I will pardon your slave. Come on, tell me."

The Night Continues.







Notes:- 
1. The jar cannot be saved everytime.
Breaking a jar is associated with various superstition, and interpretations vary according to cultures. In some cultures it may signify a badluck. Here Ja'far thinks of his bad luck and that it cannot be avoided.

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