Thousand & One Nights: 119th Night:

The young man with severed hand and the girl - 9
The chief of police saw the purse, he seized it and took out the gold coins. He counted it and it was twenty Dinars. He was angry, and yelled at the officers, "Bring him."
"Young man," said the the chief when the young man was brought up before him, "there is no need to force it out of you if you tell me the truth. Did you steal his purse?" The young man bowed his head, and uttered a soliloquy, "I cannot deny it, for they found the purse in my clothes, but if I confess I will be in trouble. At last he raised his head and said, "yes, I took it."
The chief called for witnesses, and they attested the confessions of the young man. All of this took place at the Zuwayla Gate. The executioner was summoned. He cut off the right hand of the young man. He would have cut off the right foot also. But the people protested; the soldier also felt pity towards the young man and interfered. The chief left while the people remained. They gave him a cup of wine to drink. The soldier gave him the purse, saying, "You are a nice man, and it does not become you to be a thief," and he left.

The young man wrapped his hand in a rag, and thrust it into his bosom, and walked towards the house of his girl's house, and threw himself on the bed. She was pale from bleeding. She asked, "Darling, what ails you?"
"I have a head ache," he replied.
"Sit up and tell me what happened to you today. Something happened, it is written on your face." The young man began to weep. She continued to talk to him till nightfall. Then she brought him food, but he refused it. He was afraid she would see him eat with his left hand. She asked, "What is troubling you, please tell me."
"Must I tell you?" he asked. She took a cup of wine, and gave it to him, saying, "Drink it, for it will make you feel better, and make you tell me what happened." He took the cup with his left hand.

Break of dawn 


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