Thousand & One Nights: 136th Night: The Mosul Youth & The Murdered Girl - 6

Shahrazad was the frame story teller. The present story was originally told by the Mosul Youth to the Jewish physician and the Jewish physician related it to the king of China as a first person account by the Mosul Youth:

I set out my journey, and God granted me safe passage, and I reached Cairo. I met my uncles. They had already sold their goods on credit. They were glad to see me, but surprised at my arrival. I did not tell that I had no money, and exhausted everything. I stayed with them enjoying Cairo and its sight, and began to spend the rest of my money, squandering it on feasting and drinking. When the time drew near for my uncles' departure, I hid myself from them, and when they looked for me, but could not find me, they said, "He must have gone back to Damascus", and departed. After their departure, I came out of hiding and lived in Cairo for three years, sending every year to the landlord in Damascus, the rent for the house, until at last I squandered all money, and had nothing left but the fare for the journey back. 

I paid the fair and set out, and God granted me safe passage, and I reached Damascus. I dismounted at the house, where the landlord who was a jeweller received me gladly. I unsealed the lock and opened the door and went in. When I swept the house and wiped it clean, I found under the bed, where I slept with the murdered girl, a gold  necklace, set with ten gemstones, that boggled my mind. I recognised it, picked it up and, holding it in my hand, wept for a long time. Then, having cleaned the house, I placed the furniture as it was before. I stayed at home for a couple of days, then went to bath, rested and put on fresh clothes. By then I had absolutely no money left. Driven by fate and tempted by the devil I took the necklace, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and carrying it to the market, handed it to a broker. When he saw it, he kissed my hand and said, "By God, this is fine, by God this is fine and fortunate way to start a business. O What a blessed morning!" Then he took me to the shop of my landlord, who made me sit by his side.

We waited until the market was full, and the broker took the necklace, offered it secretly, and without my knowledge got two thousand dinars for it. He returned to me, saying, "Sir, we thought that the necklace was gold, but it turned out to be fake, and I was offered a thousand dirhams for it. Will you accept the offer?"

I replied, "Yes, I accept it, for I know it was brass." When the broker heard my reply, he realised that there was a problem with the necklace, and struck a bargain with the chief merchant, who went to the chief of police, and told him that the necklace had been stolen from him, and that the thief had been apprehended, dressed as a merchant.

Suddenly, calamity fell upon me, for as I sat in the shop, the officers seized me unawares and took me to the chief of the police. When he asked me about the necklace, I told him what I had told the broker, and he laughed, thinking that I had stolen it, and before I knew it, I was stripped and beaten with rods, until smarting from the blows, I lied, saying, "Yes I stole it. After they wrote down my confession, they cut off my hand, and when they seared it with boiling oil, I fainted and remained unconscious for half of that day. Then they gave me wine to drink, and my landlord carried me away and said to me, "My son, being a nice young man of substance and means why did you have to steal? When you steal from people, none will have mercy on you. Son, you stand convicted; leave my house and find yourself another lodging; go in peace." I felt disappointed and said to him, "Sir, I wonder whether you can give me three days to find another place." He replied, "very well," and left me, sad and worried. "If I go back home with my hand cut off," I thought, "how shall I face my people and convince them that I am innocent?" I wept bitterly.

But morning overtook and Shahrazad lapsed into silence.