Thousand & One Nights: 137th Night: The Mosul Youth & The Murdered Girl -7

I was ill for two days. On the third day my landlord and the chief merchant who had bought the necklace and accused me of stealing stood at my door with five police officers. "No peace for me, all because of that lady," I thought. Before I asked them, "What's the matter?" they caught hold of me and bound me, and put around my neck a collar attached to a chain, saying, "the necklace that was with you belongs to the governor of Damascus, who says that it had been missing for the last three years, together with his daughter." My heart sank within me, and I went with them with a cut-off hand. I covered my face, saying to myself, "I will tell the governor, my true story mingled with the story of his daughter, whatever be its outcome, death or life."

They brought me to the governor and made me stand before him. He looked at me, and said, "Unbound him. Is he the one who took my daughter's necklace to the market to sell?"
"Yes, he is," they replied.
"He did not steal it. Why did you cut off his hand unjustly? Poor fellow!" When I heard this, I took heart and said to him, "My lord, by God, I did not steal the necklace. They slandered me. And this merchant, claiming that the necklace belonged to him and accusing me of stealing it, took me to the chief of police, and the chief had me beaten with rods, I smarted from the blows and lied against myself."

The governor said, "Don't be afraid."
Then he sentenced the chief merchant, who had taken the necklace from me, and said to him, "Pay him indemnity for his hand, or I will beat you until I flay your hide." He cried out to the officers, who dragged the merchant away, while I remained with the governor. He said to me, "My son, speak the truth and tell me the story of the necklace and how you came by it. Don't lie, and be truthful, for the truth will make you free."
I replied, "By God, this has been my intention." Then I related to him in detail what had happened to me and the young lady and how she brought with her the young girl who brought the necklace and had murdered her at night, out of jealousy. When he heard my story, he shook his head, wrung his hands and, with tears in his eyes, said, "To God we belong and to him we return." Then turning to me he said, "My son, let me explain to you. It so happened that...."

But morning overtook Shahrazad and she lapsed into silence.


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