Sharper.

It is related that Alá al-Din, Chief of Police at Kus, was sitting one night in his house, when behold, a personage of handsome appearance and dignified aspect came to the door, accompanied by a servant bearing a chest upon his head and, standing there said to one of the Wali's young men,

The Chief Of Police and the Sharper. 277

"Go in and tell the Emir that I would have audience of him on some privy business." So the servant went in and told his master, who bade admit the visitor. When he entered, the Emir saw him to be a man of handsome semblance and portly presence; so he received him with honour and high distinction, seating him beside himself, and said to him, "What is your wish?" Replied the stranger, "I am a highwayman and am minded to repent at your hands and turn to Almighty Allah; but I would have you help me to this, for that I am in your district and under yours inspection. Now I have here a chest, in which are matters worth some forty thousand dinars; and none has so good a right to it as you; so do you take it and give me in exchange a thousand dinars, of yours own monies lawfully gotten, that I may have a little capital, to aid me in my repentance, and save me from resorting to sin for my subsistence; and with Allah Almighty be your reward!" Speaking thus he opened the chest and showed the Wali that it was full of trinkets and jewels and bullion and ring gems and pearls, at which he was amazed and rejoiced with great joy. So he cried out to his treasurer, saying, "Bring here a certain purse containing a thousand dinars,"—

When it was the Three Hundred and Forty sixth night

; and gave it to the highwayman who took it and thanking him, went his way under cover of the night. Now when it was the morrow, the Emir sent for the chief of the goldsmiths and showed him the chest and what was within it; was but the goldsmith found it nothing but tin and brass and the jewels and bezel stones and pearls all of glass; at which the Wali was sore chagrined and sent in quest of the highwayman but none could come at him. And men also tell of