For Giving Alms To The Poor.

A Certain King once made proclamation to the people of his realm saying, "If any of you give alms of anything, I will truly and assuredly cut off his hand;" Why all the people abstained from alms deed, and none could give anything to any one. Now it chanced that one day a beggar accosted a certain woman (and indeed hunger was sore upon him), and said to her, "Give me an alms"—

When it was the Three Hundred and Forty eighth night

But she answered him, "How can I give you anything, when the King cutts off the hands of all who give alms?" Then he said, "I conjure you By God Almighty, give me an alms;" so when he adjured her by the Holy Name of Allah, she had ruth on him and gave him two scones. The King heard of this; whereupon he called her before him and cut off her hands, after which she returned to her house. Now it chanced after a while that the King said to his mother, "I have a mind to take a wife; so do you marry me to a fair woman." she said, "There is among our female slaves one who is unsurpassed in beauty, but she has a grievous blemish." The King asked, "What is that?" and his mother answered, "She has had both her hands cut off." He said, "Let me see her." So she brought her to him, and he was ravished by her and married her and went in unto her; and begat upon her a son. Now this was the woman who had given two scones as an alms to the asker, and whose hands had been cut off therefor; and when the King married her, her fellow wives envied her and wrote to the common husband that she was an unchaste, having just given birth to the boy; so he wrote to his mother, bidding her carry the woman into the desert and leave her there.

The old Queen obeyed his commandment and abandoned the woman and her son in the desert; whereupon she fell to weeping for that which had befallen her and wailing with exceeding sore wail. As she went along, she came to a river and knelt down to drink being overcome with excess of thirst, for fatigue of walking and for grief; but, as she bent her head, the child which was at her neck fell into the water. Then she sat weeping bitter tears for her child and as she wept, behold came up two men, who said to her, "What makes you weep?" she said, "I had a child at my neck and it has fallen into the water." They asked, "Will you that we bring him out to you?" and she answered, "Yes." So they prayed to mighty Allah, and the child came forth of and sound. Then They said, "Will you that Allah restore your hands as they were?" "Yes," she replied: whereupon they prayed to Allah (extolled and exalted be He!)

The Devout Israelite. 283 and her hands were restored to her, goodlier than before. Then They said, "Know you who we are?"; and she replied, "Allah is all knowing;" and they said, "We are your two Scones of Bread, which you gave in alms to the asker and which were the cause of the cutting off of your hands. So praise you Allah Almighty for that He has restored to you your hands and your child." Then she praised Almighty Allah and glorified Him. And men relate a tale of