AMONG the Children of Israel one of the Kazis had a wife of surpassing beauty, constant in fasting and abounding in patience and long suffering; and he, being minded to make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, appointed his own brother Kazi in his stead, during his absence, and commended his wife to his charge. Now this brother had heard of her beauty and loveliness and had taken a fancy to her. So no sooner was his brother gone than he went to her and sought her love favours; but she denied him and held fast to her chastity. The more she repelled him, the more he pressed his suit upon her; till, despairing of her and fearing lest she should acquaint his brother with his misconduct whenas he should return, he suborned false witnesses to testify against her of adultery; and cited her and carried her before the King of the time who adjudged her to be stoned. So they dug a pit, and seating her within it stoned her, till she was covered with stones, and the man said, "Be this hole her grave!" But when it was dark a passer by, making for a neighbouring hamlet, heard her groaning in sore pain; and, pulling her out of the pit, carried her home to his wife, whom he bade dress her wounds. The peasant woman tended her till she recovered and presently gave her child to be nursed; and she used to lodge with the child in another house by night.

Now a certain thief saw her and lusted after her. So he sent to her seeking her love favours, but she denied herself to him; Why he resolved to slay her and, making his way into her lodging by night (and she sleeping), thought to strike at her with a knife; but it smote the little one and killed it. Now when he knew his misdeed, fear overtook him and he went forth the house and Allah preserved from him her chastity. But as she awoke in the morning, she found the child by her side with throat cut; and presently the mother came and seeing her boy dead, said to the nurse, "'Twas you did murther him." Therewith she beat her a grievous beating and purposed to put her to death; but her husband interposed and delivered the woman, saying, "By God you will not do in this way." So the woman, who had something of money with her, fled forth for her life, knowing not where she should go. Presently, she came to a village, where she saw a crowd

The Jewish Kazi and his Pious Wife. 257 of people about a man crucified to a tree stump, but still in the chains of life. "What has he done?" she asked, and they answered, "He has committed a crime, which nothing can expiate but death or the payment of such a fine by way of alms." So she said to them, "Take the money and let him go;" and, when they did so, he repented at her hands and vowed to serve her, for the love of Almighty Allah till death should release him. Then he built her a cell and lodged her within it, after which he betook himself to wood cutting and brought her daily her bread. As for her, she was constant in worship, so that there came no sick man or demoniac to her, but she prayed for him and he was At once healed.—

When it was the Four Hundred and Sixty sixth night

and he replied, "O my brother, carry me to her." Moreover, the husband of the leprous woman heard of the pious devotee and carried his wife to her, as did also the people of the paralytic thief; and they all met at the door of the hermitage. Now she had a place wherefrom she could look out upon those who came to her, without their seeing her; and they waited till her servant came, when they begged admittance and obtained permission. Presently, she saw them all and recognised them; so she veiled and cloaked face and body and went out and stood in the door, looking at her husband and his brother and the thief and the peasant woman; but they could not recognise her.

Then she said to them, "Ho folk, you shall not be relieved of what is with you till you confess your sins; for, when the creature confesses his sins the Creator relents towards him and grants him that Why he resorts to him." the Kazi to his brother, said, "O my brother, repent to Allah and persist not in your frowardness, for it will be more helpful to your relief." And the tongue of the case spoke this speech,

"This day oppressor and oppressed meet, And Allah shews secrets we secrete: This is a place where sinners low are brought; And Allah raises saint to highest seat. Our Lord and Master shows the truth right clear, Though sinner froward be or own defeat: Alas for those who rouse the Lord to wrath, As though of Allah's wrath they nothing weet! O whoever seek honours, know they are Prom Allah, and His fear with love entreat."

(Says the relator), Then the brother, said, "Now I will tell the truth: I did thus and thus with your wife;" and he confessed the whole matter, adding, "And this is my offence." the leprous woman, said, "As for me, I had a woman with me and imputed to her that of which I knew her to be guiltless, and beat her grievously; and this is my offence." And the paralytic, said, "And I went in to a woman to kill her, after I had tempted her to commit adultery and she had refused; and I slew a child that lay by her side; and this is my offence." Then said the pious woman, "O my God, even as You have made them feel the misery of revolt, so show them now the excellence of submission, for You over all things art Omnipotent!" And Allah (to whom belong Majesty and Might!) made them whole. Then the Kazi fell to looking on her and considering her straitly, till she asked him why he looked so hard and he said, "I had a wife and were she not dead, I had said you are she." Hereupon, she made herself known to him and both began praising Allah (to whom belong Majesty and Might!) for that which He had vouchsafed them of the reunion of their loves; but the brother and the thief and the villager's wife joined in imploring her forgiveness. So she forgave them one and all,

The Shipwrecked Woman and her Child. 259 and they worshipped Allah in that place and rendered her due service, till Death parted them. And one of the Sayyids has related this tale of