Certain husbandmen once made complaint to David (on whom be the Peace!) against some sheep owners, whose flocks had come down upon their crops by night and had devoured them, and he bade value the crops and that the shepherds should make good the damage. But Solomon (on whom be the Peace!) rose and said, "Nay, but let the sheep be delivered to the husbandmen, so they may take their milk and wool, till they have recouped the value of their crops; then let the sheep return to their owners." Accordingly David reversed his own decision and caused execute that of Solomon; yet was David no oppressor; but Solomon's judgment was the juster and he showed himself within it better versed in jurisprudence and Holy Law. When the Tither heard the old man's speech, he felt ruthful and said to him, "O Shaykh, I make you a gift of that which is due from you, and do you cleave to me and leave me not, so Perhaps I may get of you gain which shall do away from me my wrongousness and guide me on the path of righteousness." So the old man followed him, and there met him another with a load of wood. the Tither to him, said, "Pay me that which you owest me;" and He said, "Have patience with me till tomorrow, for I owe the hire of a house, and I will sell another load of fuel and pay you two days' tithe." But he refused him this and the Shaykh said to him, "If you constrain him unto this, you will compel him quit your country, because he is a stranger here and has no domicile; and if he remove on account of
The Tale Of The Robber And The Woman. 167 one dirham, you will forfeit of him three hundred and sixty dirhams a year. Thus will you lose the mickle in keeping the little." the Tither, said, "truly will I give him a dirham every month to the rent of his lodging." Then he went on and presently there met him a third woodcutter and he said to him, "Pay your due;" but he said, "I will pay you a dirham, when I enter the city; or take of me four dániks now." the Tither, said, "I will not do it," but the Shaykh said to him, "Take of him the four daniks presently, for 'tis easy to take and hard to give back." Exclaimed the Tither, "By God 'tis good!" And he arose and went on, crying out at the top of Isis voice and saying, "I have no power this day to do evil." Then he doffed his dress and went forth wandering at a venture, repenting unto his Lord. "Nor" (continued the Wazir), "is this story stranger than that of the Robber who believed the Woman and sought refuge with Allah against falling in with her like, by reason of her cunning contrivance for herself." When the king heard this, he said to himself, "Since the Tither repented, in consequence of the woodcutter's warnings, it behoves I leave this Wazir on life so I may hear the story of the Robber and the Woman." And he bade Al-Rahwan return to his lodging.
The Eleventh Night of the Month
When the evening came and the king had taken his seat, he summoned the Wazir and required of him the story of the Robber and the Woman. the Minister, said, "Hear, O king,