The Caliph Haroon al Rusheed one day commanded the grand vizier
Jaffier to come to his palace the night following. "Vizier," said
he, "I will take a walk round the town, to inform myself what
people say, and particularly how they are pleased with my
officers of justice. If there be any against whom they have cause
of just complaint, we will turn them out, and put others in their
stead, who shall officiate better. If, on the contrary, there be
any that have gained their applause, we will have that esteem for
them which they deserve." The grand vizier being come to the
palace at the hour appointed, the caliph, he, and Mesrour the
chief of the eunuchs, disguised themselves so that they could not
be known, and went out all three together.
They passed through several places, and by several markets. As
they entered a small street, they perceived by the light of the
moon, a tall man, with a white beard, who carried nets on his
head, and a staff in his hand. "To judge from his appearance,"
said the caliph, "that old man is not rich; let us go to him and
inquire into his circumstances." "Honest man," said the vizier,
"who art thou?" The old man replied, "Sir, I am a fisher, but one
of the poorest and most miserable of the trade. I went from my
house about noon a fishing, and from that time to this I have not
been able to catch one fish; at the same time I have a wife and
small children, and nothing to maintain them."
The caliph, moved with compassion, said to the fisherman, "Hast
thou the courage to go back and cast thy net once more? We will
give thee a hundred sequins for what thou shalt bring up." At
this proposal, the fisherman, forgetting all his day's toil, took
the caliph at his word, and returned to the Tigris, accompanied
by the caliph, Jaaffier, and Mesrour; saying to himself as he
went, "These gentlemen seem too honest and reasonable not to
reward my pains; and if they give me the hundredth part of what
they promise, it will be an ample recompence."
They came to the bank of the river, and the fisherman, having
thrown in his net, when he drew it again, brought up a trunk
close shut, and very heavy. The caliph made the grand vizier pay
him one hundred sequins immediately, and sent him away. Mesrour,
by his master's order, carried the trunk on his shoulder, and the
caliph was so very eager to know what it contained, that he
returned to the palace with all speed. When the trunk was opened,
they found in it a large basket made of palm-leaves, shut up, and
the covering of it sewed with red thread. To satisfy the caliph's
impatience, they would not take time to undo it, but cut the
thread with a knife, and took out of the basket a package wrapt
up in a sorry piece of hanging, and bound about with a rope;
which being untied, they found, to their great amazement, the
corpse of a young lady, whiter than snow, all cut in pieces.
The astonishment of the caliph was great at this dreadful
spectacle. His surprise was instantly changed into passion, and
darting an angry look at the vizier, "Thou wretch," said he, "is
this your inspection into the actions of my people? Do they
commit such impious murders under thy ministry in my capital, and
throw my subjects into the Tigris, that they may cry for
vengeance against me at the day of judgment? If thou dost not
speedily avenge the murder of this woman, by the death of her
murderer, I swear by heaven, that I will cause thee and forty
more of thy kindred to be impaled." "Commander of the faithful,"
replied the grand vizier, "I beg your majesty to grant me time to
make enquiry." "I will allow thee no more," said the caliph,
"than three days."
The vizier Jaaffier went home in great perplexity. "Alas!" said
he "how is it possible that in such a vast and populous city as
Bagdad, I should he able to detect a murderer, who undoubtedly
committed the crime without witness, and perhaps may be already
gone from hence? Any other vizier than I would take some wretched
person out of prison, and cause him to be put to death to satisfy
the caliph; but I will not burden my conscience with such a
barbarous action; I will rather die than preserve my life by the
sacrifice of another innocent person."
He ordered the officers of the police and justice to make strict
search for the criminal. They sent their servants about, and they
were not idle themselves, for they were no less concerned in this
matter than the vizier. But all their endeavours were to no
purpose; what pains soever they took they could not discover the
murderer; so that the vizier concluded his life to be lost.
The third day being arrived, an officer came to the unfortunate
minister, with a summons to follow him, which the vizier obeyed.
The caliph asked him for the murderer. He answered, "Commander of
the faithful, I have not found any person that could give me the
least account of him." The caliph, full of fury and rage, gave
him many reproachful words, and ordered that he and forty
Bermukkees should be impaled at the gate of the palace.
In the mean while the stakes were preparing, and orders were sent
to seize forty Bermukkees in their houses; a public crier was
sent about the city by the caliph's order, to cry thus: "Those
who have a desire to see the grand vizier Jaaffier impaled, with
forty of his kindred, let them come to the square before the
palace."
When all things were ready, the criminal judge, and many officers
belonging to the palace, having brought out the grand vizier with
the forty Bermukkees, set each by the stake designed for him. The
multitude of people that filled the square could not without
grief and tears behold this tragical sight; for the grand vizier
and the Bermukkees were loved and honoured on account of their
probity, bounty, and impartiality, not only in Bagdad, but
through all the dominions of the caliph.
Nothing could prevent the execution of this prince's severe and
irrevocable sentence, and the lives of the most deserving people
in the city were just going to be sacrificed, when a young man of
handsome mien pressed through the crowd till he came up to the
grand vizier, and after he had kissed his hand, said, "Most
excellent vizier, chief of the emirs of this court, and comforter
of the poor, you are not guilty of the crime for which you stand
here. Withdraw, and let me expiate the death of the lady that was
thrown into the Tigris. It is I who murdered her, and I deserve
to be punished for my offence."
Though these words occasioned great joy to the vizier, yet he
could not but pity the young man, in whose look he saw something
that instead of evincing guilt was engaging: but as he was about
to answer him, a tall man advanced in years, who had likewise
forced his way through the crowd, came up to him, saying, "Do not
believe what this young man tells you, I killed that lady who was
found in the trunk, and this punishment ought only to fall upon
me. I conjure you in the name of God not to punish the innocent
for the guilty." "Sir," said the young man to the vizier, "I do
protest that I am he who committed this vile act, and nobody else
had any concern in it." "My son," said the old man, "it is
despair that brought you hither, and you would anticipate your
destiny. I have lived a long while in the world, and it is time
for me to be gone; let me therefore sacrifice my life for yours."
"Sir," said he again to the vizier, "I tell you once more I am
the murderer; let me die without delay."
The controversy between the old and the young man induced the
grand vizier to carry them both before the caliph, to which the
judge criminal consented, being glad to serve the vizier. When he
came before the prince, he kissed the ground seven times, and
spake after this manner: "Commander of the faithful, I have
brought here before your majesty this old and this young man,
each of whom declares himself to be the sole murderer of the
lady." The caliph asked the criminals which of them it was that
so cruelly murdered the lady, and threw her into the Tigris? The
young man assured him it was he, but the old man maintained the
contrary. "Go," said the caliph to the grand vizier, "and cause
them both to be impaled." "But, Sir," said the vizier, "if only
one of them be guilty, it would be unjust to take the lives of
both." At these words the young man spoke again, "I swear by the
great God, who has raised the heavens so high, that I am the man
who killed the lady, cut her in pieces, and about four days ago
threw her into the Tigris. I renounce my part of happiness
amongst the just at the day of judgment, if what I say be not
truth; therefore I am he that ought to suffer." The caliph being
surprised at this oath, believed him; especially since the old
man made no answer. Whereupon, turning to the young man,
"Wretch," said he, "what made thee commit that detestable crime,
and what is it that moves thee to offer thyself voluntarily to
die?" "Commander of the faithful," said he, "if all that has past
between that lady and me were set down in writing, it would be a
history that might be useful to other men." "I command thee then
to relate it," said the caliph. The young man obeyed, and began
his history.