صفحة 516 من 1116

Rayhan our slave brought it to me four days ago and would not let

me have it till I gave him two dinars for it." When Ja'afar heard

speak of the slave and the apple, he was glad and put his hand

into his child's pocket [FN#361] and drew out the apple and knew

it and rejoiced saying, "O ready Dispeller of trouble " [FN#362]

Then he bade them bring the slave and said to him, "Fie upon

thee, Rayhan! whence haddest thou this apple?" "By Allah, O my

master," he replied, "though a lie may get a man once off, yet

may truth get him off, and well off, again and again. I did not

steal this apple from thy palace nor from the gardens of the

Commander of the Faithful. The fact is that five days ago, as I

was walking along one of the alleys of this city, I saw some

little ones at play and this apple in hand of one of them. So I

snatched it from him and beat him and he cried and said, 'O youth

this apple is my mother's and she is ill.