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This is my house and it is open to you all." Then quoth the

Barber, "Thou didst beat him and I heard him cry out;" and quoth

the Kazi, "But what was he doing that I should beat him, and what

brought him in to my house; and whence came he and whither went

he?" "Be not a wicked, perverse old man!" cried the Barber, "for

I know the whole story; and the long and short of it is that thy

daughter is in love with him and he loves her; and when thou

knewest that he had entered the house, thou badest thy servants

beat him and they did so: by Allah, none shall judge between us

and thee but the Caliph; or else do thou bring out our master

that his folk may take him, before they go in and save him

perforce from thy house, and thou be put to shame." Then said the

Kazi (and his tongue was bridled and his mouth was stopped by

confusion before the people), "An thou say sooth, do thou come in

and fetch him out." Whereupon the Barber pushed forward and

entered the house.