Pagina 811 van 1116

The Caliph looked at me and asked the Heads man, saying, "What

ails thee that thou hast struck off only nine heads?"; and he

answered, "Allah forbid that I should behead only nine, when thou

biddest me behead ten!" Quoth the Caliph, "Meseems thou hast

smitten the necks of only nine, and this man before thee is the

tenth." "By thy beneficence!" replied the Headsman, "I have

beheaded ten." "Count them!" cried the Caliph and whenas they

counted heads, lo! there were ten. The Caliph looked at me and

said, "What made thee keep silence at a time like this and how

camest thou to company with these men of blood? Tell me the cause

of all this, for albeit thou art a very old man, assuredly thy

wits are weak." Now when I heard these words from the Caliph I

sprang to my feet and replied, "Know, O Prince of the Faithful,

that I am the Silent Shaykh and am thus called to distinguish me

from my six brothers.