tasse, and the thief buried himself in the corn and covered his
head with the tasse, so that the folk found him not and went
their ways; but as they were going, behold, there came a mighty
great fart[FN#124] forth of the corn. So they went up to the
tasse and raising it, discovered the thief and laid hands on him.
Quoth he, "I have saved you the trouble of seeking me: for I
purposed, in breaking wind, to direct you to my hiding place;
wherefore do you be easy with me and have ruth on me, so may
Allah have ruth on you!" Accordingly they let him go and harmed
him not. "And for another story of the same kind" (she
continued), "hearken to




The Tale of the Old Sharper.



There was once an old man renowned for clever roguery, and he
went, he and his mates, to one of the markets and stole thence a
quantity of stuffs: then they separated and returned each to his
quarter. Awhile after this, the old man assembled a company of
his fellows and, as they sat at drink, one of them pulled out a
costly piece of cloth and said, "Is there any one of you will
dare sell this in its own market whence it was stolen, that we
may confess his superior subtlety?" Quoth the old man, "I will;"
and they said, "Go, and Allah Almighty open to thee the door!" So
early on the morrow, he took the stuff and carrying it to the
market whence it had been stolen, sat down at the very shop out