The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 14 by Anonymous
page 234 of 450 (52%)
page 234 of 450 (52%)
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the days there came in to him unexpectedly two men, of whom one
led a cow and a little colt whilst the second had with him a mare and a little calf. Now the first who came forward was the owner of the mare and quoth he, "O my lord, I have a claim upon this man." Quoth the Minister, "What be thy claim?" And the plaintiff continued, "I was going a-morn to the meadow for pasture and with me was my mare followed by her young one, her little colt, when yonder man met me upon the road and the colt began to play and to throw up gravel with its hoofs as is the wont of horse-flesh and draw near to the cow. Hereupon this man came up and seized it and said, 'This colt is the offspring of my cow,' and so saying he took it away and he gave me his calf, crying, 'Take this which be the issue of thy mare.'" So the Wazir turning to the master of the cow asked, "O man, what sayest thou concerning what thy comrade hath spoken?" and the other answered, "O my lord, in very deed this colt is the produce of my cow and I brought it up by hand." Quoth the Wazir, "Is it right that black cattle should bring forth horses and that horses should bear cows? indeed the intelligence of an intelligent man may not compass this;" and quoth the other, "O my lord, Allah createth whatso He willeth and maketh kine to produce horses and horses to produce kine." Hereupon the Minister said to him, "O Shaykh, when thou seest a thing before thee and lookest thereon canst thou speak of it in the way of truth?" And the other assented. Then the Wazir continued addressing the two men, "Wend your ways at this time and on the morrow be present here at early morn and let it be at a vacant hour." Accordingly they forthright went forth, and the next day early the two men came to the divan of the Wazir who set before them a she-mouse he had provided and called for a sack which he filled with earth. And as the men stood between his |
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