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Burton, Richard Francis

"The Arabian Nights"

She saluted him and presented a written petition to this
purport: "He thou hast clapped in jail is my brother Such-and-such,
who fell out with Such-a-one, and those who testified against him bore
false witness. He hath been wrongfully imprisoned, and I have none
other to come in to me nor to provide for my support, therefore I
beseech thee of thy grace to release him." When the magistrate had
read the paper, he cast his eyes on her and fell in love with her
forthright, so he said to her: "Go into the houses till I bring him
before me. Then I will send for thee and thou shalt take him." "O my
lord," replied she, "I have none to protect me save Almighty Allah! I
am a stranger and may not enter any man's abode." Quoth the Wali, "I
will not let him go except thou come to my home and I take my will of
thee." Rejoined she, "If it must be so, thou must needs come to my
lodging and sit and sleep the siesta and rest thewhole day there."
"And where is thy abode?" asked he, and she answered, "In such a
place," and appointed him for such a time.
Then she went out from him, leaving his heart taken with love of
her, and she repaired to the Kazi of the city, to whom she said, "O
our lord the Kazi!" He exclaimed, "Yes!" and she continued, "Look into
my case, and thy reward be with Allah the Most High!" Quoth he, "Who
hath wronged thee?" and quoth she, "O my lord, I have a brother and
I have none but that one, and it is on his account that I come to
thee, because the Wali hath imprisoned him for a criminal and men have
borne false witness against him that he is a wrongdoer, and I
beseech thee to intercede for him with the Chief of Police.


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