"
Accordingly that bandit, after disguising himself by dress, pushed
at night into the town, and next morning early he repaired to the
market square and saw that none of the shops had yet been opened
save only that of Baba Mustafa, the tailor, who, thread and needle
in hand, sat upon his working stool. The thief bade him good day and
said: "'Tis yet dark. How canst thou see to sew?" Said the tailor:
"I perceive thou art a stranger. Despite my years, my eyesight is so
keen that only yesterday I sewed together a dead body whilst sitting
in a room quite darkened." Quoth the bandit thereupon to himself, "I
shall get somewhat of my want from this snip," and to secure a further
clue he asked: "Meseemeth thou wouldst jest with me, and thou
meanest that a cerecloth for a corpse was stitched by thee and that
thy business is to sew shrouds." Answered the tailor: "It mattereth
not to thee. Question me no more questions."
Thereupon the robber placed an ashrafi in his hand and continued: "I
desire not to discover aught thou hidest, albeit my breast, like every
honest man's, is the grave of secrets, and this only would I learn
of thee- in what house didst thou do that job? Canst thou direct me
thither, or thyself conduct me thereto?" The tailor took the gold with
greed and cried: "I have not seen with my own eyes the way to that
house.
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