To this end, he took a
bag, large enough to contain five hundred pieces of gold, and
filled it with pieces of glass.
My brother, continued the barber, one morning fastened the bag of
glass about him, disguised himself like an old woman, and took a
scimitar under his gown. He met the old woman walking through the
town to seek her prey: he went up to her, and, counterfeiting a
woman's voice, said, Cannot you lend me a pair of scales? I am a
woman newly come from Persia, have brought five hundred pieces of
gold with me, and would know if they will hold out according to
your weights. Good woman, answered the old hag, you could not
have applied to a more proper person. Follow me; I will bring you
to my son, who changes money, and will weigh them himself, to
save you the trouble. Let us make haste, for fear he be gone to
his shop. My brother followed her to the house where she carried
him the first time, and the Greek slave opened the door.
The old woman carried my brother to the hall, where she bid him
stay a moment till she called her son. The pretended son came,
and proved to be the villanous black slave. Come, old woman, said
he to my brother, rise and follow me. Having spoken thus, he went
before to bring him to the place where he designed to murder him.
Alnaschar got up, followed him, and, drawing his scimitar, gave
him such a dexterous blow on the neck, as to cut off his head,
which he took in one hand, and dragging the body with the other,
threw them both into the place under ground before mentioned.
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