's eyes be put out, which
being done, the Khan spoke as follows:

"Oh flute-player, I saw that when playing upon your flute you closed
both of your eyes. It was thus clear to me that neither was necessary
for your livelihood, and I had intended to have them both put out, but
I have decided to put out only one in order that you may tell among
men how merciful are the Khans."

KING KARA-KUSH OF BITHYNIA

A King of Bithynia, named Kara-kush, who was blind of an eye, was
considered in his day a reasonable, just, and feeling man. He
administered justice upon the basis of the law, 'An eye for an eye, a
tooth for a tooth,' and enlarged or modified it as circumstances
demanded.

It happened that a weaver by accident put out the eye of a man. He was
brought before the King or Cadi, for in those days the Kings acted as
Cadis, who promptly condemned him, in accordance with the law, to the
loss of an eye. The weaver pleaded touchingly, saying:

"Oh Cadi! I have a wife and a large family, and I support them by
throwing the shuttle from the right to the left, and again from the
left to the right; first using the one eye and then the other. If you
remove one of my eyes, I will not be able to weave, and my wife and
children will suffer the pangs of hunger. Why not, in the place of my
eye, remove that of the hunter who uses but one eye in exercising his
profession, and to whom two eyes are superfluous?"

The Cadi was impressed, acknowledged the justice of the weaver's
remarks, and the hunter was immediately sent for. The hunter being
brought, the Cadi was greatly rejoiced to notice that the hunter's
eyes were exactly the same color as his own. He asked the hunter how
he earned his living, and receiving his answer that he was a hunter,
the Cadi asked him how he shot. The hunter in reply demonstrated the
manner by putting up his arms, his head to a side, and closing one
eye. The Cadi said the weaver was right, and immediately sent for the
surgeon to have the eye removed. Further, the Cadi bethought him that
he might profit by this and have the hunter's eye placed in his own
socket. The surgeon set to work and prepared the cavity to receive
the hunter's eye. This done with a practised hand, the surgeon removed
the hunter's eye and was about to place it in the prepared socket,
when it accidentally slipped from his fingers to the ground, and was
snatched up by a cat. The surgeon was terrified and madly ran after
the cat; but