n after came out, and, having dressed himself, looked about for his
pantofles; but nowhere could he find them. In the place of his own, he
found a pair sufficiently different to be not only new, but splendid.
And, feeling convinced that they were a gift from his friend--not the
less so, perhaps, because he wished it--he triumphantly thrust his
toes in them, and issued forth into the air, radiant with joy and a
skin nearly clean.

On the other hand, when the Cadi had performed the necessary
purifications, and was dressed, his slaves looked for his lordship's
slippers in vain. Nowhere could they be found. Instead of the
embroidered pantofles of the Judge, they detected, in a corner, only
the phenomena left by Casem, which were too well known to leave a
doubt how their master's had disappeared. The slaves went immediately
for Casem, and brought him back to the indignant magistrate, who, deaf
to his attempts at defence, sent him to prison. Now, in the East, the
claws of justice open just as wide, and no wider than the purse of the
culprit; and it may be supposed that Abon Casem, who was known to be
as rich as he was miserly, did not get his freedom at the same rate as
his rose-water.

The miserable Casem returned home, tearing his beard--for beard is not
a dear stuff--and, being mightily enraged with the pantofles, he
seized upon them, and threw them out of his window into the Tigris.

It happened a few days after that some fishermen drew their nets under
the window, and the weight being greater than usual, they were
exulting in their success, when out came the pantofles. Furious
against Casem (for who did not know Casem's pantofles?), they threw
them in at the window, at the same time reviling him for the accident.
Unhappy Casem! The pantofles flew into his room, fell among his
bottles, which were ranged with great care along the shelf, and,
overthrowing them, covered the room with glass and rose-water.
Imagine, if you can, the miser's agony! With a loud voice, and tearing
his beard, according to custom, he roared out, "Accursed pantofles,
will you never cease persecuting the wretched Casem?"

So saying, he took a spade, and went into his garden to bury them.

It so happened that one of his neighbours was looking out of window at
the time, and seeing Casem poking about the earth in his garden, he
ran to the Cadi, and told him that his old friend had discovered a
treasure. Nothing more was requisite to excite the cupid