arls or
diamonds. Retire, I pray you, lest a crowd should gather in front of
my shop."

By this time not only the casual passers-by, but also the neighbouring
merchants, were standing round, listening to the dispute, and trying
every now and then to smooth matters between them. But at the
merchant's last words Ali Cogia resolved to lay the cause of the
quarrel before them, and told them the whole story. They heard him to
the end, and inquired of the merchant what he had to say.

The accused man admitted that he had kept Ali Cogia's vase in his shop;
but he denied having touched it, and swore that as to what it contained
he only knew what Ali Cogia had told him, and called them all to
witness the insult that had been put upon him.

"You have brought it on yourself," said Ali Cogia, taking him by the
arm, "and as you appeal to the law, the law you shall have! Let us see
if you will dare to repeat your story before the Cadi."

Now as a good Mussulman the merchant was forbidden to refuse this
choice of a judge, so he accepted the test, and said to Ali Cogia,
"Very well; I should like nothing better. We shall soon see which of
us is in the right."

So the two men presented themselves before the Cadi, and Ali Cogia
again repeated his tale. The Cadi asked what witnesses he had. Ali
Cogia replied that he had not taken this precaution, as he had
considered the man his friend, and up to that time had always found him
honest.

The merchant, on his side, stuck to his story, and offered to swear
solemnly that not only had he never stolen the thousand gold pieces,
but that he did not even know they were there. The Cadi allowed him to
take the oath, and pronounced him innocent.

Ali Cogia, furious at having to suffer such a loss, protested against
the verdict, declaring that he would appeal to the Caliph,
Haroun-al-Raschid, himself. But the Cadi paid no attention to his
threats, and was quite satisfied that he had done what was right.

Judgment being given the merchant returned home triumphant, and Ali
Cogia went back to his inn to draw up a petition to the Caliph. The
next morning he placed himself on the road along which the Caliph must
pass after mid-day prayer, and stretched out his petition to the
officer who walked before the Caliph, whose duty it was to collect such
things, and on entering the palace to hand them to his master. There
Haroun-al-Raschid studied them carefully.

Knowing this custom, Ali Cogi