bidding bring all his monies and cloth, said to them, “O folk, divide ye this money and stuff into four portions according to the law.”  They did so, and he gave one part to each of his sons and kept the fourth himself, saying, “This was my good and I have divided it among them in my lifetime; and this that I have kept shall be for my wife, their mother, wherewithal to provide for her subsistence whenas she shall be a widow.”—­And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

         When it was the Six Hundred and Seventh Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the merchant had divided his money and stuff into four portions he said, “This share shall be for my wife, their mother, wherewithal to provide for her subsistence whenas she shall be a widow.”  A little while after this he died, and neither of the two elder brothers was content with his share,[FN#258] but sought more of Judar, saying, “Our father’s wealth is in thy hands.”  So he appealed to the judges; and the Moslems who had been present at the partition came and bore witness of that which they knew, wherefore the judge forbade them from one another; but Judar and his brothers wasted much money in bribes to him.  After this, the twain left him awhile; presently, however, they began again to plot against him and he appealed a second time to the magistrate, who once more decided in his favour; but all three lost much money which went to the judges.  Nevertheless Salim and Salim forbore not to seek his hurt and to carry the case from court to court,[FN#259] he and they losing till they had given all their good for food to the oppressors and they became poor, all three.  Then the two elder brothers went to their mother and flouted her and beat her, and seizing her money crave her away.  So she betook herself to her son Judar and told him how his brothers had dealt with her and fell to cursing the twain.  Said he, “O my mother, do not curse them, for Allah will requite each of them according to his deed.  But, O mother mine, see, I am become poor, and so are my brethren, for strife occasioneth loss ruin rife, and we have striven amain, and fought, I and they, before the judges, and it hath profited us naught:  nay, we have wasted all our father left us and are disgraced among the folk by reason of our testimony one against other.  Shall I then con tend with them anew on thine account and shall we appeal to the judges?  This may not be!  Rather do thou take up thine abode with me, and the scone I eat I will share with thee.  Do thou pray for me and Allah will give me the means of thine alimony.  Leave them to receive of the Almighty the recompense of their deed, and console thyself with the saying of the poet who said,

’If a fool oppress thee bear patiently; * And from Time expect
     thy revenge to see: 
Shun tyranny; for if mount oppressed * A mount, ’twould be
     shattered by tyranny.’ "