Two months after this occurrence, there came to me one of the Cadi’s officers, with a scroll, wherein was the magistrate’s writ, summoning me to him.  So I accompanied the officer and went in to the Cadi, whereupon the plaintiff, to wit, he who had taken out the summons, sued me for two thousand dirhems, avouching that I had borrowed them of him as the woman’s agent.[FN#117] I denied the debt, but he produced against me a bond for the amount, attested by four of those who were in company [on the occasion]; and they were present and bore witness to the loan.  So I reminded them of my kindness and paid the amount, swearing that I would never again follow a woman’s counsel.  Is not this marvellous?’

The company marvelled at the goodliness of his story and it pleased El Melik ez Zahir; and the prefect said, ’By Allah, this story is extraordinary!’ Then came forward the sixth officer and said to the company, ’Hear my story and that which befell me, to wit, that which befell such an one the assessor, for it is rarer than this and stranger.

The sixth officer’s story.

A certain assessor was one day taken with a woman and much people assembled before his house and the lieutenant of police and his men came to him and knocked at the door.  The assessor looked out of window and seeing the folk, said, “What aileth you?” Quoth they, “[Come,] speak with the lieutenant of police such an one.”  So he came down and they said to him, “Bring forth the woman that is with thee.”  Quoth he, “Are ye not ashamed?  How shall I bring forth my wife?” And they said, “Is she thy wife by contract[FN#118] or without contract?” ["By contract,”] answered he, “according to the Book of God and the Institutes of His Apostle.”  “Where is the contract?” asked they; and he replied, “Her contract is in her mother’s house.”  Quoth they, “Arise and come down and show us the contract.”  And he said to them, “Go from her way, so she may come forth.”  Now, as soon as he got wind of the matter, he had written the contract and fashioned it after her fashion, to suit with the case, and written therein the names of certain of his friends as witnesses and forged the signatures of the drawer and the wife’s next friend and made it a contract of marriage with his wife and appointed it for an excuse.[FN#119] So, when the woman was about to go out from him, he gave her the contract that be had forged, and the Amir sent with her a servant of his, to bring her to her father.  So the servant went with her and when she came to her door, she said to him, “I will not return to the citation of the Amir; but let the witnesses[FN#120] present themselves and take my contract.”