Then said he, ’Take the saddle-bags and let me go my way.’  But I answered, ’Needs must I slay thee.’  As we were in this contention, he and I, behold, he saw a francolin and turning to it, said, ’Bear witness against him, O francolin, that he slayeth me unjustly and letteth me not go to my children, for all he hath gotten my money.’  However, I took no pity on him neither hearkened to that which he said, but slew him and concerned not myself with the francolin’s testimony.”

His story troubled the Sultan’s deputy and he was sore enraged against him; so he drew his sword and smiting him, cut off his head; whereupon one recited the following verses: 

An you’d of evil be quit, look that no evil yon do; Nay, but do
     good, for the like God will still render to you. 
All things, indeed, that betide to you are fore-ordered of God;
     Yet still in your deeds is the source to which their
     fulfilment is due.

Now this[FN#155] was the francolin that bore witness against him.’

The company marvelled at this story and said all, ’Woe to the oppressor!’ Then came forward the sixteenth officer and said, ’And I also will tell you a marvellous story, and it is on this wise.

The sixteenth officer’s story.

I went forth one day, purposing to make a journey, and fell in with a man whose wont it was to stop the way.  When he came up with me, he offered to slay me and I said to him, “I have nothing with me whereby thou mayst profit.”  Quoth he, “My profit shall be the taking of thy life.”  “What is the cause of this?” asked I.  “Hath there been feud between us aforetime?” And he answered, “No; but needs must I slay thee.”  Therewithal I fled from him to the river-side; but he overtook me and casting me to the ground, sat down on my breast.  So I sought help of the Sheikh El Hejjaj[FN#156] and said to him, “Protect me from this oppressor!” And indeed he had drawn a knife, wherewith to cut my throat, when, behold, there came a great crocodile forth of the river and snatching him up from off my breast, plunged with him into the water, with the knife still in his hand; whilst I abode extolling the perfection of God the Most High and rendering thanks for my preservation to Him who had delivered me from the hand of that oppressor.’

Abdallah ben Nafi and the king’s son of
Cashghar.[FN#157]

There abode once, of old days and in bygone ages and times, in the city of Baghdad, the Abode of Peace, the Khalif Haroun er Reshid, and he had boon-companions and story-tellers, to entertain him by night Among his boon-companions was a man called Abdallah ben Nan, who was high in favour with him and dear unto him, so that he was not forgetful of him a single hour.  Now it befell, by the ordinance of destiny, that it became manifest to Abdallah that he was grown of little account with the Khalif and that he paid no heed unto