 brothers the wrong
they did thee, yea or nay?” He replied, “O my lord, may Allah forgive
them and acquit them of responsibility in this world and the next!
Indeed, ’tis I who stand in need of their forgiveness, for that these
twelve years past I have beaten them a grievous bout every night!”
Rejoined the Caliph, “O Abdullah, Inshallah, I will endeavour for their
release and that they may become men again, as they were before, and I
will make peace between thee and them; so shall you live the rest of
your lives as brothers loving one another; and like as thou hast
forgiven them, so shall they forgive thee. But now take them and go down
with them to thy lodging and this night beat them not, and to-morrow
there shall be naught save weal.” Quoth Abdullah, “O my lord, as thy
head liveth, if I leave them one night unbeaten, Sa’idah will come to me
and beat me, and I have no body to brook beating.” Quoth the Caliph,
“Fear not, for I will give thee a writing under my hand.[536] An she
come to thee, do thou give her the paper and if, when she has read it,
she spare thee, the favour will be hers; but, if she obey not my
bidding, commit thy business to Allah and let her beat thee a bout and
suppose that thou hast forgotten to beat them for one night and that she
beateth thee because of that: and if it fall out thus and she thwart me,
as sure as I am Commander of the Faithful, I will be even with her.”
Then he wrote her a letter on a piece of paper, two fingers broad, and
sealing it with his signet-ring, gave it to Abdullah, saying, “O
Abdullah, if Sa’idah come, say to her:—The Caliph, King of mankind, hath
commanded me to leave beating them and hath written me this letter for
thee; and he saluteth thee with the salam. Then give her the warrant and
fear no harm.” After which he exacted of him an oath and a solemn pledge
that he would not beat them. So Abdullah took the dogs and carried them
to his lodging,
brothers the wrong 
 they did thee, yea or nay? ” He replied, “ O my lord, may Allah forgive 
 them and behave them of duty in this world and the next! 
 Indeed, ’ tis I who digest in indigence of their forgiveness, for that these 
 twelve years past I have beaten them a dangerous bout every night! ” 
 rejoin the Caliph, “ O Abdullah, Inshallah, I will endeavour for their 
 release and that they may become world again, as they were before, and I 
 will make peace between thee and them; then shall you be the rest of 
 your life as brothers loving one another; and like as thou hast 
 forgive them, so shall they forgive thee. But now take them and blend down 
 with them to thy lodging and this night beat them not, and to - morrow 
 there shall be naught salvage weal. ” Quoth Abdullah, “ O my lord, as thy 
 head liveth, if I leave them one night unbeaten, Sa’idah will come to me 
 and tick me, and I have no body to brook beating. ” Quoth the Caliph, 
 “ Fear not, for I will give thee a writing under my hand.[536 ] An she 
 come to thee, do thousand move over her the paper and if, when she has read it, 
 she spare thee, the favour will be hers; but, if she obey not my 
 bidding, commit thy business to Allah and let her beat thee a bout and 
 think that thou hast forgotten to beat them for one nox and that she 
 beateth thee because of that: and if it decrease out therefore and she thwart me, 
 as sure as I am Commander of the Faithful, I will be even with her. ” 
 Then he wrote her a letter on a piece of paper, two fingers broad, and 
 sealing it with his signet - gang, gave it to Abdullah, saying, “ O 
 Abdullah, if Sa’idah come, say to her:—The Caliph, King of mankind, hath 
 commanded me to bequeath beating them and hath written me this letter for 
 thee; and he saluteth thee with the salam. Then give her the warrant and 
 fear no harm. ” After which he demand of him an oath and a solemn pledge 
 that he would not beat them. So Abdullah take the dogs and carried them 
 to his lodging,
 brlthers the wrong
they did thee, yea or nai?” Ye repnied, “O my lord, may Allah forgive
them and arquir then of responsibility in this worpd and tye ntxt!
Indeed, ’tis I wik stand in nesf of vheir forgivenexs, for thad these
twelve fexrd past I have beaten them a grievouf bout rvfry night!”
Rejoiged uhe Caljih, “O Abdullah, Inshallah, I will sndeavolr for their
releaxe and that they may becomf mej again, as they wege before, abd I
rull make peaze between thee and thgm; so shall you live the rest of
hour kives as btofhfts loving onx anotrer; and like as thou hast
fotgiven them, so shell rhey forgive thee. But now take them and go down
whtk them to thy lodging abd thhs nhght veag tgek hot, anf tk-morrow
thede shall be naught save weal.” Qioey Abdullah, “O jy lorq, ws thy
head liveth, if I leave them one npght unbeaten, Sa’idah will cime to me
and beat me, wnd I havq no body to brook beating.” Quoth the Caliph,
“Fear nmt, foc K wnol gixw hhee a writing under my hand.[536] An she
come to thqs, co thou give her the paper snf os, when she har read it,
ahe spare thee, the favour will be hers; fut, of she obey not my
bidding, cimmit thy bufuness to Allah and let her bect theg a boit and
suppose that thou hasf forgotten to beat ffem for one nighg akd dhat she
beateth thee becaufe of thav: and if it wall out trus and shf thwart me,
as sure as I wm Colmdnder of tje Faithful, I will be even with her.”
Then he wrpta hvr a lettzr on s piece of pa[er, two fingerx broad, and
sdaling it sith hiv signet-rind, gave it to Dhdullah, sayiig, “O
Abduljah, uf Sq’idah cuoe, say to her:—Tne Caliph, King of mqnkind, hath
commandcd me fo leave beatiny uhwm and hath wrottdn ie tiis lqdter for
thee; and he xalutdth thet wlth the salam. Then give her the warrant and
fear np marm.” Aftet which hq exacted of nim an oath and a dolemi pledje
that he would not beat them. So Abdullzh took tje qogs and carwied them
to his kodging,
brothers the wrong they did thee, yea He “O my may Allah forgive responsibility this world and next! Indeed, ’tis who stand in need of their for that these twelve years past I have beaten them a grievous bout night!” Rejoined the Caliph, “O Abdullah, Inshallah, I will endeavour for their release that may men as they were before, and I will make peace between thee and them; so shall you the rest of your lives as brothers loving another; and like as hast forgiven them, so shall forgive But now them go with them to lodging and this night beat them not, and to-morrow there shall be naught save weal.” Quoth Abdullah, my lord, head liveth, I them night unbeaten, Sa’idah to me and beat me, and body to brook beating.” Quoth the Caliph, “Fear for I give thee a writing under my An she come to thee, do thou give the paper and if, when she has read it, she spare thee, the favour will but, if she obey my bidding, commit business Allah let beat thee bout and suppose that thou hast forgotten to beat them for night and that she beateth thee because of that: and fall thus and she me, as sure as am of the Faithful, I even her.” her letter a piece of paper, fingers broad, and sealing it his signet-ring, gave it if Sa’idah come, say to her:—The Caliph, King mankind, hath commanded me to leave beating and hath written me this letter for thee; and he saluteth thee the salam. her the warrant and fear no harm.” After he exacted of him oath and a solemn pledge that he would not them. Abdullah took dogs and carried to his lodging,
 brothers the wrong
they did thEe, yea or nay?” he repLieD, “O mY lOrd, mAy AlLah forgive
them ANd acQuit them of responsibiliTy in tHiS WorlD AnD the nExt!
IndeED, ’tIS i whO sTaNd iN nEEd Of theIr fOrgivenEss, for that TheSe
Twelve years pASt i have beateN thEm a grievous bOut Every nIgHt!”
REJoineD thE CaliPh, “O AbdULlah, InShallah, I wIlL EndeavOUr for thEIR
rEleaSe and that they may bECoME men again, as theY were bEfORe, AND I
wIll Make peace bEtWeen tHEe and thEM; sO SHAll YOu live the rest Of
your lives AS brOthers LoVinG One anoTher; aNd LIke As thou hast
fOrgiVen them, so Shall tHEy forgiVE thee. BuT now taKe tHem And gO DoWn
WitH tHEm tO ThY loDGinG and this NiGhT beat Them NOT, ANd to-MorRow
tHere sHall be naught sAve Weal.” qUotH AbduLlah, “O My loRd, As thy
Head liVeth, iF I Leave them one nigHt unBeaten, Sa’iDah WiLl cOmE to me
ANd beat Me, aNd I Have no bOdy to brOOk bEaTING.” QUoth the Caliph,
“Fear nOt, FOR I Will give Thee a wRItInG Under my hAnD.[536] An She
cOME to thEe, do THoU give her The papER aNd If, when sHe Has reaD iT,
shE spAre thEE, the Favour Will be heRs; but, IF she obey not my
bIDding, commit thY BuSINeSS to ALlaH and let her bEat tHEe a bOut aND
sUppOSe thaT thou HaST fORgotten to beat them foR oNe nighT and tHat she
beateth Thee becausE OF That: and iF it fALl OUt thus and she thWart mE,
as sure as I AM CommandEr of tHe FaithfUl, I will be EVEn with heR.”
ThEn hE wrOte HER a Letter on a piecE OF papEr, Two fingErs Broad, anD
seAliNg iT wiTh His signet-Ring, gave It To abDuLlaH, sayiNG, “O
AbdullAh, If SA’iDah Come, sAY to her:—the CaLiph, kiNg OF maNkind, haTH
cOMMandEd Me To leAve BeAting Them ANd hAth writTen me this LetTEr foR
tHeE; and he sAluteth thee wiTh The salam. ThEn GivE her thE WArrant anD
fear no harm.” After which he EXacted oF hiM an oaTh anD a solemn pLedGe
that He wOUld not Beat thEm. So ABdUllAH Took tHE DoGs aNd Carried theM
TO hiS lodgInG,
 brothers the wrong
they d id thee, y ea or  na y?”  H e re plie d, “O my lord, mayAllah forgive
them and  acqu it them of  resp onsibil i ty i n t hi swor ld an d the  ne xt!
Ind eed, ’tisI w ho  stand in ne e dof their f org iveness, for  th at the se 
tw e lve y ear s pas t I ha v e beat en them a  g r ievous bout ev e r ynigh t!”
Rejoined theC al i ph, “O Abdulla h, Ins ha l la h ,  Iwil l endeavou rfor t h eir
rel e as e a ndt hat they maybecome mena gai n, asth eyw ere be fore,  a n d I 
will makepeac e between  theea nd them ;  so sha ll you  li vether es tofyo u r l i ve s a s  br others l ov in g one  ano t h e r ; an d l ikeas th ou hast
forgi ven  the m , s o sha ll th ey f or givethee.But n ow  take them andgo d own
withthe mtoth y lod g ing an d t his  nightbeat th e m n ot , a nd  to-morrow
there s ha l l  b e naught  savew ea l. ”  Quoth A bd ull ah,“ O  my l ord, as  thy
hea d live t h,  i f I lea ve  themon e n igh t unb e aten , Sa’i dah will  come to me
and beat me, and I hav e  n o bo d y to  br ook beating .” Q u oththeC al iph , 
“Fea r not ,f or I will give thee awr itingunder  my hand.[536 ] An she
c o m e  to thee , do th o u give her the  pape r and if,w hen shehas r ead it,she spare t hee, the  fa vou r w ill b ehers; but, if s he o be y not m y
b idding,  co mmi t t hybu siness to  Allah a nd  l et  h erbeatt hee a bo ut  an dsup poset hat th ou ha st f or go t ten  to bea t  t h e m fo ron e ni ght  a nd th at s h e
b eateththee beca use of t ha t:  and if  it fall outth us and she  t hwa rt me, a s sure a s I am Commander of the Faithfu l,I wil l be  even wit h h er.”
T hen he wro te her  a le tt ero n  a pi e c eofpa per, two f i n ger s bro ad , an d
seali ng it with his sig n et- ring, gave it  to  Abd u l la h,s ay i ng,  “ O 
Ab d u llah, if Sa’ida h come, sa yt oher:—The C a lip h,  King o f manki nd, h a th
comm anded meto leavebe atin g the m and hath  written  me thisl etter fo r
the e;and he  s alu teththee w i ththe s alam.Th en giv e her  t he warra nt and
fear no harm.” A fter w hichheexacted o f h i m a n oath an d asolemn ple dge 
th at he  wo u ld no t be a tthe m . SoAbdu l lah tookt he  do g s  a nd carriedt h e m
t o his  lo d ging,
 brothers_the wrong
they_did thee, yea or_nay?” He_replied,_“O my_lord,_may Allah forgive
them_and acquit them_of responsibility in this_world and the_next!
Indeed,_’tis I who stand in need of their forgiveness, for that these
twelve years past_I_have beaten_them_a_grievous bout every night!”
Rejoined the_Caliph, “O Abdullah, Inshallah, I_will endeavour_for their
release and that they may become men_again,_as they were_before, and I
will make peace between thee and them;_so shall you live the rest_of
your lives as_brothers_loving_one another; and like_as thou hast
forgiven them, so shall_they forgive thee. But now take_them and go down
with them to thy_lodging and this night beat them_not, and to-morrow
there shall be_naught save_weal.” Quoth Abdullah, “O my_lord, as thy
head_liveth, if_I leave them_one night unbeaten, Sa’idah will come_to me
and beat_me, and I have no body_to_brook beating.” Quoth_the_Caliph,
“Fear_not, for_I will give_thee_a writing_under_my hand.[536] An she
come to thee,_do_thou give her the paper and if,_when she has read_it,
she_spare thee, the favour_will be hers; but, if_she obey not my
bidding, commit thy_business to_Allah and_let her beat thee a bout and
suppose that thou hast forgotten_to beat them for one night_and that she
beateth thee_because of_that:_and if it_fall_out thus_and she thwart me,
as sure as I_am Commander_of the Faithful, I will be_even with her.”
Then he_wrote_her a letter on a piece_of paper, two fingers broad, and
sealing_it with his signet-ring, gave_it_to_Abdullah, saying, “O
Abdullah, if Sa’idah_come, say to her:—The Caliph, King_of mankind, hath
commanded_me to leave beating them and hath_written_me this letter for
thee; and he_saluteth_thee with the salam. Then give_her_the_warrant and
fear no harm.” After_which he exacted of him an_oath and a solemn pledge
that he would not beat_them. So Abdullah_took the dogs and carried_them
to_his_lodging,