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89-5-3 -
The Story of the Hunchback:
The Story
Told by the Tailor
On
the 30th Night contd ...
I
immediately rose, put on my clothes and went forth alone arriving at
the by-street, stopped at the house of that girl. The old woman was at the
door, she opened it and I entered the house. I went upstairs and
immediately the master of the house also returned from the prayers and
entered the room and closed the door. As I peeped through the window I saw barber
sitting over against the door. I said to myself, "How did this
devil discover me?"
Now it
so happened, by the will of Allaah, that a maid made some mistake in the
house of the master so he had
to beat her and she cried out; at this a male came to save her, so he
beat him also, so he also cried out. Hearing these cries, the barber
thought that I was beaten, so he also started crying out - "Help, help. My master has been killed in the house
of the Qaazee." Hearing this many people gathered around. Then he ran back to my house and gave this news to
my family; and I don't know what did he do that all came there weeping.
They continued shrieking and the barber was at their head. When the Qaazee
heard this he sent his servants to find out what as the matter.
The
servants replied - "Master, There are 10,000 people outside and are
yelling "Alas for our murdered master." He thought the matter serious so
he came out and asked the people - "What is the matter?" My servants said
- "You have killed our master." He said -
"What has he done to me so that I should kill him?"
On
the 31st Night
He
said -
"What has he done to me so that I should kill him? It is my house and
it is open to all." The barber said - "But you have just
beaten him and I heard his cries." "But what has he done that I
should kill him? And what he was doing in my house, who let him in my
house? When did he come here and where did he go?" The barber said - "Do not be ill will, for I
know the story and the reason of his entering your house and the truth of
the whole affair. Your daughter is in love with him, and he is in love
with her. You have discovered that he has entered your house, so you
ordered your young men to beat him. Now nobody will decide between you and
me except the Caliph; or you bring our master so that his family can take
him."
At
this the Qaazee was just silent and embarrassed in front of the people.
But he said to the barber - "If you are speaking the truth, enter
yourself and bring him forth." So the barber went in the house. When
I saw him coming I wished to escape, but I had no place to hide except a
large chest; so I entered it and shut its lid. The barber came in and
without looking in any other direction, he lifted up the chest on his head
and quickly descended with it. I being certain that he would not leave me,
I threw open the door of the chest and jumped upon the ground. My leg was
broken by the fall, and when I came out of the house I saw a large crowd. I had
never seen such a large crowd before, so I scattered gold among
them.
And
while they were busy in collecting the gold, I ran away from there,
followed by the barber who was crying - "They would have punished me
because of afflicting my master. God had aided me against them and
delivered my master from their hands. You continued with your evil plan
and brought yourself to this event. And if God had not sent me to help you,
you could have never escaped. Pray that I should live long to save you in
future. You almost killed me by following your evil plan, but I am not
angry with you for you are ignorant, so little of wit, so little sense and hasty
decision."
I said
- "Are you not satisfied with what you have done to me. Will you run
after me through the market streets?" I was so angry with him that I
longed for death, but it wouldn't come, so I ran from him, entered a
weaver's shop
for my protection and its owner drove away the barber from me."
I thought that I would not be able to escape this barber, at the same time I
could not tolerate his face too, so I immediately called witnesses,
divided my property among my family, and appointed a guardian over them. I
ordered him to sell my house and set forth on a journey, came to your
country to live and to escape this wretch. When you invited me, I came to
you and found this wretch among you. How can my heart be at ease seeing
him here?"
After
hearing his story, we asked the barber - "What he has said now, is it
true?" He said - "By Allaah, It was through my intelligence that
I acted thus towards him; and if I had not done so, he would have
perished. He could escape only because of me. It was by the goodness of
God, through me, that he lost only his legs, not his life. If I had been a
man of talking, I would have not shown this kindness to him. And now I
will tell you an incident that happened to me to believe that I am a man
of a few words ...."
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