Tales of Folk and Fairies Part 7

When Ali Cogia left Bagdad he had no thought but that he would return in a year's time at latest. He made the journey safely, in company with a number of other pilgrims. Arrived in Mecca, he visited the celebrated temples and other objects of interest that were there. He performed all his religious duties faithfully, and after that he went to the bazaar and secured a place where he could display the goods he had brought with him.

One day a stranger came through the bazaar and stopped to admire the beauty of the things Ali had for sale.

"It is a pity," said the stranger, "that you should not go to Cairo.

You could go there at no great expense, and I feel a.s.sured that you would receive a far better price for your goods there than here. I know, for I have lived in that city all my life, and I am familiar with the prices that are paid for such fine merchandise as yours." The stranger talked with Ali for some time and then pa.s.sed on his way.

After he had gone the merchant meditated upon what had been said, and he finally determined to follow the stranger's advice and to take such goods as he had left to Cairo, and place them on sale there. This he did and found that, as the stranger had promised, the prices he could get there were much higher than those paid in Mecca.

While Ali Cogia was in Cairo he made the acquaintance of some people who were about to journey down into Egypt by caravan. They urged Ali to join them, and after some persuasion he consented to do so, as he had always wished to see that country. From Egypt Ali Cogia journeyed to Constantinople, and then on to other cities and countries. Time flew by so rapidly that when, finally, Ali stopped to reckon up how long it was since he had left Bagdad, he found that seven years had elapsed.

He now determined to return without delay to his own city. He found a camel that suited him, and having bought it he packed upon it such goods as he had left, and set out for Bagdad.

Now all the while that Ali Cogia had been travelling from place to place the jar containing the gold pieces had rested undisturbed and forgotten in Abul Ha.s.san's warehouse. Abul and his wife sometimes talked of Ali and wondered when he would return and how he had fared upon his journey. They were surprised at his long absence and feared some misfortune might have come upon him. At one time there was a rumor that he was dead, but this rumor was afterward denied.

Now the very day that Ali Cogia set out upon his return journey Abul Ha.s.san and his wife were seated at the table at their evening meal, and their talk turned upon the subject of olives.

"It is a long time since we have had any in the house," said the wife.

"Indeed, I do not remember when I last tasted one, and yet it is my favorite fruit. I wish we had some now."

"Yes, we must get some," said Abul Ha.s.san. "And by the way, that reminds me of the jar that Ali Cogia left with us. I wonder whether the olives in it are still good. They have been there for some years now."

"Yes, for seven years," replied his wife. "No doubt they are all spoiled by this time."

"That I will see," said Abul Ha.s.san, rising and taking up a light. "If they are still good we might as well have some, for I do not believe Ali Cogia will ever return to claim the jar."

His wife was horrified. "What are you thinking of?" cried she. "Ali Cogia entrusted this jar to you, and you gave your word that it would not be disturbed until he came again to claim it. We heard, indeed, that he was dead, but this rumor was afterward denied. What opinion would he have of you if he returned and found you had helped yourself to his olives?"

Abul Ha.s.san, still holding the light in his hand, waited impatiently until his wife had finished speaking. Then he replied, "Ali Cogia will not return; of that I feel a.s.sured. And at any rate, if he should, I can easily replace the olives."

"You can replace the olives, no doubt," answered his wife, "but they would not be Ali Cogia's olives. This jar is a sacred trust and should not be disturbed by you under any consideration." But though she spoke thus strongly she could see by her husband's face that he had not changed his determination. He now took up the dish and said, "If the olives are good I will bring a dish full from the jar, but if they are spoiled, as I suppose they are, I will replace the cover and no one will be any the wiser."

His wife would have tried again to dissuade him, but without listening further he went at once to the warehouse. It did not take him long to find the jar. He took off the cover and found that, as he had suspected, the olives were spoiled. Wis.h.i.+ng to see whether those beneath were in the same condition he tilted the jar and emptied some of them out into the dish. What was his surprise to see some gold pieces fall out with the olives. Abul Ha.s.san could hardly believe his eyes. Hastily he plunged his hands down into the jar and soon found that except for the top layer of fruit the whole jar was full of gold pieces.

Abul Ha.s.san's eyes sparkled with desire. He was naturally a very avaricious man, and the sight of the gold awakened all his greed. It had been there in his warehouse, all unknown to him, for seven years.

He felt as though he had been tricked, for, thought he, "All this time I might have been using this money to advantage by trading with it and with no harm to any one, for I could have replaced it at any time I heard Ali Cogia was about to return."

For a while he stood there lost in thought. Then he returned the gold to the jar, covered it over with olives as before, and replaced the cover, and taking up the empty dish and the light he returned to his wife.

"You were quite right," said he carelessly. "The olives were spoiled, so I did not bring any."

"You should not even have opened the jar," said his wife. "Heaven grant that no evil may come upon us for this."

To this remark Abul Ha.s.san made no reply, and soon after he and his wife retired to rest. But the merchant could not sleep. All night he tossed and twisted, thinking of the gold and planning how he could make it his own, and it was not until morning that he fell into a troubled sleep.

The next day he arose early and as soon as the bazaar opened he went out and bought a quant.i.ty of olives. He brought them home and carried them into the warehouse secretly, and without his wife's knowing anything about it. Then he again opened Ali Cogia's jar, and having emptied it of its contents, he filled it with fresh olives and replaced the cover in such a way that no one, looking at it, would have known it had been disturbed. He then threw the spoiled olives away and hid the gold in a secret place known only to himself.

About a month after this Ali Cogia returned to Bagdad. As his own house was still rented he took a room in a khan and at once hastened to Abul Ha.s.san's house to get his jar.

Abul Ha.s.san was confounded when he saw Ali Cogia enter his house, for he had managed to convince himself that Ali must be dead. This he had done to try to excuse himself in his own eyes for taking the gold.

However he hid his confusion as best he could, and made the returned traveller welcome, and asked him how he had fared in his journeyings.

Ali Cogia answered his inquiries politely, but he was uneasy and restless, and as soon as he could make the opportunity he inquired about the olive jar he had left in the warehouse.

"The jar is there where you put it, I am sure," answered Abul Ha.s.san, "though I myself have not seen it. I do not even know in what part of the warehouse you left it. But here are the keys, and as I am busy I will ask you to get it for yourself."

Ali Cogia made haste to seek out the jar and was much relieved to find it exactly where he had left it and apparently untouched. He had trust in Abul Ha.s.san's honor, but a thousand pieces of gold was such a large sum that he could not but feel some concern until he had it in his own hands again.

After thanking his fellow merchant for keeping the jar, more earnestly than seemed necessary, he carried it back to his room in the khan, and having locked the door he opened it. He removed the two top layers of olives and was somewhat surprised not to see the gold. However, he thought he must have covered the money more carefully than he had supposed. He took out more olives, and then still more, but still there were no signs of the gold.

Filled with misgivings, Ali Cogia tilted the jar and emptied out the rest of the olives so hastily that they rolled all over the floor, but not a single piece of gold was there.

The merchant was dismayed. He could scarcely believe that Abul Ha.s.san would rob him of his money, and yet there seemed no other explanation.

He knew that the merchant kept his warehouse locked except when he was there himself, and that no one was allowed to visit it but those with whom he was well acquainted, and then only upon special business.

Deeply troubled he returned to the merchant's house, determined to demand an explanation and, if necessary, to force him by law to return the gold.

Abul Ha.s.san seemed surprised to see Ali return so soon. "Did you forget something?" he asked. "Or do you wish to speak to me upon some business?"

"Do you not guess what I have come to speak to you about?" asked Ali.

"How should I guess? Unless it is to thank me again for keeping your jar for you."

"Abul Ha.s.san, when I went away I left a thousand pieces of gold in the jar I placed in your warehouse. The gold is now gone. I suppose you saw some way in which you could use it both for your advantage and my own. If such is the case, please to give me some receipt for the money, and I am willing to wait until you can return it to me, but I think you should have spoken of the matter when I was here before."

Abul Ha.s.san showed the greatest surprise at this address. "I do not know what you are talking about," said he. "I know nothing about any gold. If there was any in the jar, which I very much doubt, it must be there still, for the jar has never been disturbed since you yourself placed it in my warehouse."

"The gold certainly was in the jar when I placed it there, and you must know it, for no one else could have taken it. No one goes into the warehouse without your permission, as you have often told me and then only for some express purpose."

Ali Cogia would have said more, but his fellow merchant interrupted him. "I repeat I know nothing of any gold," he cried angrily. "Go away and do not trouble me any further, or you will find yourself in difficulties. Do you not see how your loud talking has gathered a crowd about my house?"

And indeed a number of people had gathered in front of Abul's house, drawn thither by the sound of the dispute. They listened with curiosity to what the merchants were saying and presently became so interested that they began to discuss the matter among themselves, and to argue and dispute as to which of the merchants was in the right.

At last Ali Cogia, finding that Abul would confess nothing, said, "Very well. I see you are determined to keep the money if possible.

But you shall find it is not as easy to rob me as you seem to think."

Then, laying his hand upon Abul's shoulder, he added, "I summon you to appear with me before the Cadi, that he may decide the matter between us."

Now this is a summons no true Mussulman can disobey. Abul was compelled to go before the Cadi with Ali, and a great crowd of people followed them, eager to know what decision would be given in the matter by the judge.

The Cadi listened attentively to all the two merchants had to say and after reflecting upon the matter he asked, "Abul Ha.s.san, are you ready to swear that you know nothing of the gold Ali Cogia says he left with you, and that you did not disturb the jar?"

"I am," answered the merchant. "And indeed I wish to swear to it," and this he did.

"And you, Ali Cogia; have you any witnesses to prove there was gold in the jar when you left it in Abul Ha.s.san's warehouse?"

"Alas! no; no one knew of it but myself."

"Then it is your word against his. Abul Ha.s.san has sworn that he did not touch the jar, and unless you can bring witnesses to your truth, I cannot compel him to pay you a thousand pieces of gold that you may never have lost."