89-9 - The Story of the Hunchback (16 of 21) :
The Story of the Barber's Third Brother

On the 32nd Night contd ...

So the Barber started the story of his third brother - "My third brother's name is Al-Fakeek, the Gabbler, he is blind. Fate and Destiny impelled him one day to go to a large house. He knocked the door in the hope that its master will open the door and he might beg him a small thing. The owner called out - "Who is it?" But my brother did not answer the call; then heard him call in a loud voice - "Who is this?" Still he did not answer him. Then he came down and opened the door and asked him - "What do you want?" My brother said - "Something in the name of God." "Are you blind? Then give me your hand." My brother stretched out his hand, the man held his hand and took him into the house. He led him staircase to staircase until they reached at the highest point in the house. My brother thought that he would give him some food or money.

The owner asked him again - "What do you want?" "I desire something for the sake of God." The man replied - "May God open to you some other door." My brother said - "But you could say this to me when I was below." "You should have asked me this while you heard my voice first time." "Does this mean that you should behave like this to me." The man said - "I have nothing to give you." "Then take me downstairs." "The way is before you." So my brother continued to descend  until there remained, between the door and him, only 20 steps. That his foot slipped and he fell down and broke his head.

He went forth, not knowing where to go and he met two other blind men, his companions, who asked him - "What did you gain today?" My brother told them the event that happened with him and then said - "I wish to take some money which is in our possession to expend it on myself." Now the owner of the house which he had entered just before, had followed him, to know about him, without his knowledge until he entered his house and went inside the house, still unknown. 

My brother was waiting for his companions. When they came in, he said to them - "Shut the door and search the room lest any stranger has followed us. When that owner of the house heard this he clung to a rope attached to the ceiling. The other blind searched the room feeling everything in the room and could not find anybody. So they sat down with my brother, brought forth their money and counted it - it was more than 12,000 pieces of silver. Each took as much as he wanted, and then they laid it in a corner of the room. Then they ate, but my brother heard the sound of a strange movement of jaws by his side, so he asked his friends - "Is there any stranger among us?" Then he stretched forth his hand and grasped the hand of the stranger. He cried out - "Here is the stranger," and they fell upon him, hit him until they were tired. Then they called the people that they had found a thief in their house and he wanted to steal their property.

At this the stranger also shut his eyes, pretending to be blind, and shouted - "I want protection of Allaah and Valee. I have some important information to give to Ameer." But the officers of Valee arrested them all and took them to Valee. The Valee asked - "What is the matter?" The stranger said - "The truth of our case will not be known to you until you begin by beating me before others," and he pointed out towards my brother. So the Valee asked his people to beat him. They beat him 400 sticks. When they were beating him, he opened his one eye, then later he opened the other eye. Valee asked him - "What is this?" The man said - "Grant me immunity, I will tell you everything." The Valee granted his request.

He said - "We four pretend that we are blind. We go to other's houses, see their women, take their money. By these ways we have acquired 10,000 pieces of silver. When I said to my companions, "Give me my due, 3,000,"  they beat me and took my property. I beg your protection. If you desire to know the truth, beat each of them more than you have beaten me and he will open his eyes."

So the Valee immediately ordered to beat them and the first of them who suffered was my brother. They continued beating him until he almost died. Valee said to them - "You are denying God's gift pretending to be blind." My brother said - "There is none among us who can see." But they did not listen to him and continued beating him until he became unconscious. The the Valee asked them to leave him until he recovered. The man asked them to open their eyes otherwise the officers would beat them more.

Then he said to the Valee - "Send somebody with me to bring that property for these men will not open their eyes fearing the disgrace before the spectators." So the Valee sent a man with him and they brought the money. He gave 3,000 pieces of silver to the informer according to the share and retained the rest and banished my brother and the two other men from the city. But I went forth and overtook my brother and he told me what had happened to him. I then brought him back secretly and allotted him a supply of food and drink till he lives.

The Caliph laughed at my story and said - "Give him a present and let him go." But I replied - "I will not take anything until I have declared to the Caliph what happened to the rest of my brothers." So I proceeded thus ....

Contd on 17th Page