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The Story of Ali Cogia
Merchant of Baghdad There lived at Baghdad a reputable merchant named
Ali Cogia, of a moderate fortune and contented with his
situation, and therefore happy.
It happened that for three nights following he dreamed that a
venerable old man came to him, and with a sever look,
reprimanded him for not not having made a pilgrimage to Mecca.
As a good Muslim, Ali Cogia knew it was his duty to undertake
such a pilgrimage. But he contented himself with determining to
set about it some distant day. When that day came, he was never
without an excuse to postpone his journey, and renew his
resolution.
These dreams awakened his conscience. he converted his
substance into cash, half of which he laid out in merchandise,
to traffic with as he journeyed. the other half he deposited in
a jar, which he filled with olives, and requested a friend of
his to suffer it to remain in his warehouse till the Caravan
should return from Mecca. he mentioned it as a jar of olives
only, without saying a word of the money at the bottom of it.
Noureddin, which was the name of his friend, very obligingly
gave him the key of his warehouse, and desired him to set his
jar where he pleased, promising it should remain untouched till
his return.
When the caravan was ready, Ali Cogia set out for Mecca,
where he performed very exactly all those ceremonies which are
observed at that holy place. The duties of his pilgrimage being
completed, he went to Cairo, and thence to Damascus, trading all
the way to considerable advantage. having a great desire to see
the world, he went to other celebrated cities, taking Jerusalem
in his way, that he might view the temple, which is looked upon
by all Muslims to be the most holy after Mecca. In short, his
journey was so long that seven years elapsed before he returned
to Baghdad.
All this time the jar of olives stood undisturbed in
Noureddin's warehouse. But it so fell out, a few days before Ali
Cogia came home, that the wife of Noureddin chanced to wish for
some olives. This brought to his mind the jar his friend had
left with him so long ago. He determined to open and examine
them. His wife in vain represented to him how base and
dishonorable it was to meddle with anything left in his hands as
a trust. Noureddin was obstinate: he opened the the jar and
found all the olives at the top were moldy. Hoping to find them
better at the bottom, he emptied them all out, and with them
turned out the bag which Ali Cogia had deposited there.
Noureddin was a man whose general conduct was specious. He
was exceedingly careful to preserve his reputation. But in his
heart he was a slave to avarice. And like all other very
covetous men, he was as honest as his interest obliged him to
be.. At the sight of so much money, he determined to seize it.
And finding it impossible to replace the olives so as to appear
as they were before he open the jar, threw them away, and filled
it with new ones.
When Ali Cogia arrived, his first care was to visit Noureddin.
This traitor affected great joy to see him again after so long
an absence. And of his own accord offered him the key of his
warehouse to fetch his jar.
When Ali Cogia had conveyed the jar home and turned it out,
he was surprised to see that his gold had been taken away. He
returned to Noureddin, and endeavored, by friendly reasoning, to
prevail with him to do justice. The base merchant was callous to
every consideration of that kind. He concluded that, as Ali
Cogia could produce no proof of his having lodged treasure in
the jar, his own general fair character would bear him out
against one who had been absent so long that he was almost
unknown in his native city. Nor was he mistaken. The Qadi,
hearing Al Cogia's complaint, called upon Noureddin for his
defense.
Noureddin said, "'Tis true that seven years ago Ali
Cogia, at his own request, left a jar in my warehouse, which he
told me was filled with olives. I never saw the jar. He carried
it thither himself, left it where he pleased, and found it in
the same place, covered as he left it. He has no witness to
prove that he put a treasure in it. Might he not as well have
demanded a jar of diamonds? In short, I declare that I never had
this money, or even knew there was any in the jar. This I am
ready to declare on my oath."
Finding Ali Cogia could bring no testimony to confirm his
bare assertion, the Qadi determined the affair by a short
process and, admitting Noureddin to justify himself on oath,
dismissed the complaint. The sufferer did not so easily put up
with his loss. he appealed to the caliph, and a day was fixed
for the hearing in the divan, Noureddin duly summoned to attend.
The evening before the cause was to come on, the Caliph and
his vizier were walking in disguise about the city, when they
met with a group of children, and heard one of them say,
"Come, let us play at the Qadi. I will be the Qadi. Bring
Ali Cogia and the merchant who cheated him of his gold before
me." Reminded thus of the cause which was to come before
him next day, the Caliph attended to the motions of the
children.
The pretended Qadi took his seat. Presently, one of the
children, representing Ali Cogia, repeated his complaint.; and
another, as Noureddin made the same answer he had done, and
offered to confirm his innocence by an oath. Another boy was
about to administer the oath but the imaginary Qadi prevented
him, saying "Let me see the jar of olives." It was
supposed to be brought forward; and each each party owned it to
supposed to be brought forward; and every party owned it to be
the identical jar in dispute.
The young Qadi then ordered it to be opened, and pretended to
eat some of the fruit. "These olives," said he,
"are excellent. I cannot think they have been kept for
seven years. Send for a couple of olive merchants."
Two other lads stood forward as olive merchants. The
pretended Qadi demanded how long olives keep fit to eat. They
answered, "That with the utmost care they would lose their
taste and color by the third year." "Look then,"
said the young Qadi, "into that jar, and tell me how old
those olives are." The two imaginary merchants seemed to
examine and taste the olives, and reported them to be new and
good. "New!" replied the judge. "Noureddin is
ready to swear they have stood seven years in his
warehouse!" "It is impossible," said the young
merchants. "we know better and are sure that these olives
are of the present year's growth." The imaginary criminal
would have replied, but the young Qadi would not hear him.
"You are a rogue." said he, "and ought to be
hanged." The children put an end to their play, by
clapping their hands with a great deal of joy, and seizing
the criminal to carry him to execution. The caliph listened to
what passed with much attention. After musing a few moments, he
ordered his grand vizier to find out the boy who had represented
the magistrate, and bring him to the divan next morning. He
directed the Qadi and two olive merchants to attend and sent
orders to Ali Cogia that he should bring the jar of olives with
him. When the divan met and all the parties attended, the
child was presented to the Caliph, who asked him if it was he
who determined the cause last night at play, between Ali Cogia
and Noureddin. The boy modestly answered, "It was."
The Caliph seeing the child was awed by his presence, embraced
and commended him. "You shall now, my dear," said he,
"decide between the real parties; come and sit down by
me." Then turning to Ali Cogia and his adversary, he bade
them plead their cause before that child, who should do them
both justice. "If," continued the caliph, "he
should be at a loss, I will assist him." The attention of
everyone present was turned, in an extraordinary degree, to this
singular trial. Ali Cogia and Noureddin pleaded against each
other much in the same manner as the children had done the
evening before. When Noureddin offered to take his oath, the boy
said, "It is too soon. Let us see the jar of olives." An
examination of the quality and age of the fruit now took place.
Everything which had passed among the children, in their play,
was repeated seriously, before the Caliph, in the divan. The
treachery of Noureddin was apparent, when the child, instead of
ordering him to be hanged, looked up to the Caliph, and said,
"Commander of the Faithful, this is not play. It is your
majesty that must condemn him to death and not me, though I did
it last night among my comrades." Fully convinced of
Noureddin's villany, the Caliph ordered him into the hands of
his ministers of justice to be hanged immediately and
confiscated his effects to the use of Ali Cogia. Then turning to
the Qadi, the monarch reprehended him severely and bade him
learn from the child how to do his duty in the future. At the
close of the divan, the caliph again embraced the boy, and sent
him home to his parents with a purse of gold and the applause
his early abilities deserved.
Source: Arabian Nights' Entertainment * * * *
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