Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 5.djvu/109

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THE KAZI ABU YUSUF WITH HARUN AL-RASHID AND QUEEN ZUBAYDAH


The Caliph Harun al-Rashid went up one noon-tide to his couch, to lie down; and mounting, found upon the bed-clothes semen freshly emitted; whereat he was startled and troubled with sore trouble.  So he called the Lady Zubaydah and said to her, “What is that spilt on the bed?”  She looked at it and replied, “O Commander of the Faithful, it is semen.”  Quoth he, “Tell me truly what this meaneth or I will lay violent hands on thee forthright.”  Quoth she, “By Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, indeed I know not how it came there and I am guiltless of that whereof you suspectest me.”  So he sent for the Kazi Abú Yúsuf and acquainted him of the case.  The Judge raised his eyes to the ceiling and, seeing a crack therein, said to the Caliph, “O Commander of the Faithful, in very sooth the bat hath seed like that of a man, [FN#121] and this is bat’s semen.”  Then he called for a spear and thrust it into the crevice, whereupon down fell the bat.  In this manner the Caliph’s suspicions were dispelled, -- And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.


When it was the Three hundred and Eighty-ninth Night

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Kazi Abu Yusuf took the spear and thrust it into the crevice, down fell the bat, and thus the Caliph’s suspicions were dispelled and the innocence of Zubaydah was made manifest; whereat she gave loud and liberal vent to her joy and promised Abu Yusuf a magnificent reward.  Now there were with her certain delicious fruits, out of their season, and she knew of others in the garden;