give up this jewel to that one of you alone who will refrain from adding my murder to the list of his iniquities."
As he said this, the merchant perceived the gentlest of the robbers twitching an open palm towards him. Throwing to him the jewel, he said: "Take it and run, and may Allah reward you for your mercy!"
The robber having the jewel in possession fled, pursued by the other two, who presently came up with him. The conflict which ensued was watched by the merchant with interest. Many hard blows were exchanged ere the gentle robber came off exhausted but victorious leaving the other two dead upon the ground.
Then the merchant advanced towards him with a bold front and demanded the restoration of the jewel. The gentle robber, seeing himself now weakened by wounds, and the merchant strong, made no difficulty about returning the stolen property.
"Your shameless greed has saved my life," said the merchant, "but it is not well in the eyes of Allah that you should go unpunished." Having said so, he bound his preserver to a tree and bastinadoed him unsparingly. "One feels no gratitude," he added, "to those who benefit us by the exercise of ill-gotten power."
"I should think," wept the gentle robber as the merchant was departing, "that you must be an Emperor yourself to play such a high and mighty mean trick on one whom you yourself led into temptation!"
