ou or I."

Ali Cogia conducted the merchant before the tribunal of the cadi,
where he accused him of having stolen a thousand pieces of gold which
were deposited in his care, relating the fact as it took place. The
cadi inquired if he had any witnesses. He replied that he had not
taken this precaution, because he supposed the person to whom he had
intrusted his money to be his friend, and till now an honest man.

The merchant urged nothing more in his defence than what he had
already said to Ali Cogia in the presence of his neighbors, and he
concluded by offering to take his oath not only that it was false that
he had taken the thousand pieces of gold, but even that he had any
knowledge of their being in his possession. The cadi accepted the
oath, after which he was dismissed as innocent.

Ali Cogia, extremely mortified to find himself condemned to suffer so
considerable a loss, protested against the sentence, and declared to
the cadi that he would lay his complaint before the Caliph
Haroun-al-Raschid, who would do him justice; but the cadi did not
regard this threat, and he considered it merely as the effect of the
resentment natural to all who lose their cause, and he thought he had
performed his duty by acquitting one who was accused without any
witnesses to prove the fact.

While the merchant was triumphing in his success over Ali Cogia, and
indulging his joy at having made so good a bargain of the thousand
pieces of gold, Ali Cogia went to draw up a petition. And the next
day, having chosen the time when the caliph should return from midday
prayers, he placed himself in a street which led to the mosque, and
when he passed, held out his hand with the petition. An officer to
whom this function belongs, who was walking before the caliph,
instantly left his place and came to take it, that he might present it
to his master.

As Ali Cogia knew that it was the usual custom of the Caliph
Haroun-al-Raschid, when he returned to his palace, to examine with his
own eyes all the petitions that were presented to him in this way, he
therefore followed the procession, went into the palace, and waited
till the officer who had taken the petition should come out of the
apartment of the caliph. When he made his appearance he told Ali Cogia
that the caliph had read his petition, and appointed the following day
to give him an audience; and having inquired of him where the
merchant lived, he sent to give him notice to attend the ne