Caliph.

Ali Cogia and Abul Hassan were at once brought in by the officers of
the court. Ali Cogia brought with him the jar of olives, for so he had
been commanded to do.

The Cadi who had judged between the two merchants had also been
ordered to attend, and he entered and took the place assigned to him.

The Caliph then turned to the lad and bade him open the case by
bidding the merchants tell their stories, and this, after a moment's
pause, the lad did.

Ali Cogia told his story just as he had before, stating that he had
left with Abul Hassan seven years before a thousand pieces of gold
packed in a jar and covered over with olives.

"Is this the jar you left with Abul Hassan?" asked the boy, pointing
to the jar Ali had brought into court.

Ali stated that it was.

"Abul Hassan, do you also say this is the jar Ali Cogia left with
you?" asked the lad.

Abul answered that it was. He also asked to be allowed to take his
oath that the jar had not been disturbed after it was left in his
warehouse until Ali Cogia had returned and removed it.

"That is not necessary at present," answered the boy. "First let some
expert olive merchants be brought in."

Several olive dealers, the most expert in the city, had been sent for,
and they now came forward.

The lad asked these real merchants the same questions he had asked of
the feigned merchants the night before. "How long," said he, "is it
possible to keep olives good?"

And the merchants answered, as had the boys, "Not more than three
years, for no matter how carefully they have been packed, after that
time they lose both color and flavor."

"Look in that jar," said the lad, "and tell us how long you think
those olives have been kept there."

The merchants examined the olives with the greatest care, and then
they all agreed that the olives were of that year's growth and quite
fresh.

"And do you not think it possible they may have been kept a year or
so?"

"No, it is not possible," answered the merchants. "We know, of a
surety, as we have already said, that these olives are of this year's
growth, and have only recently been packed in the jar."

When Ali Cogia heard this he gave a cry of surprise, but Abul Hassan
was silent; his face grew as pale as ashes, and his legs failed under
him, for he knew that the merchants, in saying this, had pronounced
sentence against him.

But the lad turned to the Caliph and begged that he might now be
allowed to hand over