Part 16

"Very well," cried another. "But what case shall we take?"

"Let us take the case of Ali Cogia and Abul Hassan. We all know about that, and if it had come before me I should have decided it differently from the way the Cadi did."

All the boys agreed to this by clapping their hands.

The leader then appointed one boy to take the part of Ali Cogia and another to be Abul Hassan. Still others were chosen to be guards and merchants and so on.

The Caliph and his Vizier were much amused by this play of the boys, and they sat down upon a bench so conveniently placed that they could see all that went on without themselves being observed.

The pretended Cadi took his seat and commanded that Abul Hassan and Ali Cogia should be brought before him. "And let Ali Cogia bring with him the jar of olives in which he said he hid the gold," said he.

The lads who were taking the parts of Ali Cogia and Abul Hassan were now led forward by some of the other boys and were told by the pretended Cadi to state their cases. This they did clearly, for the case had been much talked about by their elders, and they were well acquainted with all the circumstances and had discussed them among themselves.

The pretended Cadi listened attentively to what they said, and then addressing the lad who took the part of Abul he asked, "Abul Hassan, are you willing to swear that you have not touched the jar nor opened it?"

The pretended merchant said he was.

The lad then asked, "Has Ali Cogia brought the jar of olives into court with him?"

"It is here," said the boys who were taking the parts of officers of the court.

The feigned Cadi ordered them to place the jar before him, which they pretended to do. He then went through the motions of lifting the lid and examining the olives and even of tasting one.

"These are very fine olives," said he. "Ali Cogia, when did you say you placed this jar in the warehouse?"

"It was when I left Bagdad, seven years ago," answered the pretended merchant.

"Abul Hassan, is that so?"

The boy who acted the part of Abul said that it was.

"Let the olive merchants be brought into court," commanded the pretended Cadi.

The boys who were taking the parts of olive merchants now came forward.

"Tell me," said the feigned Cadi, "how long is it possible to keep olives?"

"However great the care that is taken," they answered, "it is impossible to preserve them for more than three years. After that time they lose both color and flavor and are fit for nothing but to be thrown out." The boys spoke with assurance, for their fathers were among the most expert olive dealers in the city, and they knew what they were talking about.

The pretended Cadi then bade them examine the olives in the jar and tell him how old they were. "As you see," said he, "they are of a fine color, large, and of a delicious fresh taste."

The feigned merchants pretended to examine them carefully and then announced the olives were of that year's growth.

"But Ali Cogia says he left them with Abul Hassan seven years ago, and to this statement Abul Hassan agrees."

"It is impossible they should have been kept that long," answered the feigned merchants. "As we tell you, after three years olives are worth nothing, and at the end of seven years they would be utterly spoiled. These are fresh olives and of this year's growth."

The boy who took the part of Abul Hassan would have tried to explain and make excuses, but the pretended Cadi bade him be silent.

"You have sworn falsely," said he, "and also proved yourself a thief."

Then to the pretended guards he cried, "Take him away and let him be hung according to the law."

The feigned guards dragged away the boy who was acting Abul Hassan and then, the play being finished, all the boys clapped their hands and shouted their approval of the way the feigned Cadi had conducted the case.