The History Of Ali Cogia - From The Arabian Nights

: Tales Of Folk And Fairies

In the city of Bagdad there once lived a merchant named Ali Cogia.

This merchant was faithful and honest in all his dealings, but he had

never made the holy pilgrimage to Mecca. He often felt troubled over

this, for he knew he was neglecting a religious duty, but he was so

occupied with his business affairs that it was difficult for him to

leave home. Year after year he planned to make the pilgrimage, but

always he pos
poned it, hoping for some more convenient time.



One night the merchant had a dream so vivid that it was more like a

vision than a dream. In this dream or vision an old man appeared

before him and, regarding him with a severe and reproachful look,

said, "Why have you not made the pilgrimage to Mecca?"



When Ali Cogia awoke he felt greatly troubled. He feared this dream

had been sent him as a reproach and a warning from heaven. He was

still more troubled when the next night he dreamed the same dream; and

when upon the third night the old man again appeared before him and

asked the same question, he determined to delay no longer, but to set

out upon the pilgrimage as soon as possible.



To this end he sold off all his goods except some that he decided to

carry with him to Mecca and to dispose of there. He settled all his

debts and rented his shop and his house to a friend, and as he had

neither wife nor family, he was now free to set out at any time.



The sale of his goods had brought in quite a large sum of money, so

that after he had set aside as much as was needed for the journey he

found he had still a thousand gold pieces left over.



These he determined to leave in some safe place until his return. He

put the money in an olive jar and covered it over with olives and

sealed it carefully. He then carried the jar to a friend named Abul

Hassan, who was the owner of a large warehouse.



"Abul Hassan," said he, "I am about to make the journey to Mecca, as

you perhaps know. I have here a jar of olives that I would like to

leave in your warehouse until my return, if you will allow me to do

so."



Abul Hassan was quite willing that his friend should do this and gave

him the keys of the warehouse, bidding him place the jar wherever he

wished. "I will gladly keep it until you return," said he, "and you

may rest assured the jar will not be disturbed until such time as you

shall come and claim it."



Ali Cogia thanked his friend and carried the jar into the warehouse,

placing it in the farthest and darkest corner where it would not be in

the way. Soon after he set out upon his journey to Mecca.



When Ali Cogia left Bagdad he had no thought but that he would return

in a year's time at latest. He made the journey safely, in company

with a number of other pilgrims. Arrived in Mecca, he visited the

celebrated temples and other objects of interest that were there. He

performed all his religious duties faithfully, and after that he went

to the bazaar and secured a place where he could display the goods he

had brought with him.



One day a stranger came through the bazaar and stopped to admire the

beauty of the things Ali had for sale.



"It is a pity," said the stranger, "that you should not go to Cairo.

You could go there at no great expense, and I feel assured that you

would receive a far better price for your goods there than here. I

know, for I have lived in that city all my life, and I am familiar

with the prices that are paid for such fine merchandise as yours." The

stranger talked with Ali for some time and then passed on his way.



After he had gone the merchant meditated upon what had been said, and

he finally determined to follow the stranger's advice and to take such

goods as he had left to Cairo, and place them on sale there. This he

did and found that, as the stranger had promised, the prices he could

get there were much higher than those paid in Mecca.



While Ali Cogia was in Cairo he made the acquaintance of some people

who were about to journey down into Egypt by caravan. They urged Ali

to join them, and after some persuasion he consented to do so, as he

had always wished to see that country. From Egypt Ali Cogia journeyed

to Constantinople, and then on to other cities and countries. Time

flew by so rapidly that when, finally, Ali stopped to reckon up how

long it was since he had left Bagdad, he found that seven years had

elapsed.



He now determined to return without delay to his own city. He found a

camel that suited him, and having bought it he packed upon it such

goods as he had left, and set out for Bagdad.



Now all the while that Ali Cogia had been travelling from place to

place the jar containing the gold pieces had rested undisturbed and

forgotten in Abul Hassan's warehouse. Abul and his wife sometimes

talked of Ali and wondered when he would return and how he had fared

upon his journey. They were surprised at his long absence and feared

some misfortune might have come upon him. At one time there was a

rumor that he was dead, but this rumor was afterward denied.



Now the very day that Ali Cogia set out upon his return journey Abul

Hassan and his wife were seated at the table at their evening meal,

and their talk turned upon the subject of olives.



"It is a long time since we have had any in the house," said the wife.

"Indeed, I do not remember when I last tasted one, and yet it is my

favorite fruit. I wish we had some now."



"Yes, we must get some," said Abul Hassan. "And by the way, that

reminds me of the jar that Ali Cogia left with us. I wonder whether

the olives in it are still good. They have been there for some years

now."



"Yes, for seven years," replied his wife. "No doubt they are all

spoiled by this time."



"That I will see," said Abul Hassan, rising and taking up a light. "If

they are still good we might as well have some, for I do not believe

Ali Cogia will ever return to claim the jar."



His wife was horrified. "What are you thinking of?" cried she. "Ali

Cogia entrusted this jar to you, and you gave your word that it would

not be disturbed until he came again to claim it. We heard, indeed,

that he was dead, but this rumor was afterward denied. What opinion

would he have of you if he returned and found you had helped yourself

to his olives?"



Abul Hassan, still holding the light in his hand, waited impatiently

until his wife had finished speaking. Then he replied, "Ali Cogia will

not return; of that I feel assured. And at any rate, if he should, I

can easily replace the olives."



"You can replace the olives, no doubt," answered his wife, "but they

would not be Ali Cogia's olives. This jar is a sacred trust and should

not be disturbed by you under any consideration." But though she spoke

thus strongly she could see by her husband's face that he had not

changed his determination. He now took up the dish and said, "If the

olives are good I will bring a dish full from the jar, but if they are

spoiled, as I suppose they are, I will replace the cover and no one

will be any the wiser."



His wife would have tried again to dissuade him, but without listening

further he went at once to the warehouse. It did not take him long to

find the jar. He took off the cover and found that, as he had

suspected, the olives were spoiled. Wishing to see whether those

beneath were in the same condition he tilted the jar and emptied some

of them out into the dish. What was his surprise to see some gold

pieces fall out with the olives. Abul Hassan could hardly believe his

eyes. Hastily he plunged his hands down into the jar and soon found

that except for the top layer of fruit the whole jar was full of gold

pieces.



Abul Hassan's eyes sparkled with desire. He was naturally a very

avaricious man, and the sight of the gold awakened all his greed. It

had been there in his warehouse, all unknown to him, for seven years.

He felt as though he had been tricked, for, thought he, "All this time

I might have been using this money to advantage by trading with it and

with no harm to any one, for I could have replaced it at any time I

heard Ali Cogia was about to return."



For a while he stood there lost in thought. Then he returned the gold

to the jar, covered it over with olives as before, and replaced the

cover, and taking up the empty dish and the light he returned to his

wife.



"You were quite right," said he carelessly. "The olives were spoiled,

so I did not bring any."



"You should not even have opened the jar," said his wife. "Heaven

grant that no evil may come upon us for this."



To this remark Abul Hassan made no reply, and soon after he and his

wife retired to rest. But the merchant could not sleep. All night he

tossed and twisted, thinking of the gold and planning how he could

make it his own, and it was not until morning that he fell into a

troubled sleep.



The next day he arose early and as soon as the bazaar opened he went

out and bought a quantity of olives. He brought them home and carried

them into the warehouse secretly, and without his wife's knowing

anything about it. Then he again opened Ali Cogia's jar, and having

emptied it of its contents, he filled it with fresh olives and

replaced the cover in such a way that no one, looking at it, would

have known it had been disturbed. He then threw the spoiled olives

away and hid the gold in a secret place known only to himself.



About a month after this Ali Cogia returned to Bagdad. As his own

house was still rented he took a room in a khan and at once hastened

to Abul Hassan's house to get his jar.



Abul Hassan was confounded when he saw Ali Cogia enter his house, for

he had managed to convince himself that Ali must be dead. This he had

done to try to excuse himself in his own eyes for taking the gold.

However he hid his confusion as best he could, and made the returned

traveller welcome, and asked him how he had fared in his journeyings.



Ali Cogia answered his inquiries politely, but he was uneasy and

restless, and as soon as he could make the opportunity he inquired

about the olive jar he had left in the warehouse.



"The jar is there where you put it, I am sure," answered Abul Hassan,

"though I myself have not seen it. I do not even know in what part of

the warehouse you left it. But here are the keys, and as I am busy I

will ask you to get it for yourself."



Ali Cogia made haste to seek out the jar and was much relieved to find

it exactly where he had left it and apparently untouched. He had trust

in Abul Hassan's honor, but a thousand pieces of gold was such a large

sum that he could not but feel some concern until he had it in his own

hands again.



After thanking his fellow merchant for keeping the jar, more earnestly

than seemed necessary, he carried it back to his room in the khan, and

having locked the door he opened it. He removed the two top layers of

olives and was somewhat surprised not to see the gold. However, he

thought he must have covered the money more carefully than he had

supposed. He took out more olives, and then still more, but still

there were no signs of the gold.



Filled with misgivings, Ali Cogia tilted the jar and emptied out the

rest of the olives so hastily that they rolled all over the floor, but

not a single piece of gold was there.



The merchant was dismayed. He could scarcely believe that Abul Hassan

would rob him of his money, and yet there seemed no other explanation.

He knew that the merchant kept his warehouse locked except when he was

there himself, and that no one was allowed to visit it but those with

whom he was well acquainted, and then only upon special business.



Deeply troubled he returned to the merchant's house, determined to

demand an explanation and, if necessary, to force him by law to return

the gold.



Abul Hassan seemed surprised to see Ali return so soon. "Did you

forget something?" he asked. "Or do you wish to speak to me upon some

business?"



"Do you not guess what I have come to speak to you about?" asked Ali.



"How should I guess? Unless it is to thank me again for keeping your

jar for you."



"Abul Hassan, when I went away I left a thousand pieces of gold in the

jar I placed in your warehouse. The gold is now gone. I suppose you

saw some way in which you could use it both for your advantage and my

own. If such is the case, please to give me some receipt for the

money, and I am willing to wait until you can return it to me, but I

think you should have spoken of the matter when I was here before."



Abul Hassan showed the greatest surprise at this address. "I do not

know what you are talking about," said he. "I know nothing about any

gold. If there was any in the jar, which I very much doubt, it must be

there still, for the jar has never been disturbed since you yourself

placed it in my warehouse."



"The gold certainly was in the jar when I placed it there, and you

must know it, for no one else could have taken it. No one goes into

the warehouse without your permission, as you have often told me and

then only for some express purpose."



Ali Cogia would have said more, but his fellow merchant interrupted

him. "I repeat I know nothing of any gold," he cried angrily. "Go away

and do not trouble me any further, or you will find yourself in

difficulties. Do you not see how your loud talking has gathered a

crowd about my house?"



And indeed a number of people had gathered in front of Abul's house,

drawn thither by the sound of the dispute. They listened with

curiosity to what the merchants were saying and presently became so

interested that they began to discuss the matter among themselves, and

to argue and dispute as to which of the merchants was in the right.



At last Ali Cogia, finding that Abul would confess nothing, said,

"Very well. I see you are determined to keep the money if possible.

But you shall find it is not as easy to rob me as you seem to think."

Then, laying his hand upon Abul's shoulder, he added, "I summon you to

appear with me before the Cadi, that he may decide the matter between

us."



Now this is a summons no true Mussulman can disobey. Abul was

compelled to go before the Cadi with Ali, and a great crowd of people

followed them, eager to know what decision would be given in the

matter by the judge.



The Cadi listened attentively to all the two merchants had to say and

after reflecting upon the matter he asked, "Abul Hassan, are you ready

to swear that you know nothing of the gold Ali Cogia says he left with

you, and that you did not disturb the jar?"



"I am," answered the merchant. "And indeed I wish to swear to it," and

this he did.



"And you, Ali Cogia; have you any witnesses to prove there was gold in

the jar when you left it in Abul Hassan's warehouse?"



"Alas! no; no one knew of it but myself."



"Then it is your word against his. Abul Hassan has sworn that he did

not touch the jar, and unless you can bring witnesses to your truth, I

cannot compel him to pay you a thousand pieces of gold that you may

never have lost."



The case was dismissed. Abul Hassan returned to his home, satisfied

and triumphant, but Ali Cogia with hanging head and bitterness of

heart.



But though the Cadi had decided against him, Ali was not willing to

let the matter rest there. He was determined to have justice done him,

even though he were obliged to appeal to the Caliph himself.



At that time Haroun-al-Raschid was Commander of the Faithful. Every

morning Haroun-al-Raschid went to the mosque to offer up prayers,

accompanied by his Grand Vizier and Mesrour the Chief Eunuch. As he

returned to the palace all who had complaints to make or petitions to

offer stationed themselves along the way and gave their complaints and

petitions in written form to Mesrour. Afterward these papers were

presented to the Caliph that he might read them and decide upon their

merits.



The day after the Cadi had dismissed the case of the two merchants,

Ali Cogia set out early in the morning and placed himself beside the

way where he knew the Caliph would pass.



In his hand he carried his complaint against Abul Hassan, written out

in due form. He waited until Haroun-al-Raschid was returning from the

mosque and then put the paper in the hand of Mesrour.



Later, when the Caliph was reading the papers, he was particularly

interested in the one presented by Ali Cogia: "This is a curious

case," said he to his Vizier, "and one which it will be difficult to

decide. Order the two merchants to appear before me to-morrow, and I

will hear what they have to say."



That evening the Caliph and his Vizier disguised themselves, and,

attended only by Mesrour, they went out to wander about the streets of

the city. It was the custom of the Caliph to do this, as in this way

he learned much about his people, their needs and wants and ways of

life, which would otherwise have been hidden from him.



For some time after they set out they heard and saw nothing of

importance, but as they came near to a court that opened off one of

the streets they heard the voices of a number of boys who were at play

there in the moonlight.



The Caliph motioned to his Vizier to be silent, and together they stole

to the opening of the court and looked in. The moon was so bright that

they could see clearly the faces of the boys at play there. They had

gathered about the tallest and most intelligent-looking lad, who

appeared to be their leader.



"Let us act out some play," the leader was saying. "I will be the

Cadi, and you shall bring some case before me to be tried."



"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.



Seeing that all was over the Caliph withdrew, beckoning to the Vizier

and Mesrour to follow him. After they had gone a short distance,

Haroun-al-Raschid turned to the Vizier and asked him what he thought

of the play they had just witnessed.



"I think," said the Vizier, "that the pretended Cadi showed a wisdom

and a judgment that the real Cadi would do well to imitate. I also

think the boy is a lad of remarkable intelligence."



"It is my own thought," replied the Caliph. "Moreover I have a further

thought. You know this very case between Ali Cogia and Abul Hassan is

to appear before me to-morrow, I have it in mind to send you to bring

this boy to the palace, and I will then let him conduct this case in

reality as he has to-day in play."



The Vizier applauded this plan, and he and his master returned to the

palace, still talking of the boy.



The next day the Vizier went back to the court they had visited the

evening before, and after looking about he found the lad who had taken

the part of the Cadi sitting in a doorway. The Vizier approached him

and spoke to him in a kind and friendly manner.



"My boy," said he, "I have come here by order of the Commander of the

Faithful. Last evening, when you were acting your play, he overheard

all that was said, and he wishes to see you at the palace to-day."



The boy was alarmed when he heard this, grew pale, and showed great

uneasiness. "Have I done something wrong?" he asked. "If I have I did

it unknowingly, and I hope I am not to be punished for something I did

without intention."



"You have done no wrong," answered the Vizier, "and it is not to

punish you that the Caliph has sent for you. Indeed he is very much

pleased with your conduct, and his sending for you in this manner is a

great honor." He then told the lad what it was the Caliph wished him

to do.



Instead of being put at ease by this the lad showed even greater

discomfort. "This seems a strange thing for me to do," said he:--"to

decide a case between two grown men--I who am only a child. I am

afraid I will not be able to please the Caliph, and that he will be

angry with me."



"Conduct the case as wisely as you did last night when you were

playing," answered the Vizier, "and the Caliph will not be displeased

with you."



The boy then asked permission to go and tell his mother where he was

going and for what purpose, and to this the Vizier consented.



When the lad's mother heard that he was to go to the palace to act as

judge in a case of such importance she could hardly believe her ears.

She was frightened lest the lad should in some way offend the Caliph

by saying or doing something ill-judged.



The lad tried to reassure her, though he himself was far from being at

ease.



"If the Caliph was pleased with the way I conducted the case last

night I do not think he can be so very much displeased with me

to-day," said he; "for I feel sure that only in this way can we

discover the truth between the two merchants."



When the lad returned to the Vizier he looked very grave, and as they

went along together on their way to the palace the Vizier tried in

every way to put him more at ease and give him confidence.



Immediately upon their arrival at the palace they were shown into the

room where the Caliph was sitting. Haroun-al-Raschid greeted the boy

with no less kindness than the Vizier had shown and asked him if he

understood the purpose for which he had been brought thither.



The lad said he did.



"Then let the two merchants come in," said the 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 the case to him. "When I pronounced sentence last

night, it was but in play," said he. "But this is not play. A man's

life is at stake, and I dare not pronounce sentence upon him."



To this request the Caliph agreed. "Abul Hassan, you have condemned

yourself," he said. He then bade the guards take Abul Hassan away and

execute him according to the law.



Before the wretched man was hanged, however, he confessed his guilt

and told where he had hidden the thousand pieces of gold that belonged

to Ali Cogia.



After Abul had been led away the Caliph caressed and praised the lad

for conducting the case so wisely and with so much judgment.



"As for you," said he to the Cadi, "you have not shown the wisdom I

demand from my judges. Learn from this child that such cases are not

to be dismissed lightly, but to be inquired into with judgment and

care. Otherwise it may go ill with you."



The Cadi retired, full of shame, but the Caliph ordered that a hundred

pieces of gold should be given to the boy and that he should be sent

home to his mother with honor.



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