'
Then he went back to the money-changer's house and found him
beating the girl, because of the bag of money; so he knocked at
the door and the man said, 'Who is there? Quoth the thief, 'I
am the servant of thy neighbour in the bazaar.' So he came out
to him and said, 'What is thy business?' 'My master salutes
thee,' replied the thief, 'and says to thee, "Surely, thou art
mad to cast the like of this bag of money down at the door of
thy shop and go away and leave it! Had a stranger chanced on
it, he had made off with it." And except my master had seen it
and taken care of it, it had been lost to thee.' So saying, he
pulled out the purse and showed it to the money-changer, who
said, 'That is indeed my purse,' and put out his hand to take
it; but the thief said, 'By Allah, I will not give it thee,
till thou write me a receipt; for I fear my master will not
believe that thou hast duly received the purse, except I bring
him a writing to that effect, under thy hand and seal.' So the
money-changer went in to write the receipt; but, in the
meantime, the thief made off with the bag of money, having
[thus] saved the slave-girl her beating.
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