“I would like to make him a savory dish with poison in it to kill him,” said the fourth.
Then the judge sprang up and cruelly punished his wives and put them in chains.
And upon another day, the judge arose early and went out to see how his slaves worked. Under the house, hunting for something, he saw a man.
“What do you seek?” asked the judge.
“I have just stolen from the judge all of his silver, and, in trying to get it through a small opening, I broke my finger-nail. If I do not find it, the judge will die and all his possessions will be destroyed, for, as thou knowest, ever is it thus, if a finger-nail falls near a house.”
When the man had found the broken nail, the judge said, “I, who stand here, am the judge. I will but take from you the silver which you have stolen and no punishment shall be yours, because of the truth which you have told.” Then the judge said to himself, “The two puns of gold was a small price to pay for the wisdom which I have obtained.”
[20]: A fabulous “City of Wisdom.”
[21]: A pun—about 3 lbs. avoir.
