The Story of the Prince and the Just Judge

It is told that in ancient times there was a just prince in a country of Muslim lands. One day he heard that the new judge of the country was spoken about by everyone for his justice and cleverness, and that no one could deceive him. The prince wanted to know the secret of his wisdom and confirm the news that had reached him.

The prince disguised himself as a merchant, took his horse, and headed toward the city. On his way, he found a disabled man who stopped him asking for charity. The disguised prince gave to him and wanted to leave, but the disabled man stopped him and pulled him by his cloak. The disguised prince asked him: What is the matter with you? I have given you the money you requested. The disabled man said to him: I wanted you to do me a favor and carry me to the city square on your horse.

The disguised prince agreed to take the disabled man and lifted him onto his horse and took him to the city square. But the disabled man refused to come down from the horse. The disguised prince became angry at this action and asked him: Why do you not come down? I have brought you to what you requested. The disabled man said to him: And why should I come down from this royal horse?

The dispute intensified between them, and the disguised prince’s anger increased. People gathered around them and suggested that they go to the city judge to judge between them.

Indeed, the disguised prince, the disabled man, and the people around them went to the judge. At that time, the usher was calling the cases in order, so he called the first case, which was between a carpenter and a ghee seller. The carpenter began to speak and said: I used to buy ghee from this seller. When I tried to pull the money from my pocket, the ghee seller snatched it from me and tried to take the money in it. We came here, and he is holding my hand and wants to steal my wallet.

Then it was the ghee seller’s turn. He said: What this man says is not true; he is a liar. This wallet belongs to me. When this man bought ghee from me, he gave me a piece of gold money and wanted to take the remaining money for him. So I gave him the rest and put the wallet on the table. He tried to steal it, but I seized him before he fled and brought him here so that you could judge between us. The judge said to them after moments of long silence and thought: Leave the wallet here and come tomorrow.

Then came the turn of the disguised prince and the disabled man. The disguised prince in the guise of a merchant began to speak, saying what had happened. The judge pointed to the disabled man to bring his argument. The disabled man said to him: Everything this man said is not true. The truth is that I was riding this horse of mine and saw him on my way sitting on the ground. He asked me to take him to the middle of the city, and I allowed him to ride. I brought him there, but he refused to come down and claimed that he owned my horse. That is why I brought him here. The judge thought a little and said: Go now and leave the horse and return in the morning.

In the morning, the disputants came to the court. The carpenter and ghee seller advanced to hear the judge’s ruling. The judge said to the carpenter: Take the wallet, for it is yours. As for the ghee seller, flog him fifty lashes.

Then came the turn of the disguised prince and the disabled man. The judge said to the disguised prince: Can you recognize your horse among 20 horses? The disguised prince said to him that he could certainly do that. The disabled man said that he too could recognize it.

So the judge took them to the stable, and both recognized the horse among 20 other horses. The judge said to the disguised prince: Take your horse, for it is yours. As for this man, he will be flogged fifty lashes.

After the judge finished his work, the disguised prince went to him and wanted to ask him about the secret of his knowledge of the truth in the two cases. The judge said to him: As for the case of the carpenter and the ghee seller, I took the money and put it in water, and waited to see if oily impurities would float on the surface of the water. They would be from the traces of the ghee seller’s hands, and the wallet would be his. But that did not happen, so I confirmed that it belonged to the carpenter.

As for your case and the disabled man, it was more difficult. When I took you both to the stable, that was not so that you could recognize the horse, but so that I could see the horse’s reaction when he saw you. Indeed, the horse extended his head toward you until you placed your hands on him in affection. When the disabled man approached him, he raised his ears and turned his head away in rejection, so I knew that he was yours.

The disguised prince thanked him for his wisdom and good deed, and told him that he was not a merchant but the prince of the country, and he had disguised himself in this attire so that he could see his wisdom in investigating cases. The prince wanted to reward him, but the judge refused and said that this was his duty.