The Merchant of Baghdad
Why did Sajid take out some gold coins from the jar?
Answers
Answer:
Explanation:
This story takes place over a thousand years ago, when a good and kind king named Haroun al-Raschid ruled the land of Persia.
In the capital city of Baghdad where the king lived, there also lived a merchant named Ali. Ali needed to travel on a long journey, and so he sold nearly all of his household goods and rented out his home. The only thing left for Ali to do was to find a safe place to leave his private treasure - one thousand pieces of gold. Finally, he decided to put the gold coins into a large jar and cover the coins with olives. When he had closed the cover of the jar, he carried it to a friend of his, who was also a merchant, and said to him, "You know, my friend, in a few days I plan to leave for my journey. I beg you to take charge of this jar of olives, and keep it for me till I return."
The merchant promised that he would. In a friendly manner he said, "Here, take the key of my warehouse. Set your jar where you like. I promise you shall find it there when you return."
Ali's journey lasted much longer than he expected. In fact, he was seven years gone from Baghdad, when he finally was able to return.
All this time his friend, with whom he had left his jar of olives, did not think of him or of the jar. One evening this merchant was having supper with his family and the conversation happened to fall upon olives. The merchant's wife mentioned that she had not tasted any for a long time.
"Now that you speak of olives," said the merchant, "you remind me of a jar that Ali left with me seven years ago. He put it in my warehouse to be kept for him until he returned. What has become of him I do not know. When the caravan came back, they told me he had gone on to Egypt. Certainly he must be dead by now, since he has not returned in all this time. We may as well go ahead and eat the olives, if they are still good. Give me a plate and a candle. I will fetch some of them and we'll taste them."
"Please, husband," said the wife, "do not commit so base an action. You know that nothing is more sacred than what is committed to one's care and trust. Besides, do you think the olives can be good, after they've been kept so long? They must be all moldy and spoiled. Besides, what if Ali were to return? He would find out his jar had been opened, and what would he think of your honor? I beg of you to leave them alone."
Just the same, after supper the merchant entered the warehouse. He found the jar, opened it and found the olives moldy. But to see if they were all in the same condition down to the bottom, he shook the jar and some of the gold coins tumbled out.
The merchant noticed at once that the top only was laid with olives, and everything else in the jar was gold coins. He immediately put the coins back into the jar again, covering them with the olives as before, and returned to his wife. "Indeed, wife," said he, "you were in the right to say that the olives were all moldy for I found them so. I have made up the jar just as Ali left it. He will not notice that they had been touched, if he should ever return."
In the days ahead, the merchant could think of nothing else but how he might appropriate Ali's gold for his own use, and yet escape detection in case his old friend should return and ask for the jar. The next morning the merchant went and bought some olives of that year, then secretly went and emptied the jar both of the old moldy olives and of the gold. Filling the jar entirely with new olives, he covered it up and put it in the place where Ali had left it.
About a month later, Ali arrived back to Baghdad. The next morning he went to pay a visit to his friend, the merchant, who expressed great joy at his return after so many years away.
After the usual compliments on both sides, Ali asked the merchant to return him the jar of olives which he had left with him, and thanked him for having kept the jar safely for all this time.
"My dear friend," replied the merchant, "your jar has been no inconvenience. There is the key of my warehouse. Go and fetch your jar. You will find it where you left it."
Ali went into the merchant's warehouse, took his jar, and after having returned the key, and thanking his friend once again for the favor, he returned with the jar to where he was temporarily lodged. But on opening the jar, and putting his hand down as low as the pieces of gold had lain, he was greatly surprised to find no gold pieces in the jar! At first he thought he might perhaps be mistaken. To discover the truth, he poured out all the olives, but without so much as finding one single gold coin. For some time, he stood entirely still. Then he cried out, "Is it possible?"
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