A WISE KADI.

Western Star, Issue 1244, 21 April 1888, Page 1 (Supplement)

A WISE KADI.

On board a ship which sailed in the Eastern seas there was a passenger who, as a milkman at Constantinople, had made money, which he kept in a bag in his cabin, and was very fond of retiring there and counting it over. Now, the captain had a pet monkey that used to watch this man, and seeing him sb often going to tins bag he thought there must be something in it worth examining; so one day he watched his opportunity, ran into the man’s cabin, seized the bag, and climbed with it up the mainsail-yard. The man soon missed his bag, and soon found out where it had gone, for the monkey began taking out the gold coins and throwing them alternately on thei deck and into the sea. ' Those that fell bn the deck the poor man greedily picked up, but as half; of the money went overboard, that, of course, was lost. He did not intend putting up with his loss so quietly, for he held the captain responsible, as it was his monkey that had robbed him. Nothing could be done until the vessel got into port, when the man had the captain brought before the kadi, or magistrate, to recover the value of the coins lost. “You were a milkman 1“ said the kadi. “1 was, sir,“replied the man. “And pray, will you tell me how much water you used to put into your milk! ” The man was much confused, and replied that he would rather not tell; but as he saw the magistrate was determined to know, he at last confessed that he used to mix one-half, “Very well, then, “ said the kadi, “it appears to me that only one half of what you earned was honestly yours. You have got, therefore, all that was due, and this monkey has only thrown into the water the amount of profit you dishonestly got out of the water.” Thus judgment was given against the milkman, and everyone but he felt how just it was.