386 
F. H. MALYON ON 
On leaving this place, the brothers were pushing forward, when from behind 
them came a shout of “ Wait ! ” 
The three brothers stopped, and a man came up and asked, “ Young men, have 
you not seen a woman upon this road ? ” 
The eldest brother said, “ Was she not enceinte ? ” 
“ Yes,” said the woman’s husband. 
“ And was she not a runaway ? ’ ’ enquired the second brother. 
“ Yes,” said the husband, “ she was.” 
Then all three of the brothers said together. “ Go. Make enquiry after your 
wife. For our part we have not seen her.” 
“ Eh ! ” said the husband, “ what nonsense is this ? First you describe her 
correctly, and now you say you know nothing about her ! Either you shall have 
the case tried with me according to the Sheri'at, or shall give me one of your own 
wives (in exchange).” 
“ Come then,” said the brothers, “ it is for (a decision according to) the Sheri‘at 
that we have set out.” 
So the husband joined their party. They had all gone some distance further 
on, when another shout reached them from behind, “Hi, you young fellows! 
stop ! ’ ’ 
When they had halted, up came another man, and asked, “ Have you not seen 
a camel hereabouts ? ’ ’ 
“ Was it blind of one eye ? ’ ’ they enquired. 
“ It was,’ ’ said the owner of the camel. 
“Had it not a tooth broken ? ” said the second brother. 
“ That is indeed so,” said the camel-owner. 
“ And was there not some dung upon one side of it,” queried the third brother, 
“ and ghee loaded upon the other ? ” 
“ Yes — yes. There was,” said the camel-owner. 
Then all three brothers said together, “Go, then, and search for your camel. 
Ourselves, we know nothing of it. ’ ’ 
“You are robbing me! ” screamed the camel-owner. “ Either you give me a 
camel of your own, or I will have the law, — the law of the SherTat, — upon you ! ” 
“ Come along,” said the brothers, “ it is for the Sheri'at we are going ” 
Now when the party of men reached the king’s presence, they explained to 
him their situation. 
The king replied, “ First of all, deal with the affair of the woman, — how did 
you identify her ? ” 
“ Ordinarily,” said the first brother, “(the impression) left where a woman has sat 
is of such-and-such a fashion. Hence I recognised that there had been a woman.” 
“ Also,” joined in the second brother, “ when the woman arose, she placed her 
hand on the ground (to assist her) : hence I recognised that this is a woman who is 
enceinte.” 
“ Likewise,” finished the third brother, “when the woman stood up, her first 
