Chapter 13, Ali the Persian Summary

Caliph Harun al-Rashid cannot sleep, so he summons his Wazir to bring him a storyteller. The Wazir brings him Ali the Persian who tells the story of his travel to Bagdad bearing a leather bag. In the marketplace a Kurd seizes the bag, claiming it is his, so Ali and the Kurd are brought to the Kazi for judgment. The Kazi asks each man to tell his side of the story. The Kurd claims the bag is his and names a fantastic list of property, including furniture and livestock, in the bag. Ali counters with an even larger list of property in the bag, so the Kazi furiously denounces both men as disrespectful fools. The Kazi opens the bag that contains bread, a lemon, cheese and olives. Ali throws the bag at the feet of the Kurd...