THE BARBER AND THE THIEF
A thief entered the house of a barber, and, carefully making bundles of all he could lay hands upon, was about to take them away when the barber spied him; and, quickly getting out of bed, sat down at the door, thus cutting off the way of escape for the thief, who waited in vain for him to move.
The barber sat smoking his hookah,1 and every now and then refreshed himself by drinking water, occasionally spitting at what looked like a bundle of rags on the floor; but which was in reality the thief.2 After a while the barber woke his wife by flinging a little water on her. She woke up very angry, and scolded him roundly.
“What!” said the barber, “you mind a little water being thrown at you, while this man”—pointing to the thief—“has no objection to being spat upon!”
Then the thief found he had been discovered, and implored forgiveness.
Thinking he had already suffered sufficient indignities, they forgave him and let him go.