Bahlool and the Golden Knife That Stole the Show

One evening, Bahlool had a guest at his home, and they were deep in conversation when a messenger arrived. The messenger had a message from the judge, inviting Bahlool to dinner at the judge’s residence. Bahlool replied to the messenger, saying, “Please apologize to the judge for me. I have a guest tonight, and I cannot come.” The messenger left, but a few minutes later returned and said, “The judge says he would be honored if Bahlool comes, and you can bring your guest along.”

Bahlool agreed, and with his guest, they set off for the judge’s house. On the way, Bahlool turned to his guest and said, “Just be careful where I sit. Sit where I sit, eat what I eat, and don’t speak unless spoken to. If they don’t ask you for something, don’t do anything.” His guest laughed to himself, thinking, “A madman is giving me advice.”

When they arrived at the judge’s house, it was filled with guests. Bahlool sat by the door while his guest went and sat at the head of the gathering. As more guests arrived, they began sitting next to Bahlool, gradually pushing him toward the head of the gathering, while his guest remained near the door. When dinner was served, everyone ate, and then fruits were brought out, but there were no knives for the guests to peel the fruits. Suddenly, Bahlool’s guest pulled a golden-handled knife from his pocket and said, “Here, use this knife to peel your fruits.” The other guests were amazed at the beautiful knife and stared at it, especially since Bahlool, whom they thought was very poor, had such a guest with such an item.

Among the guests were six brothers who, seeing the golden-handled knife, exchanged glances and began plotting. The eldest brother stood up and spoke to the judge, “O judge, this knife belongs to our father, and it has been lost for many years. Now, we find it in this man’s pocket. We demand justice and the return of our father’s knife.” The judge asked, “Do you have any witnesses?”

The eldest brother replied, “I have five brothers here who will testify that this knife is ours.” The other five brothers confirmed the eldest’s claim, saying that the knife belonged to their father and had been lost years ago. The judge, hearing their testimony, believed the knife was indeed theirs and had been stolen by Bahlool’s guest. He ordered that the man be imprisoned and the knife returned to the eldest brother.

Bahlool, who had been silent up until then, said, “O judge, this man was my guest tonight, and I brought him here. Please allow him to stay with me tonight, and I will bring him to you first thing in the morning so you may do with him as you wish.” The eldest brother objected, saying, “No, judge, do not let Bahlool take this man back to his house. He will teach him things that will ruin our case.”

The judge turned to Bahlool and asked, “Bahlool, do you promise not to teach him anything tonight so I can release him temporarily?” Bahlool promised, “I swear that I will not speak a word to him, and I won’t teach him anything tonight.” The judge agreed, “Since this man was Bahlool’s guest, he can stay the night with him, and Bahlool promises to bring him to us in the morning.”

Bahlool took the man to his home, but on the way, he did not speak a word to him. When they arrived, Bahlool quietly said, “It’s best I go check on your donkey. I’m sure it’s hungry and needs food.” The guest, forgetting that he had tied his donkey in the stable, said, “No, you rest. I will go check on my donkey.”

Without responding, Bahlool went to the stable, where the donkey was munching on hay. Bahlool picked up a stick and struck the donkey’s rear. The startled donkey began walking. Bahlool said, “Did I not tell you not to speak when you enter the gathering? Sit where I sit, and don’t touch anything unless asked. Why didn’t you listen? You’ve caused trouble for yourself and me.”

Bahlool continued, “Tomorrow, you will go to prison. Everyone will say Bahlool couldn’t even keep his own guest, and now the guest is in prison.” Bahlool then struck the donkey harder, saying, “Now listen, when the judge asks you if this knife is yours, say, ‘No, I found this knife. It has been a long time, and I’ve been looking for its owner to return it.’ If the judge asks where you found it, tell him, ‘My father was a caravan leader, traveling between cities, carrying merchandise. One night we learned that bandits had killed him and taken everything. I found my father dead, and the knife was lodged in his heart. I took it and buried him. Since then, I have been looking for the rightful owner of the knife.’”

Bahlool struck the donkey once more, saying, “If the judge asks you where you found the knife in the desert, tell him, ‘I’ve been looking for it for years.’” The guest nodded, understanding. Bahlool then said, “You’re not just learning this for the donkey, but I hope you learn it well for yourself. If the judge asks you anything tomorrow, you will know how to answer.”

The next morning, Bahlool took the man to the judge’s house and presented him. The judge asked, “Is this knife yours?” The guest replied, “No, this knife is not mine. I have been searching for its owner for a long time, and if it belongs to these brothers, I will gladly return it to them.” The judge turned to the brothers and said, “Look at the knife, if it’s yours, take it.” The eldest brother took the knife and smiled, saying, “Yes, this is certainly our father’s knife.”

The judge then asked the guest, “Where did you find this knife?” The guest repeated Bahlool’s instructions, saying, “My father was a caravan leader, and after his death, I’ve been searching for the owner of this knife to return it.”

The brothers, realizing they were in a tight spot, began to backpedal. The eldest brother said, “I’m not so sure this is our father’s knife anymore, as it has been many years, and I may have made a mistake.” The other brothers reluctantly agreed, saying, “This knife looks similar, but it’s not ours.”

The judge, laughing, turned to the guest and said, “Take your knife and go to Bahlool. I’m sure it was Bahlool who taught you all this, or else you would never have known what to say.” The guest thanked the judge, took the knife, and left the judge’s house, grateful to Bahlool for his wisdom.

This story shows Bahlool’s brilliance in using cleverness and subtlety to help his guest avoid false accusations. By teaching him how to respond to the judge, Bahlool not only ensures his guest’s release but also exposes the deception of the six brothers.