THE TENTH OFFICER'S STORY
by Unknown · from Tales from the Arabic — Volume 02
Adapted Version
Once, a clever officer had to find some stolen things.
Some things were taken from the city. I and my friends had to find them. We had a few days. It was a big job. We needed to be fast.
I went to look with my friends. We walked far from the city. We looked everywhere. We looked under trees. We looked behind rocks. We found nothing. It was hard work.
I was very thirsty. I saw a big garden. I went in. I saw a water wheel. I drank water from the wheel. The water was cold and good. It felt nice.
A Garden Man came. He was very angry. "Get out!" he shouted. He scolded me. "You work now!" he said. He made me work hard. I turned the wheel. I turned it for a long time. My arms were tired. I felt very bad.
He let me go. I felt sad and tired. Then I thought hard. I had an idea. It was a clever idea. I smiled.
I went to my friends. "I found the things!" I said. "I found the bad man too. He did not see me. Let's go get him."
We went back to the garden. We held the Garden Man. A Boy was there too. He looked scared.
"I am new here!" the Boy said. "The things are here! In a hole! I saw them! I didn't know!"
We dug in the hole. We found all the stolen things. They were all there. We were very happy. We cheered.
We took the Garden Man to the police. He said sorry for his bad deeds. He was not happy.
I smiled a big smile. My clever plan worked. Being clever helped me fix the problem. The stolen things were back safe. I was very happy. It was a good day.
Original Story
THE TENTH OFFICER'S STORY.
'A great theft had been committed in the city and I was cited,[FN#139] I and my fellows. Now it was a matter of considerable value and they[FN#140] pressed hard upon us; but we obtained of them some days' grace and dispersed in quest of the stolen goods. As for me, I sallied forth with five men and went round about the city that day; and on the morrow we fared forth [into the suburbs]. When we came a parasang or two parasangs' distance from the city, we were athirst; and presently we came to a garden. So I went in and going up to the water-wheel,[FN#141] entered it and drank and made the ablution and prayed. Presently up came the keeper of the garden and said to me, "Out on thee! Who brought thee into this water-wheel?" And he cuffed me and squeezed my ribs till I was like to die. Then he bound me with one of his bulls and made me turn in the water-wheel, flogging me the while with a cattle whip he had with him, till my heart was on fire; after which he loosed me and I went out, knowing not the way.
When I came forth, I swooned away: so I sat down till my trouble subsided; then I made for my comrades and said to them, "I have found the booty and the thief, and I affrighted him not neither troubled him, lest he should flee; but now, come, let us go to him, so we may make shift to lay hold upon him." Then I took them and repaired to the keeper of the garden, who had tortured me with beating, meaning to make him taste the like of that which he had done with me and lie against him and cause him eat stick. So we rushed into the water-wheel and seizing the keeper, pinioned him.
Now there was with him a youth and he said, "By Allah, I was not with him and indeed it is six months since I entered the city, nor did I set eyes on the stuffs until they were brought hither." Quoth we, "Show us the stuffs." So he carried us to a place wherein was a pit, beside the water-wheel, and digging there, brought out the stolen goods, with not a stitch of them missing. So we took them and carried the keeper to the prefecture, where we stripped him and beat him with palm-rods till he confessed to thefts galore. Now I did this by way of mockery against my comrades, and it succeeded.'[FN#142]
The company marvelled at this story with the utmost wonderment, and the eleventh officer rose and said, 'I know a story yet rarer than this: but it happened not to myself.
Story DNA
Moral
Sometimes, cunning and a bit of deception are necessary to achieve justice and recover what is lost.
Plot Summary
An officer, tasked with recovering stolen goods, is severely beaten and forced to work by a garden keeper after seeking water. Instead of directly confronting the keeper, the officer devises a cunning plan: he tells his comrades he has found the thief and the goods, leading them back to the garden. There, they seize the keeper, discover the stolen goods hidden nearby, and take the keeper to be punished, where he confesses to many thefts. The officer reveals he orchestrated the entire event as a form of personal revenge and a display of his superior wit.
Themes
Emotional Arc
suffering to triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The story reflects a society where justice could be swift and often involved physical punishment, and where cunning was valued in solving problems.
Plot Beats (11)
- A great theft occurs, and an officer and his colleagues are given a few days to recover the goods.
- The officer sets out with five men to search for the stolen goods.
- Feeling thirsty, the officer enters a garden, drinks from the water-wheel, and performs ablution and prayer.
- The garden keeper accosts the officer, cuffs him, beats him, and forces him to turn the water-wheel.
- After being released, the officer is disoriented but eventually recovers and plans his revenge.
- The officer tells his comrades he has found the goods and the thief, but did not confront him to avoid his escape.
- The officer leads his comrades back to the garden, where they seize and pinion the keeper.
- A youth with the keeper reveals that the stolen goods are hidden in a pit beside the water-wheel.
- The officers dig up the pit and recover all the stolen goods.
- They take the garden keeper to the prefecture, where he is stripped, beaten, and confesses to numerous other thefts.
- The narrator reveals he orchestrated the entire situation as a mockery of his comrades and a form of personal revenge.
Characters
The Tenth Officer
A man of average height and build, likely bearing the marks of a life in law enforcement or military service, possibly with a lean, agile physique from his active duties. His skin tone would be consistent with someone living in a city in the Middle East, perhaps sun-kissed.
Attire: Practical, durable clothing suitable for an officer in an Arabian city, likely consisting of a simple tunic (thobe) over trousers, perhaps a vest, and a head covering like a keffiyeh or a small turban to protect from the sun. The fabric would be sturdy cotton or linen, in earthy or muted tones.
Wants: To recover the stolen goods to clear his name and his fellows, and to exact revenge on the garden keeper for the humiliation and pain inflicted upon him.
Flaw: His pride and desire for revenge can lead him to extreme actions, potentially blurring the lines of justice.
He begins as a diligent officer facing a professional crisis. After suffering a personal injustice, he transforms into a cunning avenger, using his professional duty as a cover for his personal retribution, ultimately succeeding in both.
Resourceful, cunning, vengeful, quick-witted, and possesses a dark sense of humor. He is not above using deception to achieve his goals or to exact personal revenge.
The Garden Keeper
A robust, strong man, likely with a build hardened by physical labor in the garden. His skin would be tanned and weathered from working outdoors. He might have a rough, unkempt appearance.
Attire: Simple, worn, and practical clothing suitable for a laborer in an Arabian garden, such as a coarse linen tunic (dishdasha) and loose trousers, possibly with a simple head wrap to protect from the sun. The colors would be faded and earthy.
Wants: To guard his stolen goods and maintain control over his garden, and to inflict pain on those he perceives as intruders.
Flaw: His arrogance and cruelty lead to his downfall; he underestimates his victims.
He begins as a cruel and powerful figure, inflicting suffering. He ends up stripped, beaten, and exposed as a thief, suffering the same fate he inflicted on others.
Brutal, short-tempered, cruel, and a thief. He is quick to violence and enjoys asserting his dominance.
The Youth
A younger man, likely of slighter build than the Garden Keeper, perhaps appearing somewhat intimidated or subservient. His features would be consistent with someone of Middle Eastern descent.
Attire: Simple, practical clothing, likely a basic tunic and trousers made of cotton or linen, perhaps less worn than the Garden Keeper's attire but still modest.
Wants: To avoid punishment and to distance himself from the Garden Keeper's crimes.
Flaw: His fear makes him easily manipulated or coerced.
He remains largely static, serving as a catalyst for the recovery of the goods and the exposure of the Garden Keeper.
Fearful, compliant, and truthful when pressed. He seems to be an unwilling accomplice or simply present due to circumstances.
Locations
Suburban Garden with Water-Wheel
A garden located a parasang or two from the city, featuring a traditional Arabian water-wheel (saqiya or noria) for irrigation. The ground is likely dusty or earthy around the wheel, with some vegetation in the garden itself. A hidden pit is located beside the water-wheel.
Mood: Initially a place of relief and thirst-quenching, quickly turns into a scene of brutal punishment and later, a site of discovery and retribution.
The officer is brutally beaten and forced to turn the water-wheel; later, he returns with his men to apprehend the keeper and discover the stolen goods in a pit.
The Prefecture (Police Station)
A government building in the city, likely an Abbasid-era administrative structure, possibly with a central courtyard or a large hall for official proceedings. It would have sturdy, possibly whitewashed or stone walls, and a functional, austere interior suitable for interrogations and legal processes.
Mood: Authoritative, stern, a place of justice and punishment.
The garden keeper is brought here, stripped, beaten with palm-rods, and confesses to multiple thefts.