Pagina 667 de 1116

So the Jew and his wife carried the Hunchback up to the roof;

and, letting him down by his hands and feet through the

wind-shaft[FN#500] into the Reeve's house, propped him up against

the wall and went their ways. Hardly had they done this when the

Reeve, who had been passing an evening with his friends hearing a

recitation of the Koran, came home and opened the door and, going

up with a lighted candle, found a son of Adam standing in the

corner under the ventilator. When he saw this, he said, "Wah! by

Allah, very good forsooth! He who robbeth my stuff is none other

than a man." Then he turned to the Hunchback and said, "So 'tis

thou that stealest the meat and the fat! I thought it was the

cats and dogs, and I kill the dogs and cats of the quarter and

sin against them by killing them. And all the while 'tis thou

comest down from the house terrace through the wind shaft.