"WAR" 


One night a feast was held in the palace, and there came a man and
prostrated himself before the prince, and all the feasters looked upon him;
and they saw that one of his eyes was out and that the empty socket bled.
And the prince inquired of him, "What has befallen you?" And the man
replied, "O prince, I am by profession a thief, and this night, because
there was no moon, I went to rob the money-changer's shop, and as I
climbed in through the window I made a mistake and entered the
weaver's shop, and in the dark I ran into the weaver's loom and my eye
was plucked out. And now, O prince, I ask for justice upon the weaver." 

Then the prince sent for the weaver and he came, and it was decreed that
one of his eyes should be plucked out. 

"O prince," said the weaver, "the decree is just. It is right that one of my
eyes be taken. And yet, alas! both are necessary to me in order that I may
see the two sides of the cloth that I weave. But I have a neighbor, a
cobbler, who has also two eyes, and in his trade both eyes are not necessary." 

Then the prince sent for the cobbler. And he came. And they took out one
of the cobbler's two eyes. 

And justice was satisfied.