Books: Argument of Mercy

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Man's Fate. Outraged, the villagers haled the cripple into court and told the judge that Ahmad and the widow were dead because the beggar, in a jealous fury, had refused to rescue them. The beggar tried to explain. "Do you take me for a fool?" the judge bellowed indignantly. "All your life we've been kind enough to carry you everywhere, and now do you mean to tell me that you couldn't go the short distance between the shed and her hut?" Somebody screamed, "Cut off his hands!" The villagers roared in approval. "What will I do?" the beggar wailed. "I have no legs, and now you want to take away my hands!" But the next morning they cut off the beggar's hands, and when the stumps had stopped bleeding three policemen carried him out of the prison and set him down in the street. "Ali, you may go home," one of the policemen announced gravely. "You are a free man now."