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Story
The wise magistrate
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Ali told me the story of the wise magistrate. Ahmad Hussein, who was syce to the assistant manager of the L....... Rubber Estate, a Mr Robert T , had a pipe. It was just an ordinary pipe and Ahmad used it in his careful way. He was always gentle to his pipe like his father, and his father's father before him. For three generations the pipe had given satisfaction to the Hussein family. It was only when Ahmad got a job driving Mr Robert T's car that a completely new evaluation of the pipe came to be made. When Mr Robert T....... one evening came across Ahmad smoking his pipe, he himself being a pipe collector casually asked what make was the pipe. The reply astonished Robert T. A pipe which once belonged to Ahmad's grandfather! This was indeed a great discovery for Mr Robert T. who offered to buy it. Naturally enough Ahmad refused to sell his heirloom. Mr Robert T. was angry and would have sacked Ahmad at once. Instead he decided to be patient and waited for a suitable opportunity to broach the subject again. A few weeks later the golden opportunity presented itself to Mr Robert T. Taking the car out one day, he found under the seat Ahmad's pipe. It had slipped out of Ahmad's pocket. Thinking that possession was 9/10th of the battle won Mr Robert T. the next day told Ahmad that he had his pipe, had no intention of returning it, but would pay handsomely for it. Ahmad angrily refused and went off in a huff. So the case came eventually to the magistrate's court . Mr Robert T. having sworn that he was the owner of the pipe the magistrate asked him "How many years have you had the pipe Mr T?." Mr Robert T. replied , "Five years". The magistrate: "Will you light up the pipe Mr Robert T ? I'd like to see how an owner smokes a five year old pipe." Mr Robert T. protested at this seemingly frivolous proposal but gave in when the magistrate insisted on having his way. After a few puffs the magistrate said "Thank you Mr Robert T." And Mr Robert T. removing the pipe from his mouth, knocked it against his shoe. When he did this cruel act to the pipe Ahmad leapt to his feet in protest to the magistrate that Mr Robert T. was breaking his pipe. The magistrate who had the wisdom of Solomon gave judgment for the plaintiff and imposed a heavy fine on Mr Robert T. "How dare the defendant assert, " he said in the course of his judgment, "that he had had the pipe five years? |
| There was not a single
mark on it to show that it was knocked against the shoe after smoking,
which appears to be the defendant's habit. It is obvious the
owner is a gentle person and I therefore believed the plaintiff." The pipe was returned to Ahmad who resigned his job as Mr Robert T's syce.# LK Chai |
Edelweiss
- the heritage house - Armenian Street for fine dining in a beautifully restored building
in the heart of George Town. Telephone: 04 261 8935 |
| ______ INDEX Point to the article
that you want
to read, and CLICK Index page Baba jingles Book
review Food guide
Foreign eye The jungle war (9)
Letter from
Pulau Tikus MacMichael's bullying
The Straits Chinese
The wise magistrate |
| _____________________ The Penang File Issue 50 |