Notable Characters
- The broker
- The young man
- The girl
Plot Summary
The broker did business with the young man, and the young man left a lot of money in his care while he left to sort out other business. The young man eventually returned, and the broker invited him to eat a meal with him.
The young man ate with his left hand instead of his right, so the broker felt very offended. (Note on context: In Islam, the left hand is considered unclean and meant for the purpose of personal hygiene. It is good manners to use your right hand to eat). When the broker asked the young man why he ate with his left hand, the young man told him his story.
The young man was a businessman and did work with investments and credit. He fell in love with a girl and gave her money every time he stayed with her. One day, he realized that he had run out of money, and then he accidentally stole the purse from a guard. He was caught, and his right hand was chopped off.
The girl still loved the young man, and she tended to him so his wound would heal, and she returned all the money he had given her during their time together. They were together until she died fifty days later. She left goods to him, and he was busy selling them and organizing business deals with people in between visits to the broker.
The World of the Arabian Nights 