--The Hakawati tells the story of the quick witted caravan master--
It is not uncommon for travelers to ask caravan masters to join their caravan. In the desert there is great safety in great numbers and the longer the caravan train, the less likely it will be harassed by most small bandit groups. Because of this, caravan masters will almost never refuse a request that increases the size of their train. Even known criminals are often welcomed into the caravan. At the worst, each extra camel or wagon means less of a chance bandits will make off with the caravan master’s camels or wagons.
Joining a caravan does not automatically entitle one to the protection afforded by the caravan master’s guards or the food the caravan master has brought for his retainers. However, the caravan master is responsible for the maintaining harmony within the caravan and all who wish to travel with the caravan are bound by the caravan master’s decisions.
It happened once that a merchant of meager means needed to travel from Huxi to Karakhet. He had only one wagon half loaded with goods. Since this was all the wealth he had in the world, he did not wish to risk travelling the desert alone. A caravan was preparing to leave Huxi so he approached the caravan master and asked to join. The master agreed and gave the merchant a place near the back of the caravan.
One day toward the middle of the journey when the caravan was in the vast wilderness and days from the nearest village the merchant found his small coffer had been emptied the night before. Distressed, he went to the caravan master who grew concerned that someone in the caravan would be so bold as to steal from another caravan member.
“By Set,” swore the caravan master, “I shall find the thief, restore your property and the honor of this caravan.”
That evening when the caravan stopped, the caravan master called together all those in the caravan and told everyone what had happened. He bid everyone return when the moon was at its highest and he would then have a way to discover the thief. When everyone returned they found the caravan master had erected a small tent around which stood several of his guards and in front of which was a large campfire.
“I have in the tent a donkey,” said the Caravan Master. “If a thief pet’s the donkey’s tail it will bray loudly. However it will not do so if more than one person is present. So, each person here will go into the tent alone and pet the donkey’s tail. When it brays, we will know the thief. No one will leave the light of the campfires until the thief is found.”
The merchant who was the thief’s victim thought this odd but trusted in the caravan master methods. One by one each person in the caravan went into the tent. Even the caravan master and the merchant went in to touch the donkey’s tail. The donkey never once brayed.
“I am ruined,” lamented the merchant. “Everyone has gone into the tent but the donkey has made no sound.”
“And it will not,” said the caravan master. “It is the donkey’s tail, not its mouth that will tell us the thief. Does your hand not smell of jasmine?”
The merchant sniffed his palm and it did indeed smell of jasmine. The caravan master then presented his hand to the merchant and the caravan master’s hand also smelled of jasmine. “I sprinkled perfume on the donkey’s tail,” said the caravan master. “All that remains is to see which member of the caravan has a hand that does not smell of jasmine. They are the one that did not touch the tail for fear of being revealed and are the thief.”
It took little time to find the thief. As the caravan master predicted, the thief was the only one whose hand did not smell of jasmine. Faced with the evidence, the thief confessed and returned the stolen money to the merchant. The caravan master then cast him from the caravan, essentially a death sentence to any traveling alone in the wastes. From then to his last day, the merchant had nothing but words of praise for the caravan master’s wisdom.