There was once a man, a headman [of a village], by name Abou
Sabir, and he had much cattle and a fair wife, who had borne him
two sons. They abode in a certain village and there used to come
thither a lion and devour Abou Sabir's cattle, so that the most
part thereof was wasted and his wife said to him one day, 'This
lion hath wasted the most part of our cattle. Arise, mount thy
horse and take thy men and do thine endeavour to kill him, so we
may be at rest from him.' But Abou Sabir said, 'Have patience, O
woman, for the issue of patience is praised. This lion it is that
transgresseth against us, and the transgressor, needs must Allah
destroy him. Indeed, it is our patience that shall slay him, and
he that doth evil, needs must it revert upon him.' A little
after, the king went forth one day to hunt and falling in with
the lion, he and his troops, gave chase to him and ceased not [to
follow] after him till they slew him. This came to Abou Sabir's
knowledge and he said to his wife, 'Said I not to thee, O woman,
that whoso doth evil, it shall revert upon him? Belike, if I had
sought to slay the lion myself, I had not availed against him,
and this is the issue of patience.'

It befell, after this, that a man was slain in Abou Sabir's
village; wherefore the Sultan caused plunder the village, and
they plundered the headman's goods with the rest So his wife said
to him, 'All the Sultan's officers know thee; so do thou prefer
thy plaint to the king, that he may cause thy beasts to be
restored to thee.' But he said to her, 'O woman, said I not to
thee that he who doth evil shall suffer it? Indeed, the king hath
done evil, and he shall suffer [the consequences of] his deed,