A Gentle Thief

A thief stole the slippers of the Imam al-Shafi'i from the mosque. When the Imam came out and found his slippers stolen, he began pondering how he might get home. While he was thus engaged, the servant arrived carrying a pair of slippers and said that a man had come to the house saying: The Imam's slippers have been stolen, so take him a pair to put on. And al-Shafi'i used to tell this anecdote on every occasion, in admiration of this light-spirited thief.