[Loosely based on a tale told by Bouaz Haddad, bookseller and scholar, formerly of Djerba.]
One day the Rabbi of Gafsa took a trip to the great city of Tunis, in order to attend to some community matters there. The Governor of Tunis thought well of the Rabbi of Gafsa, and had instructed him that, whenever he should happen to be in Tunis, he present himself at his mansion. For the Governor valued the Rabbi's insight, and would casually ask him about matters of state that were troubling him, and he would take careful note of his acute responses. Accordingly, the Rabbi approached the doorkeeper of the mansion, and requested an audience with the Governor. A servant approached the Governor and said: "A Jew seeks an audience with Your Excellency." When the Governor heard the name of the visitor, he said to the servant: "Treat him with much respect and consideration, for he is a wise and learned man. Usher him into my private reception room, and serve him green tea with fresh mint in a glass vessel, and bergamots on a silver dish, so that he may bless God in my house, and bring thereby God's blessing upon it. Further, tell him that when I have completed the business at hand, I shall be pleased to give him an audience." The servant was perhaps a little surprised at the words of the Governor, but he obeyed them implicitly.
After half-an-hour, the Governor entered the reception room, and the Rabbi immediately rose out of respect to the Governor. The Governor placed his hands on his eyes, and kissed his fingertips, and bade his guest be seated. The Governor then engaged the Rabbi in a pleasant conversation. After some time a loud noise was heard outside. The Governor excused himself, and went to ascertain what was the problem. There were four men who had arrested an ass-driver, and dragged him to the Governor's mansion for judgment. In those days, there was no democracy, but any subject of the ruler could approach him if he felt a wrong had been done, and expect redress. In the Channel Islands which lie between England and France, and form the sole remaining part of her Majesty's duchy of Normandy, any subject may enter the court, and shout in a loud voice in the local patois: "Haro, haro, haro! A l'aide, mon Prince! On me fait tort!" [Holá! Help me, Prince, I am being wronged.] Of course, no one does that these days, and probably no attention would be paid if someone exercised this ancient right, but it is nice to think that he could if he wanted to. But, revenons à nos moutons. [Let's return to our subject.]
The Governor asked what was the problem. One of the men said angrily: "This ass-driver insulted his beast! We value our animals, which are the source of our livelihood, and he must be punished for his impudence." "What did he do?" asked the Governor. "He called his ass a Jew, Your Excellency. His ass was tired, and refused to move, and he screamed publicly: 'Get up and go, you Jew!' He insulted his ass by calling him a Jew, and he deserves to be punished." With difficulty the Governor supressed a smile and said: "I happen to have a learned man with me, and I shall ask him to render judgment in this important matter, and I adjure you that you do whatever he shall command, just as if the matter had been decided in accordance with the law given us by our Prophet, may God rest him, and give him peace." The Governor returned to the room where the Rabbi was waiting, and asked him to render judgment in a case that had come before him, since it might be said to have a Jewish aspect.
The Rabbi proceeded to hear the evidence presented by the four men, listening carefully to every word. He pondered for a few minutes, and then rendered judgment. "The ass-driver is an ignorant man," he declared, "and on account of his ignorance he should not be punished this time. But he must undertake never again to abuse his beast, since this is contrary to the will of God, and if he does so, he will be subject in the future to a painful punishment. But the ass is entitled to restitution since he was abused without cause. I decree that tomorrow at dawn the ass-driver shall feed his animal sifted grain from a clean container, and water from the spring. One of you men shall caparison the ass with ribbons and streamers. Another of you shall lead him through the main street of Tunis, and another shall follow behind. And the fourth man shall walk a few paces ahead of the procession and repeatedly declare in a loud voice: "No ass is a Jew! And no Jew is an ass! And it is the will of God, may He be exalted, that every man shall respect all creation, man and beast alike!"
The Governor approved the decree of the Rabbi, and so it was done.