Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 1 (of 6)
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Title: Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 1 (of 6)
Translator: Sir Richard Francis Burton
Release date: September 1, 2002 [eBook #3445]
Most recently updated: February 20, 2025
Language: English
Original publication: The Burton Club, 1886
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SUPPLEMENTAL NIGHTS TO THE BOOK OF THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS — VOLUME 1 (OF 6) ***
SUPPLEMENTAL
NIGHTS
To The Book Of The Thousand
And One Nights With Notes
Anthropological And
Explanatory
By
Richard F. Burton
VOLUME ONE
Privately Printed By The Burton Club
General Studholme J. Hodgson
My Dear General,
To whom with more pleasure or propriety can I inscribe this
volume than to my preceptor of past times; my dear old friend,
whose deep study and vast experience of such light literature as
The Nights made me so often resort to him for good counsel and
right direction? Accept this little token of gratitude, and
believe me, with the best of wishes and the kindest of memories,
Ever your sincere and attached
Richard F. Burton.
London, July 15, 1886.
"To the pure all things are pure"
(Puris omnia pura)
—Arab Proverb.
"Niuna corrotta mente intese mai sanamente parole."
—"Decameron" —conclusion.
"Erubuit, posuitque meum Lucretia librum
sed coram Bruto. Brute! recede, leget."
—Martial.
"Mieulx est de ris que de larmes escripre,
Pour ce que rire est le propre des hommes."
—Rabelais.
"The pleasure we derive from perusing the Thousand-and-One
Stories makes us regret that we possess only a comparatively
small part of these truly enchanting fictions."
—Crichton's "History of Arabia."
Contents of the Eleventh Volume.
1. The Sleeper and the Waker
Story of the Larrikin and the Cook
2. The Caliph Omar Bin Abd Al-Aziz and the Poets
3. Al-Hajjaj and the Three Young Men
4. Harun Al-Rashid and the Woman of the Barmecides
5. The Ten Wazirs; or the History of King Azadbakht and His Son
a. Of the Uselessness of Endeavour Against Persistent Ill
Fortune
aa. Story of the Merchant Who Lost His Luck
b. Of Looking To the Ends of Affairs
bb. Tale of the Merchant and His Sons
c. Of the Advantages of Patience
cc. Story of Abu Sabir
d. Of the Ill Effects of Impatience
dd. Story of Prince Bihzad
e. Of the Issues of Good and Evil Actions
ee. Story of King Dadbin and His Wazirs
f. Of Trust in Allah
ff. Story of King Bakhtzaman
g. Of Clemency
gg. Story of King Bihkard
h. Of Envy and Malice
hh. Story of Aylan Shah and Abu Tammam
i. Of Destiny or That Which Is Written On the Forehead
ii. Story of King Ibrahim and His Son
j. Of the Appointed Term, Which, if it be Advanced, May
Not Be Deferred, and if it be Deferred, May Not Be
Advanced
jj. Story of King Sulayman Shah and His Niece
k. Of the Speedy Relief of Allah
kk. Story of the Prisoner and How Allah Gave Him
Relief
6. Ja'afar Bin Yahya and Abd Al-Malik Bin Salih the Abbaside
7. Al-Rashid and the Barmecides
8. Ibn Al-Sammak and Al-Rashid
9. Al-Maamum and Zubaydah
10. Al-Nu'uman and the Arab of the Banu Tay
11. Firuz and His Wife
12. King Shah Bakht and his Wazir Al-Rahwan
a. Tale of the Man of Khorasan, His Son and His Tutor
b. Tale of the Singer and the Druggist
c. Tale of the King Who Kenned the Quintessence of Things
d. Tale of the Richard Who Married His Beautiful Daughter
to the Poor Old Man
e. Tale of the Sage and His Three Sons
f. Tale of the Prince who Fell in Love With the Picture
g. Tale of the Fuller and His Wife and the Trooper
h. Tale of the Merchant, The Crone, and the King
i. Tale of the Simpleton Husband
j. Tale of the Unjust King and the Tither
ja. Story of David and Solomon
k. Tale of the Robber and the Woman
l. Tale of the Three Men and Our Lord Isa
la. The Disciple's Story
m. Tale of the Dethroned Ruler Whose Reign and Wealth Were
Restored to Him
n. Talk of the Man Whose Caution Slew Him
o. Tale of the Man Who Was Lavish of His House and His
Provision to One Whom He Knew Not
p. Tale of the Melancholist and the Sharper
q. Tale of Khalbas and his Wife and the Learned Man
r. Tale of the Devotee Accused of Lewdness
s. Tale of the Hireling and the Girl
t. Tale of the Weaver Who Became a Leach by Order of His
Wife
u. Tale of the Two Sharpers Who Each Cozened His Compeer
v. Tale of the Sharpers With the Shroff and the Ass
w. Tale of the Chear and the Merchants
wa. Story of the Falcon and the Locust
x. Tale of the King and His Chamberlain's Wife
xa. Story of the Crone and the Draper's Wife
y. Tale of the Ugly Man and His Beautifule Wife
z. Tale of the King Who Lost Kingdom and Wife and Wealth
and Allah Restored Them to Him
aa. Tale of Salim the Youth of Khorasan and Salma, His
Sister
bb. Tale of the King of Hind and His Wazir
Shahrazad and Shahryar
The Translator's Foreword.
After offering my cordial thanks to friends and subscribers who
have honoured "The Thousand Nights and a Night" (Kama Shastra
Society) with their patronage and approbation, I would inform
them that my "Anthropological Notes" are by no means exhausted,
and that I can produce a complete work only by means of a
somewhat extensive Supplement. I therefore propose to print (not
publish), for private circulation only, five volumes, bearing
title—
Supplemental Nights
to the book of
The Thousand Nights and a Night
This volume and its successor (Nos. i. and ii.) contain Mr. John
Payne's Tales from the Arabic; his three tomes being included in
my two. The stories are taken from the Breslau Edition where
they are distributed among the volumes between Nos. iv and xii.,
and from the Calcutta fragment of 1814. I can say little for the
style of the story-stuff contained in this Breslau text, which
has been edited with phenomenal incuriousness. Many parts are
hopelessly corrupted, whilst at present we have no means of
amending the commissions and of supplying the omissions by
comparison with other manuscripts. The Arabic is not only
faulty, but dry and jejune, comparing badly with that of the
"Thousand Nights and a Night," as it appears in the Macnaghten
and the abridged Bulak Texts. Sundry of the tales are futile;
the majority has little to recommend it, and not a few require a
diviner rather than a translator. Yet they are valuable to
students as showing the different sources and the heterogeneous
materials from and of which the great Saga-book has been
compounded. Some are, moreover, striking and novel, especially
parts of the series entitled King Shah Bakht and his Wazir Al-
Rahwan (pp. 191-355). Interesting also is the Tale of the "Ten
Wazirs" (pp. 55-155), marking the transition of the Persian
Bakhtiyár-Námeh into Arabic. In this text also and in this only
is found Galland's popular tale "Abou-Hassan; or, the Sleeper
Awakened," which I have entitled "The Sleeper and the Waker."
In the ten volumes of "The Nights" proper, I mostly avoided
parallels of folk-lore and fabliaux which, however interesting
and valuable to scholars, would have over-swollen the bulk of a
work especially devoted to Anthropology. In the "Supplementals,"
however, it is otherwise; and, as Mr. W.A. Clouston, the
"Storiologist," has obligingly agreed to collaborate with me, I
shall pay marked attention to this subject, which will thus form
another raison d'être for the additional volumes.
Richard F. Burton
Junior Travellers' Club,
December 1, 1886
Supplemental Nights
To The Book Of The
Thousand Nights And A Night
The Sleeper and the Waker.[FN#1]
It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that there was once at
Baghdad, in the Caliphate of Harun al-Rashid, a man and a
merchant, who had a son Abú al-Hasan-al-Khalí'a by name.[FN#2]
The merchant died leaving great store of wealth to his heir who
divided it into two equal parts, whereof he laid up one and spent
of the other half; and he fell to companying with Persians[FN#3]
and with the sons of the merchants and he gave himself up to good
drinking and good eating, till all the wealth[FN#4] he had with
him was wasted and wantoned; whereupon he betook himself to his
friends and comrades and cup-companions and expounded to them his
case, discovering to them the failure of that which was in his
hand of wealth. But not one of them took heed of him or even
deigned answer him. So he returned to his mother (and indeed his
spirit was broken) and related to her that which had happened to
him and what had befallen him from his friends, how they had
neither shared with him nor requited him with speech. Quoth she,
"O Abu al-Hasan, on this wise are the sons[FN#5] of this time: an
thou have aught, they draw thee near to them,[FN#6] and if thou
have naught, they put thee away from them." And she went on to
condole with him, what while he bewailed himself and his tears
flowed and he repeated these lines:—
"An wane my wealth, no mane will succour me, * When my wealth
waxeth all men friendly show:
How many a friend, for wealth showed friendliness * Who, when my
wealth departed, turned to foe!"
Then he sprang up and going to the place wherein was the other
half of his good, took it and lived with it well; and he sware
that he would never again consort with a single one of those he
had known, but would company only with the stranger nor entertain
even him but one night and that, when it morrowed, he would never
know him more. Accordingly he fell to sitting every eventide on
the bridge over Tigris and looking at each one who passed by him;
and if he saw him to be a stranger, he made friends with him and carried him to his house, where he conversed and
caroused with him all night till morning. Then he dismissed him
and would never more salute him with the Salam nor ever more drew
near unto him neither invited him again. Thus he continued to do
for the space of a full year, till, one day, while he sat on the
bridge, as was his wont, expecting who should come to him so he
might take him and pass the night with him, behold, up came the
Caliph and Masrur, the Sworder of his vengeance[FN#7] disguised
in merchants' dress, according to their custom. So Abu al-Hasan
looked at them and rising, because he knew them not, asked them,
"What say ye? Will ye go with me to my dwelling-place, so ye may
eat what is ready and drink what is at hand, to wit, platter-
bread[FN#8] and meat cooked and wine strained?" The Caliph
refused this, but he conjured him and said to him, "Allah upon
thee, O my lord, go with me, for thou art my guest this night,
and baulk not my hopes of thee!" And he ceased not to press him
till he consented; whereat Abu al-Hasan rejoiced and walking on
before him, gave not over talking with him till they came to his
house and he carried the Caliph into the saloon. Al-Rashid
entered a hall such as an thou sawest it and gazedst upon its
walls, thou hadst beheld marvels; and hadst thou looked narrowly
at its water-conduits thou would have seen a fountain cased with
gold. The Caliph made his man abide at the door; and, as soon as
he was seated, the host brought him somewhat to eat; so he ate, and Abu al-Hasan ate with him that eating might be grateful
to him. Then he removed the tray and they washed their hands and
the Commander of the Faithful sat down again; whereupon Abu al-
Hasan set on the drinking vessels and seating himself by his
side, fell to filling and giving him to drink[FN#9] and
entertaining him with discourse. And when they had drunk their
sufficiency the host called for a slave-girl like a branch of Bán
who took a lute and sang to it these two couplets:—
"O thou aye dwelling in my heart, * Whileas thy form is far from
sight,
Thou art my sprite by me unseen, * Yet nearest near art thou, my
sprite."
His hospitality pleased the Caliph and the goodliness of his
manners, and he said to him, "O youth, who art thou? Make me
acquainted with thyself, so I may requite thee thy kindness."
But Abu al-Hasan smiled and said, "O my lord, far be it, alas!
that what is past should again come to pass and that I company
with thee at other time than this time!" The Prince of True
Believers asked, "Why so? and why wilt thou not acquaint me with
thy case?" and Abu al-Hasan answered, "Know, O my lord, that my
story is strange and that there is a cause for this affair."
Quoth Al-Rashid, "And what is the cause?" and quoth he, "The
cause hath a tail." The Caliph[FN#10] laughed at his words and
Abu al-Hasan said, "I will explain to thee this saying by the
tale of the Larrikin and the Cook. So hear thou, O my lord, the
Story of the Larrikin[FN#11] and the Cook
One of the ne'er-do-wells found himself one fine morning without
aught and the world was straightened upon him and patience failed
him; so he lay down to sleep and ceased not slumbering till the
sun stang him and the foam came out upon his mouth, whereupon he
arose, and he was penniless and had not even so much as a single
dirham. Presently he arrived at the shop of a Cook, who had set
his pots and pans over the fire and washed his saucers and wiped
his scales and swept his shop and sprinkled it; and indeed his
fats and oils were clear and clarified and his spices fragrant
and he himself stood behind his cooking-pots ready to serve
customers. So the Larrikin, whose wits had been sharpened by
hunger, went in to him and saluting him, said to him, "Weigh me
half a dirham's worth of meat and a quarter of a dirham's worth
of boiled grain[FN#12] and the like of bread." So the Kitchener
weighed it out to him and the good-for-naught entered the shop,
whereupon the man set the food before him and he ate till he had
gobbled up the whole and licked the saucers and sat perplexed,
knowing not how he should do with the Cook concerning the price
of that he had eaten, and turning his eyes about upon everything
in the shop; and as he looked, behold, he caught sight of an
earthen pan lying arsy-versy upon its mouth; so he raised it from
the ground and found under it a horse's tail, freshly cut off and
the blood oozing from it; whereby he knew that the Cook
adulterated his meat with horseflesh. When he discovered this
default, he rejoiced therein and washing his hands, bowed his
head and went out; and when the Kitchener saw that he went and
gave him naught, he cried out, saying, "Stay, O pest, O burglar!"
So the Larrikin stopped and said to him, "Dost thou cry out upon
me and call to me with these words, O cornute?" Whereat the Cook
was angry and coming down from the shop, cried, "What meanest
thou by thy speech, O low fellow, thou that devourest meat and
millet and bread and kitchen and goest forth with 'the
Peace[FN#13] be on thee!' as it were the thing had not been, and
payest down naught for it?" Quoth the Lackpenny, "Thou liest, O
accursed son of a cuckold!" Whereupon the Cook cried out and
laying hold of his debtor's collar, said, "O Moslems, this fellow
is my first customer[FN#14] this day and he hath eaten my food
and given me naught." So the folk gathered about them and blamed
the Ne'er-do-well and said to him, "Give him the price of that
which thou hast eaten." Quoth he, "I gave him a dirham before I
entered the shop;" and quoth the Cook, "Be everything I sell this
day forbidden to me, if he gave me so much as the name of a coin!
By Allah, he gave me naught but ate my food and went out and
would have made off, without aught said." Answered the Larrikin,
"I gave thee a dirham," and he reviled the Kitchener, who
returned his abuse; whereupon he dealt him a buffet and they
gripped and grappled and throttled each other. When the folk saw
them fighting, they came up to them and asked them, "What is this
strife between you and no cause for it?" and the Lackpenny
answered, "Ay, by Allah, but there is a cause for it, and the
cause hath a tail!" Whereupon, cried the Cook, "Yea, by Allah,
now thou mindest me of thyself and thy dirham! Yes, he gave me a
dirham and but a quarter of the coin is spent. Come back and
take the rest of the price of thy dirham." For he understood
what was to do, at the mention of the tail; "and I, O my brother"
(added Abu al-Hasan), "my story hath a cause, which I will tell
thee." The Caliph laughed at his speech and said, "By Allah,
this is none other than a pleasant tale! Tell me thy story and
the cause." Replied the host, "With love and goodly gree! Know,
O my lord, that my name is Abu al-Hasan al-Khali'a and that my
father died and left me abundant wealth, of which I made two
parts. One I laid up and with the other I betook myself to
enjoying the pleasures of friendship and conviviality and
consorting with intimates and boon-companions and with the sons
of the merchants, nor did I leave one but I caroused with him and
he with me, and I lavished all my money on comrades and good
cheer, till there remained with me naught;[FN#15] whereupon I
betook myself to the friends and fellow-topers upon whom I had
wasted my wealth, so perhaps they might provide for my case; but,
when I visited them and went round about to them all, I found no
vantage in one of them, nor would any so much as break a bittock
of bread in my face. So I wept for myself and repairing to my
mother, complained to her of my case. Quoth she:—'Such are
friends; an thou have aught, they frequent thee and devour thee,
but, an thou have naught, they cast thee off and chase thee
away.' Then I brought out the other half of my money and bound
myself to an oath that I would never entertain any save one
single night, after which I would never again salute him nor
notice him; hence my saying to thee:—'Far be it, alas! that what
is past should again come to pass, for I will never again company
with thee after this night.'" When the Commander of the Faithful
heard this, he laughed a loud laugh and said, "By Allah, O my
brother, thou art indeed excused in this matter, now that I know
the cause and that the cause hath a tail. Nevertheless,
Inshallah, I will not sever myself from thee." Replied Abu al-
Hasan, "O my guest, did I not say to thee, 'Far be it, alas! that
what is past should again come to pass? For indeed I will never
again foregather with any!'" Then the Caliph rose and the host
set before him a dish of roast goose and a bannock of first-
bread[FN#16] and sitting down, fell to cutting off morsels and
morselling the Caliph therewith. They gave not over eating till
they were filled, when Abu al-Hasan brought basin and ewer and
potash[FN#17] and they washed their hands. Then he lighted three
wax-candles and three lamps, and spreading the drinking-cloth,
brought strained wine, clear, old and fragrant, whose scent was
as that of virgin musk. He filled the first cup and saying, "O
my boon-companion, be ceremony laid aside between us by thy
leave! Thy slave is by thee; may I not be afflicted with thy
loss!" drank it off and filled a second cup, which he handed to
the Caliph with due reverence. His fashion pleased the Commander
of the Faithful, and the goodliness of his speech and he said to
himself, "By Allah, I will assuredly requite him for this!" Then
Abu al-Hasan filled the cup again and handed it to the Caliph,
reciting these two couplets:[FN#18]—
"Had we thy coming known, we would for sacrifice * Have poured
thee out heart's blood or blackness of the eyes;
Ay, and we would have spread our bosoms in thy way, * That so thy
feet might fare on eyelids, carpet-wise."
When the Caliph heard his verses, he took the cup from his hand
and kissed it and drank it off and returned it to Abu al-Hasan,
who make him an obeisance and filled it and drank. Then he
filled again and kissing the cup thrice, recited these lines:—
"Your presence honoureth the base, * And we confess the deed of
grace;
An you absent yourself from us, * No freke we find to fill your
place."
Then he gave the cup to the Caliph, saying, "Drink it in health
and soundness! It doeth away malady and bringeth remedy and
setteth the runnels of health to flow free." So they ceased not
carousing and conversing till middle-night, when the Caliph said
to his host, "O my brother, hast thou in they heart a
concupiscence thou wouldst have accomplished or a contingency
thou wouldst avert?" Said he, "By Allah, there is no regret in
my heart save that I am not empowered with bidding and
forbidding, so I might manage what is in my mind!" Quoth the
Commander of the Faithful, "By Allah, and again by Allah,[FN#19]
O my brother, tell me what is in thy mind!" And quoth Abu al-
Hasan, "Would Heaven I might be Caliph for one day and avenge
myself on my neighbors, for that in my vicinity is a mosque and
therein four shaykhs, who hold it a grievance when there cometh a
guest to my, and they trouble me with talk and worry me in words
and menace me that they will complain of me to the Prince of True
Believers, and indeed they oppress me exceedingly, and I crave of
Allah the Most High power for one day, that I may beat each and
every of them with four hundred lashes, as well as the Imám of
the mosque, and parade them round about the city of Baghdad and
bid cry before them: 'This is the reward and the least of the
reward of whoso exceedeth in talk and vexeth the folk and
turneth their joy to annoy.' This is what I wish, and no more."
Said the Caliph, "Allah grant thee that thou seekest! Let us
crack one last cup and rise ere the dawn draw near, and to-morrow
night I will be with thee again." Said Abu al-Hasan, "Far be
it!" Then the Caliph crowned a cup, and putting therein a piece
of Cretan Bhang,[FN#20] gave it to his host and said to him, "My
life on thee, O my brother, drink this cup from my hand!" and Abu
al-Hasan answered, "Ay, by thy life, I will drink it from thy
hand." So he took it and drank it off; but hardly had it settled
in his stomach, when his head forewent his heels and he fell to
the ground like one slain; whereupon the Caliph went out and said
to his slave Masrur, "Go in to yonder young man, the house
master, and take him up and bring him to me at the palace; and
when thou goest, shut the door." So saying, he went away, whilst
Masrur entered, and taking up Abu al-Hasan, shut the door behind
him, and made after his master, till he reached with him the
palace what while the night drew to an end and the cocks began
crowing,[FN#21] and set him down before the Commander of the
Faithful, who laughed at him.[FN#22] Then he sent for Ja'afar
the Barmecide and when he came before him, said to him, "Note
thou yonder young man" (pointing to Abu al-Hasan), "and when thou
shalt see him to-morrow seated in my place of estate and on the
throne[FN#23] of my Caliphate and clad in my royal clothing,
stand thou in attendance upon him and enjoin the Emirs and
Grandees and the folk of my household and the officers of my
realm to be upon their feet, as in his service and obey him in
whatso he shall bid them do; and thou, if he speak to thee of
aught, do it and hearken unto his say and gainsay him not in
anything during this coming day." Ja'afar acknowledged the order
with "Hearkening and obedience" and withdrew, whilst the Prince
of True Believers went in to the palace women, who came up to
him, and he said to them, "When this sleeper shall awake to-
morrow, kiss ye the ground between his hands, and do ye wait upon
him and gather round about him and clothe him in the royal
clothing and serve him with the service of the Caliphate and deny
not aught of his estate, but say to him, 'Thou art the Caliph.'"
Then he taught them what they should say to him and how they
should do with him and withdrawing to a retired room,[FN#24] let
down a curtain before himself and slept. Thus fared it with the
Caliph; but as regards Abu al-Hasan, he gave not over snoring in
his sleep till the day brake clear, and the rising of the sun
drew near, when a woman in waiting came up to him and said to
him, "O our lord, the morning prayer!" Hearing these words he
laughed and opening his eyes, turned them about the palace and
found himself in an apartment whose walls were painted with gold
and lapis lazuli and its ceiling dotted and starred with red
gold. Around it were sleeping chambers, with curtains of gold-
embroidered silk let down over their doors, and all about vessels
of gold and porcelain and crystal and furniture and carpets
dispread and lamps burning before the niche wherein men prayed,
and slave-girls and eunuchs and Mamelukes and black slaves and
boys and pages and attendants. When he saw this he was
bewildered in his wit and said, "By Allah, either I am dreaming a
dream, or this is Paradise and the Abode of Peace!"[FN#25] And
he shut his eyes and would have slept again. Quoth one of the
eunuchs, "O my lord, this is not of thy wont, O Commander of the
Faithful!" Then the rest of the handmaids of the palace came up
to him and lifted him into a sitting posture, when he found
himself upon a mattrass raised a cubit's height from the ground
and all stuffed with floss silk. So they seated him upon it and
propped his elbow with a pillow, and he looked at the apartment
and its vastness and saw those eunuchs and slave-girls in
attendance upon him and standing about his head, whereupon he
laughed at himself and said, "By Allah, 'tis not as I were on
wake, yet I am not asleep! And in his perplexity he bowed his
chin upon his bosom and then opened his eyes, little by little,
smiling and saying, "What is this state wherein I find myself?"
Then he arose and sat up, whilst the damsels laughed at him
privily; and he was bewildered in his wit, and bit his finger;
and as the bite pained him, he cried, "Oh!" and was vexed; and
the Caliph watched him, whence he saw him not, and laughed.
Presently Abu al-Hasan turned to a damsel and called to her;
whereupon she answered, "At thy service, O Prince of True
Believers!" Quoth he, "what is thy name?" and quoth she,
"Shajarat al-Durr."[FN#26] Then he said to her, "By the
protection of Allah, O damsel, am I Commander of the Faithful?"
She replied, "Yes, indeed, by the protection of Allah thou in
this time art Commander of the Faithful." Quoth he, "By Allah,
thou liest, O thousandfold whore!"[FN#27] Then he glanced at the
Chief Eunuch and called to him, whereupon he came to him and
kissing the ground before him, said, "Yes, O Commander of the
Faithful." Asked Abu al-Hasan, "Who is Commander of the
Faithful?" and the Eunuch answered "Thou." And Abu al-Hasan
said, "Thou liest, thousandfold he-whore that thou art!" Then he
turned to another eunuch and said to him, "O my chief,[FN#28] by
the protection of Allah, am I Prince of the True Believers?"
Said he, "Ay, by Allah, O my lord, thou art in this time
Commander of the Faithful and Viceregent of the Lord of the three
Worlds." Abu al-Hasan laughed at himself and doubted of his
reason and was bewildered at what he beheld, and said, "In one
night do I become Caliph? Yesterday I was Abu al-Hasan the Wag,
and to-day I am Commander of the Faithful." Then the Chief
Eunuch came up to him and said, "O Prince of True Believers (the
name of Allah encompass thee!) thou art indeed Commander of the
Faithful and Viceregent of the Lord of the three Worlds!" And
the slave-girls and eunuchs flocked round about him, till he
arose and abode wondering at his case. Hereupon the Eunuch
brought him a pair of sandals wrought with raw silk and green
silk and purfled with red gold, and he took them and after
examining them set them in his sleeve; whereat the Castrato cried
out and said, "Allah! Allah! O my lord, these are sandals for the
treading of thy feet, so thou mayst wend to the wardrobe." Abu
al-Hasan was confounded, and shaking the sandals from his sleeve,
put them on his feet, whilst the Caliph died[FN#29] of laughter
at him. The slave forewent him to the chapel of ease, where he
entered and doing his job,[FN#30] came out into the chamber,
whereupon the slave-girls brought him a basin of gold and an ewer
of silver and poured water on his hands[FN#31] and he made the
Wuzú-ablution. Then they spread him a prayer-carpet and he
prayed. Now he knew not how to pray[FN#32] and gave not over
bowing and prostrating for twenty inclinations,[FN#33] pondering
in himself the while and saying, "By Allah, I am none other than
the Commander of the Faithful in very truth! This is assuredly
no dream, for all these things happen not in a dream." And he
was convinced and determined in himself that he was Prince of
True Believers, so he pronounced the Salám[FN#34] and finished
his prayers; whereupon the Mamelukes and slave-girls came round
about him with bundled suits of silken and linen stuffs and clad
him in the costume of the Caliphate and gave the royal dagger in
his hand. Then the Chief Eunuch came in and said, "O Prince of
True Believers, the Chamberlain is at the door craving permission
to enter." Said he, "Let him enter!" whereupon he came in and
after kissing ground offered the salutation, "Peace be upon thee,
O Commander of the Faithful!" At this Abu al-Hasan rose and
descended from the couch to the floor; whereupon the official
exclaimed, "Allah! Allah! O Prince of True Believers, wottest
thou not that all men are thy lieges and under thy rule and that
it is not meet for the Caliph to rise to any man?" Presently the
Eunuch went out before him and the little white slaves behind
him, and they ceased not going till they raised the curtain and
brought him into the hall of judgment and the throne-room of the
Caliphate. There he saw the curtains and the forty doors and Al-
'Ijlí and Al-Rakáshí the poet, and 'Ibdán and Jadím and Abu
Ishák[FN#35] the cup-companion and beheld swords drawn and the
lions[FN#36] compassing the throne as the white of the eye
encircleth the black, and gilded glaives and death-dealing bows
and Ajams and Arabs and Turks and Daylamites and folk and peoples
and Emirs and Wazirs and Captains and Grandees and Lords of the
land and men of war in band, and in very sooth there appeared the
might of the house of Abbas[FN#37] and the majesty of the
Prophet's family. So he sat down upon the throne of the
Caliphate and set the dagger[FN#38] on his lap, whereupon all
present came up to kiss ground between his hands and called down
on him length of life and continuance of weal. Then came forward
Ja'afar the Barmecide and kissing the ground, said, "Be the wide
world of Allah the treading of thy feet and may Paradise be thy
dwelling-place and the Fire the home of thy foes! Never may
neighbor defy thee nor the lights of fire die out for
thee,[FN#39] O Caliph of all cities and ruler of all countries!"
Therewithal Abu al-Hasan cried out at him and said, "O dog of the
sons of Barmak, go down forthright, thou and the chief of the
city police, to such a place in such a street and deliver an
hundred dinars of gold to the mother of Abu al-Hasan the Wag and
bear her my salutation. Then, go to such a mosque and take the
four Shaykhs and the Imám and scourge each of them with a
thousand[FN#40] lashes and mount them on beasts, face to tail,
and parade them round about all the city and banish them to a place
other than this city; and bid the crier make cry before them,
saying: 'This is the reward and the least of the reward of whoso
multiplieth words and molesteth his neighbors and damageth their
delights and stinteth their eating and drinking!'" Ja'afar
received the command and answered, "With obedience"; after which
he went down from before Abu al-Hasan to the city and did all he
had ordered him to do. Meanwhile, Abu al-Hasan abode in the
Caliphate, taking and giving, bidding and forbidding, and
carrying out his command till the end of the day, when he gave
leave and permission to withdraw, and the Emirs and Officers of
state departed to their several occupations and he looked towards
the Chamberlain and the rest of the attendants and said,
"Begone!" Then the Eunuchs came to him and calling down on him
length of life and continuance of weal, walked in attendance upon
him and raised the curtain, and he entered the pavilion of the
Harem, where he found candles lighted and lamps burning and
singing-women smiting on instruments, and ten slave-girls, high-
bosomed maids. When he saw this, he was confounded in his wit
and said to himself, "By Allah, I am in truth Commander of the
Faithful!" presently adding, "or haply these are of the Jánn and
he who was my guest yesternight was one of their kings who saw no
way to requite my favours save by commanding his Ifrits to
address me as Prince of True Believers. But an these be of the
Jann may Allah deliver me in safety from their mischief!" As
soon as he appeared, the slave-girls rose to him and carrying him
up on to the daïs,[FN#41] brought him a great tray, bespread with
the richest viands. So he ate thereof with all his might and
main, till he had gotten his fill, when he called one of the
handmaids and said to her, "What is thy name?" Replied she, "My
name is Miskah,"[FN#42] and he said to another, "What is thy
name?" Quoth she, "My name is Tarkah."[FN#43] Then he asked a
third, "What is thy name?" who answered, "My name is
Tohfah;"[FN#44] and he went on to question the damsels of their
names, one after other, till he had learned the ten, when he rose
from that place and removed to the wine-chamber. He found it
every way complete and saw therein ten great trays, covered with
all fruits and cakes and every sort of sweetmeats. So he sat
down and ate thereof after the measure of his competency, and
finding there three troops of singing-girls, was amazed and made
the girls eat. Then he sat and the singers also seated
themselves, whilst the black slaves and the white slaves and the
eunuchs and pages and boys stood, and of the slave-girls some sat
and some stood. The damsels sang and warbled all varieties of
melodies and the place rang with the sweetness of the songs,
whilst the pipes cried out and the lutes with them wailed, till
it seemed to Abu al-Hasan that he was in Paradise and his heart
was heartened and his breast broadened. So he sported and
joyance grew on him and he bestowed robes of honour on the
damsels and gave and bestowed, challenging this girl and kissing
that and toying with a third, plying one with wine and morselling
another with meat, till nightfall. All this while the Commander
of the Faithful was diverting himself with watching him and
laughing, and when night fell he bade one of the slave-girls drop
a piece of Bhang in the cup and give it to Abu al-Hasan to drink.
So she did his bidding and gave him the cup, which no sooner had
he drunk than his head forewent his feet.[FN#45] Therewith the
Caliph came forth from behind the curtain, laughing, and calling
to the attendant who had brought Abu al-Hasan to the palace, said
to him, "Carry[FN#46] this man to his own place." So Masrur took
him up and carrying him to his own house, set him down in the
saloon. Then he went forth from him, and shutting the saloon-
door upon him, returned to the Caliph, who slept till the morrow.
As for Abu al-Hasan, he gave not over slumbering till Almighty
Allah brought on the morning, when he recovered from the drug and
awoke, crying out and saying, "Ho, Tuffáhah! Ho, Ráhat al-Kulúb!
Ho, Miskah! Ho, Tohfah!"[FN#47] and he ceased not calling upon
the palace handmaids till his mother heard him summoning strange
damsels, and rising, came to him and said, "Allah's name
encompass thee! Up with thee, O my son, O Abu al-Hasan! Thou
dreamest." So he opened his eyes and finding an old woman at his
head, raised his eyes and said to her, "Who art thou?" Quoth
she, "I am thy mother;" and quoth he, "Thou liest! I am the
Commander of the Faithful, the Viceregent of Allah." Whereupon
his mother shrieked aloud and said to him, "Heaven preserve thy
reason! Be silent, O my son, and cause not the loss of our lives
and the wasting of thy wealth, which will assuredly befal us if
any hear this talk and carry it to the Caliph." So he rose from
his sleep, and finding himself in his own saloon and his mother
by him, had doubts of his wit, and said to her, "By Allah, O my
mother, I saw myself in a dream in a palace, with slave-girls and
Mamelukes about me and in attendance upon me, and I sat upon the
throne of the Caliphate and ruled. By Allah, O my mother, this
is what I saw, and in very sooth it was no dream!" then he
bethought himself awhile and said, "Assuredly,[FN#48] I am Abu
al-Hasan al-Khali'a, and this that I saw was only a dream when I
was made Caliph and bade and forbade." Then he bethought himself
again and said, "Nay, but 'twas not a dream, and I am none other
than the Caliph, and indeed I gave gifts and bestowed honour-
robes." Quoth his mother to him, "O my son, thou sportest with
thy reason: thou wilt go to the mad-house[FN#49] and become a
gazing-stock. Indeed, that which thou hast seen is only from the
foul Fiend, and it was an imbroglio of dreams, for at times Satan
sporteth with men's wits in all manner of ways."[FN#50] Then
said she to him, "O my son, was there any one with thee
yesternight?" And he reflected and said, "Yes; one lay the night
with me and I acquainted him with my case and told him my tale.
Doubtless, he was of the Devils and I, O my mother, even as thou
sayst truly, am Abu al-Hasan al-Khali'a." She rejoined, "O my
son, rejoice in tidings of all good, for yesterday's record is
that there came the Wazir Ja'afar the Barmecide and his many, and
beat the Shaykhs of the mosque and the Imam, each a thousand
lashes; after which they paraded them round about the city,
making proclamation before them and saying: 'This is the reward
and the least of the reward of whoso faileth in goodwill to his
neighbours and troubleth on them their lives!' And he banished
them from Baghdad. Moreover, the Caliph sent me an hundred
dinars and sent to salute me." Whereupon Abu al-Hasan cried out
and said to her, "O ill-omened crone, wilt thou contradict me and
tell me that I am not the Prince of True Believers? 'Twas I who
commanded Ja'afar the Barmecide to beat the Shaykhs and parade
them about the city and make proclamations before them, and 'twas
I, very I, who sent thee the hundred dinars and sent to salute
thee, and I, O beldam of ill-luck, am in very deed the Commander
of the Faithful, and thou art a liar, who would make me out an
idiot." So saying, he rose up and fell upon her, and beat her
with a staff of almond-wood, till she cried out, "Help, O
Moslems!" and he increased the beating upon her, till the folk
heard her cries and coming to her, found Abu al-Hasan bashing his
mother and saying to her, "O old woman of ill-omen, am I not the
Commander of the Faithful? Thou hast ensorcelled me!" When the
folk heard his words, they said, "This man raveth," and doubted
not of his madness. So they came in upon him, and seizing him,
pinioned his elbows, and bore him to the Bedlam. Quoth the
Superintendent, "What aileth this youth?" and quoth they, "This
is a madman, afflicted of the Jinn." "By Allah, cried Abu al-
Hasan, "they lie against me! I am no madman, but the Commander
of the Faithful." And the Superintendent answered him, saying,
"None lieth but thou, O foulest of the Jinn-maddened!" Then he
stripped him of his clothes, and clapping on his neck a heavy
chain,[FN#51] bound him to a high lattice and fell to beating him
two bouts a day and two anights; and he ceased not abiding on
this wise the space of ten days. Then his mother came to him and
said, "O my son, O Abu al-Hasan, return to thy right reason, for
this is the Devil's doing." Quoth he, "Thou sayst sooth, O my
mother, and bear thou witness of me that I repent me of that talk and
turn me from my madness. So do thou deliver me, for I am nigh
upon death." Accordingly his mother went out to the
Superintendent[FN#52] and procured his release and he returned to
his own house. Now this was at the beginning of the month, and
when it ended, Abu al-Hasan longed to drink liquor and, returning
to his former habit, furnished his saloon and made ready food and
bade bring wine; then, going forth to the bridge, he sat there,
expecting one whom he should converse and carouse with, according
to his custom. As he sat thus, behold, up came the Caliph and
Masrur to him; but Abu al-Hasan saluted them not and said to Al-
Rashid, "No friendly welcome to thee, O King of the Jánn!" Quoth
Al-Rashid, "What have I done to thee?" and quoth Abu al-Hasan,
"What more couldst thou do than what thou hast done to me, O
foulest of the Jann? I have been beaten and thrown into Bedlam,
where all said I was Jinn-mad and this was caused by none save
thyself. I brought thee to my house and fed thee with my best;
after which thou didst empower thy Satans and Marids to disport
themselves with my wits from morning to evening. So avaunt and
aroynt thee and wend thy ways!" The Caliph smiled and, seating
himself by his side said to him, "O my brother, did I not tell
thee that I would return to thee?" Quoth Abu al-Hasan, "I have
no need of thee; and as the byword sayeth in verse:—
'Fro' my friend, 'twere meeter and wiser to part, * For what eye
sees not born shall ne'er sorrow heart.'
And indeed, O my brother, the night thou camest to me and we
conversed and caroused together, I and thou, 'twas as if the
Devil came to me and troubled me that night." Asked the Caliph,
"And who is he, the Devil?" and answered Abu al-Hasan, "He is
none other than thou;" whereat the Caliph laughed and coaxed him
and spake him fair, saying, "O my brother, when I went out from
thee, I forgot the door and left it open and perhaps Satan came
in to thee."[FN#53] Quoth Abu al-Hasan, "Ask me not of that
which hath betided me. What possessed thee to leave the door
open, so that the Devil came in to me and there befel me with him
this and that?" And he related to him all that had betided him,
first and last (and in repetition is no fruition); what while
the Caliph laughed and hid his laughter. Then said he to Abu al-
Hasan, "Praised be Allah who hath done away from thee whatso
irked thee and that I see thee once more in weal!" And Abu al-
Hasan said, "Never again will I take thee to cup-companion or
sitting-comrade; for the proverb saith, 'Whoso stumbleth on a
stone and thereto returneth, upon him be blame and reproach.' And
thou, O my brother, nevermore will I entertain thee nor company
with thee, for that I have not found thy heel propitious to
me."[FN#54] But the Caliph coaxed him and said, "I have been the
means of thy winning to thy wish anent the Imam and the Shaykhs."
Abu al-Hasan replied, "Thou hast;" and Al-Rashid continued, "And
haply somewhat may betide thee which shall gladden thy heart yet
more." Abu al-Hasan asked, "What dost thou require of me?" and
the Commander of the Faithful answered, "Verily, I am thy guest;
reject not the guest." Quoth Abu al-Hasan, "On condition that
thou swear to me by the characts on the seal of Solomon David's
son (on the twain be the Peace!), that thou wilt not suffer thine
Ifrits to make fun of me." He replied, "To hear is to obey!"
Whereupon the Wag took him and brought him into the saloon and
set food before him and entreated him with friendly speech. Then
he told him all that had befallen him, whilst the Caliph was like
to die of stifled laughter; after which Abu al-Hasan removed the
tray of food and bringing the wine-service, filled a cup and
cracked it three times, then gave it to the Caliph, saying, "O
boon-companion mine, I am thy slave and let not that which I am
about to say offend thee, and be thou not vexed, neither do thou
vex me." And he recited these verses:—
"Hear one that wills thee well! Lips none shall bless * Save
those who drink for drunk and all transgress.
Ne'er will I cease to swill while night falls dark * Till lout my
forehead low upon my tasse:
In wine like liquid sun is my delight * Which clears all care and
gladdens allegresse."
When the Caliph heard these his verses and saw how apt he was at
couplets, he was delighted with exceeding delight and taking the
cup, drank it off, and the twain ceased not to converse and
carouse till the wine rose to their heads. Then quoth Abu al-
Hasan to the Caliph, "O boon-companion mine, of a truth I am
perplexed concerning my affair, for meseemed I was Commander of
the Faithful and ruled and gave gifts and largesse, and in very
deed, O my brother, it was not a dream." Quoth the Caliph,
"These were the imbroglios of sleep," and crumbling a bit of
Bhang into the cup, said to him, "By my life, do thou drink this
cup;" and said Abu al-Hasan, "Surely I will drink it from thy
hand." Then he took the cup and drank it off, and no sooner had
it settled in his stomach than his head fell to the ground before
his feet. Now his manners and fashions pleased the Caliph and
the excellence of his composition and his frankness, and he said
in himself, "I will assuredly make him my cup-companion and
sitting-comrade." So he rose forthright and saying to Masrur,
"Take him up," returned to the palace. Accordingly, the Eunuch
took up Abu al-Hasan and carrying him to the palace of the
Caliphate, set him down before Al-Rashid, who bade the slaves and
slave-girls compass him about, whilst he himself hid in a place
where Abu al-Hasan could not see him. Then he commanded one of
the hand-maidens to take the lute and strike it over the Wag's
head, whilst the rest smote upon their instruments. So they
played and sang, till Abu al-Hasan awoke at the last of the night
and heard the symphony of lutes and tambourines and the sound of
the flutes and the singing of the slave-girls, whereupon he
opened his eyes and finding himself in the palace, with the hand-
maids and eunuchs about him, exclaimed, "There is no Majesty and
there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! Come
to my help this night which meseems more unlucky than the former!
Verily, I am fearful of the Madhouse and of that which I suffered
therein the first time, and I doubt not but the Devil is come to
me again, as before. O Allah, my Lord, put thou Satan to shame!"
Then he shut his eyes and laid his head in his sleeve, and fell
to laughing softly and raising his head bytimes, but still found
the apartment lighted and the girls singing. Presently, one of
the eunuchs sat down at his head and said to him, "Sit up, O
Prince of True Believers, and look on thy palace and thy slave-
girls." Said Abu al-Hasan, "Under the veil of Allah, am I in
truth Commander of the Faithful, and dost thou not lie?
Yesterday I rode not forth neither ruled, but drank and slept,
and this eunuch cometh to make me rise." Then he sat up and
recalled to thought that which had betided him with his mother
and how he had beaten her and entered the Bedlam, and he saw the
marks of the beating, wherewith the Superintendant had beaten
him, and was perplexed concerning his affair and pondered in
himself, saying, "By Allah, I know not how my case is nor what is
this that betideth me!" Then, gazing at the scene around him, he
said privily, "All these are of the Jann in human shape, and I
commit my case to Allah." Presently he turned to one of the
damsels and said to her, "Who am I?" Quoth she, "Thou art the
Commander of the Faithful;" and quoth he, "Thou liest, O
calamity![FN#55] If I be indeed the Commander of the Faithful,
bite my finger." So she came to him and bit it with all her
might, and he said to her, "It doth suffice." Then he asked the
Chief Eunuch, "Who am I?" and he answered, "Thou art the
Commander of the Faithful." So he left him and returned to his
wonderment: then, turning to a little white slave, said to him,
"Bite my ear;" and he bent his head low down to him and put his
ear to his mouth. Now the Mameluke was young and lacked sense;
so he closed his teeth upon Abu al-Hasan's ear with all his
might, till he came near to sever it; and he knew not Arabic, so,
as often as the Wag said to him, "It doth suffice," he concluded
that he said, "Bite like a vice," and redoubled his bite and made
his teeth meet in the ear, whilst the damsels were diverted from
him with hearkening to the singing-girls, and Abu al-Hasan cried
out for succour from the boy and the Caliph lost his sense for
laughter. Then he dealt the boy a cuff, and he let go his ear,
whereupon all present fell down with laughter and said to the
little Mameluke, "Art mad that thou bitest the Caliph's ear on
this wise?" And Abu al-Hasan cried to them, "Sufficeth ye not, O
ye wretched Jinns, that which hath befallen me? But the fault is
not yours: the fault is of your Chief who transmewed you from
Jinn shape to mortal shape. I seek refuge against you this night
by the Throne-verse and the Chapter of Sincerity[FN#56] and the
Two Preventives!"[FN#57] So saying the Wag put off his
clothes till he was naked, with prickle and breech exposed, and
danced among the slave-girls. They bound his hands and he
wantoned among them, while they died of laughing at him and the
Caliph swooned away for excess of laughter. Then he came to
himself and going forth the curtain to Abu al-Hasan, said to him,
"Out on thee, O Abu al-Hasan! Thou slayest me with laughter."
So he turned to him and knowing him, said to him, "By Allah, 'tis
thou slayest me and slayest my mother and slewest the Shaykhs and
the Imam of the Mosque!" After which he kissed ground before him
and prayed for the permanence of his prosperity and the endurance
of his days. The Caliph at once robed him in a rich robe and
gave him a thousand dinars; and presently he took the Wag into
especial favour and married him and bestowed largesse on him and
lodged him with himself in the palace and made him of the chief
of his cup-companions, and indeed he was preferred with him above
them and the Caliph advanced him over them all. Now they were
ten in number, to wit, Al-'Ijlí and Al-Rakáshi and 'Ibdán and
Hasan al-Farazdak and Al-Lauz and Al-Sakar and Omar al-Tartís and
Abu Nowas and Abu Ishak al-Nadím and Abu al-Hasan al-Khali'a, and
by each of them hangeth a story which is told in other than this
book.[FN#58] And indeed Abu al-Hasan became high in honour with
the Caliph and favoured above all, so that he sat with him and
the Lady Zubaydah bint al-Kasim, whose treasuress Nuzhat al-
Fuád[FN#59] hight, was given to him in marriage. After this Abu
al-Hasan the Wag abode with his wife in eating and drinking and
all delight of life, till whatso was with them went the way of
money, when he said to her, "Harkye, O Nuzhat al-Fuad!" Said
she, "At they service;" and he continued, "I have it in mind to
play a trick on the Caliph[FN#60] and thou shalt do the same with
the Lady Zubaydah, and we will take of them at once, to begin
with, two hundred dinars and two pieces of silk. She rejoined,
"As thou willest, but what thinkest thou to do?" And he said,
"We will feign ourselves dead and this is the trick. I will die
before thee and lay myself out, and do thou spread over me a
silken napkin and loose my turban over me and tie my toes and lay
on my stomach a knife and a little salt.[FN#61] Then let down
thy hair and betake thyself to thy mistress Zubaydah, tearing thy
dress and slapping thy face and crying out. She will ask thee,
'What aileth thee?' and do thou answer her, 'May thy head outlive
Abu al-Hasan the Wag; for he is dead.' She will mourn for me and
weep and bid her new treasuress give thee an hundred dinars and a
piece of silk[FN#62] and will say to thee, 'Go, lay him out and
carry him forth.' So do thou take of her the hundred dinars and
the piece of silk and come back, and when thou returnest to me, I
will rise up and thou shalt lie down in my place, and I will go
to the Caliph and say to him, 'May thy head outlive Nuzhat al
Fuad,' and rend my raiment and pluck out my beard. He will mourn
for thee and say to his treasurer, 'Give Abu al-Hasan an hundred
dinars and a piece of silk.' Then he will say to me, 'Go; lay
her out and carry her forth;' and I will come back to thee."
Therewith Nuzhat al-Fuad rejoiced and said, "Indeed, this is an
excellent device." Then Abu al-Hasan stretched himself out
forthright and she shut his eyes and tied his feet and covered him
with the napkin and did whatso her lord had bidden her; after
which she tare her gear and bared her head and letting down her
hair, went in to the Lady Zubaydah, crying out and weeping. When
the Princess saw her in this state, she cried, "What plight is
this? What is thy story and what maketh thee weep?" And Nuzhat
al-Fuad answered, weeping and loud-wailing the while, "O my lady,
may thy head live and mayst thou survive Abu al-Hasan al-Khali'a;
for he is dead!" The Lady Zubaydah mourned for him and said,
"Alas, poor Abu al-Hasan the Wag!" and she shed tears for him
awhile. Then she bade her treasuress give Nuzhat al-Fuad an
hundred dinars and a piece of silk and said to her, "O Nuzhat al-
Fuad, go, lay him out and carry him forth." So she took the
hundred dinars and the piece of silk and returned to her
dwelling, rejoicing, and went in to her spouse and acquainted him
what had befallen, whereupon he arose and rejoiced and girdled
his middle and danced and took the hundred dinars and the piece
of silk and laid them up. Then he laid out Nuzhat al-Fuad and
did with her as she had done with him; after which he rent his
raiment and plucked out his beard and disordered his turban and
ran out nor ceased running till he came in to the Caliph, who was
sitting in the judgment-hall, and he in this plight, beating his
breast. The Caliph asked him, "What aileth thee, O Abu al-
Hasan?" and he wept and answered, "Would heaven thy cup-companion
had never been and would his hour had never come!"[FN#63] Quoth
the Caliph, "Tell me thy case:" and quoth Abu al-Hasan, "O my
lord, may thy head outlive Nuzhat al-Fuad!" The Caliph
exclaimed, "There is no god but God;" and smote hand upon hand.
Then he comforted Abu al-Hasan and said to him, "Grieve not, for
we will bestow upon thee a bed-fellow other than she." And he
ordered the treasurer to give him an hundred dinars and a piece
of silk. Accordingly the treasurer did what the Caliph bade him,
and Al-Rashid said to him, "Go, lay her out and carry her forth
and make her a handsome funeral." So Abu al-Hasan took that
which he had given him and returning to his house, rejoicing,
went in to Nuzhat al-Fuad and said to her, "Arise, for our wish
is won." Hereat she arose and he laid before her the hundred
ducats and the piece of silk, whereat she rejoiced, and they
added the gold to the gold and the silk to the silk and sat
talking and laughing each to other. Meanwhile, when Abu al-Hasan
fared forth the presence of the Caliph and went to lay out Nuzhat
al-Fuad, the Commander of the Faithful mourned for her and
dismissing the divan, arose and betook himself, leaning upon
Masrur, the Sworder of his vengeance, to the Lady Zubaydah, that
he might condole with her for her hand-maid. He found her
sitting weeping and awaiting his coming, so she might condole
with him for his boon-companion Abu al-Hasan the Wag. So he said
to her, "May thy head outlive thy slave-girl Nuzhat al-Fuad!" and
said she, "O my lord, Allah preserve my slave-girl! Mayst thou
live and long survive thy boon-companion Abu al-Hasan al-Khali'a;
for he is dead." The Caliph smiled and said to his eunuch, "O
Masrur, verily women are little of wit. Allah upon thee, say,
was not Abu al-Hasan with me but now?"[FN#64] Quoth the Lady
Zubaydah, laughing from a heart full of wrath, "Wilt thou not
leave thy jesting? Sufficeth thee not that Abu al-Hasan is dead,
but thou must put to death my slave-girl also and bereave us of
the twain, and style me little of wit?" The Caliph answered,
"Indeed, 'tis Nuzhat al-Fuad who is dead." And the Lady Zubaydah
said, "Indeed he hath not been with thee, nor hast thou seen him,
and none was with me but now save Nuzhat al-Fuad, and she
sorrowful, weeping, with her clothes torn to tatters. I exhorted
her to patience and gave her an hundred dinars and a piece of
silk; and indeed I was awaiting thy coming, so I might console
thee for thy cup-companion Abu al-Hasan al-Khali'a, and was about
to send for thee."[FN#65] The Caliph laughed and said, "None is
dead save Nuzhat al-Fuad;" and she, "No, no, good my lord; none
is dead but Abu al-Hasan the Wag." With this the Caliph waxed
wroth, the Háshimí vein[FN#66] started out from between his eyes
and throbbed: and he cried out to Masrur and said to him, "Fare
thee forth to the house of Abu al-Hasan the Wag and see which of
them is dead." So Masrur went out, running, and the Caliph said
to the Lady Zubaydah, "Wilt thou lay me a wager?" And said she,
"Yes, I will wager, and I say that Abu al-Hasan is dead."
Rejoined the Caliph, "And I wager and say that none is dead save
Nuzhat al-Fuad; and the stake between me and thee shall be the
Garden of Pleasance[FN#67] against thy palace and the Pavilion of
Pictures."[FN#68] So they agreed upon this and sat awaiting
Masrur's return with the news. As for the Eunuch, he ceased not
running till he came to the by-street, wherein was the stead of
Abu al-Hasan al-Khali'a. Now the Wag was comfortably seated and
leaning back against the lattice,[FN#69] and chancing to look
round, saw Masrur running along the street and said to Nuzhat al-
Fuad, "Meseemeth the Caliph, when I went forth from him dismissed
the Divan and went in to the Lady Zubaydah, to condole with her;
whereupon she arose and condoled with him, saying, 'Allah
increase thy recompense for the loss of Abu al-Hasan al-Khali'a!'
And he said to her, 'None is dead save Nuzhat al-Fuad, may thy
head outlive her!' Quoth she, ''Tis not she who is dead, but Abu
al-Hasan al-Khali'a, thy boon-companion.' And quoth he, 'None is
dead save Nuzhat al-Fuad.' And they waxed so obstinate that the
Caliph became wroth and they laid a wager, and he hath sent
Masrur the Sworder to see who is dead. Now, therefore, 'twere
best that thou lie down, so he may sight thee and go and acquaint
the Caliph and confirm my saying."[FN#70] So Nuzhat al-Fuad
stretched herself out and Abu al-Hasan covered her with her
mantilla and sat weeping at her head. Presently, Masrur the
eunuch suddenly came in to him and saluted him, and seeing Nuzhat
al-Fuad stretched out, uncovered her face and said, "There is no
god but God! Our sister Nuzhat al-Fuad is dead indeed. How
sudden was the stroke of Destiny! Allah have ruth on thee and
acquit thee of all charge!" Then he returned and related what
had passed before the Caliph and the Lady Zubaydah, and he
laughing as he spoke. "O accursed one," cried the Caliph, "this
is no time for laughter! Tell us which is dead of them." Masrur
replied, "By Allah, O my lord, Abu al-Hasan is well, and none is
dead but Nuzhat al-Fuad." Quoth the Caliph to Zubaydah, "Thou
hast lost thy pavilion in thy play," and he jeered at her and
said, "O Masrur, tell her what thou sawest." Quoth the Eunuch,
"Verily, O my lady, I ran without ceasing till I came in to Abu
al-Hasan in his house and found Nuzhat al-Fuad lying dead and Abu
al-Hasan sitting tearful at her head. I saluted him and condoled
with him and sat down by his side and uncovered the face of
Nuzhat al-Fuad and saw her dead and her face swollen.[FN#71] So
I said to him, 'Carry her out forthwith, so we may pray over
her.' He replied, ''Tis well'; and I left him to lay her out and
came hither, that I might tell you the news." The Prince of True
Believers laughed and said, "Tell it again and again to thy lady
Little-wits." When the Lady Zubaydah heard Masrur's words and
those of the Caliph she was wroth and said, "None is little of
wit save he who believeth a black slave." And she abused Masrur,
whilst the Commander of the Faithful laughed: and the Eunuch,
vexed at this, said to the Caliph, "He spake sooth who said,
"Women are little of wits and lack religion."[FN#72] Then said
the Lady Zubaydah to the Caliph, "O Commander of the Faithful,
thou sportest and jestest with me, and this slave hoodwinketh me,
the better to please thee; but I will send and see which of them
be dead." And he answered, saying, "Send one who shall see which
of them is dead." So the Lady Zubaydah cried out to an old
duenna, and said to her, "Hie thee to the house of Nuzhat al-Fuad
in haste and see who is dead and loiter not." And she used hard
words to her.[FN#73] So the old woman went out running, whilst
the Prince of True Believers and Masrur laughed, and she ceased
not running till she came into the street. Abu al-Hasan saw her,
and knowing her, said to his wife, "O Nuzhat al-Fuad, meseemeth
the Lady Zubaydah hath sent to us to see who is dead and hath not
given credit to Masrur's report of thy death: accordingly, she
hath despatched the old crone, her duenna, to discover the truth.
So it behoveth me to be dead in my turn for the sake of thy
credit with the Lady Zubaydah." Hereat he lay down and stretched
himself out, and she covered him and bound his eyes and feet and
sat in tears at his head. Presently the old woman came in to her
and saw her sitting at Abu al-Hasan's head, weeping and
recounting his fine qualities; and when she saw the old trot, she
cried out and said to her, "See what hath befallen me! Indeed
Abu al-Hasan is dead and hath left me lone and lorn!" Then she
shrieked out and rent her raiment and said to the crone, "O my
mother, how very good he was to me!"[FN#74] Quoth the other,
"Indeed thou art excused, for thou wast used to him and he to
thee." Then she considered what Masrur had reported to the
Caliph and the Lady Zubaydah and said to her, "Indeed, Masrur
goeth about to cast discord between the Caliph and the Lady
Zubaydah." Asked Nuzhat al-Fuad, "And what is the cause of
discord, O my mother?" and the other replied, "O my daughter,
Masrur came to the Caliph and the Lady Zubaydah and gave them
news of thee that thou wast dead and that Abu al-Hasan was well."
Nuzhat al-Fuad said to her, "O naunty mine,[FN#75] I was with my
lady just now and she gave me an hundred dinars and a piece of
silk; and now see my case and that which hath befallen me!
Indeed, I am bewildered, and how shall I do, and I lone, and
lorn? Would heaven I had died and he had lived!" Then she wept
and with her wept the old woman, who, going up to Abu al-Hasan
and uncovering his face, saw his eyes bound and swollen for the
swathing. So she covered him up again and said, "Indeed, O
Nuzhat al-Fuad, thou art afflicted in Abu al-Hasan!" Then she
condoled with her and going out from her, ran along the street
until she came in to the Lady Zubaydah and related to her the
story; and the Princess said to her, laughing, "Tell it over
again to the Caliph, who maketh me out little of wit, and lacking
of religion, and who made this ill-omened liar of a slave presume
to contradict me." Quoth Masrur, "This old woman lieth; for I
saw Abu al-Hasan well and Nuzhat al-Fuad it was who lay dead."
Quoth the duenna, "'Tis thou that liest, and wouldst fain cast
discord between the Caliph and the Lady Zubaydah." And Masrur
cried, "None lieth but thou, O old woman of ill-omen and thy
lady believeth thee and she must be in her dotage." Whereupon
Lady Zubaydah cried out at him and in very sooth she was enraged
with him and with his speech and shed tears. Then said the
Caliph to her, "I lie and my eunuch lieth, and thou liest and thy
waiting-woman lieth; so 'tis my rede we go, all four of us
together, that we may see which of us telleth the truth." Masrur
said, "Come, let us go, that I may do to this ill-omened old
woman evil deeds[FN#76] and deal her a sound drubbing for her
lying." And the duenna answered him, "O dotard, is thy wit like
unto my wit? Indeed, thy wit is as the hen's wit." Masrur was
incensed at her words and would have laid violent hands on her,
but the Lady Zubaydah pushed him away from her and said to him,
"Her truth-speaking will presently be distinguished from thy
truth-speaking and her leasing from thy leasing." Then they all
four arose, laying wagers one with other, and went forth a-foot
from the palace-gate and hied on till they came in at the gate of
the street where Abu al-Hasan al-Khali'a dwelt. He saw them and
said to his wife Nuzhat al-Fuad, "Verily, all that is sticky is
not a pancake[FN#77] they cook nor every time shall the crock
escape the shock. It seemeth the old woman hath gone and told
her lady and acquainted her with our case and she has disputed
with Masrur the Eunuch and they have laid wagers each with other
about our death and are come to us, all four, the Caliph and the
Eunuch and the Lady Zubaydah and the old trot." When Nuzhat al-
Fuad heard this, she started up from her outstretched posture
and asked, "How shall we do?" whereto he answered, "We will both
feign ourselves dead together and stretch ourselves out and hold
our breath." So she hearkened unto him and they both lay down on
the place where they usually slept the siesta[FN#78] and bound
their feet and shut their eyes and covered themselves with the
veil and held their breath. Presently, up came the Caliph,
Zubaydah, Masrur and the old woman and entering, found Abu al-
Hasan the Wag and wife both stretched out as dead; which when the
Lady saw, she wept and said, "They ceased not to bring ill-news
of my slave-girl till she died,[FN#79] methinketh Abu al-Hasan's
death was grievous to her and that she died after him."[FN#80]
Quoth the Caliph, "Thou shalt not prevent me with thy prattle and
prate. She certainly died before Abu al-Hasan, for he came to me
with his raiment rent and his beard plucked out, beating his
breast with two bits of unbaked brick,[FN#81] and I gave him an
hundred dinars and a piece of silk and said to him, "Go, bear her
forth and I will give thee a bed-fellow other than she and
handsomer, and she shall be in stead of her. But it would appear
that her death was no light matter to him and he died after
her;[FN#82] so it is who have beaten thee and gotten thy stake."
The Lady Zubaydah answered him in words galore and the dispute
between them waxed sore. At last the Caliph sat down at the head
of the pair and said, "By the tomb of the Apostle of Allah (whom
may He save and assain!) and the sepulchres of my fathers and
forefathers, whoso will tell me which of them died before the
other, I will willingly give him a thousand dinars!" when Abu
al-Hasan heard the Calipih's words, he sprang up in haste and
said, "I died first, O Commander of the Faithful! Here with the
thousand dinars and acquit thee of thine oath and the swear thou
sworest." Nuzhat al-Fuad rose also and stood up before the
Caliph and the Lady Zubaydah, who both rejoiced in this and in
their safety, and the Pricess chid her slave-girl. Then the
Caliph and Zubaydah gave them joy of their well-being and knew
that this death was a trick to get the gold; and the Lady said to
Nuzhat al-Fuad, "Thou shouldst have sought of me that which thou
needest, without this fashion, and not have burned[FN#83] my
heart for thee." And she, "Verily, I was ashamed, O my lady."
As for the Caliph, he swooned away for laughing and said, "O Abu
al-Hasan, thou wilt never cease to be a wag and do peregrine
things and prodigious!" Quoth he, "O Commander of the Faithful,
this trick I played off for that money which thou gavest me was
exhausted, and I was ashamed to ask of thee again. When I was
single, I could never keep money in hand; but since thou
marriedst me to this damsel, if I possessed even thy wealth, I
should lay it waste. Wherefore when all that was in my hand was
spent, I wrought this sleight, so I might get of thee the hundred
dinars and the piece of silk; and all this is an alms from our
lord. But now make haste to give me the thousand dinars and
acquit thee of thine oath." The Caliph and the Lady Zubaydah
laughed and returned to the palace; and he gave Abu al-Hasan the
thousand dinars saying, "Take them as a douceur[FN#84] for thy
preservation from death," whilst her mistress did the like with
Nuzhat al-Fuad, honouring her with the same words. Moreover, the
Caliph increased the Wag in his solde and supplies, and he and
his wife ceased not to live in joy and contentment, till there
came to them the Destroyer of delights and Severer of societies,
the Plunderer of palaces, and the Garnerer of Graves.
THE CALIPH OMAR BIN ABD AL-AZIZ AND THE
POETS[FN#85]
It is said that, when the Caliphate devolved on Omar bin Abd al-
Aziz[FN#86] (of whom Allah accept), the poets resorted to him, as
they had been used to resort to the Caliphs before him, and abode
at his door days and days, but he suffered them not to enter, till
there came to him 'Adí bin Artah,[FN#87] who stood high in esteem
with him. Jarír[FN#88] accosted him and begged him to crave
admission for them to the presence; so Adi answered, "'Tis well;"
and, going in to Omar, said to him, "The poets are at thy door
and have been there days and days; yet hast thou not given them
leave to enter, albeit their sayings abide[FN#89] and their
arrows from mark never fly wide." Quoth Omar, "What have I to do
with the poets?" and quoth Adi, "O Commander of the Faithful, the
Prophet (Abhak!)[FN#90] was praised by a poet[FN#91] and gave him
largesse, and in him[FN#92] is an exemplar to every Moslem."
Quoth Omar, "And who praised him?" and quoth Adi, "'Abbás bin
Mirdás[FN#93] praised him, and he clad him with a suit and said,
O Generosity,[FN#94] cut off from me his tongue!" Asked the
Caliph, "Dost thou remember what he said?" and Adi answered,
"Yes." Rejoined Omar, "Then repeat it;" so Adi repeated,[FN#95]
"I saw thee, O thou best of human race, * Bring out a Book which
brought to graceless Grace.
Thou showedst righteous road to men astray * From Right, when
darkest Wrong had ta'en its place;—
Thou with Islám didst light the gloomiest way, *Quenching with
proof live coals of frowardness;
I own for Prophet mine Mohammed's self; * And man's award upon his
word we base;
Thou madest straight the path that crooked ran, * Where in old
days foul growth o'ergrew its face.
Exalt be thou in Joy's empyrean * And Allah's glory ever grow
apace.
"And indeed" (continued Adi), "this Elegy on the Prophet (Abhak!)
is well known and to comment it would be tedious." Quoth Omar
"Who is at the door?" and quoth Adi, "Among them is Omar ibn Abi
Rabí'ah, the Korashí;[FN#96] whereupon the Caliph cried, "May
Allah show him no favour neither quicken him! Was it not he who
said these verses,
'Would Heaven what day Death shall visit me * I smell as thy
droppings and drippings[FN#97] smell!
Could I in my clay-bed on Salmá lie * There to me were better
than Heaven or Hell!'
"Had he not been" (continued the Caliph) "the enemy of Allah, he
had wished for her in this world, so he might after repent and
return to righteous dealing. By Allah, he shall not come in to
me! Who is at the door other than he?" Quoth Adi, "Jamíl bin
Ma'mar al-Uzri[FN#98] is at the door;" and quoth Omar, "'Tis he
who saith in one of his elegies,
'Would Heaven conjoint we lived, and if I die * Death only grant
me a grave within her grave:
For I'd no longer deign to live my life * If told upon her head
is laid the pave.'"[FN#99]
Quoth Omar, "Away with him from me! Who is at the door?" and
quoth Adi, "Kuthayyir 'Azzah"[FN#100]; whereupon Omar cried,
"'Tis he who saith in one of his odes,
'Some talk of faith and creed and nothing else * And wait for
pains of Hell in prayer-seat;[FN#101]
But did they hear what I from Azzah heard, * They'd make
prostration, fearfull at her feet.'
"Leave the mention of him. Who is at the door?" Quoth Adi, "Al-
Ahwas al-'Ansárí."[FN#102] Cried Omar, "Allah Almighty put him
away and estrange him from His mercy! Is it not he who said,
berhyming on a Medinite's slave-girl, so she might outlive her
lord,
'Allah be judge betwixt me and her lord! * Who ever flies with
her and I pursue.'
"He shall not come in to me. who is at the door, other than he?"
Adi replied, "Hammám bin Ghálib al-Farazdak;"[FN#103] and Omar
said, "'Tis he who saith, glorying in whoring,
'Two girls let me down eighty fathoms deep, * As low sweeps a
falcon wi' pinions spread;
And cried; as my toes touched the ground, 'Dost live * To return,
or the fall hath it done thee dead?
"He shall not come in to me. who is at the door, other than he?"
Adi replied, "Al-Akhtal al-Taghlibí"[FN#104] and Omar said, "He
is the Miscreant who saith in his singing,
'Ramazan I ne'er fasted in life-time; nay * I ate flesh in public
at undurn day;[FN#105]
Nor chide I the fair, save in way of love, * Nor seek Meccah's
plain[FN#106] in salvation-way:
Nor stand I praying like rest who cry * 'Hie
salvationwards'[FN#107] at the dawn's first ray.
But I drink her cooled[FN#108] by fresh Northern breeze * And my
head at dawn to her prone I lay.'[FN#109]
"By Allah, he treadeth no carpet of mine! who is at the door,
other than he?" Said Adi, "Jarír ibn al-Khatafah"; and Omar
cried, "'Tis he who saith,
'But for ill-spying glances had our eyes espied * Eyne of the
antelope and ringlets of the Reems.[FN#110]
A huntress of the eyes[FN#111] by night-tide came and I * Cried,
'Turn in peace, no time for visit this, meseems!'
"An it must be and no help, admit Jarir." So Adi went forth and
admitted Jarir, who entered, saying.
"Yea, he who sent Mohammed unto man, * A just successor for
Imám[FN#112] assigned.
His ruth and justice all mankind embrace, * To daunt the bad and
stablish well-designed.
Verily now I look to present good, * For man hath ever-transient
weal in mind."
Quoth Omar, "O Jarir, keep the fear of Allah before thine eyes
and say naught save the sooth." And Jarir recited these
couplets,
"How many widows loose the hair in far Yamámah-land[FN#113] * How
many an orphan there abides feeble of voice and eye,
Since faredst thou who wast to them instead of father lost * When
they like nested fledglings were sans power to creep or fly!
And now we hope, since brake the clouds their word and troth with
us, * Hope from the Caliph's grace to gain a rain[FN#114]
that ne'er shall dry."
When the Caliph heard this, he said, "By Allah, O Jarir, Omar
possesseth but an hundred dirhams.[FN#115] Ho, boy! do thou give
them to him." Moreover he gifted him with the ornaments of his
sword; and Jarir went forth to the other poets, who asked him,
"What is behind thee?"[FN#116] and he answered, "A man who giveth
to the poor and denieth the poets, and with him I am well-
pleased."
AL-HAJJAJ AND THE THREE YOUNG MEN[FN#117]
They tell that Al-Hajjáj[FN#118] once bade the Chief of Police go
his rounds about Bassorah city by night, and whomsoever he found
abroad after supper-tide that he should smite his neck. So he
went round one night of the nights and came upon three youths
swaying and staggering from side to side, and on them signs of
wine-bibbing. So the watch laid hold of them and the captain
said to them, "Who be you that ye durst transgress the
commandment of the Commander of the Faithful[FN#119] and come
abroad at this hour?" quoth one of the youths, "I am the son of
him to whom all necks[FN#120] abase themselves, alike the nose-
pierced of them and the breaker; they come to him in their own
despite, abject and submissive, and he taketh of their wealth and
of their blood." The Master of Police held his hand from him,,
saying, "Belike he is of the kinsman of the Prince of True
Believers," and said to the second, "Who art thou?" Quoth he, "I
am the son of him whose rank[FN#121] Time abaseth not, and if it
be lowered one day, 'twill assuredly return to its former height;
thou seest the folk crowd in troops to the light of his fire,
some standing around it and some sitting." So the Chief of
Police refrained from slaying him and asked the third, "Who art
thou?" He answered, "I am the son of him who plungeth through the
ranks[FN#122] with his might and levelleth them with the sword,
so that they stand straight: his feet are not loosed from the
stirrup, whenas the horsemen on the day of the battle are a-
weary." So the Master of the Police held his hand from him also,
saying, "Belike, he is the son of a Brave of the Arabs." Then he
kept them under guard, and when the morning morrowed, he referred
their case to Al-Hajjaj, who caused bring them before him and
enquiring into their affair, when behold, the first was the son
of a barber-surgeon, the second of a bean-seller, and the third
of a weaver. So he marvelled at their eloquent readiness of
speech and said to the men of his assembly, "Teach your sons the
rhetorical use of Arabic:[FN#123] for, by Allah, but for their
ready wit, I had smitten off their heads!"
HARUN AL-RASHID AND THE WOMAN OF THE
BARMECIDES[FN#124]
They tell[FN#125] that Harun Al-Rashid was sitting one day to
abate grievances, when there came up to him a woman and said, "O
Commander of the Faithful, may Allah perfect thy purpose and
gladden thee in whatso He hath given thee and increase thee in
elevation! Indeed, thou hast done justice and wrought
equitably." [FN#126] Quoth the Caliph to those who were present
with him, "Know ye what this one means by her saying?" and quoth
they, "Of a surety, she meaneth not otherwise than well, O Prince
of True Believers." Al-Rashid rejoined: "Nay, in this she
purposeth only to curse me. As for her saying, 'Allah perfect
thy purpose,' she hath taken it from the saying of the poet,
'When thy purpose is effected beginneth its decay; * when they
say 'Thy wish is won' feel thou sure 'twill pass away.'
As for her saying 'Allah gladden thee in whatso He hath given
thee,' she took it from the saying of Almighty Allah,[FN#127]
'Till, whenas they were gladdened in that they were given, We
suddenly laid hold of them and lo, they were in despair!' As for
her saying, 'Allah increase thee in elevation!' she took it from
the saying of the poet:—
'No flier flieth however tall * but as he flieth shall come to
fall.'
And as for her saying, 'Indeed, thou hast done justice and
wrought equitably, 'tis from the saying of the Almighty, 'If ye
swerve[FN#128] or lag behind or turn aside, verily, Allah of that
which ye do is well aware;' and 'As for the swervers[FN#129] they
are fuel for Hell.'" Then he turned to the woman and asked her,
"Is it not thus?" answered she, "Yes, O Commander of the
Faithful," and quoth he, "What prompted thee to this?" Quoth
she, "Thou slewest my parents and my kinsfolk and despoiledst
their good." Enquired the Caliph, "Whom meanest thou?" and she
replied, "I am of the House of Barmak." Then said he to her, "As
for the dead, they are of those who are past away, and it booteth
not to speak of them; but, as for that which I took of wealth, it
shall forthright be restored to thee, yea, and more than it."
And he was bountiful to her to the uttermost of his bounties.
THE TEN WAZIRS: OR THE HISTORY OF KING
AZADBAKHT AND HIS SON.[FN#130]
There was once, of old days, a king of the kings, whose name was
Azádbakht; his capital was hight Kunaym Madúd[FN#131] and his
kingdom extended to the confines of Sístán[FN#132] and from the
confines of Hindostan to the Indian Ocean. He had ten Wazirs, who
ordered his kingship and his dominion, and he was possessed of
judgment and exceeding wisdom. One day he went forth with certain
of his guards to the chase and fell in with an Eunuch riding a
mare and hending in hand the halter of a she-mule, which he led
along. On the mule's back was a domed litter of brocade purfled
with gold and girded with an embroidered band set with pearls and
gems, and about it was a company of Knights. When King Azadbakht
saw this, he separated himself from his suite and, making for the
horsemen and that mule, questioned them, saying, "To whom
belongeth this litter and what is therein?" The Eunuch answered
(for he knew not that the speaker was King Azadbakht), saying,
"This litter belongeth to Isfahand, Wazir to King Azadbakht, and
therein is his daughter, whom he is minded to marry to the King
hight Zád Sháh."
As the Eunuch was speaking with the king, behold, the maiden
raised a corner of the curtain that shut in the litter, so she
might look upon the speaker, and saw the king. When Azadbakht
beheld her and noted her fashion and her loveliness (and indeed
never did seer[FN#133] espy her like), his soul inclined to her
and she took hold upon his heart and he was ravished by her
sight. So he said to the Eunuch, "Turn the mule's head and
return, for I am King Azadbakht and in very sooth I will marry
her myself, inasmuch as Isfahand her sire is my Wazir and he will
accept of this affair and it will not be hard to him." Answered
the Eunuch, "O king, Allah prolong thy continuance, have patience
till I acquaint my lord her parent, and thou shalt wed her in the
way of consent, for it besitteth thee not, neither is it seemly
for thee, to seize her on this wise, seeing that it will be an
affront to her father an if thou take her without his knowledge."
Quoth Azadbakht, 'I have not patience to wait till thou repair to
her sire and return, and no shame will betide him, if I marry
her." And quoth the eunuch, "O my lord, naught that in haste is
done long endureth nor doth the heart rejoice therein; and indeed
it behoveth thee not to take her on this unseemly wise.
Whatsoever betideth thee, destroy not thyself with haste, for I
know that her sire's breast will be straitened by this affair and
this that thou dost will not win thy wish." But the king said,
"Verily, Isfahand is my Mameluke and a slave of my slaves, and I
reck not of her father, an he be fain or unfain." So saying, he
drew the reins of the mule and carrying the damsel, whose name
was Bahrjaur,[FN#134] to his house married her. Meanwhile, the
Eunuch betook himself, he and the knights, to her sire and said
to him, "O my lord, thou hast served the king a many years'
service and thou hast not failed him a single day; and now he
hath taken thy daughter without thy consent and permission." And
he related to him what had passed and how the king had seized her
by force. When Isfahand heard the eunuch's words, he was wroth
with exceeding wrath and assembling many troops, said to them,
"Whenas the king was occupied with his women[FN#135] we took no
reck of him; but now he putteth out his hand to our Harim;
wherefore 'tis my rede that we look us out a place wherein we may
have sanctuary." Then he wrote a letter to King Azadbakht, saying
to him, "I am a Mameluke of thy Mamelukes and a slave of thy
slaves and my daughter at thy service is a hand-maid, and
Almighty Allah prolong thy days and appoint thy times to be in
joy and gladness! Indeed, I went ever waist-girded in thy service
and in caring to conserve thy dominion and warding off from thee
all thy foes; but now I abound yet more than erewhile in zeal and
watchfulness, because I have taken this charge upon myself, since
my daughter is become thy wife." And he despatched a courier to
the king with the letter and a present. When the messenger came
to King Azadbakht and he read the letter and the present was laid
before him, he rejoiced with joy exceeding and occupied himself
with eating and drinking, hour after hour. But the chief Wazir of
his Wazirs came to him and said, "O king, know that Isfahand the
Wazir is thine enemy, for that his soul liketh not that which
thou hast done with him, and this message he hath sent thee is a
trick; so rejoice thou not therein, neither be thou misled by the
sweets of his say and the softness of his speech." The king
hearkened to his Wazir's speech, but presently made light of the
matter and busied himself with that which he was about of eating
and drinking, pleasuring and merrymaking. Meanwhile, lsfahand the
Wazir wrote a letter and sent it to all the Emirs, acquainting
them with that which had betided him from King Azadbakht and how
he had forced his daughter, adding, "And indeed he will do with
you more than he hath done with me." When the letter reached the
chiefs,[FN#136] they all assembled together to Isfahand and said
to him, "What was his affair?"[FN#137] Accordingly he discovered
to them the matter of his daughter and they all agreed, of one
accord, to strive for the slaughter of the king; and, taking
horse with their troops, they set out to seek him. Azadbakht knew
naught till the noise of the revolt beset his capital city, when
he said to his wife Bahrjaur, "How shall we do?" She answered,
"Thou knowest best and I am at thy commandment;" so he bade fetch
two swift horses and bestrode one himself, whilst his wife
mounted the other. Then they took what they could of gold and
went forth, flying through the night to the desert of
Karmán;[FN#138] while Isfahand entered the city and made himself
king. Now King Azadbakht's wife was big with child and the labour
pains took her in the mountain; so they alighted at the foot, by
a spring of water, and she bare a boy as he were the moon.
Bahrjaur his mother pulled off a coat of gold-woven brocade and
wrapped the child therein, and they passed the night in that
place, she giving him the breast till morning. Then said the king
to her, "We are hampered by this child and cannot abide here nor
can we carry him with us; so methinks we had better leave him in
this stead and wend our ways, for Allah is able to send him one
who shall take him and rear him." So they wept over him with
exceeding sore weeping and left him beside the fountain, wrapped
in that coat of brocade: then they laid at his head a thousand
gold pieces in a bag and mounting their horses, fared forth and
fled. Now, by the ordinance of the Most High Lord, a company of
highway robbers fell upon a caravan hard by that mountain and
despoiled them of what was with them of merchandise. Then they
betook themselves to the highlands, so they might share their
loot, and looking at the foot thereof, espied the coat of
brocade: so they descended to see what it was, and behold, it was
a boy wrapped therein and the gold laid at his head. They
marvelled and said, "Praised be Allah! By what misdeed cometh
this child here?" Thereupon they divided the money between them
and the captain[FN#139] of the highwaymen took the boy and made
him his son and fed him with sweet milk and dates,[FN#140] till
he came to his house, when he appointed a nurse for rearing him.
Meanwhile, King Azadbakht and his wife stayed not in their flight
till they came to the court of the King of Fars, whose name was
Kisra[FN#141]. When they presented themselves to him, he honoured
them with all honour and entertained them with handsomest
entertainment, and Azadbakht told him his tale from incept to
conclusion. So he gave him a mighty power and wealth galore and
he abode with him some days till he was rested, when he made
ready with his host and setting out for his own dominions, waged
war with Isfahand and falling in upon the capital, defeated the
whilome Minister and slew him. Then he entered the city and sat
down on the throne of his kingship; and whenas he was rested and
his kingdom waxed peaceful for him, he despatched messengers to
the mountain aforesaid in search of the child; but they returned
and informed the king that they had not found him. As time ran
on, the boy, the son of the king, grew up and fell to cutting the
way[FN#142] with the highwaymen, and they used to carry him with
them, whenever they went banditing. They sallied forth one day
upon a caravan in the land of Sistan, and there were in that
caravan strong men and valiant, and with them a mighty store of
merchandise. Now they had heard that in that land banditti
abounded: so they gathered themselves together and gat ready
their weapons and sent out spies, who returned and gave them news
of the plunderers. Accordingly, they prepared for battle, and
when the robbers drew near the caravan, they fell upon them and
the twain fought a sore fight. At last the caravan-folk
overmastered the highwaymen by dint of numbers, and slew some of
them, whilst the others fled. They also took the boy, the son of
King Azadbakht, and seeing him as he were the moon, a model of
beauty and loveliness, bright of face and engraced with grace,
asked him, "Who is thy father, and how camest thou with these
banditti?" And he answered, saying, "I am the son of the Captain
of the highwaymen." So they seized him and carried him to the
capital of his sire, King Azadbakht. When they reached the city,
the king heard of their coming and commanded that they should
attend him with what befitted of their goods. Accordingly they
presented themselves before him, and the boy with them, whom when
the king saw, he asked them, "To whom belongeth this boy?" and
they answered, "O King, we were going on such a road, when there
came out upon us a sort of robbers; so we fought them and beat
them off and took this boy prisoner. Then we questioned him,
saying, Who is thy sire? and he replied, I am the son of the
robber-captain." Quoth the king, "I would fain have this boy;"
and quoth the captain of the caravan, "Allah maketh thee gift of
him, O king of the age, and we all are thy slaves." Then the king
(who was not aware that the boy was his son) dismissed the
caravan and bade carry the lad into his palace, and he became as
one of the pages, while his sire the king still knew not that he
was his child. As the days rolled on, the king observed in him
good breeding and understanding and handiness galore and he
pleased him; so he committed his treasuries to his charge and
shortened the Wazir's hand therefrom, commanding that naught
should be taken forth save by leave of the youth. On this wise he
abode a number of years and the king saw in him only good conduct
and the habit of righteousness. Now the treasuries had been
aforetime in the hands of the Wazirs to do with them whatso they
would, and when they came under the youth's hand, that of the
Ministers was shortened from them, and he became dearer than a
son to the king, who could not support being separated from him.
When the Wazirs saw this, they were jealous of him and envied him
and sought a device against him whereby they might oust him from
the King's eye,[FN#143] but found no means. At last, when Fate
descended,[FN#144] it chanced that the youth one day of the days
drank wine and became drunken and wandered from his right wits;
so he fell to going round about within the king's palace and
Destiny led him to the lodging of the women, in which there was a
little sleeping chamber, where the king lay with his wife.
Thither came the youth and entering the dormitory, found there a
spread couch, to wit, a sleeping place: so he cast himself on the
bed, marvelling at the paintings that were in the chamber, which
was lighted by one waxen taper. Presently he fell asleep and
slumbered heavily till eventide, when there came a hand-maid,
bringing with her as of wont all the dessert, eatables and
drinkables, usually made ready for the king and his wife, and
seeing the youth lying on his back (and none knowing of his case
and he in his drunkenness unknowing where he was), thought that
he was the king asleep on his couch; so she set the
censing-vessel and laid the perfumes by the bedding, then shut
the door and went her ways. Soon after this, the king arose from
the wine-chamber and taking his wife by the hand, repaired with
her to the chamber in which he slept. He opened the door and
entered when, lo and behold! he saw the youth lying on the bed,
whereupon he turned to his wife and said to her, "What doth this
youth here? This fellow cometh not hither save on thine account."
Said she. "I have no knowledge of him." Hereupon the youth awoke
and seeing the king, sprang up and prostrated himself before him,
and Azadbakht said to him, "O vile of birth,[FN#145] O traitor of
unworth, what hath driven thee to my dwelling?" And he bade
imprison him in one place and the Queen in another.
The First Day
Of the Uselessness of Endeavour Against Persistent Ill
Fortune.
When the morning morrowed and the king sat on the throne of his
kingship, he summoned his Grand Wazir, the Premier of all his
Ministers, and said to him, "How seest thou the deed this
robber-youth hath done?[FN#146] He hath entered my Harim and lain
down on my couch and I fear lest there be an object between him
and the woman. What deemest thou of the affair?" Said the Wazir,
"Allah prolong the king's continuance! What sawest thou in this
youth?[FN#147] Is he not ignoble of birth, the son of thieves?
Needs must a thief revert to his vile origin, and whoso reareth
the serpent's brood shall get of them naught but biting. As for
the woman, she is not at fault; since from time ago until now,
nothing appeared from her except good breeding and modest
bearing; and at this present, an the king give me leave, I will
go to her and question her, so I may discover to thee the
affair." The king gave him leave for this and the Wazir went to
the Queen and said to her, "I am come to thee, on account of a
grave shame, and I would fain have thee soothfast with me in
speech and tell me how came the youth into the sleeping-chamber."
Quoth she, "I have no knowledge whatsoever of it, no, none at
all," and sware to him a binding oath to that intent, whereby he
knew that the woman had no inkling of the affair, nor was in
fault and said to her, "I will show thee a sleight, wherewith
thou mayst acquit thyself and thy face be whitened before the
king." Asked she, "What is it?" and he answered, "When the king
calleth for thee and questioneth thee of this, say thou to him,
'Yonder youth saw me in the boudoir-chamber and sent me a
message, saying, 'I will give thee an hundred grains of gem for
whose price money may not suffice, so thou wilt suffer me to
enjoy thee.' I laughed at him who bespake me with such proposal
and rebuffed him; but he sent again to me, saying, 'An thou
consent not thereto, I will come one of the nights, drunken, and
enter and lie down in the sleeping-chamber, and the king will see
me and slay me; so wilt thou be put to shame and thy face shall
be blackened with him and thine honour dishonoured.' Be this thy
saying to the king, and I will fare to him forthright and repeat
this to him." Quoth the Queen, "And I also will say thus."
Accordingly, the Minister returned to the king and said to him,
"Verily, this youth hath merited grievous pains and penalties
after the abundance of thy bounty, and no kernel which is bitter
can ever wax sweet;[FN#148] but, as for the woman, I am certified
that there is no default in her." Thereupon he repeated to the
king the story which he had taught the Queen, which when
Azadbakht heard, he rent his raiment and bade the youth be
brought. So they fetched him and set him before the king, who
bade summon the Sworder, and the folk all fixed their eyes upon
the youth, to the end that they might see what the Sovran should
do with him. Then said Azadbakht to him (and his words were words
of anger and the speech of the youth was reverent and well-bred),
"I bought thee with my money and looked for fidelity from thee,
wherefore I chose thee over all my Grandees and Pages and made
thee Keeper of my treasuries. Why, then, hast thou outraged mine
honour and entered my house and played traitor with me and
tookest thou no thought of all I have done thee of benefits?"
Replied the youth, "O king, I did this not of my choice and
freewill and I had no business in being there; but, of the lack
of my luck, I was driven thither, for that Fate was contrary and
fair Fortune failed me. Indeed, I had endeavoured with all
endeavour that naught of foulness should come forth me and I kept
watch and ward over myself, lest default foreshow in me; and none
may withstand an ill chance, nor doth striving profit against
adverse Destiny, as appeareth by the example of the merchant who
was stricken with ill luck and his endeavour availed him naught
and he fell by the badness of his fortune." The king asked, "What
is the story of the merchant and how was his luck changed upon
him by the sorriness of his doom?" Answered the youth, "May Allah
prolong the king's continuance!" and began
The Story of the Merchant Who Lost his Luck.[FN#149]
There was once a merchant man, who prospered in trade, and at one
time his every dirham won him fifty. Presently, his luck turned
against him and he knew it not; so he said to himself, "I have
wealth galore, yet do I toil and travel from country to country;
so better had I abide in my own land and rest myself in my own
house from this travail and trouble and sell and buy at home."
Then he made two parts of his money, and with one bought wheat in
summer, saying, "Whenas winter cometh, I shall sell it at a great
profit." But, when the cold set in wheat fell to half the price
for which he had purchased it, whereat he was concerned with sore
chagrin and left it till the next year. However, the price then
fell yet lower and one of his intimates said to him, "Thou hast
no luck in this wheat; so do thou sell it at whatsoever price."
Said the merchant, "Ah, long have I profited! so 'tis allowable
that I lose this time. Allah is all-knowing! An it abide with me
ten full years, I will not sell it save for a gaining
bargain."[FN#150] Then he walled up in his anger the granary-door
with clay, and by the ordinance of Allah Almighty, there came a
great rain and descended from the terrace-roofs of the house
wherein was the wheat so that the grain rotted; and the merchant
had to pay the porters from his purse five hundred dirhams for
them to carry it forth and cast it without the city, the smell of
it having become fulsome. So his friend said to him, "How often
did I tell thee thou hadst no luck in wheat? But thou wouldst not
give ear to my speech, and now it behoveth thee to go to the
astrologer[FN#151] and question him of thine ascendant."
Accordingly the trader betook himself to the astrologer and
questioned him of his star, and astrophil said to him, "Thine
ascendant is adverse. Put not forth thy hand to any business, for
thou wilt not prosper thereby." However, he paid no heed to the
astrologer's words and said in himself, "If I do my business, I
am not afraid of aught." Then he took the other half of his
money, after he had spent the first in three years, and builded
him a ship, which he loaded with a cargaison of whatso seemed
good to him and all that was with him and embarked on the sea, so
he might voyage questing gain. The ship remained in port some
days, till he should be certified whither he would wend, and he
said, "I will ask the traders what this merchandise profiteth and
in what land 'tis wanted and how much can it gain." They directed
him to a far country, where his dirham should produce an
hundredfold. So he set sail and made for the land in question;
but, as he went, there blew on him a furious gale, and the ship
foundered. The merchant saved himself on a plank and the wind
cast him up, naked as he was, on the sea-shore, where stood a
town hard by. He praised Allah and gave Him thanks for his
preservation; then, seeing a great village nigh hand, he betook
himself thither and saw, seated therein, a very old man, whom he
acquainted with his case and that which had betided him. The
Shaykh grieved for him with sore grieving, when he heard his tale
and set food before him. He ate of it and the old man said to
him, "Tarry here with me, so I may make thee my overseer[FN#152]
and factor over a farm I have here, and thou shalt have of me
five dirhams a day." Answered the merchant, "Allah make fair thy
reward, and requite thee with His boons and bounties." So he
abode in this employ, till he had sowed and reaped and threshed
and winnowed, and all was clean in his hand and the Shaykh
appointed neither agent nor inspector, but relied utterly upon
him. Then the merchant bethought himself and said, "I doubt me
the owner of this grain will never give me my due; so the better
rede were to take of it after the measure of my wage; and if he
give me my right, I will return to him that I have taken." So he
laid hands upon the grain, after the measure of that which fell
to him, and hid it in a hiding place. Then he carried the rest
and meted it out to the old man, who said to him "Come, take thy
wage, for which I conditioned with thee, and sell the grain and
buy with the price clothes and what not else; and though thou
abide with me ten years, yet shalt thou still have this hire and
I will acquit it to thee on this wise." Quoth the merchant in
himself, "Indeed, I have done a foul deed by taking it without
his permission." Then he went to fetch that which he had hidden
of the grain, but found it not and returned, perplexed,
sorrowful, to the Shaykh, who asked him, "What aileth thee to be
mournful?" and he answered, "Methought thou wouldst not pay me my
due; so I took of the grain, after the measure of my hire; and
now thou hast paid me all my right and I went to bring back to
thee that which I had hidden from thee, but found it gone, for
those who had come upon it have stolen it." The Shaykh was wroth,
when he heard these words, and said to the merchant, "There is no
device against ill luck! I had given thee this but, of the
sorriness of thy doom and thy fortune, thou hast done this deed,
O oppressor of thine own self! Thou deemedst I would not fulfil
to thee thy wage; but, by Allah, nevermore will I give thee
aught." Then he drove him away from him. So the merchant went
forth, woeful, grieving, weeping-eyed, and wandered along the
sea-shore, till he came to a sort of duckers[FN#153] diving in
the sea for pearls. They saw him weeping and wailing and said to
him, "What is thy case and what garreth thee shed tears?" So he
acquainted them with his history, from incept to conclusion,
whereby the duckers knew him and asked him "Art thou Such-an-one,
son of Such-an-one?" He answered "Yes;" whereupon they condoled
with him and wept sore for him and said to him, "Abide here till
we dive upon thy luck this next time and whatso betideth us shall
be between us and thee."[FN#154] Accordingly, they ducked and
brought up ten oyster-shells, in each two great unions: whereat
they marvelled and said to him,"By Allah, thy luck hath
re-appeared and thy good star is in the ascendant!" Then the
pearl-fishers gave him the ten pearls and said to him, "Sell two
of them and make them thy stock-in-trade: and hide the rest
against the time of thy straitness." So he took them, joyful and
contented, and applied himself to sewing eight of them in his
gown, keeping the two others in his mouth; but a thief saw him
and went and advertised his fellows of him; whereupon they
gathered together upon him, and took his gown and departed from
him. When they were gone away, he arose, saying, "The two unions
I have will suffice me," and made for the nearest city, where he
brought out the pearls for sale. Now as Destiny would have it, a
certain jeweller of the town had been robbed of ten unions, like
those which were with the merchant; so, when he saw the two
pearls in the broker's hand, he asked him, "To whom do these
belong?" and the broker answered, "To yonder man." The jeweller,
seeing the merchant in pauper case and clad in tattered clothes,
suspected him and said to him, "Where be the other eight pearls?"
The merchant thought he asked him of those which were in the
gown, whenas the man had purposed only to surprise him into
confession, and replied, "The thieves stole them from me." When
the jeweller heard his reply, he was certified that it was the
wight who had taken his good; so he laid hold of him and haling
him before the Chief of Police, said to him, "This is the man who
stole my unions: I have found two of them upon him and he
confesseth to the other eight." Now the Wali knew of the theft of
the pearls; so he bade throw the merchant into jail. Accordingly
they imprisoned him and whipped him, and he lay in trunk a whole
year, till, by the ordinance of Allah Almighty, the Chief of
Police arrested one of the divers aforesaid, and imprisoned him
in the prison where the merchant was jailed. The ducker saw him
and knowing him, questioned him of his case; whereupon he told
them his tale, and that which had befallen him; and the diver
marvelled at the lack of his luck. So, when he came forth of the
prison, he acquainted the Sultan with the merchant's case and
told him that it was he who had given him the pearls. The Sultan
bade bring him forth of the jail, and asked him of his story,
whereupon he told him all that had befallen him, and the Sovran
pitied him and assigned him a lodging in his own palace, together
with pay and allowances for his support. Now the lodging in
question adjoined the king's house, and whilst the merchant was
rejoicing in this and saying, "Verily, my luck hath returned, and
I shall live in the shadow of this king the rest of my life," he
espied an opening walled up with clay and stones. So he cleared
the opening the better to see what was behind it, and behold, it
was a window giving upon the lodging of the king's women. When he
saw this, he was startled and affrighted and rising in haste,
fetched clay and stopped it up again. But one of the
eunuchs[FN#155] saw him, and suspecting him, repaired to the
Sultan, and told him of this. So he came and seeing the stones
pulled out, was wroth with the merchant and said to him, "Be this
my reward from thee, that thou seekest to unveil my Harim?"
Thereupon he bade pluck out his eyes; and they did as he
commanded. The merchant took his eyes in his hand and said, "How
long, O star of ill-omen, wilt thou afflict me? First my wealth
and now my life!" And he bewailed himself, saying, "Striving
profiteth me naught against evil fortune. The Compassionate aided
me not, and effort was worse than useless."[FN#156] "On like
wise, O king," continued the youth, "whilst fortune was
favourable to me, all that I did came to good; but now that it
hath turned against me, everything turneth to mine ill." When the
youth had made an end of his tale, the king's anger subsided a
little, and he said, "Return him to the prison, for the day
draweth to an end, and to-morrow we will look into his affair,
and punish him for his ill-deeds."
The Second Day.
Of Looking to the Ends of Affairs.
Whenit was the next day, the second of the king's Wazirs, whose
name was Baharún, came in to him and said, "Allah advance the
king! This deed which yonder youth hath done is a grave matter,
and a foul misdeed and a heinous against the household of the
king." So Azadbakht bade fetch the youth, because of the
Minister's speech; and when he came into the presence, said to
him, "Woe to thee, O youth! There is no help but that I do thee
die by the dreadest of deaths, for indeed thou hast committed a
grave crime, and I will make thee a warning to the folk." The
youth replied, "O king, hasten not, for the looking to the ends
of affairs is a column of the kingdom, and a cause of continuance
and assurance for the kingship. Whoso looketh not to the issues
of actions, there befalleth him that which befel the merchant,
and whoso looketh to the consequences of actions, there betideth
him of joyance that which betideth the merchant's son." The king
asked, "And what is the story of the merchant and his sons?" and
the youth answered, "Hear, O king,
The Tale of the Merchant and his Sons.[FN#157]
There was once a merchant, who had abundant wealth, and a wife to
boot. He set out one day on a business journey, leaving his wife
big with child, and said to her, "Albeit, I now leave thee, yet I
will return before the birth of the babe, Inshallah!" Then he
farewelled her and setting out, ceased not faring from country to
country till he came to the court of one of the kings and
foregathered with him. Now this king needed one who should order
his affairs and those of his kingdom and seeing the merchant
wellbred and intelligent, he required him to abide at court and
entreated him honourably. After some years, he sought his
Sovran's leave to go to his own house, but the king would not
consent to this; whereupon he said to him, "O king, suffer me go
and see my children and come again." So he granted him permission
for this and, taking surety of him for his return, gave him a
purse, wherein were a thousand gold dinars. Accordingly, the
merchant embarked in a ship and set sail, intending for his
mother-land. On such wise fared it with the trader; but as
regards his wife, news had reached her that her husband had
accepted service with King Such-an-one; so she arose and taking
her two sons (for she had borne twins in his absence), set out
seeking those parts. As Fate would have it, they happened upon an
island, and her husband came thither that very night in the ship.
So the woman said to her children, "The ship cometh from the
country where your father is: hie ye to the sea-shore, that ye
may enquire of him." Accordingly, they repaired to the sea-shore
and going up into the ship, fell to playing about it and busied
themselves with their play till evening evened. Now the merchant
their sire lay asleep in the ship, and the noisy disport of the
boys troubled him; whereupon he rose to call out to them
"Silence" and let the purse with the thousand dinars fall among
the bales of merchandise. He sought for it and finding it not,
buffeted his head and seized upon the boys, saying, "None took
the purse but you: ye were playing all about the bales, so ye
might steal somewhat, and there was none here but you twain."
Then he took his staff, and laying hold of the children, fell to
beating them and flogging them, whilst they wept, and the crew
came round about them saying, "The boys of this island are all
rogues and robbers." Then, of the greatness of the merchant's
anger, he swore an oath that, except they brought out the purse,
he would drown them in the sea; so when by reason of their denial
his oath demanded the deed, he took the two boys and binding them
each to a bundle of reeds, cast them into the water. Presently,
finding that they tarried from her, the mother of the two boys
went searching for them, till she came to the ship and fell to
saying,"Who hath seen two boys of mine? Their fashion is so and
so and their age thus and thus." When the crew heard her words,
they said, "This is the description of the two boys who were
drowned in the sea but now." Their mother hearing this began
calling on them and crying, "Alas, my anguish for your loss, O my
sons! Where was the eye of your father this day, that it might
have seen you?" Then one of the sailors asked her, "Whose wife
art thou?" and she answered, "I am the wife of Such-an-one the
trader. I was on my way to him, and there hath befallen me this
calamity." When the merchant heard her words, he knew her and
rising to his feet, rent his raiment and beat his head and said
to his wife, "By Allah, I have destroyed my children with mine
own hand! This is the end of whoso looketh not to the endings of
affairs. This is his reward who taketh not time to reflect." Then
he took to wailing and weeping over them, he and his wife, and he
said to his shipmates, "By Allah, I shall never enjoy my life,
till I light upon news of them!" And he began to go round about
the sea, in quest of his sons, but found them not. Meanwhile, the
wind carried the two children from the ship towards the land, and
cast them up on the sea-shore. As for one of them, a company of
the guards of the king of those parts found him and carried him
to their lord, who marvelled at him with exceeding marvel and
adopted him, giving out to the folk that he was his own son, whom
he had hidden,[FN#158] of his love for him. So the folk rejoiced
in him with joy exceeding, for their lord's sake, and the king
appointed him his heir-apparent and the inheritor of his kingdom.
On this wise a number of years passed, till the king died and
they enthroned the youth sovran in his stead, when he sat down on
the seat of his kingship and his estate flourished and his
affairs prospered with all regularity. Meanwhile, his father and
mother had gone round about, in quest of him and his brother, all
the islands of the sea, hoping that the tide might have cast them
up, but found no trace of them; so they despaired of them and
took up their abode in a certain of the islands. One day, the
merchant, being in the market, saw a broker, and in his hand a
boy he was crying for sale, and said in himself, "I will buy
yonder boy, so I may solace myself with him for my sons."[FN#159]
So he bought him and bore him to his house; and, when his wife
saw him, she cried out and said, "By Allah, this is my son!"
Accordingly his father and mother rejoiced in him with exceeding
joy and asked him of his brother; but he answered, "The waves
parted us and I knew not how it went with him." Therewith his
father and mother consoled themselves with him and on this wise a
number of years passed by. Now the merchant and his wife had
homed them in a city of the land where their other son was king,
and when the boy they had recovered grew up, his father assigned
unto him merchandise, to the end that he might travel therewith.
Upon this he fared forth and entered the city wherein his brother
ruled and anon news reached the king that a merchant had come
thither with merchandise befitting royalties; so he sent for him
and the young trader obeyed the summons and going in to him, sat
down before him. Neither of them knew the other; but blood moved
between them[FN#160] and the king said to the merchant youth, "I
desire of thee that thou tarry with me and I will exalt thy
station and give thee all that thou requirest and cravest."
Accordingly, he abode with him awhile, never quitting him; and
when he saw that he would not suffer him to depart from him, he
sent to his father and mother and bade them remove thither to
him. Hereat they resolved upon moving to that island, and their
son still increased in honour with the king, albeit he knew not
that he was his brother. Now it chanced one night that the king
sallied forth without the city and drank and the wine got the
mastery of him and he became drunken. So, of the youth's fear for
his safety, he said, "I will keep watch myself over the king this
night, seeing that he deserveth this from me, for that which he
hath done with me of kindly deeds;" and he arose forthright and
baring his brand, stationed himself at the door of the king's
pavilion. But one of the royal pages saw him standing there, with
the drawn sword in his hand, and he was of those who envied him
his favour with the king; therefore, he said to him. "Why dost
thou on this wise at this time and in the like of this place?"
Said the youth, "I am keeping watch and ward over the king
myself, in requital of his bounties to me." The page said no more
to him; however, when it was morning, he acquainted a number of
the king's servants with the matter, and they said, "This is an
opportunity for us. Come, let us assemble together and acquaint
the king therewith, so the young merchant may lose regard with
him[FN#161] and he rid us of him and we be at rest from him." So
they assembled together and going in to the king, said to him,
"We have a warning wherewith we would warn thee." Quoth he, "And
what is your warning?" and quoth they, "This youth, the trader,
whom thou hast taken into favour and whose rank thou hast exalted
above the chiefest of thy lords, we saw yesterday bare his brand
and design to fall upon thee, to the end that he might slay
thee." Now when the king heard this, his colour changed and he
said to them, "Have ye proof of this?" They rejoined, "What proof
wouldst thou have? An thou desirest this, feign thyself drunken
again this night and lie down as if asleep, and privily watch him
and thou wilt see with thine eyes all that we have mentioned to
thee." Then they went to the youth and said to him, "Know that
the king thanketh thee for thy dealing yesternight and exceedeth
in commendation of thy good deed;" and they prompted him again to
do the like. Accordingly, when the next night came, the king
abode on wake, watching the youth; and as for the latter, he went
to the door of the pavilion and unsheathing his scymitar, stood
in the doorway. When the king saw him do thus, he was sore
disquieted and bade seize him and said to him, "Is this my reward
from thee? I showed thee favour more than any else and thou
wouldst do with me this abominable deed." Then arose two of the
king's pages and said to him, "O our lord, an thou order it, we
will smite his neck." But the king said, "Haste in killing is a
vile thing, for 'tis a grave[FN#162] matter; the quick we can
kill, but the killed we cannot quicken, and needs must we look to
the end of affairs. The slaying of this youth will not escape
us."[FN#163] Therewith he bade imprison him, whilst he himself
went back to the city and, his duties done, fared forth to the
chase. Then he returned to town and forgot the youth; so the
pages went in to him and said to him, "O king, an thou keep
silence concerning yonder youth, who designed to slaughter thee,
all thy servants will presume upon the king's majesty, and indeed
the folk talk of this matter." Hereat the king waxed wroth and
cried, "Fetch him hither;" and bade the headsman strike off his
head. So they brought the youth and bound his eyes; and the
sworder stood at his head and said to the king, "By thy leave, O
my lord, I will smite his neck." But the king cried, "Stay, till
I look into his affair. Needs must I put him to death and the
dispatching of him will not escape me." Then he restored him to
the prison and there he abode till it should be the king's will
to do him die. Presently, his parents heard of the matter;
whereupon his father arose and going up to the palace, wrote a
letter and presented it to the king, who read it, and behold,
therein was written, saying, "Have ruth on me, so may Allah have
ruth on thee, and hasten not in the slaughter of my son; for
indeed I acted hastily in a certain affair and drowned his
brother in the sea, and to this day I bemourn him. An thou must
needs kill him, kill me in his stead." Therewith the old
merchant, weeping bitterly, prostrated himself before the king,
who said to him, "Tell me thy tale." Said the merchant, "O my
lord, this youth had a brother and I in my haste cast the twain
into the sea." And he related to him his story, first and last,
whereupon the king cried with a mighty loud cry and casting
himself down from the throne, embraced his father and brother and
said to the merchant, "By Allah, thou art my very father and this
is my brother and thy wife is our mother." And they abode
weeping, all three of them. Then the king acquainted his people
with the matter and said to them, "O folk, how deem ye of my
looking to the consequences of action?" and they all marvelled at
his wisdom and foresight. Then he turned to his sire and said to
him, "Hadst thou looked to the issue of thine affair and made due
delay in whatso thou didst, there had not betided thee this
repentance and chagrin all this time." Thereupon he sent for his
mother and they rejoiced one in other and lived all their days in
joy and gladness. "What then" (continued the young treasurer),
"is more grievous than the lack of looking to the ends of things?
Wherefore hasten thou not in the slaying of me, lest penitence
betide thee and sore chagrin." When the king heard this, he said,
"Return him to the prison till the morrow, so we may look into
his affair; for that deliberation in such is advisable and the
slaughter of this youth shall not escape us."
The Third Day.
Of the Advantages of Patience.[FN#164]
When it was the third day, the third Wazir came in to the king
and said to him, "O king, delay not the matter of this youth,
because his deed hath caused us fall into the mouths of folk, and
it behoveth that thou slay him forthright, that the talk may be
cut from us and it be not said, 'The king saw on his bed a man
with his wife and spared him.'" The king was chagrined by these
words and bade bring the youth. Accordingly, they fetched him in
fetters, and indeed the king's anger was upstirred against him by
the Minister's speech and he was troubled; so he said to him, "O
base of birth, thou hast dishonoured us and marred our mention,
and needs must I do away thy life from the world." Quoth the
youth, "O king, make use of patience in all thine affairs, so
wilt thou win to thy wish, for that Allah Almighty hath appointed
the issue of long-suffering to be in abounding good, and indeed
by patience Abú Sábir ascended from the pit and sat down upon the
throne." Asked the king, "Who was Abú Sábir, and what is his
tale?" and the youth answered, saying, "Hear thou, O king,
The Story of Abu Sabir.
There was once a man, a village headman,[FN#165] Abú Sabír hight,
and he had much black cattle and a buxom wife, who had borne him
two sons. They abode in a certain hamlet and there used to come
thither a lion and rend and devour Abu Sabir's herd, so that the
most part thereof was wasted and his wife said to him one day,
"This lion hath wasted the greater part of our property. Arise,
mount thy horse and take thy host and do thy best to kill him, so
we may be at rest from him." But Abu Sabir said, "Have patience,
O woman, for the issue of patience is praised. This lion it is
which transgresseth against us, and the transgressor, perforce
must Almighty Allah destroy him. Indeed, 'tis our long-suffering
that shall slay him,[FN#166] and he that doth evil needs must it
recoil upon him." A few days after, the king went forth one
morning to hunt and falling in with the lion, he and his host,
gave chase to him and ceased not pursuit till they slew him. This
news reached Abú Sábir who improved the occasion to his wife,
"Said I not to thee, O woman, that whoso doth evil, it shall
recoil upon him? Haply an I sought to slay the lion myself, I had
not prevailed against him, and this is the issue of patience." It
befel, after this, that a man was slain in Abú Sábir's village;
wherefore the Sultan bade plunder the village, and they spoiled
the patient one's goods with the rest. Thereupon his wife said to
him, "All the king's officers know thee; so do thou prefer thy
plaint to the sovran, that he may bid thy beasts to be restored
to thee." But he said to her, "O woman, said I not to thee that
he who worketh wrong shall be wronged? Indeed, the king hath done
evil, and right soon he shall suffer the issues of his deed, for
whoso taketh the goods of the folk, needs must his goods be
taken." A man of his neighbours heard his speech, and he was an
envier of his; so he went to the Sultan and acquainted him
therewith, whereupon the king sent and plundered all the rest of
his goods and drave him forth from the village, and his wife and
family with him. They went wandering in the waste grounds about
the hamlet and his wife said to him, "All that hath befallen us
cometh of thy slowness in affairs and thy helplessness." But he
said to her, "Have patience, for the issue of patience is good."
Then they walked on a little way, and thieves met them and
despoiling them of whatso remained with them, stripped them of
their raiment and took from them the two children; whereupon the
woman wept and said to her husband, "Hearkye, my good man, put
away from thee this folly and up with us to follow the thieves,
so, peradventure they may have compassion on us and restore the
children to us." He replied, "O woman, have patience, for he who
doth evil shall be requited with evil and his frowardness shall
revert upon him. Were I to follow them, belike one of them would
take his sword and smite my neck and slay me; but have patience,
for the issue of patience is praised." Then they fared on till
they made a village[FN#167] in the land of Kirman, and by it a
river of water; so the man said to his wife, "Tarry thou here,
whilst I enter the village and look us out a place wherein we may
home ourselves." And he left her by the water and entered the
village. Presently, up came a horseman in quest of water,
wherewith to water his horse: he saw the woman and she was
pleasing in his eyes; so quoth he to her, "Arise, mount with me
and I will take thee to wife and entreat thee kindly." Quoth she,
"Spare me, so may Allah spare thee! Indeed I have a husband." But
he drew his dudgeon and said to her, "An thou obey me not, I will
smite thee and slay thee." When she saw his frowardness, she
wrote on the ground in the sand with her finger, saying, "O Abú
Sábir, thou hast not ceased to be patient, till thy good is gone
from thee and thy children and now thy wife, who was more
precious in thy sight than everything and than all thy monies,
and indeed thou abidest in thy sorrow the whole of thy life long,
so thou mayest see what thy patience will profit thee." Then the
horseman took her, and setting her behind him, went his way. As
for Abú Sábir, when he returned, he saw not his wife but he read
what was writ upon the ground, wherefore he wept and sat awhile
sorrowing. Then said he to himself, "O Abú Sábir, it behoveth
thee to be patient, for haply there shall betide thee an affair
yet sorer than this and more grievous;" and he went forth
a-following his face,[FN#168] like to one love-distraught and
passion-madded, till he came to a gang of labourers working upon
the palace of the king, by way of forced labour.[FN#169] When the
overseers saw him, they laid hold of him and said to him, "Work
thou with these folk at the palace of the king; else we will
imprison thee for life." So he fell to working with them as a
labourer and every day they gave him a bannock of bread. He
wrought with them a month's space, till it chanced that one of
the labourers mounted a ladder and falling, brake his leg;
whereupon he cried out and shed tears. Quoth Abú Sábir to him,
"Have patience and weep not; for in thine endurance thou shalt
find ease." But the man said to him, "How long shall I have
patience?" And he answered, saying, "Long-suffering bringeth a
man forth of the bottom of the pit and seateth him on the throne
of the kingdom." It so fortuned that the king was seated at the
lattice, hearkening to their talk, and Abú Sábir's words angered
him for the moment; wherefore he bade bring him before him and
they brought him forthright. Now there was in the king's palace
an underground dungeon and therein a vast silo[FN#170] and a
deep, into which the king caused cast Abú Sábir, saying to him,
"O little of wit, soon shall we see how thou wilt come forth of
the pit to the throne of the kingdom." Then he used continuously
to come and stand at the mouth of the pit and say, "O little of
wit, O Abú Sábir,[FN#171] I see thee not come forth of the pit
and sit down on the king's throne!" And he assigned him each day
two bannocks of bread, whilst Abú Sábir kept silence and spake
not, but patiently bore whatso betided him. Now the king had a
brother, whom he had imprisoned in that pit of old time, and he
had died there; but the folk of the realm deemed him still alive,
and when his durance grew long, the courtiers of the king used to
talk of this and of the tyranny of their liege Lord, and the
bruit spread abroad that the sovran was a tyrant, so they fell
upon him one day and slew him. Then they sought the silo and
brought out therefrom Abú Sábir, deeming him the king's brother,
for that he was the nearest of folk to him in favour and the
likest, and he had been long in the pit. So they doubted not but
that he was the Prince and said to him, "Reign thou in thy
brother's room, for we have slain him and thou art sovran in his
stead." But Abú Sábir was silent and spoke not a word;[FN#172]
and he knew that this was the result of his patience. Then he
arose and sitting down on the king's throne, donned the royal
dress and dispensed justice and equity, and affairs prospered;
wherefore the lieges obeyed him and the subjects inclined to him
and many were his soldiers. Now the king, who erst had plundered
Abú Sábir's goods and driven him forth of his village, had an
enemy; and the foe mounted horse against him and overcame him and
captured his capital; wherefore he betook him to flight and came
to Abú Sábir's city, craving support of him and seeking that he
should succour him. He knew not that the king of the city was the
headman whom he had spoiled; so he presented himself before him
and made complaint to him; but Abú Sábir knew him and said to
him, "This is somewhat of the issue of patience. Allah the Most
High hath given me power over thee." Then he commanded his guards
to plunder the unjust king and his suite; so they spoiled them
and stripping them of their clothes, put them forth of his
country. When Abú Sábir's troops saw this, they marvelled and
said, "What be this deed the king doth? There cometh a king to
him, craving protection, and he spoileth him! This is not the
fashion of kings." But they dared not speak of this. Presently,
news came to the king of highwaymen in his land; so he set out in
quest of them and ceased not to follow after them, till he seized on them all. and behold, they were the very thieves who
had plundered him and his wife by the way and had carried off his
children. Accordingly he bade bring them before him, and when
they came into his presence, he questioned them, saying, "Where
are the two boys ye took on such a day?" Said they, "They are
with us and we will present them to our lord the king for
Mamelukes to serve him and give him wealth galore that we have
gotten together and doff all we own and repent from lawlessness
and fight in thy service." Abú Sábir, however, paid no heed to
their words, and seized all their good and bade put them all to
death. Furthermore. he took his two boys and rejoiced in them
with exceeding joy, whereat the troops murmured among themselves,
saying, "Verily, this is a greater tyrant than his brother! There
cometh to him a gang of thieves, and they seek to repent and
proffer two boys by way of peace-offering, and he taketh the two
lads and all their good and slayeth them! Indeed this be violent
oppression." After this came the horseman, who had seized Abú
Sábir's wife, and complained of her to the king that she would
not give him possession of her person, and solemnly declared that
she was his wife. The king bade bring her before him, that he
might hear her plea and pronounce judgment upon her. So the
horseman came with her before him, and when the king saw her, he
knew her and taking her from her ravisher, bade put him to death.
Then he became aware of the troops, that they murmured against
him and spake of him as a tyrant; so he turned to his courtiers
and ministers and said to them, "As for me, by Allah of
All-might,[FN#173] I am not the king's brother! Nay, I am but one
whom the king imprisoned upon a word he heard from me and he used
every day to come and taunt me therewith. Ye deem me the king's
brother; but I am Abú Sabir and the Lord hath given me the
kingship in virtue of my patience. As for the king who sought
protection of me and I plundered him, 'twas he who first wronged
me, for that he plundered me aforetime and drave me forth of my
native land and banished me, without due cause; wherefore I
requited him with that which he had done to me, in the way of
lawful retribution. As for the highwaymen who proffered
repentance, there was no repentance for them with me, because
they began upon me with foul dealing and waylaid me by the road
and despoiled me and seized my good and my sons, the two boys
that I took of them, and those ye deemed Mamelukes are my very
sons; so I avenged myself on the thieves of that which they did
with me whilome and requited them with strict justice. As for the
horseman whom I slew, this woman I took from him was my wife and
he seized her by force, but Allah the Most High hath restored her
to me; so this was my right, and my deed that I have done was
righteous, albeit ye, judging by the externals of the matter,
deemed that I had done this by way of tyranny." When the folk
heard these words, they marvelled and fell prostrate before him;
and they redoubled in esteem for him and exceeding affection and
sued pardon of him, admiring that which Allah had done with him
and how He had given him the kingship by reason of his
longsuffering and his patience and how he had raised himself by
his endurance from the bottom of the pit to the throne of the
kingdom, what while Allah cast down the late king from the throne
into the pit.[FN#174] Then Abú Sábir foregathered with his wife
and said to her, "How deemest thou of the fruit of patience and
its sweetness and the fruit of haste and its bitterness? Verily,
all that a man doth of good and evil, he shall assuredly
encounter the same." "On like wise, O king" (continued the young
treasurer), "it besitteth thee to practice patience, whenever it
is possible to thee, for that longsuffering is the wont of the
noble, and it is the chiefest of their reliance, especially for
kings." When the king heard this from the youth, his wrath
subsided; so he bade return him to the prison, and the folk
dispersed that day.
The Fourth Day.
Of the Ill Effects of Impatience.
When it was the fourth day, the fourth Wazir, whose name was
Zúshád,[FN#175] made his appearance, and prostrating himself to
his liege lord, said to him, "O king, let not the talk of yonder
youth delude thee, for that he is not a truth-teller. As long as
he shall remain alive, the folk will not leave talking nor will
thy heart cease to be occupied with him." Cried the king, "By
Allah, thou sayst sooth and I will cause fetch him this day and
slay him between my hands." Then bade he bring the youth; so they
fetched him in fetters and he said to him, "Woe to thee! Thinkest
thou to appease my heart with thy prate, whereby the days are
spent in talk? I mean to do thee die this day and be quit of
thee." Said the youth, "O king, 'tis in thy power to put me out
of the world whenso thou wilt, but haste is the wont of the
ignoble and patience the sign of the noble. An thou do me to
death, thou wilt repent, and when thou desire to bring me back to
life, thou wilt not be able. Indeed, whoso acteth hastily in an
affair, there befalleth him what befel Bihzád, son of the king."
Quoth the king, "And what is his tale?" Replied the treasurer, "O
king, hear
The Story of Prince Bihzad.[FN#176]
There was once, of olden time, a king and he had a son Bihzad
hight, there was not in his tide a fairer than he and he loved to
fellow with the folk and to mix with the merchants and sit and
talk with them. One day, as he was seated in an assembly, amongst
a number of people, he heard them talking of his own beauty and
loveliness, and saying, "There be not in his time a fairer than
he." But one of the company said, "Indeed, the daughter of King
Such-an-one is seemlier than he." When Bihzad heard this saying,
his reason fled and his heart fluttered and he called the last
speaker and said to him, "Repeat to me that which thou saidst and
tell me the truth concerning her whom thou avouchest to be
goodlier than I and whose daughter she is." Quoth the man, "She
is the daughter of King Such-an-one;" whereupon Bihzad's heart
clave to her and his colour changed. Presently the news reached
his sire, who said to him, "O my son, this maiden to whom thy
heart cleaveth is at thy command and we have power over her; so
wait till I demand her in wedlock for thee." But the Prince said,
"I will not wait." So the king hastened in the matter and sent to
demand her of her sire, who required of him an hundred thousand
dinars paid down to his daughter's dowry. Quoth Bihzad's father,
"So be it," and weighed out what was in his treasuries, and there
remained to his charge but a little of the dower.[FN#177] So he
said, "Have patience, O my son, till we gather together the rest
of the money and send to fetch her for thee, since now she is
become thine." Therewith the Prince waxed wroth with exceeding
wrath and cried, "I will not have patience;" so he took his sword
and his lance[FN#178] and mounting his horse, went forth and fell
to cutting the way.[FN#179] It chanced one day that he fell upon
a company of folk who overcame him by dint of numbers and taking
him prisoner, pinioned him and carried him to the lord of that
land wherein he was a-highwaying. This king saw his semblance and
loveliness and misdoubting of him, said, "This be no robber's
favour. Tell me truly, O youth, who thou art." Bihzad was ashamed
to acquaint him with his condition and preferred death for
himself; so he answered, "I am naught but a thief and a bandit."
Quoth the king, "It behoveth us not to act hastily in the matter
of this youth, but that we look into his affair, for that
impatience gendereth penitence." So he imprisoned him in his
palace and assigned him one to serve him. Meanwhile the news
spread abroad that Bihzad, son of the sovran, was lost, whereupon
his father sent letters in quest of him to all the kings
including him with whom he was imprisoned. When the letter
reached the latter, he praised Almighty Allah for that he had not
anyways hastened in Bihzad's affair and bidding them bring him
before himself, said to him, "Art thou minded to destroy thy
life?" Quoth Bihzad, "I did this for fear of shame;" and the king
said, "An thou fear shame, thou shouldst not practise haste in
thy doings; knowest thou not that the fruit of impatience is
repentance? Had we hasted, we also, like thee, had repented."
Then he conferred on him a robe of honour and engaged to him for
the completion of the dowry and sent to his father, giving him
the glad tidings and comforting his heart with news of his son's
safety; after which he said to Bihzad, "Arise, O my son, and go
to thy sire." Rejoined the Prince, "O king, complete thy kindness
to me by hastening my going-in to my wife; for, an I go back to
my sire, the time will be long till he send a messenger and he
return, promising me dispatch." The king laughed and marvelled at
him and said to him, "I fear for thee from this precipitancy,
lest thou come to shame and win not thy wish." Then he gave him
muchel of wealth and wrote him letters, commending him to the
father of the Princess, and despatched him to them. When he drew
near their country, the king came forth to meet him with the
people of his realm and assigned him a fine lodging and bade
hasten the going-in of his daughter to him, in compliance with
the other king's letter. He also advised the Prince's father of
his son's coming and they busied themselves with the affair of
the young lady. When it was the day of the bride's
going-in[FN#180] Bihzad, of his impetuosity and lack of patience,
betook himself to the wall, which was between himself and her
lodging and wherein was a hole pierced, and of his haste looked
through it, so he might see his bride. But her mother espied
him[FN#181] and this was grievous to her; so she took from one of
the pages two red-hot iron spits and thrust them into the hole
through which the Prince was looking. The spits ran into his eyes
and put them out and he fell down fainting and the
wedding-festival was changed to mourning and sore concern. "See,
then, O king" (continued the youth), "the issue of the Prince's
haste and lack of deliberation, for indeed his impatience
bequeathed him long penitence and his joy turned to annoy; and on
like wise was it with the woman who hastened to put out his eyes
and delayed not to deliberate. All this was the doing of haste;
wherefore it behoveth the king not to be hasty in putting me to
death, for that I am under the hold of his hand, and whatso time
thou desirest my slaughter, it shall not escape thee." When the
king heard this his anger subsided and he said, "Return him back
to the prison till to-morrow, so we may look into his case."
The Fifth Day.
Of the Issues of Good and Evil Actions.
When it was the fifth day, the fifth Wazir, whose name was
Jahrbaur,[FN#182] came in to the king and prostrating himself
before him. said, "O king, it behoveth thee, an thou see or hear
one look on thy house,[FN#183] that thou pluck out his eyes. How
then should it be with him whom thou sawest a-middlemost thy
palace and on thy royal bed, and he suspected with thy Harim, and
not of thy lineage or of thy kindred? So do thou away this shame
by putting him to death. Indeed, we urge thee not to this, except
for the assurance of thine empire and of our zeal for thy loyal
counselling and of our affection to thee. How can it be lawful
that this youth should live for a single hour?" Therewith the
king was filled with fury and cried, "Bring him forthright." So
they fetched the youth whom they set before him in fetters, and
the king said to him, "Woe to thee! Thou hast sinned a great sin
and the time of thy survival hath been long;[FN#184] but needs
must we put thee to death, because there is no ease for us in thy
life till we take it." Quoth the youth, "Know O king, that I, by
Allah, am guiltless, and by reason of this I hope for life, for
that he who is innocent of all offence goeth not in fear of pains
and penalties, neither greateneth his mourning and his concern;
but whoso hath sinned, needs must his sin be expiated upon him,
though his life be prolonged, and it shall overtake him, even as
it overtook Dádbín the king and his Wazir." Asked Azadbakht, "How
was that?" and the youth said, "Hear, O king (whose days may Allah
increase!),
The Story of King Dadbin[FN#185] and his Wazirs.
There was once a king in the land of Tabaristan,[FN#186] by name
Dádbín, and he had two Wazirs, one called Zorkhan and the other
Kárdán.[FN#187] The Minister Zorkhan had a daughter, there was
not in her day a fairer than she nor yet a chaster or a more
pious, for she was a faster, a prayer and an adorer of Allah the
Almighty, and her name was Arwà.[FN#188] Now Dadbin, the king,
heard tell of her praises; so his heart clave to her and he
called the Wazir her sire and said to him, "I desire of thee that
thou marry me to thy daughter." Quoth Zorkhan, "O my liegest
lord, suffer me to consult her, and if she consent, I will marry
thee with her." And the king, said, "Haste thee with this." So
the Minister went in to his daughter and said to her, "O my
daughter, the king seeketh thee of me and desireth to marry
thee." She said. "O my father, I desire not a husband, and if
thou wilt marry me, marry me not but with a mate who shall be mine inferior
in rank and I nobler than he, so he may not turn to other than
myself nor lift his eyes upon me,[FN#189] and marry me not to one
who is nobler than I, lest I be with him as a slave-girl and a
serving-woman." Accordingly the Wazir returned to the king and
acquainted him with that which his daughter had said, whenas he
redoubled in desire and love-longing for her, and said to her
sire, "An thou marry me not to her of good grace, I will take her
in thy despite and by force." The Minister again betook himself
to his daughter and repeated to her the king's words, but she
replied, "I want no husband." So he returned to the king and told
him what she said, and he was wroth and threatened him, whereupon
the father took his daughter and fled with her. When this came to
the king's knowledge, he despatched troops in pursuit of Zorkhan,
to stop the road upon him, whilst he himself went out and
overtaking the Wazir, smote him on the head with his mace[FN#190]
and slew him. Then he took his daughter by force and returning to
his dwelling-place, went in to her and married her. Arwa resigned
herself with patience to that which betided her and committed her
case to Allah Almighty; and indeed she was used to serve Him
night and day with a goodly service in the house of King Dadbin
her husband. It befel one day that the king had occasion to make
a journey; so he called his second Wazir Kardan and said to him,
"I have a charge to commit to thy care, and it is yonder lady, my
wife, the daughter of the Wazir Zorkhan, and I desire that thou
keep her and guard her thy very self, because I have not in the
world aught dearer than she." Quoth Kardan in his mind, "Of a
truth, the king honoureth me with an exceeding honour in
entrusting me with this lady." And he answered, "With love and
all gladness." When the king had departed on his journey, Kardan
said in himself, "Needs must I look upon this lady whom the king
loveth with all this love." So he hid himself in a place, that he
might espy her, and saw her surpassing description; wherefor he
was confounded at her and his wit was wildered and love gat the
lordship of him, so that he sent to her, saying, "Have pity on
me, for indeed I perish for the love of thee." She sent back to
him and replied, "O Wazir, thou art in the place of faith and
confidence, so do not thou betray thy trust, but make thine
inward life like unto thine outward[FN#191] and occupy thyself
with thy wife and that which is lawful to thee. As for this, 'tis
mere lust and women are all of one and the same taste.[FN#192]
And if thou wilt not be forbidden from this talk, I will make
thee a byword and a reproach among folk." When the Minister heard
her answer, he knew that she was chaste of soul and body;
wherefore he repented with the utmost of repentance and feared
for himself from the king and said, "Needs must I devise a device
whereby I may destroy her; else shall I be disgraced with the
king." Now when the king returned from his journey, he questioned
Kardan of the affairs of his kingdom, and the Wazir answered,
"All is right well, O king, save a vile matter, which I have
espied here and with which I am ashamed to confront the sovran;
but, if I hold my peace thereof, I fear lest other than I
discover it and I shall have played traitor to the king in the
matter of my warning and my trust." Quoth Dadbin, "Speak, for to
me thou art none other than a truth-teller, a trustworthy and a
loyal counsellor in whatso thou sayest, undistrusted in aught."
And the Minister said, "O king, this woman to whose love thy
heart cleaveth and of whose piety thou talkest and her fasting
and her praying, I will plainly prove to thee that this is craft
and guile." Hereat the king was troubled and said, "What may be
the matter?" and the Wazir replied, "I would have thee wot that
some days after thy departure, one came to me and said to me,
Come, O Wazir, and look. So I went to the door of the queen's
sleeping-chamber and behold, she was sitting with Abu al-Khayr,
her father's page, whom she favoureth, and she did with him what
she did, and such is the manner of that which I saw and heard."
When Dadbin heard this, he burnt with rage and said to one of his
eunuchs,[FN#193] "Go and slay her in her chamber." But the eunuch
said to him, "O king, Allah prolong thy life! Indeed, the killing
of her may not be in this way neither at this time; but do thou
bid one of thine Castratos take her up on a camel and carry her
to one of the trackless wolds and cast her down there; so, if she
be guilty, Allah shall cause her to perish, and if she be
innocent, He will deliver her, and the king shall be free from
default against her; for that this lady is dear to thee and thou
slewest her father by reason of thy love for her." Quoth the
king, "By Allah, thou sayst sooth!" Then he bade one of his
eunuchs carry her on a camel to one of the far-off wilds and
cut-off wolds and there leave her and wend his ways, and he
forbad her torment to be prolonged. So he took her up and
betaking himself with her to the desert, left her there without
provaunt or water and returned, whereupon she made for one of the
hills, and ranging stones before her in form of prayer-niche,
stood praying. Now it chanced that a camel-driver, belonging to
Kisrà[FN#194] the king, lost certain camels, and his lord
threatened him, if he found them not, that he would slay him.
Accordingly he set out and plunged into the wastes till he came
to the place where the lady was, and seeing her standing at
prayer utterly alone, waited till she had made an end of her
orisons, when he went up to her and saluted her with the salam,
saying, "Who art thou?" Quoth she, "I am a hand-maid of the
Almighty." He asked, "What doest thou in this desolate place?"
and she answered, "I serve Allah the Most High." When he saw her
beauty and loveliness, he fell in love with her, and said to her,
"Harkye! Do thou take me to mate and I will be tender to thee and
use thee with exceeding ruth, and I will further thee in
obedience to Allah Almighty." But she answered, saying, "I have
no need of wedlock and I desire to abide here alone with my Lord
and His worship; but an thou wouldst have ruth upon me and
further me in the obedience of Allah the Most High, carry me to a
place where there is water and thou wilt have done me a
kindness." Thereupon he took her to a place wherein was running
water and setting her down on the ground, left her and went his
ways, marvelling at her. After he left her, he found his camels,
by her blessing, and when he returned, King Kisra asked him,
"Hast thou found the camels?" He answered "Yes," and acquainted
him with the affair of the damsel, and detailed to him her beauty
and loveliness: whereupon the king's heart clave to her and he
mounted with a few men and betook himself to that place, where he
found the lady and was amazed at her, because he saw her
surpassing the description wherewith the camel-driver had
described her to him. So he accosted her and said to her, "I am
King Kisra, greatest of the kings. Wilt thou not have me to
husband?" Quoth she, "What wilt thou do with me, O king, and I a
woman abandoned in the waste?" And quoth he, "Needs must this be,
and if thou wilt not consent to me, I will take up my abode here
and devote myself to Allah's service and thy service, and with
thee worship the Almighty." Then he bade set up for her a tent
and another for himself, facing hers, so he might adore Allah
with her, and fell to sending her food; and she said in herself,
"This is a king, and 'tis not lawful for me that I suffer him for
my sake to forsake his lieges and his land." Presently she said
to the servingwoman, who used to bring her the food, "Speak the
king that he return to his women, for he hath no need of me, and
I desire to abide in this place, so I may worship therein Allah
the Most High." The slave-girl returned to the king and told him
this, whereupon he sent back to her, saying, "I have no need of
the kingship and I also desire to tarry here and worship Allah
with thee in this waste." When she found this earnestness in him,
she fell in with his wishes, and said, "O king, I will consent to
that which thou desirest and will be to thee a wife, but on
condition that thou bring me Dadbin the king and his Wazir Kardan
and his Chamberlain the chief Eunuch, and that they be present in
thine assembly, so I may speak a word with them in thy presence,
to the intent that thou mayst redouble in affection for me."
Quoth Kisra, "And what is thy want unto this?" So she related to
him her story from first to last, how she was the wife of Dadbin
the king and how the Wazir Kardan had misspoken of her honour.
When King Kisra heard this, he redoubled in love-longing for her
and affection and said to her, "Do whatso thou willest:" then he
let bring a litter[FN#195] and carrying her therein to his
dwelling-place, entreated her with the utmost honour and espoused
her. Presently he sent a great army to King Dadbin and fetching
him and his Wazir Kardan and the Eunuch-chamberlain, caused bring
them before him, they unknowing the while what he might purpose
to do with them. Moreover, he caused set up for Arwa a
pavilion[FN#196] in the courtyard of his palace, and she entered
it and let down the curtain before herself. When the servants had
set their seats and they had seated themselves, Arwa raised a
corner of the curtain and said, "O Kardan, rise to thy feet, for
it besitteth not that thou sit in the like of this assembly,
before this mighty King Kisra." When the Wazir heard these words,
his heart fluttered and his joints were loosened and he rose to
his feet of his fear. Then said she to him, "By the virtue of Him
who hath made thee stand up to judgment in this standing-stead,
and thou abject and humiliated, I conjure thee speak the truth
and say what egged thee on to lie against me and drive me from my
home and from the land of my husband and made thee practise thus
against a man and a Moslem so as to slay him.[FN#197] This is no
place wherein lying availeth nor may artifice be herein." When
the Wazir was 'ware that she was Arwa and heard her speech, he
knew that it behoved him not to lie and that naught would avail
him save truth; so he bowed his head groundwards and wept and
said, "Whoso doth evil, needs must he incur it, albe his day be
prolonged. By Allah, I am he who hath sinned and transgressed,
and naught prompted me unto this but fear and overmastering
desire and the misery writ upon my brow.[FN#198] And indeed this
woman is pure and chaste and free from all fault." When King
Dadbin heard this, he beat his face and said to Kardan, his
Wazir, "Allah slay thee![FN#199] 'Tis thou that hast parted me
and my wife and wronged me!" But Kisra the king said to him,
"Allah shall assuredly slay thee, because thou hastenedst and
lookedst not into thine affair, and knewest not the guilty from
the guiltless. Hadst thou wrought deliberately, the unright had
been made manifest to thee from the right; so when this villain
Wazir purposed thy ruin, where was thy judgment and whither went
thy sight?" Then he asked Arwa, "What wilt thou that I do with
them?" and she answered, "Accomplish on them the ordinance of
Almighty Allah:[FN#200] let the slayer be slain and the
transgressor transgressed against, even as he transgressed
against us; yea, and to the well-doer weal shall be done even as
he did unto us." So she gave her officers order concerning Dadbin
and they smote him on the head with a mace and slew him, and she
said, "This is for the slaughter of my sire." Then she bade set
the Wazir on a beast and bear him to the desert whither he had
caused her to be borne, and leave him there without provaunt or
water; and she said to him, "An thou be guilty, thou shalt suffer
the punishment of thy guilt and die in the desert of hunger and
thirst; but an there be no guilt in thee, thou shalt be
delivered, even as I was delivered." As for the
Eunuch-chamberlain, who had counselled King Dadbin not to slay
her, but to cause carry her to the desert, she bestowed on him a
costly robe of honour and said to him, "The like of thee it
befitteth kings to hold in favour and promote to high place, for
that thou spakest loyally and well, and a man is requited
according to his deed." And Kisra the King made him Wali in a
certain province of his empire. "Know, therefore, O king"
(continued the youth), "that whoso doeth good is requited with
good, and he who is guiltless of sin and offence feareth not the
issue of his affair. And I, O my liege lord, am free from guilt,
wherefore I hope in Allah that He will show forth the truth to
mine auspicious king, and vouchsafe me the victory over enemies
and enviers." When the king heard this, his wrath subsided and he
said, "Return him to the prison till the morrow, so we may look
into his case."
The Sixth Day.
Of Trust in Allah.
When it was the sixth day, the wrath of the Wazirs redoubled,
because they had not won their will of the youth and they feared
for their lives from the liege lord; so three of them went in to
him and prostrating themselves between his hands, said to him, "O
king, indeed we are loyal counsellors to thy dignity and fondly
solicitous for thy weal. Verily, thou persistest long in leaving
this youth alive and we know not what is thine advantage therein.
Every day findeth him yet on life and the talk of folk redoubleth
suspicion on thee; so do thou do him dead, that the talk may be
made an end of." When the king heard this speech, he said, "By
Allah, verily ye say sooth and speak rightly!" Then he bade them
bring the young treasurer and when he came into the presence said
to him, "How Iong shall I look into thy case, and find no helper
for thee and see them athirst for thy blood?" The youth answered,
"O king, I hope for succour only from Allah, not from created
beings: an He aid me, none shall have power to harm me, and if He
be with me and on my side, because of the truth, from whom shall
I fear, because of untruth? Indeed, I have made my intent with
Allah a pure intent and a sincere, and I have severed my
expectation from the help of the creature; and whoso seeketh aid
of Allah findeth of his desire that which Bakhtzamán found."
Quoth the king, "Who was Bakhtzaman and what is his story?" and
quoth the youth, "Hear, O king,
The Story of King Bakhtzaman.[FN#201]
There was once a king of the kings, whose name was Bakhtzaman, and
he was a great eater and drinker and carouser. Now enemies of his
made their appearance in certain parts of his realm, which they
coveted; and one of his friends said to him, "O king, the foe
intendeth for thee: be on thy guard against him." Quoth
Bakhtzaman, "I reck not of him, for that I have weapons and wealth
and warmen and am not afraid of aught." Then said his friends to
him, "Ask aid of Allah, O king, for He will help thee more than
thy wealth and thy weapons and thy warriors." But he turned a
deaf ear to the speech of his loyal counsellors, and presently
the enemy came upon him and waged war upon him and got the
victory over him and profited him naught his trust in other than
Allah the Most High. So he fled from him and seeking one of the
sovrans, said to him, "I come to thee and lay hold upon thy
skirts and take refuge with thee, so thou mayst help me against
my foe." The king gave him money and men and a mighty many and
Bakhtzaman said in himself, "Now am I fortified with this force
and needs must I conquer my foe with such combatants and overcome
him;" but he said not, "With the aid of Allah Almighty." So his
enemy met him and overcame him again and he was defeated and put
to the rout and fled at random: his troops were dispersed from
him and his money lost and the enemy pursued him. Thereupon he
sought the sea and passing over to the other side, saw a great
city and therein a mighty citadel. He asked its name and that of
its owner, and they said to him, "It belongeth to
Khadídán[FN#202] the king." So he fared on till he came to the
royal palace and concealing his condition, passed himself off for
a horseman[FN#203] and sought service with King Khadidan, who
attached him to his attendance and entreated him with honour; but
his heart still clung to his mother-land and his home. Presently,
it chanced that an enemy came out against King Khadidan; so he
sent his troops to meet him and made Bakhtzaman head of the host.
Then they went forth to the field and Khadidan also came forth
and ranged his troops and levelled lance and sallied out in
person and fought a sore fight and overcame his foe, who with his
troops ignominiously fled. When the king and his army returned in
triumph, Bakhtzaman said to him, "Harkye, O king! This be a
strange thing I see in thee that thou art compassed about with
this mighty great army, yet dost thou apply thyself in person to
battle and adventurest thy life." Quoth the king, "Dost thou call
thyself a knight and a learned wight and deemest that victory is
in the many of men?" Quoth Bakhtzaman, "Such is indeed my
belief." And Khadidan the king cried, "By Allah, then, thou
errest in this thy belief!" presently adding, "woe and again woe
to him whose trust is in other than Allah! Indeed, this army is
appointed only for phantasy and majesty, and victory is from
Allah alone. I too, O Bakhtzaman, whilome believed that victory
was in the number of men,[FN#204] and an enemy came out against
me with eight hundred head, whilst I had eight hundred thousand.
I trusted in the tale of my troops, whilst my foe trusted in
Allah, so he defeated me and routed me and I was put to a
shameful flight and hid myself in one of the mountains, where I
met with a Religious who had withdrawn himself from the world. So
I joined myself to him and complained to him of my case and
acquainted him with all that had befallen me. Quoth the Recluse,
'Wottest thou why this befel thee and thou wast defeated?' Quoth
I, 'I know not;' and he said, 'Because thou didst put thy trust
in the multitude of thy warmen and reliedst not upon Allah the
Most High. Hadst thou put thy trust in the Almighty and believed
of Him that it is He alone who advantageth and endamageth thee,
never had thy foe availed to cope with thee. Return unto Allah.'
So I returned to my right senses, and repented at the hands of
that Religious, who said to me, 'Turn back with what remaineth to
thee of troops and confront thy foes, for, if their intents be
changed and turned away from Allah, thou wilt overcome them, e'en
wert thou alone.' When I heard the Solitary's words, I put my
trust in Allah of All-Might; and, gathering together those who
remained with me, fell upon mine enemies at unawares in the
night. They deemed us many and fled with the shamefullest flight,
whereupon I entered my city and repossessed myself of my place by
the might of Almighty Allah, and now I fight not but trusting in
His aid." When Bakhtzaman heard these words he awoke from his
heedlessness and cried, "Extolled be the perfection of God the
Great! O king, this is my case and my story, nothing added and
naught subtracted, for I am King Bakhtzaman and all this happened
to me: wherefore I will seek the gate of Allah's mercy and repent
unto Him." So he went forth to one of the mountains and
worshipped Allah there awhile, till one night, as he slept, a
personage appeared to him in a dream and said to him, "O
Bakhtzaman, Allah accepteth thy repentance and openeth on thee
the door of succour and will aid thee against thy foe." When he
was assured of this in the dream, he arose and turned back,
intending for his own city; and when he drew near thereunto, he
saw a company of the king's retainers, who said to him, "Whence
art thou? We see that thou art a foreigner and fear for thee from
this king, for that every stranger who entereth this city, he
destroyeth him, of his dread of King Bakhtzaman." Said
Bakhtzaman, "None shall prejudice him nor profit him save Allah
the Most High." And they replied. "Indeed, he hath a vast army
and his heart is fortified in the multitude of his many." When
King Bakhtzaman heard this, his mind was comforted and he said to
himself, "I place my trust in Allah. An He will, I shall overcome
mine enemy by the might of the Lord of Omnipotence." So he said
to the folk, "Wot ye not who I am?" and they said, "No, by
Allah." Cried he, "I am King Bakhtzaman." When they heard this
and knew that it was indeed he, they dismounted from their horses
and kissed his stirrup, to do him honour, and said to him, "O
king, why thus risk thy life?" Quoth he, "Indeed, my life is a
light matter to me and I set my trust in Almighty Allah, looking
to Him for protection." And quoth they, "May that suffice thee!"
presently adding, "We will do with thee that which is in our
power and whereof thou art worthy: hearten thy heart, for we will
succour thee with our substance and our existence, and we are his
chief officers and the most in favour with him of all folk. So we
will take thee with us and cause the lieges follow after thee,
because the inclination of the people, all of them, is
theewards." Said he, "Do whatso Allah Almighty enableth you to
do." So they carried him into the city and hid him with them.
Then they agreed with a company of the king's chief officers, who
had aforetime been those of Bakhtzaman, and acquainted them with
this; whereat they rejoiced with joy exceeding. Then they
assembled together to Bakhtzaman, and made a covenant and
handfast of fealty with him and fell upon the foe and slew him
and seated King Bakhtzaman again on the throne of his kingship.
And his affairs prospered and Allah amended his estate and
restored to him His bounty, and he ruled his subjects justly and
abode in the obedience of the Almighty. "On this wise, O king"
(continued the young treasurer), "he with whom Allah is and whose
intent is pure, meeteth naught save good. As for me, I have no
helper other than the Almighty, and I am content to submit myself
to His ordinance, for that He knoweth the purity of my intent."
With this the king's wrath subsided and he said, "Return him to
the prison till the morrow, so we may look into his case."
The Seventh Day.
Of Clemency.
When it was the seventh day, the seventh Wazir, whose name was
Bihkamál,[FN#205] came in to the king and prostrating himself to
him, said, "O king, what doth thy long-suffering with this youth
profit thee? Indeed the folk talk of thee and of him. Why, then,
dost thou postpone the putting him to death?" The Minister's
words aroused the anger of the king, and he bade bring the youth.
So they fetched him before him in fetters and Azadbakht said to
him, "Ho, woe to thee! By Allah, after this day there abideth no
deliverance for thee from my hand, by reason that thou hast
outraged mine honour, and there can be no forgiveness for thee."
The youth replied, "O king, there is no great forgiveness save in
case of a great default, for according as the offence is great in
so much magnified is mercy; and it is no grace to the like of
thee if he spare the like of me. Verily, Allah knoweth that there
is no crime in me, and indeed He commandeth to clemency, and no
clemency is greater than that which spareth from slaughter, for
that thy pardon of him whom thou purposest to put to death is as
the quickening of a dead man; and whoso doth evil shall find it
before him, even as it was with King Bihkard." Asked the king,
"And what is the story of King Bihkard?" And the youth answered,
"Hear, O king,
The Story of King Bihkard.[FN#206]
There was once a king named Bihkard, and he had mickle of wealth
and many troops; but his deeds were evil and he would punish for
a slight offence, and he never forgave any offender. He went
forth one day to hunt and a certain of his pages shot a shaft,
which lit on the king's ear and cut it off. Bihkard cried, "Who
shot that arrow?" So the guards brought him in haste the
misdemeanant, whose name was Yatrú,[FN#207] and he of his fear
fell down on the ground in a fainting fit. Then quoth the king,
"Slay him;" but Yatru said, "O king, this which hath befallen was
not of my choice nor of my knowledge; so do thou pardon me, in
the hour of thy power over me, for that mercy is of the goodliest
of deeds and belike it shall be in this world a provision and a
good work for which thou shalt be repaid one of these days, and a
treasure laid up to thine account with Allah in the world to
come. Pardon me, therefore, and fend off evil from me, so shall
Allah fend off from thee the like evil." When the king beard
this, it pleased him and he pardoned the page, albeit he had
never before pardoned any. Now this page was of the sons of the
kings and had fled from his sire on account of a sin he had
committed: then he went and took service with Bihkard the king,
and there happened to him what happened. After a while, it
chanced that a man recognised him and went and told his father,
who sent him a letter, comforting his heart and mind and calling
upon him to return to him. Accordingly he returned to his father,
who came forth to meet him and rejoiced in him, and the Prince's
affairs were set right with his sire. Now it befel, one day of
the days, that king Bihkard shipped him in a ship and put out to
sea, so he might fish: but the wind blew on them and the craft
sank. The king made the land upon a plank, unknown of any, and
came forth, mother-naked, on one of the coasts; and it chanced
that he landed in the country whereof the father of the page
aforesaid was king. So he came in the night to the gate of the
sovran's capital, and finding it shut, lodged him in a
burying-place there. When the morning morrowed and the folk came
forth of the city, behold, they found a man lately murthered and
cast down in a corner of the burial ground, and seeing Bihkard
there, doubted not but it was he who had slain him during the
night; so they laid hands on him and carried him up to the king
and said to him, "This fellow hath slain a man." The king bade
imprison him; whereupon they threw him in jail, and he fell to
saying in himself, what while he was in the prison, "All that
hath befallen me is of the abundance of my sins and my tyranny,
for, indeed, I have slain much people unrighteously and this is
the requital of my deeds and that which I have wrought whilome of
oppression." As he was thus pondering in himself, there came a
bird and lighted down on the pinnacle of the prison, whereupon,
of his passing eagerness in the chase, he took a stone and threw
it at the bird. Now the king's son was playing in the
exercise-ground with the ball and the bat,[FN#208] and the stone
lit on his ear and cut it off, whereupon the Prince fell down in
a fit. So they enquired who had thrown the stone and finding that
it was Bihkard, took him and carried him before the king's son,
who bade do him die. Accordingly, they cast the turband from his
head and were about to fillet his eyes, when the Prince looked at
him and seeing him cropped of an ear, said to him, "But for thy
villainies thine ear had not been cut off." Said Bihkard, "Not
so, by Allah! Nay, but the story of the loss of my ear is so and
so, and I pardoned him who smote me with an arrow and cut off my
ear." When the prince heard this, he looked in his face and
knowing him, cried out and said, "Art thou not Bihkard the king?"
"Yes," replied he, and the Prince said to him, "What ill chance
threw thee here?" Thereupon he told him all that had betided him
and the folk wondered and extolled the perfection of the
Almighty, crying "Subhána 'llah!—laud to the Lord!" Then the
Prince rose to him and embraced him and kissed him and,
entreating him with respect, seated him in a chair and bestowed
on him a robe of honour; and he turned to his sire and said to
him, "This be the king who pardoned me and this be his ear which
I cut off with a shaft; and indeed he deserveth my pardon by
having pardoned me." Then said he to Bihkard, "Verily, the issue
of mercy hath been a provision for thee in such hour as this."
And they entreated him with the utmost kindness and sent him back
to his own country in all honour. "Know, then, O king" (continued
the youth), "that there is no goodlier quality than mercy and
that all thou dost of clemency, thou shalt find before thee a
treasure for thee treasured up." When the king heard this, his
wrath subsided and he said, "Return him to the prison till the
morrow, so we may look into his case.
The Eighth Day.
Of Envy and Malice.
When it was the eighth day, the Wazirs all assembled and had
speech together and said, "How shall we do with this youth, who
overcometh us with his much talk? Indeed, we fear lest he be
saved and we fall into destruction. So, let us all go in to the
king and unite our efforts to gain our cause, ere he appear
without guilt and come forth and get the better of us."
Accordingly they all went in to the king and prostrating
themselves before him, said to him, "O king, beware lest this
youth ensorcell thee with his sorcery and beguile thee with his
wiles. An thou heardest what we hear, thou wouldst not suffer him
live; no, not a single day. Wherefore heed not his speech, for we
are thy Ministers, who endeavour for thy permanence, and if thou
hearken not to our word, to whose word wilt thou hearken? See, we
are ten Wazirs who testify against this youth that he is guilty
and entered not the king's sleeping chamber save with ill intent,
so he might put the king to shame and outrage his honour; and if
the king slay him not, let him banish him his realm, that the
tongue of the folk may desist from him." When the king heard his
Ministers' words, he was wroth with exceeding wrath and bade
bring the youth, and when he came in to the king, the Wazirs all
cried out with one voice, saying, "O Lack-wits, thinkest thou to
save thyself from slaughter by guile and sleight, that thou
wilest the king with thy talk and hopest pardon for the like of
this mighty great crime thou hast committed?" Then the king bade
fetch the sworder, so he might smite his neck; whereupon each of
the Wazirs fell to saying, "I will slay him;" and they sprang
upon him. Quoth the youth, "O king, consider and ponder the
eagerness of these thy Ministers. Is this of envy or is it not?
They would fain make severance between me and thee, so there may
fall to them what they shall plunder, as aforetime." And the king
said to him, "Consider their witness against thee." The young man
said, "O king, how shall they testify of that which they saw
not?[FN#209] This is but envy and despight; and thou, an thou
slay me, wilt indeed regret me, and I fear lest there betide thee
of repentance that which betided Aylán Sháh, by reason of the
malice of his Wazirs." Asked Azadbakht, "And what is his story?"
and the youth answered, "Hear, O king,
The Story of Aylan Shah and Abu Tammam.[FN#210]
Whilome there was a merchant named Abu Tammám, and he was a
clever man and a well-bred, quick-witted and truthful in all his
affairs, and he was monied to boot. Now there was in his land a
king as unjust as he was jealous, and Abu Tammam feared for his
wealth from this king and said, "I will remove hence to another
place where I shall not be in dread." So he made for the city of
Aylán Sháh and built himself a palace therein and transporting
his wealth thither, took up his abode there. Presently, the news
of him reached King Aylan Shah; so he sent to invite him to his
presence and said to him, "We know of thy coming to us and thine
entering under our allegiance, and indeed we have heard of thine
excellence and wit and generosity; so welcome to thee and fair
welcome! The land is thy land and at thy command, and whatsoever
need thou needest of us, 'tis already accomplished to thee; and
it behoveth that thou be near our person and of our assembly."
Abu Tammam prostrated himself before the king, and said to him,
"O king, I will serve thee with my monies and with my life, but
do thou excuse me from nearness to thee, for that an I took
office about thee, I should not be safe from enemies and
enviers." Then he applied himself to the royal service with
presents and largesses, and the king saw him to be intelligent,
well-bred and of good counsel; so his heart inclined to him and
he committed to him the ordinance of his affairs and the power to
bind and to loose was in his hand. Now Aylan Shah had three
Wazirs, in whose hands public affairs were wont to be and they
had been accustomed not to quit the king night or day; but they
became shut out from him by reason of Abu Tammam and the king was
occupied with him to their exclusion. Herewith the Ministers took
counsel together upon the matter and said, "What is your rede we
should do, seeing that the king is occupied from us with yonder
man, and indeed he honoureth him with more honour than us? But
now come, let us devise some device whereby we may alienate him
from the king." So each of them spoke forth that which was in his
mind, and one of them said, "The king of the Turks hath a
daughter, whose like there is not in the world, and whatso
messenger goeth to demand her in marriage, him her father
slaughtereth. Now our king hath no knowledge of this; so, come,
let us foregather with him and bring up the mention of her: when
his heart is taken with her, we will advise him to dispatch Abu
Tammam to seek her hand in marriage; whereupon her father will
slay him and we shall be quit of him and settle his affair once
for all." Accordingly, they went in to the king one day (Abu
Tammam being present among them), and mentioned the affair of the
damsel, the daughter of the Turks' king, and enlarged upon her
charms, till the king's heart was taken with her and he said to
them, "We will send one to demand her to wife for us; but who
shall be our messenger?" Quoth the Wazirs, "There is none fit for
this business but Abu Tammam, by reason of his wit and good
breeding;" and the king said, "Indeed, even as ye say, none is
fitting for this affair save he." Then he turned to Abu Tammam
and said to him, "Wilt thou not go with my message and seek me in
marriage the daughter of the Turks' king?" and he answered, "To
hear is to obey, O my Sovran!" So they made ready his affair and
the king conferred on him a robe of honour, and he took with him
a present and a letter under the king's hand and setting out,
fared on till he came to the capital city of Turkistan. When the
king of the Turks knew of his coming, he despatched his officers
to receive him and entreated him with honour and lodged him as
befitted his rank. Then he guested him three days, after which
time he summoned him to his presence and Abu Tammam went in to
him; and, prostrating himself as beseemeth before kings, laid
that present before him and gave him the letter. The king read
the writ and said to Abu Tammam, "We will do what behoveth in the
matter; but, O Abu Tammam, needs must thou view my daughter and
she view thee, and needs must thou hear her speech and she hear
thine." So saying, he sent him to the lodging of the Princess,
who had had notice of this; so that they had adorned her
sitting-room with the costliest that might be of vessels of gold
and silver and the like, and she seated herself on a chair of
gold, clad in the richest of royal robes and ornaments. When Abu
Tammam entered, he took thought and said, "The wise declare that
whoso governeth his sight shall suffer naught unright and he who
guardeth his tongue shall hear naught of foul taunt, and he who
keepeth watch over his hand, it shall be lengthened and not
shortened."[FN#211] So he entered and seating himself on the
floor, cast down his eyes and covered his hands and feet with his
dress.[FN#212] Quoth the king's daughter to him, "Raise thy head,
O Abu Tammam, and look on me and speak with me." But he spake not
neither raised his head, and she continued, "They sent thee only
to view me and talk with me, and yet behold thou sayest not a
word;" presently adding, "Take of these union-pearls that be
round thee and of these jewels and gold and silver." But he put
not forth his hand to aught, and when she saw that he paid no
heed to anything, she was angry and cried, "They have messaged me
with a messenger, blind, dumb, deaf." Then she sent to acquaint
her father with this; whereupon the king called Abu Tammam to him
and said to him, "Thou camest not save to view my daughter: why,
then, hast thou not looked upon her?" Quoth Abu Tammam, "I saw
everything;" and quoth the king, "Why didst thou not take
somewhat of that which thou sawest of jewels and the like? Indeed
they were set out for thee." But he answered, "It behoveth me not
to put out my hand to aught that is not mine." When the king
heard his speech, he gave him a sumptuous robe of honour and
loved him muchly[FN#213] and said to him, "Come, look at this
well." So Abu Tammam went up to the pit-mouth and looked, and
behold, it was full of heads of the sons of Adam, and the king
said to him, "These are the heads of envoys whom I slew, because
I saw them without loyalty to their lords, and I was used, whenas
I beheld an envoy without good manners, to say, 'He who sent him
is worsemannered than he, because the messenger is the tongue of
him who sendeth him and his breeding is of his master's breeding;
and whoso is after this fashion, it befitteth not that he be akin
to me.'[FN#214] For this reason I used to put the envoys to
death; but, as for thee, thou hast overcome us and won my
daughter, of the excellence of thy manners; so hearten thy heart,
for she is thy lord's." Then he sent him back to King Aylan Shah
with presents and rarities and a letter, saying, "This that I
have done is in honour of thee and of thine envoy." When Abu
Tammam returned after accomplishing his mission and brought the
presents and the letter, King Aylan Shah rejoiced in this and
redoubled all his favours and showed him honour the highest. Some
days after, the King of Turkistan sent his daughter and she went
in to King Aylan Shah, who rejoiced in her with exceeding joy and
Abu Tammam's worth was exalted in the royal sight. When the
Wazirs saw this, they redoubled in envy and despite and said,
"'An we contrive us not a contrivance to rid us of this man, we
shall die of rage." So they bethought them and agreed upon a
device they should practise. Then they betook themselves to two
boys, pages affected to the service of the king, who slept not
but on their knee,[FN#215] and they lay at his head, for that
they were his bed-chamber pages. So the Ministers gave them each
a thousand dinars of gold, saying, "We desire of you that ye do
somewhat we require and take this gold as a provision against
your time of need." Quoth the lads, "What is it ye would have us
do?" and quoth the Wazirs, "This Abu Tammam hath marred matters
for us, and if his case abide in this way, he will remove us all
from the king's favour; and what we want of you twain is that,
when ye are alone with the king and he leaneth back, as he were
asleep, one of you say to his fellow, 'Verily, the king hath
taken Abu Tammam into high favour and hath advanced him to
exalted rank, yet he is a transgressor against the king's honour
and an accursed wight.' Then let the other of you ask, 'And what
is his transgression?' and let the first answer, 'He outrageth
the king's honour and saith, the King of Turkistan was used, when
a messenger went to him to seek his daughter in marriage, to slay
him; but me he spared, because she liked me, and by reason of
this her sire sent her hither, for that she loved me.' Then let
the other say, 'Knowest thou this for truth?' and let the first
reply, 'By Allah, this is familiar to all the folk, but, of their
fear of the king, they dare not divulge it to him; and as often
as the king is absent a-hunting or a-wayfaring, Abu Tammam cometh
to her and is private with her.'" Whereupon the boys answered,
"We will say this." Accordingly, one night, when they were alone
with the king and he leant back, as he were asleep, they said
these words and the king heard all and was like to die of fury
and despite and said to himself, "These are young boys, not come
to years of discretion, and have no business with any; and unless
they had heard these words from some one, they had not spoken
thereof each with other." When it was morning wrath overmastered
him, so that he stayed not neither deliberated, but summoned Abu
Tammam and taking him apart, said to him, "Whoso guardeth not the
honour of his liege lord,[FN#216] what deserveth he?" Said Abu
Tammam, "He deserveth that his lord guard not his honour." Aylan
Shah continued, "And whoso entereth the king's house and playeth
traitor with him, what behoveth unto him?" and Abu Tammam
replied, "He shall not be left alive." Whereupon the king spat in
his face and said to him, "Both these deeds hast thou done." Then
he drew his poinard on him in haste and smiting him in the belly,
slit it and Abu Tammam died forthright; whereupon the king
dragged him along and cast him into a well that was in his
palace. After he had slain him, he fell into repentance and
mourning increased and chagrin waxed sore upon him, and he would
acquaint none who questioned him with the cause, nor, of his love
for his wife, did he tell her of this, and whenever she asked him
wherefore he grieved, he answered her not. When the Wazirs knew
of Abu Tammam's death, they rejoiced with exceeding joy and knew
that the king's sorrow arose from regret for him. As for Aylan
Shah, after this he used to betake himself by night to the
sleeping-chamber of the two boys and spy upon them, that he might
hear what they said concerning his wife. As he stood one night
privily at the door of their chamber, he saw them spread out the
gold between their hands and play with it and heard one of them
say, "Woe to us! What doth this gold profit us? Indeed we cannot
buy therewith any thing nor spend it upon ourselves. Nay, but we
have sinned against Abu Tammam and done him dead unjustly." And
said the other, "Had we known that the king would slay him on the
spot, we had not done what we did." When the king heard that, he
could not contain himself, but rushed in upon them and said to
them, "Woe to you! What did ye? Tell me." And they cried,
"Amán,[FN#217] O king!" He cried, "An ye would have pardon from
Allah and me, you are bound to tell me the truth, for nothing
shall save you from me but soothfastness." Hereat they prostrated
themselves before him and said, "By Allah, O king, the Wazirs
gave us this gold and taught us to lie against Abu Tammam, so
thou mightest kill him, and what we said was their speech." When
the king heard this, he plucked at his beard, till he was like to
tear it up by the roots and bit upon his fingers, till he well
nigh cut them in twain, for repentance and sorrow that he had
wrought hastily and had not delayed with Abu Tammam, so he might
consider his case. Then he sent for the Ministers and said to
them, "O villainous Wazirs, ye deemed that Allah was heedless of
your deed, but right soon shall your wickedness revert upon you.
Know ye not that whoso diggeth for his brother a pit shall
himself fall into it?[FN#218] Take from me the punishment of this
world and to-morrow ye shall receive the punishment of the next
world and requital from Allah." Then he bade put them to death;
so the headsman smote off their heads before the king, and he
went in to his wife and acquainted her with whatso he had misdone
to Abu Tammam; whereupon she grieved for him with mighty great
grief and the king and his household ceased not weeping and
repenting all their lives. Moreover, they brought Abu Tammam
forth of the well and the king built him a dome[FN#219] in his
palace and buried him therein. "See, then, O auspicious king"
(continued the youth), "what jealousy doth and injustice and how
Allah caused the Wazirs' malice to revert upon their own necks;
and I trust in the Almighty that He will empower me over all who
envy me my favour with the king and show forth the truth unto
him. Indeed, I dread naught for my life from death; only I fear
lest the king repent of my slaughter, for that I am guiltless of
offence, and if I knew that I were guilty on any wise, my tongue
would be dumb-struck." When the king heard this, he bowed his
head groundwards in perplexity and confusion and said, "Restore
him to the prison till the morrow, so we may look into his case."
The Ninth Day.
Of Destiny or That Which is Written on the Forehead.
Now when it was the ninth day, the Wazirs met and said one to
other, "Verily, this youth baffleth us, for as often as the king
is minded to kill him, he beguileth him and bewitcheth him with a
story; so what be your rede we should do, that we may slay him
and be at rest from him?" Then they advised together and agreed
that they should go to the king's wife.[FN#220] So they betook
themselves to her and said to her, "Thou art careless of this
affair wherein thou art and this uncare shall not profit thee;
whilst the king, occupied with eating and drinking and diversion,
forgetteth that the folk beat upon tambourines and sing of thee
and say, The wife of the king loveth the youth; and as long as he
abideth alive the talk will increase and not diminish." Quoth
she, "By Allah, 'twas ye egged me on against him, and what shall
I do now?" and quoth they, "Go thou in to the king and weep and
say to him, 'Verily, the women come to me and inform me that I am
dishonoured throughout the city, and what is thine advantage in
the sparing of this youth? An thou wilt not slay him, slay me to
the end that this talk may be cut off from us.'" So the woman
arose and rending her raiment, went in to the king, in the
presence of the Wazirs, and cast herself upon him, saying, "O
king, is my shame not upon thee or fearest thou not shame?
Indeed, this is not the fashion of kings that their jealousy over
their women should be such as this.[FN#221] Thou art heedless and
all the folk of the realm prate of thee, men and women. Either
slay him, that the talk may be cut off, or slay me, if thy soul
will not consent to his slaughter." Thereupon the king's wrath
waxed hot and he said to her, "I have no pleasure in his
continuance and needs must I slay him this very day. So return to
thy palace and solace thy heart." Then he bade fetch the youth;
whereupon they brought him before him and the Wazirs said, "O base
of base, fie upon thee! Thy life-term is at hand and earth
hungereth for thy flesh, so it may make a meal of it." But he
said to them, "Death is not in your word or in your envy; nay, it
is a destiny written upon the forehead: wherefore, if aught be
writ upon my front, there is no help but it come to pass, and
neither striving nor thought-taking nor precaution-seeking shall
deliver me therefrom; even as happened to King Ibrahim and his
son." Quoth the king, "Who was King Ibrahim and who was his son?"
and quoth the youth "Hear, O king,
The Story of King Ibrahim and his Son.[FN#222]
There was once a king of the kings, Sultan Ibrahim hight, to whom
the sovrans abased themselves and did obedience; but he had no
son and was straitened of breast because of that, fearing lest
the kingship go forth of his hand. He ceased not to long for a
son and to buy slave-girls and lie with them, till one of them
conceived, whereat he rejoiced with passing joy and gave great
gifts and the largest largesse. When the girl's months were
complete and the time of her lying-in drew near, the king
summoned the astrologers and they watched for the hour of
child-bearing and raised their astrolabes and carefully noted the
time. The hand-maid gave birth to a man-child, whereat the king
rejoiced exceedingly, and the people congratulated one another
with this glad news. Then the astrophils made their calculations
and looked into his nativity and his ascendant, whereupon their
colour changed and they were confounded. Quoth the king to them,
"Acquaint me with his horoscope and ye shall have assurance of
pardon and have naught to fear."[FN#223] They replied, "O king,
this princely child's nativity denoteth that, in the seventh year
of his age, there is fearful danger for him from a lion, which
shall attempt to rend him: and if he be saved from the lion,
there will betide a matter yet sorer and more grievous even than
that." Asked the king, "What is it?" and they answered, "We will
not speak, except the king command us and give us assurance from
fear." Quoth the king, "Allah assure you!" and quoth they, "An he
be saved from the lion, the king's destruction shall be at his
hand." When the king heard this, his complexion changed and his
breast was straitened; but he said to himself, "I will be
watchful and do my endeavour and suffer not the lion to eat him.
It cannot be that he will kill me, and indeed 'The astrologers
lied.'"[FN#224] Then he caused rear him among the wet-nurses and
the noble matrons;[FN#225] but withal he ceased not to ponder the
prediction of the astrophils and verily his life was troubled. So
he betook himself to the top of a high mountain and hollowed
there a deep excavation[FN#226] and made in it many
dwelling-places and rooms and filled it with all that was needful
of rations and raiment and what not else and laid in it
pipe-conduits of water from the mountain and lodged the boy
therein, with a nurse who should rear him. Moreover, at the first
of each month he used to go to the mountain and stand at the
mouth of the hollow and let down a rope he had with him and draw
up the boy to him and strain him to his bosom and kiss him and
play with him awhile, after which he would let him down again to
his place and return; and he was wont to count the days till the
seven years should pass by. Now when arrived the time of the Fate
foreordered and the Fortune graven on the forehead and there
remained for the boy but ten days till the seven years should be
complete, there came to that mountain hunters chasing wild beasts
and, seeing a lion, they attacked him. He fled from them and
seeking refuge in the mountain, fell into the hollow in its
midst. The nurse saw him forthwith and escaped from him into one
of the chambers; upon which the lion made for the lad and seizing
upon him, tare his shoulder, after which he sought the room
wherein was the nurse and falling upon her, devoured her, whilst
the boy lay in a swoon. Meanwhile, when the huntsmen saw that the
lion had fallen into the pit, they came to the mouth and heard
the shrieking of the boy and the woman; and after awhile the
cries died away, whereby they knew that the lion had slain them.
Presently, as they stood by the mouth of the excavation behold,
the lion came scrambling up the sides and would have issued
forth: but, as often as he showed his head, they pelted him with
stones, till they beat him down and he fell; whereupon one of the
hunters descended into the pit and despatched him and saw the boy
wounded; after which he went to the chamber, where he found the
woman dead, and indeed the lion had eaten his fill of her. Then
he noted that which was therein of clothes and what not else, and
notifying his mates, fell to passing the stuff up to them:
lastly, he took up the boy and bringing him forth of the pit,
carried him to their dwelling-place where they dressed his
wounds. He grew up with them, but acquainted them not with his
affair; and indeed, when they questioned him, he knew not what he
should say, because they let him down into the pit when he was a
little one. The hunters marvelled at his speech and loved him
with exceeding love and one of them took him to son and abode
rearing him by his side and training him in hunting and
horse-riding, till he reached the age of twelve and became a
brave, going forth with the folk to the chase and to the cutting
of the way. Now it chanced one day that they sallied forth to
stop the road and fell in with a caravan during the night: but
its stout fellows were on their guard; so they joined battle with
the robbers and overcame them and slew them and the boy fell
wounded and tarried cast down in that place till the morrow, when
he opened his eyes and finding his comrades slain, lifted himself
up and arose to walk the road. Presently, there met him a man, a
treasure-seeker, and asked him, "Whither away, O lad?" So he told
him what had betided him and the other said, "Be of good heart,
for that the tide of thy good fortune is come and Allah bringeth
thee joy and gladness. I am one who am in quest of a hidden
treasure, wherein is a mighty mickle of wealth. So come with me
that thou mayst help me, and I will give thee monies with which
thou shalt provide thyself all thy life long." Then he carried
the youth to his dwelling and dressed his wounds, and he tarried
with him some days till he was rested; when the treasure-seeker
took him and two beasts and all that he needed, and they fared on
till they came to a towering highland. Here the man brought out a
book and reading therein, dug in the crest of the mountain five
cubits deep, whereupon there appeared to him a stone. He pulled
it up and behold it was a trap-door covering the mouth of a pit.
So he waited till the foul air[FN#227] was come forth from the
midst of the pit, when he bound a rope about the lad's middle and
let him down bucket-wise to the bottom, and with him a lighted
waxen taper. The boy looked and beheld, at the upper end of the
pit, wealth abundant; so the treasure-seeker let down a rope and
a basket and the boy fell to filling and the man to drawing up,
till the fellow had got his sufficiency, when he loaded his
beasts and ceased working, whilst the boy looked for him to let
down the rope and draw him up; but he rolled a great stone to the
mouth of the pit and went his ways. When the boy saw what the
treasure-seeker had done with him, he relied upon Allah (extolled
and exalted be He!) and abode perplexed concerning his case and
said, "How bitter be this death!" for indeed the world was
darkened on him and the pit was blinded to him. So he fell
a-weeping and saying, "I escaped the lion and the robbers and now
is my death to be in this pit, where I shall die by slow
degrees." And he abode perplexed and looked for nothing but
death. But as he stood pondering, behold, he heard a sound of
water rushing with a thunderous noise; so he arose and walked in
the pit, following the sound, till he came to a corner and heard
the mighty coursing of water. Then he laid his ear to the sound
of the current and hearing it rushing in great strength, said to
himself, "This is the flowing of a mighty watercourse and needs
must I depart life in this place, be it to-day or to-morrow; so I
will throw myself into the stream and not die a slow death in
this pit." Thereupon he called up his courage and gathering up
his skirts, cast himself into the water, and it bore him along
with force exceeding and carrying him under the earth, stayed not
till it brought him out into a deep Wady, adown which ran a great
river, that welled up from under the ground. When he found
himself on the face of earth, he abode dazed and a-swoon all that
day; after which he came to himself and rising, fared on along
that valley; and he ceased not his wayfare, praising Almighty
Allah the while, till he came to an inhabited land
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