Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 4 (of 6)
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Title: Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 4 (of 6)
Translator: Sir Richard Francis Burton
Release date: September 1, 2002 [eBook #3448]
Most recently updated: February 20, 2025
Language: English
Original publication: The Burton Club, 1888
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SUPPLEMENTAL NIGHTS TO THE BOOK OF THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS — VOLUME 4 (OF 6) ***
SUPPLEMENTAL
NIGHTS
To The Book Of The Thousand
And One Nights With Notes
Anthropological And
Explanatory
By
Richard F. Burton
VOLUME FOUR
Privately Printed By The Burton Club
To William H. Chandler, Esq,.
Pembroke College, Oxford.
My Dear Mr. Chandler,
As without your friendly and generous aid this volume could
never have seen the light, I cannot resist the temptation of
inscribing it to you-–and without permission, for your modesty
would have refused any such acknowledgment.
I am, ever,
Yours sincerely,
Richard F. Burton.
Trieste, March 10th, 1888.
Contents of the Fourteenth Volume.
1. Story of the Sultan of Al-Yaman and His Three Sons
2. Story of the Three Sharpers
a. The Sultan Who Fared Forth in the Habit of a Darwaysh
b. History of Mohammed, Sultan of Cairo
c. Story of the First Lunatic
d. Story of the Second Lunatic
e. Story of the Sage and the Scholar
f. The Night-Adventure of Sultan Mohammed of Cairo with
the Three Foolish
Schoolmasters
g. Story of the Broke-Back Schoolmaster
h. Story of the Split-Mouthed Schoolmaster
i. Story of the Limping Schoolmaster
j. Story of the Three Sisters and Their Mother the
Sultanah
3. History of the Kazi Who Bare a Babe
4. Tale of the Kazi and the Bhang-Eater
a. History of the Bhang-Eater and His Wife
b. How Drummer Abu Kasim Became a Kazi
c. Story of the Kazi and His Slipper
d. Tale of Mahmud the Persian and the Kurd Sharper
e. Tale of the Sultan and the Poor Man Who Brought To Him
Fruit
f. The Fruit-Seller's Tale
g. Tale of the Sultan and His Three Sons and the
Enchanting Bird
h. Adventure of the Fruit-Seller and the Concubine
i. Story of the King of Al-Yaman and His Three Sons and
the Enchanting Bird
j. History of the First Larrikin
k. History of the Second Larrikin
l. History of the Third Larrikin
m. Story of a Sultan of Al-Hind and His Son Mohammed
n. Tale of the Fisherman and His Son
o. Tale of the Third Larrikin Concerning Himself
5. History of Abu Niyyah and Abu Niyyatayn
Appendix A: - Ineptiæ Bodleianæ
Appendix B: - The Three Untranslated Tales in Mr. E. J. W. Gibb's
"Forty Vezirs"
The Translator's Foreword.
As my first and second volumes (Supplemental) were composed of
translated extracts from the Breslau Edition of The Nights, so
this tome and its successor (vols. iv. and v.) comprise my
version from the (Edward) Wortley Montague Codex immured in the
old Bodleian Library, Oxford.
Absence from England prevents for the present my offering a
satisfactory description of this widely known manuscript; but I
may safely promise that the hiatus shall be filled up in vol. v.,
which is now ready for the press.
The contents of the Wortley Montague text are not wholly
unfamiliar to Europe. In 1811 Jonathan Scott, LL.D. Oxon. (for
whom see my vols. i., ix. and x. 434), printed with Longmans and
Co. his "Arabian Nights Entertainments" in five substantial
volumes 8vo, and devoted a sixth and last to excerpts entitled
TALES
SELECTED FROM THE MANUSCRIPT COPY
OF THE
1001 NIGHTS
BROUGHT TO EUROPE BY EDWARD WORTLEY MONTAGUE, ESQ.
Translated from the Arabic
BY JONATHAN SCOTT, LL.D.
Unfortunately for his readers Scott enrolled himself amongst the
acolytes of Professor Galland, a great and original genius in the
line Raconteur, and a practical Orientalist whose bright example
was destined to produce disastrous consequences. The Frenchman,
however unscrupulous he might have been about casting down and
building up in order to humour the dead level of Gallican bon
goût, could, as is shown by his "Aladdin," translate literatim
and verbatim when the story-stuff is of the right species and
acceptable to the average European taste. But, as generally
happens in such cases, his servile suite went far beyond their
master and model. Petis de la Croix ("Persian and Turkish
Tales"), Chavis and Cazotte ("New Arabian Nights"), Dow ("Ináyatu
llah") and Morell ("Tales of the Genii"), with others manifold
whose names are now all but forgotten, carried out the Gallandian
liberties to the extreme of licence and succeeded in producing a
branchlet of literature, the most vapid, frigid and insipid that
can be imagined by man,?a bastard Europeo-Oriental,
pseudo-Eastern world of Western marionettes garbed in the gear
which Asiatic are (or were) supposed to wear, with sentiments and
opinions, manners and morals to match; the whole utterly lacking
life, local colour, vraisemblance, human interest. From such
abortions, such monstrous births, libera nos, Domine!
And Scott out-gallanded Galland:?
Diruit, ædificat, mutat quadrata rotundis.
It is hard to quote a line which he deigned textually to
translate. He not only commits felony on the original by
abstracting whole sentences and pages ad libitum, but he also
thrusts false goods into his author's pocket and patronises the
unfortunate Eastern story-teller by foisting upon him whatever
he, the "translator and traitor," deems needful. On this point no
more need be said: the curious reader has but to compare any one
of Scott's "translations" with the original or, for that matter,
with the present version.
I determined to do that for Scott which Lane had done partly and
imperfectly, and Payne had successfully and satisfactorily done
for Galland. But my first difficulty was about the text. It was
impossible to face without affright the prospect of working for
months amid the discomforts and the sanitary dangers of Oxford's
learned atmosphere and in her obsolete edifices the Bodleian and
the Radcliffe. Having ascertained, however, that in the so-called
"University" not a scholar could be found to read the text, I was
induced to apply for a loan?not to myself personally for I
should have shunned the responsibility?but in the shape of a
temporary transfer of the seven-volumed text, tome by tome, to
the charge of Dr. Rost, the excellent Librarian of the India
Office.
My hopes, however, were fated to be deferred. Learned bodies,
Curators and so forth, are ponderous to move and powerless to
change for
The trail of the slow-worm is over them all.
My official application was made on September 13th, 1886. The
tardiest steps were taken as if unwillingly and, when they could
no longer decently be deferred, they resulted in the curtest and
most categorical but not most courteous of refusals, under
circumstances of peculiar disfavour, on November 1st of the same
year. Here I shall say no more: the correspondence has been
relegated to Appendix A. My subscribers, however, will have no
reason to complain of these "Ineptiæ Bodleianæ." I had pledged
myself in case of a loan "not to translate Tales that might be
deemed offensive to propriety:" the Curators have kindly set me
free from that troublesome condition and I thank them therefor.
Meanwhile I had not been idle. Three visits to Oxford in
September and October had enabled me to reach the DIVth Night.
But the laborious days and inclement evenings, combined with the
unsanitary state of town and libraries?the Bodleian and the
Rotunda?brought on a serious attack of "lithiasis" as it is now
called, and prostrated me for two months, until it was time to
leave England en route for my post.
Under these circumstances my design threatened to end in failure.
As often befalls to men out of England, every move ventured by me
menaced only check-mate. I began by seeking a copyist at Oxford,
one who would imitate the text as an ignoramus might transcribe
music: an undergraduate volunteered for the task and after a few
days dropped it in dumb disgust. The attempt was presently
repeated by a friend with the unsatisfactory result that three
words out of four were legible. In London several Easterns were
described as able and willing for the work; but they also were
found wanting; one could not be trusted with the MS. and another
was marriage-mad. Photography was lastly proposed, but
considerations of cost seemed to render it unavailable. At last,
when matters were at the worst, the proverbial amendment
appeared. Mr. Chandler, whose energetic and conscientious
opposition to all "Bodleian loans," both of books and of
manuscripts, had mainly caused the passing of the prohibitory
statute, came forward in the most friendly and generous way: with
no small trouble to himself he superintended the "sun- pictures,"
each page of the original being reduced to half-size, and he
insisted upon the work being done wholly and solely at his own
expense. I know not how to express my gratitude.
The process was undertaken by Mr. Percy Notcutt, of Kingsbury and
Notcutt, 45, St. George's Place, Knightsbridge, and the four
hundred and odd pages were reproduced in most satisfactory style.
Being relegated to a port-town which never possessed even an
Arabic lexicon, I have found some difficulty with the Wortley
Montague MS. as it contains a variety of local words unknown to
the common dictionaries. But I have worked my best to surmount
the obstacle by consulting many correspondents, amongst whom may
be mentioned the name of my late lamented friend, the Reverend
George Percy Badger; and, finally, by submitting my proofs to the
corrections and additions of the lexicologist Dr. Steingass.
Appendix B will require no apology to the numerous admirers of
Mr. E. J. W. Gibb's honest and able work, "The History of the
Forty Vezirs" (London, Redway, MDCCCLXXXVI). The writer in a book
intended for the public was obliged to leave in their original
Turkish, and distinguished only by italics, three "facetious"
tales which, as usual, are some of the best in the book. These
have been translated for me and I offer them to my readers on
account of their curious analogies with many in The Nights.
Richard F. Burton.
TRIESTE, April 10th, 1888.
Supplemental Nights
To The Book Of The
Thousand Nights And A Night
Story of the Sultan of Al-Yaman and His three Sons.[FN#1]
There was erewhile in the land of Al-Yaman a man which was a
Sultan and under him were three Kinglets whom he overruled. He
had four children; to wit, three sons and a daughter: he also
owned wealth and treasures greater than reed can pen or page may
contain; as well as animals such as horses and camels, sheep and
black cattle; and he was held in awe by all the sovrans. But when
his reign had lasted for a length of time, Age[FN#2] brought with
it ailments and infirmities and he became incapable of faring
forth his Palace to the Divan, the hall of audience; whereupon he
summoned his three sons to the presence and said to them, "As for
me, 'tis my wish to divide among you all my substance ere I die,
that ye may be equal in circumstance and live in accordance with
whatso I shall command." And they said, "Hearkening and
obedience." Then quoth the Sultan, "Let the eldest of you become
sovereign after me: let the cadet succeed to my moneys and
treasures[FN#3] and as for the youngest let him inherit my
animals of every kind. Suffer none to transgress against other;
but each aid each and assist his co-partner." He then caused them
to sign a bond and agreement to abide by his bequeathal; and,
after delaying a while, he departed to the mercy of Allah.
Thereupon his three sons got ready the funeral gear and whatever
was suited to his estate for the mortuary obsequies such as
cerements and other matters: they washed the corpse and
enshrouded it and prayed over it: then, having committed it to
the earth they returned to their palaces where the Wazirs and the
Lords of the Land and the city-folk in their multitudes, high and
low, rich and poor, flocked to condole with them on the loss of
their father. And the news of his decease was soon bruited abroad
in all the provinces; and deputations from each and every city
came to offer condolence to the King's sons. These ceremonies
duly ended, the eldest Prince demanded that he should be seated
as Sultan on the stead of his sire in accordance with the
paternal will and testament; but he could not obtain it from his
two brothers as both and each said, "I will become ruler in room
of my father." So enmity and disputes for the government now
arose amongst them and it was not to be won by any; but at last
quoth the eldest Prince, "Wend we and submit ourselves to the
arbitration of a Sultan of the tributary sultans; and let him to
whom he shall adjudge the realm take it and reign over it." Quoth
they "'Tis well!" and thereto agreed, as did also the Wazirs; and
the three set out without suite seeking the capital of one of the
subject Sovrans.??And Shahrázád[FN#4] was surprised by the dawn
of day[FN#5] and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say.
Then quoth her sister Dunyázád, "How sweet is thy story, O sister
mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is
this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming
night, an the King suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the
next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Thirtieth Night,
Dunyázád said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deed fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the three
Princes fared seeking a Sultan of the sultans who had been under
the hands of their sire, in order that they might take him to
arbitrator. And they stinted not faring till the middle way, when
behold, they came upon a mead abounding in herbage and in
rain-water lying sheeted.[FN#6] So they sat them down to rest and
to eat of their victual, when one of the brothers, casting his
eye upon the herbage, cried, "Verily a camel hath lately passed
this way laden half with Halwá-sweetmeats and half with
Hámiz-pickles."[FN#7] "True," cried the second, "and he was blind
of an eye." Exclaimed the third, "'Tis sooth; and indeed he hath
lost his tail." Hardly, however, had they ended their words when
lo! the owner of the camel came upon them (for he had overheard
their speech and had said to himself, "By Allah, these three
fellows have driven off my property, inasmuch as they have
described the burthen and eke the beast as tail-less and
one-eyed"), and cried out, "Ye three have carried away my
camel!"[FN#8] "By Allah we have not seen him," quoth the Princes,
"much less have we touched him;" but quoth the man, "By the
Almighty, who can have taken him except you? and if you will not
deliver him to me, off with us, I and you three, to the Sultan."
They replied, "By all manner of means; let us wend to the
Sovran." So the four hied forth, the three Princes and the
Cameleer, and ceased not faring till they reached the capital of
the King. There they took seat without the wall to rest for an
hour's time and presently they arose and pushed into the city and
came to the royal Palace. Then they craved leave of the
Chamberlains, and one of the Eunuchs caused them enter and
signified to the sovereign that the three sons of Such-and-such a
Sultan had made act of presence. So he bade them be set before
him and the four went in and saluted him, and prayed for him and
he returned their salams. He then asked them, "What is it hath
brought you hither and what may ye want in the way of enquiry?"
Now the first to speak was the Cameleer and he said, "O my lord
the Sultan; verily these three men have carried off my camel by
proof of their own speech."?And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then
quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O
sister mine, and enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where
is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming
night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the
next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Thirty-first Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the
Cameleer came forward between the Sultan's hands and said, "O my
lord, verily these men have carried away the camel which
belongeth to me,[FN#9] for they have indeed described him and the
burthen he bore! And I require of our lord the Sultan that he
take from these wights and deliver to me the camel which is mine
as proved by their own words." Presently asked the Sultan, "What
say ye to the claims of this man and the camel belonging to him?"
Hereto the Princes made answer, "By Allah, O King of the Age, we
have not seen the camel, much less have we stolen him." Thereupon
the Cameleer exclaimed, "O my lord, I heard yonder one say that
the beast was blind of an eye; and the second said that he was
tail-less, and the third said that half his load was of sour
stuff and the other half was of sweet stuff." They replied,
"True, we spake these words;" and the Sultan cried to them, "Ye
have purloined the beast by this proof." They rejoined, "No, by
Allah, O my lord. We sat us in such a place for repose and
refreshment and we remarked that some of the pasture had been
grazed down, so we said, 'This is the grazing of a camel; and he
must have been blind of one eye as the grass was eaten only on
one side.' But as for our saying that he was tail-less, we noted
the droppings lying heaped[FN#10] upon the ground which made us
agree that the tail must have been cut off, it being the custom
of camels at such times to whisk their tails and scatter the dung
abroad. So 'twas evident to us that the camel had lost his tail.
But as for our saying that the load was half Halwá and half
Hámiz, we saw on the place where the camel had knelt the flies
gathering in great numbers while on the other were none: so the
case was clear to us (as flies settle on naught save the sugared)
that one of the panniers must have contained sweets and the other
sours." Hearing this the Sultan said to the Cameleer, "O man,
fare thee forth and look after thy camel; for these signs and
tokens prove not the theft of these men, but only the power of
their intellect and their penetration."[FN#11] And when the
Cameleer heard this, he went his ways. Presently the Sultan
cleared a place in the Palace and allotted to it the Princes for
their entertainment: he also directed they be supplied with a
banquet and the eunuchs did his bidding. But when it was eventide
and supper was served up, the trio sat down to it purposing to
eat; the eldest, however, having hent in hand a bannock of bread
exclaimed, "By Allah, verily this cake was baked by a woman in
blood, to wit, one with the menses." The cadet tasting a bit of
kid exclaimed, "This kid was suckled by a bitch"; and the
youngest exclaimed, "Assuredly this Sultan must be a son of
shame, a bastard." All this was said by the youths what while the
Sultan had hidden himself in order to hear and to profit by the
Princes' words. So he waxed wroth and entered hastily crying, "What
be these speeches ye have spoken?" They replied, "Concerning all
thou hast heard enquire within and thou wilt find it wholly
true." The Sultan then entered his women's apartments and after
inquisition found that the woman who had kneaded the bread was
sick with her monthly courses. He then went forth and summoned
the head-shepherd and asked him concerning the kid he had
butchered. He replied, "By Allah, O my lord, the nanny-goat that
bare the kid died and we found none other in milk to suckle him;
but I had a bitch that had just pupped and her have I made
nourish him." The Sultan lastly hent his sword in hand and
proceeded to the apartments of the Sultánah-mother and cried, "By
Allah, unless thou avert my shame[FN#12] we will cut thee down
with this scymitar! Say me whose son am I?" She replied, "By
Allah, O my child, indeed falsehood is an excuse, but fact and
truth are more saving and superior. Verily thou art the son of a
cook!"?And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell
silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister
Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how
enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared
with that I would relate to you on the coming night, an the King
suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that
was
The Three Hundred and Thirty-second Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the
Sultan's mother said to him, "Verily thou art a cook's son. Thy
sire could not beget boy-children and I bare him only a single
daughter. But it so fortuned that the kitchener's wife lay in of
a boy (to wit, thyself); so we gave my girl-babe to the cook and
took thee as the son of the Sultan, dreading for the realm after
thy sire's death." The King went forth from his mother in
astonishment at the penetration of the three youths and, when he
had taken seat in his Palace, he summoned the trio and as soon as
they appeared he asked them; "Which of you was it that said, 'She
who kneaded the bread was in blood'?" Quoth the eldest, "That was
I;" and quoth the King, "What led thee to suspect that she was
menstruous?" He replied, "O my lord, when I took the bannock and
broke off a bittock, the flour fell out in lumps.[FN#13] Now had
the kneader been well, her strength of hand would have remained
and the bread would have been wrought by all the veins; but, when
the blood came, her powers were minished for women's force is in
their hands; and as soon as the monthly period cometh upon them
their strength is lost. Their bodies contain three hundred and
sixty veins all lying hard by one another and the blood of the
catamenia floweth from them all; hence their force becometh
feebleness. And this was my proof of the woman which was
menstruous." Quoth the Sultan, "'Tis well. We accept as certain
thy saying upon this evidence, for it is agreeable to man's
understanding nor can any challenge it; this being from the power
of insight into the condition of womankind. And we are assured of
its soothfastness, for 'tis evident to us without concealment.
But which is he who said of the kid's meat that the beast was
suckled by a bitch? What proof had he of this? How did he learn
it and whence did his intelligence discover it to him?" Now when
the deceased Sultan's second son heard these words, he made
answer. "I, O King of the Age, am he who said that say!" The King
replied, "'Tis well;" and the Prince resumed, "O my lord, that
which showed me the matter of the meat which was to us brought is
as follows. I found the fat of the kid all hard by the bone, and
I knew that the beast had sucked bitch's milk; for the flesh of
dogs lieth outside and their fat is on their bones, whereas in
sheep and goats the fat lieth upon the meat. Such, then, was my
proof wherein there is nor doubt nor hesitation; and when thou
shalt have made question and inquiry thou wilt find this to be
fact." Quoth the Sultan, "'Tis well; thou hast spoken truth and
whatso thou sayest is soothfast. But which is he who declared
that I am a bastard and what was his proof and what sign in me
exposed it to him?" Quoth the youngest Prince, "I am he who said
it;" and the Sultan rejoined, "There is no help but that thou
provide me with a proof." The Prince rejoined, "'Tis well!"?And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased
saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How
sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and enjoyable and
delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I
would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me
to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Thirty-third Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the
youngest Prince said to the Sultan, "O my lord, I have evidence
that thou art the son of a cook and a base-born, in that thou
didst not sit at meat with us and this was mine all-sufficient
evidence. Every man hath three properties which he inheriteth at
times from his father, at times from his maternal uncle and at
times from his mother.[FN#14] From his sire cometh generosity or
niggardness; from his uncle courage or cowardice; from his mother
modesty or immodesty; and such is the proof of every man." Then
quoth to him the Sultan, "Sooth thou speakest; but say me, men
who like you know all things thoroughly by evidence and by your
powers of penetration, what cause have they to come seeking
arbitration at my hand? Beyond yours there be no increase of
intelligence. So fare ye forth from me and manage the matter
amongst yourselves, for 'tis made palpable to me by your own
words that naught remaineth to you save to speak of mysterious
subjects;[FN#15] nor have I the capacity to adjudge between you
after that which I have heard from you. In fine an ye possess any
document drawn up by your sire before his decease, act according
to it and contrary it not." Upon this the Princes went forth from
him and made for their own country and city and did as their
father had bidden them do on his death-bed. The eldest enthroned
himself as Sultan; the cadet assumed possession and management of
the moneys and treasures and the youngest took to himself the
camels and the horses and the beeves and the muttons. Then each
and every was indeed equal with his co-partner in the gathering
of good. But when the new year came, there befel a drought among
the beasts and all belonging to the youngest brother died nor had
he aught of property left: yet his spirit brooked not to take
anything from his brethren or even to ask of them aught. This
then is the Tale of the King of Al-Yaman in its entirety; yet is
the Story of the Three Sharpers[FN#16] more wondrous and
marvellous than that just recounted.?And Shahrazad was surprised
by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her
permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy
story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth
she, "And where is this compared with that I would relate to you
on the coming night, an the King suffer me to survive." Now when
it was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Thirty-fourth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will! It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating;" and she began
to recount
THE STORY OF THE THREE SHARPERS.[FN#17]
Saying, "Verily their adventure is wondrous and their actions
delightsome and marvellous," presently adding?There were in time
of yore three Sharpers who were wont every day in early morning
to prowl forth and to prey, rummaging[FN#18] among the mounds
which outlay the city. Therein each would find a silver bit of
five parahs or its equivalent, after which the trio would for-
gather and buy whatso sufficed them for supper: they would also
expend two Nusfs[FN#19] upon Bast,[FN#20] which is Bhang, and
purchase a waxen taper with the other silver bit. They had hired
a cell in the flank of a Wakálah, a caravanserai without the
walls, where they could sit at ease to solace themselves and eat
their Hashísh after lighting the candle and enjoy their
intoxication and consequent merriment till the noon o' night.
Then they would sleep, again awaking at day-dawn when they would
arise and seek for spoil, according to their custom, and ransack
the heaps where at times they would hit upon a silverling of five
dirhams and at other times a piece of four; and at eventide they
would meet to spend together the dark hours, and they would
expend everything they came by every day. For a length of time
they pursued this path until, one day of the days, they made for
the mounds as was their wont and went round searching the heaps
from morning to evening without finding even a half-parah;
wherefore they were troubled and they went away and nighted in
their cell without meat or drink. When the next day broke they
arose and repaired for booty, changing the places wherein they
were wont to forage; but none of them found aught; and their
breasts were straitened for lack of a find of dirhams wherewith
to buy them supper. This lasted for three full-told and following
days until hunger waxed hard upon them and vexation; so they said
one to other, "Go we to the Sultan and let us serve him with a
sleight, and each of us three shall claim to be a past master of
some craft: haply Allah Almighty may incline his heart uswards
and he may largesse us with something to expend upon our
necessities." Accordingly all three agreed to do on this wise and
they sought the Sultan whom they found in the palace-garden. They
asked leave to go in to him, but the Chamberlains refused
admission: so they stood afar off unable to approach the
presence. Then quoth they one to other, "'Twere better we fall to
and each smite his comrade and cry aloud and make a
clamour,[FN#21] and as soon as he shall hear us he will send to
summon us." Accordingly they jostled one another and each took to
frapping his fellow, making the while loud outcries. The Sultan
hearing this turmoil said, "Bring me yonder wights;" and the
Chamberlains and Eunuchs ran out to them and seized them and set
them between the hands of the Sovran. As soon as they stood in
the presence he asked them, "What be the cause of your wrath one
against other?" They answered, "O King of the Age, we are past
masters of crafts, each of us weeting an especial art." Quoth the
Sultan, "What be your crafts?" and quoth one of the trio, "O our
lord, as for my art I am a jeweller by trade." The King
exclaimed, "Passing strange! a sharper and a jeweller:[FN#22]
this is a wondrous matter." And he questioned the second?And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased
saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How
sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and enjoyable and
delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I
would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me
to survive?" Now when it was the next night which was
The Three Hundred and Thirty-fifth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the Sultan
asked the second Sharper saying, "And thou, the other, what may
be thy craft?" He answered, "I am a genealogist[FN#23] of the
horse-kind." So the King glanced at him in surprise and said to
himself, "A sharper yet he claimeth an astounding knowledge!"
Then he left him and put the same question to the third who said
to him, "O King of the Age, verily my art is more wondrous and
marvellous than aught thou hast heard from these twain: their
craft is easy but mine is such that none save I can discover the
right direction thereto or know the first of it from the last of
it." The Sultan enquired of him, "And what be thy craft?" Whereto
he replied, "My craft is the genealogy of the sons of Adam."
Hearing these words the Sovran wondered with extreme wonderment
and said in himself, "Verily He informeth with His secrets the
humblest of His creatures! Assuredly these men, an they speak
truth in all they say and it prove soothfast, are fit for naught
except kingship. But I will keep them by me until the occurrence
of some nice contingency wherein I may test them; then, if they
approve themselves good men and trustworthy of word, I will leave
them on life; but if their speech be lying I will do them die."
Upon this he set apart for them apartments and rationed them with
three cakes of bread and a dish of roast meat[FN#24] and set over
them his sentinels dreading lest they fly. This case continued
for a while till behold, there came to the Sultan from the land
of 'Ajam a present of rarities, amongst which were two gems
whereof one was clear of water and the other was clouded of
colour.[FN#25] The Sultan hent them in hand for a time and fell
to considering them straitly for the space of an hour; after
which he called to mind the first of the three Sharpers, the
self-styled jeweller, and cried, "Bring me the jeweller-man."
Accordingly they went and brought him and set him before the
Sovran who asked him, "O man, art thou a lapidary?" And when the
Sharper answered "Yes" he gave him the clear-watered stone,
saying, "What may be the price of this gem?"?And Shahrazad was
surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say
her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is
thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!"
Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I would relate
to you on the coming night, an the Sovran suffer me to survive?"
Now when it was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Thirty-sixth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the
Sharper took the jewel in hand and turned it rightwards and
leftwards and considered the outside and pried into the inside;
after which he said to the Sultan, "O my lord, verily this gem
containeth a worm[FN#26] bred within the heart thereof." Now when
the King heard these words he waxed wroth with exceeding wrath
and commanded the man's head to be stricken off, saying, "This
jewel is clear of colour and free of flaw or other default; yet
thou chargest it falsely with containing a worm!" Then he
summoned the Linkman[FN#27] who laid hands on the Sharper and
pinioned his elbows and trussed up his legs[FN#28] like a camel's
and was about to smite his neck when behold, the Wazir entered
the presence and, seeing the Sovran in high dudgeon and the
Sharper under the scymitar, asked what was to do. The Sultan
related to him what had happened when he drew near to him and
said, "O my lord, act not after this fashion! An thou determine
upon the killing of yonder man, first break the gem and, if thou
find therein a worm, thou wilt know the wight's word to have been
veridical; but an thou find it sound then strike off his head."
"Right is thy rede," quoth the King: then he took in hand the gem
and smote it with his mace[FN#29] and when it brake behold, he
found therein the worm amiddlemost thereof. So he marvelled at
the sight and asked the man, "What proved to thee that it
harboured a worm?" "The sharpness of my sight," answered the
Sharper. Then the Sultan pardoned him and, admiring his power of
vision, addressed his attendants saying, "Bear him back to his
comrades and ration him with a dish of roast meat and two cakes
of bread." And they did as he bade them. After some time, on a
day of the days, there came to the King the tribute of 'Ajam-land
accompanied with presents amongst which was a colt whose robe
black as night[FN#30] showed one shade in the sun and another in
the shadow. When the animal was displayed to the Sultan he fell
in love with it and set apart for it a stall and solaced himself
at all times by gazing at it and was wholly occupied with it and
sang its praises till they filled the whole country side.
Presently he remembered the Sharper who claimed to be a
genealogist of the horse-kind and bade him be summoned. So they
fared forth and brought him and set him between the hands of the
Sovran who said to him, "Art thou he who knoweth the breed and
descent of horses?" "Yea verily," said the man. Then cried the
King, "By the truth of Him who set me upon the necks of His
servants and who sayeth to a thing 'Be' and it becometh, an I
find aught of error or confusion in thy words, I will strike off
thy head." "Hearkening and obedience," quoth the Sharper. Then
they led him to the colt that he might consider its genealogy. He
called aloud to the groom[FN#31]?And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say.
Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy
tale, O sister mine, and enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she,
"And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on
the coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it
was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Thirty-seventh Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the
Sharper called aloud to the stirrup-holder and when they brought
him he bade the man back the colt for his inspection. So he
mounted the animal and made it pace to the right and to the left
causing it now to prance and curvet and then to step leisurely,
while the connoisseur looked on and after a time quoth he to the
groom, "'Tis enough!" Then he went in to the presence and stood
between the hands of the King who enquired, "What hast thou seen
in the colt, O Kashmar?"[FN#32] Replied the Sharper, "By Allah, O
King of the Age, this colt is of pure and noble blood on the side
of the sire: its action is excellent and all its qualities are
praiseworthy save one; and but for this one it had been perfect
in blood and breed nor had there been on earth's face its fellow
in horseflesh. But its blemish remaineth a secret." The Sultan
asked, "And what is the quality which thou blamest?" and the
Sharper answered, "Its sire was noble, but its dam was of other
strain: she it was that brought the blemish and if thou, O my
lord, allow me I will notify it to thee." "'Tis well, and needs
must thou declare it," quoth the Sultan. Then said the Sharper,
"Its dam is a buffalo-cow."[FN#33] When the King heard these
words he was wroth with wrath exceeding and he bade the Linkman
take the Sharper and behead him, crying, "O dog! O accursed! How
can a buffalo-cow bear a horse?" The Sharper replied, "O my lord,
the Linkman is in the presence; but send and fetch him who
brought thee the colt and of him make enquiry. If my words prove
true and rightly placed, my skill shall be stablished; but an
they be lies let my head pay forfeit for my tongue. Here standeth
the Linkman and I am between thy hands: thou hast but to bid him
strike off my head!" Thereupon the King sent for the owner and
breeder of the colt and they brought him to the presence.?And
Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and
ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth the sister Dunyazad,
"How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and
delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I
would relate to you on the coming night, an the Sovran suffer me
to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Thirty-eighth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the Sultan
sent for the owner and breeder of the colt and asked him saying,
"Tell me the truth anent the blood of this colt. Didst thou buy
it or breed it so that it was a rearling of thy homestead?" Said
he, "By Allah, O King of the Age, I will speak naught which is
not sooth, for indeed there hangeth by this colt the strangest
story: were it graven with graver-needles upon the eye-corners it
had been a warning to whoso would be warned. And this it is. I
had a stallion of purest strain whose sire was of the steeds of
the sea;[FN#34] and he was stabled in a stall apart for fear of
the evil eye, his service being entrusted to trusty servants. But
one day in springtide the Syce took the horse into the open and
there picquetted him when behold, a buffalo-cow walked into the
enclosed pasture where the stallion was tethered, and seeing her
he brake his heel-ropes and rushed at her and covered her. She
conceived by him and when her days were completed and her
throwing-time came she suffered sore pains and bare yonder colt.
And all who have seen it or have heard of it were astounded,"
said he, presently adding, "by Allah, O King of the Age, had its
dam been of the mare-kind the colt would have had no equal on
earth's surface or aught approaching it." Hereat the Sultan took
thought and marvelled; then, summoning the Sharper he said to him
when present, "O man, thy speech is true and thou art indeed a
genealogist in horseflesh and thou wottest it well. But I would
know what proved to thee that the dam of this colt was a
buffalo-cow?" Said he, "O King, my proof thereof was palpable nor
can it be concealed from any wight of right wits and intelligence
and special knowledge; for the horse's hoof is round whilst the
hooves of buffaloes are elongated and duck-shaped,[FN#35] and
hereby I kenned that this colt was a jumart, the issue of a
cow-buffalo." The Sultan was pleased with his words and said,
"Ration him with a plate of roast meat and two cakes of bread;"
and they did as they were bidden. Now for a length of time the
third Sharper was forgotten till one day the Sultan bethought him
of the man who could explain the genealogy of Adam's sons. So he
bade fetch him and when they brought him into the presence he
said, "Thou art he that knowest the caste and descent of men and
women?" and the other said, "Yes." Then he commanded the Eunuchs
take him to his wife[FN#36] and place him before her and cause
him declare her genealogy. So they led him in and set him
standing in her presence and the Sharper considered her for a
while looking from right to left; then he fared forth to the
Sultan who asked him, "What hast thou seen in the Queen?"
Answered he, "O my lord, I saw a somewhat adorned with loveliness
and beauty and perfect grace, with fair stature of symmetrical
trace and with modesty and fine manners and skilful case; and she
is one in whom all good qualities appear on every side, nor is
aught of accomplishments or knowledge concealed from her and
haply in her centre all desirable attributes. Natheless, O King
of the Age, there is a curious point that dishonoureth her from
the which were she free none would outshine her of all the women
of her generation." Now when the Sultan heard the words of the
Sharper, he sprang hastily to his feet and clapping hand upon
hilt bared his brand and fell upon the man purposing to slay
him;?And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and fell silent and
ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad,
"How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and enjoyable
and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that
I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me
to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Thirty-ninth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the Sultan
fell upon the Sharper with his sword purposing to slay him; but
the Chamberlains and the Eunuchs prevented him saying, "O our
lord, kill him not until his falsehood or his fact shall have
been made manifest to thee." The Sultan said to him, "What then
appeared to thee in my Queen?" "He[FN#37] is ferly fair," said
the man, "but his mother is a dancing-girl, a gypsey."[FN#38] The
fury of the King increased hereat and he sent to summon the
inmates of his Harem and cried to his father-in-law, "Unless thou
speak me sooth concerning thy daughter and her descent and her
mother I"?[FN#39] He replied, "By Allah, O King of the Age,
naught saveth a man save soothfastness! Her mother indeed was a
Gháziyah: in past time a party of the tribe was passing by my
abode when a young maid strayed from her fellows and was lost.
They asked no questions concerning her; so I lodged her and bred
her in my homestead till she grew up to be a great girl and the
fairest of her time. My heart would not brook her wiving with any
other; so I wedded her and she bare me this daughter whom thou, O
King, hast espoused." When the Sultan heard these words the flame
in his heart was quenched[FN#40] and he wondered at the subtlety
of the Sharper man; so he summoned him and asked him saying, "O
wily one, tell me what certified to thee that my Queen had a
dancing girl, a gypsey, to mother?" He answered, "O King of the
Age, verily the Ghaziyah race hath eye-balls intensely black and
bushy brows whereas other women than the Ghaziyah have the
reverse of this." On such wise the King was convinced of the
man's skill and he cried, "Ration him with a dish of roast meat
and two scones." They did as he bade and the three Sharpers
tarried with the Sultan a long time till one day when the King
said to himself, "Verily these three men have by their skill
solved every question of genealogy which I proposed to them:
first the jeweller proved his perfect knowledge of gems; secondly
the genealogist of the horse-kind showed himself as skilful, and
the same was the case with the genealogist of mankind, for he
discovered the origin of my Queen and the truth of his words
appeared from all quarters. Now 'tis my desire that he do the
same with me that I also may know my provenance." Accordingly
they set the man between his hands and he said to him, "O fellow,
hast thou the power to tell me mine origin?" Said the Sharper,
"Yes, O my lord, I can trace thy descent, but I will so do only
upon a condition; to wit, that thou promise me safety[FN#41]
after what I shall have told thee; for the saw saith, 'Whilst
Sultan sitteth on throne 'ware his despite, inasmuch as none may
be contumacious when he saith 'Smite.'" Thereupon the Sultan told
him, "thou hast a promise of immunity, a promise which shall
never be falsed."?And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day
and fell silent, and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth
her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and
how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this
compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an
the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night,
and that was
The Three Hundred and Fortieth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the Sultan
pledged his word for the safety of the Sharper with the customary
kerchief[FN#42] and the man said, "O King of the Age, whenas I
acquaint thee with thy root and branch, let it be between us
twain lest these present hear us." "Wherefore O man?" asked the
Sultan, and the Sharper answered, "O my lord, Allah of Allmight
hath among His names 'The Veiler';"[FN#43] wherefore the King
bade his Chamberlains and Eunuchs retire so that none remained in
the place save those two. Then the Sharper came forward and said,
"O my lord, thou art a son of shame and an issue of adultery." As
soon as the King heard these words his case changed and his
colour waxed wan and his limbs fell loose:[FN#44] he foamed at
the mouth;[FN#45] he lost hearing and sight; he became as one
drunken without wine and he fell fainting to the ground. After a
while he recovered and said to the Sharper, "Now by the truth of
Him who hath set me upon the necks of His servants, an thy words
be veridical and I ascertain their sooth by proof positive, I
will assuredly abdicate my Kingdom and resign my realm to thee,
because none deserveth it save thou and it becometh us least of
all and every. But an I find thy speech lying I will slay thee."
He replied, "Hearing and obeying;" and the Sovran, rising up
without stay or delay, went inside to his mother with grip on
glaive, and said to her, "By the truth of Him who uplifted the
lift above the earth, an thou answer me not with the whole truth
in whatso I ask thee, I will cut thee to little bits with this
blade." She enquired, "What dost thou want with me?" and he
replied, "Whose son am I, and what may be my descent?" She
rejoined, "Although falsehood be an excuse, fact and truth are
superior and more saving. Thou art indeed the very son of a cook.
The Sultan that was before thee took me to wife and I cohabited
with him a while of time without my becoming pregnant by him or
having issue; and he would mourn and groan from the core of his
heart for that he had no seed, nor girl nor boy; neither could he
enjoy aught of sweet food or sleep. Now we had about the Palace
many caged birds; and at last, one day of the days, the King
longed to eat somewhat of poultry, so he went into the court and
sent for the Kitchener to slaughter[FN#46] one of the fowls; and
the man applied himself to catching it. At that time I had taken
my first bath after the monthly ailment and quoth I to myself,
'If this case continue with the King he will perish and the
Kingdom pass from us.' And the Shaytan tempted me to that which
displeased Allah"?And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her
sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister
mine, and enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is
this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night
an the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next
night and that was
The Three Hundred and Forty-first Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the Queen
continued, "And Satan tempted me and made the sin fair in my
sight. So I went up to the Kitchener, attired and adorned as I
was in my finest apparel and I fell a-jesting with him and
provoking him and disporting with him till his passions were
excited by me: so he tumbled me at that very hour, after which he
arose and slaughtered one of the birds and went his ways. Then I
bade the handmaids sprinkle water on the fowl and clean it and
cook it; and they did my bidding. After a while symptoms of
pregnancy declared themselves in me and became evident; and when
the King heard that his Queen was with child, he waxed gladsome
and joyful and gave alms and scattered gifts and bestowed robes
upon his Officers of State and others till the day of my delivery
and I bare a babe?which is thyself. Now at that time the Sultan
was hunting and birding and enjoying himself about the gardens
all of his pleasure at the prospect of becoming a father; and
when the bearer of good news went to him and announced the birth
of a man-child he hurried back to me and forthright bade them
decorate the capital and he found the report true; so the city
adorned itself for forty days in honour of its King. Such is my
case and my tale."[FN#47] Thereupon the King went forth from her
to the Sharper and bade him doff his dress and when this had been
done he doffed his own raiment and habited the man in royal gear
and hooded him with the Taylasán[FN#48] and asked him saying,
"What proof hast thou of my being a son of adultery?" The Sharper
answered, "O my lord, my proof was thy bidding our being
rationed, after showing the perfection of our skill, with a dish
of roast meat and two scones of bread; whereby I knew thee to be
of cook's breed, for the Kings be wont in such case to make
presents of money and valuables, not of meat and bread as thou
didst, and this evidenced thee to be a bastard King." He replied,
"Sooth thou sayest," and then robed him with the rest of his
robes including the Kalansuwah or royal head-dress under the
hood[FN#49] and seated him upon the throne of his estate.?And
Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and
ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad,
"How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and
delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I
would relate to you on the coming night, an the Sovran suffer me
to survive." Now when it was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Forty-second Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the Sultan
enthroned the Sharper upon the throne of estate and went forth
from him after abandoning all his women to him and assumed the
garb of a Darwaysh who wandereth about the world and formally
abdicated his dominion to his successor. But when the Sharper-
king saw himself in this condition, he reflected and said to
himself, "Summon thy whilome comrades and see whether they
recognize thee or not." So he caused them be set before him and
conversed with them; then, perceiving that none knew him he
gifted them and sent them to gang their gait. And he ruled his
realm and bade and forbade and gave and took away and was
gracious and generous to each and every of his lieges; so that
the people of that region who were his subjects blessed him and
prayed for him. Such was the case with the Sharper; but as for
The Sultan who Fared Forth in the Habit of a
Darwaysh,[FN#50]
He ceased not wayfaring, as become a wanderer, till he came to
Cairo[FN#51] city whose circuit was a march of two and a half
days and which then was ruled by her own King Mohammed hight. He
found the folk in safety and prosperity and good ordinance; and
he solaced himself by strolling about the streets to the right
and left and he diverted his mind by considering the crowds and
the world of men contained in the capital, until he drew near the
palace when suddenly he sighted the Sultan returning from the
chase and from taking his pleasure. Seeing this the Darwaysh
retired to the wayside, and the King happening to glance in that
direction, saw him standing and discerned in him the signs of
former prosperity. So he said to one of his suite, "Take yon man
with thee and entertain him till I send for him." His bidding
being obeyed he entered the Palace and, when he had rested from
the fatigues of the way, he summoned the Fakír to the presence
and questioned him of his condition, saying, "Thou, from what
land art thou?" He responded, "O my lord, I am a beggar man;" and
the other rejoined, "There is no help but that thou tell me what
brought thee hither." The Darwaysh retorted, "O my lord, this may
not be save in privacy," and the other exclaimed, "Be it so for
thee." The twain then arose and repaired to a retired room in the
Palace and the Fakir recounted to the Sultan all that had
befallen him since the loss of his kingship and also how he, a
Sultan, had given up the throne of his realm and had made himself
a Darwaysh. The Sovran marvelled at his self-denial in yielding
up the royal estate and cried, "Laud be to Him who degradeth and
upraiseth, who honoureth and humbleth by the wise ordinance of
His All-might," presently adding, "O Darwaysh, I have passed
through an adventure which is marvellous; indeed 'tis one of the
Wonders of the World[FN#52] which I needs must relate to thee nor
from thee withhold aught thereof." And he fell to telling?And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased
saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How
sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and enjoyable and
delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I
would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me
to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Forty-third Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the King
fell to telling the beggar man
The History of Mohammed, Sultan of Cairo.
I began my career in the world as a Darwaysh, an asker, owning
naught of the comforts and conveniences of life, till at length,
one day of the days, I became possessor of just ten
silverlings[FN#53] (and no more) which I resolved to expend upon
myself. Accordingly I walked into the Bazar purposing to purchase
somewhat of provaunt. While I was looking around, I espied a man
passing by and leading in an iron chain a dog-faced baboon and
crying "Haraj![FN#54] this ape is for sale at the price of ten
faddahs." The folk jibed at the man and jeered at his ape; but
quoth I to myself, "Buy this beast and expend upon it the ten
silverlings." Accordingly I drew near the seller and said to him,
"Take these ten faddahs;" whereupon he took them and gave me the
ape which I led to the cell wherein I dwelt. Then I opened the
door and went in with my bargain but began debating in my mind
what to do and said, "How shall I manage a meal for the baboon
and myself?" While I was considering behold, the beast was
suddenly transformed, and became a young man fair of favour who
had no equal in loveliness and stature and symmetric grace,
perfect as the moon at full on the fourteenth night; and he
addressed me saying, "O Shaykh Mohammed, thou hast bought me with
ten faddahs, being all thou hadst and art debating how we shall
feed, I and thou." Quoth I, "What art thou?" and quoth he, "Query
me no questions, concerning whatso thou shalt see, for good luck
hath come to thee." Then he gave me an Ashrafi[FN#55] and said,
"Take this piece of gold and fare thee forth to the Bazar and get
us somewhat to eat and drink." I took it from him and repairing
to the market purchased whatso food our case required; then
returning to the cell set the victual before him and seated
myself by his side. So we ate our sufficiency and passed that
night, I and he, in the cell, and, when Allah caused the morn to
dawn, he said to me, "O man, this room is not suitable to us: hie
thee and hire a larger lodging." I replied, "To hear is to obey;"
and, rising without stay or delay, went and took a room more
roomy in the upper part of the Wakálah.[FN#56] Thither we
removed, I and the youth, and presently he gave me ten dinars
more and said, "Go to the Bazar and buy thee furniture as much as
is wanted." Accordingly, I went forth and bought what he ordered
and on my return I found before him a bundle containing a suit of
clothes suitable for the Kings. These he gave to me desiring that
I hie me to the Hammam and don them after bathing, so I did his
bidding and washed and dressed myself and found in each pocket of
the many pockets an hundred gold pieces; and presently when I had
donned the dress I said to myself, "Am I dreaming or wide
awake?"[FN#57] Then I returned to the youth in the room and when
he saw me he rose to his feet and commended my figure and seated
me beside him. Presently he brought up a bigger bundle and bade
me take it and repair to the Sultan of the City and at the same
time ask his daughter in marriage for myself.?And Shahrazad was
surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say
her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is
thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!"
Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I would relate
to you on the coming night, an the Sovran suffer me to survive?"
Now when it was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Forty-fourth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the Sultan
of Cairo continued:[FN#58]?So I took it and repaired with it to
the King of that city, and a slave whom the youth had bought bore
the bundle. Now when I approached the Palace I found thereabout
the Chamberlains and Eunuchs and Lords of the Land: so I drew
near them and when they saw me in that suit they approved my
appearance and questioned me saying, "What be thy business and
what dost thou require?" I replied, "My wish is to have audience
of the King," and they rejoined, "Wait a little while till we
obtain for thee his permission." Then one of the ushers went in
and reported the matter to the Sultan who gave orders to admit
me; so the man came out and led me within and on entering the
presence I salamed to the Sovran and wished him welfare and
presently set before him the bundle, saying, "O King of the Age,
this be in the way of a gift which besitteth my station not thine
estate." The Sultan bade the package be spread out, and he looked
into it and saw a suit of royal apparel whose like he never had
owned. So he was astonished at the sight and said in his mind,
"By Allah, I possess naught like this, nor was I ever master of
so magnificent a garment;" presently adding, "It shall be
accepted, O Shaykh, but needs must thou have some want or
requisition from me." I replied, "O King of the Age, my wish is
to become thy connection through that lady concealed and pearl
unrevealed, thy daughter." When the Sultan heard these words, he
turned to his Wazir and said, "Counsel me as to what I should do
in the matter of this man?" Said he, "O King of the Age, show him
thy most precious stone and say him, 'An thou have a jewel
evening this one it shall be my daughter's marriage-dowry.'" The
King did as he was advised, whereat I was wild with wonderment
and asked him, "An I bring thee such a gem wilt thou give me the
Princess?" He answered, "Yea, verily!" and I took my leave
bearing with me the jewel to the young man who was awaiting me in
the room.[FN#59] He enquired of me, "Hast thou proposed for the
Princess?" and I replied, "Yes: I have spoken with the Sultan
concerning her, when he brought out this stone, saying to me, 'An
thou have a jewel evening this one, it shall be my daughter's
marriage dowry;' nor hath the Sultan power to false his word."
The youth rejoined, "This day I can do naught, but to-morrow
(Inshallah!) I will bring thee ten jewels like it and these thou
shalt carry and present to the Sovran." Accordingly when the
morning dawned he arose and fared forth and after an hour or so
he returned with ten gems which he gave me. I took them and
repaired with them to the Sultan and, entering the presence, I
presented to him all the ten. When he looked upon the precious
stones he wondered at their brilliant water and turning to the
Wazir again asked him how he should act in this matter. Replied
the Minister, "O King of the Age, thou requiredst of him but one
jewel and he hath brought thee ten; 'tis therefore only right and
fair to give him thy daughter."?And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then
quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O
sister mine, and enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where
is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming
night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the
next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Forty-fifth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the
Minister said to the Monarch, "Give him thy daughter."
Accordingly the Sultan summoned the Kazis and the Efendis[FN#60]
who wrote out the marriage-contract between me and the Princess.
Then I returned to the youth who had remained in the room and
told him all that had occurred when he said, "'Twere best to
conclude the wedding-ceremony and pay the first visit to thy
bride at once; but thou shalt on no wise consummate the nuptials
until I bid thee go in unto her, after somewhat shall have been
done by me." "Hearing and obeying," replied I; and, when the
night of going in[FN#61] came, I visited the Sultan's daughter
but sat apart from her by the side of the room during the first
night and the second and the third; nor did I approach her
although every day her mother came and asked her the usual
question[FN#62] and she answered, "He hath never approached me."
So she grieved with sore grief for that 'tis the wont of
womankind, when a maid is married and her groom goeth not in unto
her, to deem that haply folk will attribute it to some matter
which is not wholly right. After the third night the mother
reported the case to her father who cried, "This night except he
abate her pucelage I will slay him!" The tidings reached my bride
who told all to me, so I repaired to the young man and acquainted
him therewith. He cried, "When thou shalt visit her say, 'By
Allah, I will not enjoy thee unless thou give me the
amulet-bracelet hanging to thy right shoulder.'" I replied, "To
hear is to obey;" and, when I went in to her at nightfall, I
asked her, "Dost thou really desire me to futter thee?" She
answered, "I do indeed;" so I rejoined, "Then give me the
amulet-bracelet hanging over thy right shoulder." She arose
forthright and unbound it and gave it to me, whereupon I bled her
of the hymeneal blood[FN#63] and going to the young man gave him
the jewel. Then I returned to my bride and slept by her side till
the morning when I awoke and found myself lying outstreched in my
own caravanserai-cell. I was wonderstruck and asked myself, "Am I
on wake or in a dream?" and I saw my whilome garments, the
patched gabardine[FN#64] and tattered shirt alone with my little
drum;[FN#65] but the fine suit given to me by the youth was not
on my body nor did I espy any sign of it anywhere. So with fire
burning in my heart after what had befallen me, I wandered about
crowded sites and lone spots and in my distraction I knew not
what to do, whither to go or whence to come; when lo and behold!
I found sitting in an unfrequented part of the street a
Maghrabi,[FN#66] a Barbary man, who had before him some written
leaves and was casting omens for sundry bystanders. Seeing this
state of things, I came forward and drew near him and made him a
salam which he returned; then, after considering my features
straitly, he exclaimed, "O Shaykh, hath that Accursed done it and
torn thee from thy bride?" "Yes," I replied. Hereupon he said to
me, "Wait a little while," and seated me beside him; then, as
soon as the crowd dispersed he said, "O Shaykh, the baboon which
thou boughtest for ten silver bits and which was presently
transformed into a young man of Adam's sons, is not a human of
the sons of Adam but a Jinni who is enamoured of the Princess
thou didst wed. However, he could not approach her by reason of
the charmed bracelet hanging from her right shoulder, wherefore
he served thee this sleight and won it and now he still weareth
it. But I will soon work his destruction to the end that Jinnkind
and mankind may be at rest from his mischief; for he is one of
the rebellious and misbegotten imps who break the law of our lord
Solomon (upon whom be the Peace!)." Presently the Maghrabi took a
leaf and wrote upon it as it were a book.?And Shahrazad was
surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say
her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is
thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!"
Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I would relate
to you on the coming night, an the Sovran suffer me to survive?"
Now when it was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Forty-sixth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the
Maghrabi wrote a writ and signed his name within and sealed it;
after which he handed it to me saying, "O Shaykh, take this
missive and hie thee herewith to a certain spot where thou must
wait and observe those who pass by. Hearten thy heart and when
thou shalt see approaching thee a man attended by a numerous
train, present to him this scroll for 'tis he who will win for
thee thy wish." I took the note from the Barbary man and fared
forth to the place which he had described and ceased not faring
till I reached it after travelling all that night and half the
next day; then I sat down until darkness set in to await whatso
might befal me. When a fourth part of the night had passed, a
dazzling glare of lights suddenly appeared from afar advancing
towards me; and as it shone nearer, I made out men bearing
flambeaux[FN#67] and lanthorns, also a train of attendants
befitting the Kings. They looked on and considered me whilst my
heart fluttered with fear, and I was in sore affright. But the
procession defiled and drew off from before me, marching two
after two, and presently appeared the chief cortège wherein was a
Sultan[FN#68] of the Jánn. As he neared me I heartened my heart
and advanced and presented to him the letter which he, having
halted, opened and read aloud; and it was:?"Be it known to thee,
O Sultan of the Jann, that the bearer of this our epistle hath a
need which thou must grant him by destroying his foe; and if
opposition be offered by any we will do the opponent die. An thou
fail to relieve him thou wilt know to seek from me relief for
thyself." When the King of the Jann had read the writ and had
mastered its meaning and its mysteries, he forthwith called out
to one of his serjeants[FN#69] who at once came forward and bade
him bring into his presence without delay such-and-such a Jinni
who by his spells had wrought round the daughter of the Cairene
Sultan. The messenger replied, "Hearing and obeying," and
departed from him and disappearing was absent an hour or
thereabouts; after which he and others returned with the Jinni
and set him standing before the King who exclaimed, "Wherefore, O
Accurst, hast thou wrought ill to this man and done on this wise
and on that wise?" He replied, "O my lord, all came of my
fondness for the Princess who wore a charm in her armlet which
hindered my approaching her and therefore I made use of this man
to effect my purpose. I became master of the talisman and won my
wish but I love the maiden and never will I harm her." Now when
the Sultan heard these words he said, "Thy case can be after one
of two fashions only. Either return the armlet that the man may
be reunited with his wife and she with her husband as whilome
they were; or contrary me and I will command the headsman strike
thy neck." Now when the Jinni heard this speech (and 'twas he who
had assumed the semblance of a dog-faced baboon), he refused and
was rebellious to the King and cried, "I will not return the
armlet nor will I release the damsel, for none can possess her
save myself." And having spoken in this way he attempted to
flee.?And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and fell silent
and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister
Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and
enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared
with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran
suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that
was
The Three Hundred and Forty-seventh Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale, that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the Márid
would fain have fled from before the King of the Jann, but the
Sovran bade other Marids and more forceful arrest him; so they
seized him and pinioned him and bound him in chains and collar
and dragged him behind the King of the Jann till the latter had
reached his place and had summoned him and had taken from him the
armlet. Then the Sultan gave order for him to be slain and they
slew him. When this was done, I prayed for the charm-armlet and I
recovered it after the Marid's death; they also restored to me my
fine suit. So I proceeded to the city which I entered, and as
soon as the guards and courtiers saw me, they cried out for joy
and said, "This is the son-in-law of the Sultan who was lost!"
Hereat all the lieges hurried up to me and received me with high
respect and greeted me. But after entering the Palace I proceeded
forthright till I reached the apartment set apart by them for
myself and my spouse whom I found in a deep sleep and stupefied,
as it were; a condition in which she had lain ever since I took
from her the talismanic armlet. So I replaced the jewel upon her
right shoulder and she awoke and arose and ordered herself;
whereat her father and family and the Lords of the Land and all
the folk joyed with exceeding joy. After this we lived together
in all happiness till the death of her sire who, having no son,
named me his successor so that I became what I am. Now when the
Darwaysh-Sultan heard all this he was astounded at what happeneth
in this world of marvels and miracles; upon which I said to him,
"O my brother wonder not; for whatso is predetermined shall
perforce be carried out. But thou needs must become my Wazir;
because thou art experienced in rule and governance and, since
what time my sire-in-law the Sultan died, I have been perplexed
in my plight being unable to find me a Minister who can
administer the monarchy. So do thou become my Chief Counsellor in
the realm." Thereupon the Darwaysh replied, "Hearkening and
obedience." The Sultan then robed him in a sumptuous robe of
honour and committed to him his seal-ring and all other matters
pertinent to his office, at the same time setting apart for him a
palace, spacious of corners, which he furnished with splendid
furniture and wadded carpets and vaiselle and other such matters.
So the Wazir took his seat of office and held a Divan or Council
of State forthright and commanded and countermanded, and bade and
forbade according as he saw just and equitable; and his fame for
equity and justice was dispread abroad; insomuch that whoever
had a cause or request or other business he would come to the
Wazir for ordering whatso he deemed advisable. In this condition
he continued for many years till, on a day of the days, the
Sultan's mind was depressed. Upon this he sent after the Minister
who attended at his bidding, when he said, "O Wazir, my heart is
heavy!" "Enter then," replied the Minister, "O King, into thy
treasury of jewels and rubies and turn them over in thy hands and
thy breast will be broadened." The Sultan did accordingly but it
took no effect upon his ennui; so he said, "O Wazir, I cannot win
free of this melancholic humour and nothing pleasureth me in my
palace; so let us fare forth, I and thou, in disguise." "Hearing
is obeying," quoth the Minister. The twain then retired into a
private chamber to shift their garb and habited themselves as
Darwayshes, the Darwayshes of Ajam-land, and went forth and
passed through the city right and left till they reached a
Máristán, a hospital for lunatics.[FN#70] Here they found two
young men, one reading the Koran[FN#71] and the other hearkening
to him, both being in chains like men Jinn-mad; and the Sultan
said in his mind, "By Allah, this is a marvel-case," and bespake
the men asking, "Are ye really insane?" They answered saying,
"No, by Allah; we are not daft but so admirable are our
adventures that were they graven with needle-gravers upon the
eye-corners they had been warners to whoso would be warned."
"What are they?" quoth the King, and quoth they, "Each of us, by
Allah, hath his own story;" and presently he who had been reading
exclaimed, "O King of the Age, hear my tale."?And Shahrazad was
surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say
her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is
thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!"
Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I would relate
to you on the coming night, an the Sovran suffer me to survive?"
Now when it was the next night, and that was
The Three Hundred and Forty-eighth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the youth
began relating to the Sultan
The Story of the First Lunatic.[FN#72]
I was a merchant and kept a shop wherein were Hindi goods of all
kinds and colours, highmost priced articles; and I sold and
bought with much profit. I continued in this condition a while of
time till one day of the days as I, according to my custom, was
sitting in my shop an old woman came up and gave me the good
morning and greeted me with the salam. I returned her salute when
she seated her upon the shopboard and asked me saying, "O master,
hast thou any pieces of choice Indian stuffs?" I replied, "O my
mistress, I have with me whatso thou wantest;" and she rejoined,
"Bring me forth one of them." Accordingly I arose and fetched her
a Hindi piece of the costliest price and placed it in her hands.
She took it and examining it was greatly pleased by its beauty
and presently said to me, "O my lord, for how much is this?" Said
I, "Five hundred dinars;" whereupon she pulled forth her purse
and counted out to me the five hundred gold pieces. Then she took
the stuff and went her ways; and I, O our lord the Sultan, had
sold to her for five hundred sequins a piece of cloth worth at
cost price three hundred and fifty gold pieces. She came to me
again, O my lord, on the next day and asked me for another piece;
so I rose up and brought her the bundle and she paid me once more
five hundred dinars: then she took up her bargain and ganged her
gait. She did the same, O my lord, on the third and the fourth
day and so on to the fifteenth, taking a piece of stuff from me
and paying me regularly five hundred golden pieces for each
bargain. On the sixteenth behold, she entered my shop as was her
wont, but she found not her purse; so she said to me, "O
Khwájah,[FN#73] I have left my purse at home." Said I, "O my
lady, an thou return 'tis well and if not thou art welcome to
it." She sware she would not take it and I, on the other hand,
sware her to carry it off as a token of love and
friendship.[FN#74] Thereupon debate fell between us, and I, O our
lord the Sultan, had made muchel of money by her and, had she
taken two pieces gratis, I would not have asked questions anent
them. At last she cried, "O Khwajah, I have sworn an oath and
thou hast sworn an oath, and we shall never agree except thou
favour me by accompanying me to my house so thou mayest receive
the value of the stuff, when neither of us will have been
forsworn: therefore lock up thy shop lest anything be lost in
thine absence." Accordingly I bolted my door and went with her, O
our lord the Sultan, and we ceased not walking, conversing the
while we walked, I and she, until we neared her abode when she
pulled out a kerchief from her girdle and said, "'Tis my desire
to bind this over thine eyes." Quoth I, "For what cause?" and
quoth she, "For that on our way be sundry houses whose doors are
open and the women are sitting in the vestibules of their homes,
so that haply thy glance may alight upon some one of them,
married or maid, and thy heart become engaged in a love-affair
and thou abide distraught, because in this quarter of the town be
many fair faces, wives and virgins, who would fascinate even a
religious, and therefore we are alarmed for thy peace of mind."
Upon this I said in myself, "By Allah, this old woman is able of
advice;" and I consented to her requirement, when she bound the
kerchief over my eyes and blindfolded me. Then we walked on till
we came to the house she sought; and when she rapped with the
door-ring a slave-girl came out and opening the door let us in.
The old body then approached me and unbound the kerchief from
over my eyes; whereupon I looked around me, holding myself to be
a captive, and I found me in a mansion having sundry separate
apartments in the wings and 'twas richly decorated resembling the
palaces of the Kings.?And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth
her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O
sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And
where is this com- pared with that I would relate to you on the
coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was
the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Forty-ninth Night,
Dunyazad said to her "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the youth
pursued:?By Allah, O our lord the Sultan, of that house I never
saw the fellow. She then bade me hide within a room and I did her
bidding in a corner place where beside me I beheld heaped
together and cast down in that private site all the pieces of
stuff which the ancient dame had purchased of me. Seeing this I
marvelled in my mind and lo! appeared two damsels as they were
moons and came down from an upper story till they stood on the
ground-floor; after which they cut a piece of cloth into twain
and each maiden took one and tucked up her sleeves. They then
sprinkled the court of that palace with water of the rose and of
the orange-flower,[FN#75] wiping the surface with the cloth and
rubing it till it became as silver; after which the two girls
retired into an inner room and brought out some fifty
chairs[FN#76] which they set down, and placed over each seat a
rug[FN#77] with cushions of brocade. They then carried in a
larger chair of gold and placed upon it a carpet with cushions of
orfrayed work and after a time they withdrew. Presently, there
descended from the staircase, two following two, a host of
maidens in number till they evened the chairs and each one of
them sat down upon her own, and at last suddenly appeared a young
lady in whose service were ten damsels, and she walked up to and
they seated her upon the great chair. When I beheld her, O my
lord the Sultan, my right senses left me and my wits fled me and
I was astounded at her loveliness and her stature and her
symmetric grace as she swayed to and fro in her pride of beauty
and gladsome spirits amongst those damsels and laughed and
sported with them. At last she cried aloud, "O mother mine!" when
the ancient dame answered her call and she asked her, "Hast thou
brought the young man?" The old woman replied, "Yes, he is
present between thy hands;" and the fair lady said, "Bring him
hither to me!" But when I heard these words I said to myself,
"There is no Majesty and there is no Might, save in Allah, the
Glorious, the Great! Doubtless when this damsel shall have
discovered my being in such hiding place she will bid them do me
die." The old woman then came forwards to me and led me before
the young lady seated on the great chair; and, when I stood in
her presence, she smiled in my face and saluted me with the salam
and welcomed me; after which she signed for a seat to be brought
and when her bidding was obeyed set it close beside her own. She
then commanded me to sit and I seated me by her side.?And
Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and
ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad,
"How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and
delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I
would relate to you on the coming night, an the Sovran suffer me
to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Fiftieth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the youth
pursued:?She seated me beside her, O our lord the Sultan, and
fell to talking and joking with me for an hour or so when she
said, "O youth, what sayest thou of me and of my beauty and my
loveliness? Would Heaven that I could occupy thy thought and
please thee so that I might become to thee wife and thou be to me
man." When I heard these her words I replied, "O my lady, how
dare I presume to attain such honour? Indeed I do not deem myself
worthy to become a slave between thy hands." Hereupon said she,
"Nay, O young man, my words have in them nor evasion nor
alteration; so be not disheartened or fearful of returning me a
reply, for that my heart is fulfilled of thy love." I now
understood, O our lord the Sultan, that the damsel was desirous
of marrying me; but I could not conceive what was the cause
thereof or who could have given her intelligence concerning me.
She continued to enjoy herself in the gladsomest way till at
length I was emboldened to say to her, "O my lady, an thy words
to me be after the fashion of thy will, remember the proverb,
'When a kindness is to be done, this is its time.'" "By Allah, O
youth, there cannot be a more fortunate day than this present."
"O my lady, what shall I apportion to thee for dowry?" "The dowry
hath been paid to me in the value of the stuffs which thou
entrustedst to this ancient dame who is my mother!" "That cannot
suffice." "By Allah, naught shall be added; but, O youth, 'tis my
intention forthright to send after the Kazi and his Assessors
and I will choose me a trustee[FN#78] that they may tie together
us twain without delay; and thou shalt come in to me this coming
evening. But all such things be upon one condition." "And what
may be thy condition?" "This, that thou swear never to address or
to draw near any woman save myself." And I, O our lord the
Sultan, being unmarried and eager to possess so beautiful a
bride, said to her, "This be thine; and I will never contrary
thee by word or by deed." She then sent to summon the Kazi and
his witnesses and appointed an agent; upon which they knotted the
knot. After the marriage ceremony was ended she ordered
coffee[FN#79] and sherbets and gave somewhat of dirhams to the
Kazi and a robe of honour to her trustee; and this done, all went
their several ways. I was lost in astonishment and said in my
mind, "Do I dream or am I on wake?" She then commanded her
damsels to clear the Hammam-bath and cleanse it and fill it
afresh and get ready towels and waist-cloths and silken
napkins[FN#80] and scented woods and essences, as virgin
ambergris and ottars and perfumes of vari-coloured hues and
kinds. And when they had executed her orders, she ordered the
Eunuchry standing in her service to take me and bear me to the
Bath, largessing each one with a sumptuous dress. They led me
into a Hammam which had been made private and I saw a place
tongue is powerless to portray. And as we arrived there they
spread vari-coloured carpets upon which I sat me down and doffed
what clothing was upon me: then I entered the hot rooms and smelt
delicious scents diffused from the sides of the hall,
sandal-wood, Comorin lign-aloes and other such fragrant
substances. Here they came up to me and seated me, lathering me
with perfumed soaps and shampoo'd me till my body became
silver-bright; when they fetched the metal tasses and I washed
with water luke-warm after which they brought me cold water
mingled with rose water and I sprinkled it over me. After this
they supplied me with silken napkins and drying-towels of
palm-fibre[FN#81] wherewith I rubbed me and then repaired to the
cool room outside the calidarium[FN#82] where I found a royal
dress. The Eunuchry arrayed me therein and after fumigating me
with the smoke of lign-aloes served up somewhat of
confections[FN#83] and coffee and sherbets of sundry sorts; so I
drank after eating the Ma'jun. About eventide I left the Baths
with all the Eunuchry in attendance on me and we walked till we
entered the Palace and they led me into a closet spread with
kingly carpets and cushions. And behold, she came up to me
attired in a new habit more sumptuous than that I had seen her
wearing erewhile.?And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her
sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister
mine, and enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is
this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night
an the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next
night and that was
The Three Hundred and Fifty-first Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the youth
continued:?And I, O our lord the Sultan, went into the closet
and behold, she met me wearing a habit of the most sumptuous: so
when I sighted her she seemed to me from the richness of her
ornaments like an enchanted hoard wherefrom the talisman had been
newly removed. She sat down beside me and bent lovingly over me
and I rose up for I could no longer contain my passion and
wrought that work which was to be worked.[FN#84] Presently she
again disappeared but soon returned in vestments even richer than
the last and she did with me as before and I embraced her once
more. In short, O our lord the Sultan, we ceased not dwelling
together, I and she, in joyaunce and enjoyment, laughter and
disport and delicious converse for a space of twenty days. At the
end of this time I called to mind my lady-mother, and said to the
dame I had espoused, "O my lady, 'tis long since I have been
absent from home and 'tis long since my parent hath seen me or
wotteth aught concerning me: needs must she be pining and
grieving for my sake. So do thou give me leave to visit her and
look after my mother and also after my shop." Quoth she, "No harm
in that: thou mayst visit thy mother daily and busy thyself about
thy shop-business; but this ancient dame (my mother) is she who
must lead thee out and bring thee back." Whereto I replied, "'Tis
well." Upon this the old woman came in and tied a kerchief over
my eyes according to custom and fared forth with me till we
reached the spot where she had been wont to remove the bandage.
Here she unbound it saying, "We will expect thee to-morrow about
noontide and when thou comest to this place, thou shalt see me
awaiting thee." I left her and repaired to my mother whom I found
grieving and weeping at my absence; and upon seeing me she rose
up and threw her arms round my neck with tears of joy. I said,
"Weep not, O my mother, for the cause of my absence hath been a
certain matter which be thus and thus." I then related to her my
adventure and she on hearing it was rejoiced thereby and
exclaimed, "O my son, may Allah give thee gladness; but I pray
thee solace me[FN#85] at least every two days with a visit that
my longing for thee may be satisfied." I replied, "This shall be
done;" and thenceforth, O our lord the Sultan, I went to my shop
and busied myself as was my wont till noontide, when I returned
to the place appointed and found the old woman awaiting me. Nor
did I ever fare forth from the mansion without her binding my
eyes with the kerchief which she loosed only when we reached my
own house; and whenever I asked her of this she would answer, "On
our way be sundry houses whose doors are open and the women
sitting in the vestibules of their homes, so that haply thy
glance may alight upon some one of them, matron or maid: all
sniff up love like water,[FN#86] and we fear for thee lest thy
heart be netted in the net of amours." For thirty days, a whole
month, I continued to go and come after this fashion but, O our
lord the Sultan, at all times and tides I was drowned in thought
and wondered in my mind, saying, "What chance caused me forgather
with this damsel? What made me marry her? Whence this wealth
which is under her hand? How came I to win union with her?" For I
knew not the cause of all this. Now, on a day of the days, I
found an opportunity of being private with one of her black slave
girls[FN#87] and questioned her of all these matters that
concerned her mistress. She replied, "O my lord, the history of
my lady is marvellous; but I dare not relate it to thee in fear
lest she hear thereof and do me die." So I said to her, "By
Allah, O handmaid of good, an thou wilt say me sooth I will veil
it darkly for in the keeping of secrets there is none like
myself: nor will I reveal it at any time." Then I took oath of
secrecy when she said, "O my lord,"?And Shahrazad was surprised
by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her
permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy
story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth
she, "And where is this compared with that I would relate to you
on the coming night, an the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now
when it was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Fifty-second Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the youth
continued:?Then the handmaiden said to me, "O my lord, my lady
went forth one day of the days to the Hammam with the object of
pleasuring and of diverting herself, for which purpose she made
goodly preparation including gifts and presents,[FN#88] matters
worth a mint of money.[FN#89] After leaving the baths she set out
upon an excursion to eat the noon-day meal in a flower garden
where she enjoyed herself with exceeding joy and enjoyment,
eating and drinking till the evening; and when she designed to
depart she collected the fragments of the feast and distributed
them amongst the mean and the mesquin. On her return she passed
through the Bazar-street wherein standeth thy shop, and it was a
Friday when thou wast sitting, adorned with thy finest dress, in
converse with the nearest neighbour. And suddenly as she fared
by, she beheld thee in such state and her heart was stricken with
sore stroke of love albeit none of us observed her condition and
what affection she had conceived for thee. However, no sooner had
she reached her palace than her melancholy began to grow upon her
with groans and her cark and care, and her colour left her: she
ate and drank little and less and her sleep forsook her and her
frame was sorely enfeebled till at last she took to her bed. Upon
this her mother went to summon a learned man[FN#90] or a
mediciner that he might consider the condition of her daughter
and what sickness had gotten about her: she was absent for an
hour and returned with an ancient dame who took seat beside her
and putting forth her hand felt the patient's pulse. But she
could perceive in her no bodily ailment or pain, upon which the
old woman understood her case, but she durst not bespeak her of
it nor mention to her mother that the girl's heart was distraught
by love. So she said, 'There is no harm to thee! and (Inshallah!)
to-morrow I will return hither to thee and bring with me a
certain medicine.' She then went forth from us and leading the
mother to a place apart, said to her, 'O my lady, Allah upon
thee, pardon me for whatso I shall mention and be thou convinced
that my words are true and keep them secret nor divulge them to
any.' The other replied, 'Say on and fear not for aught which
hath become manifest to thee of my daughter's unweal: haply Allah
will vouchsafe welfare.' She rejoined, 'Verily, thy daughter hath
no bodily disorder or malady of the disease kind but she is in
love and there can be no cure for her save union with her
beloved.' Quoth the mother, 'And how about the coming of her
sweetheart? This is a matter which may not be managed except thou
show us some contrivance whereby to bring this youth hither and
marry him to her. But contrivance is with Allah.' Then the old
lady went her ways forthright and the girl's mother sought her
daughter and said to her after kindly fashion, 'O my child, as
for thee thy disorder is a secret and not a bodily disease. Tell
me of him thou requirest and fear naught from me; belike Allah
will open to us the gate of contrivance whereby thou shalt win
to thy wish.' Now when the maiden heard these words she was
abashed before her parent and kept silence, being ashamed to
speak; nor would she return any reply for the space of twenty
days. But during this term her distraction increased and her
mother ceased not to repeat the same words, time after time, till
it became manifest to the parent that the daughter was madly in
love with a young man; so at last quoth she, 'Describe him to
me.' Quoth the other, 'O mother mine, indeed he is young of years
and fair of favour; also he woneth in such a Bazar, methinks on
its southern side.' Therewith the dame arose without stay or
delay and fared forth to find the young man and 'tis thyself, O
youth! And when the mother saw thee she took from thee a piece of
cloth and brought it to her daughter and promised thou shouldst
visit her. Thence- forwards she ceased not repeating her calls to
thee for the period thou wottest well until by her cunning she
brought thee hither; and that happened which happened and thou
didst take the daughter to wife. Such is her tale and beware lest
thou reveal my disclosure." "No, by Allah," replied I. Then the
lunatic resumed speaking to the Sultan:?O my lord, I continued
to cohabit with her for the space of one month, going daily to
see my mother and to sell in my shop and I returned to my wife
every evening blindfolded and guided as usual by my
mother-in-law. Now one day of the days as I was sitting at my
business, a damsel came into the Bazar-street?And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her
permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and
tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and enjoyable and
delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I
would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me
to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Fifty-third Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the youth
continued:?A damsel came into the Bazar-street bearing the image
of a cock made of precious ore and crusted with pearls and rubies
and other gems; and she offered it to the goodmen[FN#91] of the
market for sale. So they opened the biddings at five hundred
dinars and they ceased not contending[FN#92] thereanent till the
price went up to nine hundred and fifty gold pieces. All this
time and I looked on nor did I interfere by speaking a syllable
or by adding to the biddings a single bit of gold. At last, when
none would offer aught more, the girl came up to me and said, "O
my lord, all the gentlemen have increased their biddings for the
cock; but thou hast neither bidden nor heartened my heart by one
kind word." Quoth I, "I have no need thereof;" and quoth she, "By
Allah, needs must thou bid somewhat more than the others." I
replied, "Since there is no help for it, I will add fifty dinars
which will fill up the thousand." She rejoined, "Allah gar thee
gain!"[FN#93] So I fared into my shop to fetch the money, saying
in my mind, "I will present this curiosity to my Harím: haply
'twill pleasure her." But when I was about, O my lord the Sultan,
to count out the thousand ducats, the damsel would not accept
aught of me but said, "I have a request to make of thee, O youth!
to wit, that I may take one kiss from thy cheek." I asked her,
"For what purpose?" and she answered, "I want one kiss of thy
cheek which shall be the price of my cock, for I need of thee
naught else." I thought to myself, "By Allah, a single kiss of my
cheek for the value of a thousand sequins were an easy price;"
and I gave my consent thereto, O my lord. Then she came up to me
and leaned over me and bussed my cheek, but after the kiss she
bit me with a bite which left its mark:[FN#94] then she gave me
the cock and went her ways in haste. Now when it was noon I made
for my wife's house and came upon the old woman awaiting me at
the customed stead and she bound the kerchief over my eyes and
after blindfolding them fared with me till we reached our home
when she unbound it. I found my wife sitting in the saloon
dressed from head to foot in cramoisy[FN#95] and with an ireful
face, whereupon I said to myself, "O Saviour,[FN#96] save me!" I
then went up to her and took out the cock which was covered with
pearls and rubies, thinking that her evil humour would vanish at
the sight of it and said, "O my lady, accept this cock for 'tis
curious and admirable to look upon; and I bought it to pleasure
thee." She put forth her hand and taking it from me examined it
by turning it rightwards and leftwards; then exclaimed, "Didst
thou in very sooth buy this on my account?" Replied I, "By Allah,
O my lady, I bought it for thee at a thousand gold pieces."
Hereupon she shook her head at me, O my lord the Sultan, and
cried out after a long look at my face, "What meaneth that bite
on thy cheek?" Then with a loud and angry voice she called to her
women who came down the stairs forthright bearing the body of a
young girl with the head cut off and set upon the middle of the
corpse;[FN#97] and I looked and behold, it was the head of the
damsel who had sold me the cock for a kiss and who had bitten my
cheek. Now my wife had sent her with the toy by way of trick,
saying to her, "Let us try this youth whom I have wedded and see
if he hold himself bound by his plighted word and pact or if he
be false and foul." But of all this I knew naught. Then she cried
a second cry and behold, up came three handmaids bearing with
them three cocks like that which I had brought for her and she
said, "Thou bringest me this one cock when I have these three
cocks; but inasmuch as, O youth, thou hast broken the covenant
that was between me and thee, I want thee no more: go forth! wend
thy ways forthright!" And she raged at me and cried to her
mother, "Take him away!"[FN#98]?And Shahrazad was surprised by
the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted
say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy story, O
sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And
where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the
coming night, an the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it
was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Fifty-fourth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the Youth
continued to the King:?Hereupon the old woman, O my lord, hent
me by the hand and bound the kerchief over my eyes as was her
wont and led me to the customed place when she loosed the bandage
saying, "Begone!" and disappeared. But I, O my lord, became like
a madman and ran through the streets as one frantic crying, "Ah
her loveliness! Ah her stature! Ah her perfect grace! Ah her
ornaments!" Hereupon the folk seeing me and hearing me say these
words shouted out, "Yonder is a lunatic;" so they seized me
perforce and jailed me in the madhouse as thou hast seen me, O
our lord the Sultan. They say, "This man is Jinn-mad;" but, by
Allah, I am no maniac, O my lord, and such is my tale. Hereat the
King marvelled and bowed his brow groundwards for a while in deep
thought over this affair: then he raised his head and turning to
his Minister said, "O Wazir, by the truth of Him who made me
ruler of this realm, except thou discover the damsel who married
this youth, thy head shall pay forfeit." The Wazir was consterned
to hear the case of the young man; but he could not disobey the
royal commandment so he said, "Allow me three days of delay, O
our lord the Sultan;" and to this much of grace the King
consented. Then the Wazir craved dismissal and would have taken
the Youth with him; when the Sultan cried, "As soon as thou shalt
have hit upon the house, the young man will go into it and come
forth it like other folk." He replied, "Hearkening and
obedience." So he took the Youth and went out with aching head
and giddy as a drunken man, perplexed and unknowing whither he
should wend; and he threaded the city streets from right to left
and from east to west, tarrying at times that he might privily
question the folk. But naught discovered itself to him and he
made certain of death. In this condition he continued for two
days and the third till noontide, when he devised him a device
and said to the Youth, "Knowest thou the spot where the old woman
was wont to blindfold thine eyes?" He replied, "Yes." So the
Minister walked on with him till the young man exclaimed, "Here,
'tis this!"[FN#99] The Wazir then said, "O Youth, knowest thou
the door-ring wherewith she was wont to rap and canst thou
distinguish its sound?" He said "I can." Accordingly, the Wazir
took him and went the round of all the houses in that quarter and
rapped with every door-ring asking him, "Is't this?" and he would
answer, "No." And the twain ceased not to do after such fashion
until they came to the door where the appointment had taken place
without risk threatened;[FN#100] and the Wazir knocked hard at it
and the Youth, hearing the knock, exclaimed, "O my lord, verily
this be the ring without question or doubt or uncertainty." So
the Minister knocked again with the same knocker and the
slave-girls threw open the door and the Wazir, entering with the
youth, found that the palace belonged to the daughter of the
Sultan who had been succeeded by his liege lord.[FN#101] But when
the Princess saw the Minister together with her spouse, she
adorned herself and came down from the Harem and salam'd to him.
Thereupon he asked her, "What hath been thy business with this
young man?" So she told him her tale from first to last and he
said, "O my lady, the King commandeth that he enter and quit the
premises as before and that he come hither without his eyes being
bandaged with the kerchief." She obeyed and said, "The
commandments of our lord the Sultan shall be carried out." Such
was the history of that youth whom the Sultan heard reading the
Koran in the Máristán, the public madhouse: but as regards the
second Lunatic who sat listening, the Sultan asked him, "And
thou, the other, what be thy tale?" So he began to relate the
Story of the Second Lunatic.[FN#102]
"O my lord," quoth the young man, "my case is marvellous, and
haply thou wilt desire me to relate it in order continuous;" and
quoth the Sultan, "Let me hear it."?And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say.
Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy
tale, O sister mine, and enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she,
"And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on
the coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it
was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Fifty-fifth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the second
youth said:?O my lord the Sultan, I am by calling a merchant man
and none of the guild was younger, I having just entered my
sixteenth year. Like my fellows I sold and bought in the Bazar
every day till, one day of the days, a damsel came up to me and
drew near and handed to me a paper which I opened; and behold, it
was full of verses and odes in praise of myself, and the end of
the letter contained the woman's name professing to be enamoured
of me. When I read it I came down from my shopboard, in my folly
and ignorance, and putting forth my hand seized the girl and beat
her till she swooned away.[FN#103] After this I let her loose and
she went her ways and then I fell into a brown study saying to
myself, "Would Heaven I wot whether the girl be without relations
or if she have kith and kin to whom she may complain and they
will come and bastinado me." And, O our lord the Sultan, I
repented of what I had done whenas repentance availed me naught
and this lasted me for twenty days. At the end of that time as I
was sitting in my shop according to my custom, behold, a young
lady entered and she was sumptuously clad and sweetly scented and
she was even as the moon in its fullness on the fourteenth night.
When I gazed upon her my wits fled and my sane senses and right
judgment forsook me and I was incapable of attending to aught
save herself. She then came up and said, "O youth, hast thou by
thee a variety of metal ornaments?" and said I, "O my lady, of
all kinds thou canst possibly require." Hereupon she wished to
see some anklets which I brought out for her, when she put forth
her feet to me and showing me the calves of her legs said, "O my
lord, try them on me." This I did. Then she asked for a
necklace[FN#104] and I produced one when she unveiled her bosom
and said, "Take its measure on me:" so I set it upon her and she
said, "I want a fine pair of bracelets," and I brought to her a
pair when, extending her hands and displaying her wrists to me
she said, "Put them on me." I did so and presently she asked me,
"What may be the price of all these?" when I exclaimed, "O my
lady, accept them from me in free gift;" and this was of the
excess of my love to her, O King of the Age, and my being wholly
absorbed in her. Then quoth I to her, "O my lady, whose daughter
art thou?" and quoth she, "I am the daughter of the Shaykh
al-Islám."[FN#105] I replied, "My wish is to ask thee in marriage
of thy father," and she rejoined, "'Tis well: but, O youth, I
would have thee know that when thou askest me from my sire he
will say, 'I have but one daughter and she is a cripple and
deformed even as Satíh was.[FN#106] Do thou, however, make answer
that thou art contented to accept her and if he offer any
remonstrance cry, 'I'm content, content!'" I then enquired, "When
shall that be?" and she replied, "Tomorrow about undurn
hour[FN#107] come to our house and thou wilt find my sire, the
Shaykh al-Islam, sitting with his companions and intimates. Then
ask me to wife." So we agreed upon this counsel and on the next
day, O our lord the Sultan, I went with several of my comrades
and we repaired, I and they, to the house of the Shaykh al-Islam,
whom I found sitting with sundry Grandees about him. We made our
salams which they returned and they welcomed us and all entered
into friendly and familiar conversation. When it was time for the
noon-meal the tablecloth[FN#108] was spread and they invited us
to join them, so we dined with them and after dinner drank
coffee. I then stood up saying, "O my lord, I am come hither to
sue and solicit thee for the lady concealed and the pearl
unrevealed, thy daughter." But when the Shaykh al-Islam heard
from me these words he bowed his head for awhile groundwards?And
Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and
ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad,
"How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and
delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I
would relate to you on the coming night, an the Sovran suffer me
to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Fifty-sixth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the youth
resumed:?Now when the Shaykh al-Islam heard from me those words
he bowed his brow groundwards for a while in deep thought
concerning the case of his daughter who was a cripple and
wondrously deformed. For the damsel who had told me of her had
played me a trick and served me a sleight, I all the time knowing
nothing about her guile. Presently he raised his head and said to
me, "By Allah, O my son, I have a daughter but she is helpless."
Quoth I, "I am content;" and quoth he, "An thou take her to wife
after this description, 'tis on express condition that she be not
removed from my house and thou also shalt pay her the first visit
and cohabit with her in my home." I replied, "To hear is to
obey;" being confident, O King of the Age, that she was the
damsel who had visited my shop and whom I had seen with my own
eyes. Thereupon the Shaykh al-Islam married his daughter to me
and I said in my mind, "By Allah, is it possible that I am become
master of this damsel and shall enjoy to my full her beauty and
loveliness?" But when night fell they led me in procession to the
chamber of my bride; and when I beheld her I found her as hideous
as her father had described her, a deformed cripple. At that
moment all manner of cares mounted my back and I was full of fury
and groaned with grief from the core of my heart; but I could not
say a word, for that I had accepted her to wife of my own free
will and had declared myself contented in presence of her sire.
So I took seat silently in a corner of the room and my bride in
another, because I could not bring myself to approach her, she
being unfit for the carnal company of man and my soul could not
accept cohabitation with her. And at dawntide, O my lord the
Sultan, I left the house and went to my shop which I opened
according to custom and sat down with my head dizzy like one
drunken without wine; when lo! there appeared before me the young
lady who had caused happen to me that mishap. She came up and
salam'd to me but I arose with sullenness and abused her and
cried, "Wherefore, O my lady, hast thou put upon me such a piece
of work?" She replied, "O miserable,[FN#109] recollect such a day
when I brought thee a letter and thou after reading it didst come
down from thy shop and didst seize me and didst trounce me and
didst drive me away." I replied, "O my lady, prithee pardon me
for I am a true penitent;" and I ceased not to soften her with
soothing[FN#110] words and promised her all weal if she would but
forgive me. At last she deigned excuse me and said, "There is no
harm for thee; and, as I have netted thee, so will I unmesh
thee." I replied, "Allah! Allah![FN#111] O my lady, I am under
thy safeguard;" and she rejoined, "Hie thee to the Aghá of the
Janákilah,[FN#112] the gypsies, give him fifty piastres and say
him, 'We desire thee to furnish us with a father and a mother and
cousins and kith and kin, and do thou charge them to say of me,
This is our cousin and our blood relation.' Then let him send
them all to the house of the Shaykh al-Islam and repair thither
himself together with his followers, a party of drummers and a
parcel of pipers. When they enter his house and the Shaykh shall
perceive them and exclaim, 'What's this we've here?' let the Agha
reply, 'O my lord, we be kinsmen with thy son-in-law and we are
come to gladden his marriage with thy daughter and to make merry
with him.' He will exclaim, 'Is this thy son a gypsey musician?'
and do thou explain, saying, 'Aye, verily I am a Jankali;' and he
will cry out to thee, 'O dog, thou art a gypsey and yet durst
thou marry the daughter of the Shaykh al-Islam?' Then do thou
make answer, 'O my lord, 'twas my ambition to be ennobled by
thine alliance and I have espoused thy daughter only that the
mean name of Jankali may pass away from me and that I may be
under the skirt of thy protection.'" Hereat, O my lord the
Sultan, I arose without stay and delay and did as the damsel bade
me and agreed with the Chiefs of the Gypsies for fifty
piastres.[FN#113] On the second day about noon lo and behold! all
the Janákilah met before the house of the Shaykh al-Islam and
they, a tom-toming and a-piping and a-dancing, crowded into the
courtyard of the mansion.?And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then
quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O
sister mine, and enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where
is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming
night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the
next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Fifty-seventh Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the youth
continued:?So the Janákilah entered the house of the Shaykh
al-Islam all a-drumming and a-dancing. Presently the family came
out and asked, "What is to do? And what be this hubbub?" The
fellows answered, "We are gypsey-folk and our son is in your
house having wedded the daughter of the Shaykh al-Islam." Hearing
these words the family went up and reported to its head, and he,
rising from his seat, descended to the courtyard which he found
full of Jankalis. He enquired of them their need and they told
him that the youth, their kinsman, having married the daughter of
the house, they were come to make merry at the bride-feast. Quoth
the Shaykh, "This indeed be a sore calamity that a gypsey should
espouse the daughter of the Shaykh al-Islam. By Allah, I will
divorce her from him." So he sent after me, O our lord the
Sultan, and asked me saying, "What is thy breed and what wilt
thou take to be off with thyself?" Said I, "A Jankali; and I
married thy daughter with one design namely to sink the mean name
of a gypsey drummer in the honour of connection and relationship
with thee." He replied, "'Tis impossible that my daughter can
cohabit with thee: so up and divorce her." I rejoined, "Not so: I
will never repudiate her." Then we fell to quarrelling but the
folk interposed between us and arranged that I should receive
forty purses[FN#114] for putting her away. And when he paid me
the moneys I gave her the divorce and took the coin and went to
my shop, rejoicing at having escaped by this contrivance. On the
next day, behold, came the damsel who had taught me the sleight
and saluted me and wished me good morning. I returned her salam
and indeed, O our lord the Sultan, she was a model of beauty and
loveliness, stature and symmetrical grace and my heart was
enmeshed in her love for the excess of her charms and the limpid
flow of her speech and the sweetness of her tongue. So I said to
her, "And when this promise?" and said she, "I am the daughter of
Such-andsuch, a cook in such a quarter; and do thou go ask me in
marriage of him." So I rose up with all haste and went to her
father and prayed that he would give her to me. And presently I
wedded her and went in unto her and found her as the full moon of
the fourteenth night and was subjugated by her seemlihead. Such,
then, is the adventure which befel me; but, O my lord the Sultan,
the Story of the Sage Such-an-one and his Scholar is more
wonderful and delectable; for indeed 'tis of the marvels of the
age and among the miracles which have been seen by man. Thereupon
the Sovran bade him speak, and the Second Lunatic proceeded to
recount the
Story of the Sage and the Scholar.[FN#115]
There was in times of yore and in ages long gone before a learned
man who had retired from the world secluding himself in an upper
cell of a Cathedral-mosque, and this place he left not for many
days save upon the most pressing needs. At last a beautiful boy
whose charms were unrivalled in his time went in to him and
salam'd to him. The Shaykh returned the salute and welcomed him
with the fairest welcome and courteously entreated him seating
him beside himself. Then he asked him of his case and whence he
came and the boy answered, "O my lord, question me not of aught
nor of my worldly matters, for verily I am as one who hath fallen
from the heavens upon the earth[FN#116] and my sole object is the
honour of tending thee." The Sage again welcomed him and the boy
served him assiduously for a length of time till he was twelve
years old. Now on one day of the days[FN#117] the lad heard
certain of his fellows saying that the Sultan had a daughter
endowed with beauty whose charms were unequalled by all the
Princesses of the age. So he fell in love with her by
hearsay.?And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell
silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister
Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how
enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared
with that I would relate to you on the coming night, an the
Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night, and
that was
The Three Hundred and Fifty-eighth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the lad
who served the Sage fell in love with the Sultan's daughter by
hearsay. Presently he went in to his master and told him thereof
adding, "O my lord, verily the King hath a daughter beautiful and
lovesome and my soul longeth to look upon her an it be only a
single look." The Shaykh asked him saying, "Wherefore, O my son?
What have the like of us to do with the daughters of Sovrans or
others? We be an order of eremites and selfcontained and we fear
the Kings for our own safety." And the Sage continued to warn the
lad against the shifts of Time and to divert him from his intent;
but the more words he uttered to warn him and to deter him, the
more resolved he became to win his wish, so that he abode
continually groaning and weeping. Now this was a grievous matter
to the good Shaykh who loved him with an exceeding love passing
all bounds; and when he saw him in this condition he exclaimed,
"There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the
Glorious, the Great." And his heart was softened and he had ruth
upon the case of his scholar and pitied his condition, and at
last said to him, "O my son, dost thou truly long to look but a
single look at the Sultan's daughter?" Quoth he, "Yes, O my
lord," and quoth the other, "Come hither to me." Accordingly he
came up to him and the Shaykh produced a Kohl-pot and applied the
powder to one of his scholar's eyes, who behold, forthright
became such that all who saw him cried out, "This is a
half-man."[FN#118] Then the Sage bade him go about the city and
the youth obeyed his commands and fared forth; but whenas the
folk espied him they cried out, "A miracle! a miracle! this be a
half-man!" And the more the youth walked about the streets the
more the folk followed him and gazed upon him for diversion and
marvelled at the spectacle; and as often as the great men of the
city heard of him they sent to summon him and solaced themselves
with the sight and said, "Laud to the Lord! Allah createth whatso
He wisheth and commandeth whatso He willeth as we see in the
fashioning of this half-man." The youth also looked freely upon
the Harims of the Grandees, he being fairer than any of them; and
this case continued till the report reached the Sultan who bade
him be brought into the presence, and on seeing him marvelled at
the works of the Almighty. Presently the whole court gathered
together to gaze at him in wonderment and the tidings soon
reached the Queen who sent an Eunuch to fetch him and introduce
him into the Serraglio. The women all admired the prodigy and the
Princess looked at him and he looked at her; so his fascination
increased upon him and he said in his secret soul, "An I wed her
not I will slay myself!" After this the youth was dismissed by
the Sultan's Harim and he, whose heart burned with love for the
King's daughter, returned home. The Shaykh asked him, "Hast thou,
O my son, seen the Princess?" and he answered, "I have, O my
master; but this one look sufficeth me not, nor can I rest until
I sit by her side and fill myself with gazing upon her." Quoth
he, "O my child, we be an ascetic folk that shun the world nor
have we aught to do with enmeshing ourselves in the affairs of
the Sultan, and we fear for thee, O my son." But the youth
replied, "O my lord, except I sit by her side and stroke her neck
and shoulders with these my hands, I will slay myself." Hereupon
the Sage said in his mind, "I will do whatso I can for this good
youth and perchance Allah may enable him to win his wish." He
then arose and brought out the Kohl-pot and applied the powder to
his scholar's either eye; and, when it had settled therein, it
made him invisible to the ken of man. Then he said, "Go forth, O
my son, and indulge thy desire; but return again soon and be not
absent too long." Accordingly the youth hastened to the Palace
and entering it looked right and left, none seeing him the while,
and proceeded to the Harem where he seated himself beside the
daughter of the Sultan. Still none perceived him until, after a
time, he put forth his hand and softly stroked her neck. But as
soon as the Princess felt the youth's touch, she shrieked a loud
shriek heard by all ears in the Palace and cried "I seek refuge
with Allah from Satan the stoned!" At this proceeding on the
girl's part all asked her saying, "What is to do with thee?"
Whereto she answered, "Verily some Satan hath this instant
touched me on the neck." Upon this her mother was alarmed for her
and sent for her nurse[FN#119] and when informed of what had
befallen the girl the old woman said, "If there be aught of
Satans here naught is so sovereign a specific to drive them away
and keep them off as the smoke of camel's dung."[FN#120] Then she
arose and brought thereof a quantity which was thrown into the
fire and presently it scented and pervaded the whole apartment.
All this and the Youth still sat there without being seen. But
when the dung-smoke thickened, his eyes brimmed and he could not
but shed tears, and the more smoke there was the more his eyes
watered and big drops flowed till at last all the Kohl was washed
off and trickled down with the tears. So he became visible
a-middlemost the royal Harem; and, when the dames descried him,
all shrieked one shriek, each at other, upon which the Eunuchry
rushed in; then, finding the young man still seated there, they
laid hands upon him and haled him before the Sultan to whom they
reported his crime and how he had been caught lurking in the
King's Serraglio a-sitting beside the Princess. Hearing this, the
Sovran bade summon the Headsman and committed to him the criminal
bidding him take the youth and robe him in a black habit
bepatched with flamecolour;[FN#121] then, to set him upon a camel
and, after parading him through Cairo city and all the streets,
to put him to death. Accordingly the executioner took the
Youth.?And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and fell silent
and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister
Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and
enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared
with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran
suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that
was
The Three Hundred and Fifty-ninth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the
Linkman took the youth and fared forth with him from the palace:
then he looked at him and found him fair of form and favour, a
sans peer in loveliness, and he observed that he showed no fear
nor shrinking from death. So he had pity upon him and his heart
yearned to him and he said in his mind, "By Allah, attached to
this young man is a rare history." Then he brought a leathern
gown which he put upon him, and the flamey black habit which he
passed over his arms: and setting him upon a camel as the Sultan
had commanded, at last carried him in procession crying out the
while, "This is the award and the least award of him who
violateth the Harem of the King;" and he threaded the streets
till they came to the square before the great Mosque wherein was
the Shaykh. Now as all the folk were enjoying the spectacle, the
Sage looked out from the window of his cell and beheld the
condition of his scholar. He was moved to ruth and reciting a
spell he summoned the Jánn and bade them snatch the young man off
the camel's back with all care and kindness and bring him to his
cell; and he also commanded an 'Aun of the 'Auns[FN#122] to seize
some oldster and set him upon the beast in lieu of the Youth.
They did as he bid them for that he had taken fealty of the Jánn
and because of his profound studies in the Notaricon[FN#123] and
every branch of the art magical. And when all the crowd saw the
youth suddenly transformed into a grey-beard they were
awe-stricken and cried, "Alhamdolillah?laud to the Lord?the
young man hath become an old man!" They then looked again and
behold, they saw a person well-known amongst the lieges, one who
had long been wont to sell greens and colocasia at the hostelry
gate near the Cathedral-mosque. Now the headsman noting this case
was confounded with sore affright; so he returned to the palace
with the oldster seated on the camel and went in to the Sultan
followed by all the city-folk who were gazing at the spectacle.
Then he stood before the King and the eunuchry and did homage and
prayed for the Sovran and said, "O our lord the Sultan, verily
the Youth hath vanished, and in lieu of him is this Shaykh well
known to the whole city." Hearing these words the King was
startled; sore fear entered his heart and he said to himself,
"Whoso hath been able to do this deed can do e'en more: he can
depose me from my kingship or he can devise my death." So his
affright increased and he was at a loss how to contrive for such
case. Presently he summoned his Minister and when he came into
the presence said to him, "O Wazir, advise me how to act in the
affair of this Youth and what measures should be taken." The
Minister bowed his brow groundwards in thought for a while, then
raising it he addressed the Sultan and said, "O King of the Age,
this be a thing beyond experience, and the doer must be master of
a might we comprehend not and haply he may work thee in the
future some injury and we fear from him for thy daughter.
Wherefore the right way is that thou issue a royal autograph and
bid the Crier go round about the city and cry saying, 'Let him
who hath wrought this work appear before the King under promise
of safety and again safety?safety on the word of a Sultan which
shall never be falsed.' Should the Youth then surrender himself,
O King of the Age, marry him to thy daughter when perhaps his
mind may be reconciled to thee by love of her. He hath already
cast eyes upon her and he hath seen the inmates of thy Harem
unrobed, so that naught can save their honour but his being
united with the Princess." Hereupon the Sultan indited an
autographic rescript and placed it in the Crier's hands even as
the Wazir had counselled: and the man went about the streets
proclaiming, "By Command of the just King! whoso hath done this
deed let him discover himself and come to the Palace under
promise of safety and again safety, the safety of
sovereigns?safety on the word of a Sultan which shall never be
falsed." And the Crier ceased not crying till in fine he reached
the square fronting the great Mosque. The Youth who was standing
there heard the proclamation and returning to his Shaykh said, "O
my lord, the Crier hath a rescript from the Sultan and he crieth
saying, 'Whoso hath done this deed let him discover himself and
come to the Palace under promise of safety and again
safety?safety on the word of a Sultan which shall never be
falsed.' And, I must go to him perforce." Said the Sage, "O my
son, why shouldst thou do on such wise? Hast thou not already
suffered thy sufficiency?" But the young man exclaimed, "Nothing
shall prevent my going;" and at this the Shaykh replied, "Go
then, O my son, and be thy safeguarding with the Living, the
Eternal." Accordingly, the Youth repaired to the Hammam and
having bathed attired himself in the richest attire he owned,
after which he went forth and discovered himself to the Crier who
led him to the Palace and set him before the Sovran. He salamed
to the Sultan and did him obeisance and prayed for his long life
and prosperity in style the most eloquent, and proffered his
petition in verse the most fluent. The Sultan looked at him (and
he habited in his best and with all of beauty blest), and the
royal mind was pleased and he enquired saying, "Who art thou, O
Youth?" The other replied, "I am the Half-man whom thou sawest
and I did the deed whereof thou wottest." As soon as the King
heard this speech he entreated him with respect and bade him sit
in the most honourable stead, and when he was seated the twain
conversed together. The Sultan was astounded at his speech and
they continued their discourse till they touched upon sundry
disputed questions of learning, when the Youth proved himself as
superior to the Sovran as a dinar is to a dirham: and to whatever
niceties of knowledge the monarch asked, the young man returned
an all-sufficient answer, speaking like a book. So the Sultan
abode confounded at the eloquence of his tongue and the purity of
his phrase and the readiness of his replies; and he said in his
mind, "This Youth is as worthy to become my daughter's mate as
she is meet to become his helpmate." Then he addressed him in
these words, "O Youth, my wish is to unite thee with my daughter
and after thou hast looked upon her and her mother none will
marry her save thyself." The other replied, "O King of the Age, I
am ready to obey thee, but first I must take counsel of my
friends." The King rejoined, "No harm in that: hie thee home and
ask their advice." The Youth then craved leave to retire and
repairing to his Shaykh,?And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn
of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then
quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy story, O sister
mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is
this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming
night, an the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the
next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Sixtieth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the Youth
then craved leave to retire and, repairing to his Shaykh,
informed him of what had passed between himself and the Sultan
and said to him, "'Tis also my wish, O my lord, to marry his
daughter." The Sage replied, "There be no fault herein if it be
lawful wedlock: fare thee forth and ask her in marriage." Quoth
the Youth, "But I, O my lord, desire to invite the King to visit
us;" and quoth the Sage, "Go invite him, O my son, and hearten
thy heart." The Youth replied, "O my lord, since I first came to
thee and thou didst honour me by taking me into thy service, I
have known none other home save this narrow cell wherein thou
sittest, never stirring from it by night or by day. How can we
invite the King hither?" The Sage rejoined, "O my son, do thou go
invite him relying upon Allah, the Veiler who veileth all things,
and say to him, 'My Shaykh greeteth thee with the salam and
inviteth thee to visit him next Friday.'" Accordingly, the Youth
repaired to the King and saluted him and offered his service and
blessed him with most eloquent tongue and said, "O King of the
Age, my Shaykh greeteth thee and sayeth to thee, 'Come eat thy
pottage[FN#124] with us next Friday,'" whereto the Sultan
replied, "Hearing is consenting." Then the Youth returned to the
Sage and waited upon him according to custom, longing the while
for the coming of Friday. On that day the Sage said to the Youth,
"O my son, arise with me and I will show thee what house be ours,
so thou mayst go fetch the King." Then he took him and the two
walked on till they came upon a ruin in the centre of the city
and the whole was in heaps, mud, clay, and stones. The Sage
looked at it and said, "O my son, this is our mansion; do thou
hie thee to the King and bring him hither." But the Youth
exclaimed, "O my lord, verily this be a ruinous heap! How then
can I invite the Sultan and bring him to such an ill place? This
were a shame and a disgrace to us." Quoth the Sage, "Go and dread
thou naught." Upon this the Youth departed saying in himself, "By
Allah, my Shaykh must be Jinn-mad and doubtless he confoundeth in
his insanity truth and untruth." But he stinted not faring till
he reached the Palace and went in to the Sultan whom he found
expecting him; so he delivered the message, "Deign honour us, O
my lord, with thy presence."[FN#125] Hereupon the King arose
without stay or delay and took horse, and all the lords of the
land also mounted, following the Youth to the place where he told
them his Shaykh abode. But when they drew near it they found a
royal mansion and eunuchry standing at the gates in costliest
gear as if robed from a talismanic hoard. When the young man saw
this change of scene, he was awe-struck and confounded in such
way that hardly could he keep his senses, and he said to himself,
"But an instant ago I beheld with mine own eyes this very place a
ruinous heap: how then hath it suddenly become on this same site
a Palace such as belongeth not to our Sultan? But I had better
keep the secret to myself." Presently the King alighted as also
did his suite, and entered the mansion, and whenas he inspected
it he marvelled at the splendour of the first apartment, but the
more narrowly he looked the more magnificent he found the place,
and the second more sumptuous than the first. So his wits were
bewildered thereat till he was ushered into a spacious speak-room
where they found the Shaykh sitting on one side of the
chamber[FN#126] to receive them. The Sultan salam'd to him
whereupon the Sage raised his head and returned his greeting but
did not rise to his feet. The King then sat him down on the
opposite side when the Shaykh honoured him by addressing him and
was pleased to converse with him on various themes; all this
while the royal senses being confounded at the grandeur around
him and the rarities in that Palace. Presently the Shaykh said to
his Scholar, "Knock thou at this door and bid our breakfast be
brought in." So the young man arose and rapped and called out,
"Bring in the breakfast;" when lo! the door was opened and there
came out of it an hundred Mamelukes[FN#127] of the Book, each
bearing upon his head a golden tray, whereon were set dishes of
precious metals; and these, which were filled with
breakfast-meats of all kinds and colours, they ranged in order
before the Sultan. He was surprised at the sight for that he had
naught so splendid in his own possession; but he came forwards
and ate, as likewise did the Shaykh and all the courtiers until
they were satisfied. And after this they drank coffee and
sherbets, and the Sultan and the Shaykh fell to conversing on
questions of lore: the King was edified by the words of the Sage
who on his part sat respectfully between the Sovran's hands. Now
when it was well nigh noon, the Shaykh again said to his Scholar,
"Knock thou at that door and bid our noonday-meal be brought in."
He arose and rapped and called out, "Bring in the dinner;" when
lo! the door opened of itself and there came out of it an hundred
white slaves all other than the first train and each bearing a
tray upon his head. They spread the Sufrah-cloth before the
Sultan and ranged the dishes, and he looked at the plates and
observed that they were of precious metals and stones; whereat he
was more astonished than before and he said to himself, "In very
deed this be a miracle!" So all ate their sufficiency when basins
and ewers, some of gold and others of various noble ores, were
borne round and they washed their hands, after which the Shaykh
said, "O King, at how much hast thou valued for us the dower of
thy daughter?" The Sovran replied, "My daughter's dower is
already in my hands." This he said of his courtesy and respect,
but the Shaykh replied, "Marriage is invalid save with a dower."
He then presented to him a mint of money and the tie of wedlock
was duly tied; after which he rose and brought for his guest a
pelisse of furs such as the Sultan never had in his treasury and
invested him therewith and he gave rich robes to each and every
of his courtiers according to their degree. The Sultan then took
leave of the Shaykh and accompanied by the Scholar returned to
the Palace.?And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and fell
silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister
Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and
enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared
with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran
suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that
was
The Three Hundred and Sixty-first Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the Sultan
took with him the Scholar and they fared till they reached the
citadel and entered the Palace, during which time the King was
pondering the matter and wondering at the affair. And when night
came he bade them get ready his daughter that the first visit
might be paid to her by the bridegroom. They did his bidding and
carried the Youth in procession to her and he found the apartment
bespread with carpets and perfumed with essences; the bride,
however, was absent. So he said in his mind, "She will come
presently albeit now she delayeth;" and he ceased not expecting
her till near midnight, whilst the father and the mother said,
"Verily the young man hath married our daughter and now sleepeth
with her." On this wise the Youth kept one reckoning and the
Sultan and his Harem kept another till it was hard upon dawn?all
this and the bridegroom watched in expectation of the bride. Now
when the day brake, the mother came to visit her child expecting
to see her by the side of her mate; but she could not find a
trace of her, nor could she gather any clear tidings of her.
Accordingly she asked the Youth, her son-in-law, who answered
that since entering the apartment he had expected his bride but
she came not to him nor had he seen a sign of her. Hereupon the
Queen shrieked and rose up calling aloud upon her daughter, for
she had none other child save that one. The clamour alarmed the
Sultan who asked what was to do and was informed that the
Princess was missing from the Palace and had not been seen after
she had entered it at eventide. Thereupon he went to the Youth
and asked him anent her, but he also told him that he had not
found her when the procession led him into the bridal chamber.
Such was the case with these; but as regards the Princess, when
they conducted her to the bridal room before the coming of the
bridegroom, a Jinni[FN#128] of the Márids, who often visited the
royal Harem, happened to be there on the marriage-night and was
so captivated by the charms of the bride that he took seat in a
corner, and upon her entering and before she was ware snatched
her up and soared with her high in air. And he flew with her till
he reached a pleasant place of trees and rills some three months'
journey from the city, and in that shady place he set her down.
But he wrought her no bodily damage and every day he would bring
her whatso she wanted of meat and drink and solaced her by
showing her the rills and trees. Now this Jinni had changed his
shape to that of a fair youth fearing lest his proper semblance
affright her, and the girl abode in that place for a space of
forty days. But the father, after failing to find his daughter,
took the Youth and repaired to the Shaykh in his cell, and he was
as one driven mad as he entered and complained of the loss of his
only child. The Shaykh hearing these words dove into the depths
of meditation for an hour: then he raised his head and bade them
bring before him a chafing-dish of lighted charcoal. They fetched
all he required and he cast into the fire some incenses over
which he pronounced formulæ of incantation, and behold! the
world was turned topsy-turvy and the winds shrieked and the earth
was canopied by dust-clouds whence descended at speed winged
troops bearing standards and colours.[FN#129] And amiddlemost of
them appeared three Sultans of the Jánn all crying out at once,
"Labbayka! Labbayk! Adsumus, hither we speed to undertake thy
need." The Shaykh then addressed them, saying, "My commandment is
that forthright ye bring me the Jinni who hath snatched away the
bride of my son," and they said, "To hear is to obey," and at
once commanded fifty of their dependent Jinns to reconduct the
Princess to her chamber and to hale the culprit before them.
These orders were obeyed: they disappeared for an hour or so and
suddenly returned, bringing the delinquent Jinni in person; but
as for the Sultan's daughter, ten of them conveyed her to her
Palace, she wotting naught of them and not feeling aught of fear.
And when they set the Jinni before the Shaykh, he bade the three
Sultans of the Jann burn him to death and so they did without
stay or delay. All this was done whilst the Sovran sat before the
Shaykh, looking on and listening and marvelling at the obedience
of that host and its Sultans and their subjection and civil
demeanour in presence of the Elder. Now as soon as the business
ended after perfectest fashion, the Sage recited over them a
spell and all went their several ways; after which he bade the
King take the Youth and conduct him to his daughter. This bidding
was obeyed and presently the bridegroom abated the maidenhead of
the bride, what while her parents renewed their rejoicings over
the recovery of their lost child. And the Youth was so enamoured
of the Princess that he quitted not the Harem for seven
consecutive days. On the eighth the Sultan was minded to make a
marriage-banquet and invited all the city-folk to feast for a
whole month and he wrote a royal rescript and bade proclaim with
full publicity that, according to the commands of the King's
majesty, the wedding-feast should continue for a month, and that
no citizen, be he rich or be he poor, should light fire or trim
lamp in his own domicile during the wedding of the Princess; but
that all must eat of the royal entertainment until the expiry of
the fête. So they slaughtered beeves and stabbed camels in the
throat and the kitcheners and carpet-spreaders were commanded to
prepare the stables, and the officers of the household were
ordered to receive the guests by night and by day. Now one night
King Mohammed of Cairo said to his Minister, "O Wazir, do thou
come with me in changed costume and let us thread the streets and
inspect and espy the folk: haply some of the citizens have
neglected to appear at the marriage-feast." He replied, "To hear
is to obey." So the twain after exchanging habits for the gear of
Persian Darwayshes went down to the city and there took place
The Night-Adventure of Sultan Mohammed of Cairo.[FN#130]
The Sultan and the Wazir threaded the broadways of the city and
they noted the houses and stood for an hour or so in each and
every greater thoroughfare, till they came to a lane, a
cul-de-sac wherethrough none could pass, and behold, they hit
upon a house containing a company of folk. Now these were
conversing and saying, "By Allah, our Sultan hath not acted
wisely nor hath he any cause to be proud, since he hath made his
daughter's bride-feast a vanity and a vexation and the poor are
excluded therefrom. He had done better to distribute somewhat of
his bounty amongst the paupers and the mesquin, who may not enter
his palace nor can they obtain aught to eat." Hearing this the
Sultan said to the Wazir, "By Allah, needs must we enter this
place;" and the Minister replied, "Do whatso thou willest."
Accordingly the King went up to the door and knocked, when one
came out and asked, "Who is at the door?" The Sultan answered,
"Guests;" and the voice rejoined, "Welcome to the guests;" and
the door was thrown open. Then they went in till they reached the
sitting-room where they found three men of whom one was lame, the
second was broken-backed and the third was split-mouthed.[FN#131]
And all three were sitting together in that place. So he asked
them, "Wherefore sit ye here, ye three, instead of going to the
Palace?" and they answered him, "O Darwaysh, 'tis of the weakness
of our wits!" The King then turned to his Minister and said,
"There is no help but thou must bring these three men into my
presence, as soon as the wedding-fêtes be finished, that I may
enquire into what stablished their imbecility."?And Shahrazad
was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to
say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet
is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!"
Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I would relate
to you on the coming night, an the Sovran suffer me to survive?"
Now when it was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Sixty-second Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the Sultan
said to the Wazir, "Needs must thou bring these three men into my
presence, as soon as the wedding-fêtes be finished, and we will
enquire into what proved their imbecility." Then quoth the King
to them, "Wherefore fare ye not, ye three, and eat of the royal
banquet day by day?" and quoth they, "O Darwaysh, we are crippled
folk who cannot go and come, for this be grievous to us; but, an
the Sultan would assign to us somewhat of victual, and send it
hither, we would willingly eat thereof." He rejoined, "What
knoweth the Sultan that ye sit in this place?" and they retorted,
"Ye be Darwayshes who enter everywhere: so when ye go in to him,
tell him our tale; haply shall Almighty Allah incline his heart
uswards." The King asked them, "Be you three ever sitting
together in this stead?" and they answered, "Yea, verily: we
never leave one another by night or by day." Then the King and
the Minister rose up and having presented them with a few silvers
took leave and departed. Now it was midnight when they reached a
tenement wherein sat three girls with their mother spinning and
eating; and each one appeared fairer than her fellows, and at
times they sang and then they laughed and then they talked. The
Sultan said to the Wazir, "There is no help but we enter to these
damsels;" whereto the Minister replied "What have we to do with
going near them? Let them be as they are!" The Sultan, however,
rejoined, "Needs must we enter," and the Wazir retorted,
"Hearkening and obedience;" and he rapped at the door when one of
the sisterhood cried out, "Who knocketh in this gloom of the
night?" The Minister answered, "We are two Darwayshes, guests and
strangers;" and the girl rejoined, "We are maidens with our
mother and we have no men in our house who can admit you; so fare
ye to the marriage-feast of the Sultan and become ye his guests."
The Minister continued, "We are foreigners and we know not the
way to the Palace and we dread lest the Chief of Police happen
upon us and apprehend us at this time o' night. We desire that
you afford us lodging till daylight when we will go about our
business and you need not expect from us aught save respect and
honourable treatment." Now when the mother heard this, she pitied
them and bade one daughter open the door. So the damsel threw it
open and the Sultan and Wazir entered and salam'd and sat down to
converse together; but the King gazed upon the sisters and
marvelled at their beauty and their loveliness, and said in his
mind, "How cometh it that these maidens dwell by themselves
unmated and they in such case?" So quoth he to them, "How is it
ye lack husbands, you being so beautiful, and that ye have not a
man in the house?" Quoth the youngest, "O Darwaysh, hold thy
tongue[FN#132] nor ask us of aught, for our story is wondrous and
our adventures marvellous. But 'ware thy words and shorten thy
speech; verily hadst thou been the Sultan and thy companion the
Wazir an you heard our history haply ye had taken compassion upon
our case." Thereupon the King turned to the Minister and said,
"Up with us and wend we our ways; but first do thou make sure of
the place and affix thy mark upon the door." Then the twain rose
up and fared forth but the Wazir stood awhile and set a sign upon
the entrance and there left his imprint; after which the twain
returned to the Palace. Presently the youngest sister said to her
mother, "By Allah, I fear lest the Darwayshes have made their
mark upon our door to the end that they may recognise it by day;
for haply the twain may be the King and his Minister." "What
proof hast thou of this?" asked the mother, and the daughter
answered, "Their language and their questioning which were naught
save importunity!" And saying this she went to the door where she
found the sign and mark. Now besides the two houses to the right
and to the left were fifteen doors, so the girl marked them all
with the same mark set by the Wazir.[FN#133] But when Allah had
caused the day to dawn, the King said to the Minister, "Go thou
and look at the sign and make sure of it." The Wazir went as he
was commanded by the Sultan, but he found all the doors marked in
the same way, whereat he marvelled and knew not nor could he
distinguish the door he sought. Presently he returned and
reported the matter of the door-marks to the King who cried, "By
Allah, these girls must have a curious history! But when the
bride-feast is finished we will enquire into the case of the
three men who are weak-witlings and then we will consider that of
the damsels who are not." As soon as the thirtieth feast-day
passed by, he invested with robes of honour all the Lords of his
land and the high Officers of his estate and matters returned to
their customed course. Then he sent to summon the three men who
had professed themselves weak of wits and they were brought into
the presence, each saying of himself, "What can the King require
of us?" When they came before him he bade them be seated and they
sat; then he said to them, "My requirement is that ye relate to
me proofs of the weakness of your minds and the reason of your
maims." Now the first who was questioned was he of the broken
back, and when the enquiry was put to him he said, "Deign to
favour me with an answer O our Lord the Sultan, on a matter which
passed through my mind." He replied, "Speak out and fear not!" So
the other enquired, "How didst thou know us and who told thee of
us and of our weakly wits?" Quoth the King, "'Twas the Darwaysh
who went in to you on such a night;" and quoth the broken-backed
man, "Allah slay all the Darwayshes who be tattlers and
tale-carriers!" Thereupon the Sultan turned to the Wazir and
laughing said, "We will not reproach them for aught: rather let
us make fun of them," adding to the man, "Recite, O Shaykh." So
he fell to telling
The Story of the Broke-Back Schoolmaster.[FN#134]
I began life, O King of the Age, as a Schoolmaster and my case
was wondrous.?And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and fell
silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister
Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and
enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared
with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran
suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that
was
The Three Hundred and Sixty-third Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the Shaykh
continued.?I began life, O my lord, as a Schoolmaster, and my
tale with the boys was wondrous. They numbered from sixty to
seventy, and I taught them to read and I inculcated due
discipline and ready respect esteeming these a part of liberal
education; nor did I regard, O King of the Age, the vicissitudes
of Time and Change; nay, I held them with so tight a rein that
whenever the boys heard me sneeze[FN#135] they were expected to
lay down their writing-tablets and stand up with their arms
crossed and exclaim, "Allah have ruth upon thee, O our lord!"
whereto I would make reply, "Allah deign pardon us and you!" And
if any of the lads failed or delayed to join in this prayer I was
wont to bash him with a severe bashing. One day of the days they
asked leave to visit the outskirts of the town for liberty and
pleasuring[FN#136] and when I granted it they clubbed their
pittances for a certain sum of money to buy them a noonday meal.
So we went forth to the suburbs and there found verdure and
water, and we enjoyed ourselves that day with perfect enjoyment
until mid-afternoon when we purposed to return homewards.
Accordingly, the boys collected their belongings and laded them
upon an ass and we walked about half-way when behold, the whole
party, big and little, stood still and said to me, "O our lord,
we are athirst and burning with drowthiness, nor can we stir from
this spot and if we leave it without drinking we shall all die."
Now there was in that place a draw-well, but it was deep and we
had nor pitcher nor bucket nor aught wherein to draw water and
the scholars still suffered from exceeding thirst. We had with
us, however, cooking-gear such as chauldrons and platters; so I
said to them, "O boys, whoso carrieth a cord or hath bound his
belongings with one let him bring it hither!" They did my bidding
and I tied these articles together and spliced them as strongly
as I could: then said I to the lads, "Bind me under the
arm-pits." Accordingly they made me fast by passing the rope
around me and I took with me a chauldron, whereupon they let me
down bucket-wise into the well till I reached the water. Then I
loosed the bandage from under my armpits and tied it to the
chauldron which I filled brim-full and shook the rope for a
signal to the boys above. They haled at the vessel till they
pulled it up and began drinking and giving drink; and on this
wise they drew a first chauldron and a second and a third and a
fourth till they were satisfied and could no more and cried out
to me, "We have had enough, quite enough." Hereupon I bound the
bandage under my armpits, as it was when I went down, and I shook
it as a signal and they haled me up till I had well-nigh reached
the kerbstone of the well when a fit of sneezing seized me and I
sneezed violently. At this all let go their hold and carrying
their arms over their breasts, cried aloud, "Allah have ruth upon
thee, O our lord!" but I, as soon as they loosed hold, fell into
the depths of the well and brake my back. I shrieked for excess
of agony and all the boys ran on all sides screaming for aid till
they were heard by some wayfaring folk; and these haled at me and
drew me out. They placed me upon the ass and bore me home: then
they brought a leach to medicine me and at last I became even as
thou seest me, O Sultan of the Age. Such, then, is my story
showing the weakness of my wits; for had I not enjoined and
enforced over-respect the boys would not have let go their hold
when I happened to sneeze nor would my back have been broken.
"Thou speakest sooth, O Shaykh," said the Sultan, "and indeed
thou hast made evident the weakness of thy wit." Then quoth he to
the man who was cloven of mouth. "And thou, the other, what was
it split thy gape?" "The weakness of my wit, O my lord the
Sultan," quoth he, and fell to telling the
Story of the Split-Mouthed Schoolmaster.[FN#137]
I also began life, O King of the Age, as a Schoolmaster and had
under my charge some eighty boys. Now I was strict with such
strictness that from morning to evening I sat amongst them and
would never dismiss them to their homes before sundown. But 'tis
known to thee, O our lord the King, that boys' wits be short
after the measure of their age, and that they love naught save
play and forgathering in the streets and quarter. Withal, I took
no heed of this and ever grew harder upon them till one day all
met and with the intervention of the eldest Monitor they agreed
and combined to play me a trick. He arranged with them that next
morning none should enter the school until he had taught them,
each and every, to say as they went in, "Thy safety, O our lord,
how yellow is thy face!" Now the first who showed himself was the
Monitor and he spoke as had been agreed; but I was rough with him
and sent him away; then a second came in and repeated what the
first had said; then a third and then a fourth, until ten boys
had used the same words. So quoth I to myself, "Ho, Such-an-one!
thou must be unwell without weeting it:" then I arose and went
into the Harem and lay down therein when the Monitor, having
collected from his school-fellows some hundred-and-eighty
Nusfs,[FN#138] came in to me and cried, "Take this, O our lord,
and expend the money upon thy health." Thereupon I said to
myself, "Ho, Such-an-one! every Thursday[FN#139] thou dost not
collect sixty Faddahs from the boys," and I cried to him, "Go,
let them forth for a holiday." So he went and dismissed them from
school to the playground. On the next day he collected as much as
on the first and came in to me and said, "Expend these moneys, O
our lord, upon thy health." He did the same on the third day and
the fourth, making the boys contribute much coin and presenting
it to me; and on such wise he continued till the tenth day, when
he brought the money as was his wont. At that time I happened to
hold in my hand a boiled egg which I purposed eating, but on
sighting him I said in myself, "An he see thee feeding he will
cut off the supplies." So I crammed the egg into my chops?And
Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and
ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad,
"How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and
delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I
would relate to you on the coming night, an the Sovran suffer me
to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Sixty-fourth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah, upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the
Schoolmaster said to himself, "If the Monitor see me eating the
egg now in thy hand he will cut off the supplies and assert thee
to be sound." So (continued he) I crammed the egg into my chops
and clapped my jaws together. Hereupon the lad turned to me and
cried, "O my lord, thy cheek is much swollen;" and I, "'Tis only
an imposthume." But he drew a whittle[FN#140] forth his sleeve
and coming up to me seized my cheek and slit it, when the egg
fell out and he said, "O my lord, this it was did the harm and
now 'tis passed away from thee." Such was the cause of the
splitting of my mouth, O our lord the Sultan. Now had I cast away
greed of gain and eaten the egg in the Monitor's presence, what
could have been the ill result? But all this was of the weakness
of my wit; for also had I dismissed the boys every day about
mid-afternoon, I should have gained naught nor lost aught
thereby. However the Dealer of Destiny is self-existent, and this
is my case. Then the Sultan turned to the Wazir and laughed and
said, "The fact is that whoso schooleth boys is weak of wit;" and
said the other, "O King of the Age, all pedagogues lack
perceptives and reflectives; nor can they become legal witnesses
before the Kazi because verily they credit the words of little
children without evidence of the speech being or factual or
false. So their reward in the world to come must be
abounding!"[FN#141] Then the Sultan asked the limping man,
saying, "And thou, the other, what lamed thee?" So he began to
tell
The Story of the Limping Schoolmaster.[FN#142]
My tale, O my lord the Sultan, is marvellous and 'twas as
follows. My father was by profession a schoolmaster and, when he
fared to the ruth of Almighty Allah, I took his place in the
school and taught the boys to read after the fashion of my sire.
Now over the schoolroom was an upper lattice whereto planks had
been nailed and I was ever casting looks at it till one chance
day I said to myself, "By Allah, this lattice thus boarded up
needs must contain hoards or moneys or manuscripts which my
father stored there before his decease; and on such wise I am
deprived of them." So I arose and brought a ladder and lashed it
to another till the two together reached the lattice and I clomb
them holding a carpenter's adze[FN#143] wherewith I prized up the
planks until all were removed. And behold, I then saw a large
fowl, to wit, a kite,[FN#144] setting upon her nestlings. But
when she saw me she flew sharply in my face and I was frightened
by her and thrown back; so I tumbled from the ladder-top to the
ground and brake both knee-caps. Then they bore me home and
brought a leach to heal me; but he did me no good and I fell into
my present state. Now this, O our lord the Sultan, proveth the
weakness of my wit and the greatness of my greed; for there is a
saw amongst men that saith "Covetise aye wasteth and never
gathereth: so 'ware thee of covetise." Such, O lord of the Age
and the Time, is my tale. Hereupon the King bade gifts and
largesse be distributed to the three old schoolmasters, and when
his bidding was obeyed they went their ways. Then the Sultan
turned to the Minister and said, "O Wazir, now respecting the
matter of the three maidens and their mother, I would have thee
make enquiry and find out their home and bring them hither; or
let us go to them in disguise and hear their history, for indeed
it must he wonderful. Otherwise how could they have understood
that we served them that sleight by marking their door and they
on their part set marks of like kind upon all the doors of the
quarter that we might lose the track and touch of them. By Allah,
this be rare intelligence on the part of these damsels; but we, O
Wazir, will strive to come upon their traces." Then the Minister
fared forth, after changing his dress and demeanour, and walked
to the quarter in question, but found all the doors similarly
marked. So he was sore perplext concerning his case and fell to
questioning all the folk wont to pass by these doors but none
could give him any information; and he walked about sore
distraught until even-tide, when he returned to the Sultan
without aught of profit. As he went in to the presence, his liege
lord asked him saying, "What bringest thou of tidings?" and he
answered, "O King, I have not found the property,[FN#145] but
there passed through my mind a stratagem which, an we carry it
out, peradventure shall cause us to happen upon the maidens."
Quoth the Sultan, "What be that?" and quoth he, "Do thou write me
an autograph-writ and give it to the Crier that he may cry about
the city, 'Whoso lighteth wick after supper-tide shall have his
head set under his heels.'" The Sultan rejoined, "This thy rede
is right." Accordingly, on the next day the King wrote his letter
and gave it to the Crier bidding him fare through the city and
forbid the lighting of lamps after night-prayers; and the man
took the royal rescript and set it in a green bag. Then he went
forth and cried about the street saying, "According to the
commandment of our King, the Lord of prosperity and Master of the
necks of God's servants, if any light wick after night-prayers
his head shall be set under his heels, his good shall be spoiled
and his women shall be cast into jail." And the Crier stinted not
crying through the town during the first day and the second and
the third, until he had gone round the whole place; nor was there
a citizen but who knew the ordinance. Now the King waited
patiently till after the proclamation of the third day; but on
the fourth night he and his Minister went down from the palace in
disguise after supper-tide to pry about the wards and espy into
the lattices of the several quarters. They found no light till
they came to the ward where the three damsels lived, and the
Sultan, happening to glance in such a direction, saw the gleam of
a lamp in one of the tenements. So he said to the Wazir, "Ho!
there is a wick alight." Presently they drew near it and found
that it was within one of the marked houses; wherefore they came
to a stand and knocked at the door,?And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say.
Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy
tale, O sister mine, and enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she,
"And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on
the coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it
was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Sixty-fifth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that when the
Sultan and the Wazir stood over against the door behind which was
the light and knocked at it, the youngest of the sisters cried
out, "Who is at the door?" and they replied, "Guests and
Darwayshes." She rejoined, "What can you want at this hour and
what can have belated you?" And they, "We be men living in a
Khan; but we have lost our way thither and we fear to happen upon
the Chief of Police. So of your bountiful kindness open ye to us
and house us for the remnant of the night; and such charity shall
gain you reward in Heaven." Hereto the mother added, "Go open to
them the door!" and the youngest of the maidens came forward and
opened to them and admitted them. Then the parent and her
children rose up and welcomed them respectfully and seated them
and did them honour and set before them somewhat of food which
they ate and were gladdened. Presently the King said, "O damsels,
ye cannot but know that the Sultan proclaimed forbiddal of
wick-burning; but ye have lighted your lamps and have not obeyed
him when all the citizens have accepted his commandment." Upon
this the youngest sister accosted him saying, "O Darwaysh, verily
the Sultan's order should not be obeyed save in commandments
which be reasonable; but this his proclamation forbidding lights
is sinful to accept; and indeed the right direction[FN#146]
wherein man should walk is according to Holy Law which saith, 'No
obedience to the creature in a matter of sin against the
Creator.' The Sultan (Allah make him prevail!) herein acteth
against the Law and imitateth the doings of Satan. For we be
three sisters with our mother, making four in the household, and
every night we sit together by lamp-light and weave a half-pound
weight of linen web[FN#147] which our mother taketh in the
morning for sale to the Bazar and buyeth us therewith half a
pound of raw flax and with the remainder what sufficeth us of
victual." The Sultan now turned to his Minister and said, "O
Wazir, this damsel astonisheth me by her questions and answers.
What case of casuistry can we propose to her and what disputation
can we set up? Do thou contrive us somewhat shall pose and
perplex her." "O my lord," replied the Wazir, "we are here in the
guise of Darwayshes and are become to these folk as guests: how
then can we disturb them with troublesome queries in their own
home?" Quoth the Sultan, "Needs must thou address them;" so the
Wazir said to the girl, "O noble one, obedience to the royal
orders is incumbent upon you as upon all lieges." Said she,
"True, he is our Sovran; but how can he know whether we be
starving or full-fed?" "Let us see," rejoined the Wazir, "when he
shall send for you and set you before the presence and question
you concerning your disobeying his orders, what thou wilt say?"
She retorted, "I would say to the Sultan, 'Thou hast contraried
Holy Law.'" At this the Minister resumed, "An he ask thee sundry
questions wilt thou answer them?" and she replied, "Indeed I
will." Hereat the Minister turned to the King and said, "Let us
leave off question and answer with this maiden on points of
conscience and Holy Law and ask if she understand the fine arts."
Presently the Sultan put the question when she replied, "How
should I not understand them when I am their father and their
mother?" Quoth he, "Allah upon thee, O my lady, an thou wouldst
favour us, let us hear one of thine airs and its words." So she
rose and retired but presently returning with a lute sat down and
set it upon her lap and ordered the strings and smote it with a
masterly touch: then she fell to singing amongst other verses
these ordered couplets:?
"Do thou good to men and so rule their necks: * Long reigns who
by benefit rules mankind:
And lend aid to him who for aidance hopes: * For aye grateful is
man with a noble mind:
Who brings money the many to him will incline * And money for
tempting of man was designed:
Who hindereth favour and bounties, ne'er * Or brother or friend
in creation shall find:
With harsh looks frown not in the Sage's face; * Disgusteth the
freeman denial unkind:
Who frequenteth mankind all of good unknow'th: * Man is lief of
rebellion, of largesse loath."
When the Sultan heard these couplets, his mind was distraught and
he was perplext in thought; then turning to his Wazir, he said,
"By Allah, these lines were surely an examination of and an
allusion to our two selves; and doubtless she weeteth of us that
I am the Sultan and thou art the Wazir, for the whole tenor of
her talk proveth her knowledge of us." Then he turned to the
maiden and said, "Right good are thy verse and thy voice, and thy
words have delighted us with exceeding delight." Upon this she
sang the following two couplets:?
"Men seek for them sorrow, and toil * Thro' long years as they
brightly flow;
But Fate, in the well like the tank[FN#148] * Firm-fixt, ruleth
all below."
Now as soon as the Sultan heard these last two couplets he made
certain that the damsel was aware of his quality. She did not
leave off her lute-playing till near daylight, when she rose and
retired and presently brought in a breakfast befitting her degree
(for indeed she was pleased with them); and when she had served
it up they ate a small matter which sufficed them. After this she
said, "Inshallah, you will return to us this night before
supper-tide and become our guests;" and the twain went their ways
marvelling at the beauty of the sisters and their loveliness and
their fearlessness in the matter of the proclamation; and the
Sultan said to the Wazir, "By Allah, my soul inclineth unto that
maiden." And they stinted not walking until they had entered the
palace. But when that day had gone by and evening drew nigh, the
Monarch made ready to go, he and the Minister, to the dwelling of
the damsels?And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and
fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her
sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how
enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared
with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran
suffer me to survive." Now when it was the next night and that
was
The Three Hundred and Sixty-sixth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the King
and the Councillor made ready to go to the dwelling of the
damsels taking with them somewhat of gold pieces, the time being
half an hour after set of sun; and presently they repaired to the
house of the sisters whither they had been invited on the past
night. So they rapped at the door when the youngest maiden came
to it and opened and let them in: then she salam'd to them and
greeted them and entreated them with increased respect saying,
"Welcome to our lords the Darwayshes." But she eyed them with the
eye of the physiognomist[FN#149] and said in herself, "Verily
these two men are on no wise what they seem and, unless my
caution and intelligence and power of knowledge have passed away
from me, this must be the Sultan and that his Wazir, for grandeur
and majesty are evident on them." Then she seated them and
accosted them even more pleasantly and set before them supper,
and when they had eaten enough, she brought basins and ewers for
handwashing and served up coffee causing them to enjoy themselves
and to give and take in talk till their pleasure was perfect. At
the time of night-orisons they arose and, after performing the
Wuzú-ablution, prayed, and when their devotions were ended the
Sultan hent in hand his purse and gave it to the youngest sister
saying, "Expend ye this upon your livelihood." She took the bag
which held two thousand dinars and kissed his right hand, feeling
yet the more convinced that he must be the Sultan: so she proved
her respect by the fewness of her words as she stood between his
hands to do him service. Also she privily winked at her sisters
and mother and said to them by signs, "Verily this be the Monarch
and that his Minister." The others then arose and followed suit
as the sister had done, when the Sultan turned to the Wazir and
said, "The case is changed: assuredly they have comprehended it
and ascertained it;" presently adding to the girl, "O damsel, we
be only Darwaysh folk and yet you all stand up in our service as
if we were sovrans. I beseech you do not on this wise." But the
youngest sister again came forwards and kissed the ground before
him and blessed him and recited this couplet:
"Fair fate befal thee to thy foe's despite: * White be thy days
and his be black as night.[FN#150]
By Allah, O King of the Age, thou art the Sultan and that is the
Minister." The Sovran asked, "What cause hast thou for supposing
this?" and she answered, "From your grand demeanour and your
majestic mein; for such be the qualities of Kings which cannot be
concealed." Quoth the Monarch, "Thou hast spoken sooth; but, tell
me, how happeneth it that you wone here without men protectors?"
and quoth she, "O my lord the King, our history is wondrous and
were it graven with graver-needles upon the eye-corners it were a
warning to whoso would be warned." He rejoined, "What is it?" and
she began the
Story of the Three Sisters and Their Mother.[FN#151]
I and my sisters and my mother are not natives of this city but
of a capital in the land Al-Irák where my father was Sovran
having troops and guards, Wazirs and Eunuch-chamberlains; and my
mother was the fairest woman of her time insomuch that her beauty
was a proverb throughout each and every region. Now it chanced
that when I and my sisters were but infants, our father would set
out to hunt and course and slay beasts of raven and take his
pleasure in the gardens without the city. So he sent for his
Wazir and appointed and constituted him Viceregent in his stead
with full authority to command and be gracious to his lieges:
then he got him ready and marched forth and the Viceroy entered
upon his office. But it happened that it was the hot season and
my mother betook herself to the terrace-roof of the palace in
order to smell the air and sniff up the breeze. At that very
hour, by the decree of the Decreer, the Wazir was sitting in the
Kiosk or roofed balcony hanging to his upper mansion and holding
in hand a mirror; and, as he looked therein, he saw the
reflection of my mother, a glance of eyes which bequeathed him a
thousand sighs. He was forthright distracted by her beauty and
loveliness and fell sick and took to his pillow. Presently a
confidential nurse came in and feeling his pulse, which showed no
malady, said to him, "No harm for thee! thou shalt soon be well
nor ever suffer from aught of sorrow." Quoth he, "O my nurse,
canst thou keep a secret?" and quoth she, "I can." Then he told
her all the love he had conceived for my mother and she replied,
"This be a light affair nor hath it aught of hindrance: I will
manage for thee such matter and I will soon unite thee with her."
Thereupon he packed up for her some of the most sumptuous dresses
in his treasury and said, "Hie thee to her and say, 'The Wazir
hath sent these to thee by way of love-token and his desire is
either that thou come to him and converse, he and thou, for a
couple of hours,[FN#152] or that he be allowed to visit thee.'"
The nurse replied with "Hearkening and obedience," and fared
forth and found my mother (and we little ones were before her)
all unknowing aught of that business. So the old woman saluted
her and brought forwards the dresses, and my mother arose and
opening the bundle beheld sumptuous raiment and, amongst other
valuables, a necklace of precious stones. So she said to the
nurse, "This is indeed ornamental gear, especially the collar;"
and said the nurse, "O my lady, these are from thy slave the
Wazir by way of love-token, for he doteth on thee with extreme
desire and his only wish is to forgather with thee and converse,
he and thou, for a couple of hours, either in his own place or in
thine whither he will come." Now when my mother heard these words
from the nurse she arose and drew a scymitar which lay hard by
and of her angry hastiness made the old woman's head fall from
her body and bade her slave-girls pick up the pieces and cast
them into the common privy of the palace. So they did her bidding
and wiped away the blood. Now the Wazir abode expecting his nurse
to return to him but she returned not; so next day he despatched
another handmaid who went to my mother and said to her, "O my
lady, our lord the Wazir sent thee a present of dress by his
nurse; but she hath not come back to him." Hereupon my mother
bade her Eunuchs take the slave and strangle her, then cast the
corpse into the same house of easement where they had thrown the
nurse. They did her bidding; but she said in her mind, "Haply the
Wazir will return from the road of unright:" and she kept his
conduct a secret. He however fell every day to sending
slave-girls with the same message and my mother to slaying each
and every, nor deigned show him any signs of yielding. But she, O
our lord the Sultan, still kept her secret and did not acquaint
our father therewith, always saying to herself, "Haply the Wazir
will return to the road of right." And behold my father presently
came back from hunting and sporting and pleasuring, when the
Lords of the land met him and salam'd to him, and amongst them
appeared the Minister whose case was changed. Now some years
after this, O King of the Age, our sire resolved upon a
Pilgrimage to the Holy House of Meccah?And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted
say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is
thy tale, O sister mine, and enjoyable and delectable." Quoth
she, "And where is this compared with that I would relate to you
on the coming night an the sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when
it was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Sixty-seventh Night,
Dunyazad said to her "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night." She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the
youngest sister continued to the Sultan:?So our sire, O King of
the Age, resolved upon a Pilgrimage to the Holy House of Meccah
and stablished the same Wazir Viceregent in his stead to deal
commandment and break off and carry out. So he said in his heart,
"Now have I won my will of the Sultan's Harem." So the King gat
him ready and fared forth to Allah's Holy House after committing
us to the charge of his Minister. But when he had been gone ten
days, and the Wazir knew that he must be far from the city where
he had left behind him me and my sisters and my mother, behold,
an Eunuch of the Minister's came in to us and kissed ground
before the Queen and said to her "Allah upon thee, O my lady,
pity my lord the Wazir, for his heart is melted by thy love and
his wits wander and his right mind; and he is now become as one
annihilated. So do thou have ruth upon him and revive his heart
and restore his health." Now when my mother heard these words,
she bade her Eunuchs seize that Castrato and carry him from the
room to the middle of the Divan-court and there slay him; but she
did so without divulging her reasons. They obeyed her bidding;
and when the Lords of the land and others saw the body of a man
slain by the eunuchry of the palace, they informed the Wazir,
saying, "What hateful business is this which hath befallen after
the Sultan's departure?" He asked, "What is to do?" and they told
him that his Castrato had been slain by a party of the palace
eunuchry. Thereupon he said to them, "In your hand abideth
testimony of this whenas the Sultan shall return and ye shall
bear witness to it." But, O King, the Wazir's passion for our
mother waxed cool after the deaths of the nurse and the
slave-girls and the eunuch; and she also held her peace and spake
not a word there anent. On this wise time passed and he sat in
the stead of my sire till the Sultan's return drew near when the
Minister dreaded lest our father, learning his ill deeds, should
do him die. So he devised a device and wrote a letter to the King
saying, "After salutation be it known to thee that thy Harem hath
sent to me, not only once but five several times during thine
absence, soliciting of me a foul action, to which I refused
consent and replied, By Allah, however much she may wish to
betray my Sovran, I by the Almighty will not turn traitor; for
that I was left by thee guardian of the realm after thy
departure." He added words upon words; then he sealed the scroll
and gave it to a running courier with orders to hurry along the
road. The messenger took it and fared with it to the Sultan's
camp when distant eight days' journey from the capital; and,
finding him seated in his pavilion,[FN#153] delivered the writ.
He took it and opened it and read it and when he understood its
secret significance, his face changed, his eyes turned backwards
and he bade his tents be struck for departure. So they fared by
forced marches till between him and his capital remained only two
stations. He then summoned two Chamberlains with orders to forego
him to the city and take my mother and us three girls a day's
distance from it and there put us to death. Accordingly, they led
us four to the open country purposing to kill us, and my mother
knew not what intent was in their minds until they reached the
appointed spot. Now the Queen had in times past heaped alms-deeds
and largesse upon the two Chamberlains, so they held the case to
be a grievous and said each to other, "By Allah we cannot
slaughter them; no, never!" Then they told my mother of the
letter which the Wazir had written to our father saying
such-and-such, upon which she exclaimed, "He hath lied, by Allah,
the arch-traitor; and naught happened save so-and-so." Then she
related to them all she had done with the exactest truth. The men
said, "Sooth thou hast spoken;" then arising without stay or
delay they snared a gazelle and slaughtered it and filled with
its blood four flasks; after which they broiled some of the flesh
over the embers and gave it to my mother that we might satisfy
our hunger. Presently they farewelled us saying, "We give you in
charge of Him who never disappointed those committed to His
care;" and, lastly, they went their ways leaving us alone in the
wild and the wold. So we fell to eating the desert-grasses and
drinking of the remnants of the rain, and we walked awhile and
rested awhile without finding any city or inhabited region; and
we waxed tired, O King of the Age, when suddenly we came upon a
spot on a hill-flank abounding in vari-coloured herbs and fair
fountains. Here we abode ten days and behold, a caravan drew near
us and encamped hard by us, but they did not sight us for that we
hid ourselves from their view until night fell. Then I went to
them and asked of sundry eunuchs and ascertained that there was a
city at the distance of two days' march from us; so I returned
and informed my mother who rejoiced at the good tidings. As soon
as it was morn the caravan marched off, so we four arose and
walked all that day through at a leisurely pace, and a second day
and so forth; until, on the afternoon of the fifth, a city rose
before our sight fulfilling all our desires[FN#154] and we
exclaimed, "Alhamdolillah, laud be to the Lord who hath empowered
us to reach it." We ceased not faring till sunset when we entered
it and we found it a potent capital. Such was our case and that
of our mother;[FN#155] but as regards our sire the Sultan, as he
drew near his home after the return-journey from the Hajj, the
Lords of the land and the Chiefs of the city flocked out to meet
him, and the town-folk followed one another like men riding on
pillions[FN#156] to salute him, and the poor and the mesquin
congratulated him on his safety and at last the Wazir made his
appearance. The Sultan desired to be private with the
Minister?And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell
silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister
Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how
enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared
with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran
suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that
was
The Three Hundred and Sixty-eighth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the King
desired to be private with the Minister and when they were left
alone he said, "O Wazir, how was it between thee and that Harim
of mine?" Said the other, "O King of the Age, she sent to me not
only once but five several times and I refrained from her and
whatsoever eunuch she despatched I slew, saying, Haply she may
cease so doing and abandon her evil intent. But she did not
repent, so I feared for thine honour and sent to acquaint thee
with the matter." The Sultan bo
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