Homepage
Login
Profile
BookClubs
dmBox
Read Ebook: The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 14 by Burton Richard Francis Sir Translator
Font size:
Background color:
Text color:
Add to tbrJar First Page Next Page Prev Page
Ebook has 610 lines and 140872 words, and 13 pages
The Three Hundred and Fortieth Night,
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." 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 Taylas?n 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 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,
He ceased not wayfaring, as become a wanderer, till he came to Cairo 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 Fak?r 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 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 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! 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 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 Wak?lah. 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?" 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,
The Three Hundred and Forty-fifth Night,
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 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 cort?ge wherein was a Sultan of the J?nn. 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 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 , 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,
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.
The Three Hundred and Forty-ninth Night,
The Three Hundred and Fiftieth Night,
The Three Hundred and Fifty-first Night,
The Three Hundred and Fifty-second Night,
The Three Hundred and Fifty-third Night,
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!" 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; 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. 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 M?rist?n, 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.
"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. 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 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-Isl?m." 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 Sat?h was. 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 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 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,
The Three Hundred and Fifty-seventh Night,
Story of the Sage and the Scholar.
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 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 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." 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 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." 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; 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,
The Three Hundred and Sixtieth Night,
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 of the M?rids, 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 formul? 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. And amiddlemost of them appeared three Sultans of the J?nn 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 f?te. 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.
The Three Hundred and Sixty-second Night,
The Story of the Broke-Back Schoolmaster.
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 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 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.
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, 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 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 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 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!" 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.
Add to tbrJar First Page Next Page Prev Page