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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 6, by Richard F. Burton
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
+other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
+whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of
+the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
+www.gutenberg.org.  If you are not located in the United States, you'll have
+to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook.
+
+Title: The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 6
+
+Author: Richard F. Burton
+
+Release Date: July 10, 2001 [EBook #3440]
+Last updated: May 26, 2019
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: UTF-8
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOOK OF THE THOUSAND NIGHTS ***
+
+
+
+
+This etext was scanned by J.C. Byers and proofread by J.C. Byers, Sergio
+Camarena, Muhammad Hozien, P.J. LaBrocca, Laura Shaffer, Charles Wilson.
+
+
+
+
+THE BOOK OF THE
+ THOUSAND NIGHTS AND A NIGHT
+
+
+
+A Plain and Literal Translation
+
+of the Arabian Nights Entertainments
+
+
+Translated and Annotated by
+ Richard F. Burton 
+
+
+
+VOLUME SIX
+
+
+Privately Printed By The Burton Club
+
+
+
+                     I Inscribe This Volume
+              To My Old And Valued Correspondent,
+                    I Whose Debt I Am Deep,
+
+                    Professor Aloys Sprenger
+                        (of Heidelberg),
+
+Arabist, Philosopher and Friend.
+
+Richard F. Burton.
+
+
+Contents of the Sixth Volume
+
+
+ 133. Sindbad the Seaman and Sinbad the Landsman
+ a. The First Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman
+ b. The Second Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman
+ c. The Third Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman
+ d. The Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman
+ e. The Fifth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman
+ f. The Sixth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman
+ g. The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman
+ The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman (according to the Calcutta Edition)
+ 134. The City of Brass
+ 135. The Craft and Malice of Woman
+ a. The King and His Wazir's Wife
+ b. The Confectioner, His Wife and the Parrot
+ c. The Fuller and His Son
+ d. The Rake's Trick Against the Chaste Wife
+ e. The Miser and the Loaves of Bread
+ f. The Lady and Her Two Lovers
+ g. The King's Son and the Ogress
+ h. The Drop of Honey
+ i. The Woman Who Made Her Husband Sift Dust
+ j. The Enchanted Spring
+ k. The Wazir's Son and the Hamman-Keeper's Wife
+ l. The Wife's Device to Cheat her Husband
+ m. The Goldsmith and the Cashmere Singing-Girl
+ n. The Man who Never Laughed Duing the Rest of His Days
+ o. The King's Son and the Merchant's Wife
+ p. The Page Who Feigned to Know the Speech of Birds
+ q. The Lady and Her Five Suitors
+ r. The Three Wishes, or the Man Who Longed to see the Night of Power
+ s. The Stolen Necklace
+ t. The Two Pigeons
+ u. Prince Behram and the Princess Al-Datma
+ v. The House With the Belvedere
+ w. The King's Son and the Ifrit's Mistress
+ x. The Sandal-Wood Merchant and the Sharpers
+ y. The Debauchee and the Three-Year-Old Child
+ z. The Stolen Purse
+ aa. The Fox and the Folk
+ 136. Judar and His Brethren
+ 137. The History of Gharib and His Brother Ajib
+
+
+
+The Book Of The
+
+THOUSAND NIGHTS AND A NIGHT
+
+
+
+Sindbad The Seaman[FN#1] and Sindbad The Landsman.
+
+There lived in the city of Baghdad, during the reign of the Commander
+of the Faithful, Harun al-Rashid, a man named Sindbád the Hammál,[FN#2]
+one in poor case who bore burdens on his head for hire. It happened to
+him one day of great heat that whilst he was carrying a heavy load, he
+became exceeding weary and sweated profusely, the heat and the weight
+alike oppressing him. Presently, as he was passing the gate of a
+merchant's house, before which the ground was swept and watered, and
+there the air was temperate, he sighted a broad bench beside the door;
+so he set his load thereon, to take rest and smell the air,—And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted
+say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Thirty-seventh Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Hammal
+set his load upon the bench to take rest and smell the air, there came
+out upon him from the court-door a pleasant breeze and a delicious
+fragrance. He sat down on the edge of the bench, and at once heard from
+within the melodious sound of lutes and other stringed instruments, and
+mirth-exciting voices singing and reciting, together with the song of
+birds warbling and glorifying Almighty Allah in various tunes and
+tongues; turtles, mocking-birds, merles, nightingales, cushats and
+stone- curlews,[FN#3] whereat he marvelled in himself and was moved to
+mighty joy and solace. Then he went up to the gate and saw within a
+great flower-garden wherein were pages and black slaves and such a
+train of servants and attendants and so forth as is found only with
+Kings and Sultans; and his nostrils were greeted with the savoury
+odours of all manner meats rich and delicate, and delicious and
+generous wines. So he raised his eyes heavenwards and said, "Glory to
+Thee, O Lord, O Creator and Provider, who providest whomso Thou wilt
+without count or stint! O mine Holy One, I cry Thee pardon for all sins
+and turn to Thee repenting of all offences! O Lord, there is no
+gainsaying Thee in Thine ordinance and Thy dominion, neither wilt Thou
+be questioned of that Thou dost, for Thou indeed over all things art
+Almighty! Extolled be Thy perfection: whom Thou wilt Thou makest poor
+and whom Thou wilt Thou makest rich! Whom Thou wilt Thou exaltest and
+whom Thou wilt Thou abasest and there is no god but Thou! How mighty is
+Thy majesty and how enduring Thy dominion and how excellent Thy
+government! Verily, Thou favourest whom Thou wilt of Thy servants,
+whereby the owner of this place abideth in all joyance of life and
+delighteth himself with pleasant scents and delicious meats and
+exquisite wines of all kinds. For indeed Thou appointest unto Thy
+creatures that which Thou wilt and that which Thou hast foreordained
+unto them; wherefore are some weary and others are at rest and some
+enjoy fair fortune and affluence, whilst others suffer the extreme of
+travail and misery, even as I do." And he fell to reciting,
+
+"How many by my labours, that evermore endure, * All goods of
+     life enjoy and in cooly shade recline?
+Each morn that dawns I wake in travail and in woe, * And strange
+     is my condition and my burden gars me pine:
+Many others are in luck and from miseries are free, * And Fortune
+     never loads them with loads the like o' mine:
+They live their happy days in all solace and delight; * Eat,
+     drink and dwell in honour 'mid the noble and the digne:
+All living things were made of a little drop of sperm, * Thine
+     origin is mine and my provenance is thine;
+Yet the difference and distance 'twixt the twain of us are far *
+     As the difference of savour 'twixt vinegar and wine:
+But at Thee, O God All-wise! I venture not to rail * Whose
+     ordinance is just and whose justice cannot fail."
+
+
+When Sindbad the Porter had made an end of reciting his verses, he bore
+up his burden and was about to fare on, when there came forth to him
+from the gate a little foot-page, fair of face and shapely of shape and
+dainty of dress who caught him by the hand saying, "Come in and speak
+with my lord, for he calleth for thee." The Porter would have excused
+himself to the page but the lad would take no refusal; so he left his
+load with the doorkeeper in the vestibule and followed the boy into the
+house, which he found to be a goodly mansion, radiant and full of
+majesty, till he brought him to a grand sitting-room wherein he saw a
+company of nobles and great lords, seated at tables garnished with all
+manner of flowers and sweet-scented herbs, besides great plenty of
+dainty viands and fruits dried and fresh and confections and wines of
+the choicest vintages. There also were instruments of music and mirth
+and lovely slave-girls playing and singing. All the company was ranged
+according to rank; and in the highest place sat a man of worshipful and
+noble aspect whose beard-sides hoariness had stricken; and he was
+stately of stature and fair of favour, agreeable of aspect and full of
+gravity and dignity and majesty. So Sindbad the Porter was confounded
+at that which he beheld and said in himself, "By Allah, this must be
+either a piece of Paradise or some King's palace!" Then he saluted the
+company with much respect praying for their prosperity, and kissing the
+ground before them, stood with his head bowed down in humble
+attitude.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Thirty-eighth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Porter, after kissing ground between their hands stood with his head
+bowed down in humble attitude. The master of the house bade him draw
+near and be seated and bespoke him kindly, bidding him welcome. Then he
+set before him various kinds of viands, rich and delicate and
+delicious, and the Porter, after saying his Bismillah, fell to and ate
+his fill, after which he exclaimed, "Praised be Allah whatso be our
+case![FN#4]" and, washing his hands, returned thanks to the company for
+his entertainment. Quoth the host, "Thou art welcome and thy day is a
+blessed. But what is thy name and calling?" Quoth the other, "O my
+lord, my name is Sindbad the Hammal, and I carry folk's goods on my
+head for hire." The house-master smiled and rejoined, "Know, O Porter
+that thy name is even as mine, for I am Sindbad the Seaman; and now, O
+Porter, I would have thee let me hear the couplets thou recitedst at
+the gate anon." The Porter was abashed and replied, "Allah upon thee!
+Excuse me, for toil and travail and lack of luck when the hand is
+empty, teach a man ill manners and boorish ways." Said the host, "Be
+not ashamed; thou art become my brother; but repeat to me the verses,
+for they pleased me whenas I heard thee recite them at the gate.
+Hereupon the Porter repeated the couplets and they delighted the
+merchant, who said to him, "Know, O Hammal, that my story is a
+wonderful one, and thou shalt hear all that befel me and all I
+underwent ere I rose to this state of prosperity and became the lord of
+this place wherein thou seest me; for I came not to this high estate
+save after travail sore and perils galore, and how much toil and
+trouble have I not suffered in days of yore! I have made seven voyages,
+by each of which hangeth a marvellous tale, such as confoundeth the
+reason, and all this came to pass by doom of fortune and fate; for from
+what destiny doth write there is neither refuge nor flight. Know, then,
+good my lords (continued he) that I am about to relate the
+
+
+First Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman."[FN#5]
+
+My father was a merchant, one of the notables of my native place, a
+monied man and ample of means, who died whilst I was yet a child,
+leaving me much wealth in money and lands and farmhouses. When I grew
+up, I laid hands on the whole and ate of the best and drank freely and
+wore rich clothes and lived lavishly, companioning and consorting with
+youths of my own age, and considering that this course of life would
+continue for ever and ken no change. Thus did I for a long time, but at
+last I awoke from my heedlessness and, returning to my senses, I found
+my wealth had become unwealth and my condition ill-conditioned and all
+I once hent had left my hand. And recovering my reason I was stricken
+with dismay and confusion and bethought me of a saying of our lord
+Solomon, son of David (on whom be peace!), which I had heard aforetime
+from my father, "Three things are better than other three; the day of
+death is better than the day of birth, a live dog is better than a dead
+lion and the grave is better than want."[FN#6] Then I got together my
+remains of estates and property and sold all, even my clothes, for
+three thousand dirhams, with which I resolved to travel to foreign
+parts, remembering the saying of the poet,
+
+"By means of toil man shall scale the height; * Who to fame
+     aspires mustn't sleep o' night:
+Who seeketh pearl in the deep must dive, * Winning weal and
+     wealth by his main and might:
+And who seeketh Fame without toil and strife * Th' impossible
+     seeketh and wasteth life."
+
+
+So taking heart I bought me goods, merchandise and all needed for a
+voyage and, impatient to be at sea, I embarked, with a company of
+merchants, on board a ship bound for Bassorah. There we again embarked
+and sailed many days and nights, and we passed from isle to isle and
+sea to sea and shore to shore, buying and selling and bartering
+everywhere the ship touched, and continued our course till we came to
+an island as it were a garth of the gardens of Paradise. Here the
+captain cast anchor and making fast to the shore, put out the landing
+planks. So all on board landed and made furnaces[FN#7] and lighting
+fires therein, busied themselves in various ways, some cooking and some
+washing, whilst other some walked about the island for solace, and the
+crew fell to eating and drinking and playing and sporting. I was one of
+the walkers but, as we were thus engaged, behold the master who was
+standing on the gunwale cried out to us at the top of his voice,
+saying, "Ho there! passengers, run for your lives and hasten back to
+the ship and leave your gear and save yourselves from destruction,
+Allah preserve you! For this island whereon ye stand is no true island,
+but a great fish stationary a-middlemost of the sea, whereon the sand
+hath settled and trees have sprung up of old time, so that it is become
+like unto an island;[FN#8] but, when ye lighted fires on it, it felt
+the heat and moved; and in a moment it will sink with you into the sea
+and ye will all be drowned. So leave your gear and seek your safety ere
+ye die!"— And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
+permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Thirty-ninth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+ship-master cried to the passengers, "Leave your gear and seek safety,
+ere ye die;" all who heard him left gear and goods, clothes washed and
+unwashed, fire pots and brass cooking-pots, and fled back to the ship
+for their lives, and some reached it while others (amongst whom was I)
+did not, for suddenly the island shook and sank into the abysses of the
+deep, with all that were thereon, and the dashing sea surged over it
+with clashing waves. I sank with the others down, down into the deep,
+but Almighty Allah preserved me from drowning and threw in my way a
+great wooden tub of those that had served the ship's company for
+tubbing. I gripped it for the sweetness of life and, bestriding it like
+one riding, paddled with my feet like oars, whilst the waves tossed me
+as in sport right and left. Meanwhile the captain made sail and
+departed with those who had reached the ship, regardless of the
+drowning and the drowned; and I ceased not following the vessel with my
+eyes, till she was hid from sight and I made sure of death. Darkness
+closed in upon me while in this plight and the winds and waves bore me
+on all that night and the next day, till the tub brought to with me
+under the lee of a lofty island, with trees overhanging the tide. I
+caught hold of a branch and by its aid clambered up on to the land,
+after coming nigh upon death; but when I reached the shore, I found my
+legs cramped and numbed and my feet bore traces of the nibbling of fish
+upon their soles; withal I had felt nothing for excess of anguish and
+fatigue. I threw myself down on the island ground, like a dead man, and
+drowned in desolation swooned away, nor did I return to my senses till
+next morning, when the sun rose and revived me. But I found my feet
+swollen, so made shift to move by shuffling on my breech and crawling
+on my knees, for in that island were found store of fruits and springs
+of sweet water. I ate of the fruits which strengthened me; and thus I
+abode days and nights, till my life seemed to return and my spirits
+began to revive and I was better able to move about. So, after due
+consideration, I fell to exploring the island and diverting myself with
+gazing upon all things that Allah Almighty had created there; and
+rested under the trees from one of which I cut me a staff to lean upon.
+One day as I walked along the marge, I caught sight of some object in
+the distance and thought it a wild beast or one of the
+monster-creatures of the sea; but, as I drew near it, looking hard the
+while, I saw that it was a noble mare, tethered on the beach. Presently
+I went up to her, but she cried out against me with a great cry, so
+that I trembled for fear and turned to go away, when there came forth a
+man from under the earth and followed me, crying out and saying, "Who
+and whence art thou, and what caused thee to come hither?" "O my lord,"
+answered I, "I am in very sooth, a waif, a stranger, and was left to
+drown with sundry others by the ship we voyaged in;[FN#9] but Allah
+graciously sent me a wooden tub; so I saved myself thereon and it
+floated with me, till the waves cast me up on this island." When he
+heard this, he took my hand and saying, "Come with me," carried me into
+a great Sardab, or underground chamber, which was spacious as a saloon.
+He made me sit down at its upper end; then he brought me somewhat of
+food and, being anhungered, I ate till I was satisfied and refreshed;
+and when he had put me at mine ease he questioned me of myself, and I
+told him all that had befallen me from first to last; and, as he
+wondered at my adventure, I said, "By Allah, O my lord, excuse me; I
+have told thee the truth of my case and the accident which betided me;
+and now I desire that thou tell me who thou art and why thou abidest
+here under the earth and why thou hast tethered yonder mare on the
+brink of the sea." Answered he, "Know, that I am one of the several who
+are stationed in different parts of this island, and we are of the
+grooms of King Mihrjan[FN#10] and under our hand are all his horses.
+Every month, about new-moon tide we bring hither our best mares which
+have never been covered, and picket them on the sea-shore and hide
+ourselves in this place under the ground, so that none may espy us.
+Presently, the stallions of the sea scent the mares and come up out of
+the water and seeing no one, leap the mares and do their will of them.
+When they have covered them, they try to drag them away with them, but
+cannot, by reason of the leg-ropes; so they cry out at them and butt at
+them and kick them, which we hearing, know that the stallions have
+dismounted; so we run out and shout at them, whereupon they are
+startled and return in fear to the sea. Then the mares conceive by them
+and bear colts and fillies worth a mint of money, nor is their like to
+be found on earth's face. This is the time of the coming forth of the
+sea-stallions; and Inshallah! I will bear thee to King Mihrjan"—And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted
+say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Fortieth Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
+Syce[FN#11] said to Sindbad the Seaman, "I will bear thee to King
+Mihrjan and show thee our country. And know that hadst thou not
+happened on us thou hadst perished miserably and none had known of
+thee: but I will be the means of the saving of thy life and of thy
+return to thine own land." I called down blessings on him and thanked
+him for his kindness and courtesy; and, while we were yet talking,
+behold, the stallion came up out of the sea; and, giving a great cry,
+sprang upon the mare and covered her. When he had done his will of her,
+he dismounted and would have carried her away with him, but could not
+by reason of the tether. She kicked and cried out at him, whereupon the
+groom took a sword and target[FN#12] and ran out of the underground
+saloon, smiting the buckler with the blade and calling to his company,
+who came up shouting and brandishing spears; and the stallion took
+fright at them and plunging into the sea, like a buffalo, disappeared
+under the waves.[FN#13] After this we sat awhile, till the rest of the
+grooms came up, each leading a mare, and seeing me with their
+fellow-Syce, questioned me of my case and I repeated my story to them.
+Thereupon they drew near me and spreading the table, ate and invited me
+to eat; so I ate with them, after which they took horse and mounting me
+on one of the mares, set out with me and fared on without ceasing, till
+we came to the capital city of King Mihrjan, and going in to him
+acquainted him with my story. Then he sent for me, and when they set me
+before him and salams had been exchanged, he gave me a cordial welcome
+and wishing me long life bade me tell him my tale. So I related to him
+all that I had seen and all that had befallen me from first to last,
+whereat he marvelled and said to me, "By Allah, O my son, thou hast
+indeed been miraculously preserved! Were not the term of thy life a
+long one, thou hadst not escaped from these straits; but praised by
+Allah for safety!" Then he spoke cheerily to me and entreated me with
+kindness and consideration: moreover, he made me his agent for the port
+and registrar of all ships that entered the harbour. I attended him
+regularly, to receive his commandments, and he favoured me and did me
+all manner of kindness and invested me with costly and splendid robes.
+Indeed, I was high in credit with him, as an intercessor for the folk
+and an intermediary between them and him, when they wanted aught of
+him. I abode thus a great while and, as often as I passed through the
+city to the port, I questioned the merchants and travellers and sailors
+of the city of Baghdad; so haply I might hear of an occasion to return
+to my native land, but could find none who knew it or knew any who
+resorted thither. At this I was chagrined, for I was weary of long
+strangerhood; and my disappointment endured for a time till one day,
+going in to King Mihrjan, I found him with a company of Indians. I
+saluted them and they returned my salam; and politely welcomed me and
+asked me of my country.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
+ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-first Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman said:—When they asked me of my country I questioned them of
+theirs and they told me that they were of various castes, some being
+called Shakiriyah[FN#14] who are the noblest of their castes and
+neither oppress nor offer violence to any, and others Brahmans, a folk
+who abstain from wine, but live in delight and solace and merriment and
+own camels and horses and cattle. Moreover, they told me that the
+people of India are divided into two-and-seventy castes, and I
+marvelled at this with exceeding marvel. Amongst other things that I
+saw in King Mihrjan's dominions was an island called Kásil,[FN#15]
+wherin all night is heard the beating of drums and tabrets; but we were
+told by the neighbouring islanders and by travellers that the
+inhabitants are people of diligence and judgment.[FN#16] In this sea I
+saw also a fish two hundred cubits long and the fishermen fear it; so
+they strike together pieces of wood and put it to flight.[FN#17] I also
+saw another fish, with a head like that of an owl, besides many other
+wonders and rarities, which it would be tedious to recount. I occupied
+myself thus in visiting the islands till, one day, as I stood in the
+port, with a staff in my hand, according to my custom, behold, a great
+ship, wherein were many merchants, came sailing for the harbour. When
+it reached the small inner port where ships anchor under the city, the
+master furled his sails and making fast to the shore, put out the
+landing-planks, whereupon the crew fell to breaking bulk and landing
+cargo whilst I stood by, taking written note of them. They were long in
+bringing the goods ashore so I asked the master, "Is there aught left
+in thy ship?"; and he answered, "O my lord, there are divers bales of
+merchandise in the hold, whose owner was drowned from amongst us at one
+of the islands on our course; so his goods remained in our charge by
+way of trust and we purpose to sell them and note their price, that we
+may convey it to his people in the city of Baghdad, the Home of Peace."
+"What was the merchant's name?" quoth I, and quoth he, "Sindbad the
+Seaman;" whereupon I straitly considered him and knowing him, cried out
+to him with a great cry, saying, "O captain, I am that Sindbad the
+Seaman who travelled with other merchants; and when the fish heaved and
+thou calledst to us some saved themselves and others sank, I being one
+of them. But Allah Almighty threw in my way a great tub of wood, of
+those the crew had used to wash withal, and the winds and waves carried
+me to this island, where by Allah's grace, I fell in with King
+Mihrjan's grooms and they brought me hither to the King their master.
+When I told him my story, he entreated me with favour and made me his
+harbour- master, and I have prospered in his service and found
+acceptance with him. These bales, therefore are mine, the goods which
+God hath given me."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
+to say her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-second Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Sindbad
+the Seaman said to the captain, "These bales are mine, the goods which
+Allah hath given me," the other exclaimed, "There is no Majesty and
+there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! Verily, there
+is neither conscience nor good faith left among men!" said I, "O
+Rais,[FN#18] what mean these words, seeing that I have told thee my
+case?" And he answered, "Because thou heardest me say that I had with
+me goods whose owner was drowned, thou thinkest to take them without
+right; but this is forbidden by law to thee, for we saw him drown
+before our eyes, together with many other passengers, nor was one of
+them saved. So how canst thou pretend that thou art the owner of the
+goods?" "O captain," said I, "listen to my story and give heed to my
+words, and my truth will be manifest to thee; for lying and leasing are
+the letter-marks of the hypocrites." Then I recounted to him all that
+had befallen me since I sailed from Baghdad with him to the time when
+we came to the fish-island where we were nearly drowned; and I reminded
+him of certain matters which had passed between us; whereupon both he
+and the merchants were certified at the truth of my story and
+recognized me and gave me joy of my deliverance, saying, "By Allah, we
+thought not that thou hadst escaped drowning! But the Lord hath granted
+thee new life." Then they delivered my bales to me, and I found my name
+written thereon, nor was aught thereof lacking. So I opened them and
+making up a present for King Mihrjan of the finest and costliest of the
+contents, caused the sailors carry it up to the palace, where I went in
+to the King and laid my present at his feet, acquainting him with what
+had happened, especially concerning the ship and my goods; whereat he
+wondered with exceeding wonder and the truth of all that I had told him
+was made manifest to him. His affection for me redoubled after that and
+he showed me exceeding honour and bestowed on me a great present in
+return for mine. Then I sold my bales and what other matters I owned
+making a great profit on them, and bought me other goods and gear of
+the growth and fashion of the island- city. When the merchants were
+about to start on their homeward voyage, I embarked on board the ship
+all that I possessed, and going in to the King, thanked him for all his
+favours and friendship and craved his leave to return to my own land
+and friends. He farewelled me and bestowed on me great store of the
+country-stuffs and produce; and I took leave of him and embarked. Then
+we set sail and fared on nights and days, by the permission of Allah
+Almighty; and Fortune served us and Fate favoured us, so that we
+arrived in safety at Bassorah-city where I landed rejoiced at my safe
+return to my natal soil. After a short stay, I set out for Baghdad, the
+House of Peace, with store of goods and commodities of great price.
+Reaching the city in due time, I went straight to my own quarter and
+entered my house where all my friends and kinsfolk came to greet me.
+Then I bought me eunuchs and concubines, servants and negro slaves till
+I had a large establishment, and I bought me houses, and lands and
+gardens, till I was richer and in better case than before, and returned
+to enjoy the society of my friends and familiars more assiduously than
+ever, forgetting all I had suffered of fatigue and hardship and
+strangerhood and every peril of travel; and I applied myself to all
+manner joys and solaces and delights, eating the dantiest viands and
+drinking the deliciousest wines; and my wealth allowed this state of
+things to endure. "This, then, is the story of my first voyage, and
+to-morrow, Inshallah! I will tell you the tale of the second of my
+seven voyages." (Saith he who telleth the tale), Then Sindbad the
+Seaman made Sindbad the Landsman sup with him and bade give him an
+hundred gold pieces, saying, "Thou hast cheered us with thy company
+this day."[FN#19] The Porter thanked him and, taking the gift, went his
+way, pondering that which he had heard and marvelling mightily at what
+things betide mankind. He passed the night in his own place and with
+early morning repaired to the abode of Sindbad the Seaman, who received
+him with honour and seated him by his side. As soon as the rest of the
+company was assembled, he set meat and drink before them and, when they
+had well eaten and drunken and were merry and in cheerful case, he took
+up his discourse and recounted to them in these words the narrative of
+
+
+The Second Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.
+
+Know, O my brother, that I was living a most comfortable and enjoyable
+life, in all solace and delight, as I told you yesterday,—And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-third Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Sindbad
+the Seaman's guests were all gathered together he thus bespake them:—I
+was living a most enjoyable life until one day my mind became possessed
+with the thought of travelling about the world of men and seeing their
+cities and islands; and a longing seized me to traffic and to make
+money by trade. Upon this resolve I took a great store of cash and,
+buying goods and gear fit for travel, bound them up in bales. Then I
+went down to the river-bank, where I found a noble ship and brand-new
+about to sail, equipped with sails of fine cloth and well manned and
+provided; so I took passage in her, with a number of other merchants,
+and after embarking our goods we weighed anchor the same day. Right
+fair was our voyage and we sailed from place to place and from isle to
+isle; and whenever we anchored we met a crowd of merchants and notables
+and customers, and we took to buying and selling and bartering. At last
+Destiny brought us to an island, fair and verdant, in trees abundant,
+with yellow-ripe fruits luxuriant, and flowers fragrant and birds
+warbling soft descant; and streams crystalline and radiant; but no sign
+of man showed to the descrier, no, not a blower of the fire.[FN#20] The
+captain made fast with us to this island, and the merchants and sailors
+landed and walked about, enjoying the shade of the trees and the song
+of the birds, that chanted the praises of the One, the Victorious, and
+marvelling at the works of the Omnipotent King.[FN#21] I landed with
+the rest; and, sitting down by a spring of sweet water that welled up
+among the trees, took out some vivers I had with me and ate of that
+which Allah Almighty had allotted unto me. And so sweet was the zephyr
+and so fragrant were the flowers, that presently I waxed drowsy and,
+lying down in that place, was soon drowned in sleep. When I awoke, I
+found myself alone, for the ship had sailed and left me behind, nor had
+one of the merchants or sailors bethought himself of me. I seared the
+island right and left, but found neither man nor Jinn, whereat I was
+beyond measure troubled and my gall was like to burst for stress of
+chagrin and anguish and concern, because I was left quite alone,
+without aught of wordly gear or meat or drink, weary and heart-broken.
+So I gave myself up for lost and said, "Not always doth the crock
+escape the shock. I was saved the first time by finding one who brought
+me from the desert island to an inhabited place, but now there is no
+hope for me." Then I fell to weeping and wailing and gave myself up to
+an access of rage, blaming myself for having again ventured upon the
+perils and hardships of voyage, whenas I was at my ease in mine own
+house in mine own land, taking my pleasure with good meat and good
+drink and good clothes and lacking nothing, neither money nor goods.
+And I repented me of having left Baghdad, and this the more after all
+the travails and dangers I had undergone in my first voyage, wherein I
+had so narrowly escaped destruction, and exclaimed "Verily we are
+Allah's and unto Him we are returning!" I was indeed even as one mad
+and Jinn-struck and presently I rose and walked about the island, right
+and left and every whither, unable for trouble to sit or tarry in any
+one place. Then I climbed a tall tree and looked in all directions, but
+saw nothing save sky and sea and trees and birds and isles and sands.
+However, after a while my eager glances fell upon some great white
+thing, afar off in the interior of the island; so I came down from the
+tree and made for that which I had seen; and behold, it was a huge
+white dome rising high in air and of vast compass. I walked all around
+it, but found no door thereto, nor could I muster strength or
+nimbleness by reason of its exceeding smoothness and slipperiness. So I
+marked the spot where I stood and went round about the dome to measure
+its circumference which I found fifty good paces. And as I stood,
+casting about how to gain an entrance the day being near its fall and
+the sun being near the horizon, behold, the sun was suddenly hidden
+from me and the air became dull and dark. Methought a cloud had come
+over the sun, but it was the season of summer; so I marvelled at this
+and lifting my head looked steadfastly at the sky, when I saw that the
+cloud was none other than an enormous bird, of gigantic girth and
+inordinately wide of wing which, as it flew through the air, veiled the
+sun and hid it from the island. At this sight my wonder redoubled and I
+remembered a story,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
+to say her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-fourth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued in these words:—My wonder redoubled and I remembered a
+story I had heard aforetime of pilgrims and travellers, how in a
+certain island dwelleth a huge bird, called the "Rukh"[FN#22] which
+feedeth its young on elephants; and I was certified that the dome which
+caught my sight was none other than a Rukh's egg. As I looked and
+wondered at the marvellous works of the Almighty, the bird alighted on
+the dome and brooded over it with its wings covering it and its legs
+stretched out behind it on the ground, and in this posture it fell
+asleep, glory be to Him who sleepeth not! When I saw this, I arose and,
+unwinding my turband from my head, doubled it and twisted it into a
+rope, with which I girt my middle and bound my waist fast to the legs
+of the Rukh, saying in myself, "Peradventure, this bird may carry me to
+a land of cities and inhabitants, and that will be better than abiding
+in this desert island." I passed the night watching and fearing to
+sleep, lest the bird should fly away with me unawares; and, as soon as
+the dawn broke and morn shone, the Rukh rose off its egg and spreading
+its wings with a great cry flew up into the air dragging me with it;
+nor ceased it to soar and to tower till I thought it had reached the
+limit of the firmament; after which it descended, earthwards, little by
+little, till it lighted on the top of a high hill. As soon as I found
+myself on the hard ground, I made haste to unbind myself, quaking for
+fear of the bird, though it took no heed of me nor even felt me; and,
+loosing my turband from its feet, I made off with my best speed.
+Presently, I saw it catch up in its huge claws something from the earth
+and rise with it high in air, and observing it narrowly I saw it to be
+a serpent big of bulk and gigantic of girth, wherewith it flew away
+clean out of sight. I marvelled at this and faring forwards found
+myself on a peak overlooking a valley, exceeding great and wide and
+deep, and bounded by vast mountains that spired high in air: none could
+descry their summits, for the excess of their height, nor was any able
+to climb up thereto. When I saw this, I blamed myself for that which I
+had done and said, "Would Heaven I had tarried in the island! It was
+better than this wild desert; for there I had at least fruits to eat
+and water to drink, and here are neither trees nor fruits nor streams.
+But there is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the
+Glorious, the Great! Verily, as often as I am quit of one peril, I fall
+into a worse danger and a more grievous." However, I took courage and
+walking along the Wady found that its soil was of diamond, the stone
+wherewith they pierce minerals and precious stones and porcelain and
+the onyx, for that it is a dense stone and a dure, whereon neither iron
+nor hardhead hath effect, neither can we cut off aught therefrom nor
+break it, save by means of leadstone.[FN#23] Moreover, the valley
+swarmed with snakes and vipers, each big as a palm tree, that would
+have made but one gulp of an elephant; and they came out by night,
+hiding during the day, lest the Rukhs and eagles pounce on them and
+tear them to pieces, as was their wont, why I wot not. And I repented
+of what I had done and said, "By Allah, I have made haste to bring
+destruction upon myself!" The day began to wane as I went along and I
+looked about for a place where I might pass the night, being in fear of
+the serpents; and I took no thought of meat and drink in my concern for
+my life. Presently, I caught sight of a cave nearhand, with a narrow
+doorway; so I entered and seeing a great stone close to the mouth, I
+rolled it up and stopped the entrance, saying to myself, "I am safe
+here for the night; and as soon as it is day, I will go forth and see
+what destiny will do." Then I looked within the cave and saw to the
+upper end a great serpent brooding on her eggs, at which my flesh
+quaked and my hair stood on end; but I raised my eyes to Heaven and,
+committing my case to fate and lot, abode all that night without sleep
+till daybreak, when I rolled back the stone from the mouth of the cave
+and went forth, staggering like a drunken man and giddy with watching
+and fear and hunger. As in this sore case I walked along the valley,
+behold, there fell down before me a slaughtered beast; but I saw no
+one, whereat I marvelled with great marvel and presently remembered a
+story I had heard aforetime of traders and pilgrims and travellers; how
+the mountains where are the diamonds are full of perils and terrors,
+nor can any fare through them; but the merchants who traffic in
+diamonds have a device by which they obtain them, that is to say, they
+take a sheep and slaughter and skin it and cut it in pieces and cast
+them down from the mountain-tops into the valley-sole, where the meat
+being fresh and sticky with blood, some of the gems cleave to it. There
+they leave it till mid-day, when the eagles and vultures swoop down
+upon it and carry it in their claws to the mountain-summits, whereupon
+the merchants come and shout at them and scare them away from the meat.
+Then they come and, taking the diamonds which they find sticking to it,
+go their ways with them and leave the meat to the birds and beasts; nor
+can any come at the diamonds but by this device,—And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-fifth Night,
+
+She said, it hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued his relation of what befel him in the Mountain of
+Diamonds, and informed them that the merchants cannot come at the
+diamonds save by the device aforesaid. So, when I saw the slaughtered
+beast fall (he pursued) and bethought me of the story, I went up to it
+and filled my pockets and shawl-girdle and turband and the folds of my
+clothes with the choicest diamonds; and, as I was thus engaged, down
+fell before me another great piece of meat. Then with my unrolled
+turband and lying on my back, I set the bit on my breast so that I was
+hidden by the meat, which was thus raised above the ground. Hardly had
+I gripped it, when an eagle swooped down upon the flesh and, seizing it
+with his talons, flew up with it high in air and me clinging thereto,
+and ceased not its flight till it alighted on the head of one of the
+mountains where, dropping the carcass he fell to rending it; but,
+behold, there arose behind him a great noise of shouting and clattering
+of wood, whereat the bird took fright and flew away. Then I loosed off
+myself the meat, with clothes daubed with blood therefrom, and stood up
+by its side; whereupon up came the merchant, who had cried out at the
+eagle, and seeing me standing there, bespoke me not, but was affrighted
+at me and shook with fear. However, he went up to the carcass and
+turning it over, found no diamonds sticking to it, whereat he gave a
+great cry and exclaimed, "Harrow, my disappointment! There is no
+Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah with whom we seek refuge
+from Satan the stoned!" And he bemoaned himself and beat hand upon
+hand, saying, "Alas, the pity of it! How cometh this?" Then I went up
+to him and he said to me, "Who art thou and what causeth thee to come
+hither?" And I, "Fear not, I am a man and a good man and a merchant. My
+story is a wondrous and my adventures marvellous and the manner of my
+coming hither is prodigious. So be of good cheer, thou shalt receive of
+me what shall rejoice thee, for I have with me great plenty of diamonds
+and I will give thee thereof what shall suffice thee; for each is
+better than aught thou couldst get otherwise. So fear nothing." The man
+rejoiced thereat and thanked and blessed me; then we talked together
+till the other merchants, hearing me in discourse with their fellow,
+came up and saluted me; for each of them had thrown down his piece of
+meat. And as I went off with them I told them my whole story, how I had
+suffered hardships at sea and the fashion of my reaching the valley.
+But I gave the owner of the meat a number of the stones I had by me, so
+they all wished me joy of my escape, saying, "By Allah a new life hath
+been decreed to thee, for none ever reached yonder valley and came off
+thence alive before thee; but praised be Allah for thy safety!" We
+passed the night together in a safe and pleasant place, beyond measure
+rejoiced at my deliverance from the Valley of Serpents and my arrival
+in an inhabited land; and on the morrow we set out and journeyed over
+the mighty range of mountains, seeing many serpents in the valley, till
+we came to a fair great island, wherein was a garden of huge camphor
+trees under each of which an hundred men might take shelter. When the
+folk have a mind to get camphor, they bore into the upper part of the
+bole with a long iron; whereupon the liquid camphor, which is the sap
+of the tree, floweth out and they catch it in vessels, where it
+concreteth like gum; but, after this, the tree dieth and becometh
+firewood.[FN#24] Moreover, there is in this island a kind of wild
+beast, called "Rhinoceros,"[FN#25] that pastureth as do steers and
+buffalos with us; but it is a huge brute, bigger of body than the camel
+and like it feedeth upon the leaves and twigs of trees. It is a
+remarkable animal with a great and thick horn, ten cubits long,
+amiddleward its head; wherein, when cleft in twain, is the likeness of
+a man. Voyagers and pilgrims and travellers declare that this beast
+called "Karkadan" will carry off a great elephant on its horn and graze
+about the island and the sea-coast therewith and take no heed of it,
+till the elephant dieth and its fat, melting in the sun, runneth down
+into the rhinoceros's eyes and blindeth him, so that he lieth down on
+the shore. Then comes the bird Rukh and carrieth off both the
+rhinoceros's eyes and blindeth him, so that he lieth down on the shore.
+Then comes the bird Rukh and carrieth off both the rhinoceros and that
+which is on its horn to feed its young withal. Moreover, I saw in this
+island many kinds of oxen and buffalos, whose like are not found in our
+country. Here I sold some of the diamonds which I had by me for gold
+dinars and silver dirhams and bartered others for the produce of the
+country; and, loading them upon beasts of burden, fared on with the
+merchants from valley to valley and town to town, buying and selling
+and viewing foreign countries and the works and creatures of Allah,
+till we came to Bassorah-city, where we abode a few days, after which I
+continued my journey to Baghdad.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
+day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-sixth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Sindbad the
+Seaman returned from his travel to Baghdad, the House of Peace, he
+arrived at home with great store of diamonds and money and goods.
+(Continued he) I foregathered with my friends and relations and gave
+alms and largesse and bestowed curious gifts and made presents to all
+my friends and companions. Then I betook myself to eating well and
+drinking well and wearing fine clothes and making merry with my
+fellows, and forgot all my sufferings in the pleasures of return to the
+solace and delight of life, with light heart and broadened breast. And
+every one who heard of my return came and questioned me of my
+adventures and of foreign countries, and I related to them all that had
+befallen me, and the much I had suffered, whereat they wondered and
+gave me joy of my safe return. "This, then is the end of the story of
+my second voyage; and to-morrow, Inshallah! I will tell you what befel
+me in my third voyage." The company marvelled at his story and supped
+with him; after which he ordered an hundred dinars of gold to be given
+to the Porter, who took the sum with many thanks and blessings (which
+he stinted not even when he reached home) and went his way, wondering
+at what he had heard. Next morning as soon as day came in its sheen and
+shone, he rose and praying the dawn-prayer, repaired to the house of
+Sindbad the Seaman, even as he had bidden him, and went in and gave him
+good-morrow. The merchant welcomed him and made him sit with him, till
+the rest of the company arrived; and when they had well eaten and
+drunken and were merry with joy and jollity, their host began by
+saying, "Hearken, O my brothers, to what I am about to tell you; for it
+is even more wondrous than what you have already heard; but Allah alone
+kenneth what things His Omniscience concealed from man! And listen to
+
+
+The Third Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.
+
+As I told you yesterday, I returned from my second voyage overjoyed at
+my safety and with great increase of wealth, Allah having requited me
+all that I had wasted and lost, and I abode awhile in Baghdad-city
+savouring the utmost ease and prosperity and comfort and happiness,
+till the carnal man was once more seized with longing for travel and
+diversion and adventure, and yearned after traffic and lucre and
+emolument, for that the human heart is naturally prone to evil. So
+making up my mind I laid in great plenty of goods suitable for a
+sea-voyage and repairing to Bassorah, went down to the shore and found
+there a fine ship ready to sail, with a full crew and a numerous
+company of merchants, men of worth and substance; faith, piety and
+consideration. I embarked with them and we set sail on the blessing of
+Allah Almighty and on His aidance and His favour to bring our voyage to
+a safe and prosperous issue and already we congratulated one another on
+our good fortune and boon voyage. We fared on from sea to sea and from
+island to island and city to city, in all delight and contentment,
+buying and selling wherever we touched, and taking our solace and our
+pleasure, till one day when, as we sailed athwart the dashing sea,
+swollen with clashing billows, behold, the master (who stood on the
+gunwale examining the ocean in all directions) cried out with a great
+cry, and buffeted his face and pluckt out his beard and rent his
+raiment, and bade furl the sail and cast the anchors. So we said to
+him, "O Rais, what is the matter?" "Know, O my brethren (Allah preserve
+you!), that the wind hath gotten the better of us and hath driven us
+out of our course into mid-ocean, and destiny, for our ill luck, hath
+brought us to the Mountain of the Zughb, a hairy folk like apes,[FN#26]
+among whom no man ever fell and came forth alive; and my heart
+presageth that we all be dead men." Hardly had the master made an end
+of his speech when the apes were upon us. They surrounded the ship on
+all sides swarming like locusts and crowding the shore. They were the
+most frightful of wild creatures, covered with black hair like felt,
+foul of favour and small of stature, being but four spans high,
+yellow-eyed and black-faced; none knoweth their language nor what they
+are, and they shun the company of men. We feared to slay them or strike
+them or drive them away, because of their inconceivable multitude;
+lest, if we hurt one, the rest fall on us and slay us, for numbers
+prevail over courage; so we let them do their will, albeit we feared
+they would plunder our goods and gear. They swarmed up the cables and
+gnawed them asunder, and on like wise they did with all the ropes of
+the ship, so that it fell off from the wind and stranded upon their
+mountainous coast. Then they laid hands on all the merchants and crew,
+and landing us on the island, made off with the ship and its cargo and
+went their ways, we wot not whither. We were thus left on the island,
+eating of its fruits and pot-herbs and drinking of its streams till,
+one day, we espied in its midst what seemed an inhabited house. So we
+made for it as fast as our feet could carry us and behold, it was a
+castle strong and tall, compassed about with a lofty wall, and having a
+two-leaved gate of ebony-wood both of which leaves open stood. We
+entered and found within a space wide and bare like a great square,
+round which stood many high doors open thrown, and at the farther end a
+long bench of stone and brasiers, with cooking gear hanging thereon and
+about it great plenty of bones; but we saw no one and marvelled thereat
+with exceeding wonder. Then we sat down in the courtyard a little while
+and presently falling asleep, slept from the forenoon till sundown,
+when lo! the earth trembled under our feet and the air rumbled with a
+terrible tone. Then there came down upon us, from the top of the
+castle, a huge creature in the likeness of a man, black of colour, tall
+and big of bulk, as he were a great date-tree, with eyes like coals of
+fire and eye-teeth like boar's tusks and a vast big gape like the mouth
+of a well. Moreover, he had long loose lips like camel's, hanging down
+upon his breast and ears like two Jarms[FN#27] falling over his
+shoulder-blades and the nails of his hands were like the claws of a
+lion.[FN#28] When we saw this frightful giant, we were like to faint
+and every moment increased our fear and terror; and we became as dead
+men for excess of horror and affright.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
+of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-seventh Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued:—When we saw this frightful giant we were struck with
+exceeding terror and horror. And after trampling upon the earth, he sat
+awhile on the bench; then he arose and coming to us seized me by the
+arm choosing me out from among my comrades the merchants. He took me up
+in his hand and turning me over felt me, as a butcher feeleth a sheep
+he is about to slaughter, and I but a little mouthful in his hands; but
+finding me lean and fleshless for stress of toil and trouble and
+weariness, let me go and took up another, whom in like manner he turned
+over and felt and let go; nor did he cease to feel and turn over the
+rest of us, one after another, till he came to the master of the ship.
+Now he was a sturdy, stout, broad-shouldered wight, fat and in full
+vigour; so he pleased the giant, who seized him, as a butcher seizeth a
+beast, and throwing him down, set his foot on his neck and brake it;
+after which he fetched a long spit and thrusting it up his backside,
+brought it forth of the crown of his head. Then, lighting a fierce
+fire, he set over it the spit with the Rais thereon, and turned it over
+the coals, till the flesh was roasted, when he took the spit off the
+fire and set it like a Kabáb-stick before him. Then he tare the body,
+limb from limb, as one jointeth a chicken and, rending the flesh with
+his nails, fell to eating of it and gnawing the bones, till there was
+nothing left but some of these, which he threw on one side of the wall.
+This done, he sat for a while; then he lay down on the stone-bench and
+fell asleep, snarking and snoring like the gurgling of a lamb or a cow
+with its throat cut; nor did he awake till morning, when he rose and
+fared forth and went his ways. As soon as we were certified that he was
+gone, we began to talk with one another, weeping and bemoaning
+ourselves for the risk we ran, and saying, "Would Heaven we had been
+drowned in the sea or that the apes had eaten us! That were better than
+to be roasted over the coals; by Allah, this is a vile, foul death! But
+whatso the Lord willeth must come to pass and there is no Majesty and
+there is no Might, save in Him, the Glorious, the Great! We shall
+assuredly perish miserably and none will know of us; as there is no
+escape for us from this place." Then we arose and roamed about the
+island, hoping that haply we might find a place to hide us in or a
+means of flight, for indeed death was a light matter to us, provided we
+were not roasted over the fire[FN#29] and eaten. However, we could find
+no hiding-place and the evening overtook us; so, of the excess of our
+terror, we returned to the castle and sat down awhile. Presently, the
+earth trembled under our feet and the black ogre came up to us and
+turning us over, felt one after other, till he found a man to his
+liking, whom he took and served as he had done the captain, killing and
+roasting and eating him: after which he lay down on the bench[FN#30]
+and slept all night, snarking and snoring like a beast with its throat
+cut, till daybreak, when he arose and went out as before. Then we drew
+together and conversed and said one to other, "By Allah, we had better
+throw ourselves into the sea and be drowned than die roasted; for this
+is an abominable death!" Quoth one of us, "Hear ye my words! let us
+cast about to kill him, and be at peace from the grief of him and rid
+the Moslems of his barbarity and tyranny." Then said I, "Hear me, O my
+brothers; if there is nothing for it but to slay him, let us carry some
+of this firewood and planks down to the sea-shore and make us a boat
+wherein, if we succeed in slaughtering him, we may either embark and
+let the waters carry us whither Allah willeth, or else abide here till
+some ship pass, when we will take passage in it. If we fail to kill
+him, we will embark in the boat and put out to sea; and if we be
+drowned, we shall at least escape being roasted over a kitchen fire
+with sliced weasands; whilst, if we escape, we escape, and if we be
+drowned, we die martyrs." "By Allah," said they all, "this rede is a
+right;" and we agreed upon this, and set about carrying it out. So we
+haled down to the beach the pieces of wood which lay about the bench;
+and, making a boat, moored it to the strand, after which we stowed
+therein somewhat of victual and returned to the castle. As soon as
+evening fell the earth trembled under our feet and in came the
+blackamoor upon us, snarling like a dog about to bite. He came up to us
+and feeling us and turning us over one by one, took one of us and did
+with him as he had done before and ate him, after which he lay down on
+the bench and snored and snorted like thunder. As soon as we were
+assured that he slept, we arose and taking two iron spits of those
+standing there, heated them in the fiercest of the fire, till they were
+red-hot, like burning coals, when we gripped fast hold of them and
+going up to the giant, as he lay snoring on the bench, thrust them into
+his eyes and pressed upon them, all of us, with our united might, so
+that his eyeballs burst and he became stone blind. Thereupon he cried
+with a great cry, whereat our hearts trembled, and springing up from
+the bench, he fell a- groping after us, blind-fold. We fled from him
+right and left and he saw us not, for his sight was altogether blent;
+but we were in terrible fear of him and made sure we were dead men
+despairing of escape. Then he found the door, feeling for it with his
+hands and went out roaring aloud; and behold, the earth shook under us,
+for the noise of his roaring, and we quaked for fear. As he quitted the
+castle we followed him and betook ourselves to the place where we had
+moored our boat, saying to one another, "If this accursed abide absent
+till the going down of the sun and come not to the castle, we shall
+know that he is dead; and if he come back, we will embark in the boat
+and paddle till we escape, committing our affair to Allah." But, as we
+spoke, behold, up came the blackamoor with other two as they were
+Ghuls, fouler and more frightful than he, with eyes like red-hot coals;
+which when we saw, we hurried into the boat and casting off the
+moorings paddled away and pushed out to sea.[FN#31] As soon as the
+ogres caught sight of us, they cried out at us and running down to the
+sea-shore, fell a-pelting us with rocks, whereof some fell amongst us
+and others fell into the sea. We paddled with all our might till we
+were beyond their reach, but the most part of us were slain by the
+rock-throwing, and the winds and waves sported with us and carried us
+into the midst of the dashing sea, swollen with billows clashing. We
+knew not whither we went and my fellows died one after another, till
+there remained but three, myself and two others;—And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-eighth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman thus continued:—Most part of us were slain by the rock- thowing
+and only three of us remained on board the boat for, as often as one
+died, we threw him into the sea. We were sore exhausted for stress of
+hunger, but we took courage and heartened one another and worked for
+dear life and paddled with main and might, till the winds cast us upon
+an island, as we were dead men for fatigue and fear and famine. We
+landed on the island and walked about it for a while, finding that it
+abounded in trees and streams and birds; and we ate of the fruits and
+rejoiced in our escape from the black and our deliverance from the
+perils of the sea; and thus we did till nightfall, when we lay down and
+fell asleep for excess of fatigue. But we had hardly closed our eyes
+before we were aroused by a hissing sound like the sough of wind, and
+awaking, saw a serpent like a dragon, a seld-seen sight, of monstrous
+make and belly of enormous bulk which lay in a circle around us.
+Presently it reared its head and, seizing one of my companions,
+swallowed him up to his shoulders; then it gulped down the rest of him,
+and we heard his ribs crack in its belly. Presently it went its way,
+and we abode in sore amazement and grief for our comrade and mortal
+fear for ourselves, saying, "By Allah, this is a marvellous thing! Each
+kind of death that threatened us is more terrible than the last. We
+were rejoicing in our escape from the black ogre and our deliverance
+from the perils of the sea; but now we have fallen into that which is
+worse. There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah! By the
+Almighty, we have escaped from the blackamoor and from drowning: but
+how shall we escape from this abominable and viperish monster?" Then we
+walked about the island, eating of its fruits and drinking of its
+streams till dusk, when we climbed up into a high tree and went to
+sleep there, I being on the topmost bough. As soon as it was dark
+night, up came the serpent, looking right and left; and, making for the
+tree whereon we were, climbed up to my comrade and swallowed him down
+to his shoulders. Then it coiled about the bole[FN#32] with him, whilst
+I, who could not take my eyes off the sight, heard his bones crack in
+its belly, and it swallowed him whole, after which it slid down from
+the tree. When the day broke and the light showed me that the serpent
+was gone, I came down, as I were a dead man for stress of fear and
+anguish, and thought to cast myself into the sea and be at rest from
+the woes of the world; but could not bring myself to this, for verily
+life is dear. So I took five pieces of wood, broad and long, and bound
+one crosswise to the soles of my feet and others in like fashion on my
+right and left sides and over my breast; and the broadest and largest I
+bound across my head and made them fast with ropes. Then I lay down on
+the ground on my back, so that I was completely fenced in by the pieces
+of wood, which enclosed me like a bier.[FN#33] So as soon as it was
+dark, up came the serpent, as usual, and made towards me, but could not
+get at me to swallow me for the wood that fenced me in. So it wriggled
+round me on every side, whilst I looked on, like one dead by reason of
+my terror; and every now and then it would glide away and come back;
+but as often as it tried to come at me, it was hindered by the pieces
+of wood wherewith I had bound myself on every side. It ceased not to
+beset me thus from sundown till dawn, but when the light of day shone
+upon the beast it made off, in the utmost fury and extreme
+disappointment. Then I put out my hand and unbound myself, well-nigh
+down among the dead men for fear and suffering; and went down to the
+island-shore, whence a ship afar off in the midst of the waves suddenly
+struck my sight. So I tore off a great branch of a tree and made signs
+with it to the crew, shouting out the while; which when the ship's
+company saw they said to another, "We must stand in and see what this
+is; peradventure 'tis a man." So they made for the island and presently
+heard my cries, whereupon they took me on board and questioned me of my
+case. I told them all my adventures from first to last, whereat they
+marvelled mightily and covered my shame[FN#34] with some of their
+clothes. Moreover, they set before me somewhat of food and I ate my
+fill and I drank cold sweet water and was mightily refreshed; and Allah
+Almighty quickened me after I was virtually dead. So I praised the Most
+Highest and thanked Him for His favours and exceeding mercies, and my
+heart revived in me after utter despair, till meseemed as if all I had
+suffered were but a dream I had dreamed. We sailed on with a fair wind
+the Almighty sent us till we came to an island, called
+Al-Saláhitah,[FN#35] which aboundeth in sandal- wood when the captain
+cast anchor,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
+her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-ninth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued:—And when we had cast anchor, the merchants and the
+sailors landed with their goods to sell and to buy. Then the captain
+turned to me and said, "Hark'ee, thou art a stranger and a pauper and
+tellest us that thou hast undergone frightful hardship; wherefore I
+have a mind to benefit thee with somewhat that may further thee to thy
+native land, so thou wilt ever bless me and pray for me." "So be it,"
+answered I; "thou shalt have my prayers." Quoth he, "Know then that
+there was with us a man, a traveller, whom we lost, and we know not if
+he be alive or dead, for we had no news of him; so I purpose to commit
+his bales of goods to thy charge, that thou mayst sell them in this
+island. A part of the proceeds we will give thee as an equivalent for
+thy pains and service, and the rest we will keep till we return to
+Baghdad, where we will enquire for his family and deliver it to them,
+together with the unsold goods. Say me then, wilt thou undertake the
+charge and land and sell them as other merchants do?" I replied
+"Hearkening and obedience to thee, O my lord; and great is thy kindness
+to me," and thanked him; whereupon he bade the sailors and porters bear
+the bales in question ashore and commit them to my charge. The ship's
+scribe asked him, "O master, what bales are these and what merchant's
+name shall I write upon them?"; and he answered, "Write on them the
+name of Sindbad the Seaman, him who was with us in the ship and whom we
+lost at the Rukh's island, and of whom we have no tidings; for we mean
+this stranger to sell them; and we will give him a part of the price
+for his pains and keep the rest till we return to Baghdad where, if we
+find the owner we will make it over to him, and if not, to his family."
+And the clerk said, "Thy words are apposite and thy rede is right." Now
+when I heard the captain give orders for the bales to be inscribed with
+my name, I said to myself, "By Allah, I am Sindbad the Seaman!" So I
+armed myself with courage and patience and waited till all the
+merchants had landed and were gathered together, talking and chaffering
+about buying and selling; then I went up to the captain and asked him,
+"O my lord, knowest thou what manner of man was this Sindbad, whose
+goods thou hast committed to me for sale?"; and he answered, "I know of
+him naught save that he was a man from Baghdad-city, Sindbad hight the
+Seaman, who was drowned with many others when we lay anchored at such
+an island and I have heard nothing of him since then." At this I cried
+out with a great cry and said, "O captain, whom Allah keep! know that I
+am that Sindbad the Seaman and that I was not drowned, but when thou
+castest anchor at the island, I landed with the rest of the merchants
+and crew; and I sat down in a pleasant place by myself and ate somewhat
+of food I had with me and enjoyed myself till I became drowsy and was
+drowned in sleep; and when I awoke, I found no ship and none near me.
+These goods are my goods and these bales are my bales; and all the
+merchants who fetch jewels from the Valley of Diamonds saw me there and
+will bear me witness that I am the very Sindbad the Seaman; for I
+related to them everything that had befallen me and told them how you
+forgot me and left me sleeping on the island, and that betided me which
+betided me." When the passengers and crew heard my words, they gathered
+about me and some of them believed me and others disbelieved; but
+presently, behold, one of the merchants, hearing me mention the Valley
+of Diamonds, came up to me and said to them, "Hear what I say, good
+people! When I related to you the most wonderful thing in my travels,
+and I told you that, at the time we cast down our slaughtered animals
+into the Valley of Serpents (I casting with the rest as was my wont),
+there came up a man hanging to mine, ye believed me not and gave me the
+lie." "Yes," quoth they, "thou didst tell us some such tale, but we had
+no call to credit thee." He resumed, "Now this is the very man, by
+token that he gave me diamonds of great value, and high price whose
+like are not to be found, requiting me more than would have come up
+sticking to my quarter of meat; and I companied with him to
+Bassorah-city, where he took leave of us and went on to his native
+stead, whilst we returned to our own land. This is he; and he told us
+his name, Sindbad the Seaman, and how the ship left him on the desert
+island. And know ye that Allah hath sent him hither, so might the truth
+of my story be made manifest to you. Moreover, these are his goods for,
+when he first foregathered with us, he told us of them; and the truth
+of his words is patent." Hearing the merchant's speech the captain came
+up to me and considered me straitly awhile, after which he said, "What
+was the mark on thy bales?" "Thus and thus," answered I, and reminded
+him of somewhat that had passed between him and me, when I shipped with
+him from Bassorah. Thereupon he was convinced that I was indeed Sindbad
+the Seaman and took me round the neck and gave me joy of my safety,
+saying, "By Allah, O my lord, thy case is indeed wondrous and thy tale
+marvellous; but lauded be Allah who hath brought thee and me together
+again, and who hath restored to thee thy goods and gear!"—And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Fiftieth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman thus continued:—"Alhamdolillah!" quoth the captain, "lauded be
+Allah who hath restored unto thee thy goods and gear." Then I disposed
+of my merchandise to the best of my skill, and profited largely on them
+whereat I rejoiced with exceeding joy and congratulated myself on my
+safety and the recovery of my goods. We ceased not to buy and sell at
+the several islands till we came to the land of Hind, where we bought
+cloves and ginger and all manner spices; and thence we fared on to the
+land of Sind, where also we bought and sold. In these Indian seas, I
+saw wonders without number or count, amongst others a fish like a cow
+which bringeth forth its young and suckleth them like human beings; and
+of its skin bucklers are made.[FN#36] There were eke fishes like asses
+and camels[FN#37] and tortoises twenty cubits wide.[FN#38] And I saw
+also a bird that cometh out of a sea-shell and layeth eggs and hatcheth
+her chicks on the surface of the water, never coming up from the sea to
+the land.[FN#39] Then we set sail again with a fair wind and the
+blessing of Almighty Allah; and, after a prosperous voyage, arrived
+safe and sound at Bassorah. Here I abode a few days and presently
+returned to Baghdad where I went at once to my quarter and my house and
+saluted my family and familiars and friends. I had gained on this
+voyage what was beyond count and reckoning, so I gave alms and largesse
+and clad the widow and the orphan, by way of thanksgiving for my happy
+return, and fell to feasting and making merry with my companions and
+intimates and forgot, while eating well and drinking well and dressing
+well, everything that had befallen me and all the perils and hardships
+I had suffered. "These, then, are the most admirable things I sighted
+on my third voyage, and to-morrow, an it be the will of Allah, you
+shall come to me and I will relate the adventures of my fourth voyage,
+which is still more wonderful than those you have already heard."
+(Saith he who telleth the tale), Then Sindbad the Seaman bade give
+Sindbad the Landsman an hundred golden dinars as of wont and called for
+food. So they spread the tables and the company ate the night-meal and
+went their ways, marvelling at the tale they had heard. The Porter
+after taking his gold passed the night in his own house, also wondering
+at what his namesake the Seaman had told him, and as soon as day broke
+and the morning showed with its sheen and shone, he rose and praying
+the dawn-prayer betook himself to Sindbad the Seaman, who returned his
+salute and received him with an open breast and cheerful favour and
+made him sit with him till the rest of the company arrived, when he
+caused set on food and they ate and drank and made merry. Then Sindbad
+the Seaman bespake them and related to them the narrative of
+
+
+The Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.
+
+Know, O my brethren that after my return from my third voyage and
+foregathering with my friends, and forgetting all my perils and
+hardships in the enjoyment of ease and comfort and repose, I was
+visited one day by a company of merchants who sat down with me and
+talked of foreign travel and traffic, till the old bad man within me
+yearned to go with them and enjoy the sight of strange countries, and I
+longed for the society of the various races of mankind and for traffic
+and profit. So I resolved to travel with them and buying the
+necessaries for a long voyage, and great store of costly goods, more
+than ever before, transported them from Baghdad to Bassorah where I
+took ship with the merchants in question, who were of the chief of the
+town. We set out, trusting in the blessing of Almighty Allah; and with
+a favouring breeze and the best conditions we sailed from island to
+island and sea to sea, till, one day, there arose against us a contrary
+wind and the captain cast out his anchors and brought the ship to a
+standsill, fearing lest she should founder in mid-ocean. Then we all
+fell to prayer and humbling ourselves before the Most High; but, as we
+were thus engaged there smote us a furious squall which tore the sails
+to rags and tatters: the anchor-cable parted and, the ship foundering,
+we were cast into the sea, goods and all. I kept myself afloat by
+swimming half the day, till, when I had given myself up for lost, the
+Almighty threw in my way one of the planks of the ship, whereon I and
+some others of the merchants scrambled.—And Shahrazad perceived the
+dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-first Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued as follows:—And when the ship foundered I scrambled on
+to a plank with some others of the merchants and, mounting it as we
+would a horse, paddled with our feet in the sea. We abode thus a day
+and a night, the wind and waves helping us on, and on the second day
+shortly before the mid-time between sunrise and noon[FN#40] the breeze
+freshened and the sea wrought and the rising waves cast us upon an
+island, well-nigh dead bodies for weariness and want of sleep, cold and
+hunger and fear and thirst. We walked about the shore and found
+abundance of herbs, whereof we ate enough to keep breath in body and to
+stay our failing spirits, then lay down and slept till morning hard by
+the sea. And when morning came with its sheen and shone, we arose and
+walked about the island to the right and left, till we came in sight of
+an inhabited house afar off. So we made towards it, and ceased not
+walking till we reached the door thereof when lo! a number of naked men
+issued from it and without saluting us or a word said, laid hold of us
+masterfully and carried us to their king, who signed us to sit. So we
+sat down and they set food before us such as we knew not[FN#41] and
+whose like we had never seen in all our lives. My companions ate of it,
+for stress of hunger, but my stomach revolted from it and I would not
+eat; and my refraining from it was, by Allah's favour, the cause of my
+being alive till now: for no sooner had my comrades tasted of it than
+their reason fled and their condition changed and they began to devour
+it like madmen possessed of an evil spirit. Then the savages gave them
+to drink of cocoa-nut oil and anointed them therewith; and straightway
+after drinking thereof, their eyes turned into their heads and they
+fell to eating greedily, against their wont. When I saw this, I was
+confounded and concerned for them, nor was I less anxious about myself,
+for fear of the naked folk. So I watched them narrowly, and it was not
+long before I discovered them to be a tribe of Magian cannibals whose
+King was a Ghul.[FN#42] All who came to their country or whoso they
+caught in their valleys or on their roads they brought to this King and
+fed them upon that food and anointed them with that oil, whereupon
+their stomachs dilated that they might eat largely, whilst their reason
+fled and they lost the power of thought and became idiots. Then they
+stuffed them with cocoa-nut oil and the aforesaid food, till they
+became fat and gross, when they slaughtered them by cutting their
+throats and roasted them for the King's eating; but, as for the savages
+themselves, they ate human flesh raw.[FN#43] When I saw this, I was
+sore dismayed for myself and my comrades, who were now become so
+stupefied that they knew not what was done with them and the naked folk
+committed them to one who used every day to lead them out and pasture
+them on the island like cattle. And they wandered amongst the trees and
+rested at will, thus waxing very fat. As for me, I wasted away and
+became sickly for fear and hunger and my flesh shrivelled on my bones;
+which when the savages saw, they left me alone and took no thought of
+me and so far forgot me that one day I gave them the slip and walking
+out of their place made for the beach which was distant and there
+espied a very old man seated on a high place, girt by the waters. I
+looked at him and knew him for the herdsman, who had charge of
+pasturing my fellows, and with him were many others in like case. As
+soon as he saw me, he knew me to be in possession of my reason and not
+afflicted like the rest whom he was pasturing; so signed to me from
+afar, as who should say, "Turn back and take the right-hand road, for
+that will lead thee into the King's highway." So I turned back, as he
+bade me, and followed the right-hand road, now running for fear and
+then walking leisurely to rest me, till I was out of the old man's
+sight. By this time, the sun had gone down and the darkness set in; so
+I sat down to rest and would have slept, but sleep came not to me that
+night, for stress of fear and famine and fatigue. When the night was
+half spent, I rose and walked on, till the day broke in all its beauty
+and the sun rose over the heads of the lofty hills and athwart the low
+gravelly plains. Now I was weary and hungry and thirsty; so I ate my
+fill of herbs and grasses that grew in the island and kept life in body
+and stayed my stomach, after which I set out again and fared on all
+that day and the next night, staying my greed with roots and herbs; nor
+did I cease walking for seven days and their nights, till the morn of
+the eighth day, when I caught sight of a faint object in the distance.
+So I made towards it, though my heart quaked for all I had suffered
+first and last, and behold it was a company of men gathering
+pepper-grains.[FN#44] As soon as they saw me, they hastened up to me
+and surrounding me on all sides, said to me, "Who art thou and whence
+come?" I replied, "Know, O folk, that I am a poor stranger," and
+acquainted them with my case and all the hardships and perils I had
+suffered,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-second Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued:—And the men gathering pepper in the island questioned
+me of my case, when I acquainted them with all the hardships and perils
+I had suffered and how I had fled from the savages; whereat they
+marvelled and gave me joy of my safety, saying, "By Allah, this is
+wonderful! But how didst thou escape from these blacks who swarm in the
+island and devour all who fall in with them; nor is any safe from them,
+nor can any get out of their clutches?" And after I had told them the
+fate of my companions, they made me sit by them, till they got quit of
+their work; and fetched me somewhat of good food, which I ate, for I
+was hungry, and rested awhile, after which they took ship with me and
+carrying me to their island-home brought me before their King, who
+returned my salute and received me honourably and questioned me of my
+case. I told him all that had befallen me, from the day of my leaving
+Baghdad-city, whereupon he wondered with great wonder at my adventures,
+he and his courtiers, and bade me sit by him; then he called for food
+and I ate with him what sufficed me and washed my hands and returned
+thanks to Almighty Allah for all His favours praising Him and
+glorifying Him. Then I left the King and walked for solace about the
+city, which I found wealthy and populous, abounding in market-streets
+well stocked with food and merchandise and full of buyers and sellers.
+So I rejoiced at having reached so pleasant a place and took my ease
+there after my fatigues; and I made friends with the townsfolk, nor was
+it long before I became more in honour and favour with them and their
+King than any of the chief men of the realm. Now I saw that all the
+citizens, great and small, rode fine horses, high-priced and
+thorough-bred, without saddles or housings, whereat I wondered and said
+to the King, "Wherefore, O my lord, dost thou not ride with a saddle?
+Therein is ease for the rider and increase of power." "What is a
+saddle?" asked he: "I never saw nor used such a thing in all my life;"
+and I answered, "With thy permission I will make thee a saddle, that
+thou mayest ride on it and see the comfort thereof." And quoth he, "Do
+so." So quoth I to him, "Furnish me with some wood," which being
+brought, I sought me a clever carpenter and sitting by him showed him
+how to make the saddle-tree, portraying for him the fashion thereof in
+ink on the wood. Then I took wool and teased it and made felt of it,
+and, covering the saddle-tree with leather, stuffed it and polished it
+and attached the girth and stirrup leathers; after which I fetched a
+blacksmith and described to him the fashion of the stirrups and
+bridle-bit. So he forged a fine pair of stirrups and a bit, and filed
+them smooth and tinned[FN#45] them. Moreover, I made fast to them
+fringes of silk and fitted bridle-leathers to the bit. Then I fetched
+one of the best of the royal horses and saddling and bridling him, hung
+the stirrups to the saddle and led him to the King. The thing took his
+fancy and he thanked me; then he mounted and rejoiced greatly in the
+saddle and rewarded me handsomely for my work. When the King's Wazir
+saw the saddle, he asked of me one like it and I made it for him.
+Furthermore, all the grandees and officers of state came for saddles to
+me; so I fell to making saddles (having taught the craft to the
+carpenter and blacksmith), and selling them to all who sought, till I
+amassed great wealth and became in high honour and great favour with
+the King and his household and grandees. I abode thus till, one day, as
+I was sitting with the King in all respect and contentment, he said to
+me, "Know thou, O such an one, thou art become one of us, dear as a
+brother, and we hold thee in such regard and affection that we cannot
+part with thee nor suffer thee to leave our city; wherefore I desire of
+thee obedience in a certain matter, and I will not have thee gainsay
+me." Answered I, "O King, what is it thou desirest of me? Far be it
+from me to gainsay thee in aught, for I am indebted to thee for many
+favours and bounties and much kindness, and (praised be Allah!) I am
+become one of thy servants." Quoth he, "I have a mind to marry thee to
+a fair, clever and agreeable wife who is wealthy as she is beautiful;
+so thou mayst be naturalised and domiciled with us: I will lodge thee
+with me in my palace; wherefore oppose me not neither cross me in
+this." When I heard these words I was ashamed and held my peace nor
+could make him any answer,[FN#46] by reason of my much bashfulness
+before him. Asked he, "Why dost thou not reply to me, O my son?"; and I
+answered saying, "O my master, it is thine to command, O King of the
+age!" So he summoned the Kazi and the witnesses and married me
+straightway to a lady of a noble tree and high pedigree; wealthy in
+moneys and means; the flower of an ancient race; of surpassing beauty
+and grace, and the owner of farms and estates and many a
+dwelling-place.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
+saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-third Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued in these words:—Now after the King my master had
+married me to this choice wife, he also gave me a great and goodly
+house standing alone, together with slaves and officers, and assigned
+me pay and allowances. So I became in all ease and contentment and
+delight and forgot everything which had befalled me of weariness and
+trouble and hardship; for I loved my wife with fondest love and she
+loved me no less, and we were as one and abode in the utmost comfort of
+life and in its happiness. And I said in myself, "When I return to my
+native land, I will carry her with me." But whatso is predestined to a
+man, that needs must be, and none knoweth what shall befal him. We
+lived thus a great while, till Almighty Allah bereft one of my
+neighbours of his wife. Now he was a gossip of mine; so hearing the cry
+of the keeners I went in to condole with him on his loss and found him
+in very ill plight, full of trouble and weary of soul and mind. I
+condoled with him and comforted him, saying, "Mourn not for thy wife
+who hath now found the mercy of Allah; the Lord will surely give thee a
+better in her stead and thy name shall be great and thy life shall be
+long in the land, Inshallah!"[FN#47] But he wept bitter tears and
+replied, "O my friend, how can I marry another wife and how shall Allah
+replace her to me with a better than she, whenas I have but one day
+left to live?" "O my brother," said I, "return to thy senses and
+announce not the glad tidings of thine own death, for thou art well,
+sound and in good case." "By thy life, O my friend," rejoined he,
+"to-morrow thou wilt lose me and wilt never see me again till the Day
+of Resurrection." I asked, "How so?" and he answered, "This very day
+they bury my wife, and they bury me with her in one tomb; for it is the
+custom with us, if the wife die first, to bury the husband alive with
+her and in like manner the wife, if the husband die first; so that
+neither may enjoy life after losing his or her mate." "By Allah," cried
+I, "this is a most vile, lewd custom and not to be endured of any!"
+Meanwhile, behold, the most part of the townsfolk came in and fell to
+condoling with my gossip for his wife and for himself. Presently they
+laid the dead woman out, as was their wont; and, setting her on a bier,
+carried her and her husband without the city, till they came to a place
+in the side of the mountain at the end of the island by the sea; and
+here they raised a great rock and discovered the mouth of a
+stone-rivetted pit or well,[FN#48] leading down into a vast underground
+cavern that ran beneath the mountain. Into this pit they threw the
+corpse, then tying a rope of palm-fibres under the husband's armpits,
+they let him down into the cavern, and with him a great pitcher of
+fresh water and seven scones by was of viaticum.[FN#49] When he came to
+the bottom, he loosed himself from the rope and they drew it up; and,
+stopping the mouth of the pit with the great stone, they returned to
+the city, leaving my friend in the cavern with his dead wife. When I
+saw this, I said to myself, "By Allah, this fashion of death is more
+grievous than the first!" And I went in to the King and said to him, "O
+my lord, why do ye bury the quick with the dead?" Quoth he, "It hath
+been the custom, thou must know, of our forbears and our olden Kings
+from time immemorial, if the husband die first, to bury his wife with
+him, and the like with the wife, so we may not sever them, alive or
+dead." I asked, "O King of the age, if the wife of a foreigner like
+myself die among you, deal ye with him as with yonder man?"; and he
+answered, "Assuredly, we do with him even as thou hast seen." When I
+heard this, my gall-bladder was like to burst, for the violence of my
+dismay and concern for myself: my wit became dazed; I felt as if in a
+vile dungeon; and hated their society; for I went about in fear lest my
+wife should die before me and they bury me alive with her. However,
+after a while, I comforted myself, saying, "Haply I shall predecease
+her, or shall have returned to my own land before she die, for none
+knoweth which shall go first and which shall go last." Then I applied
+myself to diverting my mind from this thought with various occupations;
+but it was not long before my wife sickened and complained and took to
+her pillow and fared after a few days to the mercy of Allah; and the
+King and the rest of the folk came, as was their wont, to condole with
+me and her family and to console us for her loss and not less to
+condole with me for myself. Then the women washed her and arraying her
+in her richest raiment and golden ornaments, necklaces and jewellery,
+laid her on the bier and bore her to the mountain aforesaid, where they
+lifted the cover of the pit and cast her in; after which all my
+intimates and acquaintances and my wife's kith and kin came round me,
+to farewell me in my lifetime and console me for my own death, whilst I
+cried out among them, saying, "Almighty Allah never made it lawful to
+bury the quick with the dead! I am a stranger, not one of your kind;
+and I cannot abear your custom, and had I known it I never would have
+wedded among you!" They heard me not and paid no heed to my words, but
+laying hold of me, bound me by force and let me down into the cavern,
+with a large gugglet of sweet water and seven cakes of bread, according
+to their custom. When I came to the bottom, they called out to me to
+cast myself loose from the cords, but I refused to do so; so they threw
+them down on me and, closing the mouth of the pit with the stones
+aforesaid, went their ways,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
+ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-fourth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued:—When they left me in the cavern with my dead wife
+and, closing the mouth of the pit, went their ways, I looked about me
+and found myself in a vast cave full of dead bodies, that exhaled a
+fulsome and loathsome smell and the air was heavy with the groans of
+the dying. Thereupon I fell to blaming myself for what I had done,
+saying, "By Allah, I deserve all that hath befallen me and all that
+shall befal me! What curse was upon me to take a wife in this city?
+There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious,
+the Great! As often as I say, I have escaped from one calamity, I fall
+into a worse. By Allah, this is an abominable death to die! Would
+Heaven I had died a decent death and been washed and shrouded like a
+man and a Moslem. Would I had been drowned at sea or perished in the
+mountains! It were better than to die this miserable death!" And on
+such wise I kept blaming my own folly and greed of gain in that black
+hole, knowing not night from day; and I ceased not to ban the Foul
+Fiend and to bless the Almighty Friend. Then I threw myself down on the
+bones of the dead and lay there, imploring Allah's help and in the
+violence of my despair, invoking death which came not to me, till the
+fire of hunger burned my stomach and thirst set my throat aflame when I
+sat up and feeling for the bread, ate a morsel and upon it swallowed a
+mouthful of water. After this, the worst night I ever knew, I arose,
+and exploring the cavern, found that it extended a long way with
+hollows in its sides; and its floor was strewn with dead bodies and
+rotten bones, that had lain there from olden time. So I made myself a
+place in a cavity of the cavern, afar from the corpses lately thrown
+down and there slept. I abode thus a long while, till my provision was
+like to give out; and yet I ate not save once every day or second day;
+nor did I drink more than an occasional draught, for fear my victual
+should fail me before my death; and I said to myself, "Eat little and
+drink little; belike the Lord shall vouchsafe deliverance to thee!" One
+day, as I sat thus, pondering my case and bethinking me how I should
+do, when my bread and water should be exhausted, behold, the stone that
+covered the opening was suddenly rolled away and the light streamed
+down upon me. Quoth I, "I wonder what is the matter: haply they have
+brought another corpse." Then I espied folk standing about the mouth of
+the pit, who presently let down a dead man and a live woman, weeping
+and bemoaning herself, and with her an ampler supply of bread and water
+than usual.[FN#50] I saw her and she was a beautiful woman; but she saw
+me not; and they closed up the opening and went away. Then I took the
+leg- bone of a dead man and, going up to the woman, smote her on the
+crown of the head; and she cried one cry and fell down in a swoon. I
+smote her a second and a third time, till she was dead, when I laid
+hands on her bread and water and found on her great plenty of ornaments
+and rich apparel, necklaces, jewels and gold trinkets;[FN#51] for it
+was their custom to bury women in all their finery. I carried the
+vivers to my sleeping place in the cavern-side and ate and drank of
+them sparingly, no more than sufficed to keep the life in me, lest the
+provaunt come speedily to an end and I perish of hunger and thirst. Yet
+did I never wholly lose hope in Almighty Allah. I abode thus a great
+while, killing all the live folk they let down into the cavern and
+taking their provisions of meat and drink; till one day, as I slept, I
+was awakened by something scratching and burrowing among the bodies in
+a corner of the cave and said, "What can this be?" fearing wolves or
+hyaenas. So I sprang up and seizing the leg- bone aforesaid, made for
+the noise. As soon as the thing was ware of me, it fled from me into
+the inward of the cavern, and lo! it was a wild beast. However, I
+followed it to the further end, till I saw afar off a point of light
+not bigger than a star, now appearing and then disappearing. So I made
+for it, and as I drew near, it grew larger and brighter, till I was
+certified that it was a crevice in the rock, leading to the open
+country; and I said to myself, "There must be some reason for this
+opening: either it is the mouth of a second pit, such as that by which
+they let me down, or else it is a natural fissure in the stonery." So I
+bethought me awhile and nearing the light, found that it came from a
+breach in the back side of the mountain, which the wild beasts had
+enlarged by burrowing, that they might enter and devour the dead and
+freely go to and fro. When I saw this, my spirits revived and hope came
+back to me and I made sure of life, after having died a death. So I
+went on, as in a dream, and making shift to scramble through the breach
+found myself on the slope of a high mountain, overlooking the salt sea
+and cutting off all access thereto from the island, so that none could
+come at that part of the beach from the city.[FN#52] I praised my Lord
+and thanked Him, rejoicing greatly and heartening myself with the
+prospect of deliverance; then I returned through the crack to the
+cavern and brought out all the food and water I had saved up and donned
+some of the dead folk's clothes over my own; after which I gathered
+together all the collars and necklaces of pearls and jewels and
+trinkets of gold and silver set with precious stones and other
+ornaments and valuables I could find upon the corpses; and, making them
+into bundles with the grave clothes and raiment of the dead, carried
+them out to the back of the mountain facing the sea-shore, where I
+established myself, purposing to wait there till it should please
+Almighty Allah to send me relief by means of some passing ship. I
+visited the cavern daily and as often as I found folk buried alive
+there, I killed them all indifferently, men and women, and took their
+victual and valuables and transported them to my seat on the sea-shore.
+Thus I abode a long while,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
+ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-fifth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued:—And after carrying all my victuals and valuables from
+the cavern to the coast I abode a long while by the sea, pondering my
+case, till one day I caught sight of a ship passing in the midst of the
+clashing sea, swollen with dashing billows. So I took a piece of a
+white shroud I had with me and, tying it to a staff, ran along the
+sea-shore, making signals therewith and calling to the people in the
+ship, till they espied me and hearing my shouts, sent a boat to fetch
+me off. When it drew near, the crew called out to me, saying, "Who art
+thou and how camest thou to be on this mountain, whereon never saw we
+any in our born days?" I answered, "I am a gentleman[FN#53] and a
+merchant, who hath been wrecked and saved myself on one of the planks
+of the ship, with some of my goods; and by the blessing of the Almighty
+and the decrees of Destiny and my own strength and skill, after much
+toil and moil I have landed with my gear in this place where I awaited
+some passing ship to take me off." So they took me in their boat
+together with the bundles I had made of the jewels and valuables from
+the cavern, tied up in clothes and shrouds, and rowed back with me to
+the ship, where the captain said to me, "How camest thou, O man, to
+yonder place on yonder mountain behind which lieth a great city? All my
+life I have sailed these seas and passed to and fro hard by these
+heights; yet never saw I here any living thing save wild beasts and
+birds." I repeated to him the story I had told the sailors,[FN#54] but
+acquainted him with nothing of that which had befallen me in the city
+and the cavern, lest there should be any of the islandry in the ship.
+Then I took out some of the best pearls I had with me and offered them
+to the captain, saying, "O my lord, thou hast been the means of saving
+me off this mountain. I have no ready money; but take this from me in
+requital of thy kindness and good offices." But he refused to accept it
+of me, saying, "When we find a shipwrecked man on the sea-shore or on
+an island, we take him up and give him meat and drink, and if he be
+naked we clothe him; nor take we aught from him; nay, when we reach a
+port of safety, we set him ashore with a present of our own money and
+entreat him kindly and charitably, for the love of Allah the Most
+High." So I prayed that his life be long in the land and rejoiced in my
+escape, trusting to be delivered from my stress and to forget my past
+mishaps; for every time I remembered being let down into the cave with
+my dead wife I shuddered in horror. Then we pursued our voyage and
+sailed from island to island and sea to sea, till we arrived at the
+Island of the Bell, which containeth a city two days' journey in
+extent, whence after a six days' run we reached the Island Kala, hard
+by the land of Hind.[FN#55] This place is governed by a potent and
+puissant King and it produceth excellent camphor and an abundance of
+the Indian rattan: here also is a lead mine. At last by the decree of
+Allah, we arrived in safety at Bassorah-town where I tarried a few
+days, then went on to Baghdad-city, and, finding my quarter, entered my
+house with lively pleasure. There I foregathered with my family and
+friends, who rejoiced in my happy return and gave my joy of my safety.
+I laid up in my storehouses all the goods I had brought with me, and
+gave alms and largesse to Fakirs and beggars and clothed the widow and
+the orphan. Then I gave myself up to pleasure and enjoyment, returning
+to my old merry mode of life. "Such, then, be the most marvellous
+adventures of my fourth voyage, but to-morrow if you will kindly come
+to me, I will tell you that which befel me in my fifth voyage, which
+was yet rarer and more marvellous than those which forewent it. And
+thou, O my brother Sindbad the Landsman, shalt sup with me as thou art
+wont." (Saith he who telleth the tale), When Sindbad the Seaman had
+made an end of his story, he called for supper; so they spread the
+table and the guests ate the evening meal; after which he gave the
+Porter an hundred dinars as usual, and he and the rest of the company
+went their ways, glad at heart and marvelling at the tales they had
+heard, for that each story was more extraordinary than that which
+forewent it. The porter Sindbad passed the night in his own house, in
+all joy and cheer and wonderment; and, as soon as morning came with its
+sheen and shone, he prayed the dawn-prayer and repaired to the house of
+Sindbad the Seaman, who welcomed him and bade him sit with him till the
+rest of the company arrived, when they ate and drank and made merry and
+the talk went round amongst them. Presently, their host began the
+narrative of the fifth voyage,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
+and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-sixth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the host began in
+these words the narrative of
+
+
+The Fifth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.
+
+Know, O my brothers, that when I had been awhile on shore after my
+fourth voyage; and when, in my comfort and pleasures and merry-makings
+and in my rejoicing over my large gains and profits, I had forgotten
+all I had endured of perils and sufferings, the carnal man was again
+seized with the longing to travel and to see foreign countries and
+islands.[FN#56] Accordingly I bought costly merchandise suited to my
+purpose and, making it up into bales, repaired to Bassorah, where I
+walked about the river-quay till I found a fine tall ship, newly
+builded with gear unused and fitted ready for sea. She pleased me; so I
+bought her and, embarking my goods in her, hired a master and crew,
+over whom I set certain of my slaves and servants as inspectors. A
+number of merchants also brought their outfits and paid me freight and
+passage-money; then, after reciting the Fatihah we set sail over
+Allah's pool in all joy and cheer, promising ourselves a prosperous
+voyage and much profit. We sailed from city to city and from island to
+island and from sea to sea viewing the cities and countries by which we
+passed, and selling and buying in not a few till one day we came to a
+great uninhabited island, deserted and desolate, whereon was a white
+dome of biggest bulk half buried in the sands. The merchants landed to
+examine this dome, leaving me in the ship; and when they drew near,
+behold, it was a huge Rukh's egg. They fell a- beating it with stones,
+knowing not what it was, and presently broke it open, whereupon much
+water ran out of it and the young Rukh appeared within. So they pulled
+it forth of the shell and cut its throat and took of it great store of
+meat. Now I was in the ship and knew not what they did; but presently
+one of the passengers came up to me and said, "O my lord, come and look
+at the egg we thought to be a dome." So I looked and seeing the
+merchants beating it with stones, called out to them, "Stop, stop! do
+not meddle with that egg, or the bird Rukh will come out and break our
+ship and destroy us."[FN#57] But they paid no heed to me and gave not
+over smiting upon the egg, when behold, the day grew dark and dun and
+the sun was hidden from us, as if some great cloud had passed over the
+firmament.[FN#58] So we raised our eyes and saw that what we took for a
+cloud was the Rukh poised between us and the sun, and it was his wings
+that darkened the day. When he came and saw his egg broken, he cried a
+loud cry, whereupon his mate came flying up and they both began
+circling about the ship, crying out at us with voices louder than
+thunder. I called to the Rais and crew, "Put out to sea and seek safety
+in flight, before we be all destroyed." So the merchants came on board
+and we cast off and made haste from the island to gain the open sea.
+When the Rukhs saw this, they flew off and we crowded all sail on the
+ship, thinking to get out of their country; but presently the two
+re-appeared and flew after us and stood over us, each carrying in its
+claws a huge boulder which it had brought from the mountains. As soon
+as the he-Rukh came up with us, he let fall upon us the rock he held in
+his pounces; but the master put about ship, so that the rock missed her
+by some small matter and plunged into the waves with such violence,
+that the ship pitched high and then sank into the trough of the sea and
+the bottom of the ocean appeared to us. Then the she-Rukh let fall her
+rock, which was bigger than that of her mate, and as Destiny had
+decreed, it fell on the poop of the ship and crushed it, the rudder
+flying into twenty pieces; whereupon the vessel foundered and all and
+everything on board were cast into the main.[FN#59] As for me I
+struggled for sweet life, till Almighty Allah threw in my way one of
+the planks of the ship, to which I clung and bestriding it, fell
+a-paddling with my feet. Now the ship had gone down hard by an island
+in the midst of the main and the winds and waves bore me on till, by
+permission of the Most High, they cast me up on the shore of the
+island, at the last gasp for toil and distress and half dead with
+hunger and thirst. So I landed more like a corpse than a live man and
+throwing myself down on the beach, lay there awhile, till I began to
+revive and recover spirits, when I walked about the island and found it
+as it were one of the garths and gardens of Paradise. Its trees, in
+abundance dight, bore ripe-yellow fruit for freight; its streams ran
+clear and bright; its flowers were fair to scent and to sight and its
+birds warbled with delight the praises of Him to whom belong permanence
+and all-might. So I ate my fill of the fruits and slaked my thirst with
+the water of the streams till I could no more and I returned thanks to
+the Most High and glorified Him;—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
+day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-seventh Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued:—So when I escaped drowning and reached the island
+which afforded me fruit to eat and water to drink, I returned thanks to
+the Most High and glorified Him; after which I sat till nightfall,
+hearing no voice and seeing none inhabitant. Then I lay down, well-nigh
+dead for travail and trouble and terror, and slept without surcease
+till morning, when I arose and walked about under the trees, till I
+came to the channel of a draw-well fed by a spring of running water, by
+which well sat an old man of venerable aspect, girt about with a
+waist-cloth[FN#60] made of the fibre of palm-fronds.[FN#61] Quoth I to
+myself, "Haply this Shaykh is one of those who were wrecked in the ship
+and hath made his way to this island." So I drew near to him and
+saluted him, and he returned my salam by signs, but spoke not; and I
+said to him, "O nuncle mine, what causeth thee to sit here?" He shook
+his head and moaned and signed to me with his hands as who should say,
+"Take me on thy shoulders and carry me to the other side of the
+well-channel." And quoth I in my mind, "I will deal kindly with him and
+do what he desireth; it may be I shall win me a reward in Heaven for he
+may be a paralytic." So I took him on my back and carrying him to the
+place whereat he pointed, said to him, "Dismount at thy leisure." But
+he would not get off my back and wound his legs about my neck. I looked
+at them and seeing that they were like a buffalo's hide for blackness
+and roughness,[FN#62] was affrighted and would have cast him off; but
+he clung to me and gripped my neck with his legs, till I was well-nigh
+choked, the world grew black in my sight and I fell senseless to the
+ground like one dead. But he still kept his seat and raising his legs
+drummed with his heels and beat harder than palm-rods my back and
+shoulders, till he forced me to rise for excess of pain. Then he signed
+to me with his hand to carry him hither and thither among the trees
+which bore the best fruits; and if ever I refused to do his bidding or
+loitered or took my leisure he beat me with his feet more grievously
+than if I had been beaten with whips. He ceased not to signal with his
+hand wherever he was minded to go; so I carried him about the island,
+like a captive slave, and he bepissed and conskited my shoulders and
+back, dismounting not night nor day; and whenas he wished to sleep he
+wound his legs about my neck and leaned back and slept awhile, then
+arose and beat me; whereupon I sprang up in haste, unable to gainsay
+him because of the pain he inflicted on me. And indeed I blamed myself
+and sore repented me of having taken compassion on him and continued in
+this condition, suffering fatigue not to be described, till I said to
+myself, "I wrought him a weal and he requited me with my ill; by Allah,
+never more will I do any man a service so long as I live!" And again
+and again I besought the Most High that I might die, for stress of
+weariness and misery; and thus I abode a long while till, one day, I
+came with him to a place wherein was abundance of gourds, many of them
+dry. So I took a great dry gourd and, cutting open the head, scooped
+out the inside and cleaned it; after which I gathered grapes from a
+vine which grew hard by and squeezed them into the gourd, till it was
+full of the juice. Then I stopped up the mouth and set it in the sun,
+where I left it for some days, until it became strong wine; and every
+day I used to drink of it, to comfort and sustain me under my fatigues
+with that froward and obstinate fiend; and as often as I drank myself
+drunk, I forgot my troubles and took new heart. One day he saw me
+drinking and signed to me with his hand, as who should say, "What is
+that?" Quoth I, "It is an excellent cordial, which cheereth the heart
+and reviveth the spirits." Then, being heated with wine, I ran and
+danced with him among the trees, clapping my hands and singing and
+making merry; and I staggered under him by design. When he saw this, he
+signed to me to give him the gourd that he might drink, and I feared
+him and gave it him. So he took it and, draining it to the dregs, cast
+it on the ground, whereupon he grew frolicsome and began to clap hands
+and jig to and fro on my shoulders and he made water upon me so
+copiously that all my dress was drenched. But presently the fumes of
+the wine rising to his head, he became helplessly drunk and his side-
+muscles and limbs relaxed and he swayed to and fro on my back. When I
+saw that he had lost his senses for drunkenness, I put my hand to his
+legs and, loosing them from my neck, stooped down well-nigh to the
+ground and threw him at full length,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
+of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-eighth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued:—So I threw the devil off my shoulders, hardly
+crediting my deliverance from him and fearing lest he should shake off
+his drunkenness and do me a mischief. Then I took up a great stone from
+among the trees and coming up to him smote him therewith on the head
+with all my might and crushed in his skull as he lay dead drunk.
+Thereupon his flesh and fat and blood being in a pulp, he died and went
+to his deserts, The Fire, no mercy of Allah be upon him! I then
+returned, with a heart at ease, to my former station on the sea-shore
+and abode in that island many days, eating of its fruits and drinking
+of its waters and keeping a look-out for passing ships; till one day,
+as I sat on the beach, recalling all that had befallen me and saying,
+"I wonder if Allah will save me alive and restore me to my home and
+family and friends!" behold, a ship was making for the island through
+the dashing sea and clashing waves. Presently, it cast anchor and the
+passengers landed; so I made for them, and when they saw me all
+hastened up to me and gathering round me questioned me of my case and
+how I came thither. I told them all that had betided me, whereat they
+marvelled with exceeding marvel and said, "He who rode on thy shoulder
+is called the 'Shaykh al-Bahr' or Old Man of the Sea,[FN#63] and none
+ever felt his legs on neck and came off alive but thou; and those who
+die under him he eateth: so praised be Allah for thy safety!" Then they
+set somewhat of food before me, whereof I ate my fill, and gave me
+somewhat of clothes wherewith I clad myself anew and covered my
+nakedness; after which they took me up into the ship, and we sailed
+days and nights, till fate brought us to a place called the City of
+Apes, builded with lofty houses, all of which gave upon the sea and it
+had a single gate studded and strengthened with iron nails. Now every
+night, as soon as it is dusk the dwellers in this city use to come
+forth of the gates and, putting out to sea in boats and ships, pass the
+night upon the waters in their fear lest the apes should come down on
+them from the mountains. Hearing this I was sore troubled remembering
+what I had before suffered from the ape-kind. Presently I landed to
+solace myself in the city, but meanwhile the ship set sail without me
+and I repented of having gone ashore, and calling to mind my companions
+and what had befallen me with the apes, first and after, sat down and
+fell a- weeping and lamenting. Presently one of the townsfolk accosted
+me and said to me, "O my lord, meseemeth thou art a stranger to these
+parts?" "Yes," answered I, "I am indeed a stranger and a poor one, who
+came hither in a ship which cast anchor here, and I landed to visit the
+town; but when I would have gone on board again, I found they had
+sailed without me." Quoth he, "Come and embark with us, for if thou lie
+the night in the city, the apes will destroy thee." "Hearkening and
+obedience," replied I, and rising, straightway embarked with him in one
+of the boats, whereupon they pushed off from shore and anchoring a mile
+or so from the land, there passed the night. At daybreak, they rowed
+back to the city and landing, went each about his business. Thus they
+did every night, for if any tarried in the town by night the apes came
+down on him and slew him. As soon as it was day, the apes left the
+place and ate of the fruits of the gardens, then went back to the
+mountains and slept there till nightfall, when they again came down
+upon the city.[FN#64] Now this place was in the farthest part of the
+country of the blacks, and one of the strangest things that befel me
+during my sojourn in the city was on this wise. One of the company with
+whom I passed the night in the boat, asked me, "O my lord, thou art
+apparently a stranger in these parts; hast thou any craft whereat thou
+canst work?"; and I answered, "By Allah, O my brother, I have no trade
+nor know I any handicraft, for I was a merchant and a man of money and
+substance and had a ship of my own, laden with great store of goods and
+merchandise; but it foundered at sea and all were drowned excepting me
+who saved myself on a piece of plank which Allah vouchsafed to me of
+His favour." Upon this he brought me a cotton bag and giving it to me,
+said, "Take this bag and fill it with pebbles from the beach and go
+forth with a company of the townsfolk to whom I will give a charge
+respecting thee. Do as they do and belike thou shalt gain what may
+further thy return voyage to thy native land." Then he carried me to
+the beach, where I filled my bag with pebbles large and small, and
+presently we saw a company of folk issue from the town, each bearing a
+bag like mine, filled with pebbles. To these he committed me,
+commending me to their care, and saying, "This man is a stranger, so
+take him with you and teach him how to gather, that he may get his
+daily bread, and you will earn your reward and recompense in Heaven."
+"On our head and eyes be it!" answered they and bidding me welcome,
+fared on with me till we came to a spacious Wady, full of lofty trees
+with trunks so smooth that none might climb them. Now sleeping under
+these trees were many apes, which when they saw us rose and fled from
+us and swarmed up among the branches; whereupon my companions began to
+pelt them with what they had in their bags, and the apes fell to
+plucking of the fruit of the trees and casting them at the folk. I
+looked at the fruits they cast at us and found them to be Indian[FN#65]
+or cocoa-nuts; so I chose out a great tree, full of apes, and going up
+to it, began to pelt them with stones, and they in return pelted me
+with nuts, which I collected, as did the rest; so that even before I
+had made an end of my bagful of pebbles, I had gotten great plenty of
+nuts; and as soon as my companions had in like manner gotten as many
+nuts as they could carry, we returned to the city, where we arrived at
+the fag-end of day. Then I went in to the kindly man who had brought me
+in company with the nut- gatherers and gave him all I had gotten,
+thanking him for his kindness; but he would not accept them, saying,
+"Sell them and make profit by the price; and presently he added (giving
+me the key of a closet in his house) "Store thy nuts in this safe place
+and go thou forth every morning and gather them as thou hast done
+to-day, and choose out the worst for sale and supplying thyself; but
+lay up the rest here, so haply thou mayst collect enough to serve thee
+for thy return home." "Allah requite thee!" answered I and did as he
+advised me, going out daily with the cocoa-nut gatherers, who commended
+me to one another and showed me the best-stocked trees.[FN#66] Thus did
+I for some time, till I had laid up great store of excellent nuts,
+besides a large sum of money, the price of those I had sold. I became
+thus at my ease and bought all I saw and had a mind to, and passed my
+time pleasantly greatly enjoying my stay in the city, till, as I stood
+on the beach, one day, a great ship steering through the heart of the
+sea presently cast anchor by the shore and landed a company of
+merchants, who proceeded to sell and buy and barter their goods for
+cocoa-nuts and other commodities. Then I went to my friend and told him
+of the coming of the ship and how I had a mind to return to my own
+country; and he said, "'Tis for thee to decide." So I thanked him for
+his bounties and took leave of him; then, going to the captain of the
+ship, I agreed with him for my passage and embarked my cocoa-nuts and
+what else I possessed. We weighed anchor,—And Shahrazad perceived the
+dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-ninth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued:—So I left the City of the Apes and embarked my
+cocoa-nuts and what else I possessed. We weighed anchor the same day
+and sailed from island to island and sea to sea; and whenever we
+stopped, I sold and traded with my cocoa-nuts, and the Lord requited me
+more than I erst had and lost. Amongst other places, we came to an
+island abounding in cloves[FN#67] and cinnamon and pepper; and the
+country people told me that by the side of each pepper-bunch groweth a
+great leaf which shadeth it from the sun and casteth the water off it
+in the wet season; but, when the rain ceaseth the leaf turneth over and
+droopeth down by the side of the bunch.[FN#68] Here I took in great
+store of pepper and cloves and cinnamon, in exchange for cocoa-nuts,
+and we passed thence to the Island of Al-Usirat,[FN#69] whence cometh
+the Comorin aloes-wood and thence to another island, five days' journey
+in length, where grows the Chinese lign-aloes, which is better than the
+Comorin; but the people of this island[FN#70] are fouler of condition
+and religion than those of the other, for that they love fornication
+and wine-bibbing, and know not prayer nor call to prayer. Thence we
+came to the pearl-fisheries, and I gave the divers some of my
+cocoa-nuts and said to them, "Dive for my luck and lot!" They did so
+and brought up from the deep bight[FN#71] great store of large and
+priceless pearls; and they said to me, "By Allah, O my master, thy luck
+is a lucky!" Then we sailed on, with the blessing of Allah (whose name
+be exalted!); and ceased not sailing till we arrived safely at
+Bassorah. There I abode a little and then went on to Baghdad, where I
+entered my quarter and found my house and foregathered with my family
+and saluted my friends who gave me joy of my safe return, and I laid up
+all my goods and valuables in my storehouses. Then I distributed alms
+and largesse and clothed the widow and the orphan and made presents to
+my relations and comrades; for the Lord had requited me fourfold that I
+had lost. After which I returned to my old merry way of life and forgot
+all I had suffered in the great profit and gain I had made. "Such,
+then, is the history of my fifth voyage and its wonderments, and now to
+supper; and to-morrow, come again and I will tell you what befel me in
+my sixth voyage; for it was still more wonderful than this." (Saith he
+who telleth the tale), Then he called for food; and the servants spread
+the table, and when they had eaten the evening-meal, he bade give
+Sindbad the porter an hundred golden dinars and the Landsman returned
+home and lay him down to sleep, much marvelling at all he had heard.
+Next morning, as soon as it was light, he prayed the dawn-prayer; and,
+after blessing Mohammed the Cream of all creatures, betook himself to
+the house of Sindbad the Seaman and wished him a good day. The merchant
+bade him sit and talked with him, till the rest of the company arrived.
+Then the servants spread the table and when they had well eaten and
+drunken and were mirthful and merry, Sindbad the Seaman began in these
+words the narrative of
+
+
+The Sixth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.
+
+Know, O my brothers and friends and companions all, that I abode some
+time, after my return from my fifth voyage, in great solace and
+satisfaction and mirth and merriment, joyance and enjoyment; and I
+forgot what I had suffered, seeing the great gain and profit I had made
+till, one day, as I sat making merry and enjoying myself with my
+friends, there came in to me a company of merchants whose case told
+tales of travel, and talked with me of voyage and adventure and
+greatness of pelf and lucre. Hereupon I remembered the days of my
+return from abroad, and my joy at once more seeing my native land and
+foregathering with my family and friends; and my soul yearned for
+travel and traffic. So compelled by Fate and Fortune I resolved to
+undertake another voyage; and, buying me fine and costly merchandise
+meet for foreign trade, made it up into bales, with which I journeyed
+from Baghdad to Bassorah. Here I found a great ship ready for sea and
+full of merchants and notables, who had with them goods of price; so I
+embarked my bales therein. And we left Bassorah in safety and good
+spirits under the safeguard of the King, the Preserver.—And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Sixtieth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued:—And after embarking my bales and leaving Bassorah in
+safety and good spirits, we continued our voyage from place to place
+and from city to city, buying and selling and profiting and diverting
+ourselves with the sight of countries where strange folk dwell. And
+Fortune and the voyage smiled upon us, till one day, as we went along,
+behold, the captain suddenly cried with a great cry and cast his
+turband on the deck. Then he buffeted his face like a woman and plucked
+out his beard and fell down in the waist of the ship will nigh fainting
+for stress of grief and rage, and crying, "Oh and alas for the ruin of
+my house and the orphanship of my poor children!" So all the merchant
+and sailors came round about him and asked him, "O master, what is the
+matter?"; for the light had become night before their sight. And he
+answered, saying, "Know, O folk, that we have wandered from our course
+and left the sea whose ways we wot, and come into a sea whose ways I
+know not; and unless Allah vouchsafe us a means of escape, we are all
+dead men; wherefore pray ye to the Most High, that He deliver us from
+this strait. Haply amongst you is one righteous whose prayers the Lord
+will accept." Then he arose and clomb the mast to see an there were any
+escape from that strait; and he would have loosed the sails; but the
+wind redoubled upon the ship and whirled her round thrice and drave her
+backwards; whereupon her rudder brake and she fell off towards a high
+mountain. With this the captain came down from the mast, saying, "There
+is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the
+Great; nor can man prevent that which is fore-ordained of fate! By
+Allah, we are fallen on a place of sure destruction, and there is no
+way of escape for us, nor can any of us be saved!" Then we all fell
+a-weeping over ourselves and bidding one another farewell for that our
+days were come to an end, and we had lost all hopes of life. Presently
+the ship struck the mountain and broke up, and all and everything on
+board of her were plunged into the sea. Some of the merchants were
+drowned and others made shift to reach the shore and save themselves
+upon the mountain; I amongst the number, and when we got ashore, we
+found a great island, or rather peninsula[FN#72] whose base was strewn
+with wreckage of crafts and goods and gear cast up by the sea from
+broken ships whose passengers had been drowned; and the quantity
+confounded compt and calculation. So I climbed the cliffs into the
+inward of the isle and walked on inland, till I came to a stream of
+sweet water, that welled up at the nearest foot of the mountains and
+disappeared in the earth under the range of hills on the opposite side.
+But all the other passengers went over the mountains to the inner
+tracts; and, dispersing hither and thither, were confounded at what
+they saw and became like madmen at the sight of the wealth and
+treasures wherewith the shores were strewn. As for me I looked into the
+bed of the stream aforesaid and saw therein great plenty of rubies, and
+great royal pearls[FN#73] and all kinds of jewels and precious stones
+which were as gravel in the bed of the rivulets that ran through the
+fields, and the sands sparkled and glittered with gems and precious
+ores. Moreover we found in the island abundance of the finest
+lign-aloes, both Chinese and Comorin; and there also is a spring of
+crude ambergris[FN#74] which floweth like wax or gum over the
+stream-banks, for the great heat of the sun, and runneth down to the
+sea-shore, where the monsters of the deep come up and swallowing it,
+return into the sea. But it burneth in their bellies; so they cast it
+up again and it congealeth on the surface of the water, whereby its
+color and quantities are changed; and at last, the waves cast it
+ashore, and the travellers and merchants who know it, collect it and
+sell it. But as to the raw ambergris which is not swallowed, it floweth
+over the channel and congealeth on the banks and when the sun shineth
+on it, it melteth and scenteth the whole valley with a musk-like
+fragrance: then, when the sun ceaseth from it, it congealeth again. But
+none can get to this place where is the crude ambergris, because of the
+mountains which enclose the island on all sides and which foot of man
+cannot ascend.[FN#75] We continued thus to explore the island,
+marvelling at the wonderful works of Allah and the riches we found
+there, but sore troubled for our own case, and dismayed at our
+prospects. Now we had picked up on the beach some small matter of
+victual from the wreck and husbanded it carefully, eating but once
+every day or two, in our fear lest it should fail us and we die
+miserably of famine or affright. Moreover, we were weak for colic
+brought on by sea-sickness and low diet, and my companions deceased,
+one after other, till there was but a small company of us left. Each
+that died we washed and shrouded in some of the clothes and linen cast
+ashore by the tides; and after a little, the rest of my fellows
+perished, one by one, till I had buried the last of the party and abode
+alone on the island, with but a little provision left, I who was wont
+to have so much. And I wept over myself, saying, "Would Heaven I had
+died before my companions and they had washed and buried me! It had
+been better than I should perish and none wash me and shroud me and
+bury me. But there is Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the
+Glorious, the Great!"— And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
+ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-first Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued in these words:—Now after I had buried the last of my
+party and abode alone on the island, I arose and dug me a deep grave on
+the sea-shore, saying to myself, "Whenas I grow weak and know that
+death cometh to me, I will cast myself into the grave and die there, so
+the wind may drift the sand over me and cover me and I be buried
+therein."[FN#76] Then I fell to reproaching myself for my little wit in
+leaving my native land and betaking me again to travel, after all I had
+suffered during my first five voyages, and when I had not made a single
+one without suffering more horrible perils and more terrible hardships
+than in its forerunner and having no hope of escape from my present
+stress; and I repented me of my folly and bemoaned myself, especially
+as I had no need of money, seeing that I had enough and more than
+enough and could not spend what I had, no, nor a half of it in all my
+life. However, after a while Allah sent me a thought and I said to
+myself, "By God, needs must this stream have an end as well as a
+beginning; ergo an issue somewhere, and belike its course may lead to
+some inhabited place; so my best plan is to make me a little
+boat[FN#77] big enough to sit in, and carry it and launching it on the
+river, embark therein and drop down the stream. If I escape, I escape,
+by God's leave; and if I perish, better die in the river than here."
+Then, sighing for myself, I set to work collecting a number of pieces
+of Chinese and Comorin aloes-wood and I bound them together with ropes
+from the wreckage; then I chose out from the broken-up ships straight
+planks of even size and fixed them firmly upon the aloes-wood, making
+me a boat-raft a little narrower than the channel of the stream; and I
+tied it tightly and firmly as though it were nailed. Then I loaded it
+with the goods, precious ores and jewels: and the union pearls which
+were like gravel and the best of the ambergris crude and pure, together
+with what I had collected on the island and what was left me of victual
+and wild herbs. Lastly I lashed a piece of wood on either side, to
+serve me as oars; and launched it, and embarking, did according to the
+saying of the poet,
+
+"Fly, fly with life whenas evils threat; * Leave the house to
+     tell of its builder's fate!
+Land after land shalt thou seek and find * But no other life on
+     thy wish shall wait:
+Fret not thy soul in thy thoughts o' night; * All woes shall end
+     or sooner or late.
+Whoso is born in one land to die, * There and only there shall
+     gang his gait:
+Nor trust great things to another wight, * Soul hath only soul
+     for confederate."[FN#78]
+
+
+My boat-raft drifted with the stream, I pondering the issue of my
+affair; and the drifting ceased not till I came to the place where it
+disappeared beneath the mountain. I rowed my conveyance into the place
+which was intensely dark; and the current carried the raft with it down
+the underground channel.[FN#79] The thin stream bore me on through a
+narrow tunnel where the raft touched either side and my head rubbed
+against the roof, return therefrom being impossible. Then I blamed
+myself for having thus risked my life, and said, "If this passage grow
+any straiter, the raft will hardly pass, and I cannot turn back; so I
+shall inevitably perish miserably in this place." And I threw myself
+down upon my face on the raft, by reason of the narrowness of the
+channel, whilst the stream ceased not to carry me along, knowing not
+night from day, for the excess of the gloom which encompassed me about
+and my terror and concern for myself lest I should perish. And in such
+condition my course continued down the channel which now grew wide and
+then straiter till, sore aweary by reason of the darkness which could
+be felt, I fell asleep, as I lay prone on the raft, and I slept knowing
+not an the time were long or short. When I awoke at last, I found
+myself in the light of Heaven and opening my eyes I saw myself in a
+broad stream and the raft moored to an island in the midst of a number
+of Indians and Abyssinians. As soon as these blackamoors[FN#80] saw
+that I was awake, they came up to me and bespoke me in their speech;
+but I understood not what they said and thought that this was a dream
+and a vision which had betided me for stress of concern and chagrin.
+But I was delighted at my escape from the river. When they saw I
+understood them not and made them no answer, one of them came forward
+and said to me in Arabic, "Peace be with thee, O my brother! Who art
+thou and whence faredst thou thither? How camest thou into this river
+and what manner of land lies behind yonder mountains, for never knew we
+any one make his way thence to us?" Quoth I, "And upon thee be peace
+and the ruth of Allah and his blessing! Who are ye and what country is
+this?" "O my brother," answered he, "we are husbandmen and tillers of
+the soil, who came out to water our fields and plantations; and,
+finding thee asleep on this raft, laid hold of it and made it fast by
+us, against thou shouldst awake at thy leisure. So tell us how thou
+camest hither?" I answered, "For Allah's sake, O my lord, ere I speak
+give me somewhat to eat, for I am starving, and after ask me what thou
+wilt." So he hastened to fetch me food and I ate my fill, till I was
+refreshed and my fear was calmed by a good belly-full and my life
+returned to me. Then I rendered thanks to the Most High for mercies
+great and small, glad to be out of the river and rejoicing to be
+amongst them, and I told them all my adventures from first to last,
+especially my troubles in the narrow channel.—And Shahrazad perceived
+the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-second Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued:—When I landed and found myself amongst the Indians
+and Abyssinians and had taken some rest, they consulted among
+themselves and said to one another, "There is no help for it but we
+carry him with us and present him to our King, that he may acquaint him
+with his adventures." So they took me, together with the raft-boat and
+its lading of monies and merchandise; jewels, minerals and golden gear,
+and brought me to their King, who was King of Sarandib,[FN#81] telling
+him what had happened; whereupon he saluted me and bade me welcome.
+Then he questioned me of my condition and adventures through the man
+who had spoken Arabic and I repeated to him my story from beginning to
+end, whereat he marvelled exceedingly and gave me joy of my
+deliverance; after which I arose and fetched from the raft great store
+of precious ores and jewels and ambergris and lign-aloes and presented
+them to the King, who accepted them and entreated me with the utmost
+honour, appointing me a lodging in his own palace. So I consorted with
+the chief of the islanders, and they paid me the utmost respect. And I
+quitted not the royal palace. Now the Island Sarandib lieth under the
+equinoctial line, its night and day both numbering twelve house. It
+measureth eighty leagues long by a breadth of thirty and its wideth is
+bounded by a lofty mountain[FN#82] and a deep valley, The mountain is
+conspicuous from a distance of three days and it containeth many kinds
+of rubies and other minerals, and spice-trees of all sorts. The surface
+is covered with emery wherewith gems are cut and fashioned; diamonds
+are in its rivers and pearls are in its valleys. I ascended that
+mountain and solaced myself with a view of its marvels which are
+indescribable and afterwards I returned to the King.[FN#83] Thereupon,
+all the travellers and merchants who came to the place questioned me of
+the affairs of my native land and of the Caliph Harun al-Rashid and his
+rule and I told them of him and of that wherefor he was renowned, and
+they praised him because of this; whilst I in turn questioned them of
+the manners and customers of their own countries and got the knowledge
+I desired. One day, the King himself asked me of the fashions and form
+of government of my country, and I acquainted him with the circumstance
+of the Caliph's sway in the city of Baghdad and the justice of his
+rule. The King marvelled at my account of his appointments and said,
+"By Allah, the Caliph's ordinances are indeed wise and his fashions of
+praiseworthy guise and thou hast made me love him by what thou tellest
+me; wherefore I have a mind to make him a present and send it by thee."
+Quoth I, "Hearkening and obedience, O my lord; I will bear thy gift to
+him and inform him that thou art his sincere lover and true friend."
+Then I abode with the King in great honour and regard and consideration
+for a long while till, one day, as I sat in his palace, I heard news of
+a company of merchants, that were fitting out a ship for Bassorah, and
+said to myself, "I cannot do better than voyage with these men." So I
+rose without stay or delay and kissed the King's hand and acquainted
+him with my longing to set out with the merchants, for that I pined
+after my people and mine own land. Quoth he, "Thou art thine own
+master; yet, if it be thy will to abide with us, on our head and eyes
+be it, for thou gladdenest us with thy company." "By Allah, O my lord,"
+answered I, "thou hast indeed overwhelmed me with thy favours and well-
+doings; but I weary for a sight of my friends and family and native
+country." When he heard this, he summoned the merchants in question and
+commended me to their care, paying my freight and passage-money. Then
+he bestowed on me great riches from his treasuries and charged me with
+a magnificent present for the Caliph Harun al-Rashid. Moreover he gave
+me a sealed letter, saying, "Carry this with thine own hand to the
+Commander of the Faithful and give him many salutations from us!"
+"Hearing and obedience," I replied. The missive was written on the skin
+of the Kháwi[FN#84] (which is finer than lamb-parchment and of yellow
+colour), with ink of ultramarine and the contents were as follows.
+"Peace be with thee from the King of Al-Hind, before whom are a
+thousand elephants and upon whose palace-crenelles are a thousand
+jewels. But after (laud to the Lord and praises to His Prophet!): we
+send thee a trifling gift which be thou pleased to accept. Thou art to
+us a brother and a sincere friend; and great is the love we bear for
+thee in heart; favour us therefore with a reply. The gift besitteth not
+thy dignity: but we beg of thee, O our brother, graciously to accept it
+and peace be with thee." And the present was a cup of ruby a span
+high[FN#85] the inside of which was adorned with precious pearls; and a
+bed covered with the skin of the serpent which swalloweth the elephant,
+which skin hath spots each like a dinar and whoso sitteth upon it never
+sickeneth;[FN#86] and an hundred thousand miskals of Indian lign- aloes
+and a slave-girl like a shining moon. Then I took leave of him and of
+all my intimates and acquaintances in the island and embarked with the
+merchants aforesaid. We sailed with a fair wind, committing ourselves
+to the care of Allah (be He extolled and exalted!) and by His
+permission arrived at Bassorah, where I passed a few days and nights
+equipping myself and packing up my bales. Then I went on to
+Baghdad-city, the House of Peace, where I sought an audience of the
+Caliph and laid the King's presents before him. He asked me whence they
+came and I said to him, "By Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, I know
+not the name of the city nor the way thither!" He then asked me, "O
+Sindbad, is this true which the King writeth?"; and I answered, after
+kissing the ground, "O my lord, I saw in his kingdom much more than he
+hath written in his letter. For state processions a throne is set for
+him upon a huge elephant, eleven cubits high: and upon this he sitteth
+having his great lords and officers and guests standing in two ranks,
+on his right hand and on his left. At his head is a man hending in hand
+a golden javelin and behind him another with a great mace of gold whose
+head is an emerald[FN#87] a span long and as thick as a man's thumb.
+And when he mounteth horse there mount with him a thousand horsemen
+clad in gold brocade and silk; and as the King proceedeth a man
+precedeth him, crying, 'This is the King of great dignity, of high
+authority!' And he continueth to repeat his praises in words I remember
+not, saying at the end of his panegyric, 'This is the King owning the
+crown whose like nor Solomon nor the Mihraj[FN#88] ever possessed.'
+Then he is silent and one behind him proclaimeth, saying, 'He will die!
+Again I say he will die!;' and the other addeth, 'Extolled be the
+perfection of the Living who dieth not!'[FN#89] Moreover by reason of
+his justice and ordinance and intelligence, there is no Kazi in his
+city, and all his lieges distinguish between Truth and Falsehood."
+Quoth the Caliph, "How great is this King! His letter hath shown me
+this; and as for the mightiness of his dominion thou hast told us what
+thou hast eye-witnessed. By Allah, he hath been endowed with wisdom as
+with wide rule." Then I related to the Commander of the Faithful all
+that had befallen me in my last voyage; at which he wondered
+exceedingly and bade his historians record my story and store it up in
+his treasuries, for the edification of all who might see it. Then he
+conferred on me exceeding great favours, and I repaired to my quarter
+and entered my home, where I warehoused all my goods and possessions.
+Presently, my friends came to me and I distributed presents among my
+family and gave alms and largesse; after which I yielded myself to
+joyance and enjoyment, mirth and merry-making, and forgot all that I
+had suffered. "Such, then, O my brothers, is the history of what befel
+me in my sixth voyage, and to-morrow, Inshallah! I will tell you the
+story of my seventh and last voyage, which is still more wondrous and
+marvellous than that of the first six." (Saith he who telleth the
+tale), Then he bade lay the table, and the company supped with him;
+after which he gave the Porter an hundred dinars, as of wont, and they
+all went their ways, marvelling beyond measure at that which they had
+heard.— And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
+permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-third Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Sindbad the
+Seaman had related the history of what befel him in his sixth voyage,
+and all the company had dispersed, Sindbad the Landsman went home and
+slept as of wont. Next day he rose and prayed the dawn-prayer and
+repaired to his namesake's house where, after the company was all
+assembled, the host began to relate
+
+
+The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.
+
+Know, O company, that after my return from my sixth voyage, which
+brought me abundant profit, I resumed my former life in all possible
+joyance and enjoyment and mirth and making merry day and night; and I
+tarried some time in this solace and satisfaction till my soul began
+once more to long to sail the seas and see foreign countries and
+company with merchants and hear new things. So having made up my mind,
+I packed up in bales a quantity of precious stuffs suited for sea-trade
+and repaired with them from Baghdad-city to Bassorah-town, where I
+found a ship ready for sea, and in her a company of considerable
+merchants. I shipped with them and becoming friends, we set forth on
+our venture, in health and safety; and sailed with a fair wind, till we
+came to a city called Madínat-al-Sín; but after we had left it, as we
+fared on in all cheer and confidence, devising of traffic and travel,
+behold, there sprang up a violent head-wind and a tempest of rain fell
+on us and drenched us and our goods. So we covered the bales with our
+cloaks and garments and drugget and canvas, lest they be spoiled by the
+rain, and betook ourselves to prayer and supplication to Almighty Allah
+and humbled ourselves before Him for deliverance from the peril that
+was upon us. But the captain arose and tightening his girdle tucked up
+his skirts and, after taking refuge with Allah from Satan the Stoned,
+clomb to the mast-head, whence he looked out right and left and gazing
+at the passengers and crew fell to buffeting his face and plucking out
+his beard. So we cried to him, "O Rais, what is the matter?"; and he
+replied saying, "Seek ye deliverance of the Most High from the strait
+into which we have fallen and bemoan yourselves and take leave of one
+another; for know that the wind hath gotten the mastery of us and hath
+driven us into the uttermost of the seas of the world." Then he came
+down from the mast-head and opening his sea-chest, pulled out a bag of
+blue cotton, from which he took a powder like ashes. This he set in a
+saucer wetted with a little water and, after waiting a short time,
+smelt and tasted it; and then he took out of the chest a booklet,
+wherein he read awhile and said weeping, "Know, O ye passengers, that
+in this book is a marvellous matter, denoting that whoso cometh hither
+shall surely die, without hope of escape; for that this ocean is called
+the Sea of the Clime of the King, wherein is the sepulchre of our lord
+Solomon, son of David (on both be peace!) and therein are serpents of
+vast bulk and fearsome aspect: and what ship soever cometh to these
+climes there riseth to her a great fish[FN#90] out of the sea and
+swalloweth her up with all and everything on board her." Hearing these
+words from the captain great was our wonder, but hardly had he made an
+end of speaking, when the ship was lifted out of the water and let fall
+again and we applied to praying the death-prayer[FN#91] and committing
+our souls to Allah. Presently we heard a terrible great cry like the
+loud-pealing thunder, whereat we were terror-struck and became as dead
+men, giving ourselves up for lost. Then behold, there came up to us a
+huge fish, as big as a tall mountain, at whose sight we became wild for
+affight and, weeping sore, made ready for death, marvelling at its vast
+size and gruesome semblance; when lo! a second fish made its appearance
+than which we had seen naught more monstrous. So we bemoaned ourselves
+of our lives and farewelled one another; but suddenly up came a third
+fish bigger than the two first; whereupon we lost the power of thought
+and reason and were stupefied for the excess of our fear and horror.
+Then the three fish began circling round about the ship and the third
+and biggest opened his mouth to swallow it, and we looked into its
+mouth and behold, it was wider than the gate of a city and its throat
+was like a long valley. So we besought the Almighty and called for
+succour upon His Apostle (on whom be blessing and peace!), when
+suddenly a violent squall of wind arose and smote the ship, which rose
+out of the water and settled upon a great reef, the haunt of
+sea-monsters, where it broke up and fell asunder into planks and all
+and everything on board were plunged into the sea. As for me, I tore
+off all my clothes but my gown and swam a little way, till I happened
+upon one of the ship's planks whereto I clung and bestrode it like a
+horse, whilst the winds and the waters sported with me and the waves
+carried me up and cast me down; and I was in most piteous plight for
+fear and distress and hunger and thirst. Then I reproached myself for
+what I had done and my soul was weary after a life of ease and comfort;
+and I said to myself, "O Sindbad, O Seaman, thou repentest not and yet
+thou art ever suffering hardships and travails; yet wilt thou not
+renounce sea-travel; or, an thou say, 'I renounce,' thou liest in thy
+renouncement. Endure then with patience that which thou sufferest, for
+verily thou deservest all that betideth thee!"—And Shahrazad perceived
+the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-fourth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued:—But when I had bestridden the plank, quoth I to
+myself, "Thou deservest all that betideth thee. All this is decreed to
+me of Allah (whose name be exalted!), to turn me from my greed of gain,
+whence ariseth all that I endure, for I have wealth galore." Then I
+returned to my senses and said, "In very sooth, this time I repent to
+the Most High, with a sincere repentance, of my lust for gain and
+venture; and never will I again name travel with tongue nor in
+thought." And I ceased not to humble myself before Almighty Allah and
+weep and bewail myself, recalling my former estate of solace and
+satisfaction and mirth and merriment and joyance; and thus I abode two
+days, at the end of which time I came to a great island abounding in
+trees and streams. There I landed and ate of the fruits of the island
+and drank of its waters, till I was refreshed and my life returned to
+me and my strength and spirits were restored and I recited,
+
+"Oft when thy case shows knotty and tangled skein, * Fate downs
+     from Heaven and straightens every ply:
+In patience keep thy soul till clear thy lot * For He who ties
+     the knot can eke untie."
+
+
+Then I walked about, till I found on the further side, a great river of
+sweet water, running with a strong current; whereupon I called to mind
+the boat-raft I had made aforetime and said to myself, "Needs must I
+make another; haply I may free me from this strait. If I escape, I have
+my desire and I vow to Allah Almighty to foreswear travel; and if I
+perish I shall be at peace and shall rest from toil and moil." So I
+rose up and gathered together great store of pieces of wood from the
+trees (which were all of the finest sanders-wood, whose like is not
+albe I knew it not), and made shift to twist creepers and tree-twigs
+into a kind of rope, with which I bound the billets together and so
+contrived a raft. Then saying, "An I be saved, 'tis of God's grace," I
+embarked thereon and committed myself to the current, and it bore me on
+for the first day and the second and the third after leaving the
+island; whilst I lay in the raft, eating not and drinking, when I was
+athirst, of the water of the river, till I was weak and giddy as a
+chicken, for stress of fatigue and famine and fear. At the end of this
+time I came to a high mountain, whereunder ran the river; which when I
+saw, I feared for my life by reason of the straitness I had suffered in
+my former journey, and I would fain have stayed the raft and landed on
+the mountain- side; but the current overpowered me and drew it into the
+subterranean passage like an archway; whereupon I gave myself up for
+lost and said, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in
+Allah, the Glorious, the Great!" However, after a little, the raft
+glided into open air and I saw before me a wide valley, whereinto the
+river fell with a noise like the rolling of thunder and a swiftness as
+the rushing of the wind. I held on to the raft, for fear of falling off
+it, whilst the waves tossed me right and left; and the craft continued
+to descend with the current nor could I avail to stop it nor turn it
+shorewards, till it stopped with me at a great and goodly city, grandly
+edified and containing much people. And when the townsfolk saw me on
+the raft, dropping down with the current, they threw me out ropes which
+I had not strength enough to hold; then they tossed a net over the
+craft and drew it ashore with me, whereupon I fell to the ground amidst
+them, as I were a dead man, for stress of fear and hunger and lack of
+sleep. After awhile, there came up to me out of the crowd an old man of
+reverend aspect, well stricken in years, who welcomed me and threw over
+me abundance of handsome clothes, wherewith I covered my nakedness.
+Then he carried me to the Hammam-bath and brought me cordial sherbets
+and delicious perfumes; moreover, when I came out, he bore me to his
+house, where his people made much of me and, seating me in a pleasant
+place, set rich food before me, whereof I ate my fill and returned
+thanks to God the Most High for my deliverance. Thereupon his pages
+fetched me hot water, and I washed my hands, and his handmaids brought
+me silken napkins, with which I dried them and wiped my mouth. Also the
+Shaykh set apart for me an apartment in a part of his house and charged
+his pages and slave- girls to wait upon me and do my will and supply my
+wants. They were assiduous in my service, and I abode with him in the
+guest- chamber three days, taking my ease of good eating and good
+drinking and good scents till life returned to me and my terrors
+subsided and my heart was calmed and my mind was eased. On the fourth
+day the Shaykh, my host, came in to me and said, "Thou cheerest us with
+thy company, O my son, and praised be Allah for thy safety! Say: wilt
+thou now come down with me to the beach and the bazar and sell thy
+goods and take their price? Belike thou mayst buy thee wherewithal to
+traffic. I have ordered my servants to remove thy stock-in-trade from
+the sea and they have piled it on the shore." I was silent awhile and
+said to myself, "What mean these words and what goods have I?" Then
+said he, "O my son, be not troubled nor careful, but come with me to
+the market and if any offer for thy goods what price contenteth thee,
+take it; but, an thou be not satisfied, I will lay them up for thee in
+my warehouse, against a fitting occasion for sale." So I bethought me
+of my case and said to myself, "Do his bidding and see what are these
+goods!"; and I said to him, "O my nuncle the Shaykh, I hear and I obey;
+I may not gainsay thee in aught for Allah's blessing is on all thou
+dost." Accordingly he guided me to the market-street, where I found
+that he had taken in pieces the raft which carried me and which was of
+sandal-wood and I heard the broker calling it for sale.—And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-fifth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman thus resumed his tale:—I found that the Shaykh had taken to
+pieces my raft which lay on the beach and the broker was crying the
+sandal-wood for sale. Then the merchants came and opened the gate of
+bidding for the wood and bid against one another till its price reached
+a thousand dinars, when they left bidding and my host said to me,
+"Hear, O my son, this is the current price of thy goods in hard times
+like these: wilt thou sell them for this or shall I lay them up for
+thee in my storehouses, till such time as prices rise?" "O my lord,"
+answered I, "the business is in thy hands: do as thou wilt." Then asked
+he, "Wilt thou sell the wood to me, O my son, for an hundred gold
+pieces over and above what the merchants have bidden for it?" and I
+answered, "Yes, I have sold it to thee for monies received."[FN#92] So,
+he bade his servants transport the wood to his storehouses and,
+carrying me back to his house, seated me and counted out to me the
+purchase money; after which he laid it in bags and setting them in a
+privy place, locked them up with an iron padlock and gave me its key.
+Some days after this, the Shaykh said to me, "O my son, I have somewhat
+to propose to thee, wherein I trust thou wilt do my bidding." Quoth I,
+"What is it?" Quoth he, "I am a very old man and have no son; but I
+have a daughter who is young in years and fair of favour and endowed
+with abounding wealth and beauty. Now I have a mind to marry her to
+thee, that thou mayst abide with her in this our country, and I will
+make thee master of all I have in hand for I am an old man and thou
+shalt stand in my stead." I was silent for shame and made him no
+answer, whereupon he continued, "Do my desire in this, O my son, for I
+wish but thy weal; and if thou wilt but do as I say, thou shalt have
+her at once and be as my son; and all that is under my hand or that
+cometh to me shall be thine. If thou have a mind to traffic and travel
+to thy native land, none shall hinder thee, and thy property will be at
+thy sole disposal; so do as thou wilt." "By Allah, O my uncle," replied
+I, "thou art become to me even as my father, and I am a stranger and
+have undergone many hardships: while for stress of that which I have
+suffered naught of judgment or knowledge is left to me. It is for thee,
+therefore, to decide what I shall do." Hereupon he sent his servants
+for the Kazi and the witnesses and married me to his daughter making us
+for a noble marriage-feast[FN#93] and high festival. When I went in to
+her, I found her perfect in beauty and loveliness and symmetry and
+grace, clad in rich raiment and covered with a profusion of ornaments
+and necklaces and other trinkets of gold and silver and precious
+stones, worth a mint of money, a price none could pay. She pleased me
+and we loved each other; and I abode with her in solace and delight of
+life, till her father was taken to the mercy of Allah Almighty. So we
+shrouded him and buried him, and I laid hands on the whole of his
+property and all his servants and slaves became mine. Moreover, the
+merchants installed me in his office, for he was their Shaykh and their
+Chief; and none of them purchased aught but with his knowledge and by
+his leave. And now his rank passed on to me. When I became acquainted
+with the townsfolk, I found that at the beginning of each month they
+were transformed, in that their faces changed and they became like
+birds and they put forth wings wherewith they flew unto the upper
+regions of the firmament and none remained in the city save the women
+and children; and I said in my mind, "When the first of the month
+cometh, I will ask one of them to carry me with them, whither they go."
+So when the time came and their complexion changed and their forms
+altered, I went in to one of the townsfolk and said to him, "Allah upon
+thee! carry me with thee, that I might divert myself with the rest and
+return with you." "This may not be," answered he; but I ceased not to
+solicit him and I importuned him till he consented. Then I went out in
+his company, without telling any of my family[FN#94] or servants or
+friends, and he took me on his back and flew up with me so high in air,
+that I heard the angels glorifying God in the heavenly dome, whereat I
+wondered and exclaimed, "Praised be Allah! Extolled be the perfection
+of Allah!" Hardly had I made an end of pronouncing the Tasbih—praised
+be Allah!—when there came out a fire from heaven and all but consumed
+the company; whereupon they fled from it and descended with curses upon
+me and, casting me down on a high mountain, went away, exceeding wroth
+with me, and left me there alone. As I found myself in this plight, I
+repented of what I had done and reproached myself for having undertaken
+that for which I was unable, saying, "There is no Majesty and there is
+no Might, save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! No sooner am I
+delivered from one affliction than I fall into a worse." And I
+continued in this case knowing not whither I should go, when lo! there
+came up two young men, as they were moons, each using as a staff a rod
+of red gold. So I approached them and saluted them; and when they
+returned my salam, I said to them, "Allah upon you twain; who are ye
+and what are ye?" Quoth they, "We are of the servants of the Most High
+Allah, abiding in this mountain;" and, giving me a rod of red gold they
+had with them, went their ways and left me. I walked on along the
+mountain-ridge staying my steps with the staff and pondering the case
+of the two youths, when behold, a serpent came forth from under the
+mountain, with a man in her[FN#95] jaws, whom she had swallowed even to
+below his navel, and he was crying out and saying, "Whoso delivereth
+me, Allah will deliver him from all adversity!" So I went up to the
+serpent and smote her on the head with the golden staff, whereupon she
+cast the man forth of her mouth.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
+day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-sixth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman thus continued:—When I smote the serpent on the head with my
+golden staff she cast the man forth of her mouth. Then I smote her a
+second time, and she turned and fled; whereupon he came up to me and
+said, "Since my deliverance from yonder serpent hath been at thy hands
+I will never leave thee, and thou shalt be my comrade on this
+mountain." "And welcome," answered I; so we fared on along the
+mountain, till we fell in with a company of folk, and I looked and saw
+amongst them the very man who had carried me and cast me down there. I
+went up to him and spake him fair, excusing myself to him and saying,
+"O my comrade, it is not thus that friend should deal with friend."
+Quoth he, "It was thou who well-nigh destroyed us by thy Tasbih and thy
+glorifying God on my back." Quoth I, "Pardon me, for I had no knowledge
+of this matter; but, if thou wilt take me with thee, I swear not to say
+a word." So he relented and consented to carry me with him, but he made
+an express condition that, so long as I abode on his back, I should
+abstain from pronouncing the Tasbih or otherwise glorifying God. Then I
+gave the wand of gold to him whom I had delivered from the serpent and
+bade him farewell, and my friend took me on his back and flew with me
+as before, till he brought me to the city and set me down in my own
+house. My wife came to meet me and saluting me gave me joy of my safety
+and then said, "Beware of going forth hereafter with yonder folk,
+neither consort with them, for they are brethren of the devils, and
+know not how to mention the name of Allah Almighty; neither worship
+they Him." "And how did thy father with them?" asked I; and she
+answered, "My father was not of them, neither did he as they; and as
+now he is dead methinks thou hadst better sell all we have and with the
+price buy merchandise and journey to thine own country and people, and
+I with thee; for I care not to tarry in this city, my father and my
+mother being dead." So I sold all the Shaykh's property piecemeal, and
+looked for one who should be journeying thence to Bassorah that I might
+join myself to him. And while thus doing I heard of a company of
+townsfolk who had a mind to make the voyage, but could not find them a
+ship; so they bought wood and built them a great ship wherein I took
+passage with them, and paid them all the hire. Then we embarked, I and
+my wife, with all our moveables, leaving our houses and domains and so
+forth, and set sail, and ceased not sailing from island to island and
+from sea to sea, with a fair wind and a favouring, till we arrived at
+Bassorah safe and sound. I made no stay there, but freighted another
+vessel and, transferring my goods to her, set out forthright for
+Baghdad-city, where I arrived in safety, and entering my quarter and
+repairing to my house, foregathered with my family and friends and
+familiars who laid up my goods in my warehouses. When my people who,
+reckoning the period of my absence on this my seventh voyage, had found
+it to be seven and twenty years, and had given up all hope of me, heard
+of my return, they came to welcome me and to give me joy of my safety;
+and I related to them all that had befallen me; whereat they marvelled
+with exceeding marvel. Then I forswore travel and vowed to Allah the
+Most High I would venture no more by land or sea, for that this seventh
+and last voyage had surfeited me of travel and adventure; and I thanked
+the Lord (be He praised and glorified!), and blessed Him for having
+restored me to my kith and kin and country and home. "Consider,
+therefore, O Sindbad, O Landsman," continued Sindbad the Seaman, "what
+sufferings I have undergone and what perils and hardships I have
+endured before coming to my present state." "Allah upon thee, O my
+Lord!" answered Sindbad the Landsman, "pardon me the wrong I did
+thee."[FN#96] And they ceased not from friendship and fellowship,
+abiding in all cheer and pleasures and solace of life till there came
+to them the Destoyer of delights and the Sunderer of Societies, and the
+Shatterer of palaces and the Caterer for Cemeteries to wit, the Cup of
+Death, and glory be to the Living One who dieth not!"[FN#97]
+
+
+
+A Translation of
+
+The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman
+
+
+according to
+
+the version of the
+
+Calcutta Edition
+which differs in essential form
+
+from the preceding
+
+tale
+
+Know, O my brothers and friends and companions all, that when I left
+voyaging and commercing, I said in myself, "Sufficeth me that hath
+befallen me;" and I spent my time in solace and pleasure. One day as I
+sat at home there came a knock at the door, and when the porter opened
+a page entered and said, "The Caliph biddeth thee to him." I went with
+him to the King's majesty and kissed ground and saluted him; whereupon
+he welcomed me and entreated me with honour and said, "O Sindbad, I
+have an occasion for thee: wilt thou do it?" So I kissed his hand and
+asked him, saying, "O my lord, what occasion hath the master for the
+slave?"; whereto he answered me, "I am minded that thou travel to the
+King of Sarandib and carry to him our writ and our gift, for that he
+hath sent to us a present and a letter. I trembled at these words and
+rejoined, "By Allah the Omnipotent, O my lord, I have taken a loathing
+to wayfare, and when I hear the words 'Voyage' or 'Travel,' my limbs
+tremble for what hath befallen me of hardships and horrors. Indeed I
+have no desire whatever for this; more by token as I have bound myself
+by oath not to quit Baghdad." Then I informed the Caliph of all I had
+passed through from first to last, and he marvelled with exceeding
+marvel and said, "By the Almighty, O Sindbad, from ages of old such
+mishaps as happened to thee were never know to happen to any, and thou
+dost only right never even to talk of travel. For our sake, however,
+thou wilt go this time and carry our present and our letter to him of
+Sarandib; and Inshallah—by God's leave!—thou shalt return quickly; and
+on this wise we shall be under no obligation to the said King." I
+replied that I heard and obeyed, being unable to oppose his command, so
+he gave me the gifts and the missive with money to pay my way and I
+kissed hands and left the presence. Then I dropped down from Baghdad to
+the Gulf, and with other merchants embarked, and our ship sailed before
+a fair wind many days and nights till, by Allah's aid, we reached the
+island of Sarandib. As soon as we had made fast we landed and I took
+the present and the letter; and, going in with them to the King, kissed
+ground before him. When he saw me, he said, "Well come, O Sindbad! By
+Allah Omnipotent we were longing to see thee, and glory be to God who
+hath again shown us thy face!" Then taking me by the hand he made me
+sit by his side, rejoicing, and he welcomed me with familiar kindness
+again and entreated me as a friend. After this he began to converse
+with me and courteously addressed me and asked, "What was the cause of
+thy coming to us, O Sindbad?" So after kissing his hand and thanking
+him I answered, "O my lord, I have brought thee a present from my
+master, the Caliph Harun Al-Rashid;" and offered him the present and
+the letter which he read and at which he rejoiced with passing joy. The
+present consisted of a mare worth ten thousand ducats, bearing a golden
+saddle set with jewels; a book; a sumptuous suit of clothes and an
+hundred different kinds of white Cairene cloths and silks of
+Suez,[FN#98] Cufa and Alexandria; Greek carpets and an hundred
+maunds[FN#99] weight of linen and raw silk. Moreover there was a
+wondrous rarety, a marvellous cup of crystal middlemost of which was
+the figure of a lion faced by a kneeling man grasping a bow with arrow
+drawn to the very head, together with the food-tray[FN#100] of Sulayman
+the son of David (on whom be peace!). The missive ran as follows,
+"Peace from King Al-Rashid, the aided of Allah (who hath vouchsafed to
+him and his forefathers noble rank and wide- spread glory), be on the
+fortunate Sultan. But after. Thy letter came to our hands and we
+rejoiced thereat; and we have sent the book entitled 'Delight of the
+Intelligent and for Friends the Rare Present,'[FN#101] together with
+sundry curiosities suitable for Kings; so do thou favour us by
+accepting them: and peace be with thee!" Then the King lavished upon me
+much wealth and entreated me with all honour; so I prayed for him and
+thanked him for his munificence. Some days after I craved his leave to
+depart, but could not obtain it except by great pressing, whereupon I
+farewelled him and fared forth from his city, with merchants and other
+companions, homewards-bound without any desire for travel or
+companions, homewards-bound without any desire for travel or trade. We
+continued voyaging and coasting along many islands; but, when we were
+half-way, we were surrounded by a number of canoes, wherein were men
+like devils armed with bows and arrows, swords and daggers; habited in
+mail- coats and other armoury. They fell upon us and wounded and slew
+all who opposed them; then, having captured the ship and her contents,
+carried us to an island, where they sold us at the meanest price. Now I
+was bought by a wealthy man who, taking me to his house, gave me meat
+and drink and clothing and treated me in the friendliest manner; so I
+was heartened and I rested a little. One day he asked me, "Dost thou
+know any art or craft?" and I answered him, "O my lord, I am a merchant
+and know nothing but trade and traffic." "Dost thou know," rejoined he,
+"how to use bow and arrow?" "Yes," replied I, "I know that much."
+Thereupon he brought me a bow and arrows and mounted me behind him upon
+an elephant: then he set out as night was well nigh over and, passing
+through a forest of huge growths, came to a tall and sturdy tree up
+which he made me climb. Then he gave me the bow and arrows, saying,
+"Sit here now, and when the elephants troop hither in early morning,
+shoot at them; belike thou wilt hit one; and, if he fall, come and tell
+me." With this he left me. I hid myself in the tree being in sore
+terror and trembled till the sun arose; and, when the elephants
+appeared and wandered about among the trees, I shot my arrows at them
+and continued till I had shot down one of them. In the evening I
+reported my success to my master who was delighted in me and entreated
+me with high honour; and next morning he removed the slain elephant. In
+this wise I continued, every morning shooting an elephant which my
+master would remove till, one day, as I was perched in hiding on the
+tree there came on suddenly and unexpectedly an innumerable host of
+elephants whose screaming and trumpeting were such that I imagined the
+earth trembled under them. All surrounded my tree, whose circumference
+was some fifty cubits,[FN#102] and one enormous monster came up to it
+and winding his trunk round the bole haled it up by the roots, and
+dashed it to the ground. I fell down fainting amongst the beasts when
+the monster elephant wound his trunk about me and, setting me on his
+back, went off with me, the others accompanying us. He carried me still
+unconscious till he reached the place for which he was making, when he
+rolled me off his back and presently went his ways followed by the
+others. So I rested a little; and, when my terror had subsided, I
+looked about me and I found myself among the bones of elephants,
+whereby I concluded that this was their burial-place, and that the
+monster elephant had led me thither on account of the tusks.[FN#103] So
+I arose and walked a whole day and night till I arrived at the house of
+my master, who saw my colour changed by stress of affright and famine.
+He rejoiced in my return and said to me, "By Allah, thou hast made my
+heart sore! I went when thou wast missing and found the tree torn up,
+and thought that the elephants had slain thee. Tell me how it was with
+thee." I acquainted him with all that had betided me; whereat he
+wondered greatly, and rejoiced and at last asked me, "Dost thou know
+the place?"; whereto I answered, "Yes, O my master!" So we mounted an
+elephant and fared until we came to the spot and, when my master beheld
+the heaps of tusks, he rejoiced greatly; then carrying away as many as
+he wanted he returned with me home. After this, he entreated me with
+increased favour and said, "O my son, thou hast shown us the way to
+great gain, wherefore Allah requite thee! Thou art freed for the
+Almighty's sake and before His face! The elephants used to destroy many
+of us on account of our hunting them for their ivories and sorivellos;
+but Allah hath preserved thee from them, and thou hast profited us by
+the heaps to which thou hast led us." "O my master," replied I, "God
+free thy neck from the fire! And do thou grant me, O my master, thy
+gracious leave to return to my own country." "Yes" quoth he, "thou
+shalt have that permission. But we have a yearly fair, when merchants
+come to us from various quarters to buy up these ivories. The time is
+drawing near; and, when they shall have done their business, I will
+send thee under their charge and will give thee wherewithal to reach
+thy home." So I blessed and thanked him and remained with him, treated
+with respect and honour, for some days, when the merchants came as he
+had foretold, and bought and sold and bartered; and when they had made
+their preparations to return, my master came to me and said, "Rise and
+get thee ready to travel with the traders en route to thy country."
+They had bought a number of tusks which they had bound together in
+loads and were embarking them when my master sent me with them, paying
+for my passage and settling all my debts; besides which he gave me a
+large present in goods. We set out and voyaged from island to island
+till we had crossed the sea and landed on the shores of the Persian
+Gulf, when the merchants brought out and sold their stores: I also sold
+what I had at a high profit; and I bought some of the prettiest things
+in the place for presents and beautiful rareties and everything else I
+wanted. I likewise bought for myself a beast and we fared forth and
+crossed the deserts from country to country till I reached Baghdad.
+Here I went in to the Caliph and, after saluting him and kissing hands,
+informed him of all that had befallen me; whereupon he rejoiced in my
+safety and thanked Almighty Allah; and he bade my story be written in
+letters of gold. I then entered my house and met my family and
+brethren: and such is the end of the history that happened to me during
+my seven voyages. Praise be to Allah, the One, the Creator, the Maker
+of all things in Heaven and Earth!—
+
+Now when Shahrazad had ended her story of the two Sindbads, Dinarzad
+exclaimed, "O my sister, how pleasant is thy tale and how tasteful! How
+sweet and how grateful!" She replied, "And what is this compared with
+that I could tell thee tomorrow night?" Quoth the King, "What may it
+be?" And she said:—It is a tale touching
+
+
+THE CITY OF BRASS.[FN#104]
+
+It is related that there was, in tide of yore and in times and years
+long gone before, at Damascus of Syria, a Caliph known as Abd al-Malik
+bin Marwan, the fifth of the Ommiade house. As this Commander of the
+Faithful was seated one day in his palace, conversing with his Sultans
+and Kings and the Grandees of his empire, the talk turned upon the
+legends of past peoples and the traditions of our lord Solomon, David's
+son (on the twain be peace!), and on that which Allah Almighty had
+bestowed on him of lordship and dominion over men and Jinn and birds
+and beasts and reptiles and the wind and other created things; and
+quoth the Caliph, "Of a truth we hear from those who forewent us that
+the Lord (extolled and exalted be He!) vouchsafed unto none the like of
+that which He vouchsafed unto our lord Solomon and that he attained
+unto that whereto never attained other than he, in that he was wont to
+imprison Jinns and Marids and Satans in cucurbites of copper and to
+stop them with lead and seal[FN#105] them with his ring."—And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-seventh Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Caliph
+Abd al-Malik bin Marwan sat conversing with his Grandees concerning our
+lord Solomon, and these noted what Allah had bestowed upon him of
+lordship and dominion, quoth the Commander of the Faithful, "Indeed he
+attained unto that whereto never attained other than he, in that he was
+wont to imprison Jinns and Marids and Satans in cucurbites of copper
+and stop them with lead and seal them with his ring." Then said Talib
+bin Sahl (who was a seeker after treasures and had books that
+discovered to him hoards and wealth hidden under the earth), "O
+Commander of the Faithful,—Allah make thy dominion to endure and exalt
+thy dignity here and hereafter!—my father told me of my grandfather,
+that he once took ship with a company, intending for the island of
+Sikiliyah or Sicily, and sailed until there arose against them a
+contrary wind, which drove them from their course and brought them,
+after a month, to a great mountain in one of the lands of Allah the
+Most High, but where that land was they wot not. Quoth my
+grandfather:—This was in the darkness of the night and as soon as it
+was day, there came forth to us, from the caves of the mountain, folk
+black of colour and naked of body, as they were wild beasts,
+understanding not one word of what was addressed to them; nor was there
+any of them who knew Arabic, save their King who was of their own kind.
+When he saw the ship, he came down to it with a company of his
+followers and saluting us, bade us welcome and questioned us of our
+case and our faith. We told him all concerning ourselves and he said,
+Be of good cheer for no harm shall befal you.' And when we, in turn,
+asked them of their faith, we found that each was of one of the many
+creeds prevailing before the preaching of Al-Islam and the mission of
+Mohammed, whom may Allah bless and keep! So my shipmates remarked, We
+wot not what thou sayest.' Then quoth the King, No Adam-son hath ever
+come to our land before you: but fear not, and rejoice in the assurance
+of safety and of return to your own country.' Then he entertained us
+three days, feeding us on the flesh of birds and wild beasts and
+fishes, than which they had no other meat; and, on the fourth day, he
+carried us down to the beach, that we might divert ourselves by looking
+upon the fisher- folk. There we saw a man casting his net to catch
+fish, and presently he pulled them up and behold, in them was a
+cucurbite of copper, stopped with lead and sealed with the signet of
+Solomon, son of David, on whom be peace! He brought the vessel to land
+and broke it open, when there came forth a smoke, which rose a-twisting
+blue to the zenith, and we heard a horrible voice, saying, I repent! I
+repent! Pardon, O Prophet of Allah! I will never return to that which I
+did aforetime.' Then the smoke became a terrible Giant frightful of
+form, whose head was level with the mountain-tops, and he vanished from
+our sight, whilst our hearts were well-nigh torn out for terror; but
+the blacks thought nothing of it. Then we returned to the King and
+questioned him of the matter; whereupon quoth he, Know that this was
+one of the Jinns whom Solomon, son of David, being wroth with them,
+shut up in these vessels and cast into the sea, after stopping the
+mouths with melted lead. Our fishermen ofttimes, in casting their nets,
+bring up such bottles, which being broken open, there come forth of
+them Jinnis who, deeming that Solomon is still alive and can pardon
+them, make their submission to him and say, I repent, O Prophet of
+Allah!'" The Caliph marvelled at Talib's story and said, "Glory be to
+God! Verily, to Solomon was given a mighty dominion." Now al-Nábighah
+al-Zubyání[FN#106] was present, and he said, "Talib hath spoken soothly
+as is proven by the saying of the All-wise, the Primćval One,
+
+And Solomon, when Allah to him said, * Rise, be thou Caliph,
+     rule with righteous sway:
+Honour obedience for obeying thee; * And who rebels imprison him
+     for aye'
+
+
+Wherefore he used to put them in copper-bottles and cast them into the
+sea." The poet's words seemed good to the Caliph, and he said, "By
+Allah, I long to look upon some of these Solomonic vessels, which must
+be a warning to whoso will be warned." "O Commander of the Faithful,"
+replied Talib, "it is in thy power to do so, without stirring abroad.
+Send to thy brother Abd al-Aziz bin Marwán, so he may write to Músá bin
+Nusayr,[FN#107] governor of the Maghrib or Morocco, bidding him take
+horse thence to the mountains whereof I spoke and fetch thee therefrom
+as many of such cucurbites as thou hast a mind to; for those mountains
+adjoin the frontiers of his province." The Caliph approved his counsel
+and said "Thou hast spoken sooth, O Talib, and I desire that, touching
+this matter, thou be my messenger to Musa bin Nusayr; wherefore thou
+shalt have the White Flag[FN#108] and all thou hast a mind to of monies
+and honour and so forth; and I will care for thy family during thine
+absence." "With love and gladness, O Commander of the Faithful!"
+answered Talib. "Go, with the blessing of Allah and His aid," quoth the
+Caliph, and bade write a letter to his brother, Abd al-Aziz, his
+viceroy in Egypt, and another to Musa bin Nusayr, his viceroy in North
+Western Africa, bidding him go himself in quest of the Solomonic
+bottles, leaving his son to govern in his stead. Moreover, he charged
+him to engage guides and to spare neither men nor money, nor to be
+remiss in the matter as he would take no excuse. Then he sealed the two
+letters and committed them to Talib bin Sahl, bidding him advance the
+royal ensigns before him and make his utmost speed and he gave him
+treasure and horsemen and footmen, to further him on his way, and made
+provision for the wants of his household during his absence. So Talib
+set out and arrived in due course at Cairo.[FN#109]—And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-eighth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Talib bin Sahl
+set out with his escort and crossed the desert country between Syria
+and Egypt, where the Governor came out to meet him and entreated him
+and his company with high honour whilst they tarried with him. Then he
+gave them a guide to bring them to the Sa'íd or Upper Egypt, where the
+Emir Musa had his abiding-place; and when the son of Nusayr heard of
+Talib's coming, he went forth to meet him and rejoiced in him. Talib
+gave him the Caliph's letter, and he took it reverently and, laying it
+on his head, cried, "I hear and I obey the Prince of the Faithful."
+Then he deemed it best to assemble his chief officers and when all were
+present he acquainted them with the contents of the Caliph's letter and
+sought counsel of them how he should act. "O Emir," answered they, "if
+thou seek one who shall guide thee to the place summon the Shaykh 'Abd
+al-Samad, ibn 'Abd al-Kuddús, al- Samúdí;[FN#110] for he is a man of
+varied knowledge, who hath travelled much and knoweth by experience all
+the seas and wastes and words and countries of the world and the
+inhabitants and wonders thereof; wherefore send thou for him and he
+will surely guide thee to thy desire." So Musa sent for him, and
+behold, he was a very ancient man shot in years and broken down with
+lapse of days. The Emir saluted him and said, "O Shaykh Abd al-Samad,
+our lord the Commander of the Faithful, Abd al-Malik bin Marwan' hath
+commanded me thus and thus. I have small knowledge of the land wherein
+is that which the Caliph desireth; but it is told me that thou knowest
+it well and the ways thither. Wilt thou, therefore, go with me and help
+me to accomplish the Caliph's need? So it please Allah the Most High,
+thy trouble and travail shall not go waste." Replied the Shaykh, "I
+hear and obey the bidding of the Commander of the Faithful; but know, O
+Emir, that the road thither is long and difficult and the ways few."
+"How far is it?" asked Musa, and the Shaykh answered, "It is a journey
+of two years and some months going and the like returning; and the way
+is full of hardships and terrors and things wondrous and marvellous.
+Now thou art a champion of the Faith[FN#111] and our country is hard by
+that of the enemy; and peradventure the Nazarenes may come out upon us
+in thine absence; wherefore it behoveth thee to leave one to rule thy
+government in thy stead." "It is well," answered the Emir and appointed
+his son Hárún Governor during his absence, requiring the troops to take
+the oath of fealty to him and bidding them obey him in all he should
+com mend. And they heard his words and promised obedience. Now this
+Harun was a man of great prowess and a renowned warrior and a doughty
+knight, and the Shaykh Abd al-Samad feigned to him that the place they
+sought was distant but four months' journey along the shore of the sea,
+with camping-places all the way, adjoining one another, and grass and
+springs, adding, "Allah will assuredly make the matter easy to us
+through thy blessing, O Lieutenant of the Commander of the Faithful!"
+Quoth the Emir Musa, "Knowest thou if any of the Kings have trodden
+this land before us?"; and quoth the Shaykh, "Yes, it belonged
+aforetime to Darius the Greek, King of Alexandria." But he said to Musa
+privily, "O Emir, take with thee a thousand camels laden with victual
+and store of gugglets."[FN#112] The Emir asked, "And what shall we do
+with these?", and the Shaykh answered. "On our way is the desert of
+Kayrwán or Cyrene, the which is a vast wold four days' journey long,
+and lacketh water; nor therein doth sound of voice ever sound nor is
+soul at any time to be seen. Moreover, there bloweth the Simoon[FN#113]
+and other hot winds called Al-Juwayb, which dry up the water-skins; but
+if the water be in gugglets, no harm can come to it." "Right," said
+Musa and sending to Alexandria, let bring thence great plenty of
+gugglets. Then he took with him his Wazir and two thousand cavalry,
+clad in mail cap-á-pie and set out, without other to guide them but Abd
+al-Samad who forewent them, riding on his hackney. The party fared on
+diligently, now passing through inhabited lands, then ruins and anon
+traversing frightful words and thirsty wastes and then mountains which
+spired high in air; nor did they leave journeying a whole year's space
+till, one morning, when the day broke, after they had travelled all
+night, behold, the Shaykh found himself in a land he knew not and said,
+"There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious,
+the Great!" Quoth the Emir, "What is to do, O Shaykh?"; and he
+answered, saying, "By the Lord of the Ka'abah, we have wandered from
+our road!" "How cometh that?" asked Musa, and Abd al-Samad replied,
+"The stars were overclouded and I could not guide myself by them."
+"Where on God's earth are we now?" asked the Emir, and the Shaykh
+answered, "I know not; for I never set eyes on this land till this
+moment." Said Musa, "Guide us back to the place where we went astray",
+but the other, "I know it no more." Then Musa, "Let us push on; haply
+Allah will guide us to it or direct us aright of His power." So they
+fared on till the hour of noon-prayer, when they came to a fair
+champaign, and wide and level and smooth as it were the sea when calm,
+and presently there appeared to them, on the horizon some great thing,
+high and black, in whose midst was as it were smoke rising to the
+confines of the sky. They made for this, and stayed not in their course
+till they drew near thereto, when, lo! it was a high castle, firm of
+foundations and great and gruesome, as it were a towering mountain,
+builded all of black stone, with frowning crenelles and a door of
+gleaming China steel, that dazzled the eyes and dazed the wits. Round
+about it were a thousand steps and that which appeared afar off as it
+were smoke was a central dome of lead an hundred cubits high. When the
+Emir saw this, he marvelled thereat with exceeding marvel and how this
+place was void of inhabitants; and the Shaykh, after he had certified
+himself thereof, said, "There is no god but the God and Mohammed is the
+Apostle of God!" Quoth Musa, "I hear thee praise the Lord and hallow
+Him, and meseemeth thou rejoicest." "O Emir," answered Abd al-Samad,
+"Rejoice, for Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) hath delivered us
+from the frightful words and thirsty wastes." "How knowest thou that?"
+said Musa, and the other, "I know it for that my father told me of my
+grandfather that he said, We were once journeying in this land and,
+straying from the road, we came to this palace and thence to the City
+of Brass; between which and the place thou seekest is two full months'
+travel; but thou must take to the sea-shore and leave it not, for there
+be watering-places and wells and camping-grounds established by King Zú
+al-Karnayn Iskandar who, when he went to the conquest of Mauritania,
+found by the way thirsty deserts and wastes and wilds and dug therein
+water-pits and built cisterns.' " Quoth Musa, "Allah rejoice thee with
+good news!" and quoth the Shaykh, "Come, let us go look upon yonder
+palace and its marvels, for it is an admonition to whose will be
+admonished." So the Emir went up to the palace, with the Shaykh and his
+officers, and coming to the gate, found it open. Now this gate was
+builded with lofty columns and porticoes whose walls and ceilings were
+inlaid with gold and silver and precious stones; and there led up to it
+flights of steps, among which were two wide stairs of coloured marble,
+never was seen their like; and over the doorway was a tablet whereon
+were graven letters of gold in the old ancient Ionian character. "O
+Emir," asked the Shaykh, "Shall I read?"; and Musa answered, "Read and
+God bless thee!; for all that betideth us in this journey dependeth
+upon thy blessing." So the Shaykh, who was a very learned man and
+versed in all tongues and characters, went up to the tablet and read
+whatso was thereon and it was verse like this,
+
+"The signs that here their mighty works portray * Warn us that
+     all must tread the self-same way:
+O thou who standest in this stead to hear * Tidings of folk,
+     whose power hath passed for aye,
+Enter this palace-gate and ask the news * Of greatness fallen
+     into dust and clay:
+Death has destroyed them and dispersed their might * And in the
+     dust they lost their rich display;
+As had they only set their burdens down * To rest awhile, and
+     then had rode away."
+
+
+When the Emir Musa heard these couplets, he wept till he lost his
+senses and said, "There is no god but the God, the Living, the Eternal,
+who ceaseth not!" Then he entered the palace and was confounded at its
+beauty and the goodliness of its construction. He diverted himself
+awhile by viewing the pictures and images therein, till he came to
+another door, over which also were written verses, and said to the
+Shaykh, "Come read me these!" So he advanced and read as follows,
+
+"Under these domes how many a company * Halted of old and fared
+     with-outen stay:
+See thou what might displays on other wights * Time with his
+     shifts which could such lords waylay:
+They shared together what they gathered * And left their joys and
+     fared to Death-decay:
+What joys they joyed! what food they ate! and now * In dust
+     they're eaten, for the worm a prey."
+
+
+At this the Emir Musa wept bitter tears; and the world waxed yellow
+before his eyes and he said, "Verily, we were created for a mighty
+matter!"[FN#114] Then they proceeded to explore the palace and found it
+desert and void of living thing, its courts desolate and dwelling
+places waste laid. In the midst stood a lofty pavilion with a dome
+rising high in air, and about it were four hundred tombs, builded of
+yellow marble. The Emir drew near unto these and behold, amongst them
+was a great tomb, wide and long; and at its head stood a tablet of
+white marble, whereon were graven these couplets,
+
+"How oft have I fought! and how many have slain! * How much have
+     I witnessed of blessing and bane!
+How much have I eaten! how much have I drunk! * How oft have I
+     hearkened to singing-girl's strain!
+How much have I bidden! how oft have forbid! * How many a castle
+     and castellain
+I have sieged and have searched, and the cloistered maids * In
+     the depths of its walls for my captives were ta'en!
+But of ignorance sinned I to win me the meeds * Which won proved
+     naught and brought nothing of gain:
+Then reckon thy reck'ning, O man, and be wise * Ere the goblet of
+     death and of doom thou shalt drain;
+For yet but a little the dust on thy head * They shall strew, and
+     thy life shall go down to the dead."
+
+
+The Emir and his companions wept; then, drawing near unto the pavilion,
+they saw that it had eight doors of sandal-wood, studded with nails of
+gold and stars of silver and inlaid with all manner precious stones. On
+the first door were written these verses,
+
+"What I left, I left it not for nobility of soul, * But through
+     sentence and decree that to every man are dight.
+What while I lived happy, with a temper haught and high, * My
+     hoarding-place defending like a lion in the fight,
+I took no rest, and greed of gain forbad me give a grain * Of
+     mustard seed to save from the fires of Hell my sprite,
+Until stricken on a day, as with arrow, by decree * Of the Maker,
+     the Fashioner, the Lord of Might and Right.
+When my death was appointed, my life I could not keep * By the
+     many of my stratagems, my cunning and my sleight:
+My troops I had collected availed me not, and none * Of my
+     friends and of my neighbours had power to mend my plight:
+Through my life I was weaned in journeying to death * In stress
+     or in solace, in joyance or despight:
+So when money-bags are bloated, and dinar unto dinar * Thou
+     addest, all may leave thee with fleeting of the night:
+And the driver of a camel and the digger of a grave[FN#115] * Are
+     what thine heirs shall bring ere the morning dawneth bright:
+And on Judgment Day alone shalt thou stand before thy Lord, *
+     Overladen with thy sins and thy crimes and thine affright:
+Let the world not seduce thee with lurings, but behold * What
+     measure to thy family and neighbours it hath doled."
+
+
+When Musa heard these verses, he wept with such weeping that he swooned
+away; then, coming to himself, he entered the pavilion and saw therein
+a long tomb, awesome to look upon, whereon was a tablet of China steel
+and Shaykh Abd al-Samad drew near it and read this inscription: "In the
+name of Ever-lasting Allah, the Never-beginning, the Never-ending; in
+the name of Allah who begetteth not nor is He begot and unto whom the
+like is not; in the name of Allah the Lord of Majesty and Might; in the
+name of the Living One who to death is never dight!"—And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-ninth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Shaykh Abd
+al-Samad, having read the aforesaid, also found the following, "O thou
+who comest to this place, take warning by that which thou seest of the
+accidents of Time and the vicissitudes of Fortune and be not deluded by
+the world and its pomps and vanities and fallacies and falsehoods and
+vain allurements, for that it is flattering, deceitful end treacherous,
+and the things thereof are but a loan to us which it will borrow back
+from all borrowers. It is like unto the dreams of the dreamer and the
+sleep-visions of the sleeper or as the mirage of the desert, which the
+thirsty take for water;[FN#116] and Satan maketh it fair for men even
+unto death These are the ways of the world; wherefore put not thou thy
+trust therein neither incline thereto, for it betrayeth him who leaneth
+upon it and who committeth himself thereunto in his affairs. Fall not
+thou into its snares neither take hold upon its skirts, but be warned
+by my example. I possessed four thou sand bay horses and a haughty
+palace, and I had to wife a thou sand daughters of kings, high-bosomed
+maids, as they were moons: I was blessed with a thousand sons as they
+were fierce lions, and I abode a thousand years, glad of heart and
+mind, and I amassed treasures beyond the competence of all the Kings of
+the regions of the earth, deeming that delight would still endure to
+me. But there fell on me unawares the Destroyer of delights and the
+Sunderer of societies, the Desolator of domiciles and the Spoiler of
+inhabited spots, the Murtherer of great and small, babes and children
+and mothers, he who hath no ruth on the poor for his poverty, or
+feareth the King for all his bidding or forbidding. Verily, we abode
+safe and secure in this palace, till there descended upon us the
+judgment of the Lord of the Three Worlds, Lord of the Heavens, and Lord
+of the Earths, the vengeance of the Manifest Truth[FN#117] overtook us,
+when there died of us every day two, till a great company of us had
+perished. When I saw that destruction had entered our dwellings and had
+homed with us and in the sea of deaths had drowned us, I summoned a
+writer and bade him indite these verses and instances and admonitions,
+the which I let grave, with rule and compass, on these doors and
+tablets and tombs. Now I had an army of a thousand thousand bridles,
+men of warrior mien with forearms strong and keen, armed with spears
+and mail-coats sheen and swords that gleam; so I bade them don their
+long-hanging hauberks and gird on their biting blades and mount their
+high-mettled steeds and level their dreadful lances; and whenas there
+fell on us the doom of the Lord of heaven and earth, I said to them,
+Ho, all ye soldiers and troopers, can ye avail to ward off that which
+is fallen on me from the Omnipotent King?' But troopers and soldiers
+availed not unto this and said, How shall we battle with Him to whom no
+chamberlain barreth access, the Lord of the door which hath no
+doorkeeper?' Then quoth I to them, Bring me my treasures' Now I had in
+my treasuries a thousand cisterns in each of which were a thousand
+quintals[FN#118] of red gold and the like of white silver, besides
+pearls and jewels of all kinds and other things of price, beyond the
+attainment of the kings of the earth. So they did that and when they
+had laid all the treasure in my presence, I said to them, Can ye ransom
+me with all this treasure or buy me one day of life therewith?' But
+they could not! So they resigned themselves to fore-ordained Fate and
+fortune and I submitted to the judgment of Allah, enduring patiently
+that which he decreed unto me of affliction, till He took my soul and
+made me to dwell in my grave. And if thou ask of my name, I am Kúsh,
+the son of Shaddád son of Ád the Greater." And upon the tablets were
+engraved these lines,
+
+"An thou wouldst know my name, whose day is done * With shifts of
+     time and chances 'neath the sun,
+Know I am Shaddád's son, who ruled mankind * And o'er all earth
+     upheld dominion!
+All stubborn peoples abject were to me; * And Shám to Cairo and
+     to Adnanwone;[FN#119]
+I reigned in glory conquering many kings; * And peoples feared my
+     mischief every one.
+Yea, tribes and armies in my hand I saw; * The world all dreaded
+     me, both friends and fone.
+When I took horse, I viewed my numbered troops, * Bridles on
+     neighing steeds a million.
+And I had wealth that none could tell or count, * Against
+     misfortune treasuring all I won;
+Fain had I bought my life with all my wealth, * And for a
+     moment's space my death to shun;
+But God would naught save what His purpose willed; * So from my
+     brethren cut I 'bode alone:
+And Death, that sunders man, exchanged my lot * To pauper hut
+     from grandeur's mansion
+When found I all mine actions gone and past * Wherefor I'm
+     pledged[FN#120] and by my sin undone.
+Then fear, O man, who by a brink dost range, * The turns of
+     Fortune and the chance of Change."
+
+
+The Emir Musa was hurt to his heart and loathed his life for what he
+saw of the slaughtering-places of the folk; and, as they went about the
+highways and byeways of the palace, viewing its sitting-chambers and
+pleasaunces, behold they came upon a table of yellow onyx, upborne on
+four feet of juniper-wood,[FN#121] and there-on these words graven, "At
+this table have eaten a thousand kings blind of the right eye and a
+thousand blind of the left and yet other thousand sound of both eyes,
+all of whom have departed the world and have taken up their sojourn in
+the tombs and the catacombs." All this the Emir wrote down and left the
+palace, carrying off with him naught save the table aforesaid. Then he
+fared on with his host three days' space, under the guidance of the
+Shaykh Abd al-Samad, till they came to a high hill, whereon stood a
+horseman of brass. In his hand he held a lance with a broad head, in
+brightness like blinding leven, whereon was graven, "O thou that comest
+unto me, if thou know not the way to the City of Brass, rub the hand of
+this rider and he will turn round and presently stop. Then take the
+direction whereto he faceth and fare fearless, for it will bring thee,
+without hardship, to the city aforesaid."—And Shahrazad perceived the
+dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Seventieth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Emir
+Musa rubbed the horseman's hand he revolved like the dazzling
+lightning, and stopped facing in a direction other than that wherein
+they were journeying. So they took the road to which he pointed (which
+was the right way) and, finding it a beaten track, fared on through
+their days and nights till they had covered a wide tract of country.
+Then they came upon a pillar of black stone like a furnace chimney
+wherein was one sunken up to his armpits. He had two great wings and
+four arms, two of them like the arms of the sons of Adam and other two
+as they were lion's paws, with claws of iron, and he was black and tall
+and frightful of aspect, with hair like horses' tails and eyes like
+blazing coals, slit upright in his face. Moreover, he had in the middle
+of his forehead a third eye, as it were that of a lynx, from which flew
+sparks of fire, and he cried out saying, "Glory to my Lord, who hath
+adjudged unto me this grievous torment and sore punishment until the
+Day of Doom!" When the folk saw him, they lost their reason for
+affright and turned to flee; so the Emir Musa asked the Shaykh Abd
+al-Samad, "What is this?"; and he answered, "I know not." Whereupon
+quoth Musa, "Draw near and question him of his condition; haply he will
+discover to thee his case." "Allah assain thee, Emir! Indeed, I am
+afraid of him;" replied the Shaykh; but the Emir rejoined, saying,
+"Fear not; he is hindered from thee and from all others by that wherein
+he is." So Abd al-Samad drew near to the pillar and said to him which
+was therein, "O creature, what is thy name and what art thou and how
+camest thou here in this fashion?" "I am an Ifrit of the Jinn," replied
+he, "by name Dáhish, son of Al-A'amash,[FN#122] and am confined here by
+the All-might, prisoned here by the Providence and punished by the
+judgement of Allah, till it pleases Him, to whom belong Might and
+Majesty, to release me." Then said Musa, "Ask him why he is in durance
+of this column?" So the Shaykh asked him of this, and the Ifrit
+replied, saying, "Verily my tale is wondrous and my case marvellous,
+and it is this. One of the sons of Iblis had an idol of red carnelian,
+whereof I was guardian, and there served it a King of the Kings of the
+sea, a Prince of puissant power and prow of prowess, over-ruling a
+thousand thousand warriors of the Jann who smote with swords before him
+and answered his summons in time of need. All these were under my
+commandment and obeyed my behest, being each and every rebels against
+Solomon, son of David, on whom be peace! And I used to enter the belly
+of the idol and thence bid and forbid them. Now this King's daughter
+loved the idol and was frequent in prostration to it and assiduous in
+its service; and she was the fairest woman of her day, accomplished in
+beauty and loveliness, elegance and grace. She was described unto
+Solomon and he sent to her father, saying, Give me thy daughter to wife
+and break thine idol of carnelian and testify saying, There is no god
+but the God and Solomon is the Prophet of Allah!' an thou do this, our
+due shall be thy due and thy debt shall be our debt, but, if thou
+refuse, make ready to answer the summons of the Lord and don thy
+grave-gear, for I will come upon thee with an irresistible host, which
+shall fill the waste places of earth and make thee as yesterday that is
+passed away and hath no return for aye.' When this message reached the
+King, he waxed insolent and rebellious, pride-full and contumacious and
+he cried to his Wazirs, What say ye of this? Know ye that Solomon son
+of David hath sent requiring me to give him my daughter to wife, and
+break my idol of carnelian and enter his faith!' And they replied, O
+mighty King, how shall Solomon do thus with thee? Even could he come at
+thee in the midst of this vast ocean, he could not prevail against
+thee, for the Marids of the Jann will fight on thy side and thou wilt
+ask succour of thine idol whom thou servest, and he will help thee and
+give thee victory over him. So thou wouldst do well to consult on this
+matter thy Lord,' (meaning the idol aforesaid) and hear what he saith.
+If he say, Fight him, fight him, and if not, not.' So the King went in
+without stay or delay to his idol and offered up sacrifices and
+slaughtered victims; after which he fell down before him, prostrate and
+weeping, and repeated these verses,
+
+O my Lord, well I weet thy puissant hand: * Sulaymán would break
+     thee and see thee bann'd.
+O my Lord, to crave succour here I stand * Command and I bow to
+     thy high command!'
+
+
+Then I" (continued the Ifrit addressing the Shaykh and those about
+him), "of my ignorance and want of wit and recklessness of the
+commandment of Solomon and lack of knowledge anent his power, entered
+the belly of the idol and made answer as follows.
+
+As for me, of him I feel naught affright, * For my lore and my
+     wisdom are infinite:
+If he wish for warfare I'll show him fight * And out of his body
+     I'll tear his sprite!'
+
+
+When the King heard my boastful reply, he hardened his heart and
+resolved to wage war upon the Prophet and to offer him battle;
+wherefore he beat the messenger with a grievous beating and returned a
+foul answer to Solomon, threatening him and saying, Of a truth, thy
+soul hath suggested to thee a vain thing; dost thou menace me with
+mendacious words? But gird thyself for battle; for, an thou come not to
+me, I will assuredly come to thee.' So the messenger returned to
+Solomon and told him all that had passed and whatso had befallen him,
+which when the Prophet heard, he raged like Doomsday and addressed
+himself to the fray and levied armies of men and Jann and birds and
+reptiles. He commanded his Wazir Al-Dimiryát, King of the Jann, to
+gather together the Marids of the Jinn from all parts, and he collected
+for him six hundred thousand thousand of devils.[FN#123] Moreover, by
+his order, his Wazir Ásaf bin Barkhiyá levied him an army of men, to
+the number of a thousand thousand or more. These all he furnished with
+arms and armour and mounting, with his host, upon his carpet, took
+flight through air, while the beasts fared under him and the birds flew
+overhead, till he lighted down on the island of the refractory King and
+encompassed it about, filling earth with his hosts."—And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Seventy-first Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Ifrit
+continued, "So when Solomon the prophet (with whom be peace!) lighted
+down with his host on the island he sent to our King, saying, Behold, I
+am come: defend thy life against that which is fallen upon thee, or
+else make thy submission to me and confess my apostleship and give me
+thy daughter to lawful wife and break thine idol and worship the one
+God, the alone Worshipful; and testify, thou and thine, and say, There
+is no God but the God, and Solomon is the Apostle of Allah![FN#124]
+This if thou do, thou shalt have pardon and peace; but if not, it will
+avail thee nothing to fortify thyself in this island, for Allah
+(extolled and exalted be He!) hath bidden the wind obey me; so I will
+bid it bear me to thee on my carpet and make thee a warning and an
+example to deter others.' But the King made answer to his messenger,
+saying, It may not on any wise be as he requireth of me; so tell him I
+come forth to him,' With this reply the messenger returned to Solomon,
+who thereupon gathered together all the Jinn that were under his hand,
+to the number of a thousand thousand, and added to them other than they
+of Marids and Satans from the islands of the sea and the tops of the
+mountains and, drawing them up on parade, opened his armouries and
+distributed to them arms and armour. Then the Prophet drew out his host
+in battle array, dividing the beasts into two bodies, one on the right
+wing of the men and the other on the left, and bidding them tear the
+enemies' horses in sunder. Furthermore, he ordered the birds which were
+in the island to hover over their heads and, whenas the assault should
+be made, that they should swoop down and tear out the foe's eyes with
+their beaks and buffet their faces with their wings; and they answered,
+saying, We hear and we obey Allah and thee, O Prophet of Allah!' Then
+Solomon seated himself on a throne of alabaster, studded with precious
+stones and plated with red gold; and, commanding the wind to bear him
+aloft, set his Wazir Asaf bin Barkhiya[FN#125] and the kings of mankind
+on his right and his Wazir Al-Dimiryat and the kings of the Jinn on his
+left, arraying the beasts and vipers and serpents in the van. Thereupon
+they all set on us together, and we gave them battle two days over a
+vast plain; but, on the third day, disaster befel us, and the judgment
+of Allah the Most High was executed upon us. Now the first to charge
+upon them were I and my troops, and I said to my companions, Abide in
+your places, whilst I sally forth to them and provoke Al-Dimiryat to
+combat singular.' And behold, he came forth to the duello as he were a
+vast mountain, with his fires flaming and his smoke spireing, and shot
+at me a falling star of fire; but I swerved from it and it missed me.
+Then I cast at him in my turn, a flame of fire, and smote him; but his
+shaft[FN#126] overcame my fire and he cried out at me so terrible a cry
+that meseemed the skies were fallen flat upon me, and the mountains
+trembled at his voice. Then he commanded his hosts to charge;
+accordingly they rushed on us and we rushed on them, each crying out
+upon other, and battle reared its crest rising in volumes and smoke
+ascending in columns and hearts well nigh cleaving. The birds and the
+flying Jinn fought in the air and the beasts and men and the
+foot-faring Jann in the dust and I fought with Al- Dimiryat, till I was
+aweary and he not less so. At last, I grew weak and turned to flee from
+him, whereupon my companions and tribesmen likewise took to flight and
+my hosts were put to the rout, and Solomon cried out, saying, Take
+yonder furious tyrant, the accursed, the infamous!' Then man fell upon
+man and Jinn upon Jinn and the armies of the Prophet charged down upon
+us, with the wild beasts and lions on their right hand and on their
+left, rending our horses and tearing our men; whilst the birds hovered
+over-head in air pecking out our eyes with their claws and beaks and
+beating our faces with their wings, and the serpents struck us with
+their fangs, till the most of our folk lay prone upon the face of the
+earth, like the trunks of date-trees. Thus defeat befel our King and we
+became a spoil unto Solomon. As to me, I fled from before Al-Dimiryat,
+but he followed me three months' journey, till I fell down for
+weariness and he overtook me, and pouncing upon me, made me prisoner.
+Quoth I, By the virtue of Him who hath exalted thee and abased me,
+spare me and bring me into the presence of Solomon, on whom be peace!'
+So he carried me before Solomon, who received me after the foulest
+fashion and bade bring this pillar and hollow it out. Then he set me
+herein and chained me and sealed me with his signet-ring, and Al-
+Dimiryat bore me to this place wherein thou seest me. Moreover, he
+charged a great angel to guard me, and this pillar is my prison until
+Judgment-day." Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
+her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Seventy-second Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Jinni
+who was prisoned in the pillar had told them his tale, from first to
+last, the folk marvelled at his story and at the frightfulness of his
+favour, and the Emir Musa said, "There is no God but the God! Soothly
+was Solomon gifted with a mighty dominion." Then said the Shaykh Abd
+al-Samad to the Jinni, "Ho there! I would fain ask thee of a thing,
+whereof do thou inform us." "Ask what thou wilt," answered the Ifrit
+Dahish and the Shaykh said, "Are there hereabouts any of the Ifrits
+imprisoned in bottles of brass from the time of Solomon (on whom be
+peace!)?" "Yes," replied the Jinni; "there be such in the sea of
+al-Karkar[FN#127] on the shores whereof dwell a people of the lineage
+of Noah (on whom be peace!); for their country was not reached by the
+Deluge and they are cut off there from the other sons of Adam." Quoth
+Abd al-Samad, "And which is the way to the City of Brass and the place
+wherein are the cucurbites of Solomon, and what distance lieth between
+us and it?" Quoth the Ifrit, "It is near at hand," and directed them in
+the way thither. So they left him and fared forward till there appeared
+to them afar off a great blackness and therein two fires facing each
+other, and the Emir Musa asked the Shaykh, "What is yonder vast
+blackness and its twin fires?"; and the guide answered, "Rejoice O
+Emir, for this is the City of Brass, as it is described in the Book of
+Hidden Treasures which I have by me. Its walls are of black stone and
+it hath two towers of Andalusian brass,[FN#128] which appear to the
+beholder in the distance as they were twin fires, and hence is it named
+the City of Brass." Then they fared on without ceasing till they drew
+near the city and behold, it was as it were a piece of a mountain or a
+mass of iron cast in a mould and impenetrable for the height of its
+walls and bulwarks; while nothing could be more beautiful than its
+buildings and its ordinance. So they dismounted down and sought for an
+entrance, but saw none neither found any trace of opening in the walls,
+albeit there were five-and-twenty portals to the city, but none of them
+was visible from without. Then quoth the Emir, "O Shaykh, I see to this
+city no sign of any gate;" and quoth he, "O Emir, thus is it described
+in my Book of Hidden Treasures; it hath five-and-twenty portals; but
+none thereof may be opened save from within the city." Asked Musa, "
+And how shall we do to enter the city and view its wonders?" and Talib
+son of Sahl, his Wazir, answered, "Allah assain the Emir! let us rest
+here two or three days and, God willing, we will make shift to come
+within the walls." Then said Musa to one of his men, "Mount thy camel
+and ride round about the city, so haply thou may light upon a gate or a
+place somewhat lower than this fronting us, or Inshallah! a breach
+whereby we can enter." Accordingly he mounted his beast, taking water
+and victuals with him, and rode round the city two days and two nights,
+without drawing rein to rest, but found the wall thereof as it were one
+block, without breach or way of ingress; and on the third day, he came
+again in sight of his companions, dazed and amazed at what he had seen
+of the extent and loftiness of the place, and said, "O Emir, the
+easiest place of access is this where you have alighted." Then Musa
+took Talib and Abd al-Samad and ascended the highest hill which
+overlooked the city. When they reached the top, they beheld beneath
+them a city, never saw eyes a greater or a goodlier, with
+dwelling-places and mansions of towering height, and palaces and
+pavilions and domes gleaming gloriously bright and sconces and bulwarks
+of strength infinite; and its streams were a-flowing and flowers
+a-blowing and fruits a glowing. It was a city with gates impregnable;
+but void and still, without a voice or a cheering inhabitant. The owl
+hooted in its quarters; the bird skimmed circling over its squares and
+the raven croaked in its great thoroughfares weeping and bewailing the
+dwellers who erst made it their dwelling.[FN#129] The Emir stood
+awhile, marvelling and sorrowing for the desolation of the city and
+saying, Glory to Him whom nor ages nor changes nor times can blight,
+Him who created all things of His Might!" Presently, he chanced to look
+aside and caught sight of seven tablets of white marble afar off. So he
+drew near them and finding inscriptions graven thereon, called the
+Shaykh and bade him read these. Accordingly he came forward and,
+examining the inscriptions, found that they contained matter of
+admonition and warning and instances and restraint to those of
+understanding. On the first tablet was inscribed, in the ancient Greek
+character: "O son of Adam, how heedless art thou of that which is
+before thee! Verily, thy years and months and days have diverted thee
+therefrom. Knowest thou not that the cup of death is filled for thy
+bane which in a little while to the dregs thou shalt drain? Look to thy
+doom ere thou enter thy tomb. Where be the Kings who held dominion over
+the lands and abased Allah's servants and built these palaces and had
+armies under their commands? By Allah, the Destroyer of delights and
+the Severer of societies and the Devastator of dwelling-places came
+down upon them and transported them from the spaciousness of their
+palaces to the staitness of their burial-places." And at the foot of
+the tablet were written the following verses,
+
+"Where are the Kings earth-peopling, where are they? * The built
+     and peopled left they e'er and aye!
+They're tombed yet pledged to actions past away * And after death
+     upon them came decay.
+Where are their troops? They failed to ward and guard! * Where
+     are the wealth and hoards in treasuries lay?
+Th' Empyrean's Lord surprised them with one word, * Nor wealth
+     nor refuge could their doom delay!"
+
+
+When the Emir heard this, he cried out and the tears ran down his
+cheeks and he exclaimed, "By Allah, from the world abstaining is the
+wisest course and the sole assaining!" And he called for pen- case and
+paper and wrote down what was graven on the first tablet. Then he drew
+near the second tablet and found these words graven thereon, "O son of
+Adam, what hath seduced thee from the service of the Ancient of Days
+and made thee forget that one day thou must defray the debt of death?
+Wottest thou not that it is a transient dwelling wherein for none there
+is abiding; and yet thou taketh thought unto the world and cleaves"
+fast thereto? Where be the kings who Irak peopled and the four quarters
+of the globe possessed? Where be they who abode in Ispahan and the land
+of Khorasan? The voice of the Summoner of Death summoned them and they
+answered him, and the Herald of Destruction hailed them and they
+replied, Here are we! Verily, that which they builded and fortified
+profited them naught; neither did what they had gathered and provided
+avail for their defence." And at the foot of the tablet were graven the
+following verses,
+
+Where be the men who built and fortified * High places never man
+     their like espied?
+In fear of Fate they levied troops and hosts, * Availing naught
+     when came the time and tide,
+Where be the Kisrás homed in strongest walls? * As though they
+     ne'er had been from home they tried!"
+
+
+The Emir Musa wept and exclaimed, "By Allah, we are indeed created for
+a grave matter!" Then he copied the inscription and passed on to the
+third tablet,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
+her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Seventy-third Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Emir Musa
+passed on to the third tablet, whereon was written, "O son of Adam, the
+things of this world thou lovest and prizest and the hest of thy Lord
+thou spurnest and despisest. All the days of thy life pass by and thou
+art content thus to aby. Make ready thy viaticum against the day
+appointed for thee to see and prepare to answer the Lord of every
+creature that be!" And at the foot were written these verses,
+
+"Where is the wight who peopled in the past * Hind land and Sind;
+     and there the tyrant played?
+Who Zanj[FN#130] and Habash bound beneath his yoke, * And Nubia
+     curbed and low its puissance laid.
+Look not for news of what is in his grave. * Ah, he is far who
+     can thy vision aid!
+The stroke of death fell on him sharp and sure; * Nor saved him
+     palace, nor the lands he swayed."
+
+
+At this Musa wept with sore weeping and, going on to the fourth tablet,
+he read inscribed thereon, "O son of Adam, how long shall thy Lord bear
+with thee and thou every day sunken in the sea of thy folly? Hath it
+then been stablished unto thee that some day thou shalt not die? O son
+of Adam, let not the deceits of thy days and nights and times and hours
+delude thee with their delights; but remember that death lieth ready
+for thee ambushing, fain on thy shoulders to spring, nor doth a day
+pass but he morneth with thee in the morning and nighteth with thee by
+night. Beware, then, of his onslaught and make provision there-against.
+As was with me, so it is with thee; thou wastest thy whole life and
+squanderest the joys in which thy days are rife. Hearken, therefore, to
+my words and put thy trust in the Lord of Lords; for in the world there
+is no stability; it is but as a spider's web to thee." And at the foot
+of the tablet were written these couplets,
+
+"Where is the man who did those labours ply * And based and built
+     and reared these walls on high?
+Where be the castles' lords? Who therein dwelt * Fared forth and
+     left them in decay to lie.
+All are entombed, in pledge against the day * When every sin
+     shall show to every eye.
+None but the Lord Most High endurance hath, * Whose Might and
+     Majesty shall never die."
+
+
+When the Emir read this, he swooned away and presently coming to
+himself marvelled exceedingly and wrote it down. Then he drew near the
+fifth tablet and behold, thereon was graven, "O son of Adam, what is it
+that distracteth thee from obedience of thy Creator and the Author of
+thy being, Him who reared thee whenas thou west a little one, and fed
+thee whenas thou west full-grown? Thou art ungrateful for His bounty,
+albeit He watcheth over thee with His favours, letting down the curtain
+of His protection over thee. Needs must there be for thee an hour
+bitterer than aloes and hotter than live coals. Provide thee,
+therefore, against it; for who shall sweeten its gall or quench its
+fires? Bethink thee who forewent thee of peoples and heroes and take
+warning by them, ere thou perish." And at the foot of the tablet were
+graven these couplets,
+
+"Where be the Earth-kings who from where they bode, * Sped and
+     to grave yards with their hoardings yode:
+Erst on their mounting-days there hadst beheld * Hosts that
+     concealed the ground whereon they rode:
+How many a king they humbled in their day! * How many a host they
+     led and laid on load!
+But from th' Empyrean's Lord in haste there came * One word, and
+     joy waxed grief ere morning glowed."
+
+
+The Emir marvelled at this and wrote it down; after which he passed on
+to the sixth tablet and behold, was inscribed thereon, "O son of Adam,
+think not that safety will endure for ever and aye, seeing that death
+is sealed to thy head alway. Where be thy fathers, where be thy
+brethren, where thy friends and dear ones? They have all gone to the
+dust of the tombs and presented themselves before the Glorious, the
+Forgiving, as if they had never eaten nor drunken, and they are a
+pledge for that which they have earned. So look to thyself, ere thy
+tomb come upon thee." And at the foot of the tablet were these
+couplets,
+
+"Where be the Kings who ruled the Franks of old? * Where be the
+     King who peopled Tingis-wold[FN#131]?
+Their works are written in a book which He, * The One, th' All-
+    father shall as witness hold."
+
+
+At this the Emir Musa marvelled and wrote it down, saying, "There is no
+god but the God! Indeed, how goodly were these folk!" Then he went up
+to the seventh tablet and behold, thereon was written, "Glory to Him
+who fore-ordaineth death to all He createth, the Living One, who dieth
+not! O son of Adam, let not thy days and their delights delude thee,
+neither thine hours and the delices of their time, and know that death
+to thee cometh and upon thy shoulder sitteth. Beware, then, of his
+assault and make ready for his onslaught. As it was with me, so it is
+with thee; thou wastest the sweet of thy life and the joyance of thine
+hours. Give ear, then, to my rede and put thy trust in the Lord of
+Lords and know that in the world is no stability, but it is as it were
+a spider's web to thee and all that is therein shall die and cease to
+be. Where is he who laid the foundation of Amid[FN#132] and builded it
+and builded Fárikín[FN#133] and exalted it? Where be the peoples of the
+strong places? Whenas them they had inhabited, after their might into
+the tombs they descended. They have been carried off by death and we
+shall in like manner be afflicted by doom. None abideth save Allah the
+Most High, for He is Allah the Forgiving One." The Emir Musa wept and
+copied all this, and indeed the world was belittled in his eyes. Then
+he descended the hill and rejoined his host, with whom he passed the
+rest of tile day, casting about for a means of access to the city. And
+he said to his Wazir Talib bin Sahl and to the chief officers about
+him, "How shall we contrive to enter this city and view its marvels?:
+haply we shall find therein wherewithal to win the favour of the
+Commander of the Faithful." "Allah prolong the Emir's fortune!" replied
+Talib, "let us make a ladder and mount the wall therewith, so
+peradventure we may come at the gate from within." Quoth the Emir,
+"This is what occurred to my thought also, and admirable is the
+advice!" Then he called for carpenters and blacksmiths and bade them
+fashion wood and build a ladder plated and banded with iron. So they
+made a strong ladder and many men wrought at it a whole month. Then all
+the company laid hold of it and set it up against the wall, and it
+reached the top as truly as if it had been built for it before that
+time. The Emir marvelled and said, "The blessing of Allah be upon you.
+It seems as though ye had taken the measure of the mure, so excellent
+is your work." Then said he to his men, "Which of you will mount the
+ladder and walk along the wall and cast about for a way of descending
+into the city, so to see how the case stands and let us know how we may
+open the gate?" Whereupon quoth one of them, "I will go up, O Emir, and
+descend and open to you"; and Musa answered, saying, "Go and the
+blessing of Allah go with thee!" So the man mounted the ladder; but,
+when he came to the top of the wall, he stood up and gazed fixedly down
+into the city, then clapped his hands and crying out, at the top of his
+voice, "By Allah, thou art fair!" cast himself down into the place, and
+Musa cried, "By Allah, he is a dead man!" But another came up to him
+and said, "O Emir, this was a madman and doubtless his madness got the
+better of him and destroyed him. I will go up and open the gate to you,
+if it be the will of Allah the Most High." "Go up," replied Musa, "and
+Allah be with thee! But beware lest thou lose thy head, even as did thy
+comrade." Then the man mounted the ladder, but no sooner had he reached
+the top of the wall than he laughed aloud, saying, "Well done! well
+done!"; and clapping palms cast himself down into the city and died
+forthright. When the Emir saw this, he said, "An such be the action of
+a reasonable man, what is that of the madman? If all our men do on this
+wise, we shall have none left and shall fail of our errand and that of
+the Commander of the Faithful. Get ye ready for the march: verily we
+have no concern with this city." But a third one of the company said,
+"Haply another may be steadier than they." So a third mounted the wall
+and a fourth and a fifth and all cried out and cast themselves down,
+even as did the first, nor did they leave to do thus, till a dozen had
+perished in like fashion. Then the Shaykh Abd al-Samad came forward and
+heartened himself and said, "This affair is reserved to none other than
+myself; for the experienced is not like the inexperienced." Quoth the
+Emir, "Indeed thou shalt not do that nor will I have thee go up: an
+thou perish, we shall all be cut off to the last man since thou art our
+guide." But he answered, saying, "Peradventure, that which we seek may
+be accomplished at my hands, by the grace of God Most High!" So the
+folk all agreed to let him mount the ladder, and he arose and
+heartening himself, said, "In the name of Allah, the Compassionating,
+the Compassionate!" and mounted the ladder, calling on the name of the
+Lord and reciting the Verses of Safety.[FN#134] When he reached the top
+of the wall, he clapped his hands and gazed fixedly down into the city;
+whereupon the folk below cried out to him with one accord, saying "O
+Shaykh Abd al-Samad, for the Lord's sake, cast not thyself down!"; and
+they added, "Verily we are Allah's and unto Him we are returning! If
+the Shaykh fall, we are dead men one and all." Then he laughed beyond
+all measure and sat a long hour, reciting the names of Allah Almighty
+and repeating the Verses of Safety; then he rose arid cried out at the
+top of his voice, saying, O Emir, have no fear; no hurt shall betide
+you, for Allah (to whom belong Might and Majesty!) hath averted from me
+the wiles and malice of Satan, by the blessing of the words, In the
+name of Allah the Compassionating the Compassionate!'" Asked Musa,
+"What didst thou see, O Shaykh?"; and Abd al-Samad answered, "I saw ten
+maidens, as they were Houris of Heaven calling to me with their
+hands"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Seventy-fourth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Shaykh Abd
+al-Samad answered, "I saw ten maidens like Houris of Heaven,[FN#135]
+and they calling and signing,[FN#136] Come hither to us'; and meseemed
+there was below me a lake of water. So I thought to throw myself down,
+when behold, I espied my twelve companions lying dead; so I restrained
+myself and recited somewhat of Allah's Book, whereupon He dispelled
+from me the damsels' witchlike wiles and malicious guiles and they
+disappeared. And doubtless this was an enchantment devised by the
+people of the city, to repel any who should seek to gaze upon or to
+enter the place. And it hath succeeded in slaying our companions." Then
+he walked on along the wall, till he came to the two towers of brass
+aforesaid and saw therein two gates of gold, without pad locks or
+visible means of opening. Hereat he paused as long as Allah
+pleased[FN#137] and gazed about him awhile, till he espied in the
+middle of one of the gates, a horseman of brass with hand outstretched
+as if pointing, and in his palm was somewhat written. So he went up to
+it and read these words, "O thou who comest to this place, an thou
+wouldst enter turn the pin in my navel twelve times and the gate will
+open." Accordingly, he examined the horseman and finding in his navel a
+pin of gold, firm-set and fast fixed, he turned it twelve times,
+whereupon the horseman revolved like the blinding lightning and the
+gate swung open with a noise like thunder. He entered and found himself
+in a long passage,[FN#138] which brought him down some steps into a
+guard-room furnished with goodly wooden benches, whereon sat men dead,
+over whose heads hung fine shields and keen blades and bent bows and
+shafts ready notched. Thence, he came to the main gate of the city;
+and, finding it secured with iron bars and curiously wrought locks and
+bolts and chains and other fastenings of wood and metal, said to
+himself, "Belike the keys are with yonder dead folk." So he turned back
+to the guard-room and seeing amongst the dead an old man seated upon a
+high wooden bench, who seemed the chiefest of them, said in his mind,
+"Who knows but they are with this Shaykh? Doubtless he was the warder
+of the city and these others were under his hand." So he went up to him
+and lifting his gown, behold, the keys were hanging to his girdle;
+whereat he joyed with exceeding joy and was like to fly for gladness.
+Then he took them and going up to the portal, undid the padlocks and
+drew back the bolts and bars, whereupon the great leaves flew open with
+a crash like the pealing thunder by reason of its greatness and
+terribleness. At this he cried out saying, "Allaho Akbar—God is most
+great!" And the folk without answered him with the same words,
+rejoicing and thanking him for his deed. The Emir Musa also was
+delighted at the Shaykh's safety and the opening of the city-gate, and
+the troops all pressed forward to enter; but Musa cried out to them,
+saying, "O folk, if we all go in at once we shall not be safe from some
+ill-chance which may betide us. Let half enter and other half tarry
+without." So he pushed forwards with half his men, bearing their
+weapons of war, and finding their comrades lying dead, they buried
+them; and they saw the doorkeepers and eunuchs and chamberlains and
+officers reclining on couches of silk and all were corpses. Then they
+fared on till they came to the chief market-place, full of lofty
+buildings whereof none overpassed the others, and found all its shops
+open, with the scales hung out and the brazen vessels ordered and the
+caravanserais full of all manner goods; and they beheld the merchants
+sitting on the shop-boards dead, with shrivelled skin and rotted bones,
+a warning to those who can take warning; and here they saw four
+separate markets all replete with wealth. Then they left the great
+bazar and went on till they came to the silk market, where they found
+silks and brocades, orfrayed with red gold and diapered with white
+silver upon all manner of colours, and the owners lying dead upon mats
+of scented goats' leather, and looking as if they would speak; after
+which they traversed the market-street of pearls and rubies and other
+jewels and came to that of the schroffs and money-changers, whom they
+saw sitting dead upon carpets of raw silk and dyed stuffs in shops full
+of gold and silver. Thence they passed to the perfumers' bazar where
+they found the shops filled with drugs of all kinds and bladders of
+musk and ambergris and Nadd-scent and camphor and other perfumes, in
+vessels of ivory and ebony and Khalanj-wood and Andalusian copper, the
+which is equal in value to gold; and various kinds of rattan and Indian
+cane; but the shopkeepers all lay dead nor was there with them aught of
+food. And hard by this drug-market they came upon a palace, imposingly
+edified and magnificently decorated; so they entered and found therein
+banners displayed and drawn sword blades and strung bows and bucklers
+hanging by chains of gold and silver and helmets gilded with red gold.
+In the vestibules stood benches of ivory, plated with glittering gold
+and covered with silken stuffs, whereon lay men, whose skin had dried
+up on their bones; the fool had deemed them sleeping; but, for lack of
+food, they had perished and tasted the cup of death. Now when the Emir
+Musa saw this, he stood still, glorifying Allah the Most High and
+hallowing Him and contemplating the beauty of the palace and the
+massiveness of its masonry and fair perfection of its ordinance, for it
+was builded after the goodliest and stablest fashion and the most part
+of its adornment was of green[FN#139] lapis-lazuli, and on the inner
+door, which stood open, were written in characters of gold and
+ultramarine, these couplets,
+
+"Consider thou, O man, what these places to thee showed * And be
+     upon thy guard ere thou travel the same road:
+And prepare thee good provision some day may serve thy turn * For
+     each dweller in the house needs must yede wi' those who yode
+Consider how this people their palaces adorned * And in dust have
+     been pledged for the seed of acts they sowed
+They built but their building availed them not, and hoards * Nor
+     saved their lives nor day of Destiny forslowed:
+How often did they hope for what things were undecreed. * And
+     passed unto their tombs before Hope the bounty showed
+And from high and awful state all a sudden they were sent * To
+     the straitness of the grave and oh! base is their abode:
+Then came to them a Crier after burial and cried, * What booted
+     thrones or crowns or the gold to you bestowed:
+Where now are gone the faces hid by curtain and by veil, * Whose
+     charms were told in proverbs, those beauties ŕ-la-mode?
+The tombs aloud reply to the questioners and cry, * Death's
+     canker and decay those rosy cheeks corrode'
+Long time they ate and drank, but their joyaunce had a term, *
+     And the eater eke was eaten, and was eaten by the worm."
+
+
+When the Emir read this, he wept, till he was like to swoon away- -And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted
+say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred ante Seventy-fifth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Emir wept
+till he was like to swoon away, and bade write down the verses, after
+which he passed on into the inner palace and came to a vast hall, at
+each of whose four corners stood a pavilion lofty and spacious, washed
+with gold and silver and painted in various colours. In the heart of
+the hall was a great jetting- fountain of alabaster, surmounted by a
+canopy of brocade, and in each pavilion was a sitting-place and each
+place had its richly- wrought fountain and tank paved with marble and
+streams flowing in channels along the floor and meeting in a great and
+grand cistern of many-coloured marbles. Quoth the Emir to the Shaykh
+Abd al-Samad, "Come let us visit yonder pavilion!" So they entered the
+first and found it full of gold and silver and pearls and jacinths and
+other precious stones and metals, besides chests filled with brocades,
+red and yellow and white. Then they repaired to the second pavilion,
+and, opening a closet there, found it full of arms and armour, such as
+gilded helmets and Davidean[FN#140] hauberks and Hindi swords and
+Arabian spears and Chorasmian[FN#141] maces and other gear of fight and
+fray. Thence they passed to the third pavilion, wherein they saw
+closets padlocked and covered with curtains wrought with all manner of
+embroidery. They opened one of these and found it full of weapons
+curiously adorned with open work and with gold and silver damascene and
+jewels. Then they entered the fourth pavilion, and opening one of the
+closets there, beheld in it great store of eating and drinking vessels
+of gold and silver, with platters of crystal and goblets set with fine
+pearls and cups of carnelian and so forth. So they all fell to taking
+that which suited their tastes and each of the soldiers carried off
+what he could. When they left the pavilions, they saw in the midst of
+the palace a door of teak-wood marquetried with ivory and ebony and
+plated with glittering gold, over which hung a silken curtain purfled
+with all manner of embroideries; and on this door were locks of white
+silver, that opened by artifice without a key. The Shaykh Abd al-Samad
+went valiantly up thereto and by the aid of his knowledge and skill
+opened the locks, whereupon the door admitted them into a corridor
+paved with marble and hung with veil- like[FN#142] tapestries
+embroidered with figures of all manner beasts and birds, whose bodies
+were of red gold and white silver and their eyes of pearls and rubies,
+amazing all who looked upon them. Passing onwards they came to a saloon
+builded all of polished marble, inlaid with jewels, which seemed to the
+beholder as though the floor were flowing water[FN#143] and whoso
+walked thereon slipped. The Emir bade the Shaykh strew somewhat upon
+it, that they might walk over it; which being done, they made shift to
+fare forwards till they came to a great domed pavilion of stone, gilded
+with red gold and crowned with a cupola of alabaster, about which were
+set lattice-windows carved and jewelled with rods of emerald,[FN#144]
+beyond the competence of any King. Under this dome was a canopy of
+brocede, reposing upon pillars of red gold and wrought with figures of
+birds whose feet were of smaragd, and beneath each bird was a network
+of fresh- hued pearls. The canopy was spread above a jetting fountain
+of ivory and carnelian, plated with glittering gold and thereby stood a
+couch set with pearls and rubies and other jewels and beside the couch
+a pillar of gold. On the capital of the column stood a bird fashioned
+of red rubies and holding in his bill a pearl which shone like a star;
+and on the couch lay a damsel, as she were the lucident sun, eyes never
+saw a fairer. She wore a tight-fitting body-robe of fine pearls, with a
+crown of red gold on her head, filleted with gems, and on her forehead
+were two great jewels, whose light was as the light of the sun. On her
+breast she wore a jewelled amulet, filled with musk and ambergris and
+worth the empire of the Caesars; and around her neck hung a collar of
+rubies and great pearls, hollowed and filled with odoriferous musk And
+it seemed as if she gazed on them to the right and to the left.—And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted
+say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Seventy-sixth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the damsel seemed
+to be gazing at the folk to the right and to the left. The Emir Musa
+marvelled at her exceeding beauty and was confounded at the blackness
+of her hair and the redness of her cheeks, which made the beholder deem
+her alive and not dead, and said to her, "Peace be with thee, O
+damsel!" But Talib ibn Sahl said to him, "Allah preserve thee, O Emir,
+verily this damsel is dead and there is no life in her; so how shall
+she return thy salam?" adding,  Indeed, she is but a corpse embalmed
+with exceeding art; her eyes were taken out after her death and
+quicksilver set under them, after which they were restored to their
+sockets. Wherefore they glisten and when the air moveth the lashes, she
+seemeth to wink and it appeareth to the beholder as though she looked
+at him, for all she is dead." At this the Emir marvelled beyond measure
+and said, "Glory be to God who subjugateth His creatures to the
+dominion of Death!" Now the couch on which the damsel lay, had steps,
+and thereon stood two statues of Andalusian copper representing slaves,
+one white and the other black. The first held a mace of steel[FN#145]
+and the second a sword of watered steel which dazzled the eye; and
+between them, on one of the steps of the couch, lay a golden tablet,
+whereon were written, in characters of white silver, the following
+words: "In the name of God, the Compassionating, the Compassionate!
+Praise be to Allah, the Creator of mankind; and He is the Lord of
+Lords, the Causer of Causes! In the name of Allah, the Never beginning,
+the Everlasting, the Ordainer of Fate and Fortune! O son of Adam! what
+hath befooled thee in this long esperance? What hath unminded thee of
+the Death-day's mischance? Knowest thou not that Death calleth for thee
+and hasteneth to seize upon the soul of thee? Be ready, therefore, for
+the way and provide thee for thy departure from the world; for,
+assuredly, thou shalt leave it without delay. Where is Adam, first of
+humanity? Where is Noah with his progeny? Where be the Kings of Hind
+and Irak-plain and they who over earth's widest regions reign? Where do
+the Amalekites abide and the giants and tyrants of olden tide? Indeed,
+the dwelling-places are void of them and they have departed from
+kindred and home. Where be the Kings of Arab and Ajam? They are dead,
+all of them, and gone and are become rotten bones. Where be the lords
+so high in stead? They are all done dead. Where are Kora and Haman?
+Where is Shaddad son of Ad? Where be Canaan and Zul-Autad,[FN#146] Lord
+of the Stakes? By Allah, the Reaper of lives hath reaped them and made
+void the lands of them. Did they provide them against the Day of
+Resurrection or make ready to answer the Lord of men? O thou, if thou
+know me not, I will acquaint thee with my name: I am Tadmurah,[FN#147]
+daughter of the Kings of the Amalekites, of those who held dominion
+over the lands in equity and brought low the necks of humanity. I
+possessed that which never King possessed and was righteous in my rule
+and did justice among my lieges; yea, I gave gifts and largesse and
+freed bondsmen and bondswomen. Thus lived I many years in all ease and
+delight of life, till Death knocked at my door and to me and to my folk
+befel calamities galore; and it was on this wise. There betided us
+seven successive years of drought, wherein no drop of rain fell on us
+from the skies and no green thing sprouted for us on the face of
+earth.[FN#148] So we ate what was with us of victual, then we fell upon
+the cattle and devoured them, until nothing was left. Thereupon I let
+bring my treasures and meted them with measures and sent out trusty men
+to buy food. They circuited all the lands in quest thereof and left no
+city unsought, but found it not to be bought and returned to us with
+the treasure after a long absence; and gave us to know that they could
+not succeed in bartering fine pearls for poor wheat, bushel for bushel,
+weight for weight. So, when we despaired of succour, we displayed all
+our riches and things of price and, shutting the gates of the city and
+its strong places, resigned ourselves to the deme of our Lord and
+committed our case to our King. Then we all died,[FN#149] as thou seest
+us, and left what we had builded and all we had hoarded. This, then, is
+our story, and after the substance naught abideth but the trace." Then
+they looked at the foot of the tablet and read these couplets,
+
+"O child of Adam, let not hope make mock and flyte at thee, *
+     Prom all thy hands have treasuréd, removéd thou shalt be;
+I see thou covetest the world and fleeting worldly charms, * And
+     races past and gone have done the same as thou I see.
+Lawful and lawless wealth they got; but all their hoarded store,
+     * Their term accomplished, naught delayed of Destiny's
+     decree.
+Armies they led and puissant men and gained them gold galore; *
+     Then left their wealth and palaces by Pate compelled to
+     flee,
+To straitness of the grave-yard and humble bed of dust * Whence,
+     pledged for every word and deed, they never more win free:
+As a company of travellers had unloaded in the night * At house
+     that lacketh food nor is o'erfain of company:
+Whose owner saith, O folk, there be no lodging here for you;' *
+     So packed they who had erst unpacked and faréd hurriedly:
+Misliking much the march, nor the journey nor the halt * Had
+     aught of pleasant chances or had aught of goodly greet
+Then prepare thou good provision for to-morrow's journey stored,
+     * Naught but righteous honest life shall avail thee with the
+     Lord!"
+
+
+And the Emir Musa wept as he read, "By Allah, the fear of the Lord is
+the best of all property, the pillar of certainty and the sole sure
+stay. Verily, Death is the truth manifest and the sure behest, and
+therein, O thou, is the goal and return place evident. Take warning,
+therefore, by those who to the dust did wend and hastened on the way of
+the predestined end. Seest thou not that hoary hairs summon thee to the
+tomb and that the whiteness of thy locks maketh moan of thy doom?
+Wherefore be thou on the wake ready for thy departure and thine account
+to make. O son of Adam, what hath hardened thy heart in mode abhorred?
+What hath seduced thee from the service of thy Lord? Where be the
+peoples of old time? They are a warning to whoso will be warned! Where
+be the Kings of al-Sín and the lords of majestic mien? Where is Shaddad
+bin Ad and whatso he built and he stablished? Where is Nimrod who
+revolted against Allah and defied Him? Where is Pharaoh who rebelled
+against God and denied Him? Death followed hard upon the trail of them
+all, and laid them low sparing neither great nor small, male nor
+female; and the Reaper of Mankind cut them off, yea, by Him who maketh
+night to return upon day! Know, O thou who comest to this place, that
+she whom thou seest here was not deluded by the world and its frail
+delights, for it is faithless, perfidious, a house of ruin, vain and
+treacherous; and salutary to the creature is the remembrance of his
+sins; wherefore she feared her Lord and made fair her dealings and
+provided herself with provaunt against the appointed marching day.
+Whoso cometh to our city and Allah vouchsafeth him competence to enter
+it, let him take of the treasure all he can, but touch not aught that
+is on my body, for it is the covering of my shame[FN#150] and the
+outfit for the last journey; wherefore let him fear Allah and despoil
+naught thereof; else will he destroy his own self. This have I set
+forth to him for a warning from me and a solemn trust to be; wherewith,
+peace be with ye and I pray Allah to keep you from sickness and
+calamity." And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
+her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Seventy-seventh Night,
+
+She said, it hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Emir
+Musa read this, he wept with exceeding weeping till he swooned away and
+presently coming to himself, wrote down all he had seen and was
+admonished by all he had witnessed. Then he said to his men, "Fetch the
+camels and load them with these treasures and vases and jewels." "O
+Emir," asked Talib, "shall we leave our damsel with what is upon her,
+things which have no equal and whose like is not to be found and more
+perfect than aught else thou takest; nor couldst thou find a goodlier
+offering wherewithal to propitiate the favour of the Commander of the
+Faithful?" But Musa answered, "O man, heardest thou not what the Lady
+saith on this tablet? More by token that she giveth it in trust to us
+who are no traitors." "And shall we," rejoined the Wazir Talib,
+"because of these words, leave all these riches and jewels, seeing that
+she is dead? What should she do with these that are the adornments of
+the world and the ornament of the worldling, seeing that one garment of
+cotton would suffice for her covering? We have more right to them than
+she." So saying he mounted the steps of the couch between the pillars,
+but when he came within reach of the two slaves, lo! the mace-bearer
+smote him on the back and the other struck him with the sword he held
+in his hand and lopped off his head, and he dropped down dead. Quoth
+the Emir, "Allah have no mercy on thy resting-place! Indeed there was
+enough in these treasures, and greed of gain assuredly degradeth a
+man." Then he bade admit the troops; so they entered and loaded the
+camels with those treasures and precious ores; after which they went
+forth and the Emir commanded them to shut the gate as before. They
+fared on along the sea-shore a whole month, till they came in sight of
+a high mountain overlooking the sea and full of caves, wherein dwelt a
+tribe of blacks, clad in hides, with burnooses also of hide and
+speaking an unknown tongue. When they saw the troops they were startled
+like shying steeds and fled into the caverns, whilst their women and
+children stood at the cave doors, looking on the strangers. "O Shaykh
+Abd al-Samad," asked the Emir, "what are these folk?" and he answered,
+"They are those whom we seek for the Commander of the Faithful." So
+they dismounted and setting down their loads, pitched their tents;
+whereupon, almost before they had done, down came the King of the
+blacks from the mountain and drew near the camp. Now he understood the
+Arabic tongue; so, when he came to the Emir he saluted him with the
+salam and Musa returned his greeting and entreated him with honour.
+Then quoth he to the Emir, "Are ye men or Jinn?" "Well, we are men,"
+quoth Musa; "but doubtless ye are Jinn, to judge by your dwelling apart
+in this mountain which is cut off from mankind, and by your inordinate
+bulk." "Nay," rejoined the black; "we also are children of Adam, of the
+lineage of Ham, son of Noah (with whom be peace!), and this sea is
+known as Al-Karkar." Asked Musa, "O King, what is your religion and
+what worship ye?"; and he answered, saying, "We worship the God of the
+heavens and our religion is that of Mohammed, whom Allah bless and
+preserve!" "And how came ye by the knowledge of this," questioned the
+Emir, "seeing that no prophet was inspired to visit this country?"
+"Know, Emir," replied the King, "that there appeared to us whilere from
+out the sea a man, from whom issued a light that illumined the horizons
+and he cried out, in a voice which was heard of men far and near,
+saying, O children of Ham, reverence to Him who seeth and is not seen
+and say ye, There is no god but the God, and Mohammed is the messenger
+of God!' And he added, I am Abu al-Abbás al-Khizr.' Before this we were
+wont to worship one another, but he summoned us to the service of the
+Lord of all creatures; and he taught us to repeat these words, There is
+no god save the God alone, who hath for partner none, and His is the
+kingdom and His is the praise. He giveth life and death and He over all
+things is Almighty.' Nor do we draw near unto Allah (be He exalted and
+extolled!) except with these words, for we know none other; but every
+eve before Friday[FN#151] we see a light upon the face of earth and we
+hear a voice saying, Holy and glorious, Lord of the Angels and the
+Spirit! What He willeth is, and what He willeth not, is not. Every boon
+is of His grace and there is neither Majesty nor is there Might save in
+Allah, the Glorious, the Great!' But ye," quoth the King, "who and what
+are ye and what bringeth you to this land?" Quoth Musa, "We are
+officers of the Sovereign of Al-Islam, the Commander of the Faithful,
+Abd al- Malik bin Marwan, who hath heard tell of the lord Solomon, son
+of David (on whom be peace!) and of that which the Most High bestowed
+upon him of supreme dominion; how he held sway over Jinn and beast and
+bird and was wont when he was wroth with one of the Marids, to shut him
+in a cucurbite of brass and, stopping its mouth on him with lead,
+whereon he impressed his seal ring, to cast him into the sea of
+Al-Karkar. Now we have heard tell that this sea is nigh your land; so
+the Commander of the Faithful hath sent us hither, to bring him some of
+these cucurbites, that he may look thereon and solace himself with
+their sight. Such, then, is our case and what we seek of thee, O King,
+and we desire that thou further us in the accomplishment of our errand
+commanded by the Commander of the Faithful." "With love and gladness,"
+replied the black King, and carrying them to the guest house, entreated
+them with the utmost honour and furnished them with all they needed,
+feeding them upon fish. They abode thus three days, when he bade his
+divers fetch from out the sea some of the vessels of Solomon. So they
+dived and brought up twelve cucurbites, whereat the Emir and the Shaykh
+and all the company rejoiced in the accomplishment of the Caliph's
+need. Then Musa gave the King of the blacks many and great gifts; and
+he, in turn, made him a present Of the wonders of the deep, being
+fishes in human form,[FN#152] saying "Your entertainment these three
+days hath been of the meat of these fish." Quoth the Emir, "Needs must
+we carry some of these to the Caliph, for the sight of them will please
+him more than the cucurbites of Solomon." Then they took leave of the
+black King and, setting out on their homeward journey, travelled till
+they came to Damascus, where Musa went in to the Commander of the
+Faithful and told him all that he had sighted and heard of verses and
+legends and instances, together with the manner of the death of Talib
+bin Sahl; and the Caliph said, "Would I had been with you, that I might
+have seen what you saw!" Then he took the brazen vessels and opened
+them, cucurbite after cucurbite, whereupon the devils came forth of
+them, saying, "We repent, O Prophet of Allah! Never again will we
+return to the like of this thing; no never!" And the Caliph marvelled
+at this. As for the daughters of the deep presented to them by the
+black King, they made them cisterns of planks, full of water, and laid
+them therein; but they died of the great heat. Then the Caliph sent for
+the spoils of the Brazen City and divided them among the Faithful,—And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted
+say,
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Seventy-eighth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Caliph
+marvelled much at the cucurbites and their contents; then he sent for
+the spoils and divided them among the Faithful, saying, "Never gave
+Allah unto any the like of that which he bestowed upon Solomon
+David-son!" Thereupon the Emir Musa sought leave of him to appoint his
+son Governor of the Province in his stead, that he might be take
+himself to the Holy City of Jerusalem, there to worship Allah. So the
+Commander of the Faithful invested his son Harun with the government
+and Musa repaired to the Glorious and Holy City, where he died. This,
+then, is all that hath come down to us of the story of the City of
+Brass, and God is All-knowing! Now (continued Shahrazad) I have another
+tale to tell anent the
+
+
+CRAFT AND MALICE OF WOMEN,[FN#153] OR THE TALE OF THE KING, HIS SON,
+HIS CONCUBINE AND THE SEVEN WAZIRS.
+
+There was, in days of yore and in ages and times long gone before, a
+puissant King among the Kings of China, the crown of crowned heads, who
+ruled over many men of war and vassals with wisdom and justice, might
+and majesty; equitable to his Ryots, liberal to his lieges and dearly
+beloved by the hearts of his subjects. He was wealthy as he was
+powerful, but he had grown old without being blessed with a son, and
+this caused him sore affliction. He could only brood over the cutting
+off of his seed and the oblivion that would bury his name and the
+passing of his realm into the stranger's hands. So he secluded himself
+in his palace, never going in and out or rising and taking rest till
+the lieges lost all tidings of him and were sore perplexed and began to
+talk about their King. Some said, "He's dead"; others said, "No, he's
+not"; but all resolved to find a ruler who could reign over them and
+carry out the customs of government. At last, utterly despairing of
+male issue, he sought the intercession of the Prophet (whom Allah bless
+and keep!) with the Most High and implored Him, by the glory of His
+Prophets and Saints and Martyrs and others of the Faithful who were
+acceptable to Heaven that he would grant him a son, to be the coolth of
+his eyes and heir to the kingdom after him. Then he rose forthright
+and, withdrawing to his sitting-saloon, sent for his wife who was the
+daughter of his uncle. Now this Queen was of surpassing beauty and
+loveliness, the fairest of all his wives and the dearest to him as she
+was the nearest: and to boot a woman of excellent wit and passing
+judgement. She found the King dejected and sorrowful, tearful-eyed and
+heavy-hearted; so she kissed ground between his hands and said, "O
+King, may my life ransom thy life! may Time never prove thy foe, nor
+the shifts of Fortune prevail over thee; may Allah grant thee every joy
+and ward off from thee all annoy! How is it I see thee brooding over
+thy case and tormented by the displeasures of memory?" He replied,
+"Thou wottest well that I am a man now shotten in years, who hath never
+been blessed with a son, a sight to cool his eyes; so I know that my
+kingdom shall pass away to the stranger in blood and my name and memory
+will be blotted out amongst men. 'Tis this causeth me to grieve with
+excessive grief." "Allah do away with thy sorrows," quoth she: "long
+ere this day a thought struck me; and yearning for issue arose in my
+heart even as in thine. One night I dreamed a dream and a voice said to
+me, 'The King thy husband pineth for progeny: if a daughter be
+vouchsafed to him, she will be the ruin of his realm; if a son, the
+youth will undergo much trouble and annoy but he will pass through it
+without loss of life. Such a son can be conceived by thee and thee only
+and the time of thy conception is when the moon conjoineth with
+Gemini!' I woke from my dream, but after what I heard that voice
+declare I refrained from breeding and would not consent to bear
+children." "There is no help for it but that I have a son, Inshallah,
+—God willing!" cried the King. Thereupon she soothed and consoled him
+till he forgot his sorrows and went forth amongst the lieges and sat,
+as of wont, upon his throne of estate. All rejoiced to see him once
+more and especially the Lords of his realm. Now when the conjunction of
+the moon and Gemini took place, the King knew his wife carnally and, by
+order of Allah Almighty she became pregnant. Presently she anounced the
+glad tidings to her husband and led her usual life until her nine
+months of pregnancy were completed and she bare a male child whose face
+was as the rondure of the moon on its fourteenth night. The lieges of
+the realm congratulated one another thereanent and the King commanded
+an assembly of his Olema and philosophers, astrologers and
+horoscopists, whom he thus addressed, "I desire you to forecast the
+fortune of my son and to determine his ascendant[FN#154] and whatever
+is shown by his nativity." They replied "'Tis well, in Allah's name,
+let us do so!" and cast his nativity with all diligence. After
+ascertaining his ascendant, they pronounced judgement in these words,
+"We see his lot favourable and his life viable and durable; save that a
+danger awaiteth his youth." The father was sorely concerned at this
+saying, when they added "But, O King, he shall escape from it nor shall
+aught of injury accrue to him!" Hereupon the King cast aside all cark
+and care and robed the wizards and dismissed them with splendid
+honoraria; and he resigned himself to the will of Heaven and
+acknowledged that the decrees of destiny may not be countervailed. He
+committed his boy to wet nurses and dry nurses, handmaids and eunuchs,
+leaving him to grow and fill out in the Harim till he reached the age
+of seven. Then he addressed letters to his Viceroys and Governors in
+every clime and by their means gathered together Olema and philosophers
+and doctors of law and religion, from all countries, to a number of
+three hundred and three score. He held an especial assembly for them
+and, when all were in presence, he bade them draw near him and be at
+their ease while he sent for the food-trays and all ate their
+sufficiency. And when the banquet ended and the wizards had taken seats
+in their several degrees, the King asked them, "Wot ye wherefore I have
+gathered ye together?"; whereto all answered, "We wot not, O King!" He
+continued, "It is my wish that you select from amongst you fifty men,
+and from these fifty ten, and from these ten one, that he may teach my
+son omnem rem scibilem; for whenas I see the youth perfect in all
+science, I will share my dignity with the Prince and make him partner
+with me in my possessions." "Know, O King," they replied, "that among
+us none is more learned or more excellent than Al-Sindibad,[FN#155]
+hight the Sage, who woneth in thy capital under thy protection. If such
+be thy design, summon him and bid him do thy will." The King acted upon
+their advice and the Sage, standing in the presence, expressed his
+loyal sentiments with his salutation, whereupon his Sovereign bade him
+draw nigh and thus raised his rank, saying, "I would have thee to know,
+O Sage, that I summoned this assembly of the learned and bade them
+choose me out a man to teach my son all knowledge; when they selected
+thee without dissenting thought or voice. If, then, thou feel capable
+of what they claimed for thee, come thou to the task and understand
+that a man's son and heir is the very fruit of his vitals and core of
+his heart and liver. My desire of thee is thine instruction of him; and
+to happy issue Allah guideth!" The King then sent for his son and
+committed him to Al-Sindibad conditioning the Sage to finish his
+education in three years. He did accordingly but, at the end of that
+time, the young Prince had learned nothing, his mind being wholly
+occupied with play and disport; and when summoned and examined by his
+sire, behold, his knowledge was as nil. Thereupon the King turned his
+attention to the learned once more and bade them elect a tutor for his
+youth; so they asked, "And what hath his governor, Al-Sindibad, been
+doing?" and when the King answered, "He hath taught my son naught;" the
+Olema and philosophers and high officers summoned the instructor and
+said to him, "O Sage, what prevented thee from teaching the King's son
+during this length of days?" "O wise men," he replied, "the Prince's
+mind is wholly occupied with disport and play; yet, an the King will
+make with me three conditions and keep to them, I will teach him in
+seven months what he would not learn (nor indeed could any other lesson
+him) within seven years." "I hearken to thee," quoth the King, "and I
+submit myself to thy conditions;" and quoth Al-Sindibad, "Hear from me,
+Sire, and bear in mind these three sayings, whereof the first is, 'Do
+not to others what thou wouldest not they do unto thee';[FN#156] and
+second, 'Do naught hastily without consulting the experienced'; and
+thirdly, 'Where thou hast power show pity.'[FN#157] In teaching this
+lad I require no more of thee but to accept these three dictes and
+adhere thereto." Cried the King, "Bear ye witness against me, O all ye
+here assembled, that I stand firm by these conditions!"; and caused a
+proces verbal to be drawn up with his personal security and the
+testimony of his courtiers. Thereupon the Sage, taking the Prince's
+hand, led him to his place, and the King sent them all requisites of
+provaunt and kitchen-batteries, carpets and other furniture. Moreover
+the tutor bade build a house whose walls he lined with the whitest
+stucco painted over with ceruse,[FN#158] and, lastly, he delineated
+thereon all the objects concerning which he proposed to lecture his
+pupil. When the place was duly furnished, he took the lad's hand and
+installed him in the apartment which was amply furnished with
+belly-timber; and, after stablishing him therein, went forth and
+fastened the door with seven padlocks. Nor did he visit the Prince save
+every third day when he lessoned him on the knowledge to be extracted
+from the wall-pictures and renewed his provision of meat and drink,
+after which he left him again to solitude. So whenever the youth was
+straitened in breast by the tedium and ennui of loneliness, he applied
+himself diligently to his object-lessons and mastered all the
+deductions therefrom. His governor seeing this turned his mind into
+other channel and taught him the inner meanings of the external
+objects; and in a little time the pupil mastered every requisite. Then
+the Sage took him from the house and taught him cavalarice and Jerid
+play and archery. When the pupil had thoroughly mastered these arts,
+the tutor sent to the King informing him that the Prince was perfect
+and complete in all things required to figure favourably amongst his
+peers. Hereat the King rejoiced; and, summoning his Wazirs and Lords of
+estate to be present at the examination, commanded the Sage to send his
+son into the presence. Thereupon Al-Sindibad consulted his pupil's
+horoscope and found it barred by an inauspicious conjunction which
+would last seven days; so, in sore affright for the youth's life, he
+said, "Look into thy nativity-scheme." The Prince did so and,
+recognising the portent, feared for himself and presently asked the
+Sage, saying, "What dost thou bid me do?" "I bid thee," he answered,
+"remain silent and speak not a word during this se'nnight; even though
+thy sire slay thee with scourging. An thou pass safely through this
+period, thou shalt win to high rank and succeed to thy sire's reign;
+but an things go otherwise then the behest is with Allah from the
+beginning to the end thereof." Quoth the pupil, "Thou art in fault, O
+preceptor, and thou hast shown undue haste in sending that message to
+the King before looking into my horoscope. Hadst thou delayed till the
+week had passed all had been well." Quoth the tutor, "O my son, what
+was to be was; and the sole defaulter therein was my delight in thy
+scholarship. But now be firm in thy resolve; rely upon Allah Almighty
+and determine not to utter a single word." Thereupon the Prince fared
+for the presence and was met by the Wazirs who led him to his father.
+The King accosted him and addressed him but he answered not; and sought
+speech of him but he spake not. Whereupon the courtiers were astounded
+and the monarch, sore concerned for his son, summoned Al-Sindibad. But
+the tutor so hid himself that none could hit upon his trace nor gain
+tidings of him; and folk said, "He was ashamed to appear before the
+King's majesty and the courtiers." Under these conditions the Sovereign
+heard some of those present saying, "Send the lad to the Serraglio
+where he will talk with the women and soon set aside this bashfulness;"
+and, approving their counsel, gave orders accordingly. So the Prince
+was led into the palace, which was compassed about by a running stream
+whose banks were planted with all manner of fruit-trees and
+sweet-smelling flowers. Moreover, in this palace were forty chambers
+and in every chamber ten slave-girls, each skilled in some instrument
+of music, so that whenever one of them played, the palace danced to her
+melodious strains. Here the Prince passed one night; but, on the
+following morning, the King's favourite concubine happened to cast eyes
+upon his beauty and loveliness, his symmetrical stature, his brilliancy
+and his perfect grace, and love gat hold of her heart and she was
+ravished with his charms.[FN#159] So she went up to him and threw
+herself upon him, but he made her no response; whereupon, being dazed
+by his beauty, she cried out to him and required him of himself and
+importuned him; then she again threw herself upon him and clasped him
+to her bosom kissing him and saying, "O King's son, grant me thy
+favours and I will set thee in thy father's stead; I will give him to
+drink of poison, so he may die and thou shalt enjoy his realm and
+wealth." When the Prince heard these words, he was sore enraged against
+her and said to her by signs, "O accursed one, so it please Almighty
+Allah, I will assuredly requite thee this thy deed, whenas I can speak;
+for I will go forth to my father and will tell him, and he shall kill
+thee." So signing, he arose in rage, and went out from her chamber;
+whereat she feared for herself. Thereupon she buffeted her face and
+rent her raiment and tare her hair and bared her head, then went in to
+the King and cast herself at his feet, weeping and wailing. When he saw
+her in this plight, he was sore concerned and asked her, "What aileth
+thee, O damsel? How is it with thy lord, my son? Is he not well?"; and
+she answered, "O King, this thy son, whom thy courtiers avouch to be
+dumb, required me of myself and I repelled him, whereupon he did with
+me as thou seest and would have slain me; so I fled from him, nor will
+I ever return to him, nor to the palace again, no, never again!" When
+the King heard this, he was wroth with exceeding wrath and, calling his
+seven Wazirs, bade them put the Prince to death. However, they said one
+to other, "If we do the King's commandment, he will surely repent of
+having ordered his son's death, for he is passing dear to him and this
+child came not to him save after despair; and he will round upon us and
+blame us, saying, 'Why did ye not contrive to dissuade me from slaying
+him?'" So they took counsel together, to turn him from his purpose, and
+the chief Wazir said, "I will warrant you from the King's mischief this
+day." Then he went in to the presence and prostrating himself craved
+leave to speak. The King gave him permission, and he said, "O King,
+though thou hadst a thousand sons, yet were it no light matter to thee
+to put one of them to death, on the report of a woman, be she true or
+be she false; and belike this is a lie and a trick of her against thy
+son; for indeed, O King, I have heard tell great plenty of stories of
+the malice, the craft and perfidy of women." Quoth the King, "Tell me
+somewhat of that which hath come to thy knowledge thereof." And the
+Wazir answered, saying, 'Yes, there hath reached me, O King, a tale
+entituled
+
+
+The King and his Wazir's Wife.[FN#160]
+
+There was once a King of the Kings, a potent man and a proud, who was
+devoted to the love of women and one day being in the privacy of his
+palace, he espied a beautiful woman on the terraceroof of her house and
+could not contain himself from falling consumedly in love with
+her.[FN#161] He asked his folk to whom the house and the damsel
+belonged and they said, "This is the dwelling of the Wazir such an one
+and she is his wife." So he called the Minister in question and
+despatched him on an errand to a distant part of the kingdom, where he
+was to collect information and to return; but, as soon as he obeyed and
+was gone, the King contrived by a trick to gain access to his house and
+his spouse. When the Wazir's wife saw him, she knew him and springing
+up, kissed his hands and feet and welcomed him. Then she stood afar
+off, busying herself in his service, and said to him, "O our lord, what
+is the cause of thy gracious coming? Such an honour is not for the like
+of me." Quoth he, "The cause of it is that love of thee and desire
+thee-wards have moved me to this. Whereupon she kissed ground before
+him a second time and said, "By Allah, O our lord, indeed I am not
+worthy to be the handmaid of one of the King's servants; whence then
+have I the great good fortune to be in such high honour and favour with
+thee?" Then the King put out his hand to her intending to enjoy her
+person, when she said, "This thing shall not escape us; but take
+patience, O my King, and abide with thy handmaid all this day, that she
+may make ready for thee somewhat to eat and drink." So the King sat
+down on his Minister's couch and she went in haste and brought him a
+book wherein he might read, whilst she made ready the food. He took the
+book and, beginning to read, found therein moral instances and
+exhortations, such as restrained him from adultery and broke his
+courage to commit sin and crime. After awhile, she returned and set
+before him some ninety dishes of different kinds of colours, and he ate
+a mouthful of each and found that, while the number was many, the taste
+of them was one. At this, he marvelled with exceeding marvel and said
+to her, "O damsel, I see these meats to be manifold and various, but
+the taste of them is simple and the same." "Allah prosper the King!"
+replied she, "this is a parable I have set for thee, that thou mayst be
+admonished thereby." He asked, "And what is its meaning?"; and she
+answered, "Allah amend the case of our lord the King!; in thy palace
+are ninety concubines of various colours, but their taste is
+one."[FN#162] When the King heard this, he was ashamed and rising
+hastily, went out, without offering her any affront and returned to his
+palace; but, in his haste and confusion, he forgot his signet-ring and
+left it under the cushion where he had been sitting and albeit he
+remembered it he was ashamed to send for it. Now hardly had he reached
+home when the Wazir returned and, presenting himself before the King,
+kissed the ground and made his report to him of the state of the
+province in question. Then he repaired to his own house and sat down on
+his couch and chancing to put his hand under the cushion, behold, he
+found the King's seal-ring. So he knew it and taking the matter to
+heart, held aloof in great grief from his wife for a whole year, not
+going in unto her nor even speaking to her, whilst she knew not the
+reason of his anger. —And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
+ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Seventy-ninth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wazir held
+aloof from his wife, whilst she knew not the cause of his wrath. At
+last, being weary of the longsome neglect, she sent for her sire and
+told him the case; whereupon quoth he, "I will complain of him to the
+King, at some time when he is in the presence." So, one day, he went in
+to the King and, finding the Wazir and the Kazi of the army before
+him,[FN#163] complained thus saying, "Almighty Allah amend the King's
+case! I had a fair flower-garden, which I planted with mine own hand
+and thereon spent my substance till it bare fruit; and its fruitage was
+ripe for plucking, when I gave it to this thy Wazir, who ate of it what
+seemed good to him, then deserted it and watered it not, so that its
+bloom wilted and withered and its sheen departed and its state
+changed." Then said the Wazir, "O my King, this man saith sooth. I did
+indeed care for and guard the garden and kept it in good condition and
+ate thereof, till one day I went thither and I saw the trail of the
+lion there, wherefore I feared for my life and withdrew from the
+garden." The King understood him that the trail of the lion meant his
+own seal-ring, which he had forgotten in the woman's house; so he said,
+"Return, O Wazir, to thy flower-garden and fear nothing, for the lion
+came not near it. It hath reached me that he went thither; but, by the
+honour of my fathers and forefathers, he offered it no hurt."
+"Hearkening and obedience," answered the Minister and, returning home
+sent for his wife and made his peace with her and thenceforth put faith
+in her chastity. "This I tell thee, O King (continued the Wazir), for
+no other purpose save to let thee know how great is their craft and how
+precipitancy bequeatheth repentance.[FN#164] And I have also heard the
+following
+
+
+Story of the Confectioner, his Wife, and the Parrot.
+
+Once upon a time there dwelt in Egypt a confectioner who had a wife
+famed for beauty and loveliness; and a parrot which, as occasion
+required, did the office of watchman and guard, bell and spy, and
+flapped her wings did she but hear a fly buzzing about the sugar. This
+parrot caused abundant trouble to the wife, always telling her husband
+what took place in his absence. Now one evening, before going out to
+visit certain friends, the confectioner gave the bird strict
+injunctions to watch all night and bade his wife make all fast, as he
+should not return until morning. Hardly had he left the door than the
+woman went for her old lover, who returned with her and they passed the
+night together in mirth and merriment, while the parrot observed all.
+Betimes in the morning the lover fared forth and the husband,
+returning, was informed by the parrot of what had taken place;
+whereupon he hastened to his wife's room and beat her with a painful
+beating. She thought in herself, "Who could have informed against me?"
+and she asked a woman that was in her confidence whether it was she.
+The woman protested by the worlds visible and invisible that she had
+not betrayed her mistress; but informed her that on the morning of his
+return home, the husband had stood some time before the cage listening
+to the parrot's talk. When the wife heard this, she resolved to
+contrive the destruction of the bird. Some days after, the husband was
+again invited to the house of a friend where he was to pass the night;
+and, before departing, he enjoined the parrot with the same injunctions
+as before; wherefore his heart was free from care, for he had his spy
+at home. The wife and her confidante then planned how they might
+destroy the credit of the parrot with the master. For this purpose they
+resolved to counterfeit a storm; and this they did by placing over the
+parrot's head a hand-mill (which the lover worked by pouring water upon
+a piece of hide), by waving a fan and by suddenly uncovering a candle
+hid under a dish. Thus did they raise such a tempest of rain and
+lightning, that the parrot was drenched and half-drowned in a deluge.
+Now rolled the thunder, then flashed the lightning; that from the noise
+of the hand-mill, this from the reflection of the candle; when thought
+the parrot to herself, "In very sooth the flood hath come on, such an
+one as belike Noah himself never witnessed." So saying she buried her
+head under her wing, a prey to terror. The husband, on his return,
+hastened to the parrot to ask what had happened during his absence; and
+the bird answered that she found it impossible to describe the deluge
+and tempest of the last night; and that years would be required to
+explain the uproar of the hurricane and storm. When the shopkeeper
+heard the parrot talk of last night's deluge, he said: "Surely O bird,
+thou art gone clean daft! Where was there, even in a dream, rain or
+lightning last night? Thou hast utterly ruined my house and ancient
+family. My wife is the most virtuous woman of the age and all thine
+accusations of her are lies." So in his wrath he dashed the cage upon
+the ground, tore off the parrot's head, and threw it from the window.
+Presently his friend, coming to call upon him, saw the parrot in this
+condition with head torn off, and without wings or plumage. Being
+informed of the circumstances he suspected some trick on the part of
+the woman, and said to the husband, "When your wife leaves home to go
+to the Hammam-bath, compel her confidante to disclose the secret." So
+as soon as his wife went out, the husband entered his Harim and
+insisted on the woman telling him the truth. She recounted the whole
+story and the husband now bitterly repented having killed the parrot,
+of whose innocence he had proof. "This I tell thee, O King (continued
+the Wazir), that thou mayst know how great are the craft and malice of
+women and that to act in haste leadeth to repent at leisure." So the
+King turned from slaying his son: but, next day, the favourite came in
+to him and, kissing the ground before him, said, "O King, why dost thou
+delay to do me justice? Indeed, the Kings have heard that thou
+commandest a thing and thy Wazir countermandeth it. Now the obedience
+of Kings is in the fulfilment of their commandments, and every one
+knows thy justice and equity: so do thou justice for me on the Prince.
+I also have heard tell a tale concerning
+
+
+The Fuller and his Son.
+
+There was once a man which was a fuller, and he used every day to go
+forth to the Tigris-bank a-cleaning clothes; and his son was wont to go
+with him that he might swim whilst his father was fulling, nor was he
+forbidden from this. One day, as the boy was swimming,[FN#165] he was
+taken with cramp in the forearms and sank, whereupon the fuller plunged
+into the water and caught hold of him; but the boy clung about him and
+pulled him down and so father and son were both drowned. "Thus it is
+with thee, O King. Except thou prevent thy son and do me justice on
+him, I fear lest both of you sink together, thou and he."—And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+When it Was the Five Hundred and Eightieth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+favourite had told her tale of the Fuller and his son, she ended with,
+"I fear lest both of you sink together, thou and he. Moreover,"
+continued she, "for an instance of the malice of men, I have heard tell
+a tale concerning
+
+
+The Rake's Trick against the Chaste Wife.
+
+A certain man loved a beautiful and lovely woman, a model of charms and
+grace, married to a man whom she loved and who loved her. Moreover, she
+was virtuous and chaste, like unto me, and her rake of a lover found no
+way to her; so when his patience was at an end, he devised a device to
+win his will. Now the husband had a young man, whom he had brought up
+in his house and who was in high trust with him as his steward. So the
+rake addressed himself to the youth and ceased not insinuating himself
+into his favour by presents and fair words and deeds, till he became
+more obedient to him than the hand to the mouth and did whatever he
+ordered him. One day, he said to him, "Harkye, such an one; wilt thou
+not bring me into the family dwelling-place some time when the lady is
+gone out?" "Yes," answered the young steward so, when his master was at
+the shop and his mistress gone forth to the Hammam, he took his friend
+by the hand and, bringing him into the house, showed him the
+sitting-rooms and all that was therein. Now the lover was determined to
+play a trick upon the woman; so he took the white of an egg which he
+had brought with him in a vessel, and spilt it on the merchant's
+bedding, unseen by the young man; after which he returned thanks and
+leaving the house went his way. In an hour or so the merchant came
+home; and, going to the bed to rest himself, found thereon something
+wet. So he took it up in his hand and looked at it and deemed it man's
+seed; whereat he stared at the young man with eyes of wrath, and asked
+him, "Where is thy mistress?"; and he answered, "She is gone forth to
+the Hammam and will return forthright after she has made her
+ablutions."[FN#166] When the man heard this, his suspicion concerning
+the semen was confirmed; and he waxed furious and said, "Go at once and
+bring her back." The steward accordingly fetched her and when she came
+before her husband, the jealous man sprang upon her and beat her a
+grievous beating; then, binding her arms behind her, offered to cut her
+throat with a knife; but she cried out to the neighbours, who came to
+her, and she said to them, "This my man hath beaten me unjustly and
+without cause and is minded to kill me, though I know not what is mine
+offence." So they rose up and asked him, "Why hast thou dealt thus by
+her?" And he answered, "She is divorced." Quoth they, "Thou hast no
+right to maltreat her; either divorce her or use her kindly, for we
+know her prudence and purity and chastity. Indeed, she hath been our
+neighbour this long time and we wot no evil of her." Quoth he, "When I
+came home, I found on my bed seed like human sperm, and I know not the
+meaning of this." Upon this a little boy, one of those present, came
+forward and said, "Show it to me, nuncle mine!" When he saw it, he
+smelt it and, calling for fire and a frying-pan, he took the white of
+egg and cooked it so that it became solid. Then he ate of it and made
+the husband and the others taste if it, and they were certified that it
+was white of egg. So the husband was convinced that he had sinned
+against his wife's innocence, she being clear of all offence, and the
+neighbours made peace between them after the divorce, and he prayed her
+pardon and presented her with an hundred gold pieces. And so the wicked
+lover's cunning trick came to naught. "And know, O King, that this is
+an instance of the malice of men and their perfidy." When the King
+heard this, he bade his son be slain; but on the next day the second
+Wazir came forward for intercession and kissed ground in prostration.
+Whereupon the King said, "Raise thy head: prostration must be made to
+Allah only."[FN#167] So the Minister rose from before him and said, "O
+King, hasten not to slay thy son, for he was not granted to his mother
+by the Almighty but after despair, nor didst thou expect such good
+luck; and we hope that he will live to become a guerdon to thy reign
+and a guardian of thy good. Wherefore, have patience, O King; belike he
+will offer a fit excuse; and, if thou make haste to slay him, thou wilt
+surely repent, even as the merchant-wight repented." Asked the King,
+"And how was it with the merchant, O Wazir?"; and the Wazir answered,
+"O King, I have heard a tale of
+
+
+The Miser and the Loaves of Bread.
+
+There was once a merchant, who was a niggard and miserly in his eating
+and drinking. One day, he went on a journey to a certain town and as he
+walked in the market-streets, behold, he met an old trot with two
+scones of bread which looked sound and fair, He asked her, "Are these
+for sale?"; and she answered, "Yes!" So he beat her down and bought
+them at the lowest price and took them home to his lodging, where he
+ate them that day. When morning morrowed, he returned to the same place
+and, finding the old woman there with other two scones, bought these
+also; and thus he ceased not during twenty-five days' space when the
+old wife disappeared. He made enquiry for her, but could hear no
+tidings of her, till, one day as he was walking about the high streets,
+he chanced upon her: so he accosted her and, after the usual salutation
+and with much praise and politeness, asked why she had disappeared from
+the market and ceased to supply the two cakes of bread? Hearing this,
+at first she evaded giving him a reply; but he conjured her to tell him
+her case; so she said, "Hear my excuse, O my lord, which is that I was
+attending upon a man who had a corroding ulcer on his spine, and his
+doctor bade us knead flour with butter into a plaster and lay it on the
+place of pain, where it abode all night. In the morning, I used to take
+that flour and turn it into dough and make it into two scones, which I
+cooked and sold to thee or to another; but presently the man died and I
+was cut off from making cakes."[FN#168] When the merchant heard this,
+he repented whenas repentance availed him naught, saying, "Verily, we
+are Allah's and verily unto Him we are returning! There is no Majesty
+and there is no Might save in Him, the Glorious, the Great!" —And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted
+say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-first Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the old trot
+told the merchant the provenance of the scones, he cried, "There is no
+Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!"
+And he repeated the saying of the Most High, "Whatever evil falleth to
+thee it is from thyself;"[FN#169] and vomited till he fell sick and
+repented whenas repentance availed him naught. "Moreover, O King"
+(continued the second Wazir), "I have heard tell, of the malice of
+women, a tale of
+
+
+The Lady and her Two Lovers.
+
+Once upon a time there was a man, who was sword-bearer to one of the
+Kings, and he loved a damsel of the common sort. One day, he sent his
+page to her with a message, as of wont between them, and the lad sat
+down with her and toyed with her. She inclined to him and pressed him
+to her breast and groped him and kissed him whereupon he sought carnal
+connection of her and she consented; but, as the two were thus, lo! the
+youth's master knocked at the door. So she pushed the page through a
+trapdoor into an underground chamber there and opened the door to his
+lord, who entered hending sword in hand and sat down upon her bed. Then
+she came up to him and sported and toyed with him, kissing him and
+pressing him to her bosom, and he took her and lay with her. Presently,
+her husband knocked at the door and the gallant asked her, "Who is
+that?"; whereto she answered, "My husband." Quoth he, "How shall I do?"
+Quoth she, "Draw thy sword and stand in the vestibule and abuse me and
+revile me; and when my husband comes in to thee, do thou go forth and
+wend thy ways." He did as she bade him; and, when the husband entered,
+he saw the King's sword-bearer standing with naked brand in hand,
+abusing and threatening his wife; but, when the lover saw him, he was
+ashamed and sheathing his scymitar, went forth the house. Said the man
+to his wife, "What means this?"; and she replied, "O man, how blessed
+is the hour of thy coming! Thou hast saved a True Believer from
+slaughter, and it happed after this fashion. I was on the
+house-terrace, spinning,[FN#170] when behold, there came up to me a
+youth, distracted and panting for fear of death, fleeing from yonder
+man, who followed upon him as hard as he could with his drawn sword.
+The young man fell down before me, and kissed my hands and feet,
+saying, "O Protector, of thy mercy, save me from him who would slay me
+wrongously!" So I hid him in that underground chamber of ours and
+presently in came yonder man to me, naked brand in hand, demanding the
+youth. But I denied him to him, whereupon he fell to abusing and
+threatening me as thou sawest. And praised be Allah who sent thee to
+me, for I was distraught and had none to deliver me!" "Well hast thou
+done, O woman!" answered the husband. "Thy reward is with Allah the
+Almighty, and may He abundantly requite thy good deed!" Then he went to
+the trap door and called to the page, saying, "Come forth and fear not;
+no harm shall befal thee." So he came out, trembling for fear, and the
+husband said, "Be of good cheer: none shall I hurt thee;" condoling
+with him on what had befallen him; whilst the page called down
+blessings on his head. Then they both went forth, nor was that Cornuto
+nor was the page aware of that which the woman had contrived. "This,
+then, O King," said the Wazir, "is one of the tricks of women; so
+beware lest thou rely upon their words." The King was persuaded and
+turned from putting his son to death; but, on the third day, the
+favourite came in to him and, kissing the ground before him, cried, "O
+King, do me justice on thy son and be not turned from thy purpose by
+thy Ministers' prate, for there is no good in wicked Wazirs, and be not
+as the King of Baghdad, who relied on the word of a certain wicked
+counsellor of his." Quoth he, "And how was that?" Quoth she, "There
+hath been told me, O auspicious and well-advised King, a tale of
+
+
+The Kings Son and the Ogress.[FN#171]
+
+A certain King had a son, whom he loved and favoured with exceeding
+favour, over all his other children; and this son said to him one day,
+"O my father, I have a mind to fare a-coursing and a-hunting." So the
+King bade furnish him and commanded one of his Wazirs to bear him
+company and do all the service he needed during his trip. The Minister
+accordingly took everything that was necessary for the journey and they
+set out with a retinue of eunuchs and officers and pages, and rode on,
+sporting as they went, till they came to a green and well-grassed
+champaign abounding in pasture and water and game. Here the Prince
+turned to the Minister and told him that the place pleased him and he
+purposed to halt there. So they set down in that site and they loosed
+the falcons and lynxes and dogs and caught great plenty of game,
+whereat they rejoiced and abode there some days, in all joyance of life
+and its delight. Then the King's son gave the signal for departure;
+but, as they went along, a beautiful gazelle, as if the sun rose
+shining from between her horns, that had strayed from her mate, sprang
+up before the Prince, whereupon his soul longed to make prize of her
+and he coveted her. So he said to the Wazir, "I have a mind to follow
+that gazelle;" and the Minister replied, "Do what seemeth good to
+thee." Thereupon the Prince rode single-handed after the gazelle, till
+he lost sight of his companions, and chased her all that day till dusk,
+when she took refuge in a bit of rocky ground[FN#172] and darkness
+closed in upon him. Then he would have turned back, but knew not the
+way; whereat he was sore concerned and said, "There is no Majesty and
+there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!" He sat his
+mare all night till morning dawned, in quest of relief, but found none;
+and, when the day appeared, he fared on at hazard fearful, famished,
+thirsty, and knowing not whither to wend till it was noon and the sun
+beat down upon him with burning heat. By that time he came in sight of
+a great city, with massive base and lofty bulwarks; but it was ruined
+and desolate, nor was there any live thing therein save owl and raven.
+As he stood among the buildings, marvelling at their ordinance, lo! his
+eyes fell on a damsel, young, beautiful and lovely, sitting under one
+of the city walls wailing and weeping copious tears. So he drew nigh to
+her and asked, "Who art thou and who brought thee hither?" She
+answered, "I am called Bint al-Tamimah, daughter of Al-Tiyakh, King of
+the Gray Country. I went out one day to obey a call of nature,[FN#173]
+when an Ifrit of the Jinn snatched me up and soared with me between
+heaven and earth; but as he flew there fell on him a shooting-star in
+the form of a flame of fire and burned him, and I dropped here, where
+these three days I have hungered and thirsted; but when I saw thee I
+longed for life." —And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
+to say her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-second Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Prince when
+addressed by the daughter of King Al-Tiyakh who said to him, "When I
+saw thee I longed for life," was smitten with ruth and grief for her
+and took her up on his courser's crupper, saying, "Be of good cheer and
+keep thine eyes cool and clear; for, if Allah (extolled and exalted be
+He!) restore me to my people and family, I will send thee back to thine
+own folk." Then he rode on, praying for deliverance, and presently the
+damsel said to him, "O King's son, set me down, that I may do an
+occasion under this wall." So he drew bridle and she alighted. He
+waited for her a long while as she hid herself behind the wall; and she
+came forth, with the foulest of favours; which when he saw, his hair
+stood on end and he quaked for fear of her and he turned deadly pale.
+Then she sprang up on his steed, behind him, wearing the most loathly
+of aspects, and presently she said to him, "O King's son, what ails
+thee that I see thee troubled and thy favour changed?" "I have
+bethought me of somewhat that troubles me." "Seek aid against it of thy
+father's troops and his braves." "He whom I fear careth naught for
+troops, neither can braves affright him." "Aid thyself against him with
+thy father's monies and treasures." "He whom I fear will not be
+satisfied with wealth." "Ye hold that ye have in Heaven a God who seeth
+and is not seen and is Omnipotent and Omniscient." "Yes, we have none
+but Him." "Then pray thou to Him; haply He will deliver thee from me
+thine enemy!" So the King's son raised his eyes to heaven and began to
+pray with his whole heart, saying, "O my God, I implore Thy succour
+against that which troubleth me." Then he pointed to her with his hand,
+and she fell to the ground, burnt black as charcoal. Therewith he
+thanked Allah and praised Him and ceased not to fare forwards; and the
+Almighty (extolled and exalted be He!) of His grace made the way easy
+to him and guided him into the right road, so that he reached his own
+land and came upon his father's capital, after he had despaired of
+life. Now all this befel by the contrivance of the Wazir, who travelled
+with him, to the end that he might cause him to perish on the way; but
+Almighty Allah succoured him. "And this" (said the damsel) "have I told
+thee, O King, that thou mayst know that wicked Wazirs deal not honestly
+by nor counsel with sincere intent their Kings; wherefore be thou wise
+and ware of them in this matter." The King gave ear to her speech and
+bade put his son to death; but the third Wazir came in and said to his
+brother Ministers, "I will warrant you from the King's mischief this
+day" and, going in to him, kissed the ground between his hands and
+said, "O King, I am thy true counsellor and solicitous for thee and for
+thine estate, and indeed I rede thee the best of rede; it is that thou
+hasten not to slay thy son, the coolth of thine eyes and the fruit of
+thy vitals. Haply his sin is but a slight slip, which this damsel hath
+made great to thee; and indeed I have heard tell that the people of two
+villages once destroyed one another, because of a drop of honey." Asked
+the King, "How was that?"; and the Wazir answered, saying, "Know, O
+King, that I have heard this story anent
+
+
+The Drop of Honey.[FN#174]
+
+A certain hunter used to chase wild beasts in wold, and one day he came
+upon a grotto in the mountains, where he found a hollow full of bees'
+honey. So he took somewhat thereof in a water-skin he had with him and,
+throwing it over his shoulder, carried it to the city, followed by a
+hunting dog which was dear to him. He stopped at the shop of an oilman
+and offered him the honey for sale and he bought it. Then he emptied it
+out of the skin, that he might see it, and in the act a drop fell to
+the ground, whereupon the flies flocked to it and a bird swooped down
+upon the flies. Now the oilman had a cat, which sprang upon the bird,
+and the huntsman's dog, seeing the cat, sprang upon it and slew it;
+whereupon the oilman sprang upon the dog and slew it, and the huntsman
+in turn sprang upon the oilman and slew him. Now the oilman was of one
+village and the huntsman of another; and when the people of the two
+places heard what had passed, they took up arms and weapons and rose
+one on other in wrath and the two lines met; nor did the sword leave to
+play amongst them, till there died of them much people, none knoweth
+their number save Almighty Allah. "And amongst other stories of the
+malice of women" (continued the Wazir) "I have heard tell, O King, one
+concerning
+
+
+The Woman who made her Husband Sift Dust.[FN#175]
+
+A man once gave his wife a dirham to buy rice; so she took it and went
+to the rice-seller, who gave her the rice and began to jest with her
+and ogle her, for she was dowered with beauty and loveliness, saying,
+"Rice is not good but with sugar which if thou wilt have, come in with
+me for an hour." So, saying, "Give me sugar," she went in with him into
+his shop and he won his will of her and said to his slave, "Weigh her
+out a dirham's worth of sugar." But he made the slave a privy sign, and
+the boy, taking the napkin, in which was the rice, emptied it out and
+put in earth and dust in its stead, and for the sugar set stones, after
+which he again knotted up the napkin and left it by her. His object, in
+doing this, was that she should come to him a second time; so, when she
+went forth of the shop, he gave her the napkin and she took it,
+thinking to have in it rice and sugar, and ganged her gait; but when
+she returned home and, setting it before her husband, went for a
+cooking-pot, he found in it earth and stones. So, as soon as she came
+back bringing the pot, he said to her, "Did I tell thee I had aught to
+build, that thou bringest me earth and stones?" When she saw this; she
+knew that the rice-seller's slave had tricked her; so she said to her
+husband, "O man, in my trouble of mind for what hath befallen me, I
+went to fetch the sieve and brought the cooking-pot." "What hath
+troubled thee?" asked he; and she answered, "O husband, I dropped the
+dirham thou gavest me in the market-street and was ashamed to search
+for it before the folk; yet I grudged to lose the silver, so I gathered
+up the earth from the place where it fell and brought it away, thinking
+to sift it at home. Wherefore I went to fetch the sieve, but brought
+the cooking-pot instead." Then she fetched the sieve and gave it to her
+husband, saying, "Do thou sift it; for thine eyes are sharper than
+mine." Accordingly he sat, sifting the clay, till his face and beard
+were covered with dust; and he discovered not her trick, neither knew
+what had befallen her. "This then, O King," said the Wazir, "is an
+instance of the malice of women, and consider the saying of Allah
+Almighty, "Surely the cunning of you (women) is great!'[FN#176] And
+again, 'Indeed, the malice of Satan is weak in comparison with the
+malice of women.'"[FN#177] The King gave ear to his Wazir's speech and
+was persuaded thereby and was satisfied by what he cited to him of the
+signs of Allah[FN#178]; and the lights of good counsel arose and shone
+in the firmament of his understanding and he turned from his purpose of
+slaying his son. But on the fourth day, the favourite came in to him
+weeping and wailing and, kissing the ground before him, said, "O
+auspicious King, and lord of good rede, I have made plainly manifest to
+thee my grievance and thou hast dealt unjustly by me and hast forborne
+to avenge me on him who hath wronged me, because he is thy son and the
+darling of thy heart; but Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) will
+presently succour me against him, even as He succoured the King's son
+against his father's Wazir." "And how was that?" asked the King; and
+she answered, "I have heard tell, O King, a tale of
+
+
+The Enchanted String.[FN#179]
+
+There was once in times gone by a King who had one son and none other;
+and, when the Prince grew up to man's estate, he contracted him in
+marriage to another King's daughter. Now the damsel was a model of
+beauty and grace and her uncle's son had sought her in wedlock of her
+sire, but she would none of him. So, when he knew that she was to be
+married to another, envy and jealousy gat hold of him and he bethought
+himself and sent a noble present to the Wazir of the bridegroom's
+father and much treasure, desiring him to use craft for slaying the
+Prince or contrive to make him leave his intent of espousing the girl
+and adding, "O Wazir, indeed jealousy moveth me to this for she is my
+cousin."[FN#180] The Wazir accepted the present and sent an answer,
+saying, "Be of good cheer and of eyes cool and clear, for I will do all
+that thou wishest." Presently, the bride's father wrote to the Prince,
+bidding him to his capital, that he might go in to his daughter;
+whereupon the King his father gave him leave to wend his way thither,
+sending with him the bribed Wazir and a thousand horse, besides
+presents and litters, tents and pavilions. The Minister set out with
+the Prince, plotting the while in his heart to do him a mischief; and
+when they came into the desert, he called to mind a certain spring of
+running water in the mountains there, called Al-Zahra,[FN#181] whereof
+whosoever drank from a man became a woman. So he called a halt of the
+troops near the fountain and presently mounting steed again, said to
+the Prince, "Hast thou a mind to go with me and look upon a spring of
+water near hand?" The Prince mounted, knowing not what should befal him
+in the future,[FN#182] and they rode on, unattended by any, and without
+stopping till they came to the spring. The Prince being thirsty said to
+the Wazir, "O Minister, I am suffering from drouth," and the other
+answered, "Get thee down and drink of this spring!" So he alighted and
+washed his hands and drank, when behold, he straightway became a woman.
+As soon as he knew what had befallen him, he cried out and wept till he
+fainted away, and the Wazir came up to him as if to learn what had
+befallen him and cried, "What aileth thee?" So he told him what had
+happened, and the Minister feigned to condole with him and weep for his
+affliction, saying, "Allah Almighty be thy refuge in thine affliction!
+How came this calamity upon thee and this great misfortune to betide
+thee, and we carrying thee with joy and gladness, that thou mightest go
+in to the King's daughter? Verily, now I know not whether we shall go
+to her or not; but the rede[FN#183] is thine. What dost thou command me
+to do?" Quoth the Prince, "Go back to my sire and tell him what hath
+betided me, for I will not stir hence till this matter be removed from
+me or I die in my regret." So he wrote a letter to his father, telling
+him what had happened, and the Wazir took it and set out on his return
+to the city, leaving what troops he had with the Prince and inwardly
+exulting for the success of his plot. As soon as he reached the King's
+capital, he went in to him and, telling him what had passed, delivered
+the letter. The King mourned for his son with sore mourning and sent
+for the wise men and masters of esoteric science, that they might
+discover and explain to him this thing which had befallen his son, but
+none could give him an answer. Then the Wazir wrote to the lady's
+cousin, conveying to him the glad news of the Prince's misfortune, and
+he when he read the letter rejoiced with great joy and thought to marry
+the Princess and answered the Minister sending him rich presents and
+great store of treasure and thanking him exceedingly. Meanwhile, the
+Prince abode by the stream three days and three nights, eating not nor
+drinking and committing himself, in his strait, unto Allah (extolled
+and exalted be He!) who disappointeth not whoso relieth on him. On the
+fourth night, lo! there came to him a cavalier on a bright-bay
+steed[FN#184] with a crown on his head, as he were of the sons of the
+Kings, and said to him, "Who brought thee hither, O youth?" The Prince
+told him his mishap, how he was wending to his wedding, and how the
+Wazir had led him to a spring whereof he drank and incurred what had
+occurred; and as he spoke his speech was broken by tears. Having heard
+him the horseman pitied his case and said, "It was thy father's Wazir
+who cast thee into this strait, for no man alive save he knoweth of
+this spring;" presently adding, "Mount thee behind me and come with me
+to my dwelling, for thou art my guest this night." "Acquaint me who
+thou art ere I fare with thee," quoth the Prince; and quoth the other,
+"I am a King's son of the Jánn, as thou a King's son of mankind; so be
+of good cheer and keep thine eyes clear of tear, for I will surely do
+away thy cark and care; and this is a slight thing unto me." So the
+Prince mounted him behind the stranger, and they rode on, leaving the
+troops, from the first of the day till midnight, when the King's son of
+the Jinn asked the Prince, "Knowest thou how many days' march we have
+covered in this time?" "Not I." "We have come a full year's journey for
+a diligent horseman." The Prince marvelled at this and said, "How shall
+I do to return to my people?" "That is not thine affair, but my
+business. As soon as thou art quit of thy complaint, thou shalt return
+to thy people in less than the twinkling of an eye; for that is an easy
+matter to me." When the Prince heard these words he was ready to fly
+for excess of joy; it seemed to him as he were in the imbroglio of a
+dream and he exclaimed, "Glory be to Him who can restore the unhappy to
+happiness!"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
+her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-third Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Prince of the
+Jinn said to the Prince of mankind, "When thou art quit of thy
+complaint, thou shalt return to thy folk in less than the twinkling of
+an eye;" and the King's son rejoiced. They fared on all that night till
+the morning morrowed when lo! they found themselves in a green and
+smiling country, full of trees spireing and birds quiring and garths
+fruit-growing and palaces highshowing and waters a-flowing and
+odoriferous flowers a-blowing. Here the King's son of the Jinn alighted
+from his steed and, bidding the Prince do the like, took him by the
+hand and carried him into one of the palaces, where he found a great
+King and puissant Sultan; and abode with him all that day eating and
+drinking, till nightfall. Then the King's son of the Jinn mounted his
+courser and taking the Prince up behind him, fared on swiftly through
+the murks and glooms until morning, when lo, they found themselves in a
+dark land and a desert, full of black rocks and stones, as it were a
+piece of Hell; and the Prince asked the Jinni, "What is the name of
+this land?" Answered the other, "It is called the Black Country, and
+belongs to one of the Kings of the Jinn, by name Zu'l Janahayn, against
+whom none of the other Kings may prevail, neither may any enter his
+dominions save by his permit; so tarry thou here, whilst I go ask
+leave." So saying, he went away and, returning after awhile, they fared
+on again, till they landed at a spring of water welling forth of a
+black rock, and the King's son of the Jinn said to the King's son of
+men, "Alight!" He dismounted and the other cried, "Drink of this
+water!" So he drank of the spring without stay or delay; and, no sooner
+had he done so than, by grace of Allah, he became a man as before. At
+this he joyed with exceeding joy and asked the Jinni, "O my brother,
+how is this spring called?" Answered the other, "It is called the
+Women's Spring, for that no woman drinketh thereof but she becometh a
+man: wherefore do thou praise Allah the Most High and thank Him for thy
+restoration and mount." So the Prince prostrated himself in gratitude
+to the Almighty, after which he mounted again and they fared on
+diligently all that day, till they returned to the Jinni's home, where
+the Prince passed the night in all solace of life. They spent the next
+day in eating and drinking till nightfall, when the King's son of the
+Jinn asked the Prince, "Hast thou a mind to return to thy people this
+very night?" "Yes," he answered; "for indeed I long for them." Then the
+Jinni called one of his father's slaves, Rajiz[FN#185] hight, and said
+to him, "Take this young man mounted on thy shoulders, and let not the
+day dawn ere he be with his father-in-law and his wife." Replied the
+slave, "Hearkening and obedience, and with love and gladness, and upon
+my head and eyes!" then, withdrawing awhile, re-appeared in the form of
+an Ifrit. When the Prince saw this, he lost his senses for affright,
+but the Jinni said to him, "Fear not; no harm shall befal thee. Mount
+thy horse and leap him on to the Ifrit's shoulders." "Nay," answered
+he, "I will leave my horse with thee and bestride his shoulders
+myself." So he bestrode the Ifrit's shoulders and, when the Jinni
+cried, "Close thine eyes, O my lord, and be not a craven!" he
+strengthened his heart and shut his eyes. Thereupon the Ifrit rose with
+him into the air and ceased not to fly between sky and earth, whilst
+the Prince was unconscious, nor was the last third of the night come
+before he alighted down with him on the terrace-roof of his
+father-in-law's palace. Then said the Ifrit, "Dismount and open thine
+eyes; for this is the palace of thy father-in-law and his daughter." So
+he came down and the Ifrit flew away and left him on the roof of the
+palace. When the day broke and the Prince recovered from his troubles,
+he descended into the palace and as his father-in-law caught sight of
+him, he came to meet him and marvelled to see him descend from the roof
+of the palace, saying, "We see folk enter by the doors; but thou comest
+from the skies." Quoth the Prince, "Whatso Allah (may He be extolled
+and exalted!) willeth that cometh to pass." And he told him all that
+had befallen him, from first to last, whereat the King marvelled and
+rejoiced in his safety; and, as soon as the sun rose, bade his Wazir
+make ready splendid bride-feasts. So did he and they held the marriage
+festival: after which the Prince went in unto his bride and abode with
+her two months, then departed with her for his father's capital. As for
+the damsel's cousin, he died forthright of envy and jealousy. When the
+Prince and his bride drew near his father's city, the King came out to
+meet them with his troops and Wazirs, and so Allah (blessed and exalted
+be He!) enabled the Prince to prevail against his bride's cousin and
+his father's Minister. "And I pray the Almighty" (added the damsel) "to
+aid thee against thy Wazirs, O King, and I beseech thee to do me
+justice on thy son!" When the King heard this, he bade put his son to
+death;—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say.
+
+When is was the Five Hundred and Eighty-forth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+favourite had told her tale to the King she said, "I beseech thee to do
+me justice by putting thy son to death." Now this was the fourth day,
+so the fourth Wazir entered and, kissing the ground before him, said,
+"Allah stablish and protect the King! O King, be deliberate in doing
+this thou art resolved upon, for the wise man doth naught till he hath
+considered the issue thereof, and the proverb saith, 'Whoso looketh not
+to his actions' end, hath not the world to friend; and whoso acteth
+without consideration, there befalleth him what befel the Hammam-keeper
+with his wife.'" "And what betided him?" asked the King. And the Wazir
+answered, "I have heard tell, O King, a tale of the
+
+
+Wazir's Son and the Hammam-Keepeer's Wife."[FN#186]
+
+There was once a bath-keeper, to whom resorted the notables of the folk
+and head men, and one day there came in to him a handsome youth of the
+sons of Wazirs who was fat and bulky of body. So he stood to serve him
+and when the young man put off his clothes[FN#187] he saw not his yard,
+for that it was hidden between his thighs, by reason of the excess of
+his fat, and there appeared thereof but what was like unto a
+filbert.[FN#188] At this the bath-keeper fell a-lamenting and smiting
+hand upon hand, which when the youth saw, he said to him, "What ails
+thee, O bath-keeper, to lament thus?" And he answered, saying, "O my
+lord, my lamentation is for thee, because thou art in sore straits, for
+all thy fair fortune and goodliness and exceeding comeliness, seeing
+thou hast naught wherewithal to do and receive delight, like unto other
+men." Quoth the youth, "Thou sayst sooth, but thou mindest me of
+somewhat I had forgotten." "What is that?" asked the bathkeeper, and
+the youth answered, "Take this gold piece and fetch me a pretty woman,
+that I may prove my nature on her." So he took the money and betaking
+himself to his wife, said to her, "O woman, there is come to me in the
+bath a young man of the sons of the Wazirs, as he were the moon on the
+fullest night; but he hath no prickle like other men, for that which he
+hath is but some small matter like unto a filbert. I lamented over his
+youth and he gave me this dinar and asked me to fetch him a woman on
+whom he might approve himself. Now thou art worthier of the money than
+another, and from this no harm shall betide us, for I will protect
+thee. So do thou sit with him awhile and laugh at him and take this
+dinar from him." So the good wife took the dinar and rising, adorned
+herself and donned the richest of her raiment. Now she was the fairest
+woman of her time. Then she went out with her husband and he carried
+her in to the Wazir's son in a privy place. When she came in to him,
+she looked at him and finding him a handsome youth, fair of favour as
+he were the moon at full, was confounded at his beauty and loveliness;
+and on like wise his heart and wit were amazed at the first sight of
+her and the sweetness of her smile. So he rose forthright and locking
+the door, took the damsel in his arms and pressed her to his bosom and
+they embraced, whereupon the young man's yard swelled and rose on end,
+as it were that of a jackass, and he rode upon her breast and futtered
+her, whilst she sobbed and sighed and writhed and wriggled under him.
+Now the bathkeeper was standing behind the door, awaiting what should
+betide between them, and he began to call her saying, "O Umm Abdillah,
+enough! Come out, for the day is long upon thy sucking child." Quoth
+the youth, "Go forth to thy boy and come back;" but quoth she, "If I go
+forth from thee, my soul will depart my body; as regards the child, so
+I must either leave him to die of weeping or let him be reared an
+orphan, without a mother." So she ceased not to abide with him till he
+had done his desire of her ten times running, while her husband stood
+at the door, calling her and crying out and weeping and imploring
+succour. But none came to aid him and he ceased not to do thus, saying,
+"I will slay myself!"; till at last, finding no way of access to his
+wife, and being distraught with rage and jealousy, to hear her sighing
+and murmuring and breathing hard under the young man, he went up to the
+top of the bath and, casting himself down therefrom, died. "Moreover, O
+King" (continued the Wazir), "there hath reached me another story of
+the malice of women." "What is that?" asked the King, and the Wazir
+said, "Know, O King, that it is anent
+
+
+The Wife's Device to Cheat her Husband."
+
+There was once a woman who had no equal in her day for beauty and
+loveliness and grace and perfection; and a certain lewd youth and an
+obscene setting eyes on her, fell in love with her and loved her with
+exceeding passion, but she was chaste and inclined not to adultery. It
+chanced one day that her husband went on a journey to a certain town,
+whereupon the young man fell to sending to her many times a day; but
+she made him no reply. At last, he resorted to an old woman, who dwelt
+hard by, and after saluting her he sat down and complained to her of
+his sufferings for love of the woman and his longing to enjoy her.
+Quoth she, "I will warrant thee this; no harm shall befal thee, for I
+will surely bring thee to thy desire, Inshallah, —an it please Allah
+the Most High!" At these words he gave her a dinar and went his way.
+When the morning morrowed she appeared before the woman and, renewing
+an old acquaintance with her, fell to visiting her daily, eating the
+undertime with her and the evening meal and carrying away food for her
+children. Moreover, she used to sport and jest with her, till the wife
+became corrupted[FN#189] and could not endure an hour without her
+company. Now she was wont, when she left the lady's house, to take
+bread and fat wherewith she mixed a little pepper and to feed a bitch,
+that was in that quarter; and thus she did day by day, till the bitch
+became fond of her and followed her wherever she went. One day she took
+a cake of dough and, putting therein an overdose of pepper, gave it to
+the bitch to eat, whereupon the beast's eyes began to shed tears, for
+the heat of the pepper, and she followed the old woman, weeping. When
+the lady saw this she was amazed and asked the ancient, "O my mother,
+what ails this bitch to weep?" Answered she, "Learn, O my heart's love,
+that hers is a strange story. Know that she was once a close friend of
+mine, a lovely and accomplished young lady, a model of comeliness and
+perfect grace. A young Nazarene of the quarter fell in love with her
+and his passion and pining increased on him, till he took to his
+pillow, and he sent to her times manifold, begging her to have
+compassion on him and show him mercy, but she refused, albeit I gave
+her good counsel, saying, "O my daughter, have pity on him and be kind
+and consent to all he wisheth." She gave no heed to my advice, until,
+the young man's patience failing him, he complained at last to one of
+his friends, who cast an enchantment on her and changed her human shape
+into canine form. When she saw what transformation had befallen her and
+that there was none to pity her case save myself, she came to my house
+and began to fawn on me and buss my hands and feet and whine and shed
+tears, till I recognised her and said to her, 'How often did I not warn
+thee?; but my advice profited thee naught.'"—And Shahrazad perceived
+the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-fifth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the old trot
+related to the young lady the tale of the bitch and recounted the case
+in her cunning and deceit, with the view to gain her consent and said
+to her, "When the enchanted beast came to me and wept I reminded her,
+'How often did I not warn thee?; but my advice profited thee naught.'
+However, O my daughter, seeing her misery, I had compassion on her case
+and kept her by me; and as often as she bethinketh herself of her
+former estate, she weepeth thus, in pity for herself." When the lady
+heard this, she was taken with great alarm and said, "O my mother, by
+Allah, thou affrightest me with this thy story." "Why so?" asked the
+old woman. Answered the lady, "Because a certain handsome young man
+fell in love with me and hath sent many times to me, but hitherto I
+have repelled him; and now I fear lest there befal me the like of what
+befel this bitch." "O my daughter," rejoined the old woman, "look thou
+to what I counsel thee and beware of crossing me, for I am in great
+fear for thee. If thou know not his abiding-place, describe his
+semblance to me, that I may fetch him to thee, and let not any one's
+heart be angered against thee." So the lady described him to her, and
+she showed not to know him and said, "When I go out, I will ask after
+him." But when she left the lady, she went straight to the young man
+and said to him, "Be of good cheer, for I have played with the girl's
+wits; so to-morrow at noon wait thou at the head of the street, till I
+come and carry thee to her house, where thou shalt take thine ease with
+her the rest of the day and all night long." At this the young man
+rejoiced with exceeding joy and gave her two dinars, saying, "When I
+have won my wish of her, I will give thee ten gold pieces." Then she
+returned to the lady and said to her, "I have seen him and spoken with
+him on this matter. I found him exceeding wroth with thee and minded to
+do thee a harm, but I plied him with fair words till he agreed to come
+to-morrow at the time of the call to noon-prayer." When the lady heard
+this she rejoiced exceedingly and said, "O my mother, if he keep his
+promise, I will give thee ten dinars." Quoth the old woman, "Look to
+his coming from none but from me." When the next morn morrowed she said
+to the lady, "Make ready the early meal and forget not the wine and
+adorn thyself and don thy richest dress and decoration, whilst I go and
+fetch him to thee." So she clad herself in her finest finery and
+prepared food, whilst the old woman went out to look for the young man,
+who came not. So she went around searching for him, but could come by
+no news of him, and she said to herself, "What is to be done? Shall the
+food and drink she hath gotten ready be wasted and I lose the gold
+pieces she promised me? Indeed, I will not allow my cunning contrivance
+to come to naught, but will look her out another man and carry him to
+her." So she walked about the highways till her eyes fell on a pretty
+fellow, young and distinguished-looking, to whom the folk bowed and who
+bore in his face the traces of travel. She went up to him and saluting
+him, asked, "Hast thou a mind to meat and drink and a girl adorned and
+ready?" Answered he, "Where is this to be had?" "At home, in my house,"
+rejoined she and carrying him to his own house, knocked at the door.
+The lady opened to them and ran in again, to make an end of her
+dressing and perfuming; whilst the wicked old woman brought the man,
+who was the husband and house-master, into the saloon and made him sit
+down congratulating herself on her cunning contrivance. Presently in
+walked the lady, who no sooner set eyes on her husband sitting by the
+old trot than she knew him and guessed how the case stood;
+nevertheless, she was not taken aback and without stay or delay
+bethought her of a device to hoodwink him. So she pulled off her outer
+boot and cried at her husband, "Is this how thou keepest the contract
+between us? How canst thou betray me and deal thus with me? Know that,
+when I heard of thy coming, I sent this old woman to try thee and she
+hath made thee fall into that against which I warned thee: so now I am
+certified of thine affair and that thou hast broken faith with me. I
+thought thee chaste and pure till I saw thee, with my own eyes, in this
+old woman's company and knew that thou didst frequent loose baggages."
+So saying, she fell to beating him with her slipper about the head, and
+crying out, "Divorce me! Divorce me!"; whilst he excused himself and
+swore to her, by Allah the Most High, that he had never in his life
+been untrue to her nor had done aught of that whereof she suspected
+him. But she stinted not to weep and scream and bash him, crying out
+and saying, "Come to my help, O Moslems!"; till he laid hold of her
+mouth with his hand and she bit it. Moreover, he humbled himself to her
+and kissed her hands and feet, whilst she would not be appeased and
+continued to cuff him. At last, she winked at the old woman to come and
+hold her hand from him. So she came up to her and kissed her hands and
+feet, till she made peace between them and they sat down together;
+whereupon the husband began to kiss her hands, saying, "Allah Almighty
+requite thee with all good, for that thou hast delivered me from her!"
+And the old woman marvelled at the wife's cunning and ready wit. "This,
+then, O King" (said the Wazir) "is one of many instances of the craft
+and malice and perfidy of women." When the King heard this story, he
+was persuaded by it and turned from his purpose to slay his son;— And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted
+say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-sixth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the fourth
+Wazir had told his tale, the King turned from his purpose to slay his
+son; but, on the fifth day, the damsel came in to him hending a bowl of
+poison in hand, calling on Heaven for help and buffeting her cheeks and
+face, and said to him, "O King, either thou shalt do me justice and
+avenge me on thy son, or I will drink up this poison-cup and die, and
+the sin of my blood shall be on thy head at the Day of Doom. These thy
+Ministers accuse me of malice and perfidy, but there be none in the
+world more perfidious than men. Hast thou not heard the story of the
+Goldsmith and the Cashmere[FN#190] singing-girl?" "What befel the
+twain, O damsel?" asked the King; and she answered, saying, "There hath
+come to my knowledge, O august King, a tale of the
+
+
+Goldsmith and the Cashmere Singing-Girl.
+
+There lived once, in a city of Persia a goldsmith who delighted in
+women and in drinking wine. One day, being in the house of one of his
+intimates, he saw painted on the wall the figure of a lutanist, a
+beautiful damsel, beholder never beheld a fairer or a more pleasant. He
+looked at the picture again and again, marvelling at its beauty, and
+fell so desperately in love with it, that he sickened for passion and
+came near to die. It chanced that one of his friends came to visit him
+and sitting down by his side, asked how he did and what ailed him,
+whereto the goldsmith answered, "O my brother, that which ails me is
+love, and it befel on this wise. I saw a figure of a woman painted on
+the house- wall of my brother such an one and became enamoured of it."
+Hereupon the other fell to blaming him and said, "This was of thy lack
+of wit; how couldst thou fall in love with a painted figure on a wall,
+that can neither harm nor profit, that seeth not neither heareth, that
+neither taketh nor withholdeth." Said the sick man, "He who painted
+yonder picture never could have limned it save after the likeness of
+some beautiful woman." "Haply," rejoined his friend, "he painted it
+from imagination." "In any case," replied the goldsmith, "here am I
+dying for love of the picture, and if there live the original thereof
+in the world, I pray Allah Most High to protect my life till I see
+her." When those who were present went out, they asked for the painter
+of the picture and, finding that he had travelled to another town,
+wrote him a letter, complaining of their comrade's case and enquiring
+whether he had drawn the figure of his own inventive talents or copied
+it from a living model; to which he replied, "I painted it after a
+certain singing-girl belonging to one of the Wazirs in the city of
+Cashmere in the land of Hind." When the goldsmith heard this, he left
+Persia for Cashmere-city, where he arrived after much travail. He
+tarried awhile there till one day he went and clapped up an
+acquaintance with a certain of the citizens who was a druggist, a
+fellow of a sharp wit, keen, crafty; and, being one even-tide in
+company with him, asked him of their King and his polity; to which the
+other answered, saying, "Well, our King is just and righteous in his
+governance, equitable to his lieges and beneficent to his commons and
+abhorreth nothing in the world save sorcerers; but, whenever a sorcerer
+or sorceress falls into his hands, he casteth them into a pit without
+the city and there leaveth them in hunger to die." Then he questioned
+him of the King's Wazirs, and the druggist told him of each Minister,
+his fashion and condition, till the talk came round to the singing-girl
+and he told him, "She belongeth to such a Wazir." The goldsmith took
+note of the Minister's abiding place and waited some days, till he had
+devised a device to his desire; and one night of rain and thunder and
+stormy winds, he provided himself with thieves' tackle and repaired to
+the house of the Wazir who owned the damsel. Here he hanged a
+rope-ladder with grappling-irons to the battlements and climbed up to
+the terrace-roof of the palace. Thence he descended to the inner court
+and, making his way into the Harim, found all the slave-girls lying
+asleep, each on her own couch; and amongst them reclining on a couch of
+alabaster and covered with a coverlet of cloth of gold a damsel, as she
+were the moon rising on a fourteenth night. At her head stood a candle
+of ambergris, and at her feet another, each in a candlestick of
+glittering gold, her brilliancy dimming them both; and under her pillow
+lay a casket of silver, wherein were her Jewels. He raised the coverlet
+and drawing near her, considered her straitly, and behold, it was the
+lutanist whom he desired and of whom he was come in quest. So he took
+out a knife and wounded her in the back parts, a palpable outer wound,
+whereupon she awoke in terror; but, when she saw him, she was afraid to
+cry out, thinking he came to steal her goods. So she said to him, "Take
+the box and what is therein, but slay me not, for I am in thy
+protection and under thy safe-guard[FN#191] and my death will profit
+thee nothing." Accordingly, he took the box and went away.—And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted
+say.
+
+When is was the Five Hundred and Eighty-seventh Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+goldsmith had entered the Wazir's palace he wounded the damsel slightly
+in the back parts and, taking the box which contained her jewels,
+wended his way. And when morning morrowed he donned clothes after the
+fashion of men of learning and doctors of the law and, taking the
+jewel-case went in therewith to the King of the city, before whom he
+kissed the ground and said to him, "O King, I am a devout man; withal a
+loyal well-wisher to thee and come hither a pilgrim to thy court from
+the land of Khorasan, attracted by the report of thy just governance
+and righteous dealing with thy subjects and minded to be under thy
+standard. I reached this city at the last of the day and finding the
+gate locked and barred, threw me down to sleep without the walls; but,
+as I lay betwixt sleep and wake, behold, I saw four women come up; one
+riding on a broom-stick, another on a wine-jar, a third on an oven-peel
+and a fourth on a black bitch,[FN#192] and I knew that they were
+witches making for thy city. One of them came up to me and kicked me
+with her foot and beat me with a fox's tail she had in her hand,
+hurting me grievously, whereat I was wroth and smote her with a knife I
+had with me, wounding her in the back parts, as she turned to flee from
+me. When she felt the wound, she fled before me and in her flight let
+drop this casket, which I picked up and opening, found these costly
+jewels therein. So do thou take it, for I have no need thereof, being a
+wanderer in the mountains[FN#193] who hath rejected the world from my
+heart and renounced it and all that is in it, seeking only the face of
+Allah the Most High." Then he set the casket before the King and fared
+forth. The King opened the box and emptying out all the trinkets it
+contained, fell to turning them over with his hand, till he chanced
+upon a necklace whereof he had made gift to the Wazir to whom the girl
+belonged. Seeing this, he called the Minister in question and said to
+him, "This is the necklace I gave thee?" He knew it at first sight and
+answered, "It is; and I gave it to a singing girl of mine." Quoth the
+King, "Fetch that girl to me forthwith." So he fetched her to him, and
+he said, "Uncover her back parts and see if there be a wound therein or
+no." The Wazir accordingly bared her backside and finding a knife-wound
+there, said, "Yes, O my lord, there is a wound." Then said the King,
+"This is the witch of whom the devotee told me, and there can be no
+doubt of it," and bade cast her into the witches' well. So they carried
+her thither at once. As soon as it was night and the goldsmith knew
+that his plot had succeeded, he repaired to the pit, taking with him a
+purse of a thousand dinars, and, entering into converse with the
+warder, sat talking with him till a third part of the night was passed,
+when he broached the matter to him, saying, "Know, O my brother, that
+this girl is innocent of that they lay to her charge and that it was I
+brought this calamity upon her." Then he told him the whole story,
+first and last, adding, "Take, O my brother, this purse of a thousand
+dinars and give me the damsel, that I may carry her to my own land, for
+these gold pieces will profit thee more than keeping her in prison;
+moreover Allah will requite thee for us, and we too will both offer up
+prayers for thy prosperity and safety." When the warder heard this
+story, he marvelled with exceeding marvel at that device and its
+success; then taking the money, he delivered the girl to the goldsmith,
+conditioning that he should not abide one hour with her in the city.
+Thereupon the goldsmith took the girl and fared on with her, without
+ceasing, till he reached his own country and so he won his wish. "See,
+then, O King" (said the damsel), "the malice of men and their wiles.
+Now thy Wazirs hinder thee from doing me justice on thy son; but
+to-morrow we shall stand, both thou and I, before the Just Judge, and
+He shall do me justice on thee, O King." When the King heard this, he
+commanded to put his son to death; but the fifth Wazir came in to him
+and kissing the ground before him, said, "O mighty King, delay and
+hasten not to slay thy son: speed will oftentimes repentance breed; and
+I fear for thee lest thou repent, even as did the man who never laughed
+for the rest of his days." "And how was that, O Wazir?" asked the King.
+Quoth he, "I have heard tell, O King, this tale concerning
+
+
+The Man who never Laughed during the Rest of his Days.
+
+There was once a man who was rich in lands and houses and monies and
+goods, eunuchs and slaves, and he died and went to the mercy of Allah
+the Most High; leaving a young son, who, when he grew up, gave himself
+to feasting and carousing and hearing music and singing and the loud
+laughter of parasites; and he wasted his substance in gifts and
+prodigality till he had squandered all the money his father left him,
+—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-eighth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the young man,
+when he had squandered all the money his father had left him and naught
+thereof remained to him, betook himself to selling his slaves and
+handmaids, lands and houses and spent the proceeds on like wise, till
+he was reduced to beggary and must needs labour for his living. He
+abode thus a year's space, at the end of which time he was sitting one
+day under a wall, awaiting who should hire him when behold, there came
+up to him an old man of comely aspect and apparel and saluted him. The
+young man asked, "O uncle, hast thou known me aforetime?" and the other
+answered, "Not so, O my son, I know thee not at all, at all; but I see
+the trace of gentle breeding on thee despite thy present case." "O
+uncle, " rejoined the poor man, "needs must Fate and Fortune be
+accomplished; but, O uncle, O bright of blee, hast thou any occasion
+wherein thou wouldst employ me?" Said the other, "I wish, O my son, to
+employ thee in a slight matter." "What is it?" quoth the young man, and
+quoth the stranger, "We are eleven old men in one house, but we have
+none to serve us; so an thou wilt stay and take service with us, thou
+shalt have food and clothing to thy heart's content, besides what
+cometh to thee of coin and other good; and haply Allah will restore
+thee thy fortune by our means." Replied the youth, "Hearkening and
+obedience!" "But I have a condition to impose on thee." "What is that?"
+"O my son, it is that thou keep our secret in what thou seest us do,
+and if thou see us weep, that thou question us not of the cause of our
+weeping." "It is well, O uncle;" "Come with me, O my son, with the
+blessing of Allah Almighty." So he followed him to the bath, where the
+old man caused cleanse his body of the crusted dirt, after which he
+sent one to fetch a handsome garment of linen and clad him therein.
+Then he carried him to his company which was in his domicile and the
+youth found a house lofty and spacious and strongly builded, wherein
+were sitting-chambers facing one another; and saloons, in each one a
+fountain of water, with the birds warbling over it, and windows on
+every side, giving upon a fair garden within the house. The old man
+brought him into one of the parlours, which was variegated with
+many-coloured marbles, the ceiling thereof being decorated with
+ultramarine and glowing gold; and the floor bespread with silken
+carpets. Here he found ten Shaykhs in mourning apparel, seated one
+opposite other, weeping and wailing. He marvelled at their case and
+purposed to ask the reason, when he remembered the condition and held
+his peace. Then he who had brought him delivered to him a chest
+containing thirty thousand dinars and said to him, "O my son, spend
+freely from this chest what is fitting for our entertainment and thine
+own; and be thou faithful and remember that wherewith I charged thee."
+"I hear and I obey, " answered he and served them days and nights, till
+one of them died, whereupon his fellows washed him and shrouded him and
+buried him in a garden behind the house,[FN#194] nor did death cease to
+take them, one after other, till there remained but the Shaykh who had
+hired the youth for service. Then the two men, old and young, dwelt
+together in that house alone for years and years, nor was there with
+them a third save Allah the Most High, till the elder fell sick; and
+when the younger despaired of his life, he went up to him and condoling
+with him, said, "O nuncle mine, I have waited upon you twelve years and
+have not failed of my duties a single hour, but have been loyal and
+faithful to you and served you with my might and main." "Yes, O my
+son," answered the old man, "thou hast served us well until all my
+comrades are gone to the mercy of Allah (to whom belong honour and
+glory!) and needs must I die also." "O my lord," said the other, "thou
+art in danger of death and I would fain have thee acquaint me with the
+cause of your weeping and wailing and of your unceasing mourning and
+lamentation and regrets." "O my son," answered the old man, "it
+concerns thee not to know this, so importune me not of what I may not
+do: for I have vowed to Almighty Allah that I would acquaint none of
+His creatures with this, lest he be afflicted with what befel me and my
+comrades. If, then, thou desire to be delivered from that into which we
+fell, look thou open not yonder door, "[FN#195] and pointed to a
+certain part of the house; "but, if thou have a mind to suffer what we
+have suffered, then open it and thou shalt learn the cause of that thou
+hast seen us do; and whenas thou knowest it, thou shalt repent what
+time repentance will avail thee not."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
+of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-ninth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the surviving
+Shaykh of the ten said to the youth, "Beware how thou open yonder door
+or thou shalt repent what time repentance will avail thee not." Then
+his sickness grew on him and he accomplished his term and departed life
+to the presence of his Lord; and the young man washed him with his own
+hands and shrouded him and buried him by the side of his comrades;
+after which he abode alone in the place and took possession of
+whatsoever was therein. Withal he was uneasy and troubled concerning
+the case of the old men, till, one day, as he sat pondering the words
+of his dead master and his injunction not to open the door, he suddenly
+bethought himself to go and look for it. So he rose up and repaired to
+the part whither the dead man had pointed and sought till, in a dark
+unfrequented corner, he found a little door, over which the spider had
+spun her webs and which was fastened with four padlocks of steel.
+Seeing this he recalled the old man's warning and restrained himself
+and went away; and he held aloof from it seven days, whilst all the
+time his heart prompted him to open it. On the eighth day his curiosity
+got the better of him and he said, "Come what will, needs must I open
+the door and see what will happen to me therefrom. Nothing can avert
+what is fated and fore-ordained of Allah the Most High; nor doth aught
+befal but by His will." So saying, he rose and broke the padlocks and
+opening the door saw a narrow passage, which he followed for some three
+hours when lo! he came out on the shore of a vast ocean[FN#196] and
+fared on along the beach, marvelling at this main, whereof he had no
+knowledge and turning right and left. Presently, a great eagle swooped
+down upon him from the lift and seizing him in its talons, flew away
+with him betwixt heaven and earth, till it came to an island in the
+midst of the sea, where it cast him down and flew away. The youth was
+dazed and knew not whither he should wend, but after a few days as he
+sat pondering his case, he caught sight of the sails of a ship in the
+middlemost of the main, as it were a star in the sky; and his heart
+clave to it, so haply his deliverance might be therein. He continued
+gazing at the ship, until it drew nigh, when he saw that it was a foyst
+builded all of ivory and ebony, inlaid with glistening gold made fast
+by nails of steel, with oars of sandal and lign-aloes. In it were ten
+damsels, high-bosomed maids, as they were moons; and when they saw him,
+they came ashore to him and kissed his hands, saying, "Thou art the
+King, the Bridegroom!" Then there accosted him a young lady, as she
+were the sun shining in sky serene bearing in hand a silken napkin,
+wherein were a royal robe and a crown of gold set with all manner
+rubies and pearls. She threw the robe over him and set the crown upon
+his head, after which the damsels bore him on their arms to the foyst,
+where he found all kinds of silken carpets and hangings of various
+colours. Then they spread the sails and stretched out into mid-ocean.
+Quoth the young man, "Indeed, when they put to sea with me, meseemed it
+was a dream and I knew not whither they were wending with me.
+Presently, we drew near to land, and I saw the shore full of troops
+none knoweth their number save Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) and
+all were magnificently arrayed and clad in complete steel. As soon as
+the vessel had made fast to the land, they brought me five
+marked[FN#197] horses of noble breeds, housed and saddled with gold,
+inlaid with all manner pearls and high-priced bezel stones. I chose out
+one of them and mounted it, whilst they led the four others before me.
+Then they raised the banners and the standards over my head, whilst the
+troops ranged themselves right and left, and we set out, with drums
+beating and cymbals clashing, and rode on; whilst I debated in myself
+whether I were in sleep or on wake; and we never ceased faring, I
+believing not in that my estate, but taking all this for the imbroglio
+of a dream, till we drew near to the green mead, full of palaces and
+gardens and trees and streams and blooms and birds chanting the praises
+of Allah the One, the Victorious. Hereupon, behold, an army sallied out
+from amid the palaces and gardens, as it were the torrent when it
+poureth down,[FN#198] and the host overflowed the mead. These troops
+halted at a little distance from me and presently there rode forth from
+amongst them a King, preceded by some of his chief officers on foot."
+When he came up to the young man (saith the tale-teller) he dismounted
+also, and the two saluted each other after the goodliest fashion. Then
+said the King, "Come with us, for thou art my guest." So they took
+horse again and rode on stirrup touching stirrup in great and stately
+procession, conversing as they went, till they came to the royal
+palace, where they alighted together.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
+of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Ninetieth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the two rode
+together in stately procession till they entered the palace, when the
+King taking the young man by the hand, led him into a domed room
+followed by his suite, and making him sit down on a throne of gold,
+seated himself beside him. Then he unbound the swathe from his lower
+face; and behold, the King was a young lady, like the splendid sun
+shining in the sheeny sky, perfect in beauty and loveliness, brilliancy
+and grace, arrogance[FN#199] and all perfection. The youth looked upon
+this singular blessing and embodied boon and was lost in wonder at her
+charms and comeliness and seemlihead and at the splendour and affluence
+he saw about him, when she said "Know, O King, that I am the Queen of
+this land and that all the troops thou hast seen, whether horse or
+foot, are women, there is no man amongst them; for in this our state
+the men delve and sow and ear and occupy themselves with the tillage of
+the earth and the building of towns and other mechanical crafts and
+useful arts, whilst the women govern and fill the great offices of
+state and bear arms." At this the youth marvelled with exceeding marvel
+and, as they were in discourse, behold, in came the Wazir who was a
+tall gray-haired old woman of venerable semblance and majestic aspect,
+and it was told him that this was the Minister. Quoth the Queen to her,
+"Bring us the Kazi and witnesses." So she went out to do this, and the
+Queen, turning to him, conversed with him in friendly fashion, and
+enforced herself to reassure his awe of her and do away his shame with
+speech blander than the zephyr, saying, "Art thou content to be to me
+baron and I to thee feme?" Thereupon he arose and would have kissed
+ground between her hands, but she forbade him and he replied, saying,
+"O my lady, I am the least of thy slaves who serve thee." "Seest thou
+all these servants and soldiers and riches and hoards and treasures?"
+asked she, and he answered, "Yes!" Quoth she, "All these are at thy
+commandment to dispose of them and give and bestow as seemeth good to
+thee." Then she pointed to a closed door and said, "All these things
+are at thy disposal, save yonder door; that shalt thou not open, and if
+thou open it thou shalt repent when repentance will avail thee naught.
+So beware! and again I say, beware!" Hardly had she made an end of
+speaking when the Waziress entered followed by the Kazii and witnesses,
+all old women, with their hair streaming over their shoulders and of
+reverend and majestic presence; and the Queen bade them draw up the
+contract of marriage between herself and the young man. Accordingly,
+they performed the marriage-ceremony and the Queen made a great
+bride-feast, to which she bade all the troops; and after they had eaten
+and drunken, he went in unto his bride and found her a maid virginal.
+So he did away her hymen and abode with her seven years in all joyance
+and solace and delight of life, till, one day of the days, he bethought
+himself of the forbidden door and said in himself, "Except there were
+therein treasures greater and grander than any I have seen, she had not
+forbidden me therefrom." So he rose and opened the door, when, lo!
+behind it was the very bird which had brought him from the sea-shore to
+the island, and it said to him, "No welcome to a face that shall never
+prosper!" When he saw it and heard what it said, he fled from it; but
+it followed him and seizing him in its talons, flew with him an hour's
+journey betwixt heaven and earth, till it set him down in the place
+whence it had first carried him off and flew away. When he came to his
+senses, he remembered his late estate, great, grand and glorious, and
+the troops which rode before him and his lordly rule and all the honour
+and fair fortune he had lost and fell to weeping and wailing.[FN#200]
+He abode two months on the sea-shore, where the bird had set him down,
+hoping yet to return to his wife, till, as he sat one night wakeful,
+mourning and musing, behold, he heard one speaking, albeit he saw no
+one, and saying, "How great were the delights! Alas, far from thee is
+the return of that which is past!" When he heard this, he redoubled in
+his regrets and despaired of recovering his wife and his fair estate
+that was; so he returned, weary and broken-hearted, to the house where
+he had dwelt with the old men and knew that they had fared even as he
+and that this was the cause of their shedding tears and lamenting their
+lot; wherefore he ever after held them excused. Then, being overcome
+with chagrin and concern, he took to his chamber and gave himself up to
+mourning and lamentation; and he ceased not crying and complaining and
+left eating and drinking and pleasant scents and merriment; nor did he
+laugh once till the day of his death, when they buried him beside the
+Shaykhs. "See, then, O King," continued the Wazir "what cometh of
+precipitance; verily, it is unpraiseworthy and bequeatheth repentance;
+and in this I give thee true advice and loyal counsel." When the King
+heard this story, he turned from slaying his son;—And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-first Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the King
+heard this story he turned from slaying his son; but, on the sixth day,
+the favourite came in to him hending a naked knife in hand, and said to
+him, "Know, O my lord, that except thou hearken to my complaint and
+protect thy right and thine honour against these thy Ministers, who are
+banded together against me, to do me wrong, I will kill myself with
+this knife, and my blood will testify against thee on the Day of Doom.
+Indeed, they pretend that women are full of tricks and malice and
+perfidy; and they design thereby to defeat me of my due and hinder the
+King from doing me justice; but, behold, I will prove to thee that men
+are more perfidious than women by the story of a King among the Kings
+and how he gained access to the wife of a certain merchant." "And what
+passed between them?" asked the King, and she answered, "I have heard
+tell, O august King, a tale of
+
+
+The King's Son and the Merchant's Wife.
+
+A certain merchant, who was addicted to jealousy, had a wife that was a
+model of beauty and loveliness; and of the excess of his fear and
+jealousy of her, he would not abide with her in any town, but built her
+a pavilion without the city, apart from all other buildings. And he
+raised its height and strengthened its doors and provided them with
+curious locks; and when he had occasion to go into the city, he locked
+the doors and hung the keys about his neck.[FN#201] One day, when the
+merchant was abroad, the King's son of that city came forth, to take
+his pleasure and solace in the open country without the walls, and
+seeing the solitary pavilion, stood still to examine it for a long
+while. At last he caught sight of a charming lady looking and leaning
+out of one of the windows,[FN#202] and being smitten with amazement at
+her grace and charms, cast about for a means of getting to her, but
+could find none. So he called up one of his pages, who brought him
+ink-case[FN#203] and paper and wrote her a letter, setting forth his
+condition for love of her. Then he set it on the pile-point of an arrow
+and shot it at the pavilion, and it fell in the garden, where the lady
+was then walking with her maidens. She said to one of the girls,
+"Hasten and bring me yon letter," for she could read writing;[FN#204]
+and, when she had read it and understood what he said in it of his love
+and passion, yearning and longing, she wrote him a merciful reply, to
+the effect that she was smitten with a yet fiercer desire for him; and
+then threw the letter down to him from one of the windows of the
+pavilion. When he saw her, he picked up the reply and after reading it,
+came under the window and said to her, "Let me down a thread, that I
+may send thee this key; which do thou take and keep by thee." So she
+let down a thread and he tied the key to it.[FN#205] Then he went away
+and repairing to one of his father's Wazirs, complained to him of his
+passion for the lady and that he could not live without her; and the
+Minister said, "And how dost thou bid me contrive?" Quoth the Prince,
+"I would have thee set me in a chest[FN#206] and commit it to the
+merchant, feigning to him that it is thine and desiring him to keep it
+for thee in his country-house some days, that I may have my will of
+her; then do thou demand it back from him." The Wazir answered, "With
+love and gladness." So the Prince returned to his palace and fixing the
+padlock, the key whereof he had given the lady, on a chest he had by
+him, entered therein. Then the Wazir locked it upon him and setting it
+on a mule, carried it to the pavilion of the merchant, who, seeing the
+Minister, came forth to him and kissed his hands, saying, "Belike our
+lord the Wazir hath some need or business which we may have the
+pleasure and honour of accomplishing for him?" Quoth the Minister, "I
+would have thee set this chest in the safest and best place within thy
+house and keep it till I seek it of thee." So the merchant made the
+porters carry it inside and set it down in one of his store-closets,
+after which he went out on business. As soon as he was gone, his wife
+arose and went up to the chest and unlocked it with the key the King's
+son had given her, whereupon there came forth a youth like the moon.
+When she saw him, she donned her richest raiment and carried him to her
+sitting-saloon, where they abode seven days, eating and drinking and
+making merry: and as often as her husband came home, she put the Prince
+back into the chest and locked it upon him. One day the King asked for
+his son and the Wazir hurried off to the merchant's place of business
+and sought of him the chest.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
+and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-second Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Wazir
+reached the merchant's counting-house he asked for the box. The man
+accordingly repaired in haste to his pavilion, contrary to his custom
+and knocked at the door. When his wife was ware of him, she hurried the
+Prince back into the chest, but, in her confusion, forgot to lock it.
+The merchant bade the porters take it up and carry it to his house in
+the town. So they took up the box by the lid, whereupon it flew open
+and lo! the Prince was lying within. When the merchant saw him and knew
+him for the King's son, he went out to the Wazir and said to him, "Go
+in, thou, and take the King's son; for none of us may lay hands on
+him." So the Minister went in and taking the Prince, went away with
+him. As soon as they were gone, the merchant put away his wife and
+swore that he would never marry again. "And," continued the damsel, "I
+have heard tell, also, O King, a tale of
+
+
+The Page who Feigned to Know the Speech of Birds.[FN#207]
+
+A certain man of rank once entered the slave-market and saw a page
+being cried for sale; so he bought him and carrying him home, said to
+his wife, "Take good care of him." The lad abode there for a while
+till, one day, the man said to his wife, "Go forth to-morrow to the
+garden and take thy solace therein and amuse thyself and enjoy
+thyself." And she replied, "With love and gladness!" Now when the page
+heard this, he made ready in secret meat and drink and fruits and
+desert, and sallied forth with them privily that night to the garden,
+where he laid the meat under one tree, the wine under another and the
+fruit and conserves under a third, in the way his mistress must pass.
+When morning morrowed the husband bade him accompany the lady to that
+garden carrying with him all the provisions required for the day; so
+she took horse and riding thither with him, dismounted and entered.
+Presently, as they were walking about, a crow croaked,[FN#208] and the
+page said, "Thou sayst sooth;" whereupon his mistress asked him, "Dost
+thou know what the crow said?"; and he answered, "Yes, O my lady, he
+said, Under yonder tree is meat; go and eat it." So she said, "I see
+thou really dost understand them;" then she went up to the tree and,
+finding a dish of meat ready dressed, was assured that the youth told
+the truth and marvelled with exceeding marvel. They ate of the meat and
+walked about awhile, taking their pleasure in the garden, till the crow
+croaked a second time, and the page again replied, "Thou sayst sooth."
+"What said he?" quoth the lady, and quoth the page, "O my lady, he
+saith that under such a tree are a gugglet of water flavoured with musk
+and a pitcher of old wine." So she went up with him to the tree and,
+finding the wine and water there, redoubled in wonderment and the page
+was magnified in her eyes. They sat down and drank, then arose and
+walked in another part of the garden. Presently the crow croaked again
+and the page said, "Thou sayst sooth." Said the lady, "What saith he
+now?" and the page replied, "He saith that under yonder tree are
+fruits, fresh and dried." So they went thither and found all as he said
+and sat down and ate. Then they walked about again till the crow
+croaked a fourth time, whereupon the page took up a stone and threw it
+at him. Quoth she, "What said he, that thou shouldst stone him?" "O my
+lady," answered he, "he said what I cannot tell thee." "Say on,"
+rejoined she, "and be not abashed in my presence, for there is naught
+between me and thee." But he ceased not to say, "No," and she to press
+him to speak, till at last she conjured him to tell her, and he
+answered, "The crow said to me, 'Do with thy lady even as doth her
+husband.'" When she heard his words she laughed till she fell backward
+and said, "This is a light matter, and I may not gainsay thee therein."
+So saying, she went up to a tree and, spreading the carpet under it,
+lay down, and called to him to come and do her need, when, lo! her
+husband, who had followed them unawares and saw this, called out to the
+page, saying, "Harkye, boy! What ails thy mistress to lie there,
+weeping?" Answered the page, "O my lord, she fell off the tree and was
+killed;[FN#209] and none but Allah (be He extolled and exalted!)
+restored her to thee. Wherefore she lay down awhile to recover herself
+by rest." When the lady saw her husband standing by her head, she rose
+and made a show of weakness and pain, saying, "O my back! O my sides!
+Come to my help, O my friends! I shall never survive this." So her
+husband was deceived and said to the page, "Fetch thy mistress's horse
+and set her thereon." Then he carried her home, the boy holding one
+stirrup and the man the other and saying, "Allah vouchsafe thee ease
+and recovery!" "These then, O King," (said the damsel) "are some
+instances of the craft of men and their perfidy; wherefore let not thy
+Wazirs turn thee from succouring me and doing me justice." Then she
+wept, and when the King saw her weeping (for she was the dearest to him
+of all his slave-girls) he once more commanded to put his son to death;
+but the sixth Minister entered and kissing ground before him, said,
+"May the Almighty advance the King! Verily I am a loyal counsellor to
+thee, in that I counsel thee to deal deliberately in the matter of thy
+son;"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
+permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-third Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the sixth Wazir
+said, "O King, deal deliberately in the matter of thy son; for
+falsehood is as smoke and fact is built on base which shall not be
+broken; yea, and the light of sooth dispelleth the night of untruth.
+Know that the perfidy of women is great, even as saith Allah the Most
+High in His Holy Book, "Verily, the malice of you is great.[FN#210] And
+indeed a tale hath reached me that a certain woman befooled the Chiefs
+of the State on such wise as never did any before her." Asked the King,
+"And how was that?" And the Wazir answered, "I have heard tell a tale,
+O King, as follows concerning
+
+
+The Lady and her Five Suitors.[FN#211]
+
+A woman of the daughters of the merchants was married to a man who was
+a great traveller. It chanced once that he set out for a far country
+and was absent so long that his wife, for pure ennui, fell in love with
+a handsome young man of the sons of the merchants, and they loved each
+other with exceeding love. One day, the youth quarrelled with another
+man, who lodged a complaint against him with the Chief of Police, and
+he cast him into prison. When the news came to the merchant's wife his
+mistress, she wellnigh lost her wits; then she arose and donning her
+richest clothes repaired to the house of the Chief of Police. She
+saluted him and presented a written petition to this purport, "He thou
+hast clapped in jail is my brother, such and such, who fell out with
+such an one; and those who testified against him bore false witness. He
+hath been wrongfully imprisoned, and I have none other to come in to me
+nor to provide for my support; therefore I beseech thee of thy grace to
+release him." When the magistrate had read the paper, he cast his eyes
+on her and fell in love with her forthright; so he said to her, "Go
+into the house, till I bring him before me; then I will send for thee
+and thou shalt take him." "O my lord," replied she, "I have none to
+protect me save Almighty Allah!: I am a stranger and may not enter any
+man's abode." Quoth the Wali, "I will not let him go, except thou come
+to my home and I take my will of thee." Rejoined she, "If it must be
+so, thou must needs come to my lodging and sit and sleep the siesta and
+rest the whole day there." "And where is thy abode?" asked he; and she
+answered, "In such a place," and appointed him for such a time. Then
+she went out from him, leaving his heart taken with love of her, and
+she repaired to the Kazi of the city, to whom she said, "O our lord the
+Kazi!" He exclaimed, "Yes!" and she continued, "Look into my case, and
+thy reward be with Allah the Most High!" Quoth he, "Who hath wronged
+thee?" and quoth she, "O my lord, I have a brother and I have none but
+that one, and it is on his account that I come to thee; because the
+Wali hath imprisoned him for a criminal and men have borne false
+witness against him that he is a wrong-doer; and I beseech thee to
+intercede for him with the Chief of Police." When the Kazi looked on
+her, he fell in love with her forthright and said to her, "Enter the
+house and rest awhile with my handmaids whilst I send to the Wali to
+release thy brother. If I knew the money-fine which is upon him, I
+would pay it out of my own purse, so I may have my desire of thee, for
+thou pleasest me with thy sweet speech." Quoth she, "If thou, O my
+lord, do thus, we must not blame others." Quoth he, "An thou wilt not
+come in, wend thy ways." Then said she, "An thou wilt have it so, O our
+lord, it will be privier and better in my place than in thine, for here
+are slave-girls and eunuchs and goers-in and comers-out, and indeed I
+am a woman who wotteth naught of this fashion; but need compelleth."
+Asked the Kazi, "And where is thy house?"; and she answered, "In such a
+place," and appointed him for the same day and time as the Chief of
+Police. Then she went out from him to the Wazir, to whom she preferred
+her petition for the release from prison of her brother who was
+absolutely necessary to her: but he also required her of herself,
+saying, "Suffer me to have my will of thee and I will set thy brother
+free." Quoth she, "An thou wilt have it so, be it in my house, for
+there it will be privier both for me and for thee. It is not far
+distant and thou knowest that which behoveth us women of cleanliness
+and adornment." Asked he, "Where is thy house?" "In such a place,"
+answered she and appointed him for the same time as the two others.
+Then she went out from him to the King of the city and told him her
+story and sought of him her brother's release. "Who imprisoned him?"
+enquired he; and she replied, "Twas thy Chief of Police." When the King
+heard her speech, it transpierced his heart with the arrows of love and
+he bade her enter the palace with him, that he might send to the Kazi
+and release her brother. Quoth she, "O King, this thing is easy to
+thee, whether I will or nill; and if the King will indeed have this of
+me, it is of my good fortune; but, if he come to my house, he will do
+me the more honour by setting step therein, even as saith the poet,
+
+'O my friends, have ye seen or have ye heard * Of his visit whose
+virtues I hold so high?'"
+
+Quoth the King, "We will not cross thee in this." So she appointed him
+for the same time as the three others, and told him where her house
+was.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-fourth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the woman told
+the King where her house was and appointed him for the same time as the
+Wali, the Kazi and the Wazir. Then she left him and betaking herself to
+a man which was a carpenter, said to him, "I would have thee make me a
+cabinet with four compartments one above other, each with its door for
+locking up. Let me know thy hire and I will give it thee." Replied he,
+"My price will be four dinars; but, O noble lady and well-protected, if
+thou wilt vouchsafe me thy favours, I will ask nothing of thee."
+Rejoined she, "An there be no help but that thou have it so, then make
+thou five compartments with their padlocks;" and she appointed him to
+bring it exactly on the day required. Said he, "It is well; sit down, O
+my lady, and I will make it for thee forthright, and after I will come
+to thee at my leisure." So she sat down by him, whilst he fell to work
+on the cabinet, and when he had made an end of it she chose to see it
+at once carried home and set up in the sitting-chamber. Then she took
+four gowns and carried them to the dyer, who dyed them each of a
+different colour; after which she applied herself to making ready meat
+and drink; fruits, flowers and perfumes. Now when the appointed
+trysting day came, she donned her costliest dress and adorned herself
+and scented herself, then spread the sitting-room with various kinds of
+rich carpets and sat down to await who should come. And behold, the
+Kazi was the first to appear, devancing the rest, and when she saw him,
+she rose to her feet and kissed the ground before him; then, taking him
+by the hand, made him sit down by her on the couch and lay with him and
+fell to jesting and toying with him. By and by, he would have her do
+his desire, but she said, "O my lord, doff thy clothes and turband and
+assume this yellow cassock and this head-kerchief,[FN#212] whilst I
+bring thee meat and drink; and after thou shalt win thy will." So
+saying, she took his clothes and turband and clad him in the cassock
+and the kerchief; but hardly had she done this, when lo! there came a
+knocking at the door. Asked he, "Who is that rapping at the door?" and
+she answered, "My husband." Quoth the Kazi, "What is to be done, and
+where shall I go?" Quoth she, "Fear nothing, I will hide thee in this
+cabinet;" and he, "Do as seemeth good to thee." So she took him by the
+hand and pushing him into the lowest compartment, locked the door upon
+him. Then she went to the house-door, where she found the Wali; so she
+bussed ground before him and taking his hand brought him into the
+saloon, where she made him sit down and said to him, "O my lord, this
+house is thy house; this place is thy place, and I am thy handmaid:
+thou shalt pass all this day with me; wherefore do thou doff thy
+clothes and don this red gown, for it is a sleeping gown." So she took
+away his clothes and made him assume the red gown and set on his head
+an old patched rag she had by her; after which she sat by him on the
+divan and she sported with him while he toyed with her awhile, till he
+put out his hand to her. Whereupon she said to him, "O our lord, this
+day is thy day and none shall share in it with thee; but first, of thy
+favour and benevolence, write me an order for my brother's release from
+gaol that my heart may be at ease." Quoth he, "Hearkening and
+obedience: on my head and eyes be it!"; and wrote a letter to his
+treasurer, saying, "As soon as this communication shall reach thee, do
+thou set such an one free, without stay or delay; neither answer the
+bearer a word." Then he sealed it and she took it from him, after which
+she began to toy again with him on the divan when, behold, some one
+knocked at the door. He asked, "Who is that?" and she answered, "My
+husband." "What shall I do?" said he, and she, "Enter this cabinet,
+till I send him away and return to thee." So she clapped him into the
+second compartment from the bottom and padlocked the door on him; and
+meanwhile the Kazi heard all they said. Then she went to the house-door
+and opened it, whereupon lo! the Wazir entered. She bussed the ground
+before him and received him with all honour and worship, saying, "O my
+lord, thou exaltest us by thy coming to our house; Allah never deprive
+us of the light of thy countenance!" Then she seated him on the divan
+and said to him, "O my lord, doff thy heavy dress and turband and don
+these lighter vestments." So he put off his clothes and turband and she
+clad him in a blue cassock and a tall red bonnet, and said to him,
+"Erst thy garb was that of the Wazirate; so leave it to its own time
+and don this light gown, which is better fitted for carousing and
+making merry and sleep." Thereupon she began to play with him and he
+with her, and he would have done his desire of her; but she put him
+off, saying, "O my lord, this shall not fail us." As they were talking
+there came a knocking at the door, and the Wazir asked her, "Who is
+that?": to which she answered, "My husband." Quoth he, "What is to be
+done?" Quoth she, "Enter this cabinet, till I get rid of him and come
+back to thee and fear thou nothing." So she put him in the third
+compartment and locked the door on him, after which she went out and
+opened the house-door when lo and behold! in came the King. As soon as
+she saw him she kissed ground before him, and taking him by the hand,
+led him into the saloon and seated him on the divan at the upper end.
+Then said she to him, "Verily, O King, thou dost us high honour, and if
+we brought thee to gift the world and all that therein is, it would not
+be worth a single one of thy steps us-wards."—And Shahrazad perceived
+the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-fifth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the King
+entered the lady's house she said to him, "Had we brought thee to gift
+the world and all which is therein, it would not be worth a single one
+of thy steps us-wards." And when he had taken his seat upon the divan
+she said, "Give me leave to speak one word." "Say what thou wilt,"
+answered he, and she said, "O my lord, take thine ease and doff thy
+dress and turband." Now his clothes were worth a thousand dinars; and
+when he put them off she clad him in a patched gown, worth at the very
+most ten dirhams, and fell to talking and jesting with him; all this
+while the folk in the cabinet hearing everything that passed, but not
+daring to say a word. Presently, the King put his hand to her neck and
+sought to do his desire of her; when she said, "This thing shall not
+fail us, but I had first promised myself to entertain thee in this
+sitting-chamber, and I have that which shall content thee." Now as they
+were speaking, some one knocked at the door and he asked her, "Who is
+that?" "My husband," answered she, and he, "Make him go away of his own
+good will, or I will fare forth to him and send him away perforce."
+Replied she, "Nay, O my lord, have patience till I send him away by my
+skilful contrivance." "And I, how shall I do!" enquired the King;
+whereupon she took him by the hand and making him enter the fourth
+compartment of the cabinet, locked it upon him. Then she went out and
+opened the house-door when behold, the carpenter entered and saluted
+her. Quoth she, "What manner of thing is this cabinet thou hast made
+me?" "What aileth it, O my lady?" asked he, and she answered, "The top
+compartment is too strait." Rejoined he, "Not so;" and she, "Go in
+thyself and see; it is not wide enough for thee." Quoth he, "It is wide
+enough for four," and entered the fifth compartment, whereupon she
+locked the door on him. Then she took the letter of the Chief of Police
+and carried it to the treasurer who, having read and understood it,
+kissed it and delivered her lover to her. She told him all she had done
+and he said, "And how shall we act now?" She answered, "We will remove
+hence to another city, for after this work there is no tarrying for us
+here." So the twain packed up what goods they had and, loading them on
+camels, set out forthright for another city. Meanwhile, the five abode
+each in his compartment of the cabinet without eating or drinking three
+whole days, during which time they held their water until at last the
+carpenter could retain his no longer; so he staled on the King's head,
+and the King urined on the Wazir's head, and the Wazir piddled on the
+Wali and the Wali pissed on the head of the Kazi; whereupon the Judge
+cried out and said, "What nastiness[FN#213] is this? Doth not what
+strait we are in suffice us, but you must make water upon us?"' The
+Chief of Police recognised the Kazi's voice and answered, saying aloud,
+"Allah increase thy reward, O Kazi!" And when the Kazi heard him, he
+knew him for the Wali. Then the Chief of Police lifted up his voice and
+said, "What means this nastiness?" and the Wazir answered, saying,
+"Allah increase thy reward, O Wali!" whereupon he knew him to be the
+Minister. Then the Wazir lifted up his voice and said, "What means this
+nastiness?"  But when the King heard and recognised his Minister's
+voice, he held his peace and concealed his affair. Then said the Wazir,
+"May God damn[FN#214] this woman for her dealing with us! She hath
+brought hither all the Chief Officers of the state, except the King."
+Quoth the King, "Hold your peace, for I was the first to fall into the
+toils of this lewd strumpet." Whereat cried the carpenter, "And I, what
+have I done? I made her a cabinet for four gold pieces, and when I came
+to seek my hire, she tricked me into entering this compartment and
+locked the door on me." And they fell to talking with one another,
+diverting the King and doing away his chagrin. Presently the neighbours
+came up to the house and, seeing it deserted, said one to other, "But
+yesterday our neighbour, the wife of such an one, was in it; but now no
+sound is to be heard therein nor is soul to be seen. Let us break open
+the doors and see how the case stands, lest it come to the ears of the
+Wali or the King and we be cast into prison and regret not doing this
+thing before." So they broke open the doors and entered the saloon,
+where they saw a large wooden cabinet and heard men within groaning for
+hunger and thirst. Then said one of them, "Is there a Jinni in this
+cabinet?" and his fellow, "Let us heap fuel about it and burn it with
+fire." When the Kazi heard this, he bawled out to them, "Do it
+not!"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-sixth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+neighbours proposed to heap fuel about the cabinet and to burn it the
+Kazi bawled out to them, "Do it not!" And they said to one another,
+"Verily the Jinn make believe to be mortals and speak with men's
+voices." Thereupon the Kazi repeated somewhat of the Sublime Koran and
+said to the neighbours, "Draw near to the cabinet wherein we are." So
+they drew near, and he said, "I am so and so the Kazi, and ye are such
+an one and such an one, and we are here a company." Quoth the
+neighbours, "Who brought you here?" And he told them the whole case
+from beginning to end. Then they fetched a carpenter, who opened the
+five doors and let out Kazi, Wazir, Wali, King and carpenter in their
+queer disguises; and each, when he saw how the others were accoutred,
+fell a-laughing at them. Now she had taken away all their clothes; so
+every one of them sent to his people for fresh clothes and put them on
+and went out, covering himself therewith from the sight of the folk.
+"Consider, therefore, O our lord the King" (said the Wazir), "what a
+trick this woman played off upon the folk! And I have heard tell also a
+tale of
+
+
+The Three Wishes,[FN#215] or the Man who Longed to see the Night of
+Power.
+
+A certain man had longed all his life to look upon the Night of
+Power,[FN#216] and one night it befel that he gazed at the sky and saw
+the angels, and Heaven's gates thrown open; and he beheld all things
+prostrating themselves before their Lord, each in its several stead. So
+he said to his wife, "Harkye, such an one, verily Allah hath shown me
+the Night of Power, and it hath been proclaimed to me, from the
+invisible world, that three prayers will be granted unto me; so I
+consult thee for counsel as to what shall I ask." Quoth she, "O man,
+the perfection of man and his delight is in his prickle; therefore do
+thou pray Allah to greaten thy yard and magnify it." So he lifted up
+his hands to heaven and said, "O Allah, greaten my yard and magnify
+it." Hardly had he spoken when his tool became as big as a column and
+he could neither sit nor stand nor move about nor even stir from his
+stead; and when he would have carnally known his wife, she fled before
+him from place to place. So he said to her, "O accursed woman, what is
+to be done? This is thy list, by reason of thy lust." She replied, "No,
+by Allah, I did not ask for this length and huge bulk, for which the
+gate of a street were too strait. Pray Heaven to make it less." So he
+raised his eyes to Heaven and said, "O Allah, rid me of this thing and
+deliver me therefrom." And immediately his prickle disappeared
+altogether and he became clean smooth. When his wife saw this, she
+said, "I have no occasion for thee, now thou are become pegless as a
+eunuch, shaven and shorn;" and he answered her, saying, "All this comes
+of thine ill-omened counsel and thine imbecile judgment. I had three
+prayers accepted of Allah, wherewith I might have gotten me my good,
+both in this world and in the next, and now two wishes are gone in pure
+waste, by thy lewd will, and there remaineth but one." Quoth she, "Pray
+Allah the Most High to restore thee thy yard as it was." So he prayed
+to his Lord and his prickle was restored to its first estate. Thus the
+man lost his three wishes by the ill counsel and lack of wit in the
+woman; "And this, O King" (said the Wazir), "have I told thee, that
+thou mightest be certified of the thoughtlessness of women and their
+inconsequence and silliness and see what cometh of hearkening to their
+counsel. Wherefore be not persuaded by them to slay thy son, thy
+heart's core, who shall cause thy remembrance to survive thee." The
+King gave ear to his Minister's words and forbore to put his son to
+death; but, on the seventh day, the damsel came in, shrieking, and
+after lighting a great fire in the King's presence, made as she would
+cast herself therein; whereupon they laid hands on her and brought her
+before him. He asked her, "Why hast thou done this?"; and she answered,
+"Except thou do me justice on thy son, I will cast myself into this
+very fire and accuse thee of this on the Day of Resurrection, for I am
+a-weary of my life, and before coming into thy presence I wrote my last
+will and testament and gave alms of my goods and resolved upon death.
+And thou wilt repent with all repentance, even as did the King of
+having punished the pious woman who kept the Hammam." Quoth the King,
+"How was that?" and quoth she, "I have heard tell, O King, this tale
+concerning
+
+
+The Stolen Necklace.
+
+There was once a devotee, a recluse, a woman who had devoted herself to
+religion. Now she used to resort to a certain King's palace,[FN#217]
+whose dwellers were blessed by her presence and she was held of them in
+high honour. One day she entered that palace according to her custom
+and sat down beside the King's wife. Presently the Queen gave her a
+necklace, worth a thousand dinars, saying, "Keep this for me, O woman,
+whilst I go to the Hammam." So she entered the bath, which was in the
+palace, and the pious woman remaining in the place where the Queen was
+and awaiting her return laid the necklace on the prayer-carpet and
+stood up to pray. As she was thus engaged, there came a magpie[FN#218]
+which snatched up the necklace, while she went out to obey a call of
+nature and carrying it off, hid it inside a crevice in a corner of the
+palace-walls. When the Queen came out of the bath, she sought the
+necklace of the recluse, who also searched for it, but found it not nor
+could light on any trace of it; so she said to the King's wife, "By
+Allah, O my daughter, none hath been with me. When thou gavest me the
+necklace, I laid it on the prayer-carpet, and I know not if one of the
+servants saw it and took it without my heed, whilst I was engaged in
+prayer. Almighty Allah only knoweth what is come of it!" When the King
+heard what had happened, he bade his Queen put the bath-woman to the
+question by fire and grievous blows, —And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
+of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-seventh Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the King
+bade his Queen question the bath-woman with fire and grievous blows,
+they tortured her with all manner tortures, but could not bring her to
+confess or to accuse any. Then he commanded to cast her into prison and
+manacle and fetter her; and they did as he bade. One day, after this,
+as the King sat in the inner court of his palace, with the Queen by his
+side and water flowing around him, he saw the pie fly into a crevice in
+a corner of the wall and pull out the necklace, whereupon he cried out
+to a damsel who was with him, and she caught the bird and took the
+necklace from it. By this the King knew that the pious bath-woman had
+been wronged and repented of that he had done with her. So he sent for
+her to the presence and fell to kissing her head and with many tears
+sought pardon of her. Moreover, he commanded much treasure to be given
+to her, but she refused and would none of it. However, she forgave him
+and went away, swearing never again to enter any one's house. So she
+betook herself to wandering in the mountains and valleys and worshipped
+God until she died, and Almighty Allah have mercy upon her! "And for an
+instance of the malice of the male sex" (continued the damsel), "I have
+heard, O King, tell this tale of
+
+
+The Two Pigeons.[FN#219]
+
+A pair of pigeons once stored up wheat and barley in their nest during
+the winter, and when the summer came, the grain shrivelled and became
+less; so the male pigeon said to his wife, "Thou hast eaten of this
+grain." Replied she, "No, by Allah, I have never touched it!" But he
+believed not her words and beat her with his wings and pecked her with
+his bill, till he killed her. When the cold season returned, the corn
+swelled out and became as before, whereupon he knew that he had slain
+his wife wrongously and wickedly, and he repented whenas repentance
+availed him naught. Then he lay down by her side, mourning over her and
+weeping for grief, and left meat and drink, till he fell sick and died.
+"But" (added the damsel), "I know a story of the malice of men more
+extraordinary than either of these." Quoth the King, "Let us hear what
+thou hast to tell;" and quoth she, "I have heard tell, O King, this
+
+
+Story of Prince Behram and the Princess Al-Datma.
+
+There was once a King's daughter, who had no equal in her time for
+beauty and loveliness and symmetrical stature and grace, brilliancy,
+amorous lace and the art of ravishing the wits of the masculine race
+and her name was Al-Datmá. She used to boast, "Indeed there is none
+like me in this age." Nor was there one more accomplished than she in
+horsemanship and martial exercises and all that behoveth a cavalier. So
+all the Kings' sons sought her to wife; but she would take none of
+them, saying, "No man shall marry me except he overcome me at lunge of
+lance and stroke of sword in fair field and patent plain. If any can do
+this, I will willingly wed him; but, if I overcome him, I will take his
+horse and clothes and arms and write with fire upon his forehead, 'This
+is the freed man of Al-Datma.'" Now the sons of the Kings flocked to
+her from every quarter far and near, and she overcame them and put them
+to shame, stripping them of their arms and branding them with fire.
+Presently the son of a King of the Kings of the Persians, by name
+Behram ibn Tájí, heard of her and journeyed from afar to her father's
+court, bringing with him men and horses and great store of wealth and
+royal treasures. When he drew near the city, he sent her parent a rich
+present and the King came out to meet him and honoured him with the
+utmost honour. Then the King's son sent a message to him by his Wazir,
+demanding his daughter's hand in marriage; but the King answered,
+saying, "O my son, as regards my daughter Al-Datma, I have no power
+over her, for she hath sworn by her soul to marry none except he
+overcome her in the listed field." Quoth the Prince, "I journeyed
+hither from my father's court with no other object but this; I came
+here to woo and for thine alliance to sue;" quoth the King, "Thou shalt
+meet her tomorrow." So next day he sent to bid his daughter who, making
+ready for battle, donned her harness of war, and the folk, hearing of
+the coming joust, flocked from all sides to the field. Presently the
+Princess rode into the lists, armed cap-ŕ-pie and belted and with vizor
+down, and the Persian King's son came out singlehanded to meet her,
+equipped at all points after the fairest of fashions. Then they drove
+at each other and fought a great while, wheeling and falsing, advancing
+and retreating, till the Princess, finding in him such courage and
+cavalarice as she had seen in none else, began to fear for herself lest
+he put her to shame before the bystanders and knew that he would
+assuredly overcome her. So she resolved to trick him and, raising her
+vizor, lo! her face appeared more brilliant than the full moon, which
+when he saw, he was confounded by her beauty and his strength failed
+and his spirit faltered. When she perceived this, she fell upon him
+unawares in his moment of weakness, and tare him from his saddle, and
+he became in her hands as he were a sparrow in the clutches of an
+eagle, knowing not what was done with him for amazement and confusion.
+So she took his steed and clothes and armour and, branding him with
+fire, let him wend his ways. When he recovered from his stupor, he
+abode several days without meat or drink or sleep for despite and love
+of the girl which had taken hold upon his heart. Then he sent a letter
+by certain of his slaves to his father, advising him that he could not
+return home till he had won his will of the Princess or died for want
+of her. When his sire got the letter, he was sore concerned for his son
+and would have succoured him by sending troops and soldiers; but his
+Wazirs dissuaded him from this and exhorted him to patience; so he
+committed his affair to Almighty Allah. Meanwhile, the Prince cast
+about for a means of coming to his desire; and presently, disguising
+himself as a decrepit old man, with a white beard over his own black
+beard repaired to a garden of the Princess wherein she used to walk
+most of her days. Here he sought out the gardener and said to him, "I
+am a stranger from a far country and from my youth upwards I have been
+a gardener, and in the grafting of trees and the culture of fruits and
+flowers and care of the vine none is more skilled than I." When the
+gardener heard this, he rejoiced in him with exceeding joy and carried
+him into the garden, where he commended him to his underlings, and the
+Prince betook himself to the service of the garden and the tending of
+the trees and the bettering of their fruits and improving the Persian
+water-wheels and disposing the irrigation-channels. One day, as he was
+thus employed, lo! he saw some slaves enter the garden, leading mules
+laden with carpets and vessels, and asked them the meaning of this, to
+which they answered, "The Princess is minded to take her pleasure."
+When he heard these words he hastened to his lodging and, fetching some
+of the jewels and ornaments he had brought with him from home, sat down
+in the garden and spread somewhat of them out before him, shaking and
+making a show of extreme old age,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
+day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-eighth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the son of the
+Persian King, after disguising himself as an old man shotten in years
+and taking a seat in the garden, spread out somewhat of the jewels and
+ornaments before him and made a show of shaking and trembling as if for
+decrepitude and the weakness of extreme senility. After an hour or so a
+company of damsels and eunuchs entered with the Princess in their
+midst, as she were the moon among the stars, and dispersed about the
+garden, plucking the fruits and diverting themselves. Presently they
+espied a man sitting under one of the trees; and, making towards him
+(who was the Prince), found him a very old man, whose hands and feet
+trembled for decrepitude, and before him store of precious jewels and
+royal ornaments. So they marvelled at his case and asked him what he
+did there with the jewels; when he answered, "With these trinkets I
+would fain buy me to wife one of you." They laughed together at him and
+said, "If one of us marry thee, what wilt thou do with her?" Said he,
+"I will give her one kiss and divorce her." Then quoth the Princess, "I
+give thee this damsel to wife." So he rose and coming up to her,
+leaning on his staff and shivering and staggering, kissed her and gave
+her the jewels and ornaments; whereat she rejoiced and they, laughing
+at him, went their way. Next day, they came again to the garden, and
+finding him seated in the same place, with more jewels and ornaments
+than before spread in front of him, asked him, "O Shaykh, what wilt
+thou do with this jewellery?"; and he answered, saying, "I wish
+therewith to take one of you to wife even as yesterday." So the
+Princess said, "I marry thee to this damsel;" and he came up to her and
+kissed her and gave her the jewels, and they all went their ways. But,
+seeing such generosity to her handmaids, the Princess said in herself,
+"I have more right to all these fine things than these baggages, and no
+harm can betide me." So when morning morrowed she went down from her
+chamber singly into the garden, in the habit of one of her damsels, and
+presenting herself privily before the Prince, said to him, "O Shaykh,
+the King's daughter hath sent me to thee, that thou mayst marry me." He
+looked at her and knew her; so he answered, "With love and gladness,"
+and gave her jewels and ornaments of the finest and costliest. Then he
+rose to kiss her, and she off her guard and fearing nothing but, when
+he came up to her, he suddenly laid hold of her with a strong hand and
+instantly throwing her down, on the ground abated her
+maidenhead.[FN#220] Then he pulled the beard from his face and said to
+her, "Dost thou not know me?" Asked she, "Who art thou?" and he
+answered, "I am Behram, the King's son of Persia, who have changed my
+favour and am become a stranger to my people and estate for thy sake
+and have lavished my treasures for thy love." So she rose from under
+him in silence and answered not his address nor spake a word of reply
+to him, being dazed for what had befallen her and seeing nothing better
+than to be silent, for fear of shame; and she bethought herself and
+said, "If I kill myself it will be useless and if I do him die, his
+death will profit me naught;" and presently added, "Nothing will serve
+me but that I elope with him to his own country." Then she gathered
+together her monies and treasures and sent to him, acquainting him
+therewith, to the intent that he also might equip himself with his
+wealth and needs; and they agreed upon a night on which to depart. So,
+at the appointed time, they mounted race-horses and set out under cover
+of the gloom, nor did morning morrow till they had traversed a great
+distance; and they ceased not faring forwards till they drew near his
+father's capital in the land of the Persians. When the King heard of
+his son's coming, he rode out to meet him with his troops and rejoiced
+in him with exceeding joy. Then, after a few days, he sent the
+Princess's father a splendid present, and a letter to the effect that
+his daughter was with him and demanding her wedding equipage.
+Al-Datma's father came out to meet the messengers with the greatest
+gladness (for that he had deemed his daughter lost and had grieved sore
+for her loss): after which he made bride-feasts and, summoning the Kazi
+and the witnesses, let draw up the marriage-contract between his
+daughter and the Prince of Persia. He invested the envoys with robes of
+honour, then he made ready her equipage and despatched it to her; and
+Prince Behram abode with her till death sundered their union. "See
+therefore, O King" (continued the favourite), "the malice of men in
+their dealing with women. As for me, I will not go back from my due
+till I die." So the King once more commanded to put his son to death;
+but the seventh Wazir came in to him and kissing the ground before him,
+said, "O King, have patience with me whilst I speak these words of good
+counsel to thee; how many patient and slow-moving men unto their hope
+attain, and how many who are precipitate fall into shameful state! Now
+I have seen how this damsel hath profligately excited the King by lies
+to horrible and unnatural cruelties; but I his Mameluke, whom he hath
+overwhelmed with his favours and bounties, do proffer him true and
+loyal rede; for that I, O King, know of the malice of women that which
+none knoweth save myself; and in particular there hath reached me, on
+this subject, the story of the old woman and the son of the merchant
+with its warning instances." Asked the King, "And what fell out between
+them, O Wazir?" and the seventh Wazir answered, "I have heard tell, O
+King, the tale of
+
+
+The House with the Belvedere.[FN#221]
+
+A wealthy merchant had a son who was very dear to him and who said to
+him one day, "O my father, I have a boon to beg of thee." Quoth the
+merchant, "O my son, what is it, that I may give it thee and bring thee
+to thy desire, though it were the light of mine eyes." Quoth the youth,
+"Give me money, that I may journey with the merchants to the city of
+Baghdad and see its sights and sail on the Tigris and look upon the
+palace of the Caliphs[FN#222]; for the sons of the merchants have
+described these things to me and I long to see them for myself." Said
+the father, "O my child, O my little son, how can I endure to part from
+thee?" But the youth replied, ' I have said my say and there is no help
+for it but I journey to Baghdad with thy consent or e'en without it:
+such a longing for its sight hath fallen upon me as can only be
+assuaged by the going hither." —And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
+and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-ninth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the merchant's
+son said to his sire, "There is no help for it but that I journey to
+Baghdad." Now when the father saw that there was no help for it, he
+provided his son with goods to the value of thirty thousand gold pieces
+and sent him with certain merchants in whom he trusted, committing him
+to their charge. Then he took leave of the youth, who journeyed with
+his friends the merchants till they reached Baghdad, the House of
+Peace, where he entered the market and hired him a house, so handsome
+and delectable and spacious and elegant that on seeing it he well nigh
+lost his wits for admiration; for therein were pavilions facing one
+another, with floors of coloured marbles and ceilings inlaid with gold
+and lapis lazuli, and its gardens were full of warbling birds. So he
+asked the door keeper[FN#223] what was its monthly rent, and he
+replied, "Ten dinars." Quoth the young man, "Speakest thou soothly or
+dost thou but jest with me?" Quoth the porter, "By Allah, I speak
+naught but the truth, for none who taketh up his abode in This house
+lodgeth in it more than a week[FN#224] or two." "And how is that?"
+quoth the youth; and quoth the porter, "O my son, whoso dwelleth in
+this house cometh not forth of it, except sick or dead, wherefore it is
+known amongst all the folk of Baghdad so that none offereth to inhabit
+it, and thus cometh it that its rent is fallen so low." Hearing this
+the young merchant marvelled with exceeding marvel and said, "Needs
+must there be some reason for this sickening and perishing." However
+after considering awhile and seeking refuge with Allah from Satan the
+Stoned, he rented the house and took up his abode there. Then he put
+away apprehension from his thought and busied himself with selling and
+buying; and some days passed by without any such ill case befalling him
+in the house, as the doorkeeper had mentioned. One day as he sat upon
+the bench before his door, there came up a grizzled crone, as she were
+a snake speckled white and black, calling aloud on the name of Allah,
+magnifying Him inordinately and, at the same time, putting away the
+stones and other obstacles from the path.[FN#225] Seeing the youth
+sitting there, she looked at him and marvelled at his case; where upon
+quoth he to her, "O woman, dost thou know me or am I like any thou
+knowest?" When she heard him speak, she toddled up to him and saluting
+him with the salaam, asked, "How long hast thou dwelt in this house?"
+Answered he, "Two months, O my mother;" and she said, "It was hereat I
+marvelled; for I, O my son, know thee not, neither dost thou know me,
+nor yet art thou like unto any one I know; but I marvelled for that
+none other than thou hath taken up his abode in this house but hath
+gone forth from it, dead or dying, saving thee alone. Doubtless, O my
+son, thou hast periled thy young years; but I suppose thou hast not
+gone up to the upper story neither looked out from the belvedere
+there." So saying, she went her way and he fell a pondering her words
+and said to himself, "I have not gone up to the top of the house; nor
+did I know that there was a belvedere there." Then he arose forthright
+and going in, searched the by ways of the house till he espied, in a
+wall corner among the trees, a narrow door between whose posts[FN#226]
+the spider had woven her webs, and said in himself, "Haply the spider
+hath not webbed over the door, but because death and doom is within."
+However, he heartened himself with the saying of God the Most High,
+"Say, nothing shall befall us but what Allah hath written for
+us;"[FN#227] and opening the door, ascended a narrow flight of stairs,
+till he came to the terrace roof, where he found a belvedere, in which
+he sat down to rest and solace himself with the view. Presently, he
+caught sight of a fine house and a well cared for hard by, surmounted
+by a lofty belvedere, over looking the whole of Baghdad, in which sat a
+damsel fair as a Houri. Her beauty took possession of his whole heart
+and made away with his reason, bequeathing to him the pains and
+patience of Job and the grief and weeping of Jacob. And as he looked at
+her and considered her curiously, an object to enamour an ascetic and
+make a devotee lovesick, fire was lighted in his vitals and he cried,
+"Folk say that whoso taketh up his abode in this house dieth or
+sickeneth. An this be so, yon damsel is assuredly the cause. Would
+Heaven I knew how I shall win free of this affair, for my wits are
+clean gone!" Then he descended from the terrace, pondering his case,
+and sat down in the house, but being unable to rest, he went out and
+took his seat at the door, absorbed in melancholy thought when, behold,
+up came the old woman afoot, praising and magnifying Allah as she went.
+When he saw her, he rose and accosting her with a courteous salaam and
+wishes for her life being prolonged said to her, "O my mother, I was
+healthy and hearty till thou madest mention to me of the door leading
+to the belvedere; so I opened it and ascending to the top Of the house,
+saw thence what stole away my senses; and now methinks I am a lost man,
+and I know no physician for me but thyself." When she heard this, she
+laughed and said, "No harm shall befall thee Inshallah so Allah
+please!" Whereupon he rose and went into the house and coming back with
+an hundred dinars in his sleeve, said to her, "Take this, O my mother,
+and deal with me the dealing of lords with slaves and succour me
+quickly for, if I die, a claim for my blood will meet thee on the Day
+of Doom." Answered she, "With love and gladness; but, O my son, I
+expect thou lend me thine aid in some small matter, whereby hangs the
+winning of thy wish." Quoth he, "What wouldst thou have me do, O my
+mother?" Quoth she, "Go to the silk market and enquire for the shop of
+Abú al-Fath bin Kaydám. Sit thee down on his counter and salute him and
+say to him, 'Give me the face veil[FN#228] thou hast by thee orfrayed
+with gold:' for he hath none handsomer in his shop. Then buy it of him,
+O my son, at his own price however high and keep it till I come to thee
+to morrow, Allah Almighty willing." So saying, she went away and he
+passed the night upon live coals of the Ghazá[FN#229]-wood. Next
+morning he took a thousand ducats in his pocket and repairing to the
+silk market, sought out the shop of Abu al-Fath to whom he was directed
+by one of the merchants. He found him a man of dignified aspect,
+surrounded by pages, eunuchs and attendants; for he was a merchant of
+great wealth and consideration befriended by the Caliph; and of the
+blessings which Allah the Most High had bestowed upon him was the
+damsel who had ravished the young man's heart. She was his wife and had
+not her match for beauty, nor was her like to be found with any of the
+sons of the Kings. The young man saluted him and Abu al-Fath returned
+his salaam and bade him be seated. So he sat down by him and said to
+him, "O merchant, I wish to look at such a face veil." Accordingly he
+bade his slave bring him a bundle of silk from the inner shop And
+opening it, brought out a number of veils, whose beauty amazed the
+youth. Among them was the veil he sought; so he bought it for fifty
+gold pieces and bore it home well pleased.—And Shahrazad perceived the
+dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Six Hundredth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the youth after
+buying the veil of the merchant bore it home; but hardly had he reached
+the house when lo! up came the old woman. He rose to her and gave her
+his purchase when she bade him bring a live coal, with which she burnt
+one of the corners of the veil, then folded it up as before and,
+repairing to Abu al-Fath's house, knocked at the door. Asked the
+damsel, "Who is there?"; and she answered, "I, such an one." Now the
+damsel knew her for a friend of her mother so, when she heard her
+voice, she came out and opening the door to her, said, "What brought
+thee here, O my mother? My mamma hath left me and gone to her own
+house." Replied the old woman, "O my daughter, I know thy mother is not
+with thee, for I have been with her in her home, and I come not to
+thee, but because I fear to pass the hour of prayer; wherefore I desire
+to make my Wuzu-ablution with thee, for I know thou art clean and thy
+house pure."[FN#230] The damsel admitted the old trot who saluted her
+and called down blessings upon her. Then she took the ewer and went
+into the wash house, where she made her ablutions and prayed in a place
+there. Presently, she came out again and said to the damsel, "O my
+daughter, I suspect thy handmaidens have been in yonder place and
+defiled it; so do thou show me another place where I may pray, for the
+prayer I have prayed I account null and void." Thereupon the damsel
+took her by the hand and said to her, "O my mother, come and pray on my
+carpet, where my husband sits." So she stood there and prayed and
+worshipped, bowed and prostrated; and presently, she took the damsel
+unawares and made shift to slip the veil under the cushion, unseen of
+her. Then she blessed her and went her ways. Now as the day was closing
+Abu al-Fath came home and sat down upon the carpet, whilst his wife
+brought him food and he ate of it his sufficiency and washed his hands;
+after which he leant back upon the cushion. Presently, he caught sight
+of a corner of the veil protruding from under the cushion; so he pulled
+it out and considered it straitly, when, knowing it for that he had
+sold to the young man, he at once suspected his wife of unchastity.
+Thereupon he called her and said, "Whence hadst thou this veil?" And
+she swore an oath to him, saying, "None hath come to me but thou." The
+merchant was silent for fear of scandal, and said to himself, "If I
+open up this chapter, I shall be put to shame before all Baghdad;" for
+he was one of the intimates of the Caliph and so he could do nothing
+save hold his peace. So he asked no questions, but said to his wife,
+whose name was Mahzíyah, "It hath reached me that thy mother lieth ill
+of heart ache[FN#231] and all the women are with her, weeping over her;
+wherefore I order thee to go to her." Accordingly, she repaired to her
+mother's house and found her in the best of health; and she asked her
+daughter, "What brings thee here at this hour?" So she told her what
+her husband had said and sat with her awhile; when behold, up came
+porters, who brought her clothes from her husband's house, and
+transporting all her paraphernalia and what not else belonged to her of
+goods and vessels, deposited them in her mother's lodging. When the
+mother saw this, she said to her daughter, "Tell me what hath passed
+between thee and thy husband, to bring about this." But she swore to
+her that she knew not the cause thereof and that there had befallen
+nothing between them to call for this conduct. Quoth her mother, "Needs
+must there be a cause for this." And she answered, saying, "I know of
+none, and after this, with Almighty Allah be it to make provision!"
+Whereupon her mother fell a weeping and lamented her daughter's
+separation from the like of this man, by reason of his sufficiency and
+fortune and the greatness of his rank and dignity. On this wise things
+abode some days, after which the curst, ill omened old woman, whose
+name was Miryam the Koranist,[FN#232] paid a visit to Mahziyah, in her
+mother's house and saluted her cordially, saying, "What ails thee, O my
+daughter, O my darling? Indeed, thou hast troubled my mind." Then she
+went in to her mother and said to her, "O my sister, what is this
+business about thy daughter and her husband? It hath reached me that he
+hath divorced her! What hath she done to call for this?" Quoth the
+mother, "Belike her husband will return to her by the blessed influence
+of thy prayers, O Háfizah; so do thou pray for her, O my sister, for
+thou art a day faster and a night prayer." Then the three fell to
+talking together and the old woman said to the damsel, "O my daughter,
+grieve not for, if Allah please, I will make peace between thee and thy
+husband before many days." Then she left them and going to the young
+merchant, said to him, "Get ready a handsome entertainment for us, for
+I will bring her to thee this very night." So he sprang up and went
+forth and provided all that was fitting of meat and drink and so forth,
+then sat down to await the twain; whilst the old woman returned to the
+girl's mother and said to her, "O my sister, we have a splendid bride
+feast to night; so let thy daughter go with me, that she may divert
+herself and make merry with us and throw off her cark and care, and
+forget the ruin of her home. I will bring her back to thee even as I
+took her away." The mother dressed her daughter in her finest dress and
+costliest jewels and accompanied her to the door, where she commended
+her to the old woman's charge, saying, " 'Ware lest thou let any of
+Almighty Allah's creatures look upon her, for thou knowest her
+husband's rank with the Caliph; and do not tarry, but bring her back to
+me as soon as possible." The old woman carried the girl to the young
+man's house which she entered, thinking it the place where the wedding
+was to be held: but as soon as she came into the sitting saloon,—And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted
+say.
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and First Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that as soon as the
+damsel entered the sitting saloon, the youth sprang up to her and flung
+his arms round her neck and kissed her hands and feet. She was
+confounded at his loveliness, as well as at the beauty of the place and
+the profusion of meat and drink, flowers and perfumes that she saw
+therein, and deemed all was a dream. When the old woman saw her
+amazement, she said to her, "The name of Allah be upon thee, O my
+daughter! Fear not; I am here sitting with thee and will not leave thee
+for a moment. Thou art worthy of him and he is worthy of thee." So the
+damsel sat down shame-fast and in great confusion; but the young man
+jested and toyed with her and entertained her with laughable stories
+and loving verses, till her breast broadened and she became at her
+ease. Then she ate and drank and growing warm with wine, took the lute
+and sang these couplets,
+
+"My friend who went hath returned once more; * Oh, the welcome
+     light that such beauty shows!
+ And but for the fear of those arrowy eyes, * From his lovely
+     cheek I had culled the rose."
+
+
+And when the youth saw that she to his beauty did incline he waxt
+drunken without wine and his life was a light matter to him compared
+with his love.[FN#233] Presently the old woman went out and left them
+alone together to enjoy their loves till the next morning, when she
+went into them and gave them both good morrow[FN#234] and asked the
+damsel, "How hast thou passed the night, O my lady?" Answered the girl,
+"Right well, thanks to thy adroitness and the excellence of thy going
+between."[FN#235] Then said the old woman, ''Up, let us go back to thy
+mother." At these words the young man pulled out an hundred sequins and
+gave them to her, saying, "Take this and leave her with me to night."
+So she left them and repaired to the girl's mother, to whom quoth she,
+"Thy daughter saluteth thee, and the bride's mother hath sworn her to
+abide with her this night." Replied the mother, "O my sister, bear her
+my salaam, and, if it please and amuse the girl, there is no harm in
+her staying the night; so let her do this and divert herself and come
+back to me at her leisure, for all I fear for her is chagrin on account
+of an angry husband." The old woman ceased not to make excuse after
+excuse to the girl's mother and to put off cheat upon cheat upon her,
+till Mahziyah had tarried seven days with the young man, of whom she
+took an hundred dinars each day for herself; while he enjoyed all the
+solace of life and coition. But at the end of this time, the girl's
+mother said to her, "Bring my daughter back to me forthright; for I am
+uneasy about her, because she hath been so long absent, and I misdoubt
+me of this." So the old woman went out saying, "Woe to thee! shall such
+words be spoken to the like of me?"; and, going to the young man's
+house, took the girl by the hand and carried her away (leaving him
+lying asleep on his bed, for he was drunken with wine) to her mother.
+She received her with pleasure and gladness and seeing her in redoubled
+beauty and brilliancy rejoiced in her with exceeding joy, saying, "O my
+daughter, my heart was troubled about thee and in my uneasiness I
+offended against this my sister the Koranist with a speech that wounded
+her." Replied Mahziyah, "Rise and kiss her hands and feet, for she hath
+been to me as a servant in my hour of need, and if thou do it not thou
+art no mamma of mine, nor am I thy girl." So the mother went up at once
+to the old woman and made her peace with her. Meanwhile, the young man
+recovered from his drunkenness and missed the damsel, but congratulated
+himself on having enjoyed his desire. Presently Miryam the old Koranist
+came in to him and saluted him, saying, "What thinkest thou of my
+feat?" Quoth he, "Excellently well conceived and contrived of thee was
+that same." Then quoth she, "Come, let us mend what we have marred and
+restore this girl to her husband, for we have been the cause of their
+separation and it is unrighteous." Asked he, "How shall I do?" and she
+answered, "Go to Abu al-Fath's shop and salute him and sit down by him,
+till thou seest me pass by, when do thou rise in haste and catch hold
+of my dress and abuse me and threaten me, demanding of me the veil. And
+do thou say to the merchant, 'Thou knowest, O my lord, the face veil I
+bought of thee for fifty dinars? It so chanced that my handmaid put it
+on and burnt a corner of it by accident; so she gave it to this old
+woman, who took it, promising to get it fine-drawn[FN#236] and return
+it, and went away, nor have I seen her from that day to this.'" "With
+joy and good will," replied the young man, and rising forthright,
+walked to the shop of the silk merchant, with whom he sat awhile till
+behold, the old woman passed telling her beads on a rosary she held in
+hand; whereupon he sprang up and laying hold of her dress began to
+abuse and rail at her, whilst she answered him with fair words, saying,
+"Indeed, my son, thou art excusable." So the people of the bazaar
+flocked round the two, saying, "What is the matter?" and he replied, "O
+folk, I bought of this merchant a veil for fifty dinars and gave it to
+my slave girl, who wore it awhile, then sat down to fumigate it with
+perfume. Presently a spark flew out of the censer and, lighting on the
+edge of the veil, burnt a hole in it. So we committed it to this
+pestilent old woman, that she might give it to who should fine-draw it
+and return it to us; but from that time we have never set eyes on her
+again till this day." Answered the old woman, "This young man speaks
+sooth. I had the veil from him, but I took it with me into one of the
+houses where I am wont to visit and forgot it there, nor do I know
+where I left it; and, being a poor woman, I feared its owner and dared
+not face him." Now the girl's husband was listening to all they
+said,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say.
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Second Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the young
+man seized the old woman and spoke to her of the veil as she had primed
+him, the girl's husband was listening to all they said, from beginning
+to end, and when he heard the tale which the crafty old woman had
+contrived with the young man, he rose to his feet and said, "Allah
+Almighty! I crave pardon of the Omnipotent One for my sins and for what
+my heart suspected!" And he praised the Lord who had discovered to him
+the truth. Then he accosted the old woman and said to her, "Dost thou
+use to visit us?"[FN#237] Replied she, "O my son, I visit you and other
+than you, for the sake of alms; but from that day to this, none hath
+given me news of the veil." Asked the merchant, "Hast thou enquired at
+my house?" and she answered, "O my lord, I did indeed go to thy house
+and ask; but they told me that the person of the house[FN#238] had been
+divorced by the merchant; so I went away and asked no farther; nor have
+I enquired of anybody else until this day." Hereupon the merchant
+turned to the young man and said, "Let the old woman go her way; for
+the veil is with me." So saying he brought it out from the shop and
+gave it to the fine-drawer before all present. Then he betook himself
+to his wife and, giving her somewhat of money, took her to himself
+again, after making abundance of excuses to her and asking pardon of
+Allah, because he knew not what the old woman had done. (Said the
+Wazir), "This then, O King, is an instance of the malice of women and
+for another to the same purport, I have heard tell the following tale
+anent
+
+
+The King's Son and the Ifrit's Mistress[FN#239]
+
+A certain King's son was once walking alone for his pleasure, when he
+came to a green meadow, abounding in trees laden with fruit and birds
+singing on the boughs, and a river running athwart it. The place
+pleased him; so he sat down there and taking out some dried fruits he
+had brought with him, began to eat, when lo! he espied a great smoke
+rising up to heaven and, taking fright, he climbed up into a tree and
+hid himself among the branches. Thence he saw an Ifrit rise out of the
+midst of the stream bearing on his head a chest of marble, secured by a
+padlock. He set down the chest on the meadow-sward and opened it and
+there came forth a damsel of mortal race like the sun shining in the
+sheeny sky. After seating her he solaced himself by gazing on her
+awhile, then laid his head in her lap and fell asleep, whereupon she
+lifted up his head and laying it on the chest, rose and walked about.
+Presently, she chanced to raise her eyes to the tree wherein was the
+Prince, and seeing him, signed to him to come down. He refused, but she
+swore to him, saying, "Except thou come down and do as I bid thee, I
+will wake the Ifrit and point thee out to him, when he will straightway
+kill thee." The King's son fearing she would do as she said, came down,
+whereupon she kissed his hands and feet and besought him to do her
+need. To this he consented and, when he had satisfied her wants, she
+said to him, "Give me this seal ring I see on thy finger." So he gave
+her his signet and she set it in a silken kerchief she had with her,
+wherein were more than four score others. When the Prince saw this, he
+asked her, "What dost thou with all these rings?"; and she answered,
+"In very sooth this Ifrit carried me off from my father's palace and
+shut me in this box, which he beareth about on his head wherever he
+goeth, with the keys about him; and he hardly leaveth me one moment
+alone of the excess of his jealousy over me, and hindereth me from what
+I desire. When I saw this, I swore that I would deny my last favours to
+no man whatsoever, and these rings thou seest are after the tale of the
+men who have had me; for after coition I took from each a seal ring and
+laid it in this kerchief." Then she added, "And now go thy ways, that I
+may look for another than thyself, for the Ifrit will not awake yet
+awhile." Hardly crediting what he had heard, the Prince returned to his
+father's palace, but the King knew naught of the damsel's malice (for
+she feared not this and took no count thereof), and seeing that his son
+had lost his ring, he bade put him to death.[FN#240] Then he rose from
+his place and entered his palace; but his Wazirs came in to him and
+prevailed with him to abandon his purpose. The same night, the King
+sent for all of them and thanked them for having dissuaded him from
+slaying his son; and the Prince also thanked them, saying, "It was well
+done of you to counsel my father to let me live and Inshallah! I will
+soon requite you abundantly." Then he related to them how he had lost
+the ring, and they offered up prayers for his long life and advancement
+and withdrew. "See then, O King," (said the Wazir), "the malice of
+women and what they do unto men." The King hearkened to the Minister's
+counsel and again countermanded his order to slay his son. Next
+morning, it being the eighth day, as the King sat in his audience
+chamber in the midst of his Grandees and Emirs and Wazirs and Olema,
+the Prince entered, with his hand in that of his governor, Al Sindibad,
+and praised his father and his Ministers and lords and divines in the
+most eloquent words and thanked them for having saved his life; so that
+all who were present wondered at his eloquence and fluency of speech.
+His father rejoiced in him with exceeding, all surpassing joy, and
+calling him to him, kissed him between the eyes. Then he called his
+preceptor, al-Sindibad, and asked him why his son had kept silence
+these seven days, to which he replied, "O our lord, the truth is, it
+was I who enjoined him to this, in my fear for him of death: I knew
+this from the day of his birth; and, when I took his nativity, I found
+it written in the stars that, if he should speak during this period, he
+would surely die; but now the danger is over, by the King's fortune."
+At this the King was glad and said to his Wazirs, "If I had killed my
+son, would the fault have fallen on me or the damsel or on the
+preceptor, al-Sindibad?" But all present refrained from replying, and
+al-Sindibad said to the Prince, "Answer thou, O my son."—And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Third Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Al-Sindibad
+said, "Answer thou, O my son," the Prince replied, "I have heard tell
+that a merchant at whose house certain guests once alighted sent his
+slave girl to the market to buy a jar of clotted milk.[FN#241] So she
+bought it and set out on her return home; but on the way there passed
+over her a kite, holding and squeezing a serpent in its claws, and a
+drop of the serpent's venom fell into the milk jar, unknown of the
+girl. So, when she came back, the merchant took the milk from her and
+drank of it, he and his guests; but hardly had it settled in their
+stomachs when they all died.[FN#242] Now consider, O King, whose was
+the fault in this matter?" Thereupon some present said, "It was the
+fault of the company who drank the milk without examining it." And
+other some, "That of the girl, who left the jar without cover." But
+al-Sindibad asked the Prince, "What sayest thou, O my son?" Answered
+he, "I say that the folk err; it was neither the fault of the damsel
+nor of the company, for their appointed hour was come, their divinely
+decreed provision was exhausted and Allah had fore ordained them to die
+thus."[FN#243] When the courtiers heard this, they marvelled greatly
+and lifted up their voices, blessing the King's son, and saying, "O our
+lord, thou hast made a reply sans peur, and thou art the sagest man of
+thine age sans reproche." "Indeed, I am no sage," answered the Prince;
+"the blind Shaykh and the son of three years and the son of five years
+were wiser than I." Said the bystanders, "O youth, tell us the stories
+of these three who were wiser than thou art, O youth." Answered he,
+"With all my heart. I have heard tell this tale concerning the
+
+
+Sandal-Wood Merchant and the Sharpers.[FN#244]
+
+There once lived an exceeding rich merchant, who was a great traveller
+and who visited all manner of places. One day, being minded to journey
+to a certain city, he asked those who came thence, saying, "What kind
+of goods brought most profit there?" and they answered, "Chanders-wood;
+for it selleth at a high price." So he laid out all his money in sandal
+and set out for that city; and arriving there at close of day, behold,
+he met and old woman driving her sheep. Quoth she to him, "Who art
+thou, O man? and quoth he, "I am a stranger, a merchant." "Beware of
+the townsfolk," said she, "for they are cheats, rascals, robbers who
+love nothing more than imposing on the foreigner that they may get the
+better of him and devour his substance. Indeed I give thee good
+counsel." Then she left him and on the morrow there met him one of the
+citizens who saluted him and asked him, "O my lord, whence comest
+thou?" Answered the merchant, "From such a place." "And what
+merchandise hast thou brought with thee?" enquired the other; and
+replied he, "Chanders-wood, for it is high of price with you." Quoth
+the townsman, "He blundered who told thee that; for we burn nothing
+under our cooking-pots save sandal-wood, whose worth with us is but
+that of fuel." When the merchant heard this he sighed and repented and
+stood balanced between belief and unbelief. Then he alighted at one of
+the khans of the city, and, when it was night, he saw a merchant make
+fire of chanders-wood under his cooking pot. Now this was the man who
+had spoken with him and this proceeding was a trick of his. When the
+townsman saw the merchant looking at him, he asked, "Wilt thou sell me
+thy sandal-wood for a measure[FN#245] of whatever thy soul shall
+desire?" "I sell it to thee," answered the merchant; and the buyer
+transported all the wood to his own house and stored it up there;
+whilst the seller purposed to take an equal quantity of gold for it.
+Next morning the merchant, who was a blue-eyed man, went out to walk in
+the city but, as he went along, one of the townsfolk, who was blue-eyed
+and one-eyed to boot, caught hold of him, saying, "Thou are he who
+stole my eye and I will never let thee go."[FN#246] The merchant denied
+this, saying, "I never stole it: the thing is impossible." Whereupon
+the folk collected round them and besought the one-eyed man to grant
+him till the morrow, that he might give him the price of his eye. So
+the merchant procured one to be surety for him, and they let him go.
+Now his sandal had been rent in the struggle with the one-eyed man; so
+he stopped at a cobbler's stall and gave it to him, saying, "Mend it
+and thou shalt have of me what shall content thee." Then he went on,
+till he came to some people sitting at play of forfeits and sat down
+with them, to divert his cark and care. They invited him to play with
+them and he did so; but they practised on him and overcoming him,
+offered him his choice,[FN#247] either to drink up the sea or disburse
+all the money he had. "Have patience with me till to-morrow," said he,
+and they granted him the delay he sought; whereupon he went away, sore
+concerned for what had betided him and knowing not how he should do,
+and sat down in a solitary place heart-heavy, care- full,
+thought-opprest. And behold, the old woman passed by and seeing him
+thus, said to him, "Peradventure the townsfolk have gotten the better
+of thee, for I see the troubled at that which hath befallen thee:
+recount to me what aileth thee." So he told her all that had passed
+from first to last, and she said, "As for him who diddled thee in the
+matter of the chanders-wood, thou must know that with us it is worth
+ten gold pieces a pound. But I will give thee a rede, whereby I trust
+thou shalt deliver thyself; and it is this. Go to such and such a gate
+whereby lives a blind Shaykh, a cripple, who is knowing, wise as a
+wizard and experienced; and all resort to him and ask him what they
+require, when he counsels them what will be their advantage; for he is
+versed in craft[FN#248] and magic and trickery. Now he is a sharper and
+the sharpers resort to him by night; therefore, I repeat, go thou to
+his lodging and hide thyself from thine adversaries, so thou mayst hear
+what they say, unseen of them; for he telleth them which party got the
+better and which got the worse; and haply thou shalt learn from them
+some plan which may avail to deliver thee from them." —And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Fourth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the old woman
+said to the merchant, "Go this night to that expert who is frequented
+by the townsfolk and hide thine identity: haply shalt thou hear from
+him some plea which shall deliver thee from thine adversaries." So he
+went to the place she mentioned and hid himself albeit he took seat
+near the blind man. Before long, up came the Shaykh's company who were
+wont to choose him for their judge: they saluted the oldster and one
+another and sat down round him, whereupon the merchant recognised his
+four adversaries. The Chief set somewhat of food before them and they
+ate; then each began to tell what had befallen him during his day, and
+amongst the rest came forward he of the chanders-wood and told the
+Shaykh how he had bought of one man sandal below its price, and had
+agreed to pay for it a Sá'a or measure of whatever the seller should
+desire.[FN#249] Quoth the old man, "Thine opponent hath the better of
+thee." Asked the other, "How can that be?"; and the Shaykh answered,
+"What if he say, I will take the measure full of gold or silver, wilt
+thou give it to him?" "Yes," replied the other, "I will give it to him
+and still be the gainer." And the Shaykh answered, "And if he say, I
+will take the measure full of fleas,[FN#250] half male and half female,
+what wilt thou do?" So the sharper knew that he was worsted. Then came
+forward the one-eyed man and said, "O Shaykh, I met to-day a blue-eyed
+man, a stranger to the town; so I picked a quarrel with him and caught
+hold of him, saying, ''Twas thou robbedst me of my eye'; nor did I let
+him go, till some became surety for him that he should return to me
+to-morrow and satisfy me for my eye." Quoth the oldster, "If he will he
+may have the better of thee and thou the worse." "How so?" asked the
+sharper; and the Chief said, "he may say to thee, 'Pluck out thine eye,
+and I will pluck out one of mine; then we will weigh them both, and if
+thine eye be of the same weight as mine, thou sayest sooth in what thou
+avouchest.' So wilt thou owe him the legal price of his eye and be
+stone blind, whilst he will still see with his other eye." So the
+sharper knew that the merchant might baffle him with such plea. Then
+came the cobbler; and said, "O Shaykh, a man brought me his sandal-shoe
+to-day, saying, 'Mend this;' and I asked him, 'What wage wilt thou give
+me?'; when he answered, 'Thou shalt have of me what will content thee.'
+Now nothing will content me but all the wealth he hath." Quoth the
+oldster, "And he will, he may take his sandal from thee and give thee
+nothing." "How so?" quoth the cobbler, and quoth the Shaykh, "He has
+but to say to thee, 'The Sultan's enemies are put to the rout; his foes
+are waxed weak and his children and helpers are multiplied. Art thou
+content or no?' If thou say, 'I am content,'[FN#251] he will take his
+sandal and go away; and if thou say, 'I am not content,' he will take
+his sandal and beat thee therewith over the face and neck." So the
+cobbler owned himself worsted. Then came forward the gamester and said,
+"O Shaykh, I played at forfeits with a man to-day and beat him and
+quoth I to hime, 'If thou drink the sea I will give thee all my wealth;
+and if not I will take all that is thine.'" Replied the Chief, "An he
+will he may worst thee." "How so?" asked the sharper, and the Shaykh
+answered, "He hath but to say, 'Hold for me the mouth of the sea in
+thine hand and give it me and I will drink it.' But thou wilt not be
+able to do this; so he will baffle thee with this plea." When the
+merchant heard this, he knew how it behoved him to deal with his
+adversaries. Then the sharpers left the Shaykh and the merchant
+returned to his lodging. Now when morning morrowed, the gamester came
+to him and summoned him to drink the sea; so he said to him, "Hold for
+me its mouth and I will drink it up." Whereupon he confessed himself
+beaten and redeemed his foreit by paying an hundred gold pieces. Then
+came the cobbler and sought of him what should content him. Quoth the
+merchant, "Our lord the Sultan hath overcome his foes and hath
+destroyed his enemies and his children are multiplied. Art thou content
+or no?" "I am content," replied the cobbler and, giving up the
+shoe[FN#252] without wage, went away. Next came the one-eyed man and
+demanded the legal price of his eye. Said the merchant, "Pluck out
+thine eye, and I will pluck out mine: then we will weigh them, and if
+they are equal in weight, I will acknowledge thy truth, and pay thee
+the price of thine eye; but, if they differ, thou liest and I will sue
+thee for the price of mine eye." Quoth the one-eyed man, "Grant me
+time;" but the merchant answered, saying, "I am a stranger and grant
+time to none, nor will I part from thee till thou pay." So the sharper
+ransomed his eye by paying him an hundred ducats and went away. Last of
+all came the buyer of the chanders-wood and said, "Take the price of
+thy ware." Asked the merchant, "What wilt thou give me?"; and the other
+answered, "We agreed for a Sá'a-measure of whatever thou shouldst
+desire; so, if thou wilt, take it full of gold and silver." "Not I,"
+rejoined the merchant, "Not I! nothing shall serve me but I must have
+it full of fleas, half male and half female." Said the sharper, "I can
+do nothing of the kind;" and, confessing himself beaten, returned him
+his sandal-wood and redeemed himself from him with an hundred sequins,
+to be off his bargain. Then the merchant sold the chanders-wood at his
+own price and, quitting the city of sharpers, returned to his own land,
+—-And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
+permitted say.
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Fifth Night
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the merchant
+had sold his chanders-wood and had taken the money he quitted that city
+and returned to his own land. Then the Prince continued, "But this is
+not more wondrous than the tale of the three-year-old child." "What may
+that be?" asked the King, and the Prince answered, "I have heard tell
+this tale of
+
+
+The Debauchee and the Three-Year-Old Child.
+
+Know, O King that a certain profligate man, who was addicted to the
+sex, once heard of a beautiful and lovely woman who dwelt in a city
+other than his own. So he journeyed thither, taking with him a present,
+and wrote her a note, setting forth all that he suffered of
+love-longing and desire for her and how his passion for her had driven
+him to forsake his native land and come to her; and he ended by praying
+for an assignation. She gave him leave to visit her and, as he entered
+her abode, she stood up and received him with all honour and worship,
+kissing his hands and entertaining him with the best entertainment of
+meat and drink. Now she had a little son, but three years old, whom she
+left and busied herself in cooking rice.[FN#253] Presently the man said
+to her, "Come, let us go and lie together;" but she replied, "My son is
+sitting looking at us." Quoth the man, "He is a little child,
+understanding not neither knowing how to speak." Quoth the woman, "Thou
+wouldst not say thus, and thou knew his intelligence." When the boy saw
+that the rice was done, he wept with bitter weeping and his mother said
+to him, "What gars thee weep, O my son?" "Ladle me out some rice,"
+answered he, "and put clarified butter in it." So she ladled him out
+somewhat of rice and put butter therein; and the child ate a little,
+then began to weep again. Quoth she, "What ails thee now, O my son?";
+and quoth he, "O mother mine, I want some sugar with my rice." At this
+said the man, who was an-angered, "Thou art none other than a curst
+child." "Curst thyself, by Allah," answered the boy, "seeing thou
+weariest thyself and journeyest from city to city, in quest of
+adultery. As for me, I wept because I had somewhat in my eye, and my
+tears brought it out; and now I have eaten rice with butter and sugar
+and am content; so which is the curst of us twain?" The man was
+confounded at this rebuke from a little child and forthright grace
+entered him and he was reclaimed. Wherefor he laid not a finger on the
+woman, but went out from her and returned to his own country, where he
+lived a contrite life till he died. "As for the story of the
+five-year-old child" (continued the Prince), "I have heard tell, O
+King, the following anent
+
+
+The Stolen Purse.
+
+Four merchants once owned in common a thousand gold pieces; so they
+laid them mingled together in one purse and set out to buy merchandise
+therewith. They happened as they wended their way on a beautiful
+garden; so they left the purse with a woman who had care of the garden,
+saying to here, "Mind thee, thou shalt not give it back save when all
+four of us in person demand it of thee." She agreed to this and they
+entered and strolled awhile about the garden-walks and ate and drank
+and made merry, after which one of them said to the others, "I have
+with me scented fuller's-earth; come, let us wash our heads therewith
+in this running water." Quoth another, "We lack a comb;" and a third,
+"Let us ask the keeper; belike she hath a comb." Thereupon one of them
+arose and accosting the care-taker, said to her, "Give me the purse."
+Said she, "Not until ye be all present or thy fellows bid me give it
+thee." Then he called to his companions (who could see him but not hear
+him) saying, "She will not give it me;" and they said to her, "Give it
+him," thinking he meant the comb. So she gave him the purse and he took
+it and made off as fast as he could. When the three others were wary of
+waiting, they went to the keeper and asked her, "Why wilt thou not give
+him the comb?" Answered she, "He demanded naught of me save the purse,
+and I gave not that same but with your consent, and he went his way
+with it." When they heard her words they buffeted their faces and,
+laying hands upon her, said, "We authorized thee only to give him the
+comb;" and she rejoined, "He named not a comb to me." Then they seized
+her and haled her before the Kazi, to whom they related their claim and
+he condemned her to make good the the purse and bound over sundry of
+her debtors to answer for her. —-And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
+day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Sixth Night
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Kazi
+condemned the care-taker to make good the purse and bound over sundry
+of her debtors to answer for her. So she went forth, confounded and
+knowing not her way out of difficulty. Presently she met a
+five-year-old boy who, seeing her troubled, said to her, "What ails
+thee, O my mother?" But she gave him no answer, contemning him because
+of his tender age, and he repeated his question a second time and a
+third time till, at last, she told him all that had passed,[FN#254] not
+forgetting the condition that she was to keep the purse until all four
+had demanded it of her. Said the boy, "Give me a dirham to buy
+sweetmeats withal and I will tell the how thou mayst acquit thyself."
+So she gave him a silver and said to him, "What hast thou to say?"
+Quoth he, "Return to the Kazi, and say to him, It was agreed between
+myself and them that I should not give them the purse, except all four
+of them were present. Let them all four come and I will give them the
+purse, as was agreed." So she went back to the Kazi and said to him as
+the boy had counselled; and he asked the merchants, "Was it thus agreed
+between you and this woman?"; and they answered, "Yes." Quoth the Kazi,
+"Then bring me your comrade and take the purse." So they went in quest
+of their fellow, whilst the keeper came off scot-free and went her way
+without let or hindrance. And Allah is Omniscient![FN#255] When the
+King and his Wazir and those present in the assembly heard the Prince's
+words they said to his father, "O our lord the King, in very sooth thy
+son is the most accomplished man of his time;" and they called down
+blessings upon the King and the Prince. Then the King strained his son
+to his bosom and kissed him between the eyes and questioned him of what
+had passed between the favourite and himself; and the Prince sware to
+him, by Almighty Allah and by His Holy Prophet that it was she who had
+required him of love which he refused, adding, "Moreover, she promised
+me that she would give thee poison to drink and kill the, so should the
+kingship be mine; whereupon I waxed wroth and signed to her, 'O
+accursed one, whenas I can speak I will requite thee!' So she feared me
+and did what she did." The King believed his words and sending for the
+favourite said to those present, "How shall we put this damsel to
+death?" Some counselled him to cut out her tongue and other some to
+burn it with fire; but, when she came before the King, she said to him,
+"My case with thee is like unto naught save the tale of the fox and the
+folk." "How so?" asked he; and she said, "I have heard, O King, tell a
+
+
+Story of the Fox and the Folk.[FN#256]
+
+A fox once made his way into a city by the wall and, entering a
+currier's store-house, played havoc with all therein and spoiled the
+skins for the owner. One day, the currier set a trap for him and taking
+him, beat him with the hides, till he fell down senseless, whereupon
+the man deeming him to be dead, cast him out into the road by the
+city-gate. Presently, an old woman who was walking by, seeing the fox
+said, "This is a fox whose eye, hung about a child's neck, is salutary
+against weeping." So she pluckt out his right eye and went away. Then
+passed a boy, who said, "What does this tail on this fox?"; and cut off
+his brush. After a while, up came a man and saying, "This is a fox
+whose gall cleareth away film and dimness from the eyes, if they be
+anointed therewith like kohl," took out his knife to slit up the fox's
+paunch. But Reynard said in himself, "We bore with the plucking out of
+the eye and the cutting off of the tail; but, as for the slitting of
+the paunch, there is no putting up with that!" So saying, he sprang up
+and made off through the gate of the city, hardly believing in his
+escape. Quoth the King, "I excuse her, and in my son's hands be her
+doom. If he will, let him torture her, and if he will, let him kill
+her." Quoth the Prince, "Pardon is better than vengeance and mercy is
+of the quality of the noble;" and the King repeated, "'Tis for thee to
+decide, O my son." So the Prince set her free, saying, "Depart from our
+neighbourhood and Alla pardon what is past!" Therewith the King rose
+from his throne of estate and seating his son thereon, crowned him with
+his crown and bade the Grandees of his realm swear fealty and commanded
+them do homage to him. And he said, "O folk, indeed, I am stricken in
+years and desire to withdraw apart and devote myself only to the
+service of my Lord; and I call you to witness that I divest myself of
+the kingly dignity, even as I have divested myself of my crown and set
+it on my son's head." So the troops and officers swore fealty to the
+Prince, and his father gave himself up to the worship of his Lord nor
+stinted from this, whilst his son abode in his kingship, doing justice
+and righteousness; and his power was magnified and his sultanate
+strengthened and he abode in all delight and solace of life, till there
+came to him the Certainty.
+
+
+JUDAR[FN#257] AND HIS BRETHREN.
+
+There was once a man and a merchant named Omar and he had for issue
+three sons, the eldest called Sálim, the youngest Júdar and the cadet
+Salím. He reared them all till they came to man's estate, but the
+youngest he loved more than his brothers, who seeing this, waxed
+jealous of Judar and hated him. Now when their father, who was a man
+shotten in years, saw that his two eldest sons hated their brother, he
+feared lest after his death trouble should befall him from them. So he
+assembled a company of his kinsfolk, together with divers men of
+learning and property distributors of the Kazi's court, and bidding
+bring all his monies and cloth, said to them, "O folk, divide ye this
+money and stuff into four portions according to the law." They did so,
+and he gave one part to each of his sons and kept the fourth himself,
+saying, "This was my good and I have divided it among them in my
+lifetime; and this that I have kept shall be for my wife, their mother,
+wherewithal to provide for her subsistence whenas she shall be a
+widow."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
+permitted say.
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Seventh Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the merchant
+had divided his money and stuff into four portions he said, "This share
+shall be for my wife, their mother, wherewithal to provide for her
+subsistence whenas she shall be a widow." A little while after this he
+died, and neither of the two elder brothers was content with his
+share,[FN#258] but sought more of Judar, saying, "Our father's wealth
+is in thy hands." So he appealed to the judges; and the Moslems who had
+been present at the partition came and bore witness of that which they
+knew, wherefore the judge forbade them from one another; but Judar and
+his brothers wasted much money in bribes to him. After this, the twain
+left him awhile; presently, however, they began again to plot against
+him and he appealed a second time to the magistrate, who once more
+decided in his favour; but all three lost much money which went to the
+judges. Nevertheless Sálim and Salím forbore not to seek his hurt and
+to carry the case from court to court,[FN#259] he and they losing till
+they had given all their good for food to the oppressors and they
+became poor, all three. Then the two elder brothers went to their
+mother and flouted her and beat her, and seizing her money crave her
+away. So she betook herself to her son Judar and told him how his
+brothers had dealt with her and fell to cursing the twain. Said he, "O
+my mother, do not curse them, for Allah will requite each of them
+according to his deed. But, O mother mine, see, I am become poor, and
+so are my brethren, for strife occasioneth loss ruin rife, and we have
+striven amain, and fought, I and they, before the judges, and it hath
+profited us naught: nay, we have wasted all our father left us and are
+disgraced among the folk by reason of our testimony one against other.
+Shall I then con tend with them anew on thine account and shall we
+appeal to the judges? This may not be! Rather do thou take up thine
+abode with me, and the scone I eat I will share with thee. Do thou pray
+for me and Allah will give me the means of thine alimony. Leave them to
+receive of the Almighty the recompense of their deed, and console
+thyself with the saying of the poet who said,
+
+'If a fool oppress thee bear patiently; * And from Time expect
+     thy revenge to see:
+Shun tyranny; for if mount oppressed * A mount, 'twould be
+     shattered by tyranny.' "
+
+
+And he soothed and comforted her till she consented and took up her
+dwelling with him. Then he get him a net and went a fishing every day
+in the river or the banks about Bulák and old Cairo or some other place
+in which there was water; and one day he would earn ten
+coppers,[FN#260] another twenty and another thirty, which he spent upon
+his mother and himself, and they ate well and drank well. But, as for
+his brothers, they plied no craft and neither sold nor bought; misery
+and ruin and overwhelming calamity entered their houses and they wasted
+that which they had taken from their mother and became of the wretched
+naked beggars. So at times they would come to their mother, humbling
+themselves before her exceedingly and complaining to her of hunger; and
+she (a mother's heart being pitiful) would give them some mouldy, sour
+smelling bread or, if there were any meat cooked the day before, she
+would say to them, "Eat it quick and go ere your brother come; for
+'twould be grievous to him and he would harden his heart against me,
+and ye would disgrace me with him." So they would eat in haste and go.
+One day among days they came in to their mother, and she set cooked
+meat and bread before them. As they were eating, behold, in came their
+brother Judar, at whose sight the parent was put to shame and
+confusion, fearing lest he should be wroth with her; and she bowed her
+face earthwards abashed before her son. But he smiled in their faces,
+saying, "Welcome, O my brothers! A blessed day![FN#261] How comes it
+that ye visit me this blessed day?" Then he embraced them both and
+entreated them lovingly, saying to them, "I thought not that ye would
+have left me desolate by your absence nor that ye would have forborne
+to come and visit me and your mother." Said they, "By Allah, O our
+brother, we longed sore for thee and naught withheld us but abashment
+because of what befell between us and thee; but indeed we have repented
+much. 'Twas Satan's doing, the curse of Allah the Most High be upon
+him! And now we have no blessing but thyself and our mother."—And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted
+say.
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Eighth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Judar
+entered his place and saw his brothers, he welcomed them both, saying,
+"And I have no blessing but you twain." And his mother exclaimed,
+"Allah whiten thy face, and increase thy prosperity, for thou art the
+most generous of us all, O my son!" Then he said "Welcome to you both!
+Abide with me; for the Lord is bountiful and good aboundeth with me."
+So he made peace with them, and they supped and righted with him; and
+next morning, after they had broken their fast, Judar shouldered his
+net and went out, trusting in The Opener[FN#262] whilst the two others
+also went forth and were absent till midday, when they returned and
+their mother set the noon meal before them. At nightfall Judar came
+home, bearing meat and greens, and they abode on this wise a month's
+space, Judar catching fish and selling it and spending their price on
+his mother and his brothers, and these eating and frolicking till, one
+day, it chanced he went down to the river bank and throwing his net,
+brought it up empty. He cast it a second time, but again it came up
+empty and he said in himself, "No fish in this place!" So he removed to
+another and threw the net there, but without avail. And he ceased not
+to remove from place to place till night fall, but caught not a single
+sprat[FN#263] and said to himself, "Wonderful! Hath the fish fled the
+river or what?" Then he shouldered the net and made for home,
+chagrined, concerned, feeling for his mother and brothers and knowing
+not how he should feed them that night. Presently, he came to a baker's
+oven and saw the folk crowding for bread, with silver in their hands,
+whilst the baker took no note of them. So he stood there sighing, and
+the baker said to him, "Welcome to thee, O Judar! Dost thou want
+bread?" But he was silent and the baker continued, "An thou have no
+dirhams, take thy sufficiency and thou shalt get credit." So Judar
+said, "Give me ten coppers' worth of bread and take this net in
+pledge." Rejoined the baker, "Nay, my poor fellow, the net is thy gate
+of earning thy livelihood, and if I take it from thee, I shall close up
+against thee the door of thy subsistence. Take thee ten Nusfs' worth of
+bread and take these other ten, and to morrow bring me fish for the
+twenty." "On my head and eyes be it!" quoth Judar and took the bread
+and money saying, "To morrow the Lord will dispel the trouble of my
+case and will provide me the means of acquittance." Then he bought meat
+and vegetables and carried them home to his mother, who cooked them and
+they supped and went to bed. Next morning he arose at daybreak and took
+the net, and his mother said to him, "Sit down and break thy fast." But
+he said, "Do thou and my brothers break fast," and went down to the
+river about Bulak where he ceased not to cast once, twice, thrice; and
+to shift about all day, without aught falling to him, till the hour of
+mid afternoon prayer, when he shouldered his net and went away sore
+dejected. His way led him perforce by the booth of the baker who, when
+he saw him counted out to him the loaves and the money, saying, "Come,
+take it and go; an it be not today, 'twill be tomorrow." Judar would
+have excused himself, but the baker said to him, "Go! There needeth no
+excuse; an thou had netted aught, it would be with thee; so seeing thee
+empty handed, I knew thou hadst gotten naught; and if tomorrow thou
+have no better luck, come and take bread and be not abashed, for I will
+give thee credit." So Judar took the bread and money and went home. On
+the third day also he sallied forth and fished from tank to tank until
+the time of afternoon prayer, but caught nothing; so he went to the
+baker and took the bread and silver as usual. On this wise he did seven
+days running, till he became disheartened and said in himself, "To day
+I go to the Lake Kárún."[FN#264] So he went thither and was about to
+cast his net, when there came up to him unawares a Maghrabí, a Moor,
+clad in splendid attire and riding a she mule with a pair of gold
+embroidered saddle bags on her back and all her trappings also
+orfrayed. The Moor alighted and said to him, "Peace be upon thee, O
+Judar, O son of Omar!" "And on thee likewise be peace, O my lord the
+pilgrim!" replied the fisherman. Quoth the Maghrabi, "O Judar, I have
+need of thee and, given thou obey me, thou shalt get great good and
+shalt be my companion and manage my affairs for me." Quoth Judar, "O my
+lord, tell me what is in thy mind and I will obey thee, without demur."
+Said the Moor, "Repeat the Fatihah, the Opening Chapter of the
+Koran."[FN#265] So he recited it with him and the Moor bringing out a
+silken cord, said to Judar, "Pinion my elbows behind me with this cord,
+as fast as fast can be, and cast me into the lake; then wait a little
+while; and, if thou see me put forth my hands above the water, raising
+them high ere my body show, cast thy net over me and drag me out in
+haste; but if thou see me come up feet foremost, then know that I am
+dead; in which case do thou leave me and take the mule and saddle bags
+and carry them to the merchants' bazaar, where thou wilt find a Jew by
+name Shamáyah. Give him the mule and he will give thee an hundred
+dinars, which do thou take and go thy ways and keep the matter secret
+with all secrecy." So Judar tied his arms tightly behind his back and
+he kept saying, "Tie tighter." Then said he "Push me till I fall into
+the lake:" so he pushed him in and he sank. Judar stood waiting some
+time till, behold, the Moor's feet appeared above the water, whereupon
+he knew that he was dead. So he left him and drove the mule to the
+bazaar, where seated on a stool at the door of his storehouse he saw
+the Jew who spying the mule, cried, "In very sooth the man hath
+perished," adding, "and naught undid him but covetise." Then he took
+the mule from Judar and gave him an hundred dinars, charging him to
+keep the matter secret. So Judar went and bought what bread he needed,
+saying to the baker, "Take this gold piece!"; and the man summed up
+what was due to him and said, "I still owe thee two days' bread"—And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted
+say.
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Ninth Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Judar, when
+the baker after summing up what was due to him said, "I still owe thee
+two days' bread," replied, "Good," and went on to the butcher, to whom
+he gave a gold piece and took meat, saying, "Keep the rest of the dinar
+on account." Then he bought vegetables and going home, found his
+brothers importuning their mother for victual, whilst she cried, "Have
+patience till your brother come home, for I have naught." So he went in
+to them and said, "Take and eat;" and they fell on the food like
+cannibals. Then he gave his mother the rest of his gold saying, "If my
+brothers come to thee, give them wherewithal to buy food and eat in my
+absence." He slept well that night and next morning he took his net and
+going down to Lake Karun stood there and was about to cast his net,
+when behold, there came up to him a second Maghribi, riding on a she
+mule more handsomely accoutred than he of the day before and having
+with him a pair of saddle bags of which each pocket contained a casket.
+"Peace be with thee, O Judar!" said the Moor: "And with thee be peace,
+O my lord, the pilgrim!" replied Judar. Asked the Moor, "Did there come
+to thee yesterday a Moor riding on a mule like this of mine?" Hereat
+Judar was alarmed and answered, "I saw none," fearing lest the other
+say, "Whither went he?" and if he replied, "He was drowned in the
+lake," that haply he should charge him with having drowned him;
+wherefore he could not but deny. Rejoined the Moor, "Hark ye, O
+unhappy![FN#266] this was my brother, who is gone before me." Judar
+persisted, "I know naught of him." Then the Moor enquired, "Didst thou
+not bind his arms behind him and throw him into the lake, and did he
+not say to thee, 'If my hands appear above the water first, cast thy
+net over me and drag me out in haste; but, if my feet show first, know
+that I am dead and carry the mule to the Jew Shamayah, who shall give
+thee an hundred dinars?'" Quoth Judar, "Since thou knowest all this why
+and wherefore dost thou question me?"; and quoth the Moor, "I would
+have thee do with me as thou didst with my brother." Then he gave him a
+silken cord, saying, "Bind my hands behind me and throw me in, and if I
+fare as did my brother, take the mule to the Jew and he will give thee
+other hundred dinars." Said Judar, "Come on;" so he came and he bound
+him and pushed him into the lake, where he sank. Then Judar sat
+watching and after awhile, his feet appeared above the water and the
+fisher said, "He is dead and damned! Inshallah, may Maghribis come to
+me every day, and I will pinion them and push them in and they shall
+die; and I will content me with an hundred dinars for each dead man."
+Then he took the mule to the Jew, who seeing him asked, "The other is
+dead?" Answered Judar, "May thy head live!"; and the Jew said, "This is
+the reward of the covetous!" Then he took the mule and gave Judar an
+hundred dinars, with which he returned to his mother. "O my son," said
+she, "whence hast thou this?" So he told her, and she said, "Go not
+again to Lake Karun, indeed I fear for thee from the Moors." Said he,
+"O my mother, I do but cast them in by their own wish, and what am I to
+do? This craft bringeth me an hundred dinars a day and I return
+speedily; wherefore, by Allah, I will not leave going to Lake Karun,
+till the race of the Magháribah[FN#267] is cut off and not one of them
+is left." So, on the morrow which was the third day, he went down to
+the lake and stood there, till there came up a third Moor, riding on a
+mule with saddle bags and still more richly accoutred than the first
+two, who said to him, "Peace be with thee, O Judar, O son of Omar!" And
+the fisherman saying in himself, "How comes it that they all know me?"
+returned his salute. Asked the Maghribi, "Have any Moors passed by
+here?" "Two," answered Judar. "Whither went they?" enquired the Moor,
+and Judar replied, "I pinioned their hands behind them and cast them
+into the lake, where they were drowned, and the same fate is in store
+for thee." The Moor laughed and rejoined, saying, "O unhappy! Every
+life hath its term appointed." Then he alighted and gave the fisherman
+the silken cord, saying, "Do with me, O Judar, as thou didst with
+them." Said Judar, "Put thy hands behind thy back, that I may pinion
+thee, for I am in haste, and time flies." So he put his hands behind
+him and Judar tied him up and cast him in. Then he waited awhile;
+presently the Moor thrust both hands forth of the water and called out
+to him, saying, "Ho, good fellow, cast out thy net!" So Judar threw the
+net over him and drew him ashore, and lo! in each hand he held a fish
+as red as coral. Quoth the Moor, "Bring me the two caskets that are in
+the saddle bags." So Judar brought them and opened them to him, and he
+laid in each casket a fish and shut them up. Then he pressed Judar to
+his bosom and kissed him on the right cheek and the left, saying,
+"Allah save thee from all stress! By the Almighty, hadst thou not cast
+the net over me and pulled me out, I should have kept hold of these two
+fishes till I sank and was drowned, for I could not get ashore of
+myself." Quoth Judar, "O my lord the pilgrim, Allah upon thee, tell me
+the true history of the two drowned men and the truth anent these two
+fishes and the Jew."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
+to say her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Tenth Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Judar
+asked the Maghribi, saying, "Prithee tell me first of the drowned men,"
+the Maghribi answered, "Know, O Judar, that these drowned men were my
+two brothers, by name Abd al-Salám and Abd al- Ahad. My own name is Abd
+al-Samad, and the Jew also is our brother; his name is Abd al-Rahim and
+he is no Jew but a true believer of the Maliki school. Our father,
+whose name was Abd al- Wadúd,[FN#268] taught us magic and the art of
+solving mysteries and bringing hoards to light, and we applied
+ourselves thereto, till we compelled the Ifrits and Marids of the Jinn
+to do us service. By and by, our sire died and left us much wealth, and
+we divided amongst us his treasures and talismans, till we came to the
+books, when we fell out over a volume called 'The Fables of the
+Ancients,' whose like is not in the world, nor can its price be paid of
+any, nor is its value to be evened with gold and jewels; for in it are
+particulars of all the hidden hoards of the earth and the solution of
+every secret. Our father was wont to make use of this book, of which we
+had some small matter by heart, and each of us desired to possess it,
+that he might acquaint himself with what was therein. Now when we fell
+out there was in our company an old man by name Cohen Al-Abtan,[FN#269]
+who had reared our sire and taught him divination and gramarye, and he
+said to us, 'Bring me the book.' So we gave it him and he continued,
+'Ye are my son's sons, and it may not be that I should wrong any of
+you. So whoso is minded to have the volume, let him address himself to
+achieve the treasure of Al-Shamardal[FN#270] and bring me the celestial
+planisphere and the Kohl phial and the seal ring and the sword. For the
+ring hath a Marid that serveth it called Al-Ra'ad al-Kásif;[FN#271] and
+whoso hath possession thereof, neither King nor Sultan may prevail
+against him; and if he will, he may therewith make himself master of
+the earth, in all the length and breadth thereof. As for the brand, if
+its bearer draw it and brandish it against an army, the army will be
+put to the rout; and if he say the while, 'Slay yonder host,' there
+will come forth of that sword lightning and fire, that will kill the
+whole many. As for the planisphere, its possessor hath only to turn its
+face toward any country, east or west, with whose sight he hath a mind
+to solace himself, and therein he will see that country and its people,
+as they were between his hands and he sitting in his place; and if he
+be wroth with a city and have a mind to burn it, he hath but to face
+the planisphere towards the sun's disc, saying, 'Let such a city be
+burnt,' and that city will be consumed with fire. As for the Kohl
+phial, whoso pencilleth his eyes therefrom, he shall espy all the
+treasures of the earth. And I make this condition with you which is
+that whoso faileth to hit upon the hoards shall forfeit his right; and
+that none save he who shall achieve the treasure and bring me the four
+precious things which be therein shall have any claim to take this
+book.' So we all agreed to this condition, and he continued, 'O my
+sons, know that the treasure of Al-Shamardal is under the commandment
+of the sons of the Red King, and your father told me that he had
+himself essayed to open the treasure, but could not; for the sons of
+the Red King fled from him into the land of Egypt and took refuge in a
+lake there, called Lake Karun, whither he pursued them, but could not
+prevail over them, by reason of their stealing into that lake, which
+was guarded by a spell.' "—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
+ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Eleventh Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Cohen
+al-Abtan had told the youths this much, he continued his tale as
+follows, "So your father returned empty handed and unable to win to his
+wish; and after failing he complained to me of his ill-success,
+whereupon I drew him an astrological figure and found that the treasure
+could be achieved only by means of a young fisherman of Cairo, highs
+Judar bin Omar, the place of foregathering with whom was at Lake Karun,
+for that he should be the means of capturing the sons of the Red King
+and that the charm would not be dissolved, save if he should bind the
+hands of the treasure seeker behind him and cast him into the lake,
+there to do battle with the sons of the Red King. And he whose lot it
+was to succeed would lay hands upon them; but, if it were not destined
+to him he should perish and his feet appear above water. As for him who
+was successful, his hands would show first, whereupon it behoved that
+Judar should cast the net over him and draw him ashore." Now quoth my
+brothers Abd al-Salam and Abd al-Ahad, "We will wend and make trial,
+although we perish;" and quoth I, "And I also will go;" but my brother
+Abd al- Rahim (he whom thou sawest in the habit of a Jew) said, "I have
+no mind to this." Thereupon we agreed with him that he should repair to
+Cairo in the disguise of a Jewish merchant, so that, if one of us
+perished in the lake, he might take his mule and saddle bags and give
+the bearer an hundred dinars. The first that came to thee the sons of
+the Red King slew, and so did they with my second brother; but against
+me they could not prevail and I laid hands on them." Cried Judar, "And
+where is thy catch?" Asked the Moor, "Didst thou not see me shut them
+in the caskets?" "Those were fishes," said Judar. "Nay," answered the
+Maghribi, "they are Ifrits in the guise of fish. But, O Judar,"
+continued he, "thou must know that the treasure can be opened only by
+thy means: so say, wilt thou do my bidding and go with me to the city
+Fez and Mequinez[FN#272] where we will open the treasure?; and after I
+will give thee what thou wilt and thou shalt ever be my brother in the
+bond of Allah and return to thy family with a joyful heart." Said
+Judar, "O my lord the pilgrim, I have on my neck a mother and two
+brothers,"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
+her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Twelfth Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Judar said
+to the Maghribi, "I have on my neck a mother and two brothers, whose
+provider I am; and if I go with thee, who shall give them bread to
+eat?" Replied the Moor, "This is an idle excuse! if it be but a matter
+of expenditure, I will give thee a thousand ducats for thy mother,
+wherewith she may provide her self till thou come back: and indeed thou
+shalt return before the end of four months." So when Judar heard
+mention of the thousand diners, he said, "Here with them, O Pilgrim,
+and I am thy man;" and the Moor, pulling out the money, gave it to him,
+whereupon he carried it to his mother and told her what had passed
+between them, saying, "Take these thousand diners and expend of them
+upon thyself and my brothers, whilst I journey to Marocco with the
+Moor, for I shall be absent four months, and great good will betide me;
+so bless me, O my mother!" Answered she, "O my son, thou desolatest me
+and I fear for thee." "O my mother," rejoined he, "no harm can befall
+him who is in Allah's keeping, and the Maghribi is a man of worth;" and
+he went on to praise his condition to her. Quoth she, "Allah incline
+his heart to thee! Go with him, O my son; peradventure, he will give
+thee somewhat." So he took leave of his mother and rejoined the Moor
+Abd al-Samad, who asked him, "Hast thou consulted thy mother?" "Yes,"
+answered Judar; "and she blessed me." "Then mount behind me," said the
+Maghribi. So Judar mounted the mule's crupper and they rode on from
+noon till the time of mid afternoon prayer, when the fisherman was an
+hungered; but seeing no victual with the Moor, said to him, "O my lord
+the pilgrim, belike thou hast forgotten to bring us aught to eat by the
+way?" Asked the Moor, "Art thou hungry?" and Judar answered, "Yes." So
+Abd al-Samad alighted and made Judar alight and take down the saddle
+bage[FN#273]; then he said to him, "What wilt thou have, O my brother?"
+"Anything." "Allah upon thee, tell me what thou hast a mind to." "Bread
+and cheese." "O my poor fellow! bread and cheese besit thee not; wish
+for some thing good." "Just now everything is good to me." "Dost thou
+like nice browned chicken?" "Yes!" "Dost thou like rice and honey?"
+"Yes!" And the Moor went on to ask him if he liked this dish and that
+dish till he had named four and twenty kinds of meats; and Judar
+thought to himself, "He must be daft! Where are all these dainties to
+come from, seeing he hath neither cook nor kitchen? But I'll say to
+him, ''Tis enough!'" So he cried, "That will do: thou makest me long
+for all these meats, and I see nothing." Quoth the Moor, "Thou art
+welcome, O Judar!" and, putting his hand into the saddle bags, pulled
+out a golden dish containing two hot browned chickens. Then he thrust
+his hand a second time and drew out a golden dish, full of
+kabobs[FN#274]; nor did he stint taking out dishes from saddle bags,
+till he had brought forth the whole of the four and twenty kinds he had
+named, whilst Judar looked on. Then said the Moor, "Fall to poor
+fellow!", and Judar said to him, "O my lord, thou carriest in yonder
+saddle bags kitchen and kitcheners!" The Moor laughed and replied,
+"These are magical saddle bags and have a servant, who would bring us a
+thousand dishes an hour, if we called for them." Quoth Judar, "By
+Allah, a meat thing in saddle bags'" Then they ate their fill and threw
+away what was left; after which the Moor replaced the empty dishes in
+the saddle bags and putting in his hand, drew out an ewer. They drank
+and making the Wuzu ablution, prayed the mid afternoon prayer; after
+which Abd al-Samad replaced the ewer and the two caskets in the saddle
+bags and throwing them over the mule's back, mounted and cried "Up with
+thee and let us be off," presently adding, "O Judar, knowest thou how
+far we have come since we left Cairo?" "Not I, by Allah," replied he,
+and Abd al-Samad, "We have come a whole month's journey." Asked Judar,
+"And how is that?"; and the Moor answered, "Know, O Judar, that this
+mule under us is a Marid of the Jinn who every day performeth a year's
+journey; but, for thy sake, she hath gone an easier pace." Then they
+set out again and fared on westwards till nightfall, when they halted
+and the Maghribi brought out supper from the saddle bags, and in like
+manner, in the morning, he took forth wherewithal to break their fast.
+So they rode on four days, journeying till midnight and then alighting
+and sleeping until morning, when they fared on again; and all that
+Judar had a mind to, he sought of the Moor, who brought it out of the
+saddle bags. On the fifth day, they arrived at Fez and Mequinez and
+entered the city, where all who met the Maghribi saluted him and kissed
+his hands; and he continued riding through the streets, till he came to
+a certain door, at which he knocked, whereupon it opened and out came a
+girl like the moon, to whom said he, "O my daughter, O Rahmah,[FN#275]
+open us the upper chamber." "On my head and eyes, O my papa!" replied
+she and went in, swaying her hips to and fro with a graceful and
+swimming gait like a thirsting gazelle, movements that ravished Judar's
+reason, and he said, "This is none other than a King's daughter." So
+she opened the upper chamber, and the Moor, taking the saddle bags from
+the mule's back, said, "Go, and God bless thee!" when lo! the earth
+clove asunder and swallowing the mule, closed up again as before. And
+Judar said, "O Protector! praised be Allah, who hath kept us in safety
+on her back!" Quoth the Maghribi, "Marvel not, O Judar. I told thee
+that the mule was an Ifrit; but come with us into the upper chamber."
+So they went up into it, and Judar was amazed at the profusion of rich
+furniture and pendants of gold and silver and jewels and other rare and
+precious things which he saw there. As soon as they were seated, the
+Moor bade Rahmah bring him a certain bundle[FN#276] and opening it,
+drew out a dress worth a thousand diners, which he gave to Judar,
+saying, "Don this dress, O Judar, and welcome to thee!" So Judar put it
+on and became a fair en sample of the Kings of the West. Then the
+Maghribi laid the saddle bags before him, and, putting in his hand,
+pulled out dish after dish, till they had before them a tray of forty
+kinds of meat, when he said to Judar, "Come near, O my master! eat and
+excuse us"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
+her permitted say,
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Thirteenth Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Maghribi
+having served up in the pavilion a tray of forty kinds of meat, said to
+Judar, "Come near, O my master, and excuse us for that we know not what
+meats thou desirest; but tell us what thou hast a mind to, and we will
+set it before thee without delay." Replied Judar, "By Allah, O my lord
+the pilgrim, I love all kinds of meat and unlove none; so ask me not of
+aught, but bring all that cometh to thy thought, for save eating to do
+I have nought." After this he tarried twenty days with the Moor, who
+clad him in new clothes every day, and all this time they ate from the
+saddle bags; for the Maghribi bought neither meat nor bread nor aught
+else, nor cooked, but brought everything out of the bags, even to
+various sorts of fruit. On the twenty first day, he said, "O Judar up
+with thee; this is the day appointed for opening the hoard of
+Al-Shamardal." So he rose and they went afoot[FN#277] without the city,
+where they found two slaves, each holding a she mule. The Moor mounted
+one beast and Judar the other, and they ceased not riding till noon,
+when they came to a stream of running water, on whose banks Abd
+al-Samad alighted saying, "Dismount, O Judar!" Then he signed with his
+hand to the slaves and said, "To it!" So they took the mules and going
+each his own way, were absent awhile, after which they returned, one
+bearing a tent, which he pitched, and the other carpets, which he
+spread in the tent and laid mattresses, pillows and cushions there
+around. Then one of them brought the caskets containing the two fishes;
+and another fetched the saddle bags; whereupon the Maghribi arose and
+said, "Come, O Judar!" So Judar followed him into the tent and sat down
+beside him; and he brought out dishes of meat from the saddle bags and
+they ate the undurn meal. Then the Moor took the two caskets and
+conjured over them both, whereupon there came from within voices that
+said' "Adsumus, at thy service, O diviner of the world! Have mercy upon
+us!" and called aloud for aid. But he ceased not to repeat conjurations
+and they to call for help, till the two caskets flew in sunder, the
+fragments flying about, and there came forth two men, with pinioned
+hands saying, "Quarter, O diviner of the world! What wilt thou with
+us?" Quoth he, "My will is to burn you both with fire, except ye make a
+covenant with me, to open to me the treasure of Al-Shamardal." Quoth
+they, "We promise this to thee, and we will open the tree sure to thee,
+so thou produce to us Judar bin Omar, the fisherman, for the hoard may
+not be opened but by his means, nor can any enter therein save Judar."
+Cried the Maghribi "Him of whom ye speak, I have brought, and he is
+here, listening to you and looking at you." Thereupon they covenanted
+with him to open the treasure to him, and he released them. Then he
+brought out a hollow wand and tablets of red carnelian which he laid on
+the rod; and after this he took a chafing dish and setting charcoal
+thereon, blew one breath into it and it kindled forthwith. Presently he
+brought incense and said, "O Judar, I am now about to begin the
+necessary conjurations and fumigations, and when I have once begun, I
+may not speak, or the charm will be naught; so I will teach thee first
+what thou must do to win thy wish." "Teach me," quoth Judar. "Know,"
+quoth the Moor, "that when I have recited the spell and thrown on the
+incense, the water will dry up from the river's bed and discover to
+thee, a golden door, the bigness of the city gate, with two rings of
+metal thereon; whereupon do thou go down to the door and knock a light
+knock and wait awhile; then knock a second time a knock louder than the
+first and wait another while; after which give three knocks in rapid
+succession, and thou wilt hear a voice ask, 'Who knocketh at the door
+of the treasure, unknowing how to solve the secrets?' Do thou answer,
+'I am Judar the fisherman son of Omar': and the door will open and
+there will come forth a figure with a brand in hand who will say to
+thee: 'If thou be that man, stretch forth thy neck, that I may strike
+off thy head.' Then do thou stretch forth thy neck and fear not; for,
+when he lifts his hand and smites thee with the sword, he will fall
+down before thee, and in a little thou wilt see him a body sans soul;
+and the stroke shall not hurt thee nor shall any harm befall thee; but,
+if thou gainsay him, he will slay thee. When thou hast undone his
+enchantment by obedience, enter and go on till thou see another door,
+at which do thou knock, and there will come forth to thee a horseman
+riding a mare with a lance on his shoulder and say to thee, 'What
+bringeth thee hither, where none may enter ne man ne Jinni?' And he
+will shake his lance at thee. Bare thy breast to him and he will smite
+thee and fall down forthright and thou shalt see him a body without a
+soul; but if thou cross him he will kill thee. Then go on to the third
+door, whence there will come forth to thee a man with a bow and arrows
+in his hand and take aim at thee. Bare thy breast to him and he will
+shoot at thee and fall down before thee, a body without a soul; but if
+thou oppose him, he will kill thee. Then go on to the fourth door"—And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her per misted
+say.
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Fourteenth Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Maghribi
+said to Judar, "Go on to the fourth door and knock and it shall be
+opened to thee, when there will come forth to thee a lion huge of bulk
+which will rush upon thee, opening his mouth and showing he hath a mind
+to devour thee. Have no fear of him, neither flee from him: but when he
+cometh to thee, give him thy hand and he will bite at it and fall down
+straightway, nor shall aught of hurt betide thee. Then enter the fifth
+door, where thou shalt find a black slave, who will say to thee, 'Who
+art thou?' Say, 'I am Judar!' and he will answer, 'If thou be that man,
+open the sixth door.' Then do thou go up to the door and say, 'O Isa,
+tell Musa to open the door'; whereupon the door will fly open and thou
+wilt see two dragons, one on the left hand and another on the right,
+which will open their mouths and fly at thee, both at once. Do thou put
+forth to them both hands and they will bite each a hand and fall down
+dead; but an thou resist them, they will slay thee. Then go on to the
+seventh door and knock, whereupon there will come forth to thee thy
+mother and say, 'Welcome, O my son! Come, that I may greet thee!' But
+do thou reply, 'Hold off from me and doff thy dress.' And she will make
+answer, 'O my son, I am thy mother and I have a claim upon thee for
+suckling thee and for rearing thee: how then wouldst thou strip me
+naked?' Then do thou say, 'Except thou put off thy clothes, I will kill
+thee!' and look to thy right where thou wilt see a sword hanging up.
+Take it and draw it upon her, saying, 'Strip!' where upon she will
+wheedle thee and humble herself to thee; but have thou no ruth on her
+nor be beguiled, and as often as she putteth off aught, say to her,
+'Off with the rave'; nor do thou cease to threaten her with death, till
+she doff all that is upon her and fall down, whereupon the enchantment
+will be dissolved and the charms undone, and thou wilt be safe as to
+thy life. Then enter the hall of the treasure, where thou wilt see the
+gold lying in heaps; but pay no heed to aught thereof, but look to a
+closet at the upper end of the hall, where thou wilt see a curtain
+drawn. Draw back the curtain and thou wilt descry the enchanter,
+Al-Shamardal, lying upon a couch of gold, with something at his head
+round and shining like the moon, which is the celestial planisphere. He
+is baldrick'd with the sword[FN#278]; his finger is the ring and about
+his neck hangs a chain, to which hangs the Kohl phial. Bring me the
+four talismans, and beware lest thou forget aught of that which I have
+told thee, or thou wilt repent and there will be fear for thee." And he
+repeated his directions a second and a third and a fourth time, till
+Judar said, "I have them by heart: but who may face all these
+enchantments that thou namest and endure against these mighty terrors?"
+Replied the Moor, "O Judar, fear not, for they are semblances without
+life;" and he went on to hearten him, till he said, "I put my trust in
+Allah." Then Abd al-Samad threw perfumes on the chafing dish, and
+addressed himself to reciting conjurations for a time when, behold, the
+water disappeared and uncovered the river bed and discovered the door
+of the treasure, whereupon Judar went down to the door and knocked.
+Therewith he heard a voice saying, "Who knocketh at the door of the
+treasure, unknowing how to solve the secrets?" Quoth he, "I am Judar
+son of Omar;" whereupon the door opened and there came forth a figure
+with a drawn sword, who said to him, "Stretch forth thy neck." So he
+stretched forth his neck and the species smote him and fell down,
+lifeless. Then he went on to the second door and did the like, nor did
+he cease to do thus, till he had undone the enchantments of the first
+six doors and came to the seventh door, whence there issued forth to
+him his mother, saying, "I salute thee, O my son!" He asked, "What art
+thou?", and she answered, "O my son, I am thy mother who bare thee nine
+months and suckled thee and reared thee." Quoth he, "Put off thy
+clothes." Quoth she, "Thou art my son, how wouldst thou strip me
+naked?" But he said "Strip, or I will strike off thy head with this
+sword;" and he stretched out his hand to the brand and drew it upon her
+saying, "Except thou strip, I will slay thee." Then the strife became
+long between them and as often as he redoubled on her his threats, she
+put off somewhat of her clothes and he said to her, "Doff the rest,"
+with many menaces; while she removed each article slowly and kept
+saying, "O my son, thou hast disappointed my fosterage of thee," till
+she had nothing left but her petticoat trousers Then said she, "O my
+son, is thy heart stone? Wilt thou dishonour me by discovering my
+shame? Indeed, this is unlawful, O my son!" And he answered, "Thou
+sayest sooth; put not off thy trousers." At once, as he uttered these
+words, she cried out, "He hath made default; beat him!" Whereupon there
+fell upon him blows like rain drops and the servants of the treasure
+flocked to him and dealt him a funding which he forgot not in all his
+days; after which they thrust him forth and threw him down without the
+treasure and the hoard doors closed of themselves, whilst the waters of
+the river returned to their bed.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
+day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Fifteenth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the servants
+of the treasure beat Judar and cast him out and the hoard doors closed
+of themselves, whilst the river waters returned to their bed, Abd
+al-Samad the Maghribi took Judar up in haste and repeated conjurations
+over him, till he came to his senses but still dazed as with drink,
+when he asked him, "What hast thou done, O wretch?" Answered Judar, "O
+my brother, I undid all the opposing enchantments, till I came to my
+mother and there befell between her and myself a long contention. But I
+made her doff her clothes, O my brother, till but her trousers remained
+upon her and she said to me, 'Do not dishonour me; for to discover
+one's shame is forbidden.' So I left her her trousers out of pity, and
+behold, she cried out and said, 'He hath made default; beat him!'
+Whereupon there came out upon me folk, whence I know not, and funding
+me with a belabouring which was a Sister of Death, thrust me forth; nor
+do I know what befell me after this." Quoth the Moor, "Did I not warn
+thee not to swerve from my directions? Verily, thou hast injured me and
+hast injured thyself: for if thou hadst made her take off her petticoat
+trousers, we had won to our wish; but now thou must abide with me till
+this day next year." Then he cried out to the two slaves, who struck
+the tent forthright and loaded it on the beasts; then they were absent
+awhile and presently returned with the two mules; and the twain mounted
+and rode back to the city of Fez, where Judar tarried with the
+Maghribi, eating well and drinking well and donning a grand dress every
+day, till the year was ended and the anniversary day dawned. Then the
+Moor said to him, "Come with me, for this is the appointed day." And
+Judar said, "'Tis well." So the Maghribi carried him without the city,
+where they found the two slaves with the mules, and rode on till they
+reached the river. Here the slaves pitched the tent and furnished it;
+and the Moor brought forth the tray of food and they ate the morning
+meal; after which Abd al-Samad brought out the wand and the tablets as
+before and, kindling the fire in the chafing dish, made ready the
+incense. Then said he, "O Judar, I wish to renew my charge to thee." "O
+my lord the pilgrim," replied he, "if I have forgotten the bastinado, I
+have forgotten the injunctions."[FN#279] Asked the Moor, "Dost thou
+indeed remember them?" and he answered, "Yes." Quoth the Moor, "Keep
+thy wits, and think not that the woman is thy very mother; nay, she is
+but an enchantment in her semblance, whose purpose is to find thee
+defaulting. Thou camest off alive the first time; but, an thou trip
+this time, they will slay thee." Quoth Judar, "If I slip this time, I
+deserve to be burnt of them." Then Abd al-Samad cast the perfumes into
+the fire and recited the conjurations, till the river dried up;
+whereupon Judar descended and knocked. The door opened and he entered
+and undid the several enchantments, till he came to the seventh door
+and the semblance of his mother appeared before him, saying,
+"Welcome,[FN#280] O my son!" But he said to her, "How am I thy son, O
+accursed? Strip!" And she began to wheedle him and put off garment
+after garment, till only her trousers remained; and he said to her,
+"Strip, O accursed!" So she put off her trousers and became a body
+without a soul. Then he entered the hall of the treasures, where he saw
+gold lying in heaps, but paid no heed to it and passed on to the closet
+at the upper end, where he saw the enchanter Al-Shamardal lying on a
+couch of gold, baldrick'd with the sword, with the ring on his finger,
+the Kohl phial on his breast and the celestial planisphere hanging over
+his head. So he loosed the sword and taking the ring, the Kohl phial
+and the planisphere, went forth, when behold, a band of music sounded
+for him and the servants of the treasure cried out, saying, "Mayest
+thou be assained with that thou hast gained, O Judar!" Nor did the
+music leave sounding, till he came forth of the treasure to the
+Maghribi, who gave up his conjurations and fumigations and rose up and
+embraced him and saluted him. Then Judar made over to him the four
+hoarded talismans, and he took them and cried out to the slaves, who
+carried away the tent and brought the mules. So they mounted and
+returned to Fez-city, where the Moor fetched the saddle bags and
+brought forth dish after dish of meat, till the tray was full, and
+said, "O my brother, O Judar, eat!" So he ate till he was satisfied,
+when the Moor emptied what remained of the meats and other dishes and
+returned the empty platters to the saddle bags. Then quoth he, "O
+Judar, thou hast left home and native land on our account and thou hast
+accomplished our dearest desire; wherefore thou hast a right to require
+a reward of us. Ask, therefore, what thou wilt, it is Almighty Allah
+who giveth unto thee by our means.[FN#281] Ask thy will and be not
+ashamed, for thou art deserving." "O my lord," quoth Judar, "I ask
+first of Allah the Most High and then of thee, that thou give me yonder
+saddle bags." So the Maghribi called for them and gave them to him,
+saying, "Take them, for they are thy due; and, if thou hadst asked of
+me aught else instead, I had given it to thee. Eat from them, thou and
+thy family; but, my poor fellow, these will not profit thee, save by
+way of provaunt, and thou hast wearied thyself with us and we promised
+to send thee home rejoicing. So we will join to these other saddle
+bags, full of gold and gems, and forward thee back to thy native land,
+where thou shalt become a gentleman and a merchant and clothe thyself
+and thy family; nor shalt thou want ready money for thine expenditure.
+And know that the manner of using our gift is on this wise. Put thy
+hand therein and say, 'O servant of these saddle bags, I conjure thee
+by the virtue of the Mighty Names which have power over thee, bring me
+such a dish!' And he will bring thee whatsoever thou askest, though
+thou shouldst call for a thousand different dishes a day." So saying,
+he filled him a second pair of saddle bags half with gold and half with
+gems and precious stones; and, sending for a slave and a mule, said to
+him, "Mount this mule, and the slave shall go before thee and show thee
+the way, till thou come to the door of thy house, where do thou take
+the two pair of saddle bags and give him the mule, that he may bring it
+back. But admit none into thy secret; and so we commend thee to Allah!"
+"May the Almighty increase thy good!" replied Judar and, laying the two
+pairs of saddle bags on the mule's back, mounted and set forth. The
+slave went on before him and the mule followed him all that day and
+night, and on the morrow he entered Cairo by the Gate of
+Victory,[FN#282] where he saw his mother seated, saying, "Alms, for the
+love of Allah!" At this sight he well nigh lost his wits and alighting,
+threw himself upon her: and when she saw him she wept. Then he mounted
+her on the mule and walked by her stirrup,[FN#283] till they came to
+the house, where he set her down and, taking the saddle bags, left the
+she mule to the slave, who led her away and returned with her to his
+master, for that both slave and mule were devils. As for Judar, it was
+grievous to him that his mother should beg; so, when they were in the
+house, he asked her, "O my mother, are my brothers well?"; and she
+answered, "They are both well." Quoth he, "Why dost thou beg by the
+wayside?" Quoth she, "Because I am hungry, O my son," and he, 'Before I
+went away, I gave thee an hundred diners one day, the like the next and
+a thousand on the day of my departure." "O my son, they cheated me and
+took the money from me, saying, 'We will buy goods with it.' Then they
+drove me away, and I fell to begging by the wayside, for stress of
+hunger." "O my mother, no harm shall befall thee, now I am come; so
+have no concern, for these saddle bags are full of gold and gems, and
+good aboundeth with me." "Verily, thou art blessed, O my son! Allah
+accept of thee and increase thee of His bounties! Go, O my son, fetch
+us some victual, for I slept not last night for excess of hunger,
+having gone to bed supperless. "Welcome to thee, O my mother! Call for
+what thou wilt to eat, and I will set it before thee this moment; for I
+have no occasion to buy from the market, nor need I any to cook. "O my
+son, I see naught with thee." "I have with me in these saddle bags all
+manner of meats." "O my son, whatever is ready will serve to stay
+hunger." "True, when there is no choice, men are content with the
+smallest thing; but where there is plenty, they like to eat what is
+good: and I have abundance; so call for what thou hast a mind to." "O
+my son, give me some hot bread and a slice of cheese." "O my mother,
+this befitteth not thy condition." "Then give me to eat of that which
+besitteth my case, for thou knowest it." "O my mother," rejoined he,
+"what suit thine estate are browned meat and roast chicken and peppered
+rice and it becometh thy rank to eat of sausages and stuffed cucumbers
+and stuffed lamb and stuffed ribs of mutton and vermicelli with broken
+almonds and nuts and honey and sugar and fritters and almond cakes."
+But she thought he was laughing at her and making mock of her; so she
+said to him, "Yauh! Yauh![FN#284] what is come to thee? Dost thou dream
+or art thou daft?" Asked he, "Why deemest thou that I am mad?" and she
+answered, "Because thou namest to me all manner rich dishes. Who can
+avail unto their price, and who knoweth how to dress them?" Quoth he,
+"By my life! thou shalt eat of all that I have named to thee, and that
+at once;" and quoth she, "I see nothing;" and he, "Bring me the saddle
+bags." So she fetched them and feeling them, found them empty. However,
+she laid them before him and he thrust in his hand and pulled out dish
+after dish, till he had set before her all he had named. Whereupon
+asked she, "O my son, the saddle bags are small and moreover they were
+empty; yet hast thou taken thereout all these dishes. Where then were
+they all?"; and he answered, "O my mother, know that these saddle bags,
+which the Moor gave me, are enchanted and they have a servant whom, if
+one desire aught, he hath but to adjure by the Names which command him,
+saying, 'O servant of these saddle bags, bring me such a dish!' and he
+will bring it." Quoth his mother, "And may I put out my hand and ask of
+him?" Quoth he, "Do so." So she stretched out her hand and said, "O
+servant of the saddle bags, by the virtue of the Names which command
+thee, bring me stuffed ribs." Then she thrust in her hand and found a
+dish containing delicate stuffed ribs of lamb. So she took it out, and
+called for bread and what else she had a mind to: after which Judar
+said to her, "O my mother, when thou hast made an end of eating, empty
+what is left of the food into dishes other than these, and restore the
+empty platters to the saddle bags carefully." So she arose and laid
+them up in a safe place. "And look, O mother mine, that thou keep this
+secret," added he; "and whenever thou hast a mind to aught, take it
+forth of the saddle bags and give alms and feed my brothers, whether I
+be present or absent." Then he fell to eating with her and behold,
+while they were thus occupied, in came his two brothers, whom a son of
+the quarter[FN#285] had apprised of his return, saying, "Your brother
+is come back, riding on a she mule, with a slave before him, and
+wearing a dress that hath not its like." So they said to each other,
+"Would to Heaven we had not evilly entreated our mother! There is no
+hope but that she will surely tell him how we did by her, and then, oh
+our disgrace with him!" But one of the twain said, "Our mother is soft
+hearted, and if she tell him, our brother is yet tenderer over us than
+she; and, given we excuse ourselves to him, he will accept our excuse."
+So they went in to him and he rose to them and saluting them with the
+friendliest salutation, bade them sit down and eat. So they ate till
+they were satisfied, for they were weak with hunger; after which Judar
+said to them, "O my brothers, take what is left and distribute it to
+the poor and needy." "O brother," replied they, "let us keep it to sup
+withal." But he answered, "When supper time cometh, ye shall have more
+than this." So they took the rest of the victual and going out, gave it
+to every poor man who passed by them, saying, "Take and eat," till
+nothing was left. Then they brought back the dishes and Judar said to
+his mother, "Put them in the saddle bags."—And Shahrazad perceived the
+dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Sixteenth Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Judar, when
+his brethren had finished their under meal, said to his mother, "Put
+back the platters in the saddle bags." And when it was eventide, he
+entered the saloon and took forth of the saddle bags a table of forty
+dishes; after which he went up to the upper room and, sitting down
+between his brothers, said to his mother, "Bring the supper."[FN#286]
+So she went down to the saloon and, finding there the dishes ready,
+laid the tray and brought up the forty dishes, one after other. Then
+they ate the evening meal, and when they had done, Judar said to his
+brothers, "Take and feed the poor and needy." So they took what was
+left and gave alms thereof, and presently he brought forth to them
+sweetmeats, whereof they ate, and what was left he bade them give to
+the neighbours. On the morrow, they brake their fast after the same
+fashion, and thus they fared ten days, at the end of which time quoth
+Sálim to Salím, "How cometh it that our brother setteth before us a
+banquet in the morning, a banquet at noon, and a banquet at sundown,
+besides sweetmeats late at night, and all that is left he giveth to the
+poor? Verily, this is the fashion of Sultans. Yet we never see him buy
+aught, and he hath neither kitchener nor kitchen, nor doth he light a
+fire. Whence hath he this great plenty? Hast thou not a mind to
+discover the cause of all this?" Quoth Salím, "By Allah, I know not:
+but knowest thou any who will tell us the truth of the case?" Quoth
+Sálim, "None will tell us save our mother." So they laid a plot and
+repairing to their mother one day, in their brother's absence, said to
+her, "O our mother, we are hungry." Replied she, "Rejoice, for ye shall
+presently be satisfied;" and going into the saloon, sought of the
+servant of the saddle bags hot meats, which she took out and set before
+her sons. "O our mother," cried they, "this meat is hot; yet hast thou
+not cooked, neither kindled a fire." Quoth she, "It cometh from the
+saddle bags;" and quoth they, "What manner of thing be these saddle
+bags?" She answered, "They are enchanted; and the required is produced
+by the charm:" she then told her sons their virtue, enjoining them to
+secrecy. Said they, "The secret shall be kept, O our mother, but teach
+us the manner of this." So she taught them the fashion thereof and they
+fell to putting their hands into the saddle bags and taking forth
+whatever they had a mind to. But Judar knew naught of this. Then quoth
+Sálim privily to Salím, "O my brother, how long shall we abide with
+Judar servant wise and eat of his alms? Shall we not contrive to get
+the saddle bags from him and make off with them?" "And how shall we
+make shift to do this?" "We will sell him to the galleys." "How shall
+we do that?" "We two will go to the Raís, the Chief Captain of the Sea
+of Suez and bid him to an entertainment, with two of his company. What
+I say to Judar do thou confirm, and at the end of the night I will show
+thee what I will do." So they agreed upon the sale of their brother and
+going to the Captain's quarters said to him, "O Rais, we have come to
+thee on an errand that will please thee." "Good," answered he; and they
+continued, "We two are brethren, and we have a third brother, a lewd
+fellow and good for nothing. When our father died, he left us some
+money, which we shared amongst us, and he took his part of the
+inheritance and wasted it in frowardness and debauchery, till he was
+reduced to poverty, when he came upon us and cited us before the
+magistrates, avouching that we had taken his good and that of his
+father, and we disputed the matter before the judges and lost the
+money. Then he waited awhile and attacked us a second time, until he
+brought us to beggary; nor will he desist from us, and we are utterly
+weary of him; wherefore we would have thee buy him of us." Quoth the
+Captain, "Can ye cast about with him and bring him to me here? If so, I
+will pack him off to sea forthright." Quoth they "We cannot manage to
+bring him here; but be thou our guest this night and bring with thee
+two of thy men, not one more; and when he is asleep, we will aid one
+another to fall upon him, we five, and seize and gag him. Then shalt
+thou carry him forth the house, under cover of the night, and after do
+thou with him as thou wilt." Rejoined the Captain, "With all my heart!
+Will ye sell him for forty dinars?" and they, "Yes, come after
+nightfall to such a street, by such a mosque, and thou shalt find one
+of us awaiting thee." And he replied, "Now be off." Then they repaired
+to Judar and waited awhile, after which Sálim went up to him and kissed
+his hand. Quoth Judar, "What ails thee, O my brother?" And he made
+answer, saying, "Know that I have a friend, who hath many a time bidden
+me to his house in thine absence and hath ever hospitably entreated me,
+and I owe him a thousand kindnesses, as my brother here wotteth. I met
+him to day and he invited me to his house, but I said to him, 'I cannot
+leave my brother Judar.' Quoth he, 'Bring him with thee'; and quoth I,
+'He will not consent to that; but if ye will be my guests, thou and thy
+brothers'[FN#287] * * * * * (for his brothers were sitting with him);
+and I invited them thinking that they would refuse. But he accepted my
+invitation for all of them, saying, 'Look for me at the gate of the
+little mosque,[FN#288] and I will come to thee, I and my brothers.' And
+now I fear they will come and am ashamed before thee. So wilt thou
+hearten my heart and entertain them this night, for thy good is
+abundant, O my brother? Or if thou consent not, give me leave to take
+them into the neighbours' houses." Replied Judar, "Why shouldst thou
+carry them into the neighbours' houses? Is our house then so strait or
+have we not wherewith to give them supper? Shame on thee to consult me!
+Thou hast but to call for what thou needest and have rich viands and
+sweetmeats and to spare. Whenever thou bringest home folk in my
+absence, ask thy mother, and she will set before thee victual more than
+enough. Go and fetch them; blessings have descended upon us through
+such guests." So Sálim kissed his hand and going forth, sat at the gate
+of the little mosque till after sundown, when the Captain and his men
+came up to him, and he carried them to the house. When Judar saw them
+he bade them welcome and seated them and made friends of them, knowing
+not what the future had in store for him at their hands. Then he called
+to his mother for supper, and she fell to taking dishes out of the
+saddlebags, whilst he said, "Bring such and such meats," till she had
+set forty different dishes before them. They ate their sufficiency and
+the tray was taken away, the sailors thinking the while that this
+liberal entertainment came from Sálim. When a third part of the night
+was past, Judar set sweetmeats before them and Sálim served them,
+whilst his two brothers sat with the guests, till they sought to sleep.
+Accordingly Judar lay down and the others with him, who waited till he
+was asleep, when they fell upon him together and gagging and pinioning
+him, before he was awake, carried him forth of the house,[FN#289] under
+cover of the night,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
+saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Seventeenth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that they seized Judar
+and carrying him forth of the house under cover of the night, at once
+packed him off to Suez, where they shackled him and set him to work as
+a galley slave; and he ceased not to serve thus in silence a whole
+year.[FN#290] So far concerning Judar; but as for his brothers, they
+went in next morning to his mother and said to her, "O our mother, our
+brother Judar is not awake." Said she, "Do ye wake him." Asked they,
+"Where lieth he?" and she answered, "With the guests." They rejoined,
+"Haply he went away with them whilst we slept, O mother. It would seem
+that he had tasted of strangerhood and yearned to get at hidden hoards;
+for we heard him at talk with the Moors, and they said to him, 'We will
+take thee with us and open the treasure to thee.'" She enquired, "Hath
+he then been in company with Moors?;" and they replied, saying, "Were
+they not our guests yester night?" And she, "Most like he hath gone
+with them, but Allah will direct him on the right way; for there is a
+blessing upon him and he will surely come back with great good." But
+she wept, for it was grievous to her to be parted from her son. Then
+said they to her, "O accursed woman, dost thou love Judar with all this
+love, whilst as for us, whether we be absent or present, thou neither
+joyest in us nor sorrowest for us? Are we not thy sons, even as Judar
+is thy son?" She said, "Ye are indeed my sons: but ye are reprobates
+who deserve no favour of me, for since your father's death I have never
+seen any good in you; whilst as for Judar, I have had abundant good of
+him and he hath heartened my heart and entreated me with honour;
+wherefore it behoveth me to weep for him, because of his kindness to me
+and to you." When they heard this, they abused her and beat her; after
+which they sought for the saddle bags, till they found the two pairs
+and took the enchanted one and all the gold from one pouch and jewels
+from the other of the unenchanted, saying, "This was our father's
+good." Said their mother, "Not so, by Allah!, it belongeth to your
+brother Judar, who brought it from the land of the Magharibah." Said
+they, "Thou liest, it was our father's property; and we will dispose of
+it, as we please." Then they divided the gold and jewels between them;
+but a brabble arose between them concerning the enchanted saddle bags,
+Sálim saying, "I will have them;" and Salím, saying, "I will take
+them;" and they came to high words. Then said she, "O my sons, ye have
+divided the gold and the jewels, but this may not be divided, nor can
+its value be made up in money; and if it be cut in twain, its spell
+will be voided; so leave it with me and I will give you to eat from it
+at all times and be content to take a morsel with you. If ye allow me
+aught to clothe me, 'twill be of your bounty, and each of you shall
+traffic with the folk for himself. Ye are my sons and I am your mother;
+wherefore let us abide as we are, lest your brother come back and we be
+disgraced." But they accepted not her words and passed the night,
+wrangling with each other. Now it chanced that a Janissary[FN#291] of
+the King's guards was a guest in the house adjoining Judar's and heard
+them through the open window. So he looked out and listening, heard all
+the angry words that passed between them and saw the division of the
+spoil. Next morning he presented himself before the King of Egypt,
+whose name was Shams al-Daulah,[FN#292] and told him all he had heard,
+whereupon he sent for Judar's brothers and put them to the question,
+till they confessed; and he took the two pairs of Saddle bags from them
+and clapped them in prison, appointing a sufficient daily allowance to
+their mother. Now as regards Judar, he abode a whole year in service at
+Suez, till one day, being in a ship bound on a voyage over the sea, a
+wind arose against them and cast the vessel upon a rock projecting from
+a mountain, where she broke up and all on board were drowned and none
+get ashore save Judar. As soon as he landed he fared on inland, till he
+reached an encampment of Badawi, who questioned him of his case, and he
+told them he had been a sailor.[FN#293] Now there was in camp a
+merchant, a native of Jiddah, who took pity on him and said to him,
+"Wilt thou take service with me, O Egyptian, and I will clothe thee and
+carry thee with me to Jiddah?" So Judar took service with him and
+accompanied him to Jiddah, where he showed him much favour. After
+awhile, his master the merchant set out on a pilgrimage to Meccah,
+taking Judar with him, and when they reached the city, the Cairene
+repaired to the Haram temple, to circumambulate the Ka'abah. As he was
+making the prescribed circuits,[FN#294] he suddenly saw his friend Abd
+al-Samad the Moor doing the like;— And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
+day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Eighteenth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Judar, as he was
+making the circuits, suddenly saw his friend Abd al-Samad also
+circumambulating; and when the Maghribi caught sight of him, he saluted
+him and asked him of his state; whereupon Judar wept and told him all
+that had befallen him. So the Moor carried him to his lodging and
+entreated him with honour, clothing him in a dress of which the like
+was not, and saying to him, "Thou hast seen the end of thine ills, O
+Judar." Then he drew out for him a geomantic figure, which showed what
+had befallen Sálim and Salím and said to Judar, "Such and such things
+have befallen thy brothers and they are now in the King of Egypt's
+prison; but thou art right welcome to abide with me and accomplish
+thine ordinances of pilgrimage and all shall be well." Replied Judar,
+"O my lord, let me go and take leave of the merchant with whom I am and
+after I will come back to thee." "Dost thou owe money?" asked the Moor,
+and he answered, "No." Said Abd al-Samad, "Go thou and take leave of
+him and come back forth right, for bread hath claims of its own from
+the ingenuous." So Judar returned to the merchant and farewelled him,
+saying, "I have fallen in with my brother."[FN#295] "Go bring him
+here," said the merchant, "and we will make him an entertainment." But
+Judar answered, saying, "He hath no need of that; for he is a man of
+wealth and hath many servants." Then the merchant gave Judar twenty
+dinars, saying, "Acquit me of responsibility";[FN#296] and he bade him
+adieu and went forth from him. Presently, he saw a poor man, so he gave
+him the twenty ducats and returned to the Moor, with whom he abode till
+they had accomplished the pilgrimage rites when Abd al-Samad gave him
+the seal ring, that he had taken from the treasure of Al-Shamardal,
+saying, "This ring will win thee thy wish, for it enchanteth and hath a
+servant, by name Al-Ra'ad al-Kásif; so whatever thou hast a mind to of
+the wants of this world, rub this ring and its servant will appear and
+do all thou biddest him." Then he rubbed the ring before him, whereupon
+the Jinni appeared, saying, "Adsum, O my lord! Ask what thou wilt and
+it shall be given thee. Hast thou a mind to people a ruined city or
+ruin a populous one? to slay a king or to rout a host?" "O Ra'ad," said
+Abd al-Samad, "this is become thy lord; do thou serve him faithfully."
+Then he dismissed him and said to Judar, "Rub the ring and the servant
+will appear and do thou command him to do whatever thou desirest, for
+he will not gainsay thee. Now go to thine own country and take care of
+the ring, for by means of it thou wilt baffle thine enemies; and be not
+ignorant of its puissance." "O my lord," quoth Judar, "with thy leave,
+I will set out homewards." Quoth the Maghribi, "Summon the Jinni and
+mount upon his back; and if thou say to him, 'Bring me to my native
+city this very day,' he will not disobey thy commandment." So he took
+leave of Moor Abd al-Samad and rubbed the ring, whereupon Al-Ra'ad
+presented himself, saying, "Adsum; ask and it shall be given to thee."
+Said Judar, "Carry me to Cairo this day;" and he replied, "Thy will be
+done;" and, taking him on his back, flew with him from noon till
+midnight, when he set him down in the courtyard of his mother's house
+and disappeared. Judar went in to his mother, who rose weeping, and
+greeted him fondly, and told him how the King had beaten his brothers
+and cast them into gaol and taken the two pairs of saddle bags; which
+when he heard, it was no light matter to him and he said to her,
+"Grieve not for the past; I will show thee what I can do and bring my
+brothers hither forth right." So he rubbed the ring, whereupon its
+servant appeared, saying, "Here am I! Ask and thou shalt have." Quoth
+Judar, "I bid thee bring me my two brothers from the prison of the
+King." So the Jinni sank into the earth and came not up but in the
+midst of the gaol where Sálim and Salím lay in piteous plight and sore
+sorrow for the plagues of prison,[FN#297] so that they wished for
+death, and one of them said to the other, "By Allah, O my brother,
+affliction is longsome upon us! How long shall we abide in this prison?
+Death would be relief." As he spoke, behold, the earth clove in sunder
+and out came Al-Ra'ad, who took both up and plunged with them into the
+earth. They swooned away for excess of fear, and when they recovered,
+they found themselves in their mother's house and saw Judar seated by
+her side. Quoth he, "I salute you, O my brothers! you have cheered me
+by your presence." And they bowed their heads and burst into tears.
+Then said he, "Weep not, for it was Satan and covetise that led you to
+do thus. How could you sell me? But I comfort myself with the thought
+of Joseph, whose brothers did with him even more than ye did with me,
+because they cast him into the pit."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
+of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Nineteenth Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Judar said
+to his brothers, "How could you do with me thus? But repent unto Allah
+and crave pardon of Him, and He will forgive you both, for He is the
+Most Forgiving, the Merciful. As for me, I pardon you and welcome you:
+no harm shall befall you." Then he comforted them and set their hearts
+at ease and related to them all he had suffered, till he fell in with
+Shaykh Abd al-Samad, and told them also of the seal ring. They replied,
+"O our brother, forgive us this time; and, if we return to our old
+ways, do with us as thou wilt." Quoth he, "No harm shall befall you;
+but tell me what the King did with you." Quoth they, "He beat us and
+threatened us with death and took the two pairs of saddle bags from
+us." "Will he not care?"[FN#298] said Judar, and rubbed the ring,
+whereupon Al-Ra'ad appeared. When his brothers saw him, they were
+frighted and thought Judar would bid him slay them; so they fled to
+their mother, crying, "O our mother, we throw our selves on thy
+generosity; do thou intercede for us, O our mother!" And she said to
+them, "O my sons, fear nothing!" Then said Judar to the servant, "I
+command thee to bring me all that is in the King's treasury of goods
+and such; let nothing remain and fetch the two pairs of saddle bags he
+took from my brothers." "I hear and I obey," replied Al-Ra'ad; and,
+disappearing straight way gathered together all he found in the
+treasury and returned with the two pairs of saddle bags and the
+deposits therein and laid them before Judar, saying, "O my lord, I have
+left nothing in the treasury." Judar gave the treasure to his mother
+bidding her keep it and laying the enchanted saddle bags before him,
+said to the Jinni, "I command thee to build me this night a lofty
+palace and overlay it with liquid gold and furnish it with magnificent
+furniture: and let not the day dawn, ere thou be quit of the whole
+work." Replied he, "Thy bidding shall be obeyed;" and sank into the
+earth. Then Judar brought forth food and they ate and took their ease
+and lay down to sleep. Meanwhile, Al-Ra'ad summoned his attendant Jinn
+and bade them build the palace. So some of them fell to hewing stones
+and some to building, whilst others plastered and painted and
+furnished; nor did the day dawn ere the ordinance of the palace was
+complete; whereupon Al-Ra'ad came to Judar and said to him, "O my lord,
+the palace is finished and in best order, an it please thee to come and
+look on it." So Judar went forth with his mother and brothers and saw a
+palace, whose like there was not in the whole world; and it confounded
+all minds with the goodliness of its ordinance. Judar was delighted
+with it while he was passing along the highway and withal it had cost
+him nothing. Then he asked his mother, "Say me, wilt thou take up thine
+abode in this palace?" and she answered, "I will, O my son," and called
+down blessings upon him. Then he rubbed the ring and bade the Jinni
+fetch him forty handsome white hand maids and forty black damsels and
+as many Mamelukes and negro slaves. "Thy will be done," answered
+Al-Ra'ad and betaking himself, with forty of his attendant Genii to
+Hind and Sind and Persia, snatched up every beautiful girl and boy they
+saw, till they had made up the required number. Moreover, he sent other
+four score, who fetched comely black girls, and forty others brought
+male chattels and carried them all to Judar's house, which they filled.
+Then he showed them to Judar, who was pleased with them and said,
+"Bring for each a dress of the finest." "Ready!" replied the servant.
+Then quoth he, "Bring a dress for my mother and another for myself, and
+also for my brothers." So the Jinni fetched all that was needed and
+clad the female slaves, saying to them, "This is your mistress: kiss
+her hands and cross her not, but serve her, white and black." The
+Mamelukes also dressed them selves and kissed Judar's hands; and he and
+his brothers arrayed themselves in the robes the Jinni had brought them
+and Judar became like unto a King and his brothers as Wazirs. Now his
+house was spacious; so he lodged Sálim and his slave girls in one part
+thereof and Salím and his slave girls in another, whilst he and his
+mother took up their abode in the new palace; and each in his own place
+was like a Sultan. So far concerning them; but as regards the King's
+Treasurer, thinking to take something from the treasury, he went in and
+found it altogether empty, even as saith the poet,
+
+"'Twas as a hive of bees that greatly thrived; * But, when the bee
+swarm fled, 'twas clean unhived."[FN#299]
+
+So he gave a great cry and fell down in a fit. When he came to himself,
+he left the door open and going in to King Shams al-Daulah, said to
+him, "O Commander of the Faithful,[FN#300] I have to inform thee that
+the treasury hath become empty during the night." Quoth the King, 'What
+hast thou done with my monies which were therein?" Quoth he, "By Allah,
+I have not done aught with them nor know I what is come of them! I
+visited the place yesterday and saw it full; but to day when I went in,
+I found it clean empty, albeit the doors were locked, the walls were
+unpierced[FN#301] and the bolts[FN#302] are unbroken; nor hath a thief
+entered it." Asked the King, "Are the two pairs of saddle bags gone?"
+"Yes," replied the Treasurer; whereupon the King's reason flew from his
+head,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say.
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Twentieth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+Treasurer informed the King that all in the treasury had been
+plundered, including the two pairs of saddlebags, the King's reason
+flew from his head and he rose to his feet, saying, "Go thou before
+me." Then he followed the Treasurer to the treasury and he found
+nothing there, whereat he was wroth with him; and he said to them, "O
+soldiers! know that my treasury hath been plundered during the night,
+and I know not who did this deed and dared thus to outrage me, without
+fear of me." Said they, "How so?"; and he replied, "Ask the Treasurer."
+So they questioned him, and he answered, saying, "Yesterday I visited
+the treasury and it was full, but this morning when I entered it I
+found it empty, though the walls were unpierced and the doors
+unbroken." They all marvelled at this and could make the King no
+answer, when in came the Janissary, who had denounced Sálim and Salím,
+and said to Shams al-Daulah, "O King of the age, all this night I have
+not slept for that which I saw." And the King asked, "And what didst
+thou see?" "Know, O King of the age," answered the Kawwás, "that all
+night long I have been amusing myself with watching builders at work;
+and, when it was day, I saw a palace ready edified, whose like is not
+in the world. So I asked about it and was told that Judar had come back
+with great wealth and Mamelukes and slaves and that he had freed his
+two brothers from prison, and built this palace, wherein he is as a
+Sultan." Quoth the King, "Go, look in the prison." So they went thither
+and not finding Sálim and Salím, returned and told the King, who said,
+"It is plain now who be the thief; he who took Sálim and Salím out of
+prison it is who hath stolen my monies." Quoth the Wazir, "O my lord,
+and who is he?"; and quoth the King, "Their brother Judar, and he hath
+taken the two pairs of saddle bags; but, O Wazir do thou send him an
+Emir with fifty men to seal up his goods and lay hands on him and his
+brothers and bring them to me, that I may hang them." And he was sore
+enraged and said, "Ho, off with the Emir at once, and fetch them, that
+I may put them to death." But the Wazir said to him, "Be thou merciful,
+for Allah is merciful and hasteth not to punish His servants, whenas
+they sin against Him. More over, he who can build a palace in a single
+night, as these say, none in the world can vie with him; and verily I
+fear lest the Emir fall into difficulty for Judar. Have patience,
+therefore, whilst I devise for thee some device of getting at the truth
+of the case, and so shalt thou win thy wish, O King of the age." Quoth
+the King, "Counsel me how I shall do, O Wazir." And the Minister said,
+"Send him an Emir with an invitation; and I will make much of him for
+thee and make a show of love for him and ask him of his estate; after
+which we will see. If we find him stout of heart, we will use sleight
+with him, and if weak of will, then do thou seize him and do with him
+thy desire." The King agreed to this and despatched one of his Emirs,
+Othman highs, to go and invite Judar and say to him, "The King biddeth
+thee to a banquet;" and the King said to him, "Return not, except with
+him." Now this Othman was a fool, proud and conceited; so he went forth
+upon his errand, and when he came to the gate of Judar's palace, he saw
+before the door an eunuch seated upon a chair of gold, who at his
+approach rose not, but sat as if none came near, though there were with
+the Emir fifty footmen. Now this eunuch was none other than Al-Ra'ad
+al-Kasif, the servant of the ring, whom Judar had commanded to put on
+the guise of an eunuch and sit at the palace gate. So the Emir rode up
+to him and asked him, ' O slave, where is thy lord?"; whereto he
+answered, "In the palace;" but he stirred not from his leaning posture;
+whereupon the Emir Othman waxed wroth and said to him, 'O pestilent
+slave, art thou not ashamed, when I speak to thee, to answer me,
+sprawling at thy length, like a gallows bird?" Replied the eunuch "Off
+and multiply not words." Hardly had Othman heard this, when he was
+filled with rage and drawing his mace[FN#303] would have smitten the
+eunuch, knowing not that he was a devil; but Al-Ra'ad leapt upon him
+and taking the mace from him, dealt him four blows with it. Now when
+the fifty men saw their lord beaten, it was grievous to them; so they
+drew their swords and ran to slay the slave; but he said, "Do ye draw
+on us, O dogs?" and rose at them with the mace, and every one whom he
+smote, he broke his bones and drowned him in his blood. So they fell
+back before him and fled, whilst he followed them, beating them, till
+he had driven them far from the palace gate; after which he returned
+and sat down on his chair at the door, caring for none.—And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-first Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the eunuch having
+put to flight the Emir Othman, the King's officer, and his men, till
+they were driven far from Judar's gate, returned and sat down on his
+chair at the door, caring for none. But as for the Emir and his
+company, they returned, discomfited and funded, to King Shams
+al-Daulah, and Othman said, "O King of the age, when I came to the
+palace gate, I espied an eunuch seated there in a chair of gold and he
+was passing proud for, when he saw me approach, he stretched himself at
+full length albeit he had been sitting in his chair and entreated me
+contumeliously, neither offered to rise to me. So I began to speak to
+him and he answered without stirring, whereat wrath get hold of me and
+I drew the mace upon him, thinking to smite him. But he snatched it
+from me and beat me and my men therewith and overthrew us. So we fled
+from before him and could not prevail against him." At this, the King
+was wroth and said, "Let an hundred men go down to him." Accordingly,
+the hundred men went down to attack him; but he arose and fell upon
+them with the mace and ceased not smiting them till he had put them to
+the rout; when he regained his chair; upon which they returned to the
+King and told him what had passed, saying, "O King of the age, he beat
+us and we fled for fear of him." Then the King sent two hundred men
+against him, but these also he put to the rout, and Shams Al-Daulah
+said to his Minister, "I charge thee, O Wazir, take five hundred men
+and bring this eunuch in haste, and with him his master Judar and his
+brothers." Replied the Wazir, "O King of the age, I need no soldiers,
+but will go down to him alone and unarmed." "Go," quoth the King, "and
+do as thou seest suitable." So the Wazir laid down his arms and donning
+a white habit,[FN#304] took a rosary in his hand and set out afoot
+alone and unattended. When he came to Judar's gate, he saw the slave
+sitting there; so he went up to him and seating himself by his side
+courteously, said to him, "Peace be with thee!"; whereto he replied,
+"And on thee be peace, O mortal! What wilt thou?" When the Wazir heard
+him say "O mortal," he knew him to be of the Jinn and quaked for fear;
+then he asked him, "O my lord, tell me, is thy master Judar here?"
+Answered the eunuch, "Yes, he is in the palace." Quoth the Minister, "O
+my lord, go thou to him and say to him, 'King Shams Al-Daulah saluteth
+thee and biddeth thee honour his dwelling with thy presence and eat of
+a banquet he hath made for thee;'" Quoth the eunuch, "Tarry thou here,
+whilst I consult him. So the Wazir stood in a respectful attitude,
+whilst the Marid went up to the palace and said to Judar, "Know, O my
+lord, that the King sent to thee an Emir and fifty men, and I beat them
+and drove them away. Then he sent an hundred men and I beat them also;
+then two hundred, and these also I put to the rout. And now he hath
+sent thee his Wazir unarmed, bidding thee visit him and eat of his
+banquet. What sayst thou?" Said Judar, "Go, bring the Wazir hither." So
+the Marid went down and said to him, "O Wazir, come speak with my
+lord." "On my head be it.", replied he and going in to Judar, found him
+seated, in greater state than the King, upon a carpet, whose like the
+King could not spread, and was dazed and amazed at the goodliness of
+the palace and its decoration and appointments, which made him seem as
+he were a beggar in comparison. So he kissed the ground before Judar
+and called down blessings on him; and Judar said to him, "What is thy
+business, O Wazir?" Replied he, "O my lord, thy friend King Shams
+Al-Daulah saluteth thee with the salaam and longeth to look upon thy
+face; wherefore he hath made thee an entertainment. So say, wilt thou
+heal his heart and eat of his banquet?" Quoth Judar, "If he be indeed
+my friend, salute him and bid him come to me." "On my head be it,"
+quoth the Minister. Then Judar bringing out the ring rubbed it and bade
+the Jinni fetch him a dress of the best, which he gave to the Wazir
+saying, "Don this dress and go tell the King what I say." So the Wazir
+donned the dress, the like whereof he had never donned, and returning
+to the King told him what had passed and praised the palace and that
+which was therein, saying, "Judar biddeth thee to him." So the King
+called out, "Up, ye men; mount your horses and bring me my steed, that
+we may go to Judar!" Then he and his suite rode off for the Cairene
+palace. Meanwhile Judar summoned the Marid and said to him, "It is my
+will that thou bring me some of the Ifrits at thy command in the guise
+of guards and station them in the open square before the palace, that
+the King may see them and be awed by them; so shall his heart tremble
+and he shall know that my power and majesty be greater than his."
+Thereupon Al-Ra'ad brought him two hundred Ifrits of great stature and
+strength, in the guise of guards, magnificently armed and equipped, and
+when the King came and saw these tall burly fellows his heart feared
+them. Then he entered the palace, and found Judar sitting in such state
+as nor King nor Sultan could even. So he saluted him and made his
+obeisance to him, yet Judar rose not to him nor did him honour nor said
+"Be seated," but left him standing,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
+day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-second Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the King
+entered, Judar rose not to him, nor did him honour nor even said "Be
+seated!"; but left him standing,[FN#305] so that fear entered into him
+and he could neither sit nor go away and said to himself, "If he feared
+me, he would not leave me thus unheeded peradventure he will do me a
+mischief, because of that which I did with his brothers." Then said
+Judar, "O King of the age, it beseemeth not the like of thee to wrong
+the folk and take away their good." Replied the King, "O my lord, deign
+excuse me, for greed impelled me to this and fate was thereby
+fulfilled; and, were there no offending, there would be no forgiving."
+And he went on to excuse himself for the past and pray to him for
+pardon and indulgence till he recited amongst other things this poetry,
+
+"O thou of generous seed and true nobility, * Reproach me not for
+     that which came from me to thee
+We pardon thee if thou have wrought us any wrong * And if I
+     wrought the wrong I pray thee pardon me!"
+
+
+And he ceased not to humble himself before him, till he said, "Allah
+pardon thee!" and bade him be seated. So he sat down and Judar invested
+him with garments of pardon and immunity and ordered his brothers
+spread the table. When they had eaten, he clad the whole of the King's
+company in robes of honour and gave them largesse; after which he bade
+the King depart. So he went forth and thereafter came every day to
+visit Judar and held not his Divan save in his house: wherefore
+friendship and familiarity waxed great between them, and they abode
+thus awhile, till one day the King, being alone with his Minister, said
+to him, "O Wazir, I fear lest Judar slay me and take the kingdom away
+from me." Replied the Wazir, "O King of the age, as for his taking the
+kingdom from thee, have no fear of that, for Judar's present estate is
+greater than that of the King, and to take the kingdom would be a
+lowering of his dignity; but, if thou fear that he kill thee, thou hast
+a daughter: give her to him to wife and thou and he will be of one
+condition." Quoth the King, "O Wazir, be thou intermediary between us
+and him"; and quoth the Minister, "Do thou invite him to an
+entertainment and pass the night with him in one of thy saloons. Then
+bid thy daughter don her richest dress and ornaments and pass by the
+door of the saloon. When he seeth her, he will assuredly fall in love
+with her, and when we know this, I will turn to him and tell him that
+she is thy daughter and engage him in converse and lead him on, so that
+thou shalt seem to know nothing of the matter, till he ask her to thee
+to wife. When thou hast married him to the Princess, thou and he will
+be as one thing and thou wilt be safe from him; and if he die, thou
+wilt inherit all he hath, both great and small." Replied the King,
+"Thou sayst sooth, O my Wazir," and made a banquet and invited thereto
+Judar who came to the Sultan's palace and they sat in the saloon in
+great good cheer till the end of the day. Now the King had commanded
+his wife to array the maiden in her richest raiment and ornaments and
+carry her by the door of the saloon. She did as he told her, and when
+Judar saw the Princess, who had not her match for beauty and grace, he
+looked fixedly at her and said, "Ah!"; and his limbs were loosened; for
+love and longing and passion and pine were sore upon him; desire and
+transport get hold upon him and he turned pale. Quoth the Wazir, "May
+no harm befall thee, O my lord! Why do I see thee change colour and in
+suffering?" Asked Judar, "O Wazir, whose daughter is this damsel?
+Verily she hath enthralled me and ravished my reason." Replied the
+Wazir, "She is the daughter of thy friend the King; and if she please
+thee, I will speak to him that he marry thee to her." Quoth Judar, "Do
+so, O Wazir, and as I live, I will bestow on thee what thou wilt and
+will give the King whatsoever he shall ask to her dowry; and we will
+become friends and kinsfolk." Quoth the Minister, "It shall go hard but
+thy desire be accomplished." Then he turned to the King and said in his
+ear, "O King of the age, thy friend Judar seeketh alliance with thee
+and will have me ask of thee for him the hand of thy daughter, the
+Princess Asiyah; so disappoint me not. but accept my intercession, and
+what dowry soever thou askest he will give thee." Said the King, "The
+dowry I have already received, and as for the girl, she is his
+handmaid; I give her to him to wife and he will do me honour by
+accepting her."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
+saying her permitted say.
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-third Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Wazir
+whispered the King, "Judar seeketh alliance with thee by taking thy
+daughter to wife," the other replied, "The dowry I have already
+received, and the girl is his handmaid: he will do me honour by
+accepting her." So they spent the rest of that night together and on
+the morrow the King held a court, to which he summoned great and small,
+together with the Shaykh al-Islam.[FN#306] Then Judar demanded the
+Princess in marriage and the King said, "The dowry I have received."
+Thereupon they drew up the marriage contract and Judar sent for the
+saddle bags containing the jewels and gave them to the King as
+settlement upon his daughter. The drums beat and the pipes sounded and
+they held high festival, whilst Judar went in unto the girl.
+Thenceforward he and the King were as one flesh and they abode thus for
+many days, till Shams al-Daulah died; whereupon the troops proclaimed
+Judar Sultan, and he refused; but they importuned him, till he
+consented and they made him King in his father in law's stead. Then he
+bade build a cathedral mosque over the late King's tomb in the
+Bundukániyah[FN#307] quarter and endowed it. Now the quarter of Judar's
+house was called Yamániyah; but, when he became Sultan he built therein
+a congregational mosque and other buildings, wherefore the quarter was
+named after him and was called the Judariyah[FN#308] quarter. Moreover,
+he made his brother Sálim his Wazir of the right and his brother Salím
+his Wazir of the left hand; and thus they abode a year and no more;
+for, at the end of that time, Sálim said to Salím, "O my brother, how
+long is this state to last? Shall we pass our whole lives in slavery to
+our brother Judar? We shall never enjoy luck or lordship whilst he
+lives," adding, "so how shall we do to kill him and take the ring and
+the saddle bags?" Replied Salím, "Thou art craftier than I; do thou
+devise, whereby we may kill him." "If I effect this," asked Sálim,
+"wilt thou agree that I be Sultan and keep the ring and that thou be my
+right hand Wazir and have the saddle bags?" Salím answered, "I consent
+to this;" and they agreed to slay Judar their brother for love of the
+world and of dominion. So they laid a snare for Judar and said to him,
+"O our brother, verily we have a mind to glory in thee and would fain
+have thee enter our houses and eat of our entertainment and solace our
+hearts." Replied Judar, "So be it, in whose house shall the banquet
+be?" "In mine," said Sálim "and after thou hast eaten of my victual,
+thou shalt be the guest of my brother." Said Judar, " 'Tis well," and
+went with him to his house, where he set before him poisoned food, of
+which when he had eaten, his flesh rotted from his bones and he
+died.[FN#309] Then Sálim came up to him and would have drawn the ring
+from his finger, but it resisted him; so he cut off the finger with a
+knife. Then he rubbed the ring and the Marid presented himself, saying,
+"Adsum! Ask what thou wilt." Quoth Sálim, "Take my brother Salím and
+put him to death and carry forth the two bodies, the poisoned and the
+slaughtered, and cast them down before the troops." So the Marid took
+Salím and slew him; then, carrying the two corpses forth, he cast them
+down before the chief officers of the army, who were sitting at table
+in the parlour of the house. When they saw Judar and Salím slain, they
+raised their hands from the food and fear get hold of them and they
+said to the Marid, "Who hath dealt thus with the Sultan and the Wazir
+Replied the Jinni, "Their brother Sálim." And behold, Sálim came up to
+them and said, "O soldiers, eat and make merry, for Judar is dead and I
+have taken to me the seal ring, whereof the Marid before you is the
+servant; and I bade him slay my brother Salím lest he dispute the
+kingdom with me, for he was a traitor and I feared lest he should
+betray me. So now I am become Sultan over you; will ye accept of me? If
+not, I will rub the ring and bid the Marid slay you all, great and
+small."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say.
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and  Twenty-fourth Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Sálim
+said to the officers, "Will ye accept me as your Sultan, otherwise I
+will rub the ring and the Marid shall slay you all, great and small?";
+they replied, "We accept thee to King and Sultan." Then he bade bury
+his brothers and summoned the Divan; and some of the folk followed the
+funeral, whilst others forewent him in state procession to the audience
+hall of the palace, where he sat down on the throne and they did homage
+to him as King; after which he said, "It is my will to marry my brother
+Judar's wife." Quoth they, "Wait till the days of widowhood are
+accomplished.[FN#310] Quoth he, "I know not days of widowhood nor aught
+else. As my head liveth, I needs must go in unto her this very night."
+So they drew up the marriage contract and sent to tell the Princess
+Asiyah, who replied, "Bid him enter." Accordingly, he went in to her
+and she received him with a show of joy and welcome; but by and by she
+gave him poison in water and made an end of him. Then she took the ring
+and broke it, that none might possess it thenceforward, and tore up the
+saddle bags; after which she sent to the Shaykh al-Islam and other
+great officers of state, telling them what had passed and saying to
+them, "Choose you out a King to rule over you." And this is all that
+hath come down to us of the Story of Judar and his Brethren.[FN#311]
+But I have also heard, O King, a tale called the
+
+
+HISTORY OF GHARIB AND HIS BROTHER AJIB.[FN#312]
+
+There was once in olden time a King of might, Kundamir highs, who had
+been a brave and doughty man of war, a Kahramán,[FN#313] in his day,
+but was grown passing old and decrepit. Now it pleased Allah to
+vouchsafe him, in his extreme senility, a son, whom he named
+Ajíb[FN#314]—the Wonderful—because of his beauty and loveliness; so he
+committed the babe to the midwives and wet- nurses and handmaids and
+serving-women, and they reared him till he was full seven years old,
+when his father gave him in charge to a divine of his own folk and
+faith. The priest taught him the laws and tenets of their Misbelief and
+instructed him in philosophy and all manner of other knowledge, and it
+needed but three full told years ere he was proficient therein and his
+spirit waxed resolute and his judgment mature; and he became learned,
+eloquent and philosophic[FN#315]; consorting with the wise and
+disputing with the doctors of the law. When his father saw this of him,
+it pleased him and he taught him to back the steed and stab with spear
+and smite with sword, till he grew to be an accomplished cavalier,
+versed in all martial exercises; and, by the end of his twentieth year,
+he surpassed in all things all the folk of his day. But his skill in
+weapons made him grow up a stubborn tyrant and a devil arrogant, using
+to ride forth a- hunting and a-chasing amongst a thousand horsemen and
+to make raids and razzias upon the neighbouring knights, cutting off
+caravans and carrying away the daughters of Kings and nobles; wherefore
+many brought complaints against him to his father, who cried out to
+five of his slaves and when they came said, "Seize this dog!" So they
+seized Prince Ajib and, pinioning his hands behind him, beat him by his
+father's command till he lost his senses; after which the King
+imprisoned him in a chamber so dark one might not know heaven from
+earth or length from breadth; and there he abode two days and a night.
+Then the Emirs went in to the King and, kissing the ground between his
+hands, interceded with him for the Prince, and he released him. So Ajib
+bore with his father for ten days, at the end of which he went in to
+him as he slept by night and smote his neck. When the day rose, he
+mounted the throne of his sire's estate and bade his men arm themselves
+cap-ŕ-pie in steel and stand with drawn swords in front of him and on
+his right hand and on his left. By and by, the Emirs and Captains
+entered and finding their King slain and his son Ajib seated on the
+throne were confounded in mind and knew not what to do. But Ajib said
+to them, "O folk, verily ye see what your King hath gained. Whoso
+obeyeth me, I will honour him, and whoso gainsayeth me I will do with
+him that which I did with my sire." When they heard these words they
+feared lest he do them a mischief; so they replied, "Thou art our King
+and the son of our King;" and kissed ground before him; whereupon he
+thanked them and rejoiced in them. Then he bade bring forth money and
+apparel and clad them in sumptuous robes of honour and showered
+largesse upon them, wherefore they all loved him and obeyed him. In
+like manner he honoured the governors of the Provinces and the Shaykhs
+of the Badawin, both tributary and independent, so that the whole
+kingdom submitted to him and the folk obeyed him and he reigned and
+bade and forbade in peace and quiet for a time of five months. One
+Night, however, he dreamed a dream as he lay slumbering; whereupon he
+awoke trembling, nor did sleep visit him again till the morning. As
+soon as it was dawn he mounted his throne and his officers stood before
+him, right and left. Then he called the oneiromants and the astrologers
+and said to them "Expound to me my dream!" "What was the dream?" asked
+they; and he answered, "As I slept last Night, I saw my father standing
+before me, with his yard uncovered, and there came forth of it a thing
+the bigness of a bee, which grew till it became as a mighty lion, with
+claws like hangers. As I lay wondering at this lo! it ran upon me and
+smiting me with its claws, rent my belly in sunder; whereupon I awoke
+startled and trembling. So expound ye to me the meaning of this dream."
+The interpreters looked one at other; and, after considering, said, "O
+mighty King, this dream pointeth to one born of thy sire, between whom
+and thee shall befal strife and enmity, wherein he shall get the better
+of thee: so be on thy guard against him, by reason of this thy vision."
+When Ajib heard their words, he said, "I have no brother whom I should
+fear; so this your speech is mere lying." They replied, "We tell thee
+naught save what we know;" but he was an angered with them and
+bastinadoed them. Then he rose and, going in to the paternal palace,
+examined his father's concubines and found one of them seven months
+gone with child; whereupon he gave an order to two of his slaves,
+saying, "Take this damsel, ye twain, and carry her to the sea-shore and
+drown her." So they took her forthright and, going to the sea-shore,
+designed to drown her, when they looked at her and seeing her to be of
+singular beauty and loveliness said to each other, "Why should we drown
+this damsel? Let us rather carry her to the forest and live with her
+there in rare love-liasse." Then they took her and fared on with her
+days and nights till they had borne her afar off and had brought her to
+a bushy forest, abounding in fruit-trees and streams, where they both
+thought at the same time to win their will of her; but each said, "I
+will have her first." So they fell out one with the other concerning
+this, and while so doing a company of blackamoors came down upon them,
+and they drew their swords and both sides fell to laying on load. The
+mellay waxed hot with cut and thrust; and the two slaves fought their
+best; but the blacks slew them both in less than the twinkling of an
+eye. So the damsel abode alone and wandered about the forest, eating of
+its fruits and drinking of its founts, till in due time she gave birth
+to a boy, brown but clean limbed and comely, whom she named Gharíb, the
+Stranger, by reason of her strangerhood. Then she cut his navel-string
+and wrapping him in some of her own clothes, gave him to suck, harrowed
+at heart, and with vitals sorrowing for the estate she had lost and its
+honour and solace. And Shahrazed perceived the dawn of day and ceased
+saying her permitted say,
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-fifth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the damsel abode
+in the bush harrowed at heart and a-sorrowed; but she suckled her babe
+albeit she was full of grief and fear for her loneliness. Now behold,
+one day, there came horsemen and footmen into the forest with hawks and
+hounds and horses laden with partridges and cranes and wild geese and
+divers and other waterfowl; and young ostriches and hares and gazelles
+and wild oxen and lynxes and wolves and lions.[FN#316] Presently, these
+Arabs entered the thicket and came upon the damsel, sitting with her
+child on her breast a-suckling him: so they drew near and asked her,
+"Say art thou a mortal or a Jinniyah?" Answered she, "I am a mortal, O
+Chiefs of the Arabs." Thereupon they told their Emir, whose name was
+Mardás, Prince of the Banú Kahtán,[FN#317] and who had come forth that
+day to hunt with five hundred of his cousins and the nobles of his
+tribe, and who in the course of the chase had happened upon her. He
+bade them bring her before him, which they did and she related to him
+her past from first to last, whereat he marvelled. Then he cried to his
+kinsmen and escort to continue the chase, after which they took her and
+returned to their encampment, where the Emir appointed her a separate
+dwelling-place and five damsels to serve her; and he loved her with
+exceeding love and went in to her and lay with her. She conceived by
+him straightway, and, when her months were accomplished, she bare a man
+child and named him Sahím al- Layl.[FN#318] He grew up with his brother
+Gharib among the nurses and throve and waxed upon the lap of the Emir
+Mardas who, in due time committed the two boys to a Fakih for
+instruction in the things of their faith; after which he gave them in
+charge to valiant knights of the Arabs, for training them to smite with
+sword and lunge with lance and shoot with shaft; so by the time they
+reached the age of fifteen, they knew all they needed and surpassed
+each and every brave of their tribe; for Gharib would undertake a
+thousand horse and Sahim al-Layl no fewer. Now Mardas had many enemies,
+and the men of his tribe were the bravest of all the Arabs, being
+doughty cavaliers, none might warm himself at their fire.[FN#319] In
+his neighbourhood was an Emir of the Arabs, Hassan bin Sábit hight, who
+was his intimate friend; and he took to wife a noble lady of his tribe
+and bade all his friends to the wedding, amongst them Mardas lord of
+the Banu Kahtan, who accepted his invitation and set forth with three
+hundred riders of his tribe, leaving other four hundred to guard the
+women. Hassan met him with honour and seated him in the highest stead.
+Then came all the cavaliers to the bridal and he made them bride-feasts
+and held high festival by reason of the marriage, after which the Arabs
+departed to their dwelling- places. When Mardas came in sight of his
+camp, he saw slain men lying about and birds hovering over them right
+and left; and his heart sank within him at the sight. Then he entered
+the camp and was met by Gharib, clad in complete suit of ring-mail, who
+gave him joy of his safe return. Quoth Mardas, "What meaneth this case,
+O Gharib?"; and quoth Gharib, "Al-Hamal bin Májid attacked us with five
+hundred horsemen of his tribe." Now the reason of this was that the
+Emir Mardas had a daughter called Mahdíyah, seer never saw fairer than
+she, and Al-Hamal, lord of the Banu Nabhán,[FN#320] heard of her
+charms; whereupon he took horse with five hundred of his men and rode
+to Mardas to demand her hand; but he was not accepted and was sent away
+disappointed.[FN#321] So he awaited till Mardas was absent on his visit
+to Hassan, when he mounted with his champions and, falling upon the
+camp of the Banu Kahtan, slew a number of their knights and the rest
+fled to the mountains. Now Gharib and his brother had ridden forth a-
+hunting and chasing with an hundred horse and returned not till midday,
+when they found that Al-Hamal had seized the camp and all therein and
+had carried off the maidens, among whom was Mahdiyah, driving her away
+with the captives. When Gharib saw this, he lost his wits for rage and
+cried out to Sahim, saying, "O my brother, O son of an accursed
+dam,[FN#322] they have plundered our camp and carried off our women and
+children! Up and at the enemy, that we may deliver the captives!" So
+Gharib and Sahim and their hundred horse rushed upon the foe, and
+Gharib's wrath redoubled, and he reaped a harvest of heads slain,
+giving the champions death-cup to drain, till he won to Al-Hamal and
+saw Mahdiyah among the captives. Then he drave at the lord of the Banu
+Nabhan braves; with his lance lunged him and from his destrier hurled
+him; nor was the time of mid-afternoon prayer come before he had slain
+the most part of the foe and put to rout the rest and rescued the
+captives; whereupon he returned to the camp in triumph, bearing the
+head of Al-Hamal on the point of his lance and improvising these
+couplets,
+
+"I am he who is known on the day of fight, * And the Jinn of
+     earth at my shade take fright:
+And a sword have I when my right hand wields, * Death hastens
+     from left on mankind to alight;
+I have eke a lance and who look thereon * See a crescent head of
+     the liveliest light.[FN#323]
+And Gharib I'm highs of my tribe the brave * And if few my men I
+     feel naught affright."
+
+
+Hardly had Gharib made an end of these verses when up came Mardas who,
+seeing the slain and the vultures, was sore troubled and with
+fluttering heart asked the cause. The youth, after due greetings,
+related all that had befallen the tribe in his step- sire's absence. So
+Mardas thanked him and said, "Thou hast well requited our
+fosterage-pains in rearing thee, O Gharib!"; then he alighted and
+entered his pavilion, and the men stood about him, all the tribe
+praising Gharib and saying, "O our Emir, but for Gharib, not one of the
+tribe had been saved!" And Mardas again thanked him.—And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say,
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-sixth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Mardas, hearing
+the tribesmen's praises of Gharib, again thanked him for his
+derring-do. But the youth, when he had delivered Mahdiyah from Al-Hamal
+whom he slew, was smitten by the shaft of her glances and fell into the
+nets of her allurements, wherefore his heart could not forget her and
+he became drowned in love and longing and the sweets of sleep forsook
+him and he had no joy of drink or meat. He would spur his horse up to
+the mountain tops, where he would spend the day in composing verses and
+return at nightfall; and indeed manifest upon him were the signs of
+affection and distraction. He discovered his secret to one of his
+companions and it became noised abroad in the camp, till it reached the
+ears of Mardas, who thundered and lightened and rose up and sat down
+and sparked and snorted and reviled the sun and the moon, saying, "This
+is the reward of him who reareth the sons of adultery! But except I
+kill Gharib, I shall be put to shame.''[FN#324] Then he consulted one
+of the wise men of his tribe and after telling his secret took counsel
+with him of killing the youth. Quoth the elder, "O Emir, 'twas but
+yesterday that he freed thy daughter from captivity. If there be no
+help for it but thou must slay him, let it be by the hand of another
+than thyself, so none of the folk may misdoubt of thee." Quoth Mardas,
+"Advise me how I may do him die, for I look to none but to thee for his
+death." "O Emir," answered the other, "wait till he go forth to hunt
+and chase, when do thou take an hundred horse and lie in wait for him
+in some cave till he pass; then fall upon him unawares and cut him in
+pieces, so shalt thou be quit of his reproach." Said Mardas, "This
+should serve me well;" and chose out an hundred and fifty of his
+furious knights and Amalekites[FN#325] whom he lessoned to his will.
+Then he watched Gharib till one day, he went forth to hunt and rode far
+away amongst the dells and hills; whereupon Mardas followed him with
+his men, ill-omened wights, and lay in wait for him by the way against
+he should return from the chase that they might sally forth and slay
+him. But as they lay in ambush among the trees behold, there fell upon
+them five hundred true Amalekites, who slew sixty of them and made
+fourscore and ten prisoners and trussed up Mardas with his arms behind
+his back. Now the reason of this was that when Gharib put Al-Hamal and
+his men to the sword, the rest fled and ceased not flying till they
+reached their lord's brother and told him what had happened, whereat
+his Doom-day rose and he gathered together his Amalekites and choosing
+out five hundred cavaliers, each fifty ells high,[FN#326] set out with
+them in quest of blood-revengement for his brother. By the way he fell
+in with Mardas and his companions and there happened between them what
+happened; after which he bade his men alight and rest, saying, "O folk,
+the idols have given us an easy brood-wreak; so guard ye Mardas and his
+tribesmen, till I carry them away and do them die with the foulest of
+deaths." When Mardas saw himself a prisoner, he repented of what he had
+done and said, "This is the reward of rebelling against the Lord!" Then
+the enemy passed the night rejoicing in their victory, whilst Mardas
+and his men despaired of life and made sure of doom. So far concerning
+them; but as regards Sahim al-Layl, who had been wounded in the fight
+with Al- Hamal, he went in to his sister Mahdiyah, and she rose to him
+and kissed his hands, saying, "May thy two hands ne'er wither nor thine
+enemies have occasion to be blither! But for thee and Gharib, we had
+not escaped captivity among our foes. Know, however, O my brother, that
+thy father hath ridden forth with an hundred and fifty horse, purposing
+to slaughter Gharib; and thou wottest it would be sore loss and foul
+wrong to slay him, for that it was he who saved your shame and rescued
+your good." When Sahim heard this, the light in his sight became Night,
+he donned his battle-harness; and, mounting steed, rode for the place
+where Gharib was a-hunting. He presently came up with him and found
+that he had taken great plenty of game; so he accosted him and saluted
+him and said, "O my brother, why didst thou go forth without telling
+me?" Replied Gharib, "By Allah, naught hindered me but that I saw thee
+wounded and thought to give thee rest." Then said Sahim, "O my brother,
+beware of my sire!" and told him how Mardas was abroad with an hundred
+and fifty men, seeking to slay him. Quoth Gharib, "Allah shall cause
+his treason to cut his own throat." Then the brothers set out
+campwards, but night overtook them by the way and they rode on in the
+darkness, till they drew near the Wady wherein the enemy lay and heard
+the neighing of steeds in the gloom; whereupon said Sahim, "O my
+brother, my father and his men are ambushed in yonder valley; let us
+flee from it." But Gharib dismounted and throwing his bridle to his
+brother, said to him, "Stay in this stead till I come back to thee."
+Then he went on till he drew in sight of the folk, when he saw that
+they were not of his tribe and heard them naming Mardas and saying, "We
+will not slay him, save in his own land." Wherefore he knew that nuncle
+Mardas was their prisoner, and said, "By the life of Mahdiyah, I will
+not depart hence till I have delivered her father, that she may not be
+troubled!" Then he sought and ceased not seeking till he hit upon
+Mardas and found him bound with cords; so he sat down by his side and
+said to him, "Heaven deliver thee, O uncle, from these bonds and this
+shame!" When Mardas saw Gharib his reason fled, and he said to him, "O
+my son, I am under thy protection: so deliver me in right of my
+fosterage of thee!" Quoth Gharib, "If I deliver thee, wilt thou give me
+Mahdiyah?" Quoth the Emir, "O my son, by whatso I hold sacred, she is
+thine to all time!" So he loosed him, saying, "Make for the horses, for
+thy son Sahim is there:" and Mardas crept along like a snake till he
+came to his son, who rejoiced in him and congratulated him on his
+escape. Meanwhile, Gharib unbound one after another of the prisoners,
+till he had freed the whole ninety and they were all far from the foe.
+Then he sent them their weapons and war horses, saying to them, "Mount
+ye and scatter yourselves round about the enemy and cry out, Ho, sons
+of Kahtan! And when they awake, do ye remove from them and encircle
+them in a thin ring.''[FN#327] So he waited till the last and third
+watch of the Night, when he cried out, "Ho, sons of Kahtan!" and his
+men answered in like guise, crying, "Ho, sons of Kahtan," as with one
+voice; and the mountains echoed their slogan, so that it seemed to the
+raiders as though the whole tribe of Banu Kahtan were assailing them;
+wherefore they all snatched up their arms and fell upon one
+another,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
+permitted say,
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-seventh Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+raiders[FN#328] awoke from sleep and heard Gharib and his men crying
+out, "Ho, sons of Kahtan!"; they imagined that the whole tribe was
+assailing them; wherefore they snatched up their arms and fell one upon
+other with mighty slaughter. Gharib and his men held aloof, and they
+fought one another till daybreak, when Gharib and Mardas and their
+ninety warriors came down upon them and killed some of them and put the
+rest to flight. Then the Banu Kahtan took the horses of the fugitives
+and the weapons of the slain and returned to their tribal camp, whilst
+Mardas could hardly credit his deliverance from the foe. When they
+reached the encampment, the stay-at-home folk all came forth to meet
+them and rejoiced in their safe return. Then they alighted and betook
+them to their tents; and all the youths of the tribe flocked to
+Gharib's stead and great and small saluted him and did him honour. But
+when Mardas saw this and the youths encircling his stepson he waxed
+more jealous of Gharib than before and said to his kinsfolk, "Verily,
+hatred of Gharib groweth on my heart, and what irketh me most is that I
+see these flocking about him! And to-morrow he will demand Mahdiyah of
+me." Quoth his confidant, "O Emir, ask of him somewhat he cannot avail
+to do." This pleased Mardas who passed a pleasant night and on the
+morrow, as he sat on his stuffed carpet, with the Arabs about him,
+Gharib entered, followed by his men and surrounded by the youth of the
+tribe, and kissed the ground before Mardas who, making a show of joy,
+rose to do him honour and seated him beside himself. Then said Gharib,
+"O uncle, thou madest me a promise; do thou fulfil it." Replied the
+Emir, "O my son, she is thine to all time; but thou lackest wealth."
+Quoth Gharib, "O uncle, ask of me what thou wilt, and I will fall upon
+the Emirs of the Arabs in their houses and on the Kings in their towns
+and bring thee fee[FN#329] enough to fence the land from East to West."
+"O my son," quoth Mardas," I have sworn by all the Idols that I would
+not give Mabdiyah save to him who should take my blood-wite of mine
+enemy and do away my reproach." "O uncle," said Gharib, "tell me with
+which of the Kings thou hast a feud, that I may go to him and break his
+throne upon his pate." "O my son," replied Mardas, "I once had a son, a
+champion of champions, and he went forth one day to chase and hunt with
+an hundred horse. They fared on from valley to valley, till they had
+wandered far away amongst the mountains and came to the Wady of
+Blossoms and the Castle of Hám bin Shays bin Shaddád bin Khalad. Now in
+this place, O my son, dwelleth a black giant, seventy cubits high, who
+fights with trees from their roots uptorn; and when my son reached his
+Wady, the tyrant sallied out upon him and his men and slew them all,
+save three braves, who escaped and brought me the news. So I assembled
+my champions and fared forth to fight the giant, but could not prevail
+against him; wherefore I was baulked of my revenge and swore that I
+would not give my daughter in marriage save to him who should avenge me
+of my son." Said Gharib, "O uncle, I will go to this Amalekite and take
+the wreak of thy son on him with the help of Almighty Allah." And
+Mardas answered, saying, "O Gharib, if thou get the victory over him,
+thou wilt gain of him such booty of wealth and treasures as fires may
+not devour." Cried Gharib, "Swear to me before witnesses thou wilt give
+me her to wife, so that with heart at ease I may go forth to find my
+fortune." Accordingly, Mardas swore this to him and took the elders of
+the tribe to witness; whereupon Gharib fared forth, rejoicing in the
+attainment of his hopes, and went in to his mother, to whom he related
+what had passed. "O my son," said she, "know that Mardas hateth thee
+and doth but send thee to this mountain, to bereave me of thee; then
+take me with thee and let us depart the tents of this tyrant." But he
+answered, "O my mother, I will not depart hence till I win my wish and
+foil my foe." Thereupon he slept till morning arose with its sheen and
+shone, and hardly had he mounted his charger when his friends, the
+young men, came up to him; two hundred stalwart knights armed cap-ŕ-pie
+and cried out to him, saying, "Take us with thee; we will help thee and
+company thee by the way." And he rejoiced in them and cried, "Allah
+requite you for us with good!" adding, "Come, my friends, let us go."
+So they set out and fared on the first day and the second day till
+evening, when they halted at the foot of a towering mount and baited
+their horses. As for Gharib, he left the rest and walked on into that
+mountain, till he came to a cave whence issued a light. He entered and
+found, at the higher facing end of the cave a Shaykh, three hundred and
+forty years old, whose eyebrows overhung his eyes and whose moustachios
+hid his mouth. Gharib at this sight was filled with awe and veneration,
+and the hermit said to him, "Methinks thou art of the idolaters, O my
+son, stone-worshipping[FN#330] in the stead of the All-powerful King,
+the Creator of Night and Day and of the sphere rolling on her way."
+When Gharib heard his words, his side muscles quivered and he said, "O
+Shaykh, where is this Lord of whom thou speakest, that I may worship
+him and take my fill of his sight?" Replied the Shaykh, "O my son, this
+is the Supreme Lord, upon whom none may look in this world. He seeth
+and is not seen. He is the Most High of aspect and is present
+everywhere in His works. He it is who maketh all the made and ordereth
+time to vade and fade; He is the Creator of men and Jinn and sendeth
+the Prophets to guide His creatures into the way of right. Whoso
+obeyeth Him, He bringeth into Heaven, and whoso gainsayeth Him, He
+casteth into Hell." Asked Gharib, "And how, O uncle, saith whoso
+worshippeth this puissant Lord who over all hath power?" "O my son,"
+answered the Shaykh, "I am of the tribe of Ad, which were transgressors
+in the land and believed not in Allah. So He sent unto them a Prophet
+named Húd, but they called him liar and he destroyed them by means of a
+deadly wind; but I believed together with some of my tribe, and we were
+saved from destruction.[FN#331] Moreover, I was present with the tribe
+of Thamúd and saw what befel them with their Prophet Sálih. After
+Salih, the Al-mighty sent a prophet, called Abraham the Friend,[FN#332]
+to Nimrod son of Canaan, and there befel what befel between them. Then
+my companions died in the Saving Faith and I continued in this cave to
+serve Allah the Most High, who provideth my daily bread without my
+taking thought." Quoth Gharib, "O uncle, what shall I say, that I may
+become of the troop of this mighty Lord?" "Say," replied the old man,
+There is no god but the God and Abraham is the Friend of God.' " So
+Gharib embraced the Faith of Submission[FN#333] with heart and tongue
+and the Shaykh said to him, "May the sweetness of belief and devotion
+be stablished in thy heart!" Then he taught him somewhat of the
+biblical ordinances and scriptures of Al-Islam and said to him, "What
+is thy name?"; and he replied, "My name is Gharib." Asked the old man,
+"Whither art thou bound, O Gharib?" So he told him all his history,
+till he came to the mention of the Ghúl of the Mountain whom he
+sought,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say,
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-eighth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib
+became a Moslem and told the Shaykh his past, from first to last, till
+he came to the mention of the Mountain-Ghul whom he sought, the old man
+asked him, "O Gharib, art thou mad that thou goest forth against the
+Ghul of the Mountain single handed?"; and he answered, "O my lord, I
+have with me two hundred horse." "O Gharib," rejoined the hermit,
+"hadst thou ten thousand riders yet shouldest thou not prevail against
+him, for his name is The-Ghul- who-eateth-men-we-pray-Allah-for-safety,
+and he is of the children of Ham. His father's name was Hindi who
+peopled Hind and named it, and he left this son after him, whom he
+called Sa'adan the Ghul. Now the same was, O my son, even in his sire's
+lifetime, a cruel tyrant and a rebellious devil and had no other food
+than flesh of the sons of Adam. His father when about to die forbade
+him from this, but he would not be forbidden and he redoubled in his
+forwardness, till Hindi banished him and drove him forth the Land of
+Hind, after battles and sore travail. Then he came to this country and
+fortifying himself herein, established his home in this place, whence
+he is wont to sally forth and cut the road of all that come and go,
+presently returning to the valley he haunteth. Moreover, he hath
+begotten five sons, warlike warlocks, each one of whom will do battle
+with a thousand braves, and he hath flocked the valley with his booty
+of treasure and goods besides horses and camels and cattle and sheep.
+Wherefore I fear for thee from him; so do thou implore Almighty Allah
+to further thee against him by the Tahlíl, the formula of Unity, and
+when thou drivest at the Infidels, cry, God is most Great!' for,
+saying, There is no god but the God' confoundeth those who misbelieve."
+Then the Shaykh gave him a steel mace, an hundred pounds in weight,
+with ten rings which clashed like thunder whenas the wielder brandished
+it, and a sword forged of a thunderbolt,[FN#334] three ells long and
+three spans broad, wherewith if one smote a rock, the stroke would
+cleave it in sunder. Moreover he gave him a hauberk and target and a
+book and said to him, "Return to thy tribe and expound unto them
+Al-Islam." So Gharib left him, rejoicing in his new Faith, and fared
+till he found his companions, who met him with salams, saying, "What
+made thee tarry thus?" Whereupon he related to them that which had
+befallen him and expounded to them Al-Islam, and they all islamised.
+Early next morning, Gharib mounted and rode to the hermit to farewell
+him, after which he set out to return to his camp when behold, on his
+way, there met him a horseman cap-ŕ-pie armed so that only his eyes
+appeared, who made at him, saying, "Doff what is on thee, O
+scum[FN#335] of the Arabs; or I will do thee die!" Therewith Gharib
+crave at him and there befel between them a battle such as would make a
+new-born child turn grey and melt the flinty rock with its sore affray;
+but presently the Badawi did off his face-veil, and lo! it was Gharib's
+half- brother Sahim al-Layl. Now the cause of his coming thither was
+that when Gharib set out in quest of the Mountain-Ghul, Sahim was
+absent and on his return, not seeing his brother, he went in to his
+mother, whom he found weeping. He asked the reason of her tears and she
+told him what had happened of his brother's journey, whereupon, without
+allowing himself aught of rest, he donned his war-gear and mounting
+rode after Gharib, till he overtook him and there befel between them
+what befel. When, therefore. Sahim discovered his face, Gharib knew him
+and saluted him, saying, "What moved thee to do this?" Quoth Sahim, "I
+had a mind to measure myself with thee in the field and make trial of
+my lustihood in cut and thrust." Then they rode together and on the way
+Gharib expounded Al-Islam to Sahim, who embraced the Faith; nor did
+they cease riding till they were hard upon the valley. Meanwhile, the
+Mountain-Ghul espied the dust of their horses' feet and said to his
+sons, "O my sons, mount and fetch me yonder loot." So the five took
+horse and made for the party. When Gharib saw the five Amalekites
+approaching, he plied shovel-iron upon his steed's flank and cried out,
+saying, "Who are ye, and what is your race and what do ye require?"
+Whereupon Falhún bin Sa'adan, the eldest of the five, came out and
+said, "Dismount ye and bind one another[FN#336] and we will drive you
+to our father, that he may roast various of you and boil various, for
+it is long since he has tasted the flesh of Adam-son." When Gharib
+heard these words he drove at Falhun, shaking his mace, so that the
+rings rang like the roaring thunder and the giant was confounded. Then
+he smote him a light blow with the mace between the shoulders, and he
+fell to the ground like a tall-trunked palm- tree; whereupon Sahim and
+some of his men fell upon him and pinioned him; then, putting a rope
+about his neck, they haled him along like a cow. Now when his brothers
+saw him a prisoner they charged home upon Gharib, who took
+three[FN#337] of them captive and the fifth fled back to his sire, who
+said to him, "What is behind thee and where are the brothers of thee?"
+Quoth he "Verily, a beardless youth, forty cubits high, hath taken them
+prisoner." Quoth Sa'adan, "May the sun pour no blessing on you!" and,
+going down from his hold, tore up a huge tree, with which he went in
+quest of Gharib and his folk; and he was on foot, for that no horse
+might carry him, because of the bigness of his body. His son followed
+him and the twain went on till they came up with Gharib and his
+company, when the Ghul fell upon them, without word said, and slew five
+men with his club. Then he made at Sahim and struck at him with his
+tree, but Sahim avoided the blow and it fell harmless; whereat Sa'adan
+was wroth and throwing down the weapon, sprang upon Sahim and caught
+him in his pounces as the sparrow hawk catcheth up the sparrow. Now
+when Gharib saw his brother in the Ghul's clutches, he cried out,
+saying, "Allaho Akbar God is most Great! Oh the favour of Abraham the
+Friend, the Muhammad,[FN#338] the Blessed One (whom Allah keep and
+assain!)"- -And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
+her permitted say,
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-ninth Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib
+saw his brother in the clutches of the Ghul, he cried out, saying "Oh
+the favour of Ibrahim, the Friend, the Blessed One (whom Allah keep and
+assain!) "; and crave his charger at Sa'adan, shaking his mace, till
+the rings loud rang. Then he cried out again, "God is most Great!" and
+smote the Ghul on the flat of the ribs with his mace, whereupon he fell
+to the ground, insensible, and loosed his grip on Sahim; nor did he
+come to himself ere he was pinioned and shackled. When his son saw
+this, he turned and fled; but Gharib drove steed after him and smiting
+him with his mace between the shoulders, threw him from his horse. So
+they bound him with his father and brethren and haltering them with
+ropes, haled them all six along like baggage- camels, till they reached
+the Ghul's castle, which they found full of goods and treasures and
+things of price; and there they also came upon twelve hundred Ajamis,
+men of Persia, bound and shackled. Gharib sat down on Sa'adan's chair,
+which had aforetime belonged to Sásá[FN#339] bin Shays bin Shaddad bin
+Ad causing Sahim to stand on his right and his companions on his either
+hand, and sending for the Ghul of the Mountain, said to him, "How
+findest thou thyself, O accursed?" Replied Sa'adan, "O my lord, in the
+sorriest of plights for abasement and mortification; my sons and I, we
+are bound with ropes like camels." Quoth Gharib, "It is my will that
+you enter my faith, the faith Al-Islam highs, and acknowledge the Unity
+of the All knowing King whose All-might created Light and Night and
+every thing, there is no God but He, the Requiting King! and confess
+the mission and prophethood of Abraham the Friend (on whom be peace!)."
+So the Ghul and his sons made the required profession after the
+goodliest fashion, and Gharib bade loose their bonds; whereupon Sa'adan
+wept and would have kissed his feet, he and his sons: but Gharib
+forbade them and they stood with the rest who stood before him. Then
+said Gharib, "Harkye, Sa'adan!"; and he replied, "At thy service, O my
+lord!" Quoth Gharib, "What are these captives?" "O my lord," quoth the
+Ghul, "these are my game from the land of the Persians and are not the
+only ones." Asked Gharib, "And who is with them?"; and Sa'adan
+answered, "O my lord, there is with them the Princess Fakhr Táj,
+daughter of King Sabúr of Persia,[FN#340] and an hundred damsels like
+moons." When Gharib heard this, he marvelled and said, "O Emir, how
+came ye by these?" Replied Sa'adan, "I went forth one night with my
+sons and five of my slaves in quest of booty, but finding no spoil in
+our way, we dispersed over wilds and words and fared on, hoping we
+might happen on somewhat of prey and not return emptyhanded, till we
+found ourselves in the land of the Persians. Presently, we espied a
+dust cloud and sent on to reconnoitre one of our slaves, who was absent
+a while and presently returned and said, O my lord, this is the
+Princess Fakhr Taj, daughter of Sabur, King of the Persians, Turcomans
+and Medes; and she is on a journey, attended by two thousand horse.'
+Quoth I, Thou hast gladdened us with good news! We could have no finer
+loot than this.' Then I and my sons fell upon the Persians and slew of
+them three hundred men and took the Princess and twelve hundred
+cavaliers prisoners, together with all that was with her of treasure
+and riches and brought them to this our castle." Quoth Gharib, "Hast
+thou offered any violence to the Princess Fakhr Taj?" Quoth Sa'adan,
+"Not I, as thy head liveth and by the virtue of the Faith I have but
+now embraced!" Gharib replied "It was well done of thee, O Sa'adan, for
+her father is King of the world and doubtless he will despatch troops
+in quest of her and lay waste the dwellings of those who took her. And
+whoso looketh not to issue and end hath not Fate to friend. But where
+is the damsel?" Said Sa'adan, "I have set apart a pavilion for her and
+her damsels;" and said Gharib, "Show me her lodging," whereto Sa'adan
+rejoined, "Hearkening and obedience!" So he carried him to the
+pavilion, and there he found the Princess mournful and cast down,
+weeping for her former condition of dignity and delight. When Gharib
+saw her, he thought the moon was near him and magnified Allah, the
+All-hearing, the All-seeing. The Princess also looked at him and saw
+him a princely cavalier, with velour shining from between his eyes and
+testifying for him and not against him; so she rose and kissed his
+hands, then fell at his feet, saying, "O hero of the age, I am under
+thy protection; guard me from this Ghul, for I fear lest he do away my
+maidenhead and after devour me. So take me to serve thine handmaidens."
+Quoth Gharib, "Thou art safe and thou shalt be restored to thy father
+and the seat of thy worship." Whereupon she prayed that he might live
+long and have advancement in rank and honour. Then he bade unbind the
+Persians and, turning to the Princess, said to her, "What brought thee
+forth of thy palace to the wilds and wastes, so that the highway-
+robbers made prize of thee?" She replied, "O my lord, my father and all
+the people of his realm, Turks and Daylamites, are Magians, worshipping
+fire, and not the All-powerful King. Now in our country is a monastery
+called the Monastery of the Fire, whither every year the daughters of
+the Magians and worshippers of the Fire resort at the time of their
+festival and abide there a month, after which they return to their
+houses. So I and my damsels set out, as of wont, attended by two
+thousand horse, whom my father sent with me to guard me; but by the way
+this Ghul came out against us and slew some of us and, taking the rest
+captive, imprisoned us in this hold. This, then, is what befel me, O
+valiant champion, whom Allah guard against the shifts of Time!" And
+Gharib said, "Fear not; for I will bring thee to thy palace and the
+seat of thy honours." Wherefore she blessed him and kissed his hands
+and feet. Then he went out from her, after having commanded to treat
+her with respect, and slept till morning, when he made the
+Wuzu-ablution and prayed a two-bow prayer, after the rite of our father
+Abraham the Friend (on whom be peace!), whilst the Ghul and his sons
+and Gharib's company all did the like after him. Then he turned to the
+Ghul and said to him, "O Sa'adan, wilt thou not show me the Wady of
+Blossoms?''[FN#341] "I will, O my lord," answered he. So Gharib and his
+company and Princess Fakhr Taj and her maidens all rose and went forth,
+whilst Sa'adan commanded his slaves and slave- girls to slaughter and
+cook and make ready the morning-meal and bring it to them among the
+trees. For the Giant had an hundred and fifty handmaids and a thousand
+chattels to pasture his camels and oxen and sheep. When they came to
+the valley, they found it beautiful exceedingly and passing all degree;
+and birds on tree sang joyously and the mocking-nightingale trilled out
+her melody, and the cushat filled with her moan the mansions made by
+the Deity,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
+her permitted say,
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Thirtieth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib and
+his merry men and the Giant and his tribe reached the Wady of Blossoms
+they found birds flying free; the cushat filling with her moan the
+mansions made by the Deity, the bulbul singing as if 'twere human
+harmony and the merle whom to describe tongue faileth utterly; the
+turtle, whose plaining maddens men for loveecstasy and the ringdove and
+the popinjay answering her with fluency. There also were trees laden
+with all manner of fruitery, of each two kinds,[FN#342] the
+pomegranate, sweet and sour upon branches growing luxuriantly, the
+almond-apricot,[FN#343] the camphor-apricot[FN#344] and the almond
+Khorasan highs; the plum, with whose branches the boughs of the
+myrobalan were entwined tight; the orange, as it were a cresses flaming
+light, the shaddock weighed down with heavy freight; the lemon, that
+cures lack of appetite, the citron against jaundice of sovereign might,
+and the date, red and yellow-bright, the especial handiwork of Allah
+the Most High. Of the like of this place saith the enamoured poet,
+
+"When its birds in the lake make melody, * The lorn lover
+     yearneth its sight to see:
+'Tis as Eden breathing a fragrant breeze, * With its shade and
+     fruits and rills flowing free."
+
+
+Gharib marvelled at the beauty of that Wady and bade them set up there
+the pavilion of Fakhr Taj the Chosroite; so they pitched it among the
+trees and spread it with rich tapestries. Then he sat down and the
+slaves brought food and they ate their sufficiency; after which quoth
+Gharib, "Harkye, Sa'adan!": and quoth he, "At thy service, O my lord."
+"Hast thou aught of wine?" asked Gharib, and Sa'adan answered, "Yes, I
+have a cistern full of old wine." Said Gharib, "Bring us some of it."
+So Sa'adan sent ten slaves, who returned with great plenty of wine, and
+they ate and drank and were mirthful and merry. And Gharib bethought
+him of Mahdiyah and improvised these couplets,
+
+"I mind our union days when ye were nigh, * And flames my heart
+     with love's consuming lowe.
+By Allah, Ne'er of will I quitted you: * But shifts of Time from
+     you com pelled me go:
+Peace and fair luck and greetings thousand-fold * To you, from
+     exiled lover's pining woe."
+
+
+They abode eating and drinking and taking their pleasure in the valley
+for three days, after which they returned to the castle. Then Gharib
+called Sahim and said to him, "Take an hundred horse and go to thy
+father and mother and thy tribe, the Banu Kahtan, and bring them all to
+this place, here to pass the rest of their days, whilst I carry the
+Princess of Persia back to her father. As for thee, O Sa'adan, tarry
+thou here with thy sons, till I return to thee." Asked Sa'adan, "And
+why wilt thou not carry me with thee to the land of the Persians?"; and
+Gharib answered, "Because thou stolest away King Sabur's daughter and
+if his eye fall on thee, he will eat thy flesh and drink thy blood."
+When the Ghul heard this, he laughed a loud laugh, as it were the
+pealing thunder, and said, "O my lord, by the life of thy head, if the
+Persians and Medes united against me, I would make them quaff the cup
+of annihilation." Quoth Gharib, " 'Tis as thou sayest;[FN#345] but
+tarry thou here in fort till I return to thee;" and quoth the Ghul, "I
+hear and I obey." Then Sahim departed with his comrades of the Banu
+Kahtan for the dwelling places of their tribe, and Gharib set out with
+Princess Fakhr Taj and her company, intending for the cities of Sabur,
+King of the Persians. Thus far concerning them; but as regards King
+Sabur, he abode awaiting his daughter's return from the Monastery of
+the Fire, and when the appointed time passed by and she came not,
+flames raged in his heart. Now he had forty Wazirs, whereof the oldest,
+wisest and chiefest was highs Daydán: so he said to him, "O Minister,
+verily my daughter delayeth her return and I have no news of her though
+the appointed time is past; so do thou send a courier to the Monastery
+of the Fire to learn what is come of her." "Hearkening and obedience,"
+replied Daydan; and, summoning the chief of the couriers, said to him,
+"Wend thou forthright to the Monastery." So he lost no time and when he
+reached it, he asked the monks of the King's daughter, but they said,
+"We have not seen her this year." So the courier returned to the city
+of Isbánír[FN#346] and told the Wazir, who went in to the King and
+acquainted him with the message. Now when Sabur heard this, he cast his
+crown on the ground, tore his beard and fell down in a trance. They
+sprinkled water upon him, and presently he came to himself,
+tearful-eyed and heavy-hearted, and repeated the words of the poet,
+
+"When I far-parted patience call and tears, * Tears came to call
+     but Patience never hears:
+What, then, if Fortune parted us so far? * Fortune and Perfidy
+     are peers
+
+
+Then he called ten of his captains and bade them mount with a thousand
+horse and ride in different directions, in quest of his daughter. So
+they mounted forthright and departed each with his thousand; whilst
+Fakhr Taj's mother clad herself and her women in black and strewed
+ashes on her head and sat weeping and lamenting. Such was their
+case;—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
+permitted say.
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-first Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that King Sabur sent
+his troops in quest of his daughter, whose mother clad herself and her
+women in black. Such was their case; but as regards the strange
+adventures of Gharib and the Princess, they journeyed on ten days, and
+on the eleventh day, appeared a dust cloud which rose to the confines
+of the sky; whereupon Gharib called the Emir of the Persians and said
+to him, "Go learn the cause thereof." "I hear and obey," replied he and
+crave his charger, till he came under the cloud of dust, where he saw
+folk and enquired of them. Quoth one of them, "We are of the Banu
+Hattál and are questing for plunder; our Emir is Samsam bin Al- Jiráh
+and we are five thousand horse." The Persians returned in haste and
+told their saying to Gharib, who cried out to his men of the Banu
+Kahtan and to the Persians, saying, "Don your arms!" They did as he
+bade them and presently up came the Arabs who were shouting, "A
+plunder! a plunder!" Quoth Gharib, "Allah confound you, O dogs of
+Arabs!" Then he loosed his horse and drove at them with the career of a
+right valiant kNight, shouting, "Allaho Akbar! Ho for the faith of
+Abraham the Friend, on whom be peace!" And there befel between them
+great fight and sore fray and the sword went round in sway and there
+was much said and say; nor did they leave fighting till fled the day
+and gloom came, when they drew from one another away. Then Gharib
+numbered his tribesmen and found that five of the Banu Kahtan had
+fallen and three-and- seventy of the Persians; but of the Banu Hattal
+they had slain more than five hundred horse. As for Samsam, he alighted
+and sought nor meat nor sleep, but said, "In all my life I never saw
+such a fighter as this youth! Anon he fighteth with the sword and anon
+with the mace; but, to-morrow I will go forth on champion wise and defy
+him to combat of twain in battle plain where edge and point are fain
+and I will cut off these Arabs." Now, when Gharib returned to his camp,
+the Princess Fakhr Taj met him, weeping and affrighted for the terror
+of that which had befallen, and kissed his foot in the stirrup, saying,
+"May thy hands never wither nor thy foes be blither, O champion of the
+age! Alhamdolillah—Praise to God—who hath saved thee alive this day!
+Verily, I am in fear for thee from yonder Arabs." When Gharib heard
+this, he smiled in her face and heartened and comforted her, saying,
+"Fear not, O Princess! Did the enemy fill this wild and wold yet would
+I scatter them, by the might of Allah Almighty." She thanked him and
+prayed that he might be given the victory over his foes; after which
+she returned to her women and Gharib went to his tent, where he
+cleansed himself of the blood of the Infidels, and they lay on guard
+through the night. Next morning, the two hosts mounted and sought the
+plain where cut and thrust ruled sovereign. The first to prick into the
+open was Gharib, who crave his charger till he was near the Infidels
+and cried out, "Who is for jousting with me? Let no sluggard or
+weakling come out to me!" Whereupon there rushed forth a giant
+Amalekite of the lineage of the tribe of Ad, armed with an iron flail
+twenty pounds in weight, and drove at Gharib, saying, "O scum of the
+Arabs, take what cometh to thee and learn the glad tidings that thy
+last hour is at hand!" So saying, he aimed a blow at Gharib, but he
+avoided it and the flail sank a cubit into the ground. Now the badawi
+was bent double with the blow, so Gharib smote him with his mace and
+clove his forehead in sunder and he fell down dead and Allah hurried
+his soul to Hell-fire. Then Gharib charged and wheeled and called for
+champions; so there came out to him a second and a third and a fourth
+and so on, till ten had come forth to him and he slew them all. When
+the Infidels saw his form of fight and his smashing blows they hung
+back and forebore to fare forth to him, whereupon Samsam looked at them
+and said, "Allah never bless you! I will go forth to him." So he donned
+his battle-gear and driving his charger into mid-field where he fronted
+the foe and cried out to Gharib saying, "Fie on thee, O dog of the
+Arabs! hath thy strength waxed so great that thou shouldst defy me in
+the open field and slaughter my men?" And Gharib replied, "Up and take
+bloodrevenge for the slaughter of thy braves!" So Samsam ran at Gharib
+who awaited him with broadened breast and heart enheartened, and they
+smote each at other with maces, till the two hosts marvelled and every
+eye was fixed on them. Then they wheeled about in the field and struck
+at each other two strokes; but Gharib avoided Samsam's stroke which
+wreak had wroke and dealt with a buffet that beat in his breastbone and
+cast him to the ground—stone dead. Thereupon all his host ran at Gharib
+as one man, and he ran at them, crying, "God is most Great! Help and
+Victory for us and shame and defeat for those who misbelieve the faith
+of Abraham the Friend, on whom be peace!"—And Shahrazad perceived the
+dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say,
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-second Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Sam sam's
+tribesmen rushed upon Gharib as one man, he ran at them crying, "God is
+most Great! Help and Victory for us and shame and defeat for the
+Miscreant!" Now when the Infidels heard the name of the All-powerful
+King, the One, the All-conquering, whom the sight comprehendeth not,
+but He comprehendeth the sight,[FN#347] they looked at one another and
+said, "What is this say that maketh our side-muscles tremble and
+weakeneth our resolution and causeth the life to fail in us? Never in
+our lives heard we aught goodlier than this saying!" adding, "Let us
+leave fighting, that we may ask its meaning." So they held their hands
+from the battle and dismounted; and their elders assembled and held
+counsel together, seeking to go to Gharib and saying, "Let ten of us
+repair to him!" So they chose out ten of their best, who set out for
+Gharib's tents. Now he and his people had alighted and returned to
+their camp, marvelling at the withdrawal of the Infidels from the
+fight. But, presently, lo and behold! the ten came up and seeking
+speech of Gharib, kissed the earth before him and wished him glory and
+lasting life. Quoth he to them, "What made you leave fighting?"; and
+quoth they, "O, my lord, thou didst affright us with the words thou
+shoutest out at us." Then asked Gharib, "What calamity do ye worship?";
+and they answered, "We worship Wadd and Suwá'a and Yaghús,[FN#348]
+lords of the tribe of Noah"; and Gharib, "We serve none but Allah
+Almighty, Maker of all things and Provider of all livings. He it is who
+created the heavens and the earth and stablished the mountains, who
+made water to well from the stones and the trees to grow and feedeth
+wild beasts in word; for He is Allah, the One, the All- powerful Lord."
+When they heard this, their bosoms broadened to the words of
+Unity-faith, and they said, "Verily, this be a Lord high and great,
+compassionating and compassionate!"; adding, "And what shall we say, to
+become of the Moslems, of those which submit themselves to Him?" Quoth
+Gharib, "Say, There is no god but the God and Abraham is the Friend of
+God.'" So the ten made veracious profession of the veritable religion
+and Gharib said to them, "An the sweet savour of Al-Islam be indeed
+stablished in your hearts, fare ye to your tribe and expound the faith
+to them; and if they profess, they shall be saved, but if they refuse
+we will burn them with fire." So the ten elders returned and expounded
+Al-Islam to their people and set forth to them the path of truth and
+creed, and they embraced the Faith of Submission with heart and tongue.
+Then they repaired on foot to Gharib's tent and kissing ground between
+his hands wished him honour and high rank, saying, "O our lord, we are
+become thy slaves; so command us what thou wilt, for we are to thee
+audient and obedient and we will never depart from thee, since Allah
+hath guided us into the right way at thy hands." Replied he, "Allah
+abundantly requite you! Return to your dwellings and march forth with
+your good and your children and forego me to the Wady of Blossoms and
+the castle of Sásá bin Shays,[FN#349] whilst I carry the Princess Fakhr
+Taj, daughter of Sabur, King of the Persians, back to her father and
+return to you." "Hearkening and obedience," said they and straightway
+returned to their encampment, rejoicing in Al-Islam, and expounded the
+True Faith to their wives and children, who became Believers. Then they
+struck their tents and set forth, with their good and cattle, for the
+Wady of Blossoms. When they came in sight of the castle of Shays,
+Sa'adan and his sons sallied forth to them, but Gharib had charged
+them, saying, "If the Ghul of the Mountain come out to you and offer to
+attack you, do ye call upon the name of Allah the All-creator, and he
+will leave his hostile intent and receive you hospitably." So when he
+would have fallen upon them they called aloud upon the name of Almighty
+Allah and straightway he received them kindly and asked them of their
+case. They told him all that had passed between Gharib and themselves,
+whereupon he rejoiced in them and lodged them with him and loaded them
+with favours. Such was their case; but as regards Gharib, he and his,
+escorting the Princess fared on five days' journey towards the City of
+Isbanir, and on the sixth day they saw a dust-cloud. So Gharib sent one
+of the Persians to learn the meaning of this and he went and returned,
+swiftlier than bird in flight, saying, "O my lord, these be a thousand
+horse of our comrades, whom the King hath sent in quest of his daughter
+Fakhr Taj." When Gharib heard this, he commanded his company to halt
+and pitch the tents. So they halted and waited till the new comers
+reached them, when they went to meet them and told Túmán, their
+captain, that the Princess was with them; whereupon he went in to
+Gharib and kissing the ground before him, enquired for her. Gharib sent
+him to her pavilion, and he entered and kissed her hands and feet and
+acquainted her with what had befallen her father and mother. She told
+him in return all that had betided her and how Gharib had delivered her
+from the Ghul of the Mountain,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
+and ceased saying her permitted say,
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-third Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the King's
+daughter, Fakhr Taj, had told Tuman all that had befallen her from the
+Mountain-Ghul, and how he had imprisoned her and would have devoured
+her but for Gharib, adding, "And indeed, it behoveth my sire to give
+him the half of his reign," Tuman arose and returned to Gharib and
+kissed his hands and feet and thanked him for his good dealing, saying,
+"With thy leave, O my lord, I will return to Isbanir City and deliver
+to our King the good news of his daughter's approach." "Go," replied
+Gharib, "and take of him the gift of glad tidings." So Tuman returned
+with all dillgence to Isbanir, the Cities, and entering the palace,
+kissed ground before the King, who said to him, "What is there of new,
+O bringer of good news?" Quoth Tuman, "I will not speak thee, till thou
+give me the gift of glad tidings." Quoth the King, "Tell me thy glad
+tidings and I will content thee." So Tuman said, "O King, I bring thee
+joyful intelligence of the return of Princess Fakhr Taj." When Sabur
+heard his daughter's name, he fell down fainting and they sprinkled
+rose-water on him, till he recovered and cried to Tuman, "Draw near to
+me and tell me all the good which hath befallen her." So he came
+forward and acquainted him with all that had betided the Princess; and
+Sabur beat hand upon hand, saying, "Unhappy thou, O Fakhr
+Taj!''[FN#350] And he bade give Tuman ten thousand gold pieces and
+conferred on him the government of Isfáhán City and its dependencies.
+Then he cried out to his Emirs, saying, "Mount, all of you, and fare we
+forth to meet the Princess Fakhr Taj!"; and the Chief Eunuch went in to
+the Queen-mother and told her and all the Harim the good news, whereat
+she rejoiced and gave him a robe of honour and a thousand dinars.
+Moreover, the people of the city heard of this and decorated the market
+streets and houses. Then the King and Tuman took horse and rode till
+they had sight of Gharib, when Sabur footed it and made some steps
+towards Gharib, who also dismounted and advanced to meet him; and they
+embraced and saluted each other, and Sabur bent over Gharib's hand and
+kissed it and thanked him for his favours.[FN#351] They pitched their
+pavilions in face of each other and Sabur went in to his daughter, who
+rose and embracing him told him, all that had befallen her and how
+Gharib had rescued her from the clutches of the Ghul of the Mountain.
+Quoth the King, "By thy life, O Princess of fair ones, I will overwhelm
+him with gifts!"; and quoth she, "O my papa, make him thy son-in-law,
+that he may be to thee a force against thy foes, for he is passing
+valiant." Her father replied, "O my daughter, knowst thou not that King
+Khirad Sháh seeketh thee in marriage and that he hath cast the
+brocade[FN#352] and hath given an hundred thousand dinars in
+settlement, and he is King of Shiraz and its dependencies and is lord
+of empire and horsemen and footmen?" But when the Princess heard these
+words she said, "O my papa! I desire not that whereof thou speakest,
+and if thou constrain me to that I have no mind to, I will slay
+myself." So Sabur left her and went in to Gharib, who rose to him; and
+they sat awhile together; but the King could not take his fill of
+looking upon him; and he said in his mind, "By Allah, my daughter is
+excusable if she love this Badawi!" Then he called for food and they
+ate and passed the night together. On the morrow, they took horse and
+rode till they arrived at the City of Isbanir and entered, stirrup to
+stirrup, and it was for them a great day. Fakhr Taj repaired to her
+palace and the abiding-place of her rank, where her mother and her
+women received her with cries of joy and loud lullilooings. As for King
+Sabur, he sat down on his throne and seated Gharib on his right hand,
+whilst the Princes and Chamberlains, the Emirs, Wazirs and Nabobs stood
+on either hand and gave him joy of the recovery of his daughter. Said
+Sabur, "Whoso loveth me let him bestow a robe of honour on Gharib," and
+there fell dresses of honour on him like drops of rain. Then Gharib
+abode the King's guest ten days, when he would have departed, but Sabur
+clad him in an honourable robe and swore him by his faith that he
+should not march for a whole month. Quoth Gharib, "O King, I am
+plighted to one of the girls of the Arabs and I desire to go in to
+her." Quoth the King, "Whether is the fairer, thy betrothed or Fakhr
+Taj?" "O King of the age," replied Gharib, "what is the slave beside
+the lord?" And Sabur said, "Fakhr Taj is become thy handmaid, for that
+thou didst rescue her from the pounces of the Ghul, and she shall have
+none other husband than thyself." Thereupon Gharib rose and kissed
+ground, saying, "O King of the age, thou art a sovereign and I am but a
+poor man, and belike thou wilt ask a heavy dowry." Replied the King, "O
+my son, know that Khirad Shah, lord of Shiraz and dependencies thereof,
+seeketh her in marriage and hath appointed an hundred thousand dinars
+to her dower; but I have chosen thee before all men, that I may make
+thee the sword of my kingship and my shield against
+vengeance.''[FN#353] Then he turned to his Chief Officers and said to
+them, "Bear witness[FN#354] against me, O Lords of mine Empire, that I
+marry my daughter Fakhr Taj to my son Gharib."—And Shahrazad perceived
+the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say,
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-fourth Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sabur, King
+of Ajam-land said to his Chief Officers, "Bear ye witness against me
+that I marry my daughter Fakhr Taj, to my son Gharib!" With that he
+joined palms[FN#355] with him and she became his wife. Then said
+Gharib, "Appoint me a dower and I will bring it to thee, for I have in
+the Castle of Sasa wealth and treasures beyond count." Replied Sabur,
+"O my son, I want of thee neither treasure nor wealth and I will take
+nothing for her dower save the head of Jamrkán King of Dasht and the
+city of Ahwáz.[FN#356]" Quoth Gharib, "O King of the age, I will fetch
+my folk forthright and go to thy foe and spoil his realm." Quoth Sabur,
+"Allah requite thee with good!" and dismissed the lords and commons,
+thinking, "If Gharib go forth against Jamrkan, he will never more
+return." When morning morrowed the King mounted with Gharib and bidding
+all his troops take horse rode forth to the plain, where he said to his
+men, "Do ye tilt with spears and gladden my heart." So the champions of
+Persia land played one against other, and Gharib said, "O King of the
+age, I have a mind to tilt with the horsemen of Ajam-land, but on one
+condition." Asked the King, "What is that?"; and answered Gharib, "It
+is that I shall don a light tunic and take a headless lance, with a
+pennon dipped in saffron, whilst the Persian champions sally forth and
+tilt against me with sharp spears. If any conquer me, I will render
+myself to him: but, if I conquer him I will mark him on the breast and
+he shall leave the plain." Then the King cried to the commander of the
+troops to bring forward the champions of the Persians; so he chose out
+from amongst the Princes one thousand two hundred of his stoutest
+champions, and the King said to them, in the Persian tongue, "Whoso
+slayeth this Badawi may ask of me what he will." So they strove with
+one another for precedence and charged down upon Gharib and truth was
+distinguished from falsehood and jest from earnest. Quoth Gharib, "I
+put my trust in Allah, the God of Abraham the Friend, the Deity who
+hath power over all and from whom naught is hidden, the One, the
+Almighty, whom the sight comprehendeth not!" Then an Amalekite-like
+giant of the Persian champions rushed out to him, but Gharib let him
+not stand long before him ere he marked him and covered his breast with
+saffron and as he turned away, he smote him on the nape with the shaft
+of his lance, and he fell to the ground and his pages bore him from the
+lists.[FN#357] Then a second champion came forth against him and he
+overcame him and marked him on the breast; and thus did he with a third
+and a fourth and a fifth; and there came out against him champion after
+champion till he had overcome them all and marked them on the breast;
+for Almighty Allah gave him the victory over them and they fared forth
+vanquish from the plain. Then the servants set food and strong wine
+before them! and they ate and drank, till Gharib's wits were dazed by
+the drink. By and by, he went out to obey a call of Nature and would
+have returned, but lost his way and entered the palace of Fakhr Taj.
+When she saw him, her reason fled and she cried out to her women
+saying, "Go forth from me to your own places!" So they withdrew and she
+rose and kissed Gharib's hand, saying "Welcome to my lord, who
+delivered me from the Ghul! Indeed I am thine handmaid for ever and
+ever." Then she drew him to her bed and embraced him, whereupon desire
+was hot upon him and he broke her seal and lay with her till the
+morning. Meanwhile the King thought that he had departed; but on the
+morrow he went in to him and Sabur rose to him and made him sit by his
+side. Then entered the tributary kings and kissing the ground stood
+ranged in rows on the right and left and fell to talking of Gharib's
+velour and saying, "Extolled be He who gave him such prowess albeit he
+is so young in years!" As they were thus engaged, behold all espied
+from the palace-windows the dust of horse approaching and the King
+cried out to his scouts, saying, "Woe to you! Go and bring me news of
+yonder dust!" So a cavalier took horse and riding off, returned after a
+while, and said "O King, we found under that dust an hundred horse
+belonging to an Emir highs Sahim al-Layl." Gharib hearing these words,
+cried out, "O my lord, this is my brother, whom I had sent on an
+errand, and I will go forth to meet him." So saying, he mounted, with
+his hundred men of the Banu Kahtan and a thousand Persians, and rode to
+meet his brother in great state, but greatness belongeth to God
+alone.[FN#358] When the two came up with each other, they dismounted
+and embraced, and Gharib said to Sahim, "O my brother, hast thou
+brought our tribe to the Castle of Sasa and the Wady of Blossoms?" "O
+my brother," replied Sahim, "when the perfidious dog Mardas heard that
+thou hadst made thee master of the stronghold belonging to the
+Mountain-Ghul, he was sore chagrined and said, Except I march hence,
+Gharib will come and carry off my daughter Mahdiyah without dower.' So
+he took his daughter and his goods and set out with his tribe for the
+land of Irak, where he entered the city of Cufa and put himself under
+the protection of King Ajib, seeking to give him his daughter to wife."
+When Gharib heard his brother's story, he well-nigh gave up the ghost
+for rage and said, "By the virtue of the faith of Al-Islam, the faith
+of Abraham the Friend, and by the Supreme Lord, I will assuredly go to
+the land of Irak and fierce war upon it I will set on foot." Then they
+returned to the city and going in to the King, kissed ground before
+him. He rose to Gharib and saluted Sahim; after which the elder brother
+told him what had happened and he put ten captains at his commandment,
+under each one's hand ten thousand horse of the doughtiest of the Arabs
+and the Ajams, who equipped themselves and were ready to depart in
+three days. Then Gharib set out and journeyed till he reached the
+Castle of Sasa whence the Ghul and his sons came forth to meet him and
+dismounting, kissed his feet in the stirrups. He told them all that had
+passed and the giant said, "O my lord, do thou abide in this thy
+castle, whilst I with my sons and servants repair to Irak and lay waste
+the city Al-Rusták[FN#359] and bring to thy hand all its defenders
+bound in straitest bond." But Gharib thanked him and said, "O Sa'adan,
+we will all go." So he made him ready and the whole body set out for
+Irak, leaving a thousand horse to guard the Castle. Thus far concerning
+them; but as regards Mardas, he arrived with his tribe in the land of
+Irak bringing with him a handsome present and fared for Cufa-city which
+he entered. Then, he presented himself before Ajib and kissed ground
+between his hands and, after wishing him what is wished to kings, said,
+"O my lord, I come to place myself under thy protection."—And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say,
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-fifth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King that Mardas coming into
+the presence of Ajib, said to him, "I come to place myself under thy
+protection!" Quoth Ajib, "Tell me who hath wronged thee, that I may
+protect thee against him, though it were Sabur, King of the Persians
+and Turcomans and Daylamites." Quoth Mardas, "O King of the Age, he who
+hath wronged me is none other than a youth whom I reared in my bosom. I
+found him in his mother's lap in a certain valley and took her to wife
+She brought me a son, whom I named Sahim al-Layl, and her own son,
+Gharib highs, grew up on my knees and became a blasting thunderbolt and
+a lasting calamity,[FN#360] for he smote Al-Hamal,[FN#361] Prince of
+the Banu Nabhan, and slew footmen and threw horsemen. Now I have a
+daughter, who befitteth thee alone, and he sought her of me; so I
+required of him the head of the Ghul of the Mountain, wherefore he went
+to him and, after engaging him in singular combat, made the master his
+man and took the Castle of Sasa bin Shays bin Shaddad bin Ad, wherein
+are the treasures of the ancients and the hoards of the moderns.
+Moreover, I hear that, become a Moslem, he goeth about, summoning the
+folk to his faith. He is now gone to bear the Princess of Persia, whom
+he delivered from the Ghul, back to her father, King Sabur, and will
+not return but with the treasures of the Persians." When Ajib heard the
+story of Mardas he changed colour to yellow and was in ill case and
+made sure of his own destruction; then he said, O Mardas, is the
+youth's mother with thee or with him?"; and Mardas replied, "She is
+with me in my tents." Quoth Ajib, What is her name?"; quoth Mardas,
+"Her name is Nusrah." " 'Tis very she," rejoined Ajib and sent for her
+to the presence. Now when she came before him, he looked on her and
+knew her and asked her, "O accursed, where are the two slaves I sent
+with thee?"; and she answered, "They slew each other on my account;"
+whereupon Ajib bared his blade and smote her and cut her in twain. Then
+they dragged her away and cast her out; but trouble and suspicion
+entered Ajib's heart and he cried, "O Mardas, give me thy daughter to
+wife." He rejoined, "She is one of thine handmaids: I give her to thee
+to wife, and I am thy slave." Said Ajib, "I desire to look upon this
+son of an adulteress, Gharib, that I may destroy him and cause him
+taste all manner of torments." Then he bade give Mardas, to his
+daughter's dowry, thirty thousand dinars and an hundred pieces of
+silk-brocaded and fringed with gold and an hundred pieces of silk
+bordered stuffs and kerchiefs and golden collars. So he went forth with
+this mighty fine dowry and set himself to equip Mahdiyah in all
+diligence. Such was their case; but as regards Gharib, he fared on till
+he came to Al- Jazírah, which is the first town of Al-Irak[FN#362] and
+is a walled and fortified city and he hard by it called a halt. When
+the townsfolk saw his army encamped before it, they bolted the gates
+and manned the walls, then went to the King of the city, who was called
+Al-Dámigh, the Brainer, for that he used to brain the champions in the
+open field of fight, and told him what was come upon them. So he looked
+forth from the battlements of the palace and seeing a conquering host,
+all of them Persians, encamped before the city, said to the citizens,
+"O folk, what do yonder Ajams want?"; and they replied, "We know not."
+Now Al- Damigh had among his officers a man called Saba' al-Kifár, the
+Desert-lion, keen of wit and penetrating as he were a flame of fire; so
+he called him and said to him, "Go to this stranger host and find out
+who they be and what they want and return quickly." Accordingly, he
+sped like the wind to the Persian tents, where a company of Arabs rose
+up and met him saying, "Who art thou and what dost thou require?" He
+replied, "I am a messenger and an envoy from the lord of the city to
+your chief." So they took him and carried him through the lines of
+tents, pavilions and standards, till they came to Gharib's Shahmiyánah
+and told him of the mission. He bade them bring him in and they did so,
+whereupon he kissed ground before Gharib and wished him honour and
+length of days. Quoth Gharib, "What is thine errand?" and quoth Saba'
+al-Kifar, "I am an envoy from the lord of the city of Al-Jazirah,
+Al-Damigh, brother of King Kundamir, lord of the city of Cufa and the
+land of Irak." When Gharib heard his father's name, the tears railed
+from his eyes in rills and he looked at the messenger and said, "What
+is thy name?"; and he replied, "My name is Saba' al- Kifar." Said
+Gharib, "Return to thy lord and tell him that the commander of this
+host is called Gharib, son of Kundamir, King of Cufa, whom his son Ajib
+slew, and he is come to take blood- revenge for his sire on Ajib the
+perfidious hound." So Saba' al- Kifar returned to the city and in great
+joy kissed the ground, when Al-Damigh said, "What is going on there, O
+Saba' al-Kifar?" He replied, "O my master, the leader of yon host is
+thy nephew, thy brother's son," and told him all. The King deemed
+himself in a dream and asked the messenger, "O Saba' al-Kifar, is this
+thou tellest me true?" and the Desert-lion answered, "As thy head
+liveth, it is sooth!" Then Al-Damigh bade his chief officers take horse
+forthright and all rode out to the camp, whence Gharib came forth and
+met him and they embraced and saluted each other; after which Gharib
+carried him to his tents and they sat down on beds of estate. Al-Damigh
+rejoiced in Gharib, his brother's son, and presently turning to him,
+said, "I also have yearned to take blood-revenge for thy father, but
+could not avail against the dog thy brother; for that his troops are
+many and my troops are few." Replied Gharib, "O uncle, here am I come
+to avenge my sire and blot out our shame and rid the realm of Ajib."
+Said Al-Damigh, "O son of my brother, thou hast two blood-wreaks to
+take, that of thy father and that of thy mother." Asked Gharib, "And
+what aileth my mother?" and Al-Damigh answered, "Thy brother Ajib hath
+slain her."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
+her permitted say,
+
+When it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-sixth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib heard
+these words of his uncle Al-Damigh, "Verily thy brother Ajib hath slain
+her!", he asked what was the cause thereof and was told of all that had
+happened, especially how Mardas had married his daughter to Ajib who
+was about to go into her. Thereupon Gharib's reason fled from his head
+and he swooned away and was nigh upon death. No sooner did he come to
+himself than he cried out to the troops, saying, "To horse!" But
+Al-Damigh said to him, "O son of my brother, wait till I make ready
+mine affairs and mount among my men and fare with thee at thy stirrup."
+Replied Gharib "I have no patience to wait; do thou equip thy troops
+and join me at Cufa." Thereupon Gharib mounted with his troops and
+rode, till he came to the town of Babel,[FN#363] whose folk took fright
+at him. Now there was in this town a King called Jamak, under whose
+hand were twenty thousand horsemen, and there gathered themselves
+together to him from the villages other fifty thousand horse, who
+pitched their tents facing the city. Then Gharib wrote a letter and
+sent it to King Jamak by a messenger, who came up to the city-gate and
+cried out, saying, "I am an envoy;" whereupon the Warder of the Gate
+went in and told Jamak, who said, "Bring him to me." So he led in the
+messenger, who kissing the ground before the King, gave him the letter,
+and Jamak opened it and read its contents as follows: "Praise be to
+Allah, Lord of the Three Worlds, Lord of all things, who giveth to all
+creatures their daily bread and who over all things is Omnipotent!
+These from Gharib, son of King Kundamir, lord of Irak and Cufa, to
+Jamak. Immediately this letter reacheth thee, let not thy reply be
+other than to break thine idols and confess the unity of the
+All-knowing King, Creator of light and darkness, Creator of all things,
+the All-powerful; and except thou do as I bid thee, I will make this
+day the blackest of thy days. Peace be on those who follow in the way
+of Salvation, fearing the issues of fornication, and obey the hest of
+the Most High King, Lord of this world and the next, Him who saith to a
+thing, Be'; and it becometh!" Now when Jamak read this letter, his eyes
+paled and his colour failed and he cried out to the messenger, "Go to
+thy lord and say to him, To-morrow, at daybreak there shall be fight
+and conflict and it shall appear who is the conquering hero.'" So he
+returned and told Gharib, who bade his men make ready for battle,
+whilst Jamak commanded his tents to be pitched in face of Gharib's
+camp; and his troops poured forth like the surging sea and passed the
+night with intention of slaughter. As soon as dawned the day, the two
+hosts mounted and drew up in battle array and beat their drums amain
+and drave their steeds of swiftest strain; and they filled the whole
+earthly plain; and the champions to come out were fain. Now the first
+who sallied forth a championing to the field was the Ghul of the
+Mountain, bearing on shoulder a terrible tree, and he cried out between
+the two hosts, saying, "I am Sa'adan the Ghul! Who is for fighting, who
+is for jousting? Let no sluggard come forth to me nor weakling." And he
+called out to his sons, saying, "Woe to you! Bring me fuel and fire,
+for I am an-hungered." So they cried upon their slaves who brought
+firewood and kindled a fire in the heart of the plain. Then there came
+out to him a man of the Kafirs, an Amalekite of the unbelieving
+Amalekites, bearing on his shoulder a mace like the mast of a ship, and
+drove at Sa'adan the Ghul, saying, "Woe to thee, O Sa'adan!" When the
+giant heard this, he waxed furious beyond measure and raising his tree
+club, aimed at the Infidel a blow, that hummed through the air. The
+Amalekite met the stroke with his mace, but the tree beat down his
+guard and descending with its own weight, together with the weight of
+the mace upon his head, beat in his brain pan, and he fell like a
+long-stemmed palm-tree. Thereupon Sa'adan cried to his slaves, saying,
+"Take this fatted calf and roast him quickly." So they hastened to skin
+the Infidel and roasted him and brought him to the Ghul, who ate his
+flesh and crunched his bones.[FN#364] Now when the Kafirs saw how
+Sa'adan did with their fellow, their hair and pile stood on end; their
+skins quaked, their colour changed, their hearts died within them and
+they said to one another, "Whoso goeth out against this Ghul, he eateth
+him and cracketh his bones and causeth him to lack the zephyr-wind of
+the world." Wherefore they held their hands, quailing for fear of the
+Ghul and his sons and turned to fly, making for the town; but Gharib
+cried out to his troops, saying, "Up and after the runaways!" So the
+Persians and the Arabs crave after the King of Babel and his host and
+caused sword to smite them, till they slew of them twenty thousand or
+more. Then the fugitives crowded together in the city gate and they
+killed of them much people; and they could not avail to shut the gate.
+So the Arabs and the Persians entered with them, fighting, and Sa'adan,
+snatching a mace from one of the slain, wielded it in the enemy's face
+and gained the city race-course. Thence he fought his way through the
+foe and broke into the King's palace, where he met with Jamak and so
+smote him with the mace, that he toppled senseless to the ground. Then
+he fell upon those who were in the palace and pounded them into pieces,
+till all that were left cried out, "Quarter! Quarter!" and Sa'adan said
+to them, "Pinion your King."—And Shahrazad saw the dawn of day and
+ceased saying her permitted say,
+
+End of Vol 6.
+
+                    Arabian Nights, Volume 6
+                           Footnotes
+
+
+[FN#1] Lane (vol. iii. 1) calls our old friend "Es-Sindibád of the
+Sea," and Benfey derives the name from the Sanskrit "Siddhapati"=lord
+of sages. The etymology (in Heb. Sandabar and in Greek Syntipas) is
+still uncertain, although the term often occurs in Arab stories; and
+some look upon it as a mere corruption of "Bidpai" (Bidyápati). The
+derivation offered by Hole (Remarks on the Arabian Nights'
+Entertainments, by Richard Hole, LL.D. London, Cadell, 1797) from the
+Persian ábád (a region) is impossible. It is, however, not a little
+curious that this purely Persian word (=a "habitation") should be found
+in Indian names as early as Alexanders' day, e.g. the "Dachina bades"
+of the Periplus is "Dakhsin-ábád," the Sanskr. being "Dakshinapatha."
+
+[FN#2] A porter like the famous Armenians of Constantinople. Some
+edits. call him "Al-Hindibád."
+
+[FN#3] Arab. "Karawán" (Charadrius dicnemus, Linn.): its shrill note is
+admired by Egyptians and hated by sportsmen.
+
+[FN#4] This ejaculation, still popular, averts the evil eye. In
+describing Sindbad the Seaman the Arab writer seems to repeat what one
+reads of Marco Polo returned to Venice.
+
+[FN#5] Our old friend must not be confounded with the eponym of the
+"Sindibád-námah;" the Persian book of Sindbad the Sage. See Night
+dlxxviii.
+
+[FN#6] The first and second are from Eccles. chapts. vii. 1, and ix. 4.
+The Bul. Edit. reads for the third, "The grave is better than the
+palace." None are from Solomon, but Easterns do not "verify
+quotations."
+
+[FN#7] Arab. "Kánún"; a furnace, a brasier before noticed (vol. v., p.
+272); here a pot full of charcoal sunk in the ground, or a little
+hearth of clay shaped like a horseshoe and opening down wind.
+
+[FN#8] These fish-islands are common in the Classics, e.g. the Pristis
+of Pliny (xvii. 4), which Olaus Magnus transfers to the Baltic (xxi. 6)
+and makes timid as the whales of Nearchus. C. J. Solinus (Plinii Simia)
+says, "Indica maria balćnas habent ultra spatia quatuor jugerum." See
+also Bochart's Hierozoicon (i. 50) for Job's Leviathan (xli. 16-17).
+Hence deemed an island. A basking whale would readily suggest the
+Krakan and Cetus of Olaus Magnus (xxi. 25). Al-Kazwíni's famous
+treatise on the "Wonders of the World" (Ajáib al-Makhlúkát) tells the
+same tale of the "Sulahfah" tortoise, the colossochelys, for which see
+Night dl.
+
+[FN#9] Sindbad does not say that he was a shipwrecked man, being a
+model in the matter of "travellers' tales," i.e. he always tells the
+truth when an untruth would not serve him.
+
+[FN#10] Lane (iii. 83) would make this a corruption of the Hindu
+"Maharáj"=great Rajah: but it is the name of the great autumnal fęte of
+the Guebres; a term composed of two good old Persian words "Mihr" (the
+sun, whence "Mithras") and "ján"=life. As will presently appear, in the
+days of the Just King Anushirwán, the Persians possessed Southern
+Arabia and East Afica south of Cape Guardafui (Jird Háfún). On the
+other hand, supposing the word to be a corruption of Maharaj, Sindbad
+may allude to the famous Narsinga kingdom in Mid-south India whose
+capital was Vijaya- nagar; or to any great Indian Rajah even he of
+Kachch (Cutch), famous in Moslem story as the Balhará (Ballaba Rais,
+who founded the Ballabhi era; or the Zamorin of Camoens, the Samdry
+Rajah of Malabar). For Mahrage, or Mihrage, see Renaudot's "Two
+Mohammedan Travellers of the Ninth Century." In the account of Ceylon
+by Wolf (English Transl. p. 168) it adjoins the "Ilhas de Cavalos" (of
+wild horses) to which the Dutch merchants sent their brood- mares. Sir
+W. Jones (Description of Asia, chapt. ii.) makes the Arabian island
+Soborma or Mahráj=Borneo.
+
+[FN#11] Arab. "Sáis"; the well-known Anglo-Indian word for a groom or
+rather a "horse-keeper."
+
+[FN#12] Arab. "Darakah"; whence our word.
+
+[FN#13] The myth of mares being impregnated by the wind was known to
+the Classics of Europe; and the "sea-stallion" may have arisen from the
+Arab practice of picketing mare asses to be covered by the wild ass.
+Colonel J. D. Watson of the Bombay Army suggests to me that Sindbad was
+wrecked at the mouth of the Ran of Kachch (Cutch) and was carried in a
+boat to one of the Islands there formed during the rains and where the
+wild ass (Equus Onager, Khar-gadh, in Pers. Gor-khar) still breeds.
+This would explain the "stallions of the sea" and we find traces of the
+ass blood in the true Kathiawár horse, with his dun colour, barred legs
+and dorsal stripe.
+
+[FN#14] The second or warrior caste (Kshatriya), popularly supposed to
+have been annihilated by Battle-axe Ramá (Parashu Ráma); but several
+tribes of Rajputs and other races claim the honourable genealogy.
+Colonel Watson would explain the word by "Shakháyát" or noble Káthis
+(Kathiawar-men), or by "Shikári," the professional hunter here acting
+as stable-groom.
+
+[FN#15] In Bul. Edit. "Kábil." Lane (iii. 88) supposes it to be the
+"Bartail" of Al-Kazwini near Borneo and quotes the Spaniard B. L. de
+Argensola (History of the Moluccas), who places near Banda a desert
+island, Poelsatton, infamous for cries, whistlings, roarings and
+dreadful apparitions, suggesting that it was peopled by devils
+(Stevens, vol. i., p. 168).
+
+[FN#16] Some texts substitute for this last phrase, "And the sailors
+say that Al-Dajjál is there." He is a manner of Moslem Antichrist, the
+Man of Sin per excellentiam, who will come in the latter days and lay
+waste the earth, leading 70,000 Jews, till encountered and slain by
+Jesus at the gate of Lud. (Sale's Essay, sect. 4.)
+
+[FN#17] Also from Al-Kazwini: it is an exaggerated description of the
+whale still common off the East African Coast. My crew was dreadfully
+frightened by one between Berberah and Aden. Nearchus scared away the
+whales in the Persian Gulf by trumpets (Strabo, lib. xv.). The
+owl-faced fish is unknown to me: it may perhaps be a seal or a manatee.
+Hole says that Father Martini, the Jesuit (seventeenth century), placed
+in the Canton Seas, an "animal with the head of a bird and the tail of
+a fish,"a parrot-beak?
+
+[FN#18] The captain or master (not owner) of a ship.
+
+[FN#19] The kindly Moslem feeling, shown to a namesake, however humble.
+
+[FN#20] A popular phrase to express utter desolation.
+
+[FN#21] The literature of all peoples contains this physiological
+perversion. Birds do not sing hymns; the song of the male is simply to
+call the female and when the pairing-season ends all are dumb.
+
+[FN#22] The older "roc." The word is Persian, with many meanings, e.g.
+a cheek (Lalla "Rookh"); a "rook" (hero) at chess; a rhinoceros, etc.
+The fable world-wide of the wundervogel is, as usual, founded upon
+fact: man remembers and combines but does not create. The Egyptian
+Bennu (Ti-bennu=phoenix) may have been a reminiscence of gigantic
+pterodactyls and other winged monsters. From the Nile the legend fabled
+by these Oriental "putters out or five for one" overspread the world
+and gave birth to the Eorosh of the Zend, whence the Pers. "Símurgh"
+(=the "thirty-fowl- like"), the "Bar Yuchre" of the Rabbis, the
+"Garuda" of the Hindus; the "Anká" ("long-neck") of the Arabs; the
+"Hathilinga bird," of Buddhagosha's Parables, which had the strength of
+five elephants; the "Kerkes" of the Turks; the "Gryps" of the Greeks;
+the Russian "Norka"; the sacred dragon of the Chinese; the Japanese
+"Pheng" and "Kirni"; the "wise and ancient Bird" which sits upon the
+ash-tree yggdrasil, and the dragons, griffins, basilisks, etc. of the
+Middle Ages. A second basis wanting only a superstructure of
+exaggeration (M. Polo's Ruch had wing-feathers twelve paces long) would
+be the huge birds but lately killed out. Sindbad may allude to the
+Ćpyornus of Madagascar, a gigantic ostrich whose egg contains 2.35
+gallons. The late Herr Hildebrand discovered on the African coast,
+facing Madagascar, traces of another huge bird. Bochart (Hierozoicon
+ii. 854) notices the Avium Avis Ruch and taking the pulli was followed
+by lapidation on the part of the parent bird. A Persian illustration in
+Lane (iii. 90) shows the Rukh carrying off three elephants in beak and
+pounces with the proportions of a hawk and field mice: and the Rukh
+hawking at an elephant is a favourite Persian subject. It is possible
+that the "Twelve Knights of the Round Table" were the twelve Rukhs of
+Persian story. We need not go, with Faber, to the Cherubim which
+guarded the Paradise-gate. The curious reader will consult Dr. H. H.
+Wilson's Essays, edited by my learned correspondent, Dr. Rost,
+Librarian of the India House (vol. i. pp. 192-3).
+
+[FN#23] It is not easy to explain this passage unless it be a garbled
+allustion to the steel-plate of the diamond-cutter. Nor can we account
+for the wide diffusion of this tale of perils unless to enhance the
+value of the gem. Diamonds occur in alluvial lands mostly open and
+comparatively level, as in India, the Brazil and the Cape. Archbishop
+Epiphanius of Salamis (ob. A.D. 403) tells this story about the jacinth
+or ruby (Epiphanii Opera, a Petaio, Colonić 1682); and it was
+transferred to the diamond by Marco Polo (iii. 29, "of Eagles bring up
+diamonds") and Nicolo de Conti, whose "mountain Albenigaras" must be
+Vijayanagar in the kingdom of Golconda. Major Rennel places the famous
+mines of Pauna or Purna in a mountain-tract of more than 200 miles
+square to the southwest of the Jumna. Al-Kazwini locates the "Chaos" in
+the "Valley of the Moon amongst the mountains of Serendib" (Ceylon);
+the Chinese tell the same tale in the campaigns of Hulaku; and it is
+known in Armenia. Col. Yule (M. P. ii. 349) suggests that all these are
+ramifications of the legend told by Herodotus concerning the Arabs and
+their cinnamon (iii. 3). But whence did Herodotus borrow the tale?
+
+[FN#24] Sindbad correctly describes the primitive way of extracting
+camphor, a drug unknown to the Greeks and Romans, introduced by the
+Arabs and ruined in reputation by M. Raspail. The best Laurus Camphora
+grows in the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo: although Marsden
+(Marco Polo) declares that the tree is not found South of the Equator.
+In the Calc. Edit. of two hundred Nights the camphor-island (or
+peninsula) is called "Al- Ríhah" which is the Arab name for
+Jericho-town.
+
+[FN#25] In Bul. Edit. Kazkazan: Calc. Karkaddan and others Karkand and
+Karkadan; the word being Persian, Karg or Kargadan; the {Greek letters}
+of Ćlian (Hist. Anim. xvi. 21). The length of the horn (greatly
+exaggerated) shows that the white species is meant; and it supplies
+only walking-sticks. Cups are made of the black horn (a bundle of
+fibres) which, like Venetian glass, sweat at the touch of poison. A
+section of the horn is supposed to show white lines in the figure of a
+man, and sundry likenesses of birds; but these I never saw. The
+rhinoceros gives splendid sport and the African is perhaps the most
+dangerous of noble game. It has served to explain away and abolish the
+unicorn among the Scientists of Europe. But Central Africa with one
+voice assures us that a horse-like animal with a single erectile horn
+on the forehead exists. The late Dr. Baikic, of Niger fame, thoroughly
+believed in it and those curious on the subject will read about Abu
+Karn (Father of a Horn) in Preface (pp. xvi.-xviii.) of the Voyage au
+Darfour, by Mohammed ibn Oman al-Tounsy (Al-Tunisi), Paris, Duprat,
+1845.
+
+[FN#26] Ibn al-Wardi mentions an "Isle of Apes" in the Sea of China and
+Al-Idrísi places it two days' sail from Sukutra (Dwipa Sukhatra,
+Socotra). It is a popular error to explain the Homeric and Herodotean
+legend of the Pygmies by anthropoid apes. The Pygmy fable (Pygmći
+Spithamai=1 cubit=3 spans) was, as usual, based upon fact, as the
+explorations of late years have proved: the dwarfs are homunculi of
+various tribes, the Akka, Doko, Tiki- Tiki, Wambilikimo ("two-cubit
+men"), the stunted race that share the central regions of Intertropical
+Africa with the abnormally tall peoples who speak dialects of the Great
+South African tongue, miscalled the "Bantu." Hole makes the Pygmies
+"monkeys," a word we have borrowed from the Italians (monichio ŕ
+mono=ape) and quotes Ptolemy,                   (Ape-Islands) East of
+Sunda.
+
+[FN#27] A kind of barge (Arab. Bárijah, plur. Bawárij) used on the Nile
+of sub-pyriform shape when seen in bird's eye. Lane translates "ears
+like two mortars" from the Calc. Edit.
+
+[FN#28] This giant is distinctly Polyphemus; but the East had giants
+and cyclopes of her own (Hierozoicon ii. 845). The Ajáib al-Hind
+(chapt. cxxii.) makes Polyphemus copulate with the sheep. Sir John
+Mandeville (if such person ever existed) mentions men fifty feet high
+in the Indian Islands; and Al-Kazwini and Al- Idrisi transfer them to
+the Sea of China, a Botany Bay for monsters in general.
+
+[FN#29] Fire is forbidden as a punishment amongst Mosems, the idea
+being that it should be reserved for the next world. Hence the sailors
+fear the roasting more than the eating: with ours it would probably be
+the reverse. The Persian insult "Pidar- sokhtah"=(son of a) burnt
+father, is well known. I have noted the advisability of burning the
+Moslem's corpse under certain circumstances: otherwise the murderer may
+come to be canonised.
+
+[FN#30] Arab. "Mastabah"=the bench or form of masonry before noticed.
+In olden Europe benches were much more used than chairs, these being
+articles of luxury. So King Horne "sett him abenche;" and hence our
+"King's Bench" (Court).
+
+[FN#31] This is from the Bresl. Edit. vol. iv. 32: the Calc. Edit gives
+only an abstract and in the Bul. Edit. the Ogre returned "accompanied
+by a female, greater than he and more hideous." We cannot accept
+Mistress Polyphemus.
+
+[FN#32] This is from Al-Kazwini, who makes the serpent "wind itself
+round a tree or a rock, and thus break to pieces the bones of the
+breast in its belly."
+
+[FN#33] "Like a closet," in the Calc. Edit. The serpent is an
+exaggeration of the python which grows to an enormous size. Monstrous
+Ophidia are mentioned in sober history, e.g. that which delayed the
+army of Regulus. Dr. de Lacerda, a sober and sensible Brazilian
+traveller, mentions his servants sitting down upon a tree-trunk in the
+Captaincy of San Paulo (Brasil), which began to move and proved to be a
+huge snake. F. M. Pinto (the Sindbad of Portugal though not so
+respectable) when in Sumatra takes refuge in a tree from "tigers,
+crocodiles, copped adders and serpents which slay men with their
+breath." Father Lobo in Tigre (chapt. x.) was nearly killed by the
+poison-breath of a huge snake, and healed himself with a bezoar carried
+ad hoc. Maffććus makes the breath of crocodiles suavissimus, but that
+of the Malabar serpents and vipers "adeo teter ac noxius ut afflatu
+ipso necare perhibeantur."
+
+[FN#34] Arab. "Aurat": the word has been borrowed by the
+Hindostani jargon, and means a woman, a wife.
+
+
+[FN#35] So in Al-Idrísi and Langlčs: the Bres. Edit. has "Al-
+Kalásitah"; and Al-Kazwini "Al-Salámit." The latter notes in it a
+petrifying spring which Camoens (The Lus. x. 104), places in Sunda,
+i.e. Java-Minor of M. Polo. Some read Salabat-Timor, one of the
+Moluccas famed for sanders, cloves, cinnamon, etc. (Purchas ii. 1784.)
+
+[FN#36] Evidently the hippopotamus (Pliny, viii. 25; ix. 3 and xxiii.
+11). It can hardly be the Mulaccan Tapir, as shields are not made of
+the hide. Hole suggests the buffalo which found its way to Egypt from
+India viâ Persia; but this would not be a speciosum miraculum.
+
+[FN#37] The ass-headed fish is from Pliny (ix. cap. 3): all those tales
+are founded upon the manatee (whose dorsal protuberance may have
+suggested the camel), the seal and the dugong or sea calf. I have
+noticed (Zanzibar i. 205) legends of ichthyological marvels current on
+the East African seaboard; and even the monsters of the Scottish waters
+are not all known: witness the mysterious "brigdie." See Bochart De
+Cetis i. 7; and Purchas iii. 930.
+
+[FN#38] The colossal tortoise is noticed by Ćlian (De Nat. Animal. xvi.
+17), by Strabo (Lib. xv.), by Pliny (ix. 10) and Diodorus Siculus (iv.
+1) who had heard of a tribe of Chelonophagi. Ćlian makes them 16 cubits
+long near Taprobane and serving as house-roofs; and others turn the
+shell into boats and coracles. A colossochelys was first found on the
+Scwalik Hills by Dr. Falconer and Major (afterwards Sir Proby) Cantley.
+In 1867 M. Emile Blanchard exhibited to the Academie des Sciences a
+monster crab from Japan 1.20 metres long (or 2.50 including legs); and
+other travellers have reported 4 metres. These crustaceć seem never to
+cease growing and attain great dimensions under favourable
+circumstances, i.e. when not troubled by man.
+
+[FN#39] Lane suggests (iii. 97), and with some probability, that the
+"bird" was a nautilus; but the wild traditions concerning the
+barnacle-goose may perhaps have been the base of the fable. The
+albatross also was long supposed never to touch land. Possible the
+barnacle, like the barometz of Tartarean lamb, may be a survivor of the
+day when the animal and vegetable kingdoms had not yet branched off
+into different directions.
+
+[FN#40] Arab. "Zahwah," also meaning a luncheon. The five daily prayers
+made all Moslems take strict account of time, and their nomenclature of
+its division is extensive.
+
+[FN#41] This is the "insane herb." Davis, who visited Sumatra in 1599
+(Purchas i. 120) speaks "of a kind of seed, whereof a little being
+eaten, maketh a man to turn foole, all things seeming to him to be
+metamorphosed." Linschoten's "Dutroa" was a poppy-like bud containing
+small kernels like melons which stamped and administered as a drink
+make a man "as if he were foolish, or out of his wits." This is Father
+Lobo's "Vanguini" of the Cafres, called by the Portuguese dutro (Datura
+Stramonium) still used by dishonest confectioners. It may be Dampier's
+Ganga (Ganjah) or Bang (Bhang) which he justly describes as acting
+differently "according to different constitutions; for some it
+stupefies, others it makes sleepy, others merry and some quite mad."
+(Harris, Collect. ii. 900.) Dr. Fryer also mentions Duty, Bung and
+Post, the Poust of Bernier, an infusion of poppy-seed.
+
+[FN#42] Arab. "Ghul," here an ogre, a cannibal. I cannot but regard the
+"Ghul of the waste" as an embodiment of the natural fear and horror
+which a man feels when he faces a really dangerous desert. As regards
+cannibalism, Al-Islam's religion of common sense freely allows it when
+necessary to save life, and unlike our mawkish modern sensibility,
+never blames those who
+
+     Alimentis talibus usi
+     Produxere animos.
+
+
+[FN#43] For Cannibals, see the Massagetć of Herod (i.), the Padći of
+India (iii.), and the Essedones near Mćotis (iv.); Strabo (lib. iv.) of
+the Luci; Pomponious Mela (iii. 7) and St. Jerome (ad Jovinum) of
+Scoti. M. Polo locates them in Dragvia, a kingdom of Sumatra (iii. 17),
+and in Angaman (the Andamanian Isles?), possibly the ten Maniolai which
+Ptolemy (vii.), confusing with the Nicobars, places on the Eastern side
+of the Bay of Bengal; and thence derives the Heraklian stone (magnet)
+which attracts the iron of ships (See Serapion, De Magnete, fol. 6,
+Edit. of 1479, and Brown's Vulgar Errors, p. 74, 6th Edit.). Mandeville
+finds his cannibals in Lamaray (Sumatra) and Barthema in the "Isle of
+Gyava" (Java). Ibn Al-Wardi and Al-Kazwini notice them in the Isle
+Saksar, in the Sea of the Zanj (Zanzibar): the name is corrupted
+Persian "Sag-Sar" (Dogs'-heads) hence the dog- descended race of
+Camoens in Pegu (The Lus. x. 122). The Bresl. Edit. (iv. 52) calls them
+"Khawárij"=certain sectarians in Eastern Arabia. Needless to say that
+cocoa-nut oil would have no stupefying effect unless mixed with opium
+or datura, hemp or henbane.
+
+[FN#44] Black pepper is produced in the Goanese but we must go south to
+find the "Bilád al-Filfil" (home of pepper) i.e. Malabar. The
+exorbitant prices demanded by Venice for this spice led directly to the
+discovery of The Cape route by the Portuguese; as the "Grains of
+Paradise" (Amomum Granum Paradisi) induced the English to explore the
+West African Coast.
+
+[FN#45] Arab. "Kazdír." Sansk. "Kastír." Gr. "Kassiteron." Lat.
+"Cassiteros," evidently derived from one root. The Heb. is "Badih," a
+substitute, an alloy. "Tanakah" is the vulg. Arab. word, a congener of
+the Assyrian "Anaku," and "Kala-i" is the corrupt Arab. term used in
+India.
+
+[FN#46] Our Arabian Ulysses had probably left a Penelope or two at home
+and finds a Calypso in this Ogygia. His modesty at the mention of
+womankind is notable.
+
+[FN#47] These are the commonplaces of Moslem consolation on such
+occasions: the artistic part is their contrast with the unfortunate
+widower's prospect.
+
+[FN#48] Lit. "a margin of stone, like the curb-stone of a well."
+
+[FN#49] I am not aware that this vivisepulture of the widower is the
+custom of any race, but the fable would be readily suggested by the
+Sati (Suttee)-rite of the Hindus. Simple vivisepulture was and is
+practised by many people.
+
+[FN#50] Because she was weaker than a man. The Bresl. Edit. however,
+has "a gugglet of water and five scones."
+
+[FN#51] The confession is made with true Eastern sang-froid and
+probably none of the hearers "disapproved" of the murders which saved
+the speaker's life.
+
+[FN#52] This tale is evidently taken from the escape of Aristomenes the
+Messenian from the pit into which he had been thrown, a fox being his
+guide. The Arabs in an early day were eager students of Greek
+literature. Hole (p. 140) noted the coincidence.
+
+[FN#53] Bresl. Edit. "Khwájah," our "Howajee," meaning a schoolmaster,
+a man of letters, a gentleman.
+
+[FN#54] And he does repeat at full length what the hearers must have
+known right well. I abridge.
+
+[FN#55] Island of the Bell (Arab. "Nákús"=a wooden gong used by
+Christians but forbidden to Moslems). "Kala" is written "Kela,"
+"Kullah" and a variety of ways. Baron Walckenaer places it at
+Keydah in the Malay peninsula opposite Sumatra. Renaudot
+identifies it with Calabar, "somewhere about the point of
+Malabar."
+
+
+[FN#56] Islands, because Arab cosmographers love to place their
+speciosa miracula in such places.
+
+[FN#57] Like the companions of Ulysses who ate the sacred oxen
+(Od. xii.).
+
+
+[FN#58] So the enormous kingfisher of Lucian's True History (lib. ii.).
+
+[FN#59] This tale is borrowed from Ibn Al-Wardi, who adds that the
+greybeards awoke in the morning after eating the young Rukh with black
+hair which never turned white. The same legend is recounted by
+Al-Dimiri (ob. A.H. 808=1405-6) who was translated into Latin by
+Bochart (Hierozoicon ii. p. 854) and quoted by Hole and Lane (iii.
+103). An excellent study of Marco Polo's Rukh was made by my learned
+friend the late Prof. G. G. Bianconi of Bologna, "Dell'Uccello Ruc,"
+Bologna, Gamberini, 1868. Prof. Bianconi predicted that other giant
+birds would be found in Madagascar on the East African Coast opposite;
+but he died before hearing of Hildebrand's discovery.
+
+[FN#60] Arab. "Izár," the earliest garb of Eastern man; and, as such
+preserved in the Meccan pilgrimage. The "waist-cloth" is either tucked
+in or kept in place by a girdle.
+
+[FN#61] Arab. "Líf," a succedaneum for the unclean sponge, not unknown
+in the "Turkish Baths" of London.
+
+[FN#62] The Persians have a Plinian monster called "Tasmeh-
+pá"=Strap-legs without bones. The "Old Man" is not an ourang- outang
+nor an Ifrít as in Sayf al-Mulúk, Night dcclxxi., but a jocose
+exaggeration of a custom prevailing in parts of Asia and especially in
+the African interior where the Tsetse-fly prevents the breeding of
+burden-beasts. Ibn Batútah tells us that in Malabar everything was
+borne upon men's backs. In Central Africa the kinglet rides a slave,
+and on ceremonious occasions mounts his Prime Minister. I have often
+been reduced to this style of conveyance and found man the worst
+imaginable riding: there is no hold and the sharpness of the
+shoulder-ridge soon makes the legs ache intolerably. The classicists of
+course find the Shaykh of the Sea in the Tritons and Nereus, and
+Bochart (Hiero. ii. 858, 880) notices the homo aquaticus, Senex Judćus
+and Senex Marinus. Hole (p. 151) suggests the inevitable ouran-outan
+(man o' wood), one of "our humiliating copyists," and quotes "Destiny"
+in Scarron's comical romance (Part ii. chapt. i) and "Jealousy"
+enfolding Rinaldo. (O.F. lib. 42).
+
+[FN#63] More literally "The Chief of the Sea (-Coast)," Shaykh being
+here a chief rather than an elder (eoldermann, alderman). So the "Old
+Man of the Mountain," famous in crusading days, was the Chief who lived
+on the Nusayriyah or Ansári range, a northern prolongation of the
+Libanus. Our "old man" of the text may have been suggested by the
+Koranic commentators on chapt. vi. When an Infidel rises from the
+grave, a hideous figure meets him and says, "Why wonderest thou at my
+loathsomeness? I am thine Evil Deeds: thou didst ride upon me in the
+world and now I will ride upon thee." (Suiting the action to the
+words.)
+
+[FN#64] In parts of West Africa and especially in Gorilla-land there
+are many stories of women and children being carried off by apes, and
+all believe that the former bear issue to them. It is certain that the
+anthropoid ape is lustfully excited by the presence of women and I have
+related how at Cairo (1856) a huge cynocephalus would have raped a girl
+had it not been bayonetted. Young ladies who visited the Demidoff
+Gardens and menagerie at Florence were often scandalised by the vicious
+exposure of the baboons' parti-coloured persons. The female monkey
+equally solicits the attentions of man and I heard in India from my
+late friend, Mirza Ali Akbar of Bombay, that to his knowledge
+connection had taken place. Whether there would be issue and whether
+such issue would be viable are still disputed points: the produce would
+add another difficulty to the pseudo-science called psychology, as such
+mule would have only half a soul and issue by a congener would have a
+quarter-soul. A traveller well known to me once proposed to breed
+pithecoid men who might be useful as hewers of wood and drawers of
+water: his idea was to put the highest races of apes to the lowest of
+humanity. I never heard what became of his "breeding stables."
+
+[FN#65] Arab. "Jauz al-Hindi": our word cocoa is from the Port. "Coco,"
+meaning a "bug" (bugbear) in allusion to its caricature of the human
+face, hair, eyes and mouth. I may here note that a cocoa-tree is easily
+climbed with a bit of rope or a handkerchief.
+
+[FN#66] Tomb-pictures in Egypt show tame monkeys gathering fruits and
+Grossier (Description of China, quoted by Hole and Lane) mentions a
+similar mode of harvesting tea by irritating the monkeys of the Middle
+Kingdom.
+
+[FN#67] Bresl. Edit. Cloves and cinnamon in those days grew in widely
+distant places.
+
+[FN#68] In pepper-plantations it is usual to set bananas (Musa
+Paradisiaca) for shading the young shrubs which bear bunches like
+ivy-fruit, not pods.
+
+[FN#69] The Bresl. Edit. has "Al-Ma'arat." Langlčs calls it the
+Island of Al-Kamárí. See Lane, iii. 86.
+
+
+[FN#70] Insula, pro. peninsula. "Comorin" is a corrupt. of "Kanyá"
+(=Virgo, the goddess Durgá) and "Kumári" (a maid, a princess); from a
+temple of Shiva's wife: hence Ptolemy's {Greek letters} and near it to
+the N. East {Greek letters}, "Promontorium Cori quod Comorini caput
+insulć vocant," says Maffćus (Hist. Indic. i. p. 16). In the text
+"Al'úd" refers to the eagle-wood (Aloekylon Agallochum) so called
+because spotted like the bird's plume. That of Champa (Cochin-China,
+mentioned in Camoens, The Lus. x. 129) is still famous.
+
+[FN#71] Arab. "Birkat"=tank, pool, reach, bight. Hence Birkat
+Far'aun in the Suez Gulf. (Pilgrimage i. 297.)
+
+
+[FN#72] Probably Cape Comorin; to judge from the river, but the text
+names Sarandib (Ceylon Island) famous for gems. This was noticed by
+Marco Polo, iii. cap. 19; and ancient authors relate the same of
+"Taprobane."
+
+[FN#73] I need hardly trouble the reader with a note on pearl-
+fisheries: the descriptions of travellers are continuous from the days
+of Pliny (ix. 35), Solinus (cap. 56) and Marco Polo (iii. 23).
+Maximilian of Transylvania, in his narrative of Magellan's voyage
+(Novus Orbis, p. 532) says that the Celebes produce pearls big as
+turtle-doves' eggs; and the King of Porne (Borneo) had two unions as
+great as goose's eggs. Pigafetta (in Purchas) reduces this to hen's
+eggs and Sir Thomas Herbert to dove's eggs.
+
+[FN#74] Arab. "Anbar" pronounced "Ambar;" wherein I would derive
+"Ambrosia." Ambergris was long supposed to be a fossil, a vegetable
+which grew upon the sea-bottom or rose in springs; or a "substance
+produced in the water like naphtha or bitumen"(!): now it is known to
+be the egesta of a whale. It is found in lumps weighing several pounds
+upon the Zanzibar Coast and is sold at a high price, being held a
+potent aphrodisiac. A small hollow is drilled in the bottom of the cup
+and the coffee is poured upon the bit of ambergris it contains; when
+the oleaginous matter shows in dots amidst the "Kaymagh"
+(coffee-cream), the bubbly froth which floats upon the surface and
+which an expert "coffee servant" distributes equally among the guests.
+Argensola mentions in Ceylon, "springs of liquid bitumen thicker than
+our oil and some of pure balsam."
+
+[FN#75] The tale-teller forgets that Sindbad and his companions have
+just ascended it; but this inconséquence is a characteristic of the
+Eastern Saga. I may note that the description of ambergris in the text
+tells us admirably well what it is not.
+
+[FN#76] This custom is alluded to by Lane (Mod Egypt, ch. xv.): it is
+the rule of pilgrims to Meccah when too ill to walk or ride (Pilgrimage
+i. 180). Hence all men carry their shrouds: mine, after being dipped in
+the Holy Water of Zemzem, was stolen from me by the rascally Somal of
+Berberah.
+
+[FN#77] Arab. "Fulk;" some Edits. read "Kalak" and "Ramaz" (=a raft).
+
+[FN#78] These lines occur in modified form in Night xi.
+
+[FN#79] These underground rivers (which Dr. Livingstone derided) are
+familiar to every geographer from Spenser's "Mole" to the Poika of
+Adelberg and the Timavo near Trieste. Hence "Peter Wilkins" borrowed
+his cavern which let him to Grandevolet. I have some experience of
+Sindbad's sorrows, having once attempted to descend the Poika on foot.
+The Classics had the Alpheus (Pliny v. 31; and Seneca, Nat. Quae. vi.),
+and the Tigris-Euphrates supposed to flow underground: and the
+Medićvals knew the Abana of Damascus and the Zenderúd of Isfahan.
+
+[FN#80] Abyssinians can hardly be called "blackamoors," but the
+arrogance of the white skin shows itself in Easterns (e.g. Turks and
+Brahmans) as much as, if not more than, amongst Europeans. Southern
+India at the time it was explored by Vasco da Gama was crowded with
+Abyssinian slaves imported by the Arabs.
+
+[FN#81] "Sarandib" and "Ceylon" (the Taprobane of Ptolemy and Diodorus
+Siculus) derive from the Pali "Sihalam" (not the Sansk. "Sinhala")
+shortened to Silam and Ilam in old Tamul. Van der Tunk would find it in
+the Malay "Pulo Selam"=Isle of Gems (the Ratna- dwípa or Jewel Isle of
+the Hindus and the Jazirat al-Yakút or Ruby-Island of the Arabs); and
+the learned Colonel Yule (Marco Polo ii 296) remarks that we have
+adopted many Malayan names, e.g. Pegu, China and Japan. Sarandib is
+clearly "Selan-dwípa," which Mandeville reduced to "Silha."
+
+[FN#82] This is the well-known Adam's Peak, the Jabal al-Ramun of the
+Arabs where Adam fell when cast out of Eden in the lowest or lunar
+sphere. Eve fell at Jeddah (a modern myth) and the unhappy pair met at
+Mount Arafat (i.e. recognition) near Meccah. Thus their fall was a fall
+indeed. (Pilgrimage iii. 259.)
+
+[FN#83] He is the Alcinous of our Arabian Odyssey.
+
+[FN#84] This word is not in the dictionaries; Hole (p. 192) and Lane
+understand it to mean the hog-deer; but why, one cannot imagine. The
+animal is neither "beautiful" nor "uncommon" and most men of my day
+have shot dozens in the Sind-Shikárgahs.
+
+[FN#85] M. Polo speaks of a ruby in Seilan (Ceylon) a palm long and
+three fingers thick: William of Tyre mentions a ruby weighing twelve
+Egyptian drams (Gibbon ii. 123), and Mandeville makes the King of
+Mammera wear about his neck a "rubye orient" one foot long by five
+fingers large.
+
+[FN#86] The fable is from Al-Kazwini and Ibn Al-Wardi who place the
+serpent (an animal sacred to Ćsculapius, Pliny, xxix. 4) "in the sea of
+Zanj" (i.e. Zanzibar). In the "garrow hills" of N. Eastern Bengal the
+skin of the snake Burrawar (?) is held to cure pain. (Asiat. Res. vol.
+iii.)
+
+[FN#87] For "Emerald," Hole (p. 177) would read emery or adamantine
+spar.
+
+[FN#88] Evidently Maháráj=Great Rajah, Rajah in Chief, an Hindu title
+common to the three potentates before alluded to, the Narsinga, Balhara
+or Samiry.
+
+[FN#89] This is probably classical. So the page said to Philip of
+Macedon every morning, "Remember, Philip, thou art mortal"; also the
+slave in the Roman Triumph,
+
+"Respice poste te: hominem te esse memento!"
+
+And the dying Severus, "Urnlet, soon shalt thou enclose what hardly a
+whole world could contain." But the custom may also have been Indian:
+the contrast of external pomp with the real vanity of human life
+suggests itself to all.
+
+[FN#90] Arab. "Hút"; a term applied to Jonah's whale and to monsters of
+the deep, "Samak" being the common fishes.
+
+[FN#91] Usually a two-bow prayer.
+
+[FN#92] This is the recognised formula of Moslem sales.
+
+[FN#93] Arab. "Walímah"; like our wedding-breakfast but a much more
+ceremonious and important affair.
+
+[FN#94] i.e. his wife (euphemistically). I remember an Italian lady
+being much hurt when a Maltese said to her "Mia moglie  con rispetto
+parlando" (my wife, saving your presence). "What," she cried, "he
+speaks of his wife as he would of the sweepings!"
+
+[FN#95] The serpent in Arabic is mostly feminine.
+
+[FN#96] i.e. in envying his wealth, with the risk of the evil eye.
+
+[FN#97] I subjoin a translation of the Seventh Voyage from the Calc.
+Edit. of the two hundred Nights which differs in essential points from
+the above. All respecting Sindbad the Seaman has an especial interest.
+In one point this world-famous tale is badly ordered. The most exciting
+adventures are the earliest and the falling off of the interest has a
+somewhat depressing effect. The Rukh, the Ogre and the Old Man o' the
+Sea should come last.
+
+[FN#98] Arab. "Al-Suways:" this successor of ancient Arsinoë was,
+according to local tradition, founded by a Santon from Al-Sús in
+Marocco who called it after his name "Little Sús" (the wormlet).
+
+[FN#99] Arab. "Mann," a weight varying from two to six pounds: even
+this common term is not found in the tables of Lane's Mod. Egyptians,
+Appendix B. The "Maund" is a well-known Anglo-Indian weight.
+
+[FN#100] This article is not mentioned elsewhere in The Nights.
+
+[FN#101] Apparently a fancy title.
+
+[FN#102] The island is evidently Ceylon, long famed for elephants, and
+the tree is the well known "Banyan" (Ficus Indica). According to
+Linschoten and Wolf, the elephants of all lands do reverence and honour
+to those of Ceylon.
+
+[FN#103] "Tusks" not "teeth" which are not valued. As Hole remarks, the
+elephants of Pliny and Sindbad are equally conscious of the value of
+ivory. Pliny (viii. 3) quotes Herodotus about the buying of ivories and
+relates how elephants, when hunted, break their "cornua" (as Juba
+called them) against a tree trunk by way of ransom. Ćlian, Plutarch,
+and Philostratus speak of the linguistic intelligence and religious
+worship of the "half-reason with the hand," which the Hindus term
+"Háthí"=unimanus. Finally, Topsell's Gesner (p. 152) makes elephants
+bury their tusks, "which commonly drop out every tenth year." In
+Arabian literature the elephant is always connected with India.
+
+[FN#104] This is a true "City of Brass." (Nuhás asfar=yellow copper),
+as we learn in Night dcclxxii. It is situated in the "Maghrib"
+(Mauritania), the region of magic and mystery; and the idea was
+probably suggested by the grand Roman ruins which rise abruptly from
+what has become a sandy waste. Compare with this tale "The City of
+Brass" (Night cclxxii.). In Egypt Nuhás is vulg. pronounced Nihás.
+
+[FN#105] The Bresl. Edit. adds that the seal-ring was of stamped stone
+and iron, copper and lead. I have borrowed copiously from its vol. vi.
+pp. 343, et seq.
+
+[FN#106] As this was a well-known pre-Islamitic bard, his appearance
+here is decidedly anachronistic, probably by intention.
+
+[FN#107] The first Moslem conqueror of Spain whose lieutenant,
+Tárik, the gallant and unfortunate, named Gibraltar (Jabal al-
+Tarik).
+
+
+[FN#108] The colours of the Banú Umayyah (Ommiade) Caliphs were white,
+of the Banú Abbás (Abbasides) black, and of the Fatimites green.
+Carrying the royal flag denoted the generalissimo or plenipotentiary.
+
+[FN#109] i.e. Old Cairo, or Fustat: the present Cairo was then a Coptic
+village founded on an old Egyptian settlement called Lui- Tkeshroma, to
+which belonged the tanks on the hill and the great well, Bir Yusuf,
+absurdly attributed to Joseph the Patriarch. Lui is evidently the
+origin of Levi and means a high priest (Brugsh ii. 130) and his son's
+name was Roma.
+
+[FN#110] I cannot but suspect that this is a clerical error for
+"Al-Samanhúdi," a native of Samanhúd (Wilkinson's "Semenood") in the
+Delta on the Damietta branch, the old Sebennytus (in Coptic
+Jem-nuti=Jem the God), a town which has produced many distinguished men
+in Moslem times. But there is also a Samhúd lying a few miles down
+stream from Denderah and, as its mounds prove, it is an ancient site.
+
+[FN#111] Egypt had not then been conquered from the Christians.
+
+[FN#112] Arab. "Kízán fukká'a," i.e. thin and slightly porous
+earthenware jars used for Fukká'a, a fermented drink, made of barley or
+raisins.
+
+[FN#113] I retain this venerable blunder: the right form is
+Samúm, from Samm, the poison-wind.
+
+
+[FN#114] i.e. for worship and to prepare for futurity.
+
+[FN#115] The camel carries the Badawi's corpse to the cemetery which is
+often distant: hence to dream of a camel is an omen of death.
+
+[FN#116] Koran xxiv 39. The word "Saráb" (mirage) is found in Isaiah
+(xxxv. 7) where the passage should be rendered "And the mirage (sharab)
+shall become a lake" (not, "and the parched ground shall become a
+pool"). The Hindus prettily call it "Mrigatrishná" = the thirst of the
+deer.
+
+[FN#117] A name of Allah.
+
+[FN#118] Arab. "Kintár"=a hundredweight (i.e. 100 Ibs.), about 98 3/4
+Ibs. avoir. Hence the French quintal and its congeners (Littré).
+
+[FN#119] i.e. "from Shám (Syria) to (the land of) Adnan," ancestor of
+the Naturalized Arabs that is, to Arabia.
+
+[FN#120] Koran lii. 21. "Every man is given in pledge for that which he
+shall have wrought."
+
+[FN#121] There is a constant clerical confusion in the texts between
+"Arar" (Juniperus Oxycedrus used by the Breeks for the images of their
+gods) and "Marmar" marble or alabaster, in the Talmud "Marmora" =
+marble. evidently from {Greek letters} = brilliant, the brilliant
+stone.
+
+[FN#122] These Ifritical names are chosed for their bizarrerie.
+"Al-Dáhish" = the Amazed; and "Al-A'amash" = one with weak eyes always
+watering.
+
+[FN#123] The Arabs have no word for million; so Messer Marco Miglione
+could not have learned it from them. On the other hand the Hindus have
+more quadrillions than modern Europe.
+
+[FN#124] This formula, according to Moslems, would begin with the
+beginning "There is no iláh but Allah and Adam is the Apostle (rasúl =
+one sent, a messenger, not nabí = prophet) of Allah." And so on with
+Noah, Moses, David (not Solomon as a rule) and Jesus, to Mohammed.
+
+[FN#125] This son of Barachia has been noticed before. The text
+embroiders the Koranic chapter No. xxvii.
+
+[FN#126] The Bresl. Edit. (vi. 371) reads "Samm-hu"=his poison, prob. a
+clerical error for "Sahmhu"=his shaft. It was a duel with the "Shiháb"
+or falling stars, the meteors which are popularly supposed, I have
+said, to be the arrows shot by the angels against devils and evil
+spirits when they approach too near Heaven in order to overhear divine
+secrets.
+
+[FN#127] A fancy sea from the Lat. "Carcer" ( ?).
+
+[FN#128] Andalusian = Spanish, the Vandal-land, a term accepted by the
+Moslem invader.
+
+[FN#129] This fine description will remind the traveller of the old
+Haurani towns deserted since the sixth century, which a silly writer
+miscalled the "Giant Cities of Bashan." I have never seen anything
+weirder than a moonlight night in one of these strong places whose
+masonry is perfect as when first built, the snowy light pouring on the
+jet-black basalt and the breeze sighing and the jackal wailing in the
+desert around.
+
+[FN#130] "Zanj," I have said, is the Arab. form of the Persian
+"Zang-bar" (=Black-land), our Zanzibar. Those who would know more of
+the etymology will consult my "Zanzibar," etc., chaps. i.
+
+[FN#131] Arab. "Tanjah"=Strabo {Greek letters} (derivation uncertain),
+Tingitania, Tangiers. But why the terminal s ?
+
+[FN#132] Or Amidah, by the Turks called "Kara (black) Amid" from the
+colour of the stones and the Arabs "Diyar-bakr" (Diarbekir), a name
+which they also give to the whole province—Mesopotamia.
+
+[FN#133] Mayyáfárikín, an episcopal city in Diyar-bakr: the natives are
+called Fárikí; hence the abbreviation in the text.
+
+[FN#134] Arab. "Ayát al-Naját," certain Koranic verses which act as
+talismans, such as, "And wherefore should we not put our trust in Allah
+?" (xiv. 15); "Say thou, Naught shall befall us save what Allah hath
+decreed for us,' " (ix. 51), and sundry others.
+
+[FN#135] These were the "Brides of the Treasure," alluded to in the
+story of Hasan of Bassorah and elsewhere.
+
+[FN#136] Arab. "Ishárah," which may also mean beckoning. Easterns
+reverse our process: we wave hand or finger towards ourselves; they
+towards the object; and our fashion represents to them, Go away!
+
+[FN#137] i.e. musing a long time and a longsome.
+
+[FN#138] Arab. "Dihlíz" from the Persian. This is the long dark passage
+which leads to the inner or main gate of an Eastern city, and which is
+built up before a siege. It is usually furnished with Mastabah-benches
+of wood and masonry, and forms a favourite lounge in hot weather. Hence
+Lot and Moses sat and stood in the gate, and here man speaks with his
+enemies.
+
+[FN#139] The names of colours are as loosely used by the Arabs as by
+the Classics of Europe; for instance, a light grey is called a "blue or
+a green horse." Much nonsense has been written upon the colours in
+Homer by men who imagine that the semi-civilised determine tints as we
+do. They see them but they do not name them, having no occasion for the
+words. As I have noticed, however, the Arabs have a complete
+terminology for the varieties of horse-hues. In our day we have
+witnessed the birth of colours, named by the dozen, because required by
+women's dress.
+
+[FN#140] For David's miracles of metallurgy see vol. i. 286.
+
+[FN#141] Arab. "Khwárazm," the land of the Chorasmioi, who are
+mentioned by Herodotus (iii. 93) and a host of classical geographers.
+They place it in Sogdiana (hod. Sughd) and it corresponds with the
+Khiva country.
+
+[FN#142] Arab. "Burka'," usually applied to a woman's face-veil and
+hence to the covering of the Ka'abah, which is the "Bride of Meccah."
+
+[FN#143] Alluding to the trick played upon Bilkís by Solomon who had
+heard that her legs were hairy like those of an ass: he laid down a
+pavement of glass over flowing water in which fish were swimming and
+thus she raised her skirts as she approached him and he saw that the
+report was true. Hence, as I have said, the depilatory.
+
+[FN#144] I understand the curiously carved windows cut in
+arabesque-work of marble. (India) or basalt (the Haurán) and provided
+with small panes of glass set in emeralds where tin would be used by
+the vulgar.
+
+[FN#145] Arab. "Bulád" from the Pers. "Pulád." Hence the name of the
+famous Druze family "Jumblat," a corruption of "Ján- pulád"=Life o'
+Steel.
+
+[FN#146] Pharaoh, so called in Koran (xxxviii. 11) because he tortured
+men by fastening them to four stakes driven into the ground. Sale
+translates "the contriver of the stakes" and adds, "Some understand the
+word figuratively, of the firm establishment of Pharaoh's kingdom,
+because the Arabs fix their tents with stakes; but they may possibly
+intend that prince's obstinacy and hardness of heart." I may note that
+in "Tasawwuf," or Moslem Gnosticism, Pharaoh represents, like
+Prometheus and Job, the typical creature who upholds his own dignity
+and rights in presence and despight of the Creator. Sáhib the Súfí
+declares that the secret of man's soul (i.e. its emanation) was first
+revealed when Pharaoh declared himself god; and Al-Ghazálí sees in his
+claim the most noble aspiration to the divine, innate in the human
+spirit. (Dabistan, vol. iii.)
+
+[FN#147] In the Calc. Edit. "Tarmuz, son of the daughter," etc.
+According to the Arabs Tadmur (Palmyra) was built by Queen
+Tadmurah, daughter of Hassán bin Uzaynah.
+
+
+[FN#148] It is only by some such drought that I can account for the
+survival of those marvellous Haurani cities in the great valley S. E.
+of Damascus.
+
+[FN#149] So Moses described his own death and burial.
+
+[FN#150] A man's "aurat" (shame) extends from the navel (included) to
+his knees, a woman's from the top of the head to the tips of her toes.
+I have before noticed the Hindostaní application of the word.
+
+[FN#151] Arab. "Jum'ah" ( = the assembly) so called because the General
+Resurrection will take place on that day and it witnessed the creation
+of Adam. Both these reasons are evidently after- thoughts; as the Jews
+received a divine order to keep Saturday, and the Christians, at their
+own sweet will, transferred the weekly rest-day to Sunday, wherefore
+the Moslem preferred Friday. Sabbatarianism, however, is unknown to
+Al-Islam and business is interrupted, by Koranic order ([xii. 9-10),
+only during congregational prayers in the Mosque. The most a Mohammedan
+does is not to work or travel till after public service. But the Moslem
+hardly wants a "day of rest;" whereas a Christian, especially in the
+desperately dull routine of daily life and toil, without a gleam of
+light to break the darkness of his civilised and most unhappy
+existence, disctinctly requires it.
+
+[FN#152] Mankind, which sees itself everywhere and in everything, must
+create its own analogues in all the elements, air (Sylphs), fire
+(Jinns), water (Mermen and Mermaids) and earth (Kobolds), These
+merwomen were of course seals or manatees, as the wild women of Hanno
+were gorillas.
+
+[FN#153] Here begins the Sindibad-namah, the origin of Dolopathos
+(thirteenth century by the Trouvčre Harbers); of the "Seven Sages"
+(John Holland in 1575); the "Seven Wise Masters" and a host of minor
+romances. The Persian Sindibád-Námah assumed its present shape in A.D.
+1375: Professor Falconer printed an abstract of it in the Orient.
+Journ. (xxxv. and xxxvi. 1841), and Mr. W. A. Clouston reissued the
+"Book of Sindibad," with useful notes in 1884. An abstract of the
+Persian work is found in all edits. of The Nights; but they differ
+greatly, especially that in the Bresl. Edit. xii. pp. 237-377, from
+which I borrow the introduction. According to Hamzah Isfahání (ch.
+xli.) the Reguli who succeeded to Alexander the Great and preceded
+Sapor caused some seventy books to be composed, amongst which were the
+Liber Maruc, Liber Barsínas, Liber Sindibad, Liber Shimás, etc., etc.
+
+[FN#154] Eusebius De Praep. Evang. iii. 4, quotes Prophesy concerning
+the Egyptian belief in the Lords of the Ascendant whose names are given
+{Greek letters}: in these "Almenichiaka" we have the first almanac, as
+the first newspaper in the Roman "Acta Diurna."
+
+[FN#155] "Al-Mas'údi," the "Herodotus of the Arabs," thus notices
+Sindibad the Sage (in his Murúj, etc., written about A.D. 934). "During
+the reign of Kurúsh (Cyrus) lived Al-Sindibad who wrote the Seven
+Wazirs, etc." Al-Ya'akúbi had also named him, circ. A.D. 880. For notes
+on the name Sindibad, see Sindbad the Seaman, Night dxxxvi. I need not
+enter into the history of the "Seven Sages," a book evidently older
+than The Nights in present form; but refer the reader to Mr. Clouston,
+of whom more in a future page.
+
+[FN#156] Evidently borrowed from the Christians, although the latter
+borrowed from writers of the most remote antiquity. Yet the saying is
+the basis of all morality and in few words contains the highest human
+wisdom.
+
+[FN#157] It is curious to compare the dry and business-like tone of the
+Arab style with the rhetorical luxuriance of the Persian: p.10 of Mr.
+Clouston's "Book of Sindibad."
+
+[FN#158] In the text "Isfídáj," the Pers. Isped (or Saféd) áb,
+lit. = white water, ceruse used for women's faces suggesting our
+"Age of Bismuth," Blanc Rosati, Cręme de l'Impératrice, Perline,
+Opaline, Milk of Beauty, etc., etc.
+
+
+[FN#159] Commentators compare this incident with the biblical story of
+Joseph and Potiphar's wife and with the old Egyptian romance and fairy
+tale of the brothers Anapon and Saton dating from the fourteenth
+century, the days of Pharaoh Ramses Miamun (who built Pi-tum and
+Ramses) at whose court Moses or Osarsiph is supposed to have been
+reared (Cambridge Essays 1858). The incident would often occur, e.g.
+Phćdra-cum-Hippolytus; Fausta-cum-Crispus and Lucinian; Asoka's wife
+and Kunála, etc., etc. Such things happen in every-day life, and the
+situation has recommended itself to the folk lore of all peoples.
+
+[FN#160] Another version of this tale is given in the Bresl. Edit.
+(vol. viii. pp. 273-8: Night 675-6). It is the "Story of the King and
+the Virtuous Wife" in the Book of Sindibad. In the versions Arabic and
+Greek (Syntipas) the King forgets his ring; in the Hebrew Mishlé
+Sandabar, his staff, and his sandals in the old Spanish Libro de los
+Engannos et los Asayamientos de las Mugeres.
+
+[FN#161] One might fancy that this is Biblical, Bathsheba and Uriah.
+But such "villanies" must often have occurred in the East, at different
+times and places, without requiring direct derivation. The learned
+Prof. H. H. Wilson was mistaken in supposing that these fictions
+"originate in the feeling which has always pervaded the East
+unfavourable to the dignity of women." They belong to a certain stage
+of civilisation when the sexes are at war with each other; and they
+characterise chivalrous Europe as well as misogynous Asia; witness
+Jankins, clerk of Oxenforde; while Ćsop's fable of the Lion and the Man
+also explains their frequency.
+
+[FN#162] The European form of the tale is "Toujours perdrix," a
+sentence often quoted but seldom understood. It is the reproach of M.
+l'Abbé when the Count (proprietor of the pretty Countess) made him eat
+partridge every day for a month; on which the Abbé says, "Alway
+partridge is too much of a good thing!" Upon this text the Count
+speaks. A correspondent mentions that it was told by Horace Walpole
+concerning the Confessor of a French King who reproved him for conjugal
+infidelities. The degraded French (for "toujours de la perdrix" or "des
+perdrix") suggests a foreign origin. Another friend refers me to No. x.
+of the "Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles" (compiled in A.D. 1432 for the
+amusement of the Dauphin, afterwards Louis XI.) whose chief personage
+"un grand seigneur du Royaulme d'Angleterre," is lectured upon fidelity
+by the lord's mignon, a "jeune et gracieux gentil homme de son hostel."
+Here the partridge became pastés d'anguille. Possibly Scott refers to
+it in Redgauntlet (chapt. iv.); "One must be very fond of partridge to
+accept it when thrown in one's face." Did not Voltaire complain at
+Potsdam of "toujours perdrix" and make it one of his grievances? A
+similar story is that of the chaplain who, weary of the same diet,
+uttered "grace" as follows:—
+
+          Rabbits hot, rabbits cold,
+             Rabbits tender, and rabbits tough,
+          Rabbits young, and rabbits old
+             I thank the Lord I've had enough.
+
+
+And I as cordially thank my kind correspondents.
+
+[FN#163] The great legal authority of the realm.
+
+[FN#164] In all editions the Wazir here tells the Tale of the
+Merchant's Wife and the Parrot which, following Lane, I have
+transferred to vol. i. p. 52. But not to break the tradition I here
+introduce the Persian version of the story from the "Book of Sindibad."
+In addition to the details given in the note to vol. i., 52 {Vol1,
+FN#90}; I may quote the two talking-birds left to watch over his young
+wife by Rajah Rasálú (son of Shaliváhana the great Indian monarch circ.
+A.D. 81), who is to the Punjab what Rustam is to Persia and Antar to
+Arabia. In the "Seven Wise Masters" the parrot becomes a magpie and Mr.
+Clouston, in some clever papers on "Popular Tales and Fictions"
+contributed to the Glasgow Evening Times (1884), compares it with the
+history, in the Gesta Romanorum, of the Adulteress, the Abigail, and
+the Three Cocks, two of which crowed during the congress of the lady
+and her lover. All these evidently belong to the Sindibad cycle.
+
+[FN#165] In the days of the Caliph Al-Mustakfí bi llah (A.H. 333=944)
+the youth of Baghdad studied swimming and it is said that they could
+swim holding chafing-dishes upon which were cooking-pots and keep
+afloat till the meat was dressed. The story is that of "The Washerman
+and his Son who were drowned in the Nile," of the Book of Sindibad.
+
+[FN#166] Her going to the bath suggested that she was fresh from
+coition..
+
+[FN#167] Taken from the life of the Egyptian Mameluke Sultan (No. viii,
+regn. A.H, 825= A.D. 1421) who would not suffer his subjects to
+prostrate themselves or kiss the ground before him. See D'Herbelot for
+details.
+
+[FN#168] This nauseous Joe Miller has often been told in the hospitals
+of London and Paris. It is as old as the Hitopadesa.
+
+[FN#169] Koran iv. 81, "All is from Allah;" but the evil which befals
+mankind, though ordered by Allah, is yet the consequence of their own
+wickedness (I add, which wickedness was created by Allah).
+
+[FN#170] The Bresl. Edit. (xii. 266) says "bathing."
+
+[FN#171] This tale is much like that told in the Fifth Night (vol. i.
+54). It is the story of the Prince and the Lamia in the Book of
+Sindibad wherein it is given with Persian rhetoric and diffuseness.
+
+[FN#172] Arab. "Wa'ar"= rocky, hilly, tree-less ground unfit for
+riding. I have noted that the three Heb. words "Year" (e.g.
+Kiryath-Yearin=City of forest), "Choresh" (now Hirsh, a scrub), and
+"Pardes" ({Greek letters} a chase, a hunting-park opposed to {Greek
+letters}, an orchard) are preserved in Arabic and are intelligible in
+Palestine. (Unexplored Syria, i. 207.)
+
+[FN#173] The privy and the bath are favourite haunts of the
+Jinns.
+
+
+[FN#174] Arab history is full of petty wars caused by trifles. In Egypt
+the clans Sa'ad and Harám and in Syria the Kays and Yaman (which remain
+to the present day) were as pugnacious as Highland Caterans. The tale
+bears some likeness to the accumulative nursery rhymes in "The House
+that Jack Built," and "The Old Woman and the Crooked Sixpence;" which
+find their indirect original in an allegorical Talmudic hymn.
+
+[FN#175] This is "The Story of the Old Man who sent his Young Wife to
+the Market to buy Rice," told with Persian reflections in the "Book of
+Sindibad."
+
+[FN#176] Koran xii. 28. The words were spoken by Potiphar to
+Joseph.
+
+
+[FN#177] Koran iv. 78. A mis-quotation, the words are, "Fight therefore
+against the friends of Satan, for the craft of Satan shall be weak."
+
+[FN#178] i.e. Koranic versets.
+
+[FN#179] In the Book of Sindibad this is the "Story of the Prince who
+went out to hunt and the stratagem which the Wazir practised on him."
+
+[FN#180] I have noted that it is a dire affront to an Arab if his first
+cousin marry any save himself without his formal leave.
+
+[FN#181] i.e. the flowery, the splendid; an epithet of Fatimah, the
+daughter of the Apostle "the bright blooming." Fátimah is an old Arab
+name of good omen, "the weaner:" in Egypt it becomes Fattúmah (an
+incrementative= "great weaner"); and so Amínah, Khadíjah and Nafísah on
+the banks of the Nile are barbarised to Ammúnah, Khaddúgah and
+Naffúsah.
+
+[FN#182] i.e. his coming misfortune, the phrase being euphemistic.
+
+[FN#183] Arab. "Ráy:" in theology it means "private judgment" and
+"Ráyí" (act. partic.) is a Rationalist. The Hanafí School is called
+"Asháb al-Ráy" because it allows more liberty of thought than the other
+three orthodox.
+
+[FN#184] The angels in Al-Islam ride piebalds.
+
+[FN#185] In the Bresl. Edit. "Zájir" (xii. 286).
+
+[FN#186] This is the "King's Son and the Merchant's Wife" of the
+Hitopadesa (chapt. i.) transferred to all the Prakrit versions of
+India. It is the Story of the Bath-keeper who conducted his Wife
+to the Son of the King of Kanuj in the Book of Sindibad.
+
+
+[FN#187] The pious Caliph Al-Muktadi bi Amri llah (A.H. 467=A.D. 1075)
+was obliged to forbid men entering the baths of Baghdad without
+drawers.
+
+[FN#188] This peculiarity is not uncommon amongst the so-called Aryan
+and Semitic races, while to the African it is all but unknown. Women
+highly prize a conformation which (as the prostitute described it) is
+always "either in his belly or in mine."
+
+[FN#189] Easterns, I have said, are perfectly aware of the fact that
+women corrupt women much more than men do. The tale is the "Story of
+the Libertine Husband" in the Book of Sindibad; blended with the "Story
+of the Go-between and the Bitch" in the Book of Sindibad. It is related
+in the "Disciplina Clericalis" of Alphonsus (A.D. 1106); the fabliau of
+La vieille qui seduisit la jeune fille; the Gesta Romanorum (thirteenth
+century) and the "Cunning Siddhikari" in the Kathá-Sarit-Ságara.
+
+[FN#190] The Kashmir people, men and women, have a very bad name in
+Eastern tales, the former for treachery and the latter for unchastity.
+A Persian distich says:
+
+  If folk be scarce as food in dearth ne'er let three lots come
+near ye:
+  First Sindi, second Jat, and third a rascally Kashmeeree.
+
+
+The women have fair skins and handsome features but, like all living in
+that zone, Persians, Sindis, Afghans, etc., their bosoms fall after the
+first child and become like udders. This is not the case with Hindú
+women, Rajpúts, Maráthís, etc.
+
+[FN#191] By these words she appealed to his honour.
+
+[FN#192] These vehicles suggest derivation from European witchery. In
+the Bresl. Edit. (xii. 304) one of the women rides a "Miknasah" or
+broom.
+
+[FN#193] i.e. a recluse who avoids society.
+
+[FN#194] "Consecrated ground" is happily unknown to Moslems.
+
+[FN#195] This incident occurs in the "Third Kalandar's Tale." See vol.
+i. 157 {Vol 1, FN#290}; and note to p. 145. {Vol 1, FN#264}
+
+[FN#196] The Mac. Edit. has "Nahr"= river.
+
+[FN#197] i.e. marked with the Wasm or tribal sign to show their blood.
+The subject of Wasm is extensive and highly interesting, for many of
+these brands date doubtless from prehistoric ages. For instance, some
+of the great Anazah nation (not tribe) use a circlet, the initial of
+their name (an Ayn-letter), which thus shows the eye from which it was
+formed. I have given some specimens of Wasm in The Land of Midian (i.
+320) where, as amongst the "Sinaitic" Badawin, various kinds of crosses
+are preserved long after the death and burial of Christianity.
+
+[FN#198] i.e. from the heights. The "Sayl" is a dangerous feature in
+Arabia as in Southern India, where many officers have lost their lives
+by trying to swim it.
+
+[FN#199] Arab. "'Ujb" I use arrogance in the Spanish sense of
+"arrogante," gay and gallant.
+
+[FN#200] In this rechauffé Paul Pry escapes without losing an eye.
+
+[FN#201] Eastern tale-tellers always harp upon this theme, the cunning
+precautions taken by mankind and their utter confusion by "Fate and
+Fortune." In such matters the West remarks, "Ce que femme veut, Dieu
+veut."
+
+[FN#202] As favourite an occupation in Oriental lands as in Southern
+Europe and the Brazil, where the Quinta or country villa must be built
+by the road-side to please the mistress.
+
+[FN#203] The ink-case would contain the pens; hence called in India
+Kalamdán=reed (pen) box. I have advised travellers to prefer the strong
+Egyptian article of brass to the Persian, which is of wood or
+papier-mâché, prettily varnished, but not to wear it in the waist-belt,
+as this is a sign of being a scribe. (Pilgrimage i. 353.)
+
+[FN#204] The vulgar Eastern idea is that women are quite knowing enough
+without learning to read and write; and at all events they should not
+be taught anything beyond reading the Koran, or some clearly-written
+book. The contrast with modern Europe is great; greater still in
+Anglo-America of our day, and greatest with the new sects which propose
+"biunes" and "bisexuals" and "women robed with the sun."
+
+[FN#205] In the Bresl. Edit. the Prince ties a key to a second arrow
+and shoots it into the pavilion.
+
+[FN#206] The "box-trick" has often been played with success, by Lord
+Byron amongst a host of others. The readiness with which the Wazir
+enters into the scheme is characteristic of oriental servility: an
+honest Moslem should at least put in a remonstrance.
+
+[FN#207] This story appears familiar, but I have not found it easy to
+trace. In "The Book of Sindibad" (p. 83) it is apparently represented
+by a lacuna. In the Squire's Tale of Chaucer Canace's ring enables the
+wearer to understand bird-language, not merely to pretend as does the
+slave-boy in the text.
+
+[FN#208] The crow is an ill-omened bird in Al-lslam and in Eastern
+Christendom. "The crow of cursed life and foul odour," says the Book of
+Kalilah and Dimna (p. 44). The Hindus are its only protectors, and in
+this matter they follow suit with the Guebres. I may note that the word
+belongs to the days before "Aryan" and "Semitic" speech had parted; we
+find it in Heb. Oreb; Arab. Ghurab; Lat. Corvus; Engl. Crow, etc.
+
+[FN#209] Again in the Hibernian sense of being "kilt."
+
+[FN#210] Quoted in Night dlxxxii.; said by Kitfír or Itfír (Potiphar)
+when his wife (Ráil or Zulaykha) charged Joseph with attempting her
+chastity and he saw that the youth's garment was whole in front and
+rent in rear. (Koran, chapt. xii.)
+
+[FN#211] This witty tale, ending somewhat grossly here, has
+over-wandered the world. First we find it in the Kathá (S. S.) where
+Upakoshá, the merry wife of Vararuchi, disrobes her suitors, a family
+priest, a commander of the guard and the prince's tutor, under plea of
+the bath and stows them away in baskets which suggest Falstaff's
+"buck-basket." In Miss Stokes' "Indian Fairy Tales" the fair wife of an
+absent merchant plays a similar notable prank upon the Kotwal, the
+Wazir, the Kazi and the King; and akin to this is the exploit of Temal
+Rámákistnan, the Madrasi Tyl Eulenspiegel and Scogin who by means of a
+lady saves his life from the Rajah and the High Priest. Mr. G. H.
+Damant (pp. 357-360 of the "Indian Antiquary" of 1873) relates the
+"Tale of the Touchstone," a legend of Dinahpur, wherein a woman "sells"
+her four admirers. In the Persian Tales ascribed to the Dervish
+"Mokles" (Mukhlis) of Isfahan, the lady Aruyá tricks and exposes a
+Kazi, a doctor and a governor. Boccaccio (viii. 1) has the story of a
+lady who shut up her gallant in a chest with her husband's sanction;
+and a similar tale (ix. 1) of Rinuccio and Alexander with the corpse of
+Scannadeo (Throkh-god). Hence a Lydgate (circ. A.D. 1430) derived the
+plot of his metrical tale of "The Lady Prioress and her Three Sisters";
+which was modified in the Netherlandish version by the introduction of
+the Long Wapper, a Flemish Robin Goodfellow. Followed in English the
+metrical tale of "The Wright's Chaste Wife," by Adam of Cobham (edited
+by Mr. Furnivall from a MS. of circ. A.D. 1460) where the victims are a
+lord, a steward and a proctor. See also "The Master-Maid" in Dr. (now
+Sir George) Dasent's "Popular Tales from the Norse," Mr. Clouston, who
+gives these details more fully, mentions a similar Scottish story
+concerning a lascivious monk and the chaste wife of a miller.
+
+[FN#212]When Easterns sit down to a drinking bout, which means to get
+drunk as speedily and pleasantly as possible, they put off dresses of
+dull colours and robe themselves in clothes supplied by the host, of
+the brightest he may have, especially yellow, green and red of
+different shades. So the lady's proceeding was not likely to breed
+suspicion: al- though her tastes were somewhat fantastic and like Miss
+Julia's—peculiar.
+
+[FN#213] Arab. "Najásah," meaning anything unclean which requires
+ablution before prayer. Unfortunately mucus is not of the number, so
+the common Moslem is very offensive in the matter of nose.
+
+[FN#214] Here the word "la'an" is used which most Moslems express by
+some euphemism. The vulgar Egyptian says "Na'al" (Sapré and Sapristi
+for Sacré and Sacristie), the Hindostani express it "I send him the
+three letters"—lám, ayn and nún.
+
+[FN#215] The Mac. Edit. is here very concise; better the Bresi. Edit.
+(xii. 326). Here we have the Eastern form of the Three Wishes which
+dates from the earliest ages and which amongst us has been degraded to
+a matter of "black pudding." It is the grossest and most brutal satire
+on the sex, suggesting that a woman would prefer an additional inch of
+penis to anything this world or the next can offer her. In the Book of
+Sindibad it is the story of the Peri and Religious Man; his learning
+the Great Name; and his consulting with his wife. See also La
+Fontaine's "Trois Souhaits," Prior's "Ladle," and "Les quatre Souhaits
+de Saint-Martin."
+
+[FN#216] Arab. "Laylat al-Kadr"= Night of Power or of Divine Decrees.
+It is "better than a thousand months" (Koran xcvii. 3), but unhappily
+the exact time is not known although all agree that it is one of the
+last ten in Ramazan. The latter when named by Kiláb ibn Murrah,
+ancestor of Mohammed, about two centuries before Al-lslam, corresponded
+with July-August and took its name from "Ramzá" or intense heat. But
+the Prophet, in the tenth Hijrah year, most unwisely forbade "Nasy"=
+triennial intercalation (Koran ix. 36) and thus the lunar month went
+round all the seasons. On the Night of Power the Koran was sent down
+from the Preserved Tablet by Allah's throne, to the first or lunar
+Heaven whence Gabriel brought it for opportunest revelation to the
+Apostle (Koran xcvii.). Also during this night all Divine Decrees for
+the ensuing year are taken from the Tablet and are given to the angels
+for execution whilst, the gates of Heaven being open, prayer (as in the
+text) is sure of success. This mass of absurdity has engendered a host
+of superstitions everywhere varying. Lane (Mod. Egypt, chapt. xxv.)
+describes how some of the Faithful keep tasting a cup of salt water
+which should become sweet in the Night of Nights. In (Moslem) India not
+only the sea becomes sweet, but all the vegetable creation bows down
+before Allah. The exact time is known only to Prophets; but the pious
+sit through the Night of Ramazan 27th (our 26th) praying and burning
+incense-pastilles. In Stambul this is officially held to be the Night
+of Power. So in medićval Europe on Christmas Eve the cattle worshipped
+God in their stalls and I have met peasants in France and Italy who
+firmly believed that brute beasts on that night not only speak but
+predict the events of the coming year.
+
+[FN#217] Hence the misfortune befel her; the pious especially avoid
+temporal palaces.
+
+[FN#218] This is our tale of "The Maid and the Magpie;" the Mac. Edit.
+does not specify the "Tayr" (any bird) but the Bresl. Edit. has Ak'ak,
+a pie. The true Magpie (C. Pica) called Buzarái (?) and Zaghzaghán Abú
+Mássah (=the Sweeper, from its tail) is found on the Libanus and
+Anti-Libanus (Unexplored Syria ii. 77-143), but I never saw it in other
+parts of Syria or in Arabia. It is completely ignored by the Reverend
+Mr. Tristram in his painfully superficial book "The Natural History of
+the Bible," published by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge
+(or rather Ignorance), London, 1873.
+
+[FN#219] This is "The Story of the Two Partridges," told at great
+length in the Book of Sindibad. See De Sacy's text in the Kalilah wa
+Damnah, quoted in the "Book of Kalilah and Damnah" (p. 306).
+
+[FN#220] This extremely wilful young person had rendered rape
+excusable. The same treat- ment is much called for by certain heroines
+of modern fiction—let me mention Princess Napraxine.
+
+[FN#221] The Story of the Hidden Robe, in the Book of Sindibad; where
+it is told with all manner of Persian embellishments.
+
+[FN#222] Now turned into Government offices for local administration; a
+"Tribunal of Commerce," etc.
+
+[FN#223] Arab. "Bawwáb," a personage as important as the old French
+concierge and a man of trust who has charge of the keys and with
+letting vacant rooms. In Egypt the Berber from the Upper Nile is the
+favourite suisse; being held more honest or rather less rascally than
+the usual Egyptian. These Berbers, however, are true barbarians,
+overfond of Búzah (the beer of Osiris) and not unfrequently dangerous.
+They are supposed by Moslems to descend from the old Syrians expelled
+by Joshua. For the favourite chaff against them, eating the dog (not
+the puppy-pie), see Pilgrimage i. 93. They are the "paddies', of Egypt
+to whom all kinds of bulls and blunders are attributed.
+
+[FN#224] Arab. "Juma'ah," which means either Friday or a week. In
+pre-Moslem times it was called Al-Arúbah (the other week-days being
+Shiyár or Saturday, Bawal, Bahan Jabar, Dabar and Fámunís or Thursday).
+Juma'ah, literally = "Meeting" or Congregation (-day), was made to
+represent the Jewish Sabbath and the Christian Sunday because on that
+day Allah ended the work of creation; it was also the date of
+Mohammed's entering Al-Medinah. According to Al-Bayzáwí, it was called
+Assembly day because Ka'ab ibn Lowa, one of the Prophet's ancestors,
+used to gather the people before him on Fridays. Moslems are not
+forbidden to do secular work after the congregational prayers at the
+hour when they must "hasten to the commemoration of Allah and leave
+merchandising." (Koran, chaps. Ixii. 9.)
+
+[FN#225] This is done only by the very pious: if they see a bit of
+bread they kiss it, place it upon their heads and deposit it upon a
+wall or some place where it will not be trodden on. She also removed
+the stones lest haply they prove stumbling-blocks to some Moslem foot.
+
+[FN#226] Arab. "Ashjár," which may mean either the door-posts or the
+wooden bolts. Lane (iii. 174) translates it "among the trees" in a
+room!
+
+[FN#227] Koran (ix. 51), when Mohammed reproaches the unbelievers for
+not accompanying him to victory or martyrdom.
+
+[FN#228] Arab. "Kiná," a true veil, not the "Burká " or "nose bag" with
+the peep-holes. It is opposed to the "Tarkah" or "head veil." Europeans
+inveigh against the veil which represents the loup of Louis Quatorze's
+day: it is on the contrary the most coquettish of contrivances, hiding
+coarse skins, fleshy noses, wide mouths and vanishing chins, and
+showing only lustrous and liquid black eyes. Moreover a pretty woman,
+when she wishes, will always let you see something under the veil.
+(Pilgrimage i. 337.)
+
+[FN#229] A yellow-flowered artemisia or absinthe whose wood burns like
+holm-oak. (Unexplored Syria ii. 43.) See vol. ii. 24 for further
+details.
+
+[FN#230] The Farz or obligatory prayers, I have noted, must be recited
+(if necessary) in the most impure place; not so the other orisons.
+Hence the use of the "Sajjádah" or prayer-rug an article too well known
+to require description.
+
+[FN#231] Anglicč a stomach-ache, a colic.
+
+[FN#232] Arab. "Al-Háfizah" which has two meanings. Properly it
+signifies the third order of Traditionists out of a total of five or
+those who know 300,000 traditions and their ascriptions. Popularly "one
+who can recite the Koran by rote." There are six great Traditionists
+whose words are held to be prime authorities; (1) Al-Bokhári, (2)
+Muslim, and these are entitled Al-Sahíhayn, The (two true) authorities.
+After them (3) Al-Tirmidi; and (4) Abu Daúd: these four being the
+authors of the "Four Sunan," the others are (5) Al- Nasái and (6) Ibn
+Májah (see Jarrett's Al-Siyuti pp. 2, 6; and, for modern Arab studies,
+Pilgrimage i. 154 et seq.).
+
+[FN#233] Lane (iii. 176) marries the amorous couple, thus making the
+story highly proper and robbing it of all its point.
+
+[FN#234] Arab. "Sabbahat," i.e. Sabbah-ak' Allah bi'l khayr =
+Allah give thee good morning: still the popular phrase.
+
+
+[FN#235] Arab. "Ta'rísak," with the implied hint of her being a
+"Mu'arrisah" or she pander. The Bresl. Edit. (xii. 356) bluntly says
+"Kivádatak" thy pimping.
+
+[FN#236] Arab. "Rafw": the "Rafu-gar" or fine-drawer in India, who does
+this artistic style of darning, is famed for skill.
+
+[FN#237] The question sounds strange to Europeans, but in the Moslem
+East a man knows nothing, except by hearsay, of the women who visit his
+wife.
+
+[FN#238] Arab. "Ahl al-bayt," so as not rudely to say "wife."
+
+[FN#239] This is a mere abstract of the tale told in the Introduction
+(vol. i. 10-12). Here however, the rings are about eighty; there the
+number varies from ninety to five hundred and seventy.
+
+[FN#240] The father suspected the son of intriguing with one of his own
+women.
+
+[FN#241] Arab. and Heb. "Laban" (opp. to "laban-halíb," or simply
+"halíb" = fresh milk), milk artificially soured, the Dahin of India,
+the Kisainá of the Slavs and our Corstophine cream. But in The Nights,
+contrary to modern popular usage, "Laban" is also applied to Fresh
+milk. The soured form is universally in the East eaten with rice and
+enters into the Salátah or cucumber-salad. I have noted elsewhere that
+all the Galactophagi, the nomades who live on milk, use it in the
+soured never in the fresh form. The Badawi have curious prejudices
+about it: it is a disgrace to sell it (though not to exchange it), and
+"Labbán," or "milk-vendor," is an insult. The Bráhni and Beloch pomades
+have the same pundonor possibly learnt from the Arabs (Pilgrimage i.
+363). For Igt (Akit), Mahir, Saribah, Jamídah and other lacteal
+preparations, see ibid. i. 362.
+
+[FN#242] I need hardly say that the poison would have been utterly
+harmless, unless there had been an abrasion of the skin. The slave-
+girl is blamed for carrying the jar uncovered because thus it would
+attract the evil eye. In the Book of Sindibad the tale appears as the
+Story of the Poisoned Guest; and the bird is a stork.
+
+[FN#243] The Prince expresses the pure and still popular Moslem
+feeling; and yet the learned and experienced Mr Redhouse would confuse
+this absolute Predestination with Providence. A friend tells me that
+the idea of absolute Fate in The Nights makes her feel as if the world
+were a jail.
+
+[FN#244] In the Book of Sindibad this is the Story of the
+Sandal-wood Merchant and the Advice of the Blind Old Man. Mr.
+Clouston (p. 163) quotes a Talmudic joke which is akin to the
+Shaykh's advice and a reply of Tyl Eulenspiegel, the arch-rogue,
+which has also a family resemblance.
+
+
+[FN#245] Arab. "Sá'a," a measure of corn, etc., to be given in alms.
+The Kamus makes it = four mudds (each being 1/3 lbs.); the people
+understand by it four times the measure of a man's two open hands.
+
+[FN#246] i.e. till thou restore my eye to me. This style of prothesis
+without apodosis is very common in Arabic and should be preserved in
+translation, as it adds a naďveté to the style. We find it in Genesis
+iii. 2, "And now lest he put forth his hand," etc.
+
+[FN#247] They were playing at Muráhanah, like children amongst us. It
+is also called "Hukm wa Rizá" = order and consent. The penalty is
+usually something ridiculous, but here it was villainous.
+
+[FN#248] Every Moslem capital has a "Shaykh of the thieves" who holds a
+regular levées and who will return stolen articles for consideration;
+and this has lasted since the days of Diodorus Siculus (Pilgrimage i.
+91).
+
+[FN#249] This was not the condition; but I have left the text as it is
+characteristic of the writer's inconsequence.
+
+[FN#250] The idea would readily occur in Egypt where the pulex is still
+a plague although the Sultan is said to hold his court at Tiberias.
+"Male and female" says the rouge, otherwise it would be easy to fill a
+bushel with fleas. The insect was unknown to older India according to
+some and was introduced by strangers. This immigration is quite
+possible. In 1863 the jigger (P. penetrans) was not found in Western
+Africa; when I returned there in 1882 it had passed over from the
+Brazil and had become naturalised on the equatorial African seaboard.
+the Arabs call shrimps and prawns "sea-fleas" (bargúth al-bahr) showing
+an inland race. (See Pilgrimage i. 322.)
+
+[FN#251] Submission to the Sultan and the tidings of his well-being
+should content every Eastern subject. But, as Oriental history shows,
+the form of government is a Despotism tempered by assassination. And
+under no rule is man socially freer and his condition contrasts
+strangely with the grinding social tyranny which characterises every
+mode of democracy or constitutionalism, i.e. political equality.
+
+[FN#252] Here the text has "Markúb" = a shoe; elsewhere "Na'al" = a
+sandal, especially with wooden sole. In classical Arabia, however,
+"Na'al" may be a shoe, a horse-shoe (iron-plate, not rim like ours).
+The Bresl. Edit. has "Watá," any foot-gear.
+
+[FN#253] Water-melons (batáyikh) says the Mac. Edit. a misprint for
+Aruz or rice. Water-melons are served up raw cut into square mouthfuls,
+to be eaten with rice and meat. They serve excellently well to keep the
+palate clean and cool.
+
+[FN#254] The text recounts the whole story over again - more than
+European patience can bear.
+
+
+[FN#255] The usual formula when telling an improbable tale. But here it
+is hardly called for: the same story is told (on weak authority) of the
+Alewife, the Three Graziers and Attorney-General Nay (temp. James II.
+1577-1634) when five years old (Journ. Asiat. Soc. N.S. xxx. 280). The
+same feat had been credited to Thomas Egerton, Lord Chancellor in A.D.
+1540-1617 (Chalmers, Biographical Dictionary xxiii. 267-68). But the
+story had already found its way into the popular jest-books such as
+"Tales and Quick Answers, very Mery and Pleasant to Rede" (1530);
+"Jacke of Dover's Quest of Inquirie for the Foole of all Fooles" (1604)
+under the title "The Foole of Westchester", and in "Witty and
+Entertaining Exploits of George Buchanan, commonly called the King's
+Fool." The banker-bard Rogers (in Italy) was told a similar story
+concerning a widow of the Lambertini house (xivth centry). Thomas
+Wright (Introducition to the Seven Sages) says he had met the tale in
+Latin( xiiith-xivth centuries) and a variant in the "Nouveaux Contes ŕ
+rire (Amsterdam 1737), under the title "Jugement Subtil du Duc d'Ossone
+contre Deux Marchands." Its origin is evidently the old Sindibád-namah
+translated from Syriac into Greek ("Syntipas," xith century); into
+Hebrew (Mishlé Sandabar, xiith century) and from the Arabian version
+into old Castilian, "Libro de los Engannos et los Asayamientos de las
+Mugeres" (A.D. 1255), whereof a translation is appended to Professor
+Comparetti's Socitey. The Persion metrical form (an elaboration of one
+much older) dates from 1375; and gave rise to a host of imitations such
+as the Turkish Tales of the Forty Wazirs and the Canarese "Kathá
+Manjari," where four persons contend about a purse. See also Gladwin's
+"Persian Moonshee," No. vi. of "Pleasing Stories;" and Mr. Clouston's
+paper, "The Lost Purse," in the Glasgow Evening Times. All are the
+Eastern form of Gavarni's "Enfants Terribles," showing the portentous
+precocity for which some children (infant phenomena, calculating boys,
+etc. etc.) have been famous.
+
+[FN#256] From the Bresl. Edit. xii. 381. The Sa'lab or Abu Hosayn
+(Father of the Fortlet) is the fox, in Marocco Akkáb: Talib Yusuf and
+Wa'wi are the jackal. Arabas have not preserved "Jakal" from the Heb.
+Shu'al and Persian Shaghal and Persian Shaghál (not Shagul) as the Rev.
+Mr. Tristram misinforms his readers. (Nat. Hist. p. 85)
+
+[FN#257] The name is old and classical Arabic: in Antar the young
+Amazon Jaydá was called Judar in public (Story of Jaydá and Khálid). It
+is also, as will be seen, the name of a quarter in Cairo, and men are
+often called after such places, e.g. Al-Jubní from the Súk al Jubn in
+Damascus. The story is exceedingly Egyptian and the style abounds in
+Cairene vulgarisms, especially in the Bresl. Edit. ix. 311.
+
+[FN#258] Had the merchant left his property to be divided after his
+death and not made a will he widow would have had only one-eighth
+instead of a fourth.
+
+[FN#259] Lit. "from tyrant to tyrant," i.e. from official to official,
+Al-Zalamah, the "tyranny" of popular parlance.
+
+[FN#260] The coin is omitted in the text but it is evidently the "Nusf"
+or half-dirham. Lane (iii.235), noting that the dinar is worth 170
+"nusfs" in this tale, thinks that it was written (or copied?) after the
+Osmanh Conquest of Egypt. Unfortunately he cannot tell the precise
+period when the value of the small change fell so low.
+
+[FN#261] Arab "Yaum mubárak!" still a popular exclamation.
+
+[FN#262] i.e. of the door of daily bread.
+
+[FN#263] Arab. "Sírah," a small fish differently described (De
+Sacy, "Relation de l'Egypte par Abd allatif," pp. 278-288: Lane,
+Nights iii. 234. It is not found in Sonnini's list.
+
+
+[FN#264] A tank or lakelet in the southern parts of Cairo, long ago
+filled up; Von Hammer believes it inherited the name of the old
+Charon's Lake of Memphis, over which corpses were ferried.
+
+[FN#265] Thus making the agreement a kind of religious covenant, as
+Catholics would recite a Pater or an Ave Maria.
+
+[FN#266] Arab. "Yá miskím"=O poor devil; mesquin, meschino, words
+evidently derived from the East.
+
+[FN#267] Plur. of Maghribí a Western man, a Moor. I have already
+derived the word through the Lat. "Maurus" from Maghribiyún. Europeans
+being unable to pronounce the Ghayn (or gh like the modern Cairenes)
+would turn it into "Ma'ariyún." They are mostly of the Maliki school
+(for which see Sale) and are famous as magicians and treasure-finders.
+Amongst the suite of the late Amir Abd al-Kadir, who lived many years
+and died in Damascus, I found several men profoundly versed in Eastern
+spiritualism and occultism.
+
+[FN#268] The names are respectively, Slave of the Salvation, of the One
+(God), of the Eternal; of the Compassionate; and of the Loving.
+
+[FN#269] i.e. "the most profound"; the root is that of "Bátiní," a
+gnostic, a reprobate.
+
+[FN#270] i.e. the Tall One.
+
+[FN#271] The loud pealing or (ear-) breaking Thunder.
+
+[FN#272] Arab. "Fás and Miknás" which the writer evidently regards as
+one city. "Fás" means a hatchet, from the tradition of one having been
+found, says Ibn Sa'íd, when digging the base under the founder Idrís
+bin Idrís (A.D. 808). His sword was placed on the pinnacle of the
+minaret built by the Imám Abu Ahmad bin Abi Bakr enclosed in a golden
+étui studded with pearls and precious stones. From the local
+pronunciation "Fes" is derived the red cap of the nearer Moslem East
+(see Ibn Batutah p. 230).
+
+[FN#273] Arab. "Al-Khurj," whence the Span. Las Alforjas.
+
+[FN#274] Arab. "Kebáb," mutton or lamb cut into small squares and
+grilled upon skewers: it is the roast meat of the nearer East where, as
+in the West, men have not learned to cook meat so as to preserve all
+its flavour. This is found in the "Asa'o" of the Argentine Gaucho who
+broils the flesh while still quivering and before the fibre has time to
+set. Hence it is perfectly tender, if the animal be young, and has a
+"meaty" taste half lost by keeping
+
+[FN#275] Equivalent to our puritanical "Mercy."
+
+[FN#276] Arab. "Bukjah," from the Persian Bukcheh: a favourite way of
+keeping fine clothes in the East is to lay them folded in a piece of
+rough long-cloth with pepper and spices to drive away moths.
+
+[FN#277] This is always specified, for respectable men go out of town
+on horse-back, never on "foot-back," as our friends the Boers say. I
+have seen a Syrian put to sore shame when compelled by politeness to
+walk with me, and every acquaintance he met addressed him "Anta
+Zalamah!" What! afoot?
+
+[FN#278] This tale, including the Enchanted Sword which slays whole
+armies, was adopted in Europe as we see in Straparola (iv. 3), and the
+"Water of Life" which the Grimms found in Hesse, etc., "Gammer
+Grethel's German Popular Stories," Edgar Taylor, Bells, 1878; and now
+published in fuller form as "Grimm's Household Tales," by Mrs. Hunt,
+with Introduction by A. Lang, 2 vols. 8vo, 1884. It is curious that so
+biting and carping a critic, who will condescend to notice a misprint
+in another's book, should lay himself open to general animadversion by
+such a rambling farrago of half-digested knowledge as that which
+composes Mr. Andrew Lang's Introduction.
+
+[FN#279] These retorts of Judar are exactly what a sharp Egyptian
+Fellah would say on such occasions.
+
+
+[FN#280] Arab. "Salámát," plur. of Salam, a favourite Egyptian welcome.
+
+[FN#281] This sentence expresses a Moslem idea which greatly puzzles
+strangers. Arabic has no equivalent of our "Thank you" (Kassara 'llah
+Khayr-ak being a mere blessing Allah increase thy weal!), nor can
+Al-lslam express gratitude save by a periphrase. The Moslem
+acknowledges a favour by blessing the donor and by wishing him increase
+of prosperity. "May thy shadow never be less! " means, Mayest thou
+always extend to me thy shelter and protection. I have noticed this
+before but it merits repetition. Strangers, and especially Englishmen,
+are very positive and very much mistaken upon a point, which all who
+have to do with Egyptians and Arabs ought thoroughly to understand. Old
+dwellers in the East know that the theory of ingratitude in no way
+interferes with the sense of gratitude innate in man (and beast) and
+that the "lively sense of favours to come," is as quick in Orient land
+as in Europe.
+
+[FN#282] Outside this noble gate, the Bab al-Nay, there is a great
+cemetery wherein, by the by, lies Burckhardt, my predecessor as a Hájj
+to Meccah and Al-Medinah. Hence many beggars are always found squatting
+in its neighbourhood.
+
+[FN#283] Friends sometimes walk alongside the rider holding the stirrup
+in sign of affection and respect, especially to the returning pilgrim.
+
+[FN#284] Equivalent to our Alas! It is woman's word never used by men;
+and foreigners must be most careful of this distinction under pain of
+incurring something worse than ridicule. I remember an officer in the
+Bombay Army who, having learned Hindostani from women, always spoke of
+himself in the feminine and hugely scandalised the Sepoys.
+
+[FN#285] i.e. a neighbour. The "quarters" of a town in the East are
+often on the worst of terms. See Pilgrimage.
+
+[FN#286] In the patriarchal stage of society the mother waits upon her
+adult sons. Even in Dalmatia I found, in many old-fashioned houses, the
+ladies of the family waiting upon the guests. Very pleasant, but
+somewhat startling at first.
+
+[FN#287] Here the apodosis would be "We can all sup together."
+
+[FN#288] Arab. "Záwiyah" (=oratory), which is to a Masjid what a chapel
+is to a church.
+
+[FN#289] Arab. "Kasr," prop. a palace: so the Tuscan peasant speaks of
+his "palazzo."
+
+[FN#290] This sale of a free-born Moslem was mere felony. But many
+centuries later Englishmen used to be sold and sent to the plantations
+in America.
+
+[FN#291] Arab. "Kawwás," lit. an archer, suggesting les archers de la
+Sainte Hermandade. In former days it denoted a sergeant, an apparitor,
+an officer who executed magisterial orders. In modern Egypt he became a
+policeman (Pilgrimage i. 29). As "Cavass" he appears in gorgeous
+uniform and sword, an orderly attached to public offices and
+Consulates.
+
+[FN#292] A purely imaginary King.
+
+[FN#293] The Bresl. Edit. (ix. 370) here and elsewhere uses the word
+"Nútiyá"=Nauta, for the common Bahríyah or Malláh.
+
+[FN#294] Arab. "Tawaf," the name given to the sets (Ashwat) of seven
+circuits with the left shoulder presented to the Holy House, that is
+walking "widdershins" or "against the sun" ("with the sun" being like
+the movement of a watch). For the requisites of this rite see
+Pilgrimage iii. 234.
+
+[FN#295] Arab. "Akh"; brother has a wide signification amongst
+Moslems and may be used to and of any of the Saving Faith.
+
+
+[FN#296] Said by the master when dismissing a servant and meaning, "I
+have not failed in my duty to thee!" The answer is, "Allah acquit thee
+thereof!'
+
+[FN#297] A Moslem prison is like those of Europe a century ago; to
+think of it gives gooseflesh. Easterns laugh at our idea of
+penitentiary and the Arabs of Bombay call it "Al-Bistán" (the Garden)
+because the court contains a few trees and shrubs. And with them a
+garden always suggests an idea of Paradise. There are indeed only two
+efficacious forms of punishment all the world over, corporal for the
+poor and fines for the rich, the latter being the severer form.
+
+[FN#298] i.e. he shall answer for this.
+
+[FN#299] A pun upon "Khalíyah" (bee hive) and "Khaliyah" (empty).
+Khalíyah is properly a hive of bees with a honey-comb in the hollow of
+a tree-trunk, opposed to Kawwárah, hive made of clay or earth
+(Al-Hariri; Ass. of Tiflis). There are many other terms, for Arabs are
+curious about honey. Pilgrimage iii. 110.
+
+[FN#300] Lane (iii. 237) supposes by this title that the author
+referred his tale to the days of the Caliphate. "Commander of the
+Faithful" was, I have said, the style adopted by Omar in order to avoid
+the clumsiness of "Caliph" (successor) of the Caliph (Abu Bakr) of the
+Apostle of Allah.
+
+[FN#301] eastern thieves count four modes of housebreaking, (1)picking
+out burnt bricks; (2) cutting through unbaked bricks; (3) wetting a mud
+wall and (4) boring through a wooden wall (Vikram and the Vampire p.
+172).
+
+[FN#302] Arab. "Zabbat," lit. a lizard (fem.) also a wooden lock, the
+only one used throughout Egypt. An illustration of its curious
+mechanism is given in Lane (M. E. Introduction)
+
+[FN#303] Arab. "Dabbús." The Eastern mace is well known to English
+collectors, it is always of metal, and mostly of steel, with a short
+handle like our facetiously called "life-preterver " The head is in
+various forms, the simplest a ball, smooth and round, or broken into
+sundry high and angular ridges like a melon, and in select weapons
+shaped like the head of some animal. bull, etc. See Night dcxlvi.
+
+[FN#304] The red habit is a sign of wrath and vengeance and the Persian
+Kings like Fath Al Shah, used to wear it when about to order some
+horrid punishment, such as the "Shakk"; in this a man was hung up by
+his heels and cut in two from the fork downwards to the neck, when a
+turn of the chopper left that untouched. White robes denoted peace and
+mercy as well as joy. The "white" hand and "black" hand have been
+explained. A "white death" is quiet and natural, with forgiveness of
+sins. A "black death" is violent and dreadful, as by strangulation; a
+"green death" is robing in rags and patches like a dervish, and a "red
+death" is by war or bloodshed (A. P. ii. 670). Among the mystics it is
+the resistance of man to his passions.
+
+[FN#305] This in the East is the way "pour se faire valoir"; whilst
+Europeans would hold it a mere "bit of impudence." aping dignity.
+
+[FN#306] The Chief Mufti or Doctor of the Law, an appointment first
+made by the Osmanli Mohammed II., when he captured Constantinople in
+A.D. 1453. Before that time the functions were discharged by the Kázi
+al-Kuzat (Kazi-in-Chief), the Chancellor.
+
+[FN#307] So called because here lived the makers of crossbows (Arab.
+Bunduk now meaning a fire piece, musket, etc.). It is the modern
+district about the well-known Khan al-Hamzawi.
+
+[FN#308] Pronounced "Goodareeyyah," and so called after one of the
+troops of the Fatimite Caliphs. The name "Yamániyah" is probably due to
+the story-teller's inventiveness.
+
+[FN#309] I have noted that as a rule in The Nights poetical justice is
+administered with much rigour and exactitude. Here, however, the
+tale-teller allows the good brother to be slain by the two wicked
+brothers as he permitted the adulterous queens to escape the sword of
+Kamar al-Zaman. Dr. Steingass brings to my notice that I have failed to
+do justice to the story of Sharrkán (vol. ii., p. 172), where I note
+that the interest is injured by the gratuitous incest But this has a
+deeper meaning and a grander artistic effect. Sharrkán begins with most
+unbrotherly feelings towards his father's children by a second wife.
+But Allah's decree forces him to love his half-sister despite himself,
+and awe and repentance convert the savage, who joys at the news of his
+brother's reported death, to a loyal and devoted subject of the same
+brother. But Judar with all his goodness proved himself an arrant softy
+and was no match for two atrocious villains. And there may be overmuch
+of forgiveness as of every other good thing.
+
+[FN#310] In such case the "'iddah" would be four months and ten days.
+
+[FN#311] Not quite true. Weil's German version, from a MS. in the Ducal
+Library of Gotha gives the "Story of Judar of Cairo and Mahmud of
+Tunis" in a very different form. It has been pleasantly "translated
+(from the German) and edited" by Mr. W. F. Kirby, of the British
+Museum, under the title of "The New Arabian Nights" (London: W. Swan
+Sonnenschein & Co.), and the author kindly sent me a copy. "New Arabian
+Nights" seems now to have become a fashionable title applied without
+any signification: such at least is the pleasant collection of
+Nineteenth Century Novelettes, published under that designation by Mr.
+Robert Louis Stevenson, Chatto and Windus, Piccadilly, 1884.
+
+[FN#312] Von Hammer holds this story to be a satire on Arab
+superstition and the compulsory propagation, the compelle intrare, of
+Al-Islam. Lane (iii. 235) omits it altogether for reasons of his own. I
+differ with great diffidence from the learned Baron whose Oriental
+reading was extensive; but the tale does not seem to justify his
+explanations. It appears to me simply one of the wilder romances, full
+of purposeful anachronisms (e.g. dated between Abraham and Moses, yet
+quoting the Koran) and written by someone familiar with the history of
+Oman. The style too is peculiar, in many places so abrupt that much
+manipulation is required to make it presentable: it suits, however, the
+rollicking, violent brigand-like life which it depicts. There is only
+one incident about the end which justifies Von Hammer's suspicion.
+
+[FN#313] The Persian hero of romance who converses with the
+Simurgh or Griffin.
+
+
+[FN#314] The word is as much used in Egypt as wunderbar in
+Germany. As an exclamation is equivalent to "mighty fine!"
+
+
+[FN#315] In modern days used in a bad sense, as a freethinker, etc. So
+Dalilah the Wily is noted to be a philosopheress.
+
+[FN#316] The game is much mixed up after Arab fashion. The
+"Tufat" is the Siyáhgosh= Black-ears, of India (Felis caracal),
+the Persian lynx, which gives very good sport with Dachshunds.
+Lynxes still abound in the thickets near Cairo
+
+
+[FN#317] The "Sons of Kahtán," especially the Ya'arubah tribe, made
+much history in Oman. Ya'arub (the eponymus) is written Ya'arab and
+Ya'arib; but Ya'arub (from Ya'arubu Aorist of 'Aruba) is best, because
+according to all authorities he was the first to cultivate primitive
+Arabian speech and Arabic poetry. (Caussin de Perceval's Hist. des
+Arabes i.50, etc.)
+
+[FN#318] He who shooteth an arrow by night. See the death of Antar shot
+down in the dark by the archer Jazár, son of Jábír, who had been
+blinded by a red hot sabre passed before his eyes. I may note that it
+is a mere fiction of Al-Asma'i, as the real 'Antar (or 'Antarah) lived
+to a good old age, and probably died the "straw death."
+
+[FN#319] See vol. ii., p. 77, for a reminiscence of masterful
+King Kulayb and his Himá or domain. Here the phrase would mean,
+"None could approach them when they were wroth; none were safe
+from their rage."
+
+
+[FN#320] The sons of Nabhán (whom Mr. Badger calls Nebhán) supplied the
+old Maliks or Kings of Oman. (History of the Imams and Sayyids of Oman,
+etc., London, Hakluyt Soc. 1871.)
+
+[FN#321] This is a sore insult in Arabia, where they have not dreamt of
+a "Jawab-club," like that of Calcutta in the old days, to which only
+men who had been half a dozen times "jawab'd" (= refused in
+Anglo-lndian jargon) could belong. "I am not a stallion to be struck on
+the nose," say the Arabs.
+
+[FN#322] Again "inverted speech": it is as if we said, "Now, you're a
+damned fine fellow, so," etc. "Allah curse thee! Thou hast guarded thy
+women alive and dead;" said the man of Sulaym in admiration after
+thrusting his spear into the eye of dead Rabi'ah.
+
+[FN#323] The Badawi use javelins or throw-spears of many kinds,
+especially the prettily worked Mizrák (Pilgrimage i. 349); spears for
+footmen (Shalfah, a bamboo or palm-stick with a head about a hand
+broad), and the knightly lance, a male bamboo some 12 feet long with
+iron heel and a long tapering point often of open work or damascened
+steel, under which are tufts of black ostrich feathers, one or two. I
+never saw a crescent-shaped head as the text suggests. It is a
+"Pundonor" not to sell these weapons: you say, "Give me that article
+and I will satisfy thee!" After which the Sons of the Sand will haggle
+over each copper as if you were cheapening a sheep. (Ibid. iii. 73.)
+
+[FN#324] The shame was that Gharib had seen the girl and had fallen in
+love with her beauty instead of applying for her hand in recognised
+form. These punctilios of the Desert are peculiarly nice and tetchy;
+nor do strangers readily realise them.
+
+[FN#325] The Arabs derive these Noachidć from Imlik, great- grandson of
+Shem, who after the confusion of tongues settled at Sana'a, then moved
+North to Meccah and built the fifth Ka'abah. The dynastic name was
+Arkam, M. C. de Perceval's "Arcam," which he would identify with Rekem
+(Numbers xxxi. 8). The last Arkam fell before an army sent by Moses to
+purge the Holy Land (Al- Hijaz) of idolatry. Commentators on the Koran
+(chaps. vii.) call the Pharaoh of Moses Al-Walid and derive him from
+the Amalekites: we have lately ascertained that this Mene-Ptah was of
+the Shepherd-Kings and thus, according to the older Moslems, the Hyksos
+were of the seed of Imlik. (Pilgrimage ii. 116, and iii. 190.) In Syria
+they fought with Joshua son of Nun. The tribe or rather nationality was
+famous and powerful: we know little about it and I may safely predict
+that when the Amalekite country shall have been well explored, it will
+produce monuments second in importance only to the Hittites. "A nomadic
+tribe which occupied the Peninsula of Sinai" (Smith's Dict. of the
+Bible) is peculiarly superficial, even for that most superficial of
+books.
+
+[FN#326] The Amalekites were giants and lived 500 years.
+(Pilgrimage, loc. cit.)
+
+
+[FN#327] His men being ninety against five hundred.
+
+[FN#328] Arab. "Kaum" (pron. Gúm) here=a razzia, afterwards=a tribe.
+Relations between Badawi tribes are of three kinds; (1) Asháb, allies
+offensive and defensive, friends who intermarry; (2) Kímán (plur. of
+Kaum) when the blood-feud exists, and (3) Akhwan= brothers. The last is
+a complicated affair, "Akháwat" or brotherhood, denotes the tie between
+patron and client (a noble and an ignoble tribe) or between the
+stranger and the tribe which claims an immemorial and unalienable right
+to its own lands. Hence a small fee (Al-Rifkah) must be paid and the
+traveller and his beast become "dakhíl," or entitled to brother-help.
+The guardian is known in the West as Rafík; Rabí'a in Eastern Arabia;
+Ghafír in "Sinai ;" amongst the Somal, Abbán and the Gallas Mogásá.
+Further details are given in Pilgrimage iii. 85-87.
+
+[FN#329] Arab. "Mál," here=Badawi money, flocks and herds, our "fee"
+from feoh, vieh, cattle; as pecunia from pecus, etc., etc.
+
+[FN#330] The litholatry of the old Arabs is undisputed: Manát the
+goddess-idol was a large rude stone and when the Meccans sent out
+colonies these carried with them stones of the Holy Land to be set up
+and worshipped like the Ka'abah. I have suggested (Pilgrimage iii. 159)
+that the famous Black Stone of Meccah, which appears to me a large
+aerolite, is a remnant of this worship and that the tomb of Eve near
+Jeddah was the old "Sakhrah tawílah" or Long Stone (ibid. iii. 388).
+Jeddah is now translated the grandmother, alluding to Eve, a myth of
+late growth: it is properly Juddah=a plain lacking water.
+
+[FN#331] The First Adites, I have said, did not all perish: a few
+believers retired with the prophet Hud (Heber ?) to Hazramaut. The
+Second Adites, who had Márib of the Dam for capital and Lukman for
+king, were dispersed by the Flood of Al-Yaman. Their dynasty lasted a
+thousand years, the exodus taking place according to De Sacy in A.D.
+150-170 or shortly after A.D. 100 (C. de Perceval), and was overthrown
+by Ya'arub bin Kahtán, the first Arabist; see Night dcxxv.
+
+[FN#332] This title has been noticed: it suggests the "Saint Abraham"
+of our medaeval travellers. Every great prophet has his agnomen: Adam
+the Pure (or Elect) of Allah, Noah the Nájiy (or saved) of Allah; Moses
+(Kalím) the Speaker with Allah; Jesus the Rúh (Spirit breath) or Kalám
+(the word) of Allah. For Mohammed's see Al-Busiri's Mantle-poem vv.
+31-58.
+
+[FN#333] Koran (chaps. iii. 17), "Verily the true religion in the
+sight of Allah is Islam" i.e. resigning or devoting myself to the
+Lord, with a suspicion of "Salvation" conveyed by the root
+Salima, he was safe.
+
+
+[FN#334] Arab. "Sá'ikah," which is supposed to be a stone. The allusion
+is to Antar's sword, "Dhámi," made of a stone, black, brilliant and
+hard as a rock (an aerolite), which had struck a camel on the right
+side and had come out by the left. The blacksmith made it into a blade
+three feet long by two spans broad, a kind of falchion or chopper,
+cased it with gold and called it Dhámi (the "Trenchant") from its
+sharpness. But he said to the owner:—
+
+     The sword is trenchant, O son of the Ghalib clan,
+     Trenchant in sooth, but where is the sworder-man?
+
+
+Whereupon the owner struck off the maker's head, a most satisfactory
+answer to all but one.
+
+[FN#335] Arab. "Kutá'ah": lit. a bit cut off, fragment, nail- paring,
+and here un diminutif. I have described this scene in Pilgrimage iii.
+68. Latro often says, "Thy gear is wanted by the daughter of my
+paternal uncle" (wife), and thus parades his politeness by asking in a
+lady's name.
+
+[FN#336] As will appear the two brothers were joined by a party of
+horsemen.
+
+[FN#337] "Four" says the Mac. Edit. forgetting Falhun with
+characteristic inconsequence.
+
+[FN#338] Muhammad (the deserving great praise) is the name used by men;
+Ahmad (more laudable) by angels, and Mahmúd (praised) by devils. For a
+similar play upon the name, "Allah Allah Muhammad ast" (God is God the
+praisworthy) see Dabistan ii. 416.
+
+[FN#339] The Mac. Edit. here gives "Sás," but elsewhere "Sásá," which
+is the correct form
+
+[FN#340] Sapor the Second (A.D. 310-330) was compelled to attack the
+powerful Arab hordes of Oman, most of whom, like the Tayy, Aus and
+Khazraj, the Banu Nabhán and the Hináwi left Al-Yaman A.D. 100-170, and
+settled in the north and north-east of Al-Najd This great exodus and
+dispersion of the tribes was caused, as has been said, by the bursting
+of the Dam of Márib originally built by Abd al-Shams Sabá, father of
+Himyar. These Yamanian races were plunged into poverty and roamed
+northwards, planting themselves amongst the Arabs of Ma'add son of
+Adnán. Hence the kingdom of Ghassan in Syria whose phylarchs under the
+Romans (i.e. Greek Emperors of Constantinople) controlled Palestine
+Tertia, the Arabs of Syria and Palestine, and the kingdom of Hárah,
+whose Lakhmite Princes, dependent upon Persia, managed the Arabs of the
+Euphrates, Oman and Al-Bahrayn. The Ma'addites still continued to
+occupy the central plateau of Arabia, a feature analogous with India
+"above the Ghauts."
+
+[FN#341] I have described (Pilgrimage i. 370) the grisly spot which a
+Badawi will dignify by the name of Wady al-Ward=Vale of Roses.
+
+[FN#342] Koran xiii. 3, "Of every fruit two different kinds " i.e.
+large and small, black and white, sweet and sour.
+
+[FN#343] A graft upon an almond tree, which makes its kernel s..veet
+and gives it an especial delicacy of favour. See Russell's (excellent)
+Natural History of Aleppo, p. 21.
+
+[FN#344] So called from the flavour of the kernel it is well- known at
+Damascus where a favourite fruit is the dried apricot with an almond by
+way of kernel. There are many preparations of apricots, especially the
+"Mare's skin" (Jild al-fares or Kamar al-din) a paste folded into
+sheets and exactly resembling the article from which it takes a name.
+When wanted it is dissolved in water and eaten as a relish with bread
+or biscuit (Pilgrimage i. 289).
+
+[FN#345] "Ante Kamá takúl"=the vulgarest Cairene.
+
+[FN#346] This may be Ctesiphon, the ancient capital of the
+Chosroës, on the Tigris below Baghdad; and spoken of elsewhere in
+The Nights; especially as, in Night dclxvii., it is called
+Isbanir Al-Madáin; Madáin Kisrá (the cities of Chosroës) being
+the Arabic name of the old dual city.
+
+
+[FN#347] Koran vi. 103. The translation is Sale's which I have
+generally preferred, despite many imperfections: Lane renders this
+sentence, "The eyes see not Him, but He seeth the eyes ;" and Mr.
+Rodwell, "No vision taketh in Him ( ?), but He taketh in all vision ,"
+and (better) "No eyesight reacheth to Him."
+
+[FN#348] Sale (sect. 1.) tells us all that was then known of these
+three which with Yá'úk and Nasr and the three "daughters of God,"
+Goddesses or Energies (the Hindu Saktis) Allát Al-Uzzá and Manát
+mentioned in the Koran were the chiefs of the pre-lslamitic Pantheon. I
+cannot but suspect that all will be connected with old Babylonian
+worship. Al-Baydáwi (in Kor. Ixxi. 22) says of Wadd, Suwá'a, Yaghus,
+Ya'úk and Nasr that they were names of pious men between Adam and Noah,
+afterwards deified: Yaghús was the giant idol of the Mazhaj tribe at
+Akamah of Al-Yaman and afterwards at Najrán Al-Uzzá was widely
+worshipped: her idol (of the tree Semurat) belonging to Ghatafán was
+destroyed after the Prophet's order by Khálid bin Walíd. Allát or
+Al-Lát is written by Pocock (spec. 110) "Ilahat" i.e. deities in
+general. But Herodotus evidently refers to one god when he makes the
+Arabs worship Dionysus as {Greek letters} and Urania as {Greek letters}
+and the "tashdid" in Allát would, to a Greek ear, introduce another
+syllable (Alilat). This was the goddess of the Kuraysh and Thakíf whose
+temple at Taíf was circuited like the Ka'abah before Mohammed destroyed
+it.
+
+[FN#349] Shays (Shayth) is Ab Seth (Father Seth,) of the Hebrews, a
+name containing the initial and terminal letters of the Egypto-
+Phoenico-Hebrew Alphabet and the "Abjad" of the Arabs. Those curious
+about its connection with the name of Allah (El), the Zodiacal signs
+and with the constellations, visions but not wholly uninteresting, will
+consult "Unexplored Syria" (vol. i. 33).
+
+[FN#350] The exclamation of an honest Fellah.
+
+[FN#351] This is Antar with the Chosroë who "kissed the Absian hero
+between the eyes and bade him adieu, giving him as a last token a rich
+robe." The coarser hand of the story-teller exaggerates everything till
+he makes it ridiculous.
+
+[FN#352] The context suggests thee this is a royal form of "throwing
+the handkerchief;" but it does not occur elsewhere. In face, the
+European idea seems to have arisen from the oriental practice of
+sending presents in napkins or kerchiefs.
+
+[FN#353] i.e. if the disappointed suitor attack me.
+
+[FN#354] i.e. if ever I he tempted to deny it.
+
+[FN#355] Arab. "Musáfahah,¨' the Arab fashion of shaking hands. The
+right palms are applied flat to each other; then the fingers are
+squeezed and the hand is raised to the forehead (Pilgrimage ii. 332).
+
+[FN#356] A city and province of Khuzistán the old Susiana. Dasht may be
+either the town in Khorasan or the "forests" (dasht) belonging to Ahwáz
+(Ahuaz in D'Herbelot).
+
+[FN#357] This is the contest between "Antar and the Satrap Khosrewan at
+the Court of Monzer." but without its tragical finish.
+
+[FN#358] Elliptical "he rode out in great state, that is to say if
+greatness can truly be attributed to man," for, etc.
+
+[FN#359] According to D'Herbelot (s.v. Rostac) it is a name given to
+the villages of Khorasan as "Souad" (Sawád) to those of Irak and
+Makhlaf to those of Al-Yaman: there is, how ever, a well- known
+Al-Rustak (which like Al-Bahrayn always takes the article) in the
+Province of Oman West of Maskat, and as it rhymes with "Irak" it does
+well enough. Mr. Badger calls this ancient capital of the Ya'arubah
+Imams "er-Rasták" (Imams of Oman).
+
+[FN#360] i.e. a furious knight.
+
+[FN#361] In the Mac. Edit. "Hassán," which may rhyme with Nabhán, but
+it is a mere blunder.
+
+[FN#362] In Classical Arabic Irak (like Yaman, Bahrayn and
+Rusták) always takes the article.
+
+
+[FN#363] The story-teller goes back from Kufah founded in Omar's day to
+the times of Abraham.
+
+[FN#364] This manuvre has often been practiced; especially by the first
+Crusaders under Bohemond (Gibbon) and in late years by the Arab slavers
+in Eastern Intertropical Africa. After their skirmishes with the
+natives they quartered and "bristled" the dead like game, roasted and
+boiled the choice pieces and pretended to eat the flesh. The enemy, who
+was not afraid of death, was struck with terror by the idea of being
+devoured, and this seems instinctive to the undeveloped mind.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 6, by Richard F. Burton
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+Title: The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 6
+
+Author: Richard F. Burton
+
+Release Date: September, 2002  [Etext #3440]
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+
+                        THE BOOK OF THE
+                  THOUSAND NIGHTS AND A NIGHT
+                A Plain and Literal Translation
+              of the Arabian Nights Entertainments
+
+                  Translated and Annotated by
+                       Richard F. Burton
+
+                           VOLUME SIX
+              Privately Printed By The Burton Club
+
+
+
+                     I Inscribe This Volume
+              To My Old And Valued Correspondent,
+                    I Whose Debt I Am Deep,
+
+                    Professor Aloys Sprenger
+                        (of Heidelberg),
+
+                Arabist, Philosopher and Friend.
+
+
+                                             Richard F. Burton.
+
+
+                  Contents of the Sixth Volume
+
+133. Sindbad the Seaman and Sinbad the Landsman
+     a.   The First Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman
+     b.   The Second Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman
+     c.   The Third Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman
+     d.   The Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman
+     e.   The Fifth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman
+     f.   The Sixth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman
+     g.   The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman
+          The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman (according to
+          the Calcutta Edition)
+134. The City of Brass
+135. The Craft and Malice of Woman
+     a.   The King and His Wazir's Wife
+     b.   The Confectioner, His Wife and the Parrot
+     c.   The Fuller and His Son
+     d.   The Rake's Trick Against the Chaste Wife
+     e.   The Miser and the Loaves of Bread
+     f.   The Lady and Her Two Lovers
+     g.   The King's Son and the Ogeress
+     h.   The Drop of Honey
+     i.   The Woman Who Made Her Husband Sift Dust
+     j.   The Enchanted Spring
+     k.   The Wazir's Son and the Hamman-Keeper's Wife
+     l.   The Wife's Device to Cheat her Husband
+     m.   The Goldsmith and the Cashmere Singing-Girl
+     n.   The Man who Never Laughed Duing the Rest of His Days
+     o.   The King's Son and the Merchant's Wife
+     p.   The Page Who Feigned to Know the Speech of Birds
+     q.   The Lady and Her Five Suitors
+     r.   The Three Wishes, or the Man Who Longed to see the
+          Night of Power
+     s.   The Stolen Necklace
+     t.   The Two Pigeons
+     u.   Prince Behram and the Princess Al-Datma
+     v.   The House With the Belvedere
+     w.   The King's Son and the Ifrit's Mistress
+     x.   The Sandal-Wood Merchant and the Sharpers
+     y.   The Debauchee and the Three-Year-Old Child
+     z.   The Stolen Purse
+     aa.  The Fox and the Folk
+136. Judar and His Brethren
+137. The History of Gharib and His Brother Ajib
+
+
+
+
+                        The Book Of The
+                  THOUSAND NIGHTS AND A NIGHT
+
+
+
+       Sindbad The Seaman[FN#1] and Sindbad The Landsman.
+
+
+
+There lived in the city of Baghdad, during the reign of the
+Commander of the Faithful, Harun al-Rashid, a man named Sindb�d
+the Hamm�l,[FN#2] one in poor case who bore burdens on his head
+for hire. It happened to him one day of great heat that whilst he
+was carrying a heavy load, he became exceeding weary and sweated
+profusely, the heat and the weight alike oppressing him.
+Presently, as he was passing the gate of a merchant's house,
+before which the ground was swept and watered, and there the air
+was temperate, he sighted a broad bench beside the door; so he
+set his load thereon, to take rest and smell the air,--And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
+permitted say.
+
+     When it was the Five Hundred and Thirty-seventh Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+Hammal set his load upon the bench to take rest and smell the
+air, there came out upon him from the court-door a pleasant
+breeze and a delicious fragrance. He sat down on the edge of the
+bench, and at once heard from within the melodious sound of lutes
+and other stringed instruments, and mirth-exciting voices singing
+and reciting, together with the song of birds warbling and
+glorifying Almighty Allah in various tunes and tongues; turtles,
+mocking-birds, merles, nightingales, cushats and stone-
+curlews,[FN#3] whereat he marvelled in himself and was moved to
+mighty joy and solace. Then he went up to the gate and saw within
+a great flower-garden wherein were pages and black slaves and
+such a train of servants and attendants and so forth as is found
+only with Kings and Sultans; and his nostrils were greeted with
+the savoury odours of all manner meats rich and delicate, and
+delicious and generous wines. So he raised his eyes heavenwards
+and said, "Glory to Thee, O Lord, O Creator and Provider, who
+providest whomso Thou wilt without count or stint! O mine Holy
+One, I cry Thee pardon for all sins and turn to Thee repenting of
+all offences! O Lord, there is no gainsaying Thee in Thine
+ordinance and Thy dominion, neither wilt Thou be questioned of
+that Thou dost, for Thou indeed over all things art Almighty!
+Extolled be Thy perfection: whom Thou wilt Thou makest poor and
+whom Thou wilt Thou makest rich! Whom Thou wilt Thou exaltest and
+whom Thou wilt Thou abasest and there is no god but Thou! How
+mighty is Thy majesty and how enduring Thy dominion and how
+excellent Thy government! Verily, Thou favourest whom Thou wilt
+of Thy servants, whereby the owner of this place abideth in all
+joyance of life and delighteth himself with pleasant scents and
+delicious meats and exquisite wines of all kinds. For indeed Thou
+appointest unto Thy creatures that which Thou wilt and that which
+Thou hast foreordained unto them; wherefore are some weary and
+others are at rest and some enjoy fair fortune and affluence,
+whilst others suffer the extreme of travail and misery, even as I
+do." And he fell to reciting,
+
+"How many by my labours, that evermore endure, * All goods of
+     life enjoy and in cooly shade recline?
+Each morn that dawns I wake in travail and in woe, * And strange
+     is my condition and my burden gars me pine:
+Many others are in luck and from miseries are free, * And Fortune
+     never loads them with loads the like o' mine:
+They live their happy days in all solace and delight; * Eat,
+     drink and dwell in honour 'mid the noble and the digne:
+All living things were made of a little drop of sperm, * Thine
+     origin is mine and my provenance is thine;
+Yet the difference and distance 'twixt the twain of us are far *
+     As the difference of savour 'twixt vinegar and wine:
+But at Thee, O God All-wise! I venture not to rail * Whose
+     ordinance is just and whose justice cannot fail."
+
+When Sindbad the Porter had made an end of reciting his verses,
+he bore up his burden and was about to fare on, when there came
+forth to him from the gate a little foot-page, fair of face and
+shapely of shape and dainty of dress who caught him by the hand
+saying, "Come in and speak with my lord, for he calleth for
+thee." The Porter would have excused himself to the page but the
+lad would take no refusal; so he left his load with the
+doorkeeper in the vestibule and followed the boy into the house,
+which he found to be a goodly mansion, radiant and full of
+majesty, till he brought him to a grand sitting-room wherein he
+saw a company of nobles and great lords, seated at tables
+garnished with all manner of flowers and sweet-scented herbs,
+besides great plenty of dainty viands and fruits dried and fresh
+and confections and wines of the choicest vintages. There also
+were instruments of music and mirth and lovely slave-girls
+playing and singing. All the company was ranged according to
+rank; and in the highest place sat a man of worshipful and noble
+aspect whose beard-sides hoariness had stricken; and he was
+stately of stature and fair of favour, agreeable of aspect and
+full of gravity and dignity and majesty. So Sindbad the Porter
+was confounded at that which he beheld and said in himself, "By
+Allah, this must be either a piece of Paradise or some King's
+palace!" Then he saluted the company with much respect praying
+for their prosperity, and kissing the ground before them, stood
+with his head bowed down in humble attitude.--And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+     When it was the Five Hundred and Thirty-eighth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Porter, after kissing ground between their hands stood with his
+head bowed down in humble attitude. The master of the house bade
+him draw near and be seated and bespoke him kindly, bidding him
+welcome. Then he set before him various kinds of viands, rich and
+delicate and delicious, and the Porter, after saying his
+Bismillah, fell to and ate his fill, after which he exclaimed,
+"Praised be Allah whatso be our case![FN#4]" and, washing his
+hands, returned thanks to the company for his entertainment.
+Quoth the host, "Thou art welcome and thy day is a blessed. But
+what is thy name and calling?" Quoth the other, "O my lord, my
+name is Sindbad the Hammal, and I carry folk's goods on my head
+for hire." The house-master smiled and rejoined, "Know, O Porter
+that thy name is even as mine, for I am Sindbad the Seaman; and
+now, O Porter, I would have thee let me hear the couplets thou
+recitedst at the gate anon." The Porter was abashed and replied,
+"Allah upon thee! Excuse me, for toil and travail and lack of
+luck when the hand is empty, teach a man ill manners and boorish
+ways." Said the host, "Be not ashamed; thou art become my
+brother; but repeat to me the verses, for they pleased me whenas
+I heard thee recite them at the gate. Hereupon the Porter
+repeated the couplets and they delighted the merchant, who said
+to him, "Know, O Hammal, that my story is a wonderful one, and
+thou shalt hear all that befel me and all I underwent ere I rose
+to this state of prosperity and became the lord of this place
+wherein thou seest me; for I came not to this high estate save
+after travail sore and perils galore, and how much toil and
+trouble have I not suffered in days of yore! I have made seven
+voyages, by each of which hangeth a marvellous tale, such as
+confoundeth the reason, and all this came to pass by doom of
+fortune and fate; for from what destiny doth write there is
+neither refuge nor flight. Know, then, good my lords (continued
+he) that I am about to relate the
+
+
+
+First Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman."[FN#5]
+
+
+
+My father was a merchant, one of the notables of my native place,
+a monied man and ample of means, who died whilst I was yet a
+child, leaving me much wealth in money and lands and farmhouses.
+When I grew up, I laid hands on the whole and ate of the best and
+drank freely and wore rich clothes and lived lavishly,
+companioning and consorting with youths of my own age, and
+considering that this course of life would continue for ever and
+ken no change. Thus did I for a long time, but at last I awoke
+from my heedlessness and, returning to my senses, I found my
+wealth had become unwealth and my condition ill-conditioned and
+all I once hent had left my hand. And recovering my reason I was
+stricken with dismay and confusion and bethought me of a saying
+of our lord Solomon, son of David (on whom be peace!), which I
+had heard aforetime from my father, "Three things are better than
+other three; the day of death is better than the day of birth, a
+live dog is better than a dead lion and the grave is better than
+want."[FN#6] Then I got together my remains of estates and
+property and sold all, even my clothes, for three thousand
+dirhams, with which I resolved to travel to foreign parts,
+remembering the saying of the poet,
+
+"By means of toil man shall scale the height; * Who to fame
+     aspires mustn't sleep o' night:
+Who seeketh pearl in the deep must dive, * Winning weal and
+     wealth by his main and might:
+And who seeketh Fame without toil and strife * Th' impossible
+     seeketh and wasteth life."
+
+So taking heart I bought me goods, merchandise and all needed for
+a voyage and, impatient to be at sea, I embarked, with a company
+of merchants, on board a ship bound for Bassorah. There we again
+embarked and sailed many days and nights, and we passed from isle
+to isle and sea to sea and shore to shore, buying and selling and
+bartering everywhere the ship touched, and continued our course
+till we came to an island as it were a garth of the gardens of
+Paradise. Here the captain cast anchor and making fast to the
+shore, put out the landing planks. So all on board landed and
+made furnaces[FN#7] and lighting fires therein, busied themselves
+in various ways, some cooking and some washing, whilst other some
+walked about the island for solace, and the crew fell to eating
+and drinking and playing and sporting. I was one of the walkers
+but, as we were thus engaged, behold the master who was standing
+on the gunwale cried out to us at the top of his voice, saying,
+"Ho there! passengers, run for your lives and hasten back to the
+ship and leave your gear and save yourselves from destruction,
+Allah preserve you! For this island whereon ye stand is no true
+island, but a great fish stationary a-middlemost of the sea,
+whereon the sand hath settled and trees have sprung up of old
+time, so that it is become like unto an island;[FN#8] but, when
+ye lighted fires on it, it felt the heat and moved; and in a
+moment it will sink with you into the sea and ye will all be
+drowned. So leave your gear and seek your safety ere ye die!"--
+And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
+permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Thirty-ninth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+ship-master cried to the passengers, "Leave your gear and seek
+safety, ere ye die;" all who heard him left gear and goods,
+clothes washed and unwashed, fire pots and brass cooking-pots,
+and fled back to the ship for their lives, and some reached it
+while others (amongst whom was I) did not, for suddenly the
+island shook and sank into the abysses of the deep, with all that
+were thereon, and the dashing sea surged over it with clashing
+waves. I sank with the others down, down into the deep, but
+Almighty Allah preserved me from drowning and threw in my way a
+great wooden tub of those that had served the ship's company for
+tubbing. I gripped it for the sweetness of life and, bestriding
+it like one riding, paddled with my feet like oars, whilst the
+waves tossed me as in sport right and left. Meanwhile the captain
+made sail and departed with those who had reached the ship,
+regardless of the drowning and the drowned; and I ceased not
+following the vessel with my eyes, till she was hid from sight
+and I made sure of death. Darkness closed in upon me while in
+this plight and the winds and waves bore me on all that night and
+the next day, till the tub brought to with me under the lee of a
+lofty island, with trees overhanging the tide. I caught hold of a
+branch and by its aid clambered up on to the land, after coming
+nigh upon death; but when I reached the shore, I found my legs
+cramped and numbed and my feet bore traces of the nibbling of
+fish upon their soles; withal I had felt nothing for excess of
+anguish and fatigue. I threw myself down on the island ground,
+like a dead man, and drowned in desolation swooned away, nor did
+I return to my senses till next morning, when the sun rose and
+revived me. But I found my feet swollen, so made shift to move by
+shuffling on my breech and crawling on my knees, for in that
+island were found store of fruits and springs of sweet water. I
+ate of the fruits which strengthened me; and thus I abode days
+and nights, till my life seemed to return and my spirits began to
+revive and I was better able to move about. So, after due
+consideration, I fell to exploring the island and diverting
+myself with gazing upon all things that Allah Almighty had
+created there; and rested under the trees from one of which I cut
+me a staff to lean upon. One day as I walked along the marge, I
+caught sight of some object in the distance and thought it a wild
+beast or one of the monster-creatures of the sea; but, as I drew
+near it, looking hard the while, I saw that it was a noble mare,
+tethered on the beach. Presently I went up to her, but she cried
+out against me with a great cry, so that I trembled for fear and
+turned to go away, when there came forth a man from under the
+earth and followed me, crying out and saying, "Who and whence art
+thou, and what caused thee to come hither?" "O my lord," answered
+I, "I am in very sooth, a waif, a stranger, and was left to drown
+with sundry others by the ship we voyaged in;[FN#9] but Allah
+graciously sent me a wooden tub; so I saved myself thereon and it
+floated with me, till the waves cast me up on this island." When
+he heard this, he took my hand and saying, "Come with me,"
+carried me into a great Sardab, or underground chamber, which was
+spacious as a saloon. He made me sit down at its upper end; then
+he brought me somewhat of food and, being anhungered, I ate till
+I was satisfied and refreshed; and when he had put me at mine
+ease he questioned me of myself, and I told him all that had
+befallen me from first to last; and, as he wondered at my
+adventure, I said, "By Allah, O my lord, excuse me; I have told
+thee the truth of my case and the accident which betided me; and
+now I desire that thou tell me who thou art and why thou abidest
+here under the earth and why thou hast tethered yonder mare on
+the brink of the sea." Answered he, "Know, that I am one of the
+several who are stationed in different parts of this island, and
+we are of the grooms of King Mihrjan[FN#10] and under our hand
+are all his horses. Every month, about new-moon tide we bring
+hither our best mares which have never been covered, and picket
+them on the sea-shore and hide ourselves in this place under the
+ground, so that none may espy us. Presently, the stallions of the
+sea scent the mares and come up out of the water and seeing no
+one, leap the mares and do their will of them. When they have
+covered them, they try to drag them away with them, but cannot,
+by reason of the leg-ropes; so they cry out at them and butt at
+them and kick them, which we hearing, know that the stallions
+have dismounted; so we run out and shout at them, whereupon they
+are startled and return in fear to the sea. Then the mares
+conceive by them and bear colts and fillies worth a mint of
+money, nor is their like to be found on earth's face. This is the
+time of the coming forth of the sea-stallions; and Inshallah! I
+will bear thee to King Mihrjan"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
+of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+        When it was the Five Hundred and Fortieth Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
+Syce[FN#11] said to Sindbad the Seaman, "I will bear thee to King
+Mihrjan and show thee our country. And know that hadst thou not
+happened on us thou hadst perished miserably and none had known
+of thee: but I will be the means of the saving of thy life and of
+thy return to thine own land." I called down blessings on him and
+thanked him for his kindness and courtesy; and, while we were yet
+talking, behold, the stallion came up out of the sea; and, giving
+a great cry, sprang upon the mare and covered her. When he had
+done his will of her, he dismounted and would have carried her
+away with him, but could not by reason of the tether. She kicked
+and cried out at him, whereupon the groom took a sword and
+target[FN#12] and ran out of the underground saloon, smiting the
+buckler with the blade and calling to his company, who came up
+shouting and brandishing spears; and the stallion took fright at
+them and plunging into the sea, like a buffalo, disappeared under
+the waves.[FN#13] After this we sat awhile, till the rest of the
+grooms came up, each leading a mare, and seeing me with their
+fellow-Syce, questioned me of my case and I repeated my story to
+them. Thereupon they drew near me and spreading the table, ate
+and invited me to eat; so I ate with them, after which they took
+horse and mounting me on one of the mares, set out with me and
+fared on without ceasing, till we came to the capital city of
+King Mihrjan, and going in to him acquainted him with my story.
+Then he sent for me, and when they set me before him and salams
+had been exchanged, he gave me a cordial welcome and wishing me
+long life bade me tell him my tale. So I related to him all that
+I had seen and all that had befallen me from first to last,
+whereat he marvelled and said to me, "By Allah, O my son, thou
+hast indeed been miraculously preserved! Were not the term of thy
+life a long one, thou hadst not escaped from these straits; but
+praised by Allah for safety!" Then he spoke cheerily to me and
+entreated me with kindness and consideration: moreover, he made
+me his agent for the port and registrar of all ships that entered
+the harbour. I attended him regularly, to receive his
+commandments, and he favoured me and did me all manner of
+kindness and invested me with costly and splendid robes. Indeed,
+I was high in credit with him, as an intercessor for the folk and
+an intermediary between them and him, when they wanted aught of
+him. I abode thus a great while and, as often as I passed through
+the city to the port, I questioned the merchants and travellers
+and sailors of the city of Baghdad; so haply I might hear of an
+occasion to return to my native land, but could find none who
+knew it or knew any who resorted thither. At this I was
+chagrined, for I was weary of long strangerhood; and my
+disappointment endured for a time till one day, going in to King
+Mihrjan, I found him with a company of Indians. I saluted them
+and they returned my salam; and politely welcomed me and asked me
+of my country.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
+ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-first Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that
+Sindbad the Seaman said:--When they asked me of my country I
+questioned them of theirs and they told me that they were of
+various castes, some being called Shakiriyah[FN#14] who are the
+noblest of their castes and neither oppress nor offer violence to
+any, and others Brahmans, a folk who abstain from wine, but live
+in delight and solace and merriment and own camels and horses and
+cattle. Moreover, they told me that the people of India are
+divided into two-and-seventy castes, and I marvelled at this with
+exceeding marvel. Amongst other things that I saw in King
+Mihrjan's dominions was an island called K�sil,[FN#15] wherin all
+night is heard the beating of drums and tabrets; but we were told
+by the neighbouring islanders and by travellers that the
+inhabitants are people of diligence and judgment.[FN#16] In this
+sea I saw also a fish two hundred cubits long and the fishermen
+fear it; so they strike together pieces of wood and put it to
+flight.[FN#17] I also saw another fish, with a head like that of
+an owl, besides many other wonders and rarities, which it would
+be tedious to recount. I occupied myself thus in visiting the
+islands till, one day, as I stood in the port, with a staff in my
+hand, according to my custom, behold, a great ship, wherein were
+many merchants, came sailing for the harbour. When it reached the
+small inner port where ships anchor under the city, the master
+furled his sails and making fast to the shore, put out the
+landing-planks, whereupon the crew fell to breaking bulk and
+landing cargo whilst I stood by, taking written note of them.
+They were long in bringing the goods ashore so I asked the
+master, "Is there aught left in thy ship?"; and he answered, "O
+my lord, there are divers bales of merchandise in the hold, whose
+owner was drowned from amongst us at one of the islands on our
+course; so his goods remained in our charge by way of trust and
+we purpose to sell them and note their price, that we may convey
+it to his people in the city of Baghdad, the Home of Peace."
+"What was the merchant's name?" quoth I, and quoth he, "Sindbad
+the Seaman;" whereupon I straitly considered him and knowing him,
+cried out to him with a great cry, saying, "O captain, I am that
+Sindbad the Seaman who travelled with other merchants; and when
+the fish heaved and thou calledst to us some saved themselves and
+others sank, I being one of them. But Allah Almighty threw in my
+way a great tub of wood, of those the crew had used to wash
+withal, and the winds and waves carried me to this island, where
+by Allah's grace, I fell in with King Mihrjan's grooms and they
+brought me hither to the King their master. When I told him my
+story, he entreated me with favour and made me his harbour-
+master, and I have prospered in his service and found acceptance
+with him. These bales, therefore are mine, the goods which God
+hath given me."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
+ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-second Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
+Sindbad the Seaman said to the captain, "These bales are mine,
+the goods which Allah hath given me," the other exclaimed, "There
+is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious,
+the Great! Verily, there is neither conscience nor good faith
+left among men!" said I, "O Rais,[FN#18] what mean these words,
+seeing that I have told thee my case?" And he answered, "Because
+thou heardest me say that I had with me goods whose owner was
+drowned, thou thinkest to take them without right; but this is
+forbidden by law to thee, for we saw him drown before our eyes,
+together with many other passengers, nor was one of them saved.
+So how canst thou pretend that thou art the owner of the goods?"
+"O captain," said I, "listen to my story and give heed to my
+words, and my truth will be manifest to thee; for lying and
+leasing are the letter-marks of the hypocrites." Then I recounted
+to him all that had befallen me since I sailed from Baghdad with
+him to the time when we came to the fish-island where we were
+nearly drowned; and I reminded him of certain matters which had
+passed between us; whereupon both he and the merchants were
+certified at the truth of my story and recognized me and gave me
+joy of my deliverance, saying, "By Allah, we thought not that
+thou hadst escaped drowning! But the Lord hath granted thee new
+life." Then they delivered my bales to me, and I found my name
+written thereon, nor was aught thereof lacking. So I opened them
+and making up a present for King Mihrjan of the finest and
+costliest of the contents, caused the sailors carry it up to the
+palace, where I went in to the King and laid my present at his
+feet, acquainting him with what had happened, especially
+concerning the ship and my goods; whereat he wondered with
+exceeding wonder and the truth of all that I had told him was
+made manifest to him. His affection for me redoubled after that
+and he showed me exceeding honour and bestowed on me a great
+present in return for mine. Then I sold my bales and what other
+matters I owned making a great profit on them, and bought me
+other goods and gear of the growth and fashion of the island-
+city. When the merchants were about to start on their homeward
+voyage, I embarked on board the ship all that I possessed, and
+going in to the King, thanked him for all his favours and
+friendship and craved his leave to return to my own land and
+friends. He farewelled me and bestowed on me great store of the
+country-stuffs and produce; and I took leave of him and embarked.
+Then we set sail and fared on nights and days, by the permission
+of Allah Almighty; and Fortune served us and Fate favoured us, so
+that we arrived in safety at Bassorah-city where I landed
+rejoiced at my safe return to my natal soil. After a short stay,
+I set out for Baghdad, the House of Peace, with store of goods
+and commodities of great price. Reaching the city in due time, I
+went straight to my own quarter and entered my house where all my
+friends and kinsfolk came to greet me. Then I bought me eunuchs
+and concubines, servants and negro slaves till I had a large
+establishment, and I bought me houses, and lands and gardens,
+till I was richer and in better case than before, and returned to
+enjoy the society of my friends and familiars more assiduously
+than ever, forgetting all I had suffered of fatigue and hardship
+and strangerhood and every peril of travel; and I applied myself
+to all manner joys and solaces and delights, eating the dantiest
+viands and drinking the deliciousest wines; and my wealth allowed
+this state of things to endure. "This, then, is the story of my
+first voyage, and to-morrow, Inshallah! I will tell you the tale
+of the second of my seven voyages." (Saith he who telleth the
+tale), Then Sindbad the Seaman made Sindbad the Landsman sup with
+him and bade give him an hundred gold pieces, saying, "Thou hast
+cheered us with thy company this day."[FN#19] The Porter thanked
+him and, taking the gift, went his way, pondering that which he
+had heard and marvelling mightily at what things betide mankind.
+He passed the night in his own place and with early morning
+repaired to the abode of Sindbad the Seaman, who received him
+with honour and seated him by his side. As soon as the rest of
+the company was assembled, he set meat and drink before them and,
+when they had well eaten and drunken and were merry and in
+cheerful case, he took up his discourse and recounted to them in
+these words the narrative of
+
+
+
+The Second Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.
+
+
+
+Know, O my brother, that I was living a most comfortable and
+enjoyable life, in all solace and delight, as I told you
+yesterday,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
+saying her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-third Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
+Sindbad the Seaman's guests were all gathered together he thus
+bespake them:--I was living a most enjoyable life until one day
+my mind became possessed with the thought of travelling about the
+world of men and seeing their cities and islands; and a longing
+seized me to traffic and to make money by trade. Upon this
+resolve I took a great store of cash and, buying goods and gear
+fit for travel, bound them up in bales. Then I went down to the
+river-bank, where I found a noble ship and brand-new about to
+sail, equipped with sails of fine cloth and well manned and
+provided; so I took passage in her, with a number of other
+merchants, and after embarking our goods we weighed anchor the
+same day. Right fair was our voyage and we sailed from place to
+place and from isle to isle; and whenever we anchored we met a
+crowd of merchants and notables and customers, and we took to
+buying and selling and bartering. At last Destiny brought us to
+an island, fair and verdant, in trees abundant, with yellow-ripe
+fruits luxuriant, and flowers fragrant and birds warbling soft
+descant; and streams crystalline and radiant; but no sign of man
+showed to the descrier, no, not a blower of the fire.[FN#20] The
+captain made fast with us to this island, and the merchants and
+sailors landed and walked about, enjoying the shade of the trees
+and the song of the birds, that chanted the praises of the One,
+the Victorious, and marvelling at the works of the Omnipotent
+King.[FN#21] I landed with the rest; and, sitting down by a
+spring of sweet water that welled up among the trees, took out
+some vivers I had with me and ate of that which Allah Almighty
+had allotted unto me. And so sweet was the zephyr and so fragrant
+were the flowers, that presently I waxed drowsy and, lying down
+in that place, was soon drowned in sleep. When I awoke, I found
+myself alone, for the ship had sailed and left me behind, nor had
+one of the merchants or sailors bethought himself of me. I seared
+the island right and left, but found neither man nor Jinn,
+whereat I was beyond measure troubled and my gall was like to
+burst for stress of chagrin and anguish and concern, because I
+was left quite alone, without aught of wordly gear or meat or
+drink, weary and heart-broken. So I gave myself up for lost and
+said, "Not always doth the crock escape the shock. I was saved
+the first time by finding one who brought me from the desert
+island to an inhabited place, but now there is no hope for me."
+Then I fell to weeping and wailing and gave myself up to an
+access of rage, blaming myself for having again ventured upon the
+perils and hardships of voyage, whenas I was at my ease in mine
+own house in mine own land, taking my pleasure with good meat and
+good drink and good clothes and lacking nothing, neither money
+nor goods. And I repented me of having left Baghdad, and this the
+more after all the travails and dangers I had undergone in my
+first voyage, wherein I had so narrowly escaped destruction, and
+exclaimed "Verily we are Allah's and unto Him we are returning!"
+I was indeed even as one mad and Jinn-struck and presently I rose
+and walked about the island, right and left and every whither,
+unable for trouble to sit or tarry in any one place. Then I
+climbed a tall tree and looked in all directions, but saw nothing
+save sky and sea and trees and birds and isles and sands.
+However, after a while my eager glances fell upon some great
+white thing, afar off in the interior of the island; so I came
+down from the tree and made for that which I had seen; and
+behold, it was a huge white dome rising high in air and of vast
+compass. I walked all around it, but found no door thereto, nor
+could I muster strength or nimbleness by reason of its exceeding
+smoothness and slipperiness. So I marked the spot where I stood
+and went round about the dome to measure its circumference which
+I found fifty good paces. And as I stood, casting about how to
+gain an entrance the day being near its fall and the sun being
+near the horizon, behold, the sun was suddenly hidden from me and
+the air became dull and dark. Methought a cloud had come over the
+sun, but it was the season of summer; so I marvelled at this and
+lifting my head looked steadfastly at the sky, when I saw that
+the cloud was none other than an enormous bird, of gigantic girth
+and inordinately wide of wing which, as it flew through the air,
+veiled the sun and hid it from the island. At this sight my
+wonder redoubled and I remembered a story,--And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-fourth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued in these words:--My wonder redoubled and I
+remembered a story I had heard aforetime of pilgrims and
+travellers, how in a certain island dwelleth a huge bird, called
+the "Rukh"[FN#22] which feedeth its young on elephants; and I was
+certified that the dome which caught my sight was none other than
+a Rukh's egg. As I looked and wondered at the marvellous works of
+the Almighty, the bird alighted on the dome and brooded over it
+with its wings covering it and its legs stretched out behind it
+on the ground, and in this posture it fell asleep, glory be to
+Him who sleepeth not! When I saw this, I arose and, unwinding my
+turband from my head, doubled it and twisted it into a rope, with
+which I girt my middle and bound my waist fast to the legs of the
+Rukh, saying in myself, "Peradventure, this bird may carry me to
+a land of cities and inhabitants, and that will be better than
+abiding in this desert island." I passed the night watching and
+fearing to sleep, lest the bird should fly away with me unawares;
+and, as soon as the dawn broke and morn shone, the Rukh rose off
+its egg and spreading its wings with a great cry flew up into the
+air dragging me with it; nor ceased it to soar and to tower till
+I thought it had reached the limit of the firmament; after which
+it descended, earthwards, little by little, till it lighted on
+the top of a high hill. As soon as I found myself on the hard
+ground, I made haste to unbind myself, quaking for fear of the
+bird, though it took no heed of me nor even felt me; and, loosing
+my turband from its feet, I made off with my best speed.
+Presently, I saw it catch up in its huge claws something from the
+earth and rise with it high in air, and observing it narrowly I
+saw it to be a serpent big of bulk and gigantic of girth,
+wherewith it flew away clean out of sight. I marvelled at this
+and faring forwards found myself on a peak overlooking a valley,
+exceeding great and wide and deep, and bounded by vast mountains
+that spired high in air: none could descry their summits, for the
+excess of their height, nor was any able to climb up thereto.
+When I saw this, I blamed myself for that which I had done and
+said, "Would Heaven I had tarried in the island! It was better
+than this wild desert; for there I had at least fruits to eat and
+water to drink, and here are neither trees nor fruits nor
+streams. But there is no Majesty and there is no Might save in
+Allah, the Glorious, the Great! Verily, as often as I am quit of
+one peril, I fall into a worse danger and a more grievous."
+However, I took courage and walking along the Wady found that its
+soil was of diamond, the stone wherewith they pierce minerals and
+precious stones and porcelain and the onyx, for that it is a
+dense stone and a dure, whereon neither iron nor hardhead hath
+effect, neither can we cut off aught therefrom nor break it, save
+by means of leadstone.[FN#23] Moreover, the valley swarmed with
+snakes and vipers, each big as a palm tree, that would have made
+but one gulp of an elephant; and they came out by night, hiding
+during the day, lest the Rukhs and eagles pounce on them and tear
+them to pieces, as was their wont, why I wot not. And I repented
+of what I had done and said, "By Allah, I have made haste to
+bring destruction upon myself!" The day began to wane as I went
+along and I looked about for a place where I might pass the
+night, being in fear of the serpents; and I took no thought of
+meat and drink in my concern for my life. Presently, I caught
+sight of a cave nearhand, with a narrow doorway; so I entered and
+seeing a great stone close to the mouth, I rolled it up and
+stopped the entrance, saying to myself, "I am safe here for the
+night; and as soon as it is day, I will go forth and see what
+destiny will do." Then I looked within the cave and saw to the
+upper end a great serpent brooding on her eggs, at which my flesh
+quaked and my hair stood on end; but I raised my eyes to Heaven
+and, committing my case to fate and lot, abode all that night
+without sleep till daybreak, when I rolled back the stone from
+the mouth of the cave and went forth, staggering like a drunken
+man and giddy with watching and fear and hunger. As in this sore
+case I walked along the valley, behold, there fell down before me
+a slaughtered beast; but I saw no one, whereat I marvelled with
+great marvel and presently remembered a story I had heard
+aforetime of traders and pilgrims and travellers; how the
+mountains where are the diamonds are full of perils and terrors,
+nor can any fare through them; but the merchants who traffic in
+diamonds have a device by which they obtain them, that is to say,
+they take a sheep and slaughter and skin it and cut it in pieces
+and cast them down from the mountain-tops into the valley-sole,
+where the meat being fresh and sticky with blood, some of the
+gems cleave to it. There they leave it till mid-day, when the
+eagles and vultures swoop down upon it and carry it in their
+claws to the mountain-summits, whereupon the merchants come and
+shout at them and scare them away from the meat. Then they come
+and, taking the diamonds which they find sticking to it, go their
+ways with them and leave the meat to the birds and beasts; nor
+can any come at the diamonds but by this device,--And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-fifth Night,
+
+She said, it hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued his relation of what befel him in the Mountain
+of Diamonds, and informed them that the merchants cannot come at
+the diamonds save by the device aforesaid. So, when I saw the
+slaughtered beast fall (he pursued) and bethought me of the
+story, I went up to it and filled my pockets and shawl-girdle and
+turband and the folds of my clothes with the choicest diamonds;
+and, as I was thus engaged, down fell before me another great
+piece of meat. Then with my unrolled turband and lying on my
+back, I set the bit on my breast so that I was hidden by the
+meat, which was thus raised above the ground. Hardly had I
+gripped it, when an eagle swooped down upon the flesh and,
+seizing it with his talons, flew up with it high in air and me
+clinging thereto, and ceased not its flight till it alighted on
+the head of one of the mountains where, dropping the carcass he
+fell to rending it; but, behold, there arose behind him a great
+noise of shouting and clattering of wood, whereat the bird took
+fright and flew away. Then I loosed off myself the meat, with
+clothes daubed with blood therefrom, and stood up by its side;
+whereupon up came the merchant, who had cried out at the eagle,
+and seeing me standing there, bespoke me not, but was affrighted
+at me and shook with fear. However, he went up to the carcass and
+turning it over, found no diamonds sticking to it, whereat he
+gave a great cry and exclaimed, "Harrow, my disappointment! There
+is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah with whom we
+seek refuge from Satan the stoned!" And he bemoaned himself and
+beat hand upon hand, saying, "Alas, the pity of it! How cometh
+this?" Then I went up to him and he said to me, "Who art thou and
+what causeth thee to come hither?" And I, "Fear not, I am a man
+and a good man and a merchant. My story is a wondrous and my
+adventures marvellous and the manner of my coming hither is
+prodigious. So be of good cheer, thou shalt receive of me what
+shall rejoice thee, for I have with me great plenty of diamonds
+and I will give thee thereof what shall suffice thee; for each is
+better than aught thou couldst get otherwise. So fear nothing."
+The man rejoiced thereat and thanked and blessed me; then we
+talked together till the other merchants, hearing me in discourse
+with their fellow, came up and saluted me; for each of them had
+thrown down his piece of meat. And as I went off with them I told
+them my whole story, how I had suffered hardships at sea and the
+fashion of my reaching the valley. But I gave the owner of the
+meat a number of the stones I had by me, so they all wished me
+joy of my escape, saying, "By Allah a new life hath been decreed
+to thee, for none ever reached yonder valley and came off thence
+alive before thee; but praised be Allah for thy safety!" We
+passed the night together in a safe and pleasant place, beyond
+measure rejoiced at my deliverance from the Valley of Serpents
+and my arrival in an inhabited land; and on the morrow we set out
+and journeyed over the mighty range of mountains, seeing many
+serpents in the valley, till we came to a fair great island,
+wherein was a garden of huge camphor trees under each of which an
+hundred men might take shelter. When the folk have a mind to get
+camphor, they bore into the upper part of the bole with a long
+iron; whereupon the liquid camphor, which is the sap of the tree,
+floweth out and they catch it in vessels, where it concreteth
+like gum; but, after this, the tree dieth and becometh
+firewood.[FN#24] Moreover, there is in this island a kind of wild
+beast, called "Rhinoceros,"[FN#25] that pastureth as do steers
+and buffalos with us; but it is a huge brute, bigger of body than
+the camel and like it feedeth upon the leaves and twigs of trees.
+It is a remarkable animal with a great and thick horn, ten cubits
+long, amiddleward its head; wherein, when cleft in twain, is the
+likeness of a man. Voyagers and pilgrims and travellers declare
+that this beast called "Karkadan" will carry off a great elephant
+on its horn and graze about the island and the sea-coast
+therewith and take no heed of it, till the elephant dieth and its
+fat, melting in the sun, runneth down into the rhinoceros's eyes
+and blindeth him, so that he lieth down on the shore. Then comes
+the bird Rukh and carrieth off both the rhinoceros's eyes and
+blindeth him, so that he lieth down on the shore. Then comes the
+bird Rukh and carrieth off both the rhinoceros and that which is
+on its horn to feed its young withal. Moreover, I saw in this
+island many kinds of oxen and buffalos, whose like are not found
+in our country. Here I sold some of the diamonds which I had by
+me for gold dinars and silver dirhams and bartered others for the
+produce of the country; and, loading them upon beasts of burden,
+fared on with the merchants from valley to valley and town to
+town, buying and selling and viewing foreign countries and the
+works and creatures of Allah, till we came to Bassorah-city,
+where we abode a few days, after which I continued my journey to
+Baghdad.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to
+say her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-sixth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
+Sindbad the Seaman returned from his travel to Baghdad, the House
+of Peace, he arrived at home with great store of diamonds and
+money and goods. (Continued he) I foregathered with my friends
+and relations and gave alms and largesse and bestowed curious
+gifts and made presents to all my friends and companions. Then I
+betook myself to eating well and drinking well and wearing fine
+clothes and making merry with my fellows, and forgot all my
+sufferings in the pleasures of return to the solace and delight
+of life, with light heart and broadened breast. And every one who
+heard of my return came and questioned me of my adventures and of
+foreign countries, and I related to them all that had befallen
+me, and the much I had suffered, whereat they wondered and gave
+me joy of my safe return. "This, then is the end of the story of
+my second voyage; and to-morrow, Inshallah! I will tell you what
+befel me in my third voyage." The company marvelled at his story
+and supped with him; after which he ordered an hundred dinars of
+gold to be given to the Porter, who took the sum with many thanks
+and blessings (which he stinted not even when he reached home)
+and went his way, wondering at what he had heard. Next morning as
+soon as day came in its sheen and shone, he rose and praying the
+dawn-prayer, repaired to the house of Sindbad the Seaman, even as
+he had bidden him, and went in and gave him good-morrow. The
+merchant welcomed him and made him sit with him, till the rest of
+the company arrived; and when they had well eaten and drunken and
+were merry with joy and jollity, their host began by saying,
+"Hearken, O my brothers, to what I am about to tell you; for it
+is even more wondrous than what you have already heard; but Allah
+alone kenneth what things His Omniscience concealed from man! And
+listen to
+
+
+
+The Third Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.
+
+
+
+As I told you yesterday, I returned from my second voyage
+overjoyed at my safety and with great increase of wealth, Allah
+having requited me all that I had wasted and lost, and I abode
+awhile in Baghdad-city savouring the utmost ease and prosperity
+and comfort and happiness, till the carnal man was once more
+seized with longing for travel and diversion and adventure, and
+yearned after traffic and lucre and emolument, for that the human
+heart is naturally prone to evil. So making up my mind I laid in
+great plenty of goods suitable for a sea-voyage and repairing to
+Bassorah, went down to the shore and found there a fine ship
+ready to sail, with a full crew and a numerous company of
+merchants, men of worth and substance; faith, piety and
+consideration. I embarked with them and we set sail on the
+blessing of Allah Almighty and on His aidance and His favour to
+bring our voyage to a safe and prosperous issue and already we
+congratulated one another on our good fortune and boon voyage. We
+fared on from sea to sea and from island to island and city to
+city, in all delight and contentment, buying and selling wherever
+we touched, and taking our solace and our pleasure, till one day
+when, as we sailed athwart the dashing sea, swollen with clashing
+billows, behold, the master (who stood on the gunwale examining
+the ocean in all directions) cried out with a great cry, and
+buffeted his face and pluckt out his beard and rent his raiment,
+and bade furl the sail and cast the anchors. So we said to him,
+"O Rais, what is the matter?" "Know, O my brethren (Allah
+preserve you!), that the wind hath gotten the better of us and
+hath driven us out of our course into mid-ocean, and destiny, for
+our ill luck, hath brought us to the Mountain of the Zughb, a
+hairy folk like apes,[FN#26] among whom no man ever fell and came
+forth alive; and my heart presageth that we all be dead men."
+Hardly had the master made an end of his speech when the apes
+were upon us. They surrounded the ship on all sides swarming like
+locusts and crowding the shore. They were the most frightful of
+wild creatures, covered with black hair like felt, foul of favour
+and small of stature, being but four spans high, yellow-eyed and
+black-faced; none knoweth their language nor what they are, and
+they shun the company of men. We feared to slay them or strike
+them or drive them away, because of their inconceivable
+multitude; lest, if we hurt one, the rest fall on us and slay us,
+for numbers prevail over courage; so we let them do their will,
+albeit we feared they would plunder our goods and gear. They
+swarmed up the cables and gnawed them asunder, and on like wise
+they did with all the ropes of the ship, so that it fell off from
+the wind and stranded upon their mountainous coast. Then they
+laid hands on all the merchants and crew, and landing us on the
+island, made off with the ship and its cargo and went their ways,
+we wot not whither. We were thus left on the island, eating of
+its fruits and pot-herbs and drinking of its streams till, one
+day, we espied in its midst what seemed an inhabited house. So we
+made for it as fast as our feet could carry us and behold, it was
+a castle strong and tall, compassed about with a lofty wall, and
+having a two-leaved gate of ebony-wood both of which leaves open
+stood. We entered and found within a space wide and bare like a
+great square, round which stood many high doors open thrown, and
+at the farther end a long bench of stone and brasiers, with
+cooking gear hanging thereon and about it great plenty of bones;
+but we saw no one and marvelled thereat with exceeding wonder.
+Then we sat down in the courtyard a little while and presently
+falling asleep, slept from the forenoon till sundown, when lo!
+the earth trembled under our feet and the air rumbled with a
+terrible tone. Then there came down upon us, from the top of the
+castle, a huge creature in the likeness of a man, black of
+colour, tall and big of bulk, as he were a great date-tree, with
+eyes like coals of fire and eye-teeth like boar's tusks and a
+vast big gape like the mouth of a well. Moreover, he had long
+loose lips like camel's, hanging down upon his breast and ears
+like two Jarms[FN#27] falling over his shoulder-blades and the
+nails of his hands were like the claws of a lion.[FN#28] When we
+saw this frightful giant, we were like to faint and every moment
+increased our fear and terror; and we became as dead men for
+excess of horror and affright.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
+of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+     When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-seventh Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued:--When we saw this frightful giant we were
+struck with exceeding terror and horror. And after trampling upon
+the earth, he sat awhile on the bench; then he arose and coming
+to us seized me by the arm choosing me out from among my comrades
+the merchants. He took me up in his hand and turning me over felt
+me, as a butcher feeleth a sheep he is about to slaughter, and I
+but a little mouthful in his hands; but finding me lean and
+fleshless for stress of toil and trouble and weariness, let me go
+and took up another, whom in like manner he turned over and felt
+and let go; nor did he cease to feel and turn over the rest of
+us, one after another, till he came to the master of the ship.
+Now he was a sturdy, stout, broad-shouldered wight, fat and in
+full vigour; so he pleased the giant, who seized him, as a
+butcher seizeth a beast, and throwing him down, set his foot on
+his neck and brake it; after which he fetched a long spit and
+thrusting it up his backside, brought it forth of the crown of
+his head. Then, lighting a fierce fire, he set over it the spit
+with the Rais thereon, and turned it over the coals, till the
+flesh was roasted, when he took the spit off the fire and set it
+like a Kab�b-stick before him. Then he tare the body, limb from
+limb, as one jointeth a chicken and, rending the flesh with his
+nails, fell to eating of it and gnawing the bones, till there was
+nothing left but some of these, which he threw on one side of the
+wall. This done, he sat for a while; then he lay down on the
+stone-bench and fell asleep, snarking and snoring like the
+gurgling of a lamb or a cow with its throat cut; nor did he awake
+till morning, when he rose and fared forth and went his ways. As
+soon as we were certified that he was gone, we began to talk with
+one another, weeping and bemoaning ourselves for the risk we ran,
+and saying, "Would Heaven we had been drowned in the sea or that
+the apes had eaten us! That were better than to be roasted over
+the coals; by Allah, this is a vile, foul death! But whatso the
+Lord willeth must come to pass and there is no Majesty and there
+is no Might, save in Him, the Glorious, the Great! We shall
+assuredly perish miserably and none will know of us; as there is
+no escape for us from this place." Then we arose and roamed about
+the island, hoping that haply we might find a place to hide us in
+or a means of flight, for indeed death was a light matter to us,
+provided we were not roasted over the fire[FN#29] and eaten.
+However, we could find no hiding-place and the evening overtook
+us; so, of the excess of our terror, we returned to the castle
+and sat down awhile. Presently, the earth trembled under our feet
+and the black ogre came up to us and turning us over, felt one
+after other, till he found a man to his liking, whom he took and
+served as he had done the captain, killing and roasting and
+eating him: after which he lay down on the bench[FN#30] and slept
+all night, snarking and snoring like a beast with its throat cut,
+till daybreak, when he arose and went out as before. Then we drew
+together and conversed and said one to other, "By Allah, we had
+better throw ourselves into the sea and be drowned than die
+roasted; for this is an abominable death!" Quoth one of us, "Hear
+ye my words! let us cast about to kill him, and be at peace from
+the grief of him and rid the Moslems of his barbarity and
+tyranny." Then said I, "Hear me, O my brothers; if there is
+nothing for it but to slay him, let us carry some of this
+firewood and planks down to the sea-shore and make us a boat
+wherein, if we succeed in slaughtering him, we may either embark
+and let the waters carry us whither Allah willeth, or else abide
+here till some ship pass, when we will take passage in it. If we
+fail to kill him, we will embark in the boat and put out to sea;
+and if we be drowned, we shall at least escape being roasted over
+a kitchen fire with sliced weasands; whilst, if we escape, we
+escape, and if we be drowned, we die martyrs." "By Allah," said
+they all, "this rede is a right;" and we agreed upon this, and
+set about carrying it out. So we haled down to the beach the
+pieces of wood which lay about the bench; and, making a boat,
+moored it to the strand, after which we stowed therein somewhat
+of victual and returned to the castle. As soon as evening fell
+the earth trembled under our feet and in came the blackamoor upon
+us, snarling like a dog about to bite. He came up to us and
+feeling us and turning us over one by one, took one of us and did
+with him as he had done before and ate him, after which he lay
+down on the bench and snored and snorted like thunder. As soon as
+we were assured that he slept, we arose and taking two iron spits
+of those standing there, heated them in the fiercest of the fire,
+till they were red-hot, like burning coals, when we gripped fast
+hold of them and going up to the giant, as he lay snoring on the
+bench, thrust them into his eyes and pressed upon them, all of
+us, with our united might, so that his eyeballs burst and he
+became stone blind. Thereupon he cried with a great cry, whereat
+our hearts trembled, and springing up from the bench, he fell a-
+groping after us, blind-fold. We fled from him right and left and
+he saw us not, for his sight was altogether blent; but we were in
+terrible fear of him and made sure we were dead men despairing of
+escape. Then he found the door, feeling for it with his hands and
+went out roaring aloud; and behold, the earth shook under us, for
+the noise of his roaring, and we quaked for fear. As he quitted
+the castle we followed him and betook ourselves to the place
+where we had moored our boat, saying to one another, "If this
+accursed abide absent till the going down of the sun and come not
+to the castle, we shall know that he is dead; and if he come
+back, we will embark in the boat and paddle till we escape,
+committing our affair to Allah." But, as we spoke, behold, up
+came the blackamoor with other two as they were Ghuls, fouler and
+more frightful than he, with eyes like red-hot coals; which when
+we saw, we hurried into the boat and casting off the moorings
+paddled away and pushed out to sea.[FN#31] As soon as the ogres
+caught sight of us, they cried out at us and running down to the
+sea-shore, fell a-pelting us with rocks, whereof some fell
+amongst us and others fell into the sea. We paddled with all our
+might till we were beyond their reach, but the most part of us
+were slain by the rock-throwing, and the winds and waves sported
+with us and carried us into the midst of the dashing sea, swollen
+with billows clashing. We knew not whither we went and my fellows
+died one after another, till there remained but three, myself and
+two others;--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
+to say her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-eighth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman thus continued:--Most part of us were slain by the rock-
+thowing and only three of us remained on board the boat for, as
+often as one died, we threw him into the sea. We were sore
+exhausted for stress of hunger, but we took courage and heartened
+one another and worked for dear life and paddled with main and
+might, till the winds cast us upon an island, as we were dead men
+for fatigue and fear and famine. We landed on the island and
+walked about it for a while, finding that it abounded in trees
+and streams and birds; and we ate of the fruits and rejoiced in
+our escape from the black and our deliverance from the perils of
+the sea; and thus we did till nightfall, when we lay down and
+fell asleep for excess of fatigue. But we had hardly closed our
+eyes before we were aroused by a hissing sound like the sough of
+wind, and awaking, saw a serpent like a dragon, a seld-seen
+sight, of monstrous make and belly of enormous bulk which lay in
+a circle around us. Presently it reared its head and, seizing one
+of my companions, swallowed him up to his shoulders; then it
+gulped down the rest of him, and we heard his ribs crack in its
+belly. Presently it went its way, and we abode in sore amazement
+and grief for our comrade and mortal fear for ourselves, saying,
+"By Allah, this is a marvellous thing! Each kind of death that
+threatened us is more terrible than the last. We were rejoicing
+in our escape from the black ogre and our deliverance from the
+perils of the sea; but now we have fallen into that which is
+worse. There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah!
+By the Almighty, we have escaped from the blackamoor and from
+drowning: but how shall we escape from this abominable and
+viperish monster?" Then we walked about the island, eating of its
+fruits and drinking of its streams till dusk, when we climbed up
+into a high tree and went to sleep there, I being on the topmost
+bough. As soon as it was dark night, up came the serpent, looking
+right and left; and, making for the tree whereon we were, climbed
+up to my comrade and swallowed him down to his shoulders. Then it
+coiled about the bole[FN#32] with him, whilst I, who could not
+take my eyes off the sight, heard his bones crack in its belly,
+and it swallowed him whole, after which it slid down from the
+tree. When the day broke and the light showed me that the serpent
+was gone, I came down, as I were a dead man for stress of fear
+and anguish, and thought to cast myself into the sea and be at
+rest from the woes of the world; but could not bring myself to
+this, for verily life is dear. So I took five pieces of wood,
+broad and long, and bound one crosswise to the soles of my feet
+and others in like fashion on my right and left sides and over my
+breast; and the broadest and largest I bound across my head and
+made them fast with ropes. Then I lay down on the ground on my
+back, so that I was completely fenced in by the pieces of wood,
+which enclosed me like a bier.[FN#33] So as soon as it was dark,
+up came the serpent, as usual, and made towards me, but could not
+get at me to swallow me for the wood that fenced me in. So it
+wriggled round me on every side, whilst I looked on, like one
+dead by reason of my terror; and every now and then it would
+glide away and come back; but as often as it tried to come at me,
+it was hindered by the pieces of wood wherewith I had bound
+myself on every side. It ceased not to beset me thus from sundown
+till dawn, but when the light of day shone upon the beast it made
+off, in the utmost fury and extreme disappointment. Then I put
+out my hand and unbound myself, well-nigh down among the dead men
+for fear and suffering; and went down to the island-shore, whence
+a ship afar off in the midst of the waves suddenly struck my
+sight. So I tore off a great branch of a tree and made signs with
+it to the crew, shouting out the while; which when the ship's
+company saw they said to another, "We must stand in and see what
+this is; peradventure 'tis a man." So they made for the island
+and presently heard my cries, whereupon they took me on board and
+questioned me of my case. I told them all my adventures from
+first to last, whereat they marvelled mightily and covered my
+shame[FN#34] with some of their clothes. Moreover, they set
+before me somewhat of food and I ate my fill and I drank cold
+sweet water and was mightily refreshed; and Allah Almighty
+quickened me after I was virtually dead. So I praised the Most
+Highest and thanked Him for His favours and exceeding mercies,
+and my heart revived in me after utter despair, till meseemed as
+if all I had suffered were but a dream I had dreamed. We sailed
+on with a fair wind the Almighty sent us till we came to an
+island, called Al-Sal�hitah,[FN#35] which aboundeth in sandal-
+wood when the captain cast anchor,--And Shahrazad perceived the
+dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-ninth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued:--And when we had cast anchor, the merchants and
+the sailors landed with their goods to sell and to buy. Then the
+captain turned to me and said, "Hark'ee, thou art a stranger and
+a pauper and tellest us that thou hast undergone frightful
+hardship; wherefore I have a mind to benefit thee with somewhat
+that may further thee to thy native land, so thou wilt ever bless
+me and pray for me." "So be it," answered I; "thou shalt have my
+prayers." Quoth he, "Know then that there was with us a man, a
+traveller, whom we lost, and we know not if he be alive or dead,
+for we had no news of him; so I purpose to commit his bales of
+goods to thy charge, that thou mayst sell them in this island. A
+part of the proceeds we will give thee as an equivalent for thy
+pains and service, and the rest we will keep till we return to
+Baghdad, where we will enquire for his family and deliver it to
+them, together with the unsold goods. Say me then, wilt thou
+undertake the charge and land and sell them as other merchants
+do?" I replied "Hearkening and obedience to thee, O my lord; and
+great is thy kindness to me," and thanked him; whereupon he bade
+the sailors and porters bear the bales in question ashore and
+commit them to my charge. The ship's scribe asked him, "O master,
+what bales are these and what merchant's name shall I write upon
+them?"; and he answered, "Write on them the name of Sindbad the
+Seaman, him who was with us in the ship and whom we lost at the
+Rukh's island, and of whom we have no tidings; for we mean this
+stranger to sell them; and we will give him a part of the price
+for his pains and keep the rest till we return to Baghdad where,
+if we find the owner we will make it over to him, and if not, to
+his family." And the clerk said, "Thy words are apposite and thy
+rede is right." Now when I heard the captain give orders for the
+bales to be inscribed with my name, I said to myself, "By Allah,
+I am Sindbad the Seaman!" So I armed myself with courage and
+patience and waited till all the merchants had landed and were
+gathered together, talking and chaffering about buying and
+selling; then I went up to the captain and asked him, "O my lord,
+knowest thou what manner of man was this Sindbad, whose goods
+thou hast committed to me for sale?"; and he answered, "I know of
+him naught save that he was a man from Baghdad-city, Sindbad
+hight the Seaman, who was drowned with many others when we lay
+anchored at such an island and I have heard nothing of him since
+then." At this I cried out with a great cry and said, "O captain,
+whom Allah keep! know that I am that Sindbad the Seaman and that
+I was not drowned, but when thou castest anchor at the island, I
+landed with the rest of the merchants and crew; and I sat down in
+a pleasant place by myself and ate somewhat of food I had with me
+and enjoyed myself till I became drowsy and was drowned in sleep;
+and when I awoke, I found no ship and none near me. These goods
+are my goods and these bales are my bales; and all the merchants
+who fetch jewels from the Valley of Diamonds saw me there and
+will bear me witness that I am the very Sindbad the Seaman; for I
+related to them everything that had befallen me and told them how
+you forgot me and left me sleeping on the island, and that
+betided me which betided me." When the passengers and crew heard
+my words, they gathered about me and some of them believed me and
+others disbelieved; but presently, behold, one of the merchants,
+hearing me mention the Valley of Diamonds, came up to me and said
+to them, "Hear what I say, good people! When I related to you the
+most wonderful thing in my travels, and I told you that, at the
+time we cast down our slaughtered animals into the Valley of
+Serpents (I casting with the rest as was my wont), there came up
+a man hanging to mine, ye believed me not and gave me the lie."
+"Yes," quoth they, "thou didst tell us some such tale, but we had
+no call to credit thee." He resumed, "Now this is the very man,
+by token that he gave me diamonds of great value, and high price
+whose like are not to be found, requiting me more than would have
+come up sticking to my quarter of meat; and I companied with him
+to Bassorah-city, where he took leave of us and went on to his
+native stead, whilst we returned to our own land. This is he; and
+he told us his name, Sindbad the Seaman, and how the ship left
+him on the desert island. And know ye that Allah hath sent him
+hither, so might the truth of my story be made manifest to you.
+Moreover, these are his goods for, when he first foregathered
+with us, he told us of them; and the truth of his words is
+patent." Hearing the merchant's speech the captain came up to me
+and considered me straitly awhile, after which he said, "What was
+the mark on thy bales?" "Thus and thus," answered I, and reminded
+him of somewhat that had passed between him and me, when I
+shipped with him from Bassorah. Thereupon he was convinced that I
+was indeed Sindbad the Seaman and took me round the neck and gave
+me joy of my safety, saying, "By Allah, O my lord, thy case is
+indeed wondrous and thy tale marvellous; but lauded be Allah who
+hath brought thee and me together again, and who hath restored to
+thee thy goods and gear!"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
+day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+        When it was the Five Hundred and Fiftieth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman thus continued:--"Alhamdolillah!" quoth the captain,
+"lauded be Allah who hath restored unto thee thy goods and gear."
+Then I disposed of my merchandise to the best of my skill, and
+profited largely on them whereat I rejoiced with exceeding joy
+and congratulated myself on my safety and the recovery of my
+goods. We ceased not to buy and sell at the several islands till
+we came to the land of Hind, where we bought cloves and ginger
+and all manner spices; and thence we fared on to the land of
+Sind, where also we bought and sold. In these Indian seas, I saw
+wonders without number or count, amongst others a fish like a cow
+which bringeth forth its young and suckleth them like human
+beings; and of its skin bucklers are made.[FN#36] There were eke
+fishes like asses and camels[FN#37] and tortoises twenty cubits
+wide.[FN#38] And I saw also a bird that cometh out of a sea-shell
+and layeth eggs and hatcheth her chicks on the surface of the
+water, never coming up from the sea to the land.[FN#39] Then we
+set sail again with a fair wind and the blessing of Almighty
+Allah; and, after a prosperous voyage, arrived safe and sound at
+Bassorah. Here I abode a few days and presently returned to
+Baghdad where I went at once to my quarter and my house and
+saluted my family and familiars and friends. I had gained on this
+voyage what was beyond count and reckoning, so I gave alms and
+largesse and clad the widow and the orphan, by way of
+thanksgiving for my happy return, and fell to feasting and making
+merry with my companions and intimates and forgot, while eating
+well and drinking well and dressing well, everything that had
+befallen me and all the perils and hardships I had suffered.
+"These, then, are the most admirable things I sighted on my third
+voyage, and to-morrow, an it be the will of Allah, you shall come
+to me and I will relate the adventures of my fourth voyage, which
+is still more wonderful than those you have already heard."
+(Saith he who telleth the tale), Then Sindbad the Seaman bade
+give Sindbad the Landsman an hundred golden dinars as of wont and
+called for food. So they spread the tables and the company ate
+the night-meal and went their ways, marvelling at the tale they
+had heard. The Porter after taking his gold passed the night in
+his own house, also wondering at what his namesake the Seaman had
+told him, and as soon as day broke and the morning showed with
+its sheen and shone, he rose and praying the dawn-prayer betook
+himself to Sindbad the Seaman, who returned his salute and
+received him with an open breast and cheerful favour and made him
+sit with him till the rest of the company arrived, when he caused
+set on food and they ate and drank and made merry. Then Sindbad
+the Seaman bespake them and related to them the narrative of
+
+
+
+
+The Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.
+
+
+
+Know, O my brethren that after my return from my third voyage and
+foregathering with my friends, and forgetting all my perils and
+hardships in the enjoyment of ease and comfort and repose, I was
+visited one day by a company of merchants who sat down with me
+and talked of foreign travel and traffic, till the old bad man
+within me yearned to go with them and enjoy the sight of strange
+countries, and I longed for the society of the various races of
+mankind and for traffic and profit. So I resolved to travel with
+them and buying the necessaries for a long voyage, and great
+store of costly goods, more than ever before, transported them
+from Baghdad to Bassorah where I took ship with the merchants in
+question, who were of the chief of the town. We set out, trusting
+in the blessing of Almighty Allah; and with a favouring breeze
+and the best conditions we sailed from island to island and sea
+to sea, till, one day, there arose against us a contrary wind and
+the captain cast out his anchors and brought the ship to a
+standsill, fearing lest she should founder in mid-ocean. Then we
+all fell to prayer and humbling ourselves before the Most High;
+but, as we were thus engaged there smote us a furious squall
+which tore the sails to rags and tatters: the anchor-cable parted
+and, the ship foundering, we were cast into the sea, goods and
+all. I kept myself afloat by swimming half the day, till, when I
+had given myself up for lost, the Almighty threw in my way one of
+the planks of the ship, whereon I and some others of the
+merchants scrambled.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
+ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-first Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued as follows:--And when the ship foundered I
+scrambled on to a plank with some others of the merchants and,
+mounting it as we would a horse, paddled with our feet in the
+sea. We abode thus a day and a night, the wind and waves helping
+us on, and on the second day shortly before the mid-time between
+sunrise and noon[FN#40] the breeze freshened and the sea wrought
+and the rising waves cast us upon an island, well-nigh dead
+bodies for weariness and want of sleep, cold and hunger and fear
+and thirst. We walked about the shore and found abundance of
+herbs, whereof we ate enough to keep breath in body and to stay
+our failing spirits, then lay down and slept till morning hard by
+the sea. And when morning came with its sheen and shone, we arose
+and walked about the island to the right and left, till we came
+in sight of an inhabited house afar off. So we made towards it,
+and ceased not walking till we reached the door thereof when lo!
+a number of naked men issued from it and without saluting us or a
+word said, laid hold of us masterfully and carried us to their
+king, who signed us to sit. So we sat down and they set food
+before us such as we knew not[FN#41] and whose like we had never
+seen in all our lives. My companions ate of it, for stress of
+hunger, but my stomach revolted from it and I would not eat; and
+my refraining from it was, by Allah's favour, the cause of my
+being alive till now: for no sooner had my comrades tasted of it
+than their reason fled and their condition changed and they began
+to devour it like madmen possessed of an evil spirit. Then the
+savages gave them to drink of cocoa-nut oil and anointed them
+therewith; and straightway after drinking thereof, their eyes
+turned into their heads and they fell to eating greedily, against
+their wont. When I saw this, I was confounded and concerned for
+them, nor was I less anxious about myself, for fear of the naked
+folk. So I watched them narrowly, and it was not long before I
+discovered them to be a tribe of Magian cannibals whose King was
+a Ghul.[FN#42] All who came to their country or whoso they caught
+in their valleys or on their roads they brought to this King and
+fed them upon that food and anointed them with that oil,
+whereupon their stomachs dilated that they might eat largely,
+whilst their reason fled and they lost the power of thought and
+became idiots. Then they stuffed them with cocoa-nut oil and the
+aforesaid food, till they became fat and gross, when they
+slaughtered them by cutting their throats and roasted them for
+the King's eating; but, as for the savages themselves, they ate
+human flesh raw.[FN#43] When I saw this, I was sore dismayed for
+myself and my comrades, who were now become so stupefied that
+they knew not what was done with them and the naked folk
+committed them to one who used every day to lead them out and
+pasture them on the island like cattle. And they wandered amongst
+the trees and rested at will, thus waxing very fat. As for me, I
+wasted away and became sickly for fear and hunger and my flesh
+shrivelled on my bones; which when the savages saw, they left me
+alone and took no thought of me and so far forgot me that one day
+I gave them the slip and walking out of their place made for the
+beach which was distant and there espied a very old man seated on
+a high place, girt by the waters. I looked at him and knew him
+for the herdsman, who had charge of pasturing my fellows, and
+with him were many others in like case. As soon as he saw me, he
+knew me to be in possession of my reason and not afflicted like
+the rest whom he was pasturing; so signed to me from afar, as who
+should say, "Turn back and take the right-hand road, for that
+will lead thee into the King's highway." So I turned back, as he
+bade me, and followed the right-hand road, now running for fear
+and then walking leisurely to rest me, till I was out of the old
+man's sight. By this time, the sun had gone down and the darkness
+set in; so I sat down to rest and would have slept, but sleep
+came not to me that night, for stress of fear and famine and
+fatigue. When the night was half spent, I rose and walked on,
+till the day broke in all its beauty and the sun rose over the
+heads of the lofty hills and athwart the low gravelly plains. Now
+I was weary and hungry and thirsty; so I ate my fill of herbs and
+grasses that grew in the island and kept life in body and stayed
+my stomach, after which I set out again and fared on all that day
+and the next night, staying my greed with roots and herbs; nor
+did I cease walking for seven days and their nights, till the
+morn of the eighth day, when I caught sight of a faint object in
+the distance. So I made towards it, though my heart quaked for
+all I had suffered first and last, and behold it was a company of
+men gathering pepper-grains.[FN#44] As soon as they saw me, they
+hastened up to me and surrounding me on all sides, said to me,
+"Who art thou and whence come?" I replied, "Know, O folk, that I
+am a poor stranger," and acquainted them with my case and all the
+hardships and perils I had suffered,--And Shahrazad perceived the
+dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-second Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued:--And the men gathering pepper in the island
+questioned me of my case, when I acquainted them with all the
+hardships and perils I had suffered and how I had fled from the
+savages; whereat they marvelled and gave me joy of my safety,
+saying, "By Allah, this is wonderful! But how didst thou escape
+from these blacks who swarm in the island and devour all who fall
+in with them; nor is any safe from them, nor can any get out of
+their clutches?" And after I had told them the fate of my
+companions, they made me sit by them, till they got quit of their
+work; and fetched me somewhat of good food, which I ate, for I
+was hungry, and rested awhile, after which they took ship with me
+and carrying me to their island-home brought me before their
+King, who returned my salute and received me honourably and
+questioned me of my case. I told him all that had befallen me,
+from the day of my leaving Baghdad-city, whereupon he wondered
+with great wonder at my adventures, he and his courtiers, and
+bade me sit by him; then he called for food and I ate with him
+what sufficed me and washed my hands and returned thanks to
+Almighty Allah for all His favours praising Him and glorifying
+Him. Then I left the King and walked for solace about the city,
+which I found wealthy and populous, abounding in market-streets
+well stocked with food and merchandise and full of buyers and
+sellers. So I rejoiced at having reached so pleasant a place and
+took my ease there after my fatigues; and I made friends with the
+townsfolk, nor was it long before I became more in honour and
+favour with them and their King than any of the chief men of the
+realm. Now I saw that all the citizens, great and small, rode
+fine horses, high-priced and thorough-bred, without saddles or
+housings, whereat I wondered and said to the King, "Wherefore, O
+my lord, dost thou not ride with a saddle? Therein is ease for
+the rider and increase of power." "What is a saddle?" asked he:
+"I never saw nor used such a thing in all my life;" and I
+answered, "With thy permission I will make thee a saddle, that
+thou mayest ride on it and see the comfort thereof." And quoth
+he, "Do so." So quoth I to him, "Furnish me with some wood,"
+which being brought, I sought me a clever carpenter and sitting
+by him showed him how to make the saddle-tree, portraying for him
+the fashion thereof in ink on the wood. Then I took wool and
+teased it and made felt of it, and, covering the saddle-tree with
+leather, stuffed it and polished it and attached the girth and
+stirrup leathers; after which I fetched a blacksmith and
+described to him the fashion of the stirrups and bridle-bit. So
+he forged a fine pair of stirrups and a bit, and filed them
+smooth and tinned[FN#45] them. Moreover, I made fast to them
+fringes of silk and fitted bridle-leathers to the bit. Then I
+fetched one of the best of the royal horses and saddling and
+bridling him, hung the stirrups to the saddle and led him to the
+King. The thing took his fancy and he thanked me; then he mounted
+and rejoiced greatly in the saddle and rewarded me handsomely for
+my work. When the King's Wazir saw the saddle, he asked of me one
+like it and I made it for him. Furthermore, all the grandees and
+officers of state came for saddles to me; so I fell to making
+saddles (having taught the craft to the carpenter and
+blacksmith), and selling them to all who sought, till I amassed
+great wealth and became in high honour and great favour with the
+King and his household and grandees. I abode thus till, one day,
+as I was sitting with the King in all respect and contentment, he
+said to me, "Know thou, O such an one, thou art become one of us,
+dear as a brother, and we hold thee in such regard and affection
+that we cannot part with thee nor suffer thee to leave our city;
+wherefore I desire of thee obedience in a certain matter, and I
+will not have thee gainsay me." Answered I, "O King, what is it
+thou desirest of me? Far be it from me to gainsay thee in aught,
+for I am indebted to thee for many favours and bounties and much
+kindness, and (praised be Allah!) I am become one of thy
+servants." Quoth he, "I have a mind to marry thee to a fair,
+clever and agreeable wife who is wealthy as she is beautiful; so
+thou mayst be naturalised and domiciled with us: I will lodge
+thee with me in my palace; wherefore oppose me not neither cross
+me in this." When I heard these words I was ashamed and held my
+peace nor could make him any answer,[FN#46] by reason of my much
+bashfulness before him. Asked he, "Why dost thou not reply to me,
+O my son?"; and I answered saying, "O my master, it is thine to
+command, O King of the age!" So he summoned the Kazi and the
+witnesses and married me straightway to a lady of a noble tree
+and high pedigree; wealthy in moneys and means; the flower of an
+ancient race; of surpassing beauty and grace, and the owner of
+farms and estates and many a dwelling-place.--And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-third Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued in these words:--Now after the King my master
+had married me to this choice wife, he also gave me a great and
+goodly house standing alone, together with slaves and officers,
+and assigned me pay and allowances. So I became in all ease and
+contentment and delight and forgot everything which had befalled
+me of weariness and trouble and hardship; for I loved my wife
+with fondest love and she loved me no less, and we were as one
+and abode in the utmost comfort of life and in its happiness. And
+I said in myself, "When I return to my native land, I will carry
+her with me." But whatso is predestined to a man, that needs must
+be, and none knoweth what shall befal him. We lived thus a great
+while, till Almighty Allah bereft one of my neighbours of his
+wife. Now he was a gossip of mine; so hearing the cry of the
+keeners I went in to condole with him on his loss and found him
+in very ill plight, full of trouble and weary of soul and mind. I
+condoled with him and comforted him, saying, "Mourn not for thy
+wife who hath now found the mercy of Allah; the Lord will surely
+give thee a better in her stead and thy name shall be great and
+thy life shall be long in the land, Inshallah!"[FN#47] But he
+wept bitter tears and replied, "O my friend, how can I marry
+another wife and how shall Allah replace her to me with a better
+than she, whenas I have but one day left to live?" "O my
+brother," said I, "return to thy senses and announce not the glad
+tidings of thine own death, for thou art well, sound and in good
+case." "By thy life, O my friend," rejoined he, "to-morrow thou
+wilt lose me and wilt never see me again till the Day of
+Resurrection." I asked, "How so?" and he answered, "This very day
+they bury my wife, and they bury me with her in one tomb; for it
+is the custom with us, if the wife die first, to bury the husband
+alive with her and in like manner the wife, if the husband die
+first; so that neither may enjoy life after losing his or her
+mate." "By Allah," cried I, "this is a most vile, lewd custom and
+not to be endured of any!" Meanwhile, behold, the most part of
+the townsfolk came in and fell to condoling with my gossip for
+his wife and for himself. Presently they laid the dead woman out,
+as was their wont; and, setting her on a bier, carried her and
+her husband without the city, till they came to a place in the
+side of the mountain at the end of the island by the sea; and
+here they raised a great rock and discovered the mouth of a
+stone-rivetted pit or well,[FN#48] leading down into a vast
+underground cavern that ran beneath the mountain. Into this pit
+they threw the corpse, then tying a rope of palm-fibres under the
+husband's armpits, they let him down into the cavern, and with
+him a great pitcher of fresh water and seven scones by was of
+viaticum.[FN#49] When he came to the bottom, he loosed himself
+from the rope and they drew it up; and, stopping the mouth of the
+pit with the great stone, they returned to the city, leaving my
+friend in the cavern with his dead wife. When I saw this, I said
+to myself, "By Allah, this fashion of death is more grievous than
+the first!" And I went in to the King and said to him, "O my
+lord, why do ye bury the quick with the dead?" Quoth he, "It hath
+been the custom, thou must know, of our forbears and our olden
+Kings from time immemorial, if the husband die first, to bury his
+wife with him, and the like with the wife, so we may not sever
+them, alive or dead." I asked, "O King of the age, if the wife of
+a foreigner like myself die among you, deal ye with him as with
+yonder man?"; and he answered, "Assuredly, we do with him even as
+thou hast seen." When I heard this, my gall-bladder was like to
+burst, for the violence of my dismay and concern for myself: my
+wit became dazed; I felt as if in a vile dungeon; and hated their
+society; for I went about in fear lest my wife should die before
+me and they bury me alive with her. However, after a while, I
+comforted myself, saying, "Haply I shall predecease her, or shall
+have returned to my own land before she die, for none knoweth
+which shall go first and which shall go last." Then I applied
+myself to diverting my mind from this thought with various
+occupations; but it was not long before my wife sickened and
+complained and took to her pillow and fared after a few days to
+the mercy of Allah; and the King and the rest of the folk came,
+as was their wont, to condole with me and her family and to
+console us for her loss and not less to condole with me for
+myself. Then the women washed her and arraying her in her richest
+raiment and golden ornaments, necklaces and jewellery, laid her
+on the bier and bore her to the mountain aforesaid, where they
+lifted the cover of the pit and cast her in; after which all my
+intimates and acquaintances and my wife's kith and kin came round
+me, to farewell me in my lifetime and console me for my own
+death, whilst I cried out among them, saying, "Almighty Allah
+never made it lawful to bury the quick with the dead! I am a
+stranger, not one of your kind; and I cannot abear your custom,
+and had I known it I never would have wedded among you!" They
+heard me not and paid no heed to my words, but laying hold of me,
+bound me by force and let me down into the cavern, with a large
+gugglet of sweet water and seven cakes of bread, according to
+their custom. When I came to the bottom, they called out to me to
+cast myself loose from the cords, but I refused to do so; so they
+threw them down on me and, closing the mouth of the pit with the
+stones aforesaid, went their ways,--And Shahrazad perceived the
+dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-fourth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued:--When they left me in the cavern with my dead
+wife and, closing the mouth of the pit, went their ways, I looked
+about me and found myself in a vast cave full of dead bodies,
+that exhaled a fulsome and loathsome smell and the air was heavy
+with the groans of the dying. Thereupon I fell to blaming myself
+for what I had done, saying, "By Allah, I deserve all that hath
+befallen me and all that shall befal me! What curse was upon me
+to take a wife in this city? There is no Majesty and there is no
+Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! As often as I say,
+I have escaped from one calamity, I fall into a worse. By Allah,
+this is an abominable death to die! Would Heaven I had died a
+decent death and been washed and shrouded like a man and a
+Moslem. Would I had been drowned at sea or perished in the
+mountains! It were better than to die this miserable death!" And
+on such wise I kept blaming my own folly and greed of gain in
+that black hole, knowing not night from day; and I ceased not to
+ban the Foul Fiend and to bless the Almighty Friend. Then I threw
+myself down on the bones of the dead and lay there, imploring
+Allah's help and in the violence of my despair, invoking death
+which came not to me, till the fire of hunger burned my stomach
+and thirst set my throat aflame when I sat up and feeling for the
+bread, ate a morsel and upon it swallowed a mouthful of water.
+After this, the worst night I ever knew, I arose, and exploring
+the cavern, found that it extended a long way with hollows in its
+sides; and its floor was strewn with dead bodies and rotten
+bones, that had lain there from olden time. So I made myself a
+place in a cavity of the cavern, afar from the corpses lately
+thrown down and there slept. I abode thus a long while, till my
+provision was like to give out; and yet I ate not save once every
+day or second day; nor did I drink more than an occasional
+draught, for fear my victual should fail me before my death; and
+I said to myself, "Eat little and drink little; belike the Lord
+shall vouchsafe deliverance to thee!" One day, as I sat thus,
+pondering my case and bethinking me how I should do, when my
+bread and water should be exhausted, behold, the stone that
+covered the opening was suddenly rolled away and the light
+streamed down upon me. Quoth I, "I wonder what is the matter:
+haply they have brought another corpse." Then I espied folk
+standing about the mouth of the pit, who presently let down a
+dead man and a live woman, weeping and bemoaning herself, and
+with her an ampler supply of bread and water than usual.[FN#50] I
+saw her and she was a beautiful woman; but she saw me not; and
+they closed up the opening and went away. Then I took the leg-
+bone of a dead man and, going up to the woman, smote her on the
+crown of the head; and she cried one cry and fell down in a
+swoon. I smote her a second and a third time, till she was dead,
+when I laid hands on her bread and water and found on her great
+plenty of ornaments and rich apparel, necklaces, jewels and gold
+trinkets;[FN#51] for it was their custom to bury women in all
+their finery. I carried the vivers to my sleeping place in the
+cavern-side and ate and drank of them sparingly, no more than
+sufficed to keep the life in me, lest the provaunt come speedily
+to an end and I perish of hunger and thirst. Yet did I never
+wholly lose hope in Almighty Allah. I abode thus a great while,
+killing all the live folk they let down into the cavern and
+taking their provisions of meat and drink; till one day, as I
+slept, I was awakened by something scratching and burrowing among
+the bodies in a corner of the cave and said, "What can this be?"
+fearing wolves or hyaenas. So I sprang up and seizing the leg-
+bone aforesaid, made for the noise. As soon as the thing was ware
+of me, it fled from me into the inward of the cavern, and lo! it
+was a wild beast. However, I followed it to the further end, till
+I saw afar off a point of light not bigger than a star, now
+appearing and then disappearing. So I made for it, and as I drew
+near, it grew larger and brighter, till I was certified that it
+was a crevice in the rock, leading to the open country; and I
+said to myself, "There must be some reason for this opening:
+either it is the mouth of a second pit, such as that by which
+they let me down, or else it is a natural fissure in the
+stonery." So I bethought me awhile and nearing the light, found
+that it came from a breach in the back side of the mountain,
+which the wild beasts had enlarged by burrowing, that they might
+enter and devour the dead and freely go to and fro. When I saw
+this, my spirits revived and hope came back to me and I made sure
+of life, after having died a death. So I went on, as in a dream,
+and making shift to scramble through the breach found myself on
+the slope of a high mountain, overlooking the salt sea and
+cutting off all access thereto from the island, so that none
+could come at that part of the beach from the city.[FN#52] I
+praised my Lord and thanked Him, rejoicing greatly and heartening
+myself with the prospect of deliverance; then I returned through
+the crack to the cavern and brought out all the food and water I
+had saved up and donned some of the dead folk's clothes over my
+own; after which I gathered together all the collars and
+necklaces of pearls and jewels and trinkets of gold and silver
+set with precious stones and other ornaments and valuables I
+could find upon the corpses; and, making them into bundles with
+the grave clothes and raiment of the dead, carried them out to
+the back of the mountain facing the sea-shore, where I
+established myself, purposing to wait there till it should please
+Almighty Allah to send me relief by means of some passing ship. I
+visited the cavern daily and as often as I found folk buried
+alive there, I killed them all indifferently, men and women, and
+took their victual and valuables and transported them to my seat
+on the sea-shore. Thus I abode a long while,--And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-fifth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued:--And after carrying all my victuals and
+valuables from the cavern to the coast I abode a long while by
+the sea, pondering my case, till one day I caught sight of a ship
+passing in the midst of the clashing sea, swollen with dashing
+billows. So I took a piece of a white shroud I had with me and,
+tying it to a staff, ran along the sea-shore, making signals
+therewith and calling to the people in the ship, till they espied
+me and hearing my shouts, sent a boat to fetch me off. When it
+drew near, the crew called out to me, saying, "Who art thou and
+how camest thou to be on this mountain, whereon never saw we any
+in our born days?" I answered, "I am a gentleman[FN#53] and a
+merchant, who hath been wrecked and saved myself on one of the
+planks of the ship, with some of my goods; and by the blessing of
+the Almighty and the decrees of Destiny and my own strength and
+skill, after much toil and moil I have landed with my gear in
+this place where I awaited some passing ship to take me off." So
+they took me in their boat together with the bundles I had made
+of the jewels and valuables from the cavern, tied up in clothes
+and shrouds, and rowed back with me to the ship, where the
+captain said to me, "How camest thou, O man, to yonder place on
+yonder mountain behind which lieth a great city? All my life I
+have sailed these seas and passed to and fro hard by these
+heights; yet never saw I here any living thing save wild beasts
+and birds." I repeated to him the story I had told the
+sailors,[FN#54] but acquainted him with nothing of that which had
+befallen me in the city and the cavern, lest there should be any
+of the islandry in the ship. Then I took out some of the best
+pearls I had with me and offered them to the captain, saying, "O
+my lord, thou hast been the means of saving me off this mountain.
+I have no ready money; but take this from me in requital of thy
+kindness and good offices." But he refused to accept it of me,
+saying, "When we find a shipwrecked man on the sea-shore or on an
+island, we take him up and give him meat and drink, and if he be
+naked we clothe him; nor take we aught from him; nay, when we
+reach a port of safety, we set him ashore with a present of our
+own money and entreat him kindly and charitably, for the love of
+Allah the Most High." So I prayed that his life be long in the
+land and rejoiced in my escape, trusting to be delivered from my
+stress and to forget my past mishaps; for every time I remembered
+being let down into the cave with my dead wife I shuddered in
+horror. Then we pursued our voyage and sailed from island to
+island and sea to sea, till we arrived at the Island of the Bell,
+which containeth a city two days' journey in extent, whence after
+a six days' run we reached the Island Kala, hard by the land of
+Hind.[FN#55] This place is governed by a potent and puissant King
+and it produceth excellent camphor and an abundance of the Indian
+rattan: here also is a lead mine. At last by the decree of Allah,
+we arrived in safety at Bassorah-town where I tarried a few days,
+then went on to Baghdad-city, and, finding my quarter, entered my
+house with lively pleasure. There I foregathered with my family
+and friends, who rejoiced in my happy return and gave my joy of
+my safety. I laid up in my storehouses all the goods I had
+brought with me, and gave alms and largesse to Fakirs and beggars
+and clothed the widow and the orphan. Then I gave myself up to
+pleasure and enjoyment, returning to my old merry mode of life.
+"Such, then, be the most marvellous adventures of my fourth
+voyage, but to-morrow if you will kindly come to me, I will tell
+you that which befel me in my fifth voyage, which was yet rarer
+and more marvellous than those which forewent it. And thou, O my
+brother Sindbad the Landsman, shalt sup with me as thou art
+wont." (Saith he who telleth the tale), When Sindbad the Seaman
+had made an end of his story, he called for supper; so they
+spread the table and the guests ate the evening meal; after which
+he gave the Porter an hundred dinars as usual, and he and the
+rest of the company went their ways, glad at heart and marvelling
+at the tales they had heard, for that each story was more
+extraordinary than that which forewent it. The porter Sindbad
+passed the night in his own house, in all joy and cheer and
+wonderment; and, as soon as morning came with its sheen and
+shone, he prayed the dawn-prayer and repaired to the house of
+Sindbad the Seaman, who welcomed him and bade him sit with him
+till the rest of the company arrived, when they ate and drank and
+made merry and the talk went round amongst them. Presently, their
+host began the narrative of the fifth voyage,--And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-sixth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the host
+began in these words the narrative of
+
+
+
+The Fifth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.
+
+
+
+Know, O my brothers, that when I had been awhile on shore after
+my fourth voyage; and when, in my comfort and pleasures and
+merry-makings and in my rejoicing over my large gains and
+profits, I had forgotten all I had endured of perils and
+sufferings, the carnal man was again seized with the longing to
+travel and to see foreign countries and islands.[FN#56]
+Accordingly I bought costly merchandise suited to my purpose and,
+making it up into bales, repaired to Bassorah, where I walked
+about the river-quay till I found a fine tall ship, newly builded
+with gear unused and fitted ready for sea. She pleased me; so I
+bought her and, embarking my goods in her, hired a master and
+crew, over whom I set certain of my slaves and servants as
+inspectors. A number of merchants also brought their outfits and
+paid me freight and passage-money; then, after reciting the
+Fatihah we set sail over Allah's pool in all joy and cheer,
+promising ourselves a prosperous voyage and much profit. We
+sailed from city to city and from island to island and from sea
+to sea viewing the cities and countries by which we passed, and
+selling and buying in not a few till one day we came to a great
+uninhabited island, deserted and desolate, whereon was a white
+dome of biggest bulk half buried in the sands. The merchants
+landed to examine this dome, leaving me in the ship; and when
+they drew near, behold, it was a huge Rukh's egg. They fell a-
+beating it with stones, knowing not what it was, and presently
+broke it open, whereupon much water ran out of it and the young
+Rukh appeared within. So they pulled it forth of the shell and
+cut its throat and took of it great store of meat. Now I was in
+the ship and knew not what they did; but presently one of the
+passengers came up to me and said, "O my lord, come and look at
+the egg we thought to be a dome." So I looked and seeing the
+merchants beating it with stones, called out to them, "Stop,
+stop! do not meddle with that egg, or the bird Rukh will come out
+and break our ship and destroy us."[FN#57] But they paid no heed
+to me and gave not over smiting upon the egg, when behold, the
+day grew dark and dun and the sun was hidden from us, as if some
+great cloud had passed over the firmament.[FN#58] So we raised
+our eyes and saw that what we took for a cloud was the Rukh
+poised between us and the sun, and it was his wings that darkened
+the day. When he came and saw his egg broken, he cried a loud
+cry, whereupon his mate came flying up and they both began
+circling about the ship, crying out at us with voices louder than
+thunder. I called to the Rais and crew, "Put out to sea and seek
+safety in flight, before we be all destroyed." So the merchants
+came on board and we cast off and made haste from the island to
+gain the open sea. When the Rukhs saw this, they flew off and we
+crowded all sail on the ship, thinking to get out of their
+country; but presently the two re-appeared and flew after us and
+stood over us, each carrying in its claws a huge boulder which it
+had brought from the mountains. As soon as the he-Rukh came up
+with us, he let fall upon us the rock he held in his pounces; but
+the master put about ship, so that the rock missed her by some
+small matter and plunged into the waves with such violence, that
+the ship pitched high and then sank into the trough of the sea
+and the bottom of the ocean appeared to us. Then the she-Rukh let
+fall her rock, which was bigger than that of her mate, and as
+Destiny had decreed, it fell on the poop of the ship and crushed
+it, the rudder flying into twenty pieces; whereupon the vessel
+foundered and all and everything on board were cast into the
+main.[FN#59] As for me I struggled for sweet life, till Almighty
+Allah threw in my way one of the planks of the ship, to which I
+clung and bestriding it, fell a-paddling with my feet. Now the
+ship had gone down hard by an island in the midst of the main and
+the winds and waves bore me on till, by permission of the Most
+High, they cast me up on the shore of the island, at the last
+gasp for toil and distress and half dead with hunger and thirst.
+So I landed more like a corpse than a live man and throwing
+myself down on the beach, lay there awhile, till I began to
+revive and recover spirits, when I walked about the island and
+found it as it were one of the garths and gardens of Paradise.
+Its trees, in abundance dight, bore ripe-yellow fruit for
+freight; its streams ran clear and bright; its flowers were fair
+to scent and to sight and its birds warbled with delight the
+praises of Him to whom belong permanence and all-might. So I ate
+my fill of the fruits and slaked my thirst with the water of the
+streams till I could no more and I returned thanks to the Most
+High and glorified Him;--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
+and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+     When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-seventh Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued:--So when I escaped drowning and reached the
+island which afforded me fruit to eat and water to drink, I
+returned thanks to the Most High and glorified Him; after which I
+sat till nightfall, hearing no voice and seeing none inhabitant.
+Then I lay down, well-nigh dead for travail and trouble and
+terror, and slept without surcease till morning, when I arose and
+walked about under the trees, till I came to the channel of a
+draw-well fed by a spring of running water, by which well sat an
+old man of venerable aspect, girt about with a waist-cloth[FN#60]
+made of the fibre of palm-fronds.[FN#61] Quoth I to myself,
+"Haply this Shaykh is one of those who were wrecked in the ship
+and hath made his way to this island." So I drew near to him and
+saluted him, and he returned my salam by signs, but spoke not;
+and I said to him, "O nuncle mine, what causeth thee to sit
+here?" He shook his head and moaned and signed to me with his
+hands as who should say, "Take me on thy shoulders and carry me
+to the other side of the well-channel." And quoth I in my mind,
+"I will deal kindly with him and do what he desireth; it may be I
+shall win me a reward in Heaven for he may be a paralytic." So I
+took him on my back and carrying him to the place whereat he
+pointed, said to him, "Dismount at thy leisure." But he would not
+get off my back and wound his legs about my neck. I looked at
+them and seeing that they were like a buffalo's hide for
+blackness and roughness,[FN#62] was affrighted and would have
+cast him off; but he clung to me and gripped my neck with his
+legs, till I was well-nigh choked, the world grew black in my
+sight and I fell senseless to the ground like one dead. But he
+still kept his seat and raising his legs drummed with his heels
+and beat harder than palm-rods my back and shoulders, till he
+forced me to rise for excess of pain. Then he signed to me with
+his hand to carry him hither and thither among the trees which
+bore the best fruits; and if ever I refused to do his bidding or
+loitered or took my leisure he beat me with his feet more
+grievously than if I had been beaten with whips. He ceased not to
+signal with his hand wherever he was minded to go; so I carried
+him about the island, like a captive slave, and he bepissed and
+conskited my shoulders and back, dismounting not night nor day;
+and whenas he wished to sleep he wound his legs about my neck and
+leaned back and slept awhile, then arose and beat me; whereupon I
+sprang up in haste, unable to gainsay him because of the pain he
+inflicted on me. And indeed I blamed myself and sore repented me
+of having taken compassion on him and continued in this
+condition, suffering fatigue not to be described, till I said to
+myself, "I wrought him a weal and he requited me with my ill; by
+Allah, never more will I do any man a service so long as I live!"
+And again and again I besought the Most High that I might die,
+for stress of weariness and misery; and thus I abode a long while
+till, one day, I came with him to a place wherein was abundance
+of gourds, many of them dry. So I took a great dry gourd and,
+cutting open the head, scooped out the inside and cleaned it;
+after which I gathered grapes from a vine which grew hard by and
+squeezed them into the gourd, till it was full of the juice. Then
+I stopped up the mouth and set it in the sun, where I left it for
+some days, until it became strong wine; and every day I used to
+drink of it, to comfort and sustain me under my fatigues with
+that froward and obstinate fiend; and as often as I drank myself
+drunk, I forgot my troubles and took new heart. One day he saw me
+drinking and signed to me with his hand, as who should say, "What
+is that?" Quoth I, "It is an excellent cordial, which cheereth
+the heart and reviveth the spirits." Then, being heated with
+wine, I ran and danced with him among the trees, clapping my
+hands and singing and making merry; and I staggered under him by
+design. When he saw this, he signed to me to give him the gourd
+that he might drink, and I feared him and gave it him. So he took
+it and, draining it to the dregs, cast it on the ground,
+whereupon he grew frolicsome and began to clap hands and jig to
+and fro on my shoulders and he made water upon me so copiously
+that all my dress was drenched. But presently the fumes of the
+wine rising to his head, he became helplessly drunk and his side-
+muscles and limbs relaxed and he swayed to and fro on my back.
+When I saw that he had lost his senses for drunkenness, I put my
+hand to his legs and, loosing them from my neck, stooped down
+well-nigh to the ground and threw him at full length,--And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-eighth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued:--So I threw the devil off my shoulders, hardly
+crediting my deliverance from him and fearing lest he should
+shake off his drunkenness and do me a mischief. Then I took up a
+great stone from among the trees and coming up to him smote him
+therewith on the head with all my might and crushed in his skull
+as he lay dead drunk. Thereupon his flesh and fat and blood being
+in a pulp, he died and went to his deserts, The Fire, no mercy of
+Allah be upon him! I then returned, with a heart at ease, to my
+former station on the sea-shore and abode in that island many
+days, eating of its fruits and drinking of its waters and keeping
+a look-out for passing ships; till one day, as I sat on the
+beach, recalling all that had befallen me and saying, "I wonder
+if Allah will save me alive and restore me to my home and family
+and friends!" behold, a ship was making for the island through
+the dashing sea and clashing waves. Presently, it cast anchor and
+the passengers landed; so I made for them, and when they saw me
+all hastened up to me and gathering round me questioned me of my
+case and how I came thither. I told them all that had betided me,
+whereat they marvelled with exceeding marvel and said, "He who
+rode on thy shoulder is called the 'Shaykh al-Bahr' or Old Man of
+the Sea,[FN#63] and none ever felt his legs on neck and came off
+alive but thou; and those who die under him he eateth: so praised
+be Allah for thy safety!" Then they set somewhat of food before
+me, whereof I ate my fill, and gave me somewhat of clothes
+wherewith I clad myself anew and covered my nakedness; after
+which they took me up into the ship, and we sailed days and
+nights, till fate brought us to a place called the City of Apes,
+builded with lofty houses, all of which gave upon the sea and it
+had a single gate studded and strengthened with iron nails. Now
+every night, as soon as it is dusk the dwellers in this city use
+to come forth of the gates and, putting out to sea in boats and
+ships, pass the night upon the waters in their fear lest the apes
+should come down on them from the mountains. Hearing this I was
+sore troubled remembering what I had before suffered from the
+ape-kind. Presently I landed to solace myself in the city, but
+meanwhile the ship set sail without me and I repented of having
+gone ashore, and calling to mind my companions and what had
+befallen me with the apes, first and after, sat down and fell a-
+weeping and lamenting. Presently one of the townsfolk accosted me
+and said to me, "O my lord, meseemeth thou art a stranger to
+these parts?" "Yes," answered I, "I am indeed a stranger and a
+poor one, who came hither in a ship which cast anchor here, and I
+landed to visit the town; but when I would have gone on board
+again, I found they had sailed without me." Quoth he, "Come and
+embark with us, for if thou lie the night in the city, the apes
+will destroy thee." "Hearkening and obedience," replied I, and
+rising, straightway embarked with him in one of the boats,
+whereupon they pushed off from shore and anchoring a mile or so
+from the land, there passed the night. At daybreak, they rowed
+back to the city and landing, went each about his business. Thus
+they did every night, for if any tarried in the town by night the
+apes came down on him and slew him. As soon as it was day, the
+apes left the place and ate of the fruits of the gardens, then
+went back to the mountains and slept there till nightfall, when
+they again came down upon the city.[FN#64] Now this place was in
+the farthest part of the country of the blacks, and one of the
+strangest things that befel me during my sojourn in the city was
+on this wise. One of the company with whom I passed the night in
+the boat, asked me, "O my lord, thou art apparently a stranger in
+these parts; hast thou any craft whereat thou canst work?"; and I
+answered, "By Allah, O my brother, I have no trade nor know I any
+handicraft, for I was a merchant and a man of money and substance
+and had a ship of my own, laden with great store of goods and
+merchandise; but it foundered at sea and all were drowned
+excepting me who saved myself on a piece of plank which Allah
+vouchsafed to me of His favour." Upon this he brought me a cotton
+bag and giving it to me, said, "Take this bag and fill it with
+pebbles from the beach and go forth with a company of the
+townsfolk to whom I will give a charge respecting thee. Do as
+they do and belike thou shalt gain what may further thy return
+voyage to thy native land." Then he carried me to the beach,
+where I filled my bag with pebbles large and small, and presently
+we saw a company of folk issue from the town, each bearing a bag
+like mine, filled with pebbles. To these he committed me,
+commending me to their care, and saying, "This man is a stranger,
+so take him with you and teach him how to gather, that he may get
+his daily bread, and you will earn your reward and recompense in
+Heaven." "On our head and eyes be it!" answered they and bidding
+me welcome, fared on with me till we came to a spacious Wady,
+full of lofty trees with trunks so smooth that none might climb
+them. Now sleeping under these trees were many apes, which when
+they saw us rose and fled from us and swarmed up among the
+branches; whereupon my companions began to pelt them with what
+they had in their bags, and the apes fell to plucking of the
+fruit of the trees and casting them at the folk. I looked at the
+fruits they cast at us and found them to be Indian[FN#65] or
+cocoa-nuts; so I chose out a great tree, full of apes, and going
+up to it, began to pelt them with stones, and they in return
+pelted me with nuts, which I collected, as did the rest; so that
+even before I had made an end of my bagful of pebbles, I had
+gotten great plenty of nuts; and as soon as my companions had in
+like manner gotten as many nuts as they could carry, we returned
+to the city, where we arrived at the fag-end of day. Then I went
+in to the kindly man who had brought me in company with the nut-
+gatherers and gave him all I had gotten, thanking him for his
+kindness; but he would not accept them, saying, "Sell them and
+make profit by the price; and presently he added (giving me the
+key of a closet in his house) "Store thy nuts in this safe place
+and go thou forth every morning and gather them as thou hast done
+to-day, and choose out the worst for sale and supplying thyself;
+but lay up the rest here, so haply thou mayst collect enough to
+serve thee for thy return home." "Allah requite thee!" answered I
+and did as he advised me, going out daily with the cocoa-nut
+gatherers, who commended me to one another and showed me the
+best-stocked trees.[FN#66] Thus did I for some time, till I had
+laid up great store of excellent nuts, besides a large sum of
+money, the price of those I had sold. I became thus at my ease
+and bought all I saw and had a mind to, and passed my time
+pleasantly greatly enjoying my stay in the city, till, as I stood
+on the beach, one day, a great ship steering through the heart of
+the sea presently cast anchor by the shore and landed a company
+of merchants, who proceeded to sell and buy and barter their
+goods for cocoa-nuts and other commodities. Then I went to my
+friend and told him of the coming of the ship and how I had a
+mind to return to my own country; and he said, "'Tis for thee to
+decide." So I thanked him for his bounties and took leave of him;
+then, going to the captain of the ship, I agreed with him for my
+passage and embarked my cocoa-nuts and what else I possessed. We
+weighed anchor,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
+ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-ninth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued:--So I left the City of the Apes and embarked my
+cocoa-nuts and what else I possessed. We weighed anchor the same
+day and sailed from island to island and sea to sea; and whenever
+we stopped, I sold and traded with my cocoa-nuts, and the Lord
+requited me more than I erst had and lost. Amongst other places,
+we came to an island abounding in cloves[FN#67] and cinnamon and
+pepper; and the country people told me that by the side of each
+pepper-bunch groweth a great leaf which shadeth it from the sun
+and casteth the water off it in the wet season; but, when the
+rain ceaseth the leaf turneth over and droopeth down by the side
+of the bunch.[FN#68] Here I took in great store of pepper and
+cloves and cinnamon, in exchange for cocoa-nuts, and we passed
+thence to the Island of Al-Usirat,[FN#69] whence cometh the
+Comorin aloes-wood and thence to another island, five days'
+journey in length, where grows the Chinese lign-aloes, which is
+better than the Comorin; but the people of this island[FN#70] are
+fouler of condition and religion than those of the other, for
+that they love fornication and wine-bibbing, and know not prayer
+nor call to prayer. Thence we came to the pearl-fisheries, and I
+gave the divers some of my cocoa-nuts and said to them, "Dive for
+my luck and lot!" They did so and brought up from the deep
+bight[FN#71] great store of large and priceless pearls; and they
+said to me, "By Allah, O my master, thy luck is a lucky!" Then we
+sailed on, with the blessing of Allah (whose name be exalted!);
+and ceased not sailing till we arrived safely at Bassorah. There
+I abode a little and then went on to Baghdad, where I entered my
+quarter and found my house and foregathered with my family and
+saluted my friends who gave me joy of my safe return, and I laid
+up all my goods and valuables in my storehouses. Then I
+distributed alms and largesse and clothed the widow and the
+orphan and made presents to my relations and comrades; for the
+Lord had requited me fourfold that I had lost. After which I
+returned to my old merry way of life and forgot all I had
+suffered in the great profit and gain I had made. "Such, then, is
+the history of my fifth voyage and its wonderments, and now to
+supper; and to-morrow, come again and I will tell you what befel
+me in my sixth voyage; for it was still more wonderful than
+this." (Saith he who telleth the tale), Then he called for food;
+and the servants spread the table, and when they had eaten the
+evening-meal, he bade give Sindbad the porter an hundred golden
+dinars and the Landsman returned home and lay him down to sleep,
+much marvelling at all he had heard. Next morning, as soon as it
+was light, he prayed the dawn-prayer; and, after blessing
+Mohammed the Cream of all creatures, betook himself to the house
+of Sindbad the Seaman and wished him a good day. The merchant
+bade him sit and talked with him, till the rest of the company
+arrived. Then the servants spread the table and when they had
+well eaten and drunken and were mirthful and merry, Sindbad the
+Seaman began in these words the narrative of
+
+
+
+
+The Sixth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.
+
+
+
+Know, O my brothers and friends and companions all, that I abode
+some time, after my return from my fifth voyage, in great solace
+and satisfaction and mirth and merriment, joyance and enjoyment;
+and I forgot what I had suffered, seeing the great gain and
+profit I had made till, one day, as I sat making merry and
+enjoying myself with my friends, there came in to me a company of
+merchants whose case told tales of travel, and talked with me of
+voyage and adventure and greatness of pelf and lucre. Hereupon I
+remembered the days of my return from abroad, and my joy at once
+more seeing my native land and foregathering with my family and
+friends; and my soul yearned for travel and traffic. So compelled
+by Fate and Fortune I resolved to undertake another voyage; and,
+buying me fine and costly merchandise meet for foreign trade,
+made it up into bales, with which I journeyed from Baghdad to
+Bassorah. Here I found a great ship ready for sea and full of
+merchants and notables, who had with them goods of price; so I
+embarked my bales therein. And we left Bassorah in safety and
+good spirits under the safeguard of the King, the Preserver.--And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say.
+
+        When it was the Five Hundred and Sixtieth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued:--And after embarking my bales and leaving
+Bassorah in safety and good spirits, we continued our voyage from
+place to place and from city to city, buying and selling and
+profiting and diverting ourselves with the sight of countries
+where strange folk dwell. And Fortune and the voyage smiled upon
+us, till one day, as we went along, behold, the captain suddenly
+cried with a great cry and cast his turband on the deck. Then he
+buffeted his face like a woman and plucked out his beard and fell
+down in the waist of the ship will nigh fainting for stress of
+grief and rage, and crying, "Oh and alas for the ruin of my house
+and the orphanship of my poor children!" So all the merchant and
+sailors came round about him and asked him, "O master, what is
+the matter?"; for the light had become night before their sight.
+And he answered, saying, "Know, O folk, that we have wandered
+from our course and left the sea whose ways we wot, and come into
+a sea whose ways I know not; and unless Allah vouchsafe us a
+means of escape, we are all dead men; wherefore pray ye to the
+Most High, that He deliver us from this strait. Haply amongst you
+is one righteous whose prayers the Lord will accept." Then he
+arose and clomb the mast to see an there were any escape from
+that strait; and he would have loosed the sails; but the wind
+redoubled upon the ship and whirled her round thrice and drave
+her backwards; whereupon her rudder brake and she fell off
+towards a high mountain. With this the captain came down from the
+mast, saying, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in
+Allah, the Glorious, the Great; nor can man prevent that which is
+fore-ordained of fate! By Allah, we are fallen on a place of sure
+destruction, and there is no way of escape for us, nor can any of
+us be saved!" Then we all fell a-weeping over ourselves and
+bidding one another farewell for that our days were come to an
+end, and we had lost all hopes of life. Presently the ship struck
+the mountain and broke up, and all and everything on board of her
+were plunged into the sea. Some of the merchants were drowned and
+others made shift to reach the shore and save themselves upon the
+mountain; I amongst the number, and when we got ashore, we found
+a great island, or rather peninsula[FN#72] whose base was strewn
+with wreckage of crafts and goods and gear cast up by the sea
+from broken ships whose passengers had been drowned; and the
+quantity confounded compt and calculation. So I climbed the
+cliffs into the inward of the isle and walked on inland, till I
+came to a stream of sweet water, that welled up at the nearest
+foot of the mountains and disappeared in the earth under the
+range of hills on the opposite side. But all the other passengers
+went over the mountains to the inner tracts; and, dispersing
+hither and thither, were confounded at what they saw and became
+like madmen at the sight of the wealth and treasures wherewith
+the shores were strewn. As for me I looked into the bed of the
+stream aforesaid and saw therein great plenty of rubies, and
+great royal pearls[FN#73] and all kinds of jewels and precious
+stones which were as gravel in the bed of the rivulets that ran
+through the fields, and the sands sparkled and glittered with
+gems and precious ores. Moreover we found in the island abundance
+of the finest lign-aloes, both Chinese and Comorin; and there
+also is a spring of crude ambergris[FN#74] which floweth like wax
+or gum over the stream-banks, for the great heat of the sun, and
+runneth down to the sea-shore, where the monsters of the deep
+come up and swallowing it, return into the sea. But it burneth in
+their bellies; so they cast it up again and it congealeth on the
+surface of the water, whereby its color and quantities are
+changed; and at last, the waves cast it ashore, and the
+travellers and merchants who know it, collect it and sell it. But
+as to the raw ambergris which is not swallowed, it floweth over
+the channel and congealeth on the banks and when the sun shineth
+on it, it melteth and scenteth the whole valley with a musk-like
+fragrance: then, when the sun ceaseth from it, it congealeth
+again. But none can get to this place where is the crude
+ambergris, because of the mountains which enclose the island on
+all sides and which foot of man cannot ascend.[FN#75] We
+continued thus to explore the island, marvelling at the wonderful
+works of Allah and the riches we found there, but sore troubled
+for our own case, and dismayed at our prospects. Now we had
+picked up on the beach some small matter of victual from the
+wreck and husbanded it carefully, eating but once every day or
+two, in our fear lest it should fail us and we die miserably of
+famine or affright. Moreover, we were weak for colic brought on
+by sea-sickness and low diet, and my companions deceased, one
+after other, till there was but a small company of us left. Each
+that died we washed and shrouded in some of the clothes and linen
+cast ashore by the tides; and after a little, the rest of my
+fellows perished, one by one, till I had buried the last of the
+party and abode alone on the island, with but a little provision
+left, I who was wont to have so much. And I wept over myself,
+saying, "Would Heaven I had died before my companions and they
+had washed and buried me! It had been better than I should perish
+and none wash me and shroud me and bury me. But there is Majesty
+and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!"--
+And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
+permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-first Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued in these words:--Now after I had buried the last
+of my party and abode alone on the island, I arose and dug me a
+deep grave on the sea-shore, saying to myself, "Whenas I grow
+weak and know that death cometh to me, I will cast myself into
+the grave and die there, so the wind may drift the sand over me
+and cover me and I be buried therein."[FN#76] Then I fell to
+reproaching myself for my little wit in leaving my native land
+and betaking me again to travel, after all I had suffered during
+my first five voyages, and when I had not made a single one
+without suffering more horrible perils and more terrible
+hardships than in its forerunner and having no hope of escape
+from my present stress; and I repented me of my folly and
+bemoaned myself, especially as I had no need of money, seeing
+that I had enough and more than enough and could not spend what I
+had, no, nor a half of it in all my life. However, after a while
+Allah sent me a thought and I said to myself, "By God, needs must
+this stream have an end as well as a beginning; ergo an issue
+somewhere, and belike its course may lead to some inhabited
+place; so my best plan is to make me a little boat[FN#77] big
+enough to sit in, and carry it and launching it on the river,
+embark therein and drop down the stream. If I escape, I escape,
+by God's leave; and if I perish, better die in the river than
+here." Then, sighing for myself, I set to work collecting a
+number of pieces of Chinese and Comorin aloes-wood and I bound
+them together with ropes from the wreckage; then I chose out from
+the broken-up ships straight planks of even size and fixed them
+firmly upon the aloes-wood, making me a boat-raft a little
+narrower than the channel of the stream; and I tied it tightly
+and firmly as though it were nailed. Then I loaded it with the
+goods, precious ores and jewels: and the union pearls which were
+like gravel and the best of the ambergris crude and pure,
+together with what I had collected on the island and what was
+left me of victual and wild herbs. Lastly I lashed a piece of
+wood on either side, to serve me as oars; and launched it, and
+embarking, did according to the saying of the poet,
+
+"Fly, fly with life whenas evils threat; * Leave the house to
+     tell of its builder's fate!
+Land after land shalt thou seek and find * But no other life on
+     thy wish shall wait:
+Fret not thy soul in thy thoughts o' night; * All woes shall end
+     or sooner or late.
+Whoso is born in one land to die, * There and only there shall
+     gang his gait:
+Nor trust great things to another wight, * Soul hath only soul
+     for confederate."[FN#78]
+
+My boat-raft drifted with the stream, I pondering the issue of my
+affair; and the drifting ceased not till I came to the place
+where it disappeared beneath the mountain. I rowed my conveyance
+into the place which was intensely dark; and the current carried
+the raft with it down the underground channel.[FN#79] The thin
+stream bore me on through a narrow tunnel where the raft touched
+either side and my head rubbed against the roof, return therefrom
+being impossible. Then I blamed myself for having thus risked my
+life, and said, "If this passage grow any straiter, the raft will
+hardly pass, and I cannot turn back; so I shall inevitably perish
+miserably in this place." And I threw myself down upon my face on
+the raft, by reason of the narrowness of the channel, whilst the
+stream ceased not to carry me along, knowing not night from day,
+for the excess of the gloom which encompassed me about and my
+terror and concern for myself lest I should perish. And in such
+condition my course continued down the channel which now grew
+wide and then straiter till, sore aweary by reason of the
+darkness which could be felt, I fell asleep, as I lay prone on
+the raft, and I slept knowing not an the time were long or short.
+When I awoke at last, I found myself in the light of Heaven and
+opening my eyes I saw myself in a broad stream and the raft
+moored to an island in the midst of a number of Indians and
+Abyssinians. As soon as these blackamoors[FN#80] saw that I was
+awake, they came up to me and bespoke me in their speech; but I
+understood not what they said and thought that this was a dream
+and a vision which had betided me for stress of concern and
+chagrin. But I was delighted at my escape from the river. When
+they saw I understood them not and made them no answer, one of
+them came forward and said to me in Arabic, "Peace be with thee,
+O my brother! Who art thou and whence faredst thou thither? How
+camest thou into this river and what manner of land lies behind
+yonder mountains, for never knew we any one make his way thence
+to us?" Quoth I, "And upon thee be peace and the ruth of Allah
+and his blessing! Who are ye and what country is this?" "O my
+brother," answered he, "we are husbandmen and tillers of the
+soil, who came out to water our fields and plantations; and,
+finding thee asleep on this raft, laid hold of it and made it
+fast by us, against thou shouldst awake at thy leisure. So tell
+us how thou camest hither?" I answered, "For Allah's sake, O my
+lord, ere I speak give me somewhat to eat, for I am starving, and
+after ask me what thou wilt." So he hastened to fetch me food and
+I ate my fill, till I was refreshed and my fear was calmed by a
+good belly-full and my life returned to me. Then I rendered
+thanks to the Most High for mercies great and small, glad to be
+out of the river and rejoicing to be amongst them, and I told
+them all my adventures from first to last, especially my troubles
+in the narrow channel.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
+and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-second Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued:--When I landed and found myself amongst the
+Indians and Abyssinians and had taken some rest, they consulted
+among themselves and said to one another, "There is no help for
+it but we carry him with us and present him to our King, that he
+may acquaint him with his adventures." So they took me, together
+with the raft-boat and its lading of monies and merchandise;
+jewels, minerals and golden gear, and brought me to their King,
+who was King of Sarandib,[FN#81] telling him what had happened;
+whereupon he saluted me and bade me welcome. Then he questioned
+me of my condition and adventures through the man who had spoken
+Arabic and I repeated to him my story from beginning to end,
+whereat he marvelled exceedingly and gave me joy of my
+deliverance; after which I arose and fetched from the raft great
+store of precious ores and jewels and ambergris and lign-aloes
+and presented them to the King, who accepted them and entreated
+me with the utmost honour, appointing me a lodging in his own
+palace. So I consorted with the chief of the islanders, and they
+paid me the utmost respect. And I quitted not the royal palace.
+Now the Island Sarandib lieth under the equinoctial line, its
+night and day both numbering twelve house. It measureth eighty
+leagues long by a breadth of thirty and its wideth is bounded by
+a lofty mountain[FN#82] and a deep valley, The mountain is
+conspicuous from a distance of three days and it containeth many
+kinds of rubies and other minerals, and spice-trees of all sorts.
+The surface is covered with emery wherewith gems are cut and
+fashioned; diamonds are in its rivers and pearls are in its
+valleys. I ascended that mountain and solaced myself with a view
+of its marvels which are indescribable and afterwards I returned
+to the King.[FN#83] Thereupon, all the travellers and merchants
+who came to the place questioned me of the affairs of my native
+land and of the Caliph Harun al-Rashid and his rule and I told
+them of him and of that wherefor he was renowned, and they
+praised him because of this; whilst I in turn questioned them of
+the manners and customers of their own countries and got the
+knowledge I desired. One day, the King himself asked me of the
+fashions and form of government of my country, and I acquainted
+him with the circumstance of the Caliph's sway in the city of
+Baghdad and the justice of his rule. The King marvelled at my
+account of his appointments and said, "By Allah, the Caliph's
+ordinances are indeed wise and his fashions of praiseworthy guise
+and thou hast made me love him by what thou tellest me; wherefore
+I have a mind to make him a present and send it by thee." Quoth
+I, "Hearkening and obedience, O my lord; I will bear thy gift to
+him and inform him that thou art his sincere lover and true
+friend." Then I abode with the King in great honour and regard
+and consideration for a long while till, one day, as I sat in his
+palace, I heard news of a company of merchants, that were fitting
+out a ship for Bassorah, and said to myself, "I cannot do better
+than voyage with these men." So I rose without stay or delay and
+kissed the King's hand and acquainted him with my longing to set
+out with the merchants, for that I pined after my people and mine
+own land. Quoth he, "Thou art thine own master; yet, if it be thy
+will to abide with us, on our head and eyes be it, for thou
+gladdenest us with thy company." "By Allah, O my lord," answered
+I, "thou hast indeed overwhelmed me with thy favours and well-
+doings; but I weary for a sight of my friends and family and
+native country." When he heard this, he summoned the merchants in
+question and commended me to their care, paying my freight and
+passage-money. Then he bestowed on me great riches from his
+treasuries and charged me with a magnificent present for the
+Caliph Harun al-Rashid. Moreover he gave me a sealed letter,
+saying, "Carry this with thine own hand to the Commander of the
+Faithful and give him many salutations from us!" "Hearing and
+obedience," I replied. The missive was written on the skin of the
+Kh�wi[FN#84] (which is finer than lamb-parchment and of yellow
+colour), with ink of ultramarine and the contents were as
+follows. "Peace be with thee from the King of Al-Hind, before
+whom are a thousand elephants and upon whose palace-crenelles are
+a thousand jewels. But after (laud to the Lord and praises to His
+Prophet!): we send thee a trifling gift which be thou pleased to
+accept. Thou art to us a brother and a sincere friend; and great
+is the love we bear for thee in heart; favour us therefore with a
+reply. The gift besitteth not thy dignity: but we beg of thee, O
+our brother, graciously to accept it and peace be with thee." And
+the present was a cup of ruby a span high[FN#85] the inside of
+which was adorned with precious pearls; and a bed covered with
+the skin of the serpent which swalloweth the elephant, which skin
+hath spots each like a dinar and whoso sitteth upon it never
+sickeneth;[FN#86] and an hundred thousand miskals of Indian lign-
+aloes and a slave-girl like a shining moon. Then I took leave of
+him and of all my intimates and acquaintances in the island and
+embarked with the merchants aforesaid. We sailed with a fair
+wind, committing ourselves to the care of Allah (be He extolled
+and exalted!) and by His permission arrived at Bassorah, where I
+passed a few days and nights equipping myself and packing up my
+bales. Then I went on to Baghdad-city, the House of Peace, where
+I sought an audience of the Caliph and laid the King's presents
+before him. He asked me whence they came and I said to him, "By
+Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, I know not the name of the
+city nor the way thither!" He then asked me, "O Sindbad, is this
+true which the King writeth?"; and I answered, after kissing the
+ground, "O my lord, I saw in his kingdom much more than he hath
+written in his letter. For state processions a throne is set for
+him upon a huge elephant, eleven cubits high: and upon this he
+sitteth having his great lords and officers and guests standing
+in two ranks, on his right hand and on his left. At his head is a
+man hending in hand a golden javelin and behind him another with
+a great mace of gold whose head is an emerald[FN#87] a span long
+and as thick as a man's thumb. And when he mounteth horse there
+mount with him a thousand horsemen clad in gold brocade and silk;
+and as the King proceedeth a man precedeth him, crying, 'This is
+the King of great dignity, of high authority!' And he continueth
+to repeat his praises in words I remember not, saying at the end
+of his panegyric, 'This is the King owning the crown whose like
+nor Solomon nor the Mihraj[FN#88] ever possessed.' Then he is
+silent and one behind him proclaimeth, saying, 'He will die!
+Again I say he will die!;' and the other addeth, 'Extolled be the
+perfection of the Living who dieth not!'[FN#89] Moreover by
+reason of his justice and ordinance and intelligence, there is no
+Kazi in his city, and all his lieges distinguish between Truth
+and Falsehood." Quoth the Caliph, "How great is this King! His
+letter hath shown me this; and as for the mightiness of his
+dominion thou hast told us what thou hast eye-witnessed. By
+Allah, he hath been endowed with wisdom as with wide rule." Then
+I related to the Commander of the Faithful all that had befallen
+me in my last voyage; at which he wondered exceedingly and bade
+his historians record my story and store it up in his treasuries,
+for the edification of all who might see it. Then he conferred on
+me exceeding great favours, and I repaired to my quarter and
+entered my home, where I warehoused all my goods and possessions.
+Presently, my friends came to me and I distributed presents among
+my family and gave alms and largesse; after which I yielded
+myself to joyance and enjoyment, mirth and merry-making, and
+forgot all that I had suffered. "Such, then, O my brothers, is
+the history of what befel me in my sixth voyage, and to-morrow,
+Inshallah! I will tell you the story of my seventh and last
+voyage, which is still more wondrous and marvellous than that of
+the first six." (Saith he who telleth the tale), Then he bade lay
+the table, and the company supped with him; after which he gave
+the Porter an hundred dinars, as of wont, and they all went their
+ways, marvelling beyond measure at that which they had heard.--
+And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
+permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-third Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
+Sindbad the Seaman had related the history of what befel him in
+his sixth voyage, and all the company had dispersed, Sindbad the
+Landsman went home and slept as of wont. Next day he rose and
+prayed the dawn-prayer and repaired to his namesake's house
+where, after the company was all assembled, the host began to
+relate
+
+
+
+The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.
+
+
+
+Know, O company, that after my return from my sixth voyage, which
+brought me abundant profit, I resumed my former life in all
+possible joyance and enjoyment and mirth and making merry day and
+night; and I tarried some time in this solace and satisfaction
+till my soul began once more to long to sail the seas and see
+foreign countries and company with merchants and hear new things.
+So having made up my mind, I packed up in bales a quantity of
+precious stuffs suited for sea-trade and repaired with them from
+Baghdad-city to Bassorah-town, where I found a ship ready for
+sea, and in her a company of considerable merchants. I shipped
+with them and becoming friends, we set forth on our venture, in
+health and safety; and sailed with a fair wind, till we came to a
+city called Mad�nat-al-S�n; but after we had left it, as we fared
+on in all cheer and confidence, devising of traffic and travel,
+behold, there sprang up a violent head-wind and a tempest of rain
+fell on us and drenched us and our goods. So we covered the bales
+with our cloaks and garments and drugget and canvas, lest they be
+spoiled by the rain, and betook ourselves to prayer and
+supplication to Almighty Allah and humbled ourselves before Him
+for deliverance from the peril that was upon us. But the captain
+arose and tightening his girdle tucked up his skirts and, after
+taking refuge with Allah from Satan the Stoned, clomb to the
+mast-head, whence he looked out right and left and gazing at the
+passengers and crew fell to buffeting his face and plucking out
+his beard. So we cried to him, "O Rais, what is the matter?"; and
+he replied saying, "Seek ye deliverance of the Most High from the
+strait into which we have fallen and bemoan yourselves and take
+leave of one another; for know that the wind hath gotten the
+mastery of us and hath driven us into the uttermost of the seas
+of the world." Then he came down from the mast-head and opening
+his sea-chest, pulled out a bag of blue cotton, from which he
+took a powder like ashes. This he set in a saucer wetted with a
+little water and, after waiting a short time, smelt and tasted
+it; and then he took out of the chest a booklet, wherein he read
+awhile and said weeping, "Know, O ye passengers, that in this
+book is a marvellous matter, denoting that whoso cometh hither
+shall surely die, without hope of escape; for that this ocean is
+called the Sea of the Clime of the King, wherein is the sepulchre
+of our lord Solomon, son of David (on both be peace!) and therein
+are serpents of vast bulk and fearsome aspect: and what ship
+soever cometh to these climes there riseth to her a great
+fish[FN#90] out of the sea and swalloweth her up with all and
+everything on board her." Hearing these words from the captain
+great was our wonder, but hardly had he made an end of speaking,
+when the ship was lifted out of the water and let fall again and
+we applied to praying the death-prayer[FN#91] and committing our
+souls to Allah. Presently we heard a terrible great cry like the
+loud-pealing thunder, whereat we were terror-struck and became as
+dead men, giving ourselves up for lost. Then behold, there came
+up to us a huge fish, as big as a tall mountain, at whose sight
+we became wild for affight and, weeping sore, made ready for
+death, marvelling at its vast size and gruesome semblance; when
+lo! a second fish made its appearance than which we had seen
+naught more monstrous. So we bemoaned ourselves of our lives and
+farewelled one another; but suddenly up came a third fish bigger
+than the two first; whereupon we lost the power of thought and
+reason and were stupefied for the excess of our fear and horror.
+Then the three fish began circling round about the ship and the
+third and biggest opened his mouth to swallow it, and we looked
+into its mouth and behold, it was wider than the gate of a city
+and its throat was like a long valley. So we besought the
+Almighty and called for succour upon His Apostle (on whom be
+blessing and peace!), when suddenly a violent squall of wind
+arose and smote the ship, which rose out of the water and settled
+upon a great reef, the haunt of sea-monsters, where it broke up
+and fell asunder into planks and all and everything on board were
+plunged into the sea. As for me, I tore off all my clothes but my
+gown and swam a little way, till I happened upon one of the
+ship's planks whereto I clung and bestrode it like a horse,
+whilst the winds and the waters sported with me and the waves
+carried me up and cast me down; and I was in most piteous plight
+for fear and distress and hunger and thirst. Then I reproached
+myself for what I had done and my soul was weary after a life of
+ease and comfort; and I said to myself, "O Sindbad, O Seaman,
+thou repentest not and yet thou art ever suffering hardships and
+travails; yet wilt thou not renounce sea-travel; or, an thou say,
+'I renounce,' thou liest in thy renouncement. Endure then with
+patience that which thou sufferest, for verily thou deservest all
+that betideth thee!"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
+ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-fourth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman continued:--But when I had bestridden the plank, quoth I
+to myself, "Thou deservest all that betideth thee. All this is
+decreed to me of Allah (whose name be exalted!), to turn me from
+my greed of gain, whence ariseth all that I endure, for I have
+wealth galore." Then I returned to my senses and said, "In very
+sooth, this time I repent to the Most High, with a sincere
+repentance, of my lust for gain and venture; and never will I
+again name travel with tongue nor in thought." And I ceased not
+to humble myself before Almighty Allah and weep and bewail
+myself, recalling my former estate of solace and satisfaction and
+mirth and merriment and joyance; and thus I abode two days, at
+the end of which time I came to a great island abounding in trees
+and streams. There I landed and ate of the fruits of the island
+and drank of its waters, till I was refreshed and my life
+returned to me and my strength and spirits were restored and I
+recited,
+
+"Oft when thy case shows knotty and tangled skein, * Fate downs
+     from Heaven and straightens every ply:
+In patience keep thy soul till clear thy lot * For He who ties
+     the knot can eke untie."
+
+Then I walked about, till I found on the further side, a great
+river of sweet water, running with a strong current; whereupon I
+called to mind the boat-raft I had made aforetime and said to
+myself, "Needs must I make another; haply I may free me from this
+strait. If I escape, I have my desire and I vow to Allah Almighty
+to foreswear travel; and if I perish I shall be at peace and
+shall rest from toil and moil." So I rose up and gathered
+together great store of pieces of wood from the trees (which were
+all of the finest sanders-wood, whose like is not albe I knew it
+not), and made shift to twist creepers and tree-twigs into a kind
+of rope, with which I bound the billets together and so contrived
+a raft. Then saying, "An I be saved, 'tis of God's grace," I
+embarked thereon and committed myself to the current, and it bore
+me on for the first day and the second and the third after
+leaving the island; whilst I lay in the raft, eating not and
+drinking, when I was athirst, of the water of the river, till I
+was weak and giddy as a chicken, for stress of fatigue and famine
+and fear. At the end of this time I came to a high mountain,
+whereunder ran the river; which when I saw, I feared for my life
+by reason of the straitness I had suffered in my former journey,
+and I would fain have stayed the raft and landed on the mountain-
+side; but the current overpowered me and drew it into the
+subterranean passage like an archway; whereupon I gave myself up
+for lost and said, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might
+save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!" However, after a little,
+the raft glided into open air and I saw before me a wide valley,
+whereinto the river fell with a noise like the rolling of thunder
+and a swiftness as the rushing of the wind. I held on to the
+raft, for fear of falling off it, whilst the waves tossed me
+right and left; and the craft continued to descend with the
+current nor could I avail to stop it nor turn it shorewards, till
+it stopped with me at a great and goodly city, grandly edified
+and containing much people. And when the townsfolk saw me on the
+raft, dropping down with the current, they threw me out ropes
+which I had not strength enough to hold; then they tossed a net
+over the craft and drew it ashore with me, whereupon I fell to
+the ground amidst them, as I were a dead man, for stress of fear
+and hunger and lack of sleep. After awhile, there came up to me
+out of the crowd an old man of reverend aspect, well stricken in
+years, who welcomed me and threw over me abundance of handsome
+clothes, wherewith I covered my nakedness. Then he carried me to
+the Hammam-bath and brought me cordial sherbets and delicious
+perfumes; moreover, when I came out, he bore me to his house,
+where his people made much of me and, seating me in a pleasant
+place, set rich food before me, whereof I ate my fill and
+returned thanks to God the Most High for my deliverance.
+Thereupon his pages fetched me hot water, and I washed my hands,
+and his handmaids brought me silken napkins, with which I dried
+them and wiped my mouth. Also the Shaykh set apart for me an
+apartment in a part of his house and charged his pages and slave-
+girls to wait upon me and do my will and supply my wants. They
+were assiduous in my service, and I abode with him in the guest-
+chamber three days, taking my ease of good eating and good
+drinking and good scents till life returned to me and my terrors
+subsided and my heart was calmed and my mind was eased. On the
+fourth day the Shaykh, my host, came in to me and said, "Thou
+cheerest us with thy company, O my son, and praised be Allah for
+thy safety! Say: wilt thou now come down with me to the beach and
+the bazar and sell thy goods and take their price? Belike thou
+mayst buy thee wherewithal to traffic. I have ordered my servants
+to remove thy stock-in-trade from the sea and they have piled it
+on the shore." I was silent awhile and said to myself, "What mean
+these words and what goods have I?" Then said he, "O my son, be
+not troubled nor careful, but come with me to the market and if
+any offer for thy goods what price contenteth thee, take it; but,
+an thou be not satisfied, I will lay them up for thee in my
+warehouse, against a fitting occasion for sale." So I bethought
+me of my case and said to myself, "Do his bidding and see what
+are these goods!"; and I said to him, "O my nuncle the Shaykh, I
+hear and I obey; I may not gainsay thee in aught for Allah's
+blessing is on all thou dost." Accordingly he guided me to the
+market-street, where I found that he had taken in pieces the raft
+which carried me and which was of sandal-wood and I heard the
+broker calling it for sale.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
+day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-fifth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman thus resumed his tale:--I found that the Shaykh had taken
+to pieces my raft which lay on the beach and the broker was
+crying the sandal-wood for sale. Then the merchants came and
+opened the gate of bidding for the wood and bid against one
+another till its price reached a thousand dinars, when they left
+bidding and my host said to me, "Hear, O my son, this is the
+current price of thy goods in hard times like these: wilt thou
+sell them for this or shall I lay them up for thee in my
+storehouses, till such time as prices rise?" "O my lord,"
+answered I, "the business is in thy hands: do as thou wilt." Then
+asked he, "Wilt thou sell the wood to me, O my son, for an
+hundred gold pieces over and above what the merchants have bidden
+for it?" and I answered, "Yes, I have sold it to thee for monies
+received."[FN#92] So, he bade his servants transport the wood to
+his storehouses and, carrying me back to his house, seated me and
+counted out to me the purchase money; after which he laid it in
+bags and setting them in a privy place, locked them up with an
+iron padlock and gave me its key. Some days after this, the
+Shaykh said to me, "O my son, I have somewhat to propose to thee,
+wherein I trust thou wilt do my bidding." Quoth I, "What is it?"
+Quoth he, "I am a very old man and have no son; but I have a
+daughter who is young in years and fair of favour and endowed
+with abounding wealth and beauty. Now I have a mind to marry her
+to thee, that thou mayst abide with her in this our country, and
+I will make thee master of all I have in hand for I am an old man
+and thou shalt stand in my stead." I was silent for shame and
+made him no answer, whereupon he continued, "Do my desire in
+this, O my son, for I wish but thy weal; and if thou wilt but do
+as I say, thou shalt have her at once and be as my son; and all
+that is under my hand or that cometh to me shall be thine. If
+thou have a mind to traffic and travel to thy native land, none
+shall hinder thee, and thy property will be at thy sole disposal;
+so do as thou wilt." "By Allah, O my uncle," replied I, "thou art
+become to me even as my father, and I am a stranger and have
+undergone many hardships: while for stress of that which I have
+suffered naught of judgment or knowledge is left to me. It is for
+thee, therefore, to decide what I shall do." Hereupon he sent his
+servants for the Kazi and the witnesses and married me to his
+daughter making us for a noble marriage-feast[FN#93] and high
+festival. When I went in to her, I found her perfect in beauty
+and loveliness and symmetry and grace, clad in rich raiment and
+covered with a profusion of ornaments and necklaces and other
+trinkets of gold and silver and precious stones, worth a mint of
+money, a price none could pay. She pleased me and we loved each
+other; and I abode with her in solace and delight of life, till
+her father was taken to the mercy of Allah Almighty. So we
+shrouded him and buried him, and I laid hands on the whole of his
+property and all his servants and slaves became mine. Moreover,
+the merchants installed me in his office, for he was their Shaykh
+and their Chief; and none of them purchased aught but with his
+knowledge and by his leave. And now his rank passed on to me.
+When I became acquainted with the townsfolk, I found that at the
+beginning of each month they were transformed, in that their
+faces changed and they became like birds and they put forth wings
+wherewith they flew unto the upper regions of the firmament and
+none remained in the city save the women and children; and I said
+in my mind, "When the first of the month cometh, I will ask one
+of them to carry me with them, whither they go." So when the time
+came and their complexion changed and their forms altered, I went
+in to one of the townsfolk and said to him, "Allah upon thee!
+carry me with thee, that I might divert myself with the rest and
+return with you." "This may not be," answered he; but I ceased
+not to solicit him and I importuned him till he consented. Then I
+went out in his company, without telling any of my family[FN#94]
+or servants or friends, and he took me on his back and flew up
+with me so high in air, that I heard the angels glorifying God in
+the heavenly dome, whereat I wondered and exclaimed, "Praised be
+Allah! Extolled be the perfection of Allah!" Hardly had I made an
+end of pronouncing the Tasbih--praised be Allah!--when there came
+out a fire from heaven and all but consumed the company;
+whereupon they fled from it and descended with curses upon me
+and, casting me down on a high mountain, went away, exceeding
+wroth with me, and left me there alone. As I found myself in this
+plight, I repented of what I had done and reproached myself for
+having undertaken that for which I was unable, saying, "There is
+no Majesty and there is no Might, save in Allah, the Glorious,
+the Great! No sooner am I delivered from one affliction than I
+fall into a worse." And I continued in this case knowing not
+whither I should go, when lo! there came up two young men, as
+they were moons, each using as a staff a rod of red gold. So I
+approached them and saluted them; and when they returned my
+salam, I said to them, "Allah upon you twain; who are ye and what
+are ye?" Quoth they, "We are of the servants of the Most High
+Allah, abiding in this mountain;" and, giving me a rod of red
+gold they had with them, went their ways and left me. I walked on
+along the mountain-ridge staying my steps with the staff and
+pondering the case of the two youths, when behold, a serpent came
+forth from under the mountain, with a man in her[FN#95] jaws,
+whom she had swallowed even to below his navel, and he was crying
+out and saying, "Whoso delivereth me, Allah will deliver him from
+all adversity!" So I went up to the serpent and smote her on the
+head with the golden staff, whereupon she cast the man forth of
+her mouth.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to
+say her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-sixth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
+Seaman thus continued:--When I smote the serpent on the head with
+my golden staff she cast the man forth of her mouth. Then I smote
+her a second time, and she turned and fled; whereupon he came up
+to me and said, "Since my deliverance from yonder serpent hath
+been at thy hands I will never leave thee, and thou shalt be my
+comrade on this mountain." "And welcome," answered I; so we fared
+on along the mountain, till we fell in with a company of folk,
+and I looked and saw amongst them the very man who had carried me
+and cast me down there. I went up to him and spake him fair,
+excusing myself to him and saying, "O my comrade, it is not thus
+that friend should deal with friend." Quoth he, "It was thou who
+well-nigh destroyed us by thy Tasbih and thy glorifying God on my
+back." Quoth I, "Pardon me, for I had no knowledge of this
+matter; but, if thou wilt take me with thee, I swear not to say a
+word." So he relented and consented to carry me with him, but he
+made an express condition that, so long as I abode on his back, I
+should abstain from pronouncing the Tasbih or otherwise
+glorifying God. Then I gave the wand of gold to him whom I had
+delivered from the serpent and bade him farewell, and my friend
+took me on his back and flew with me as before, till he brought
+me to the city and set me down in my own house. My wife came to
+meet me and saluting me gave me joy of my safety and then said,
+"Beware of going forth hereafter with yonder folk, neither
+consort with them, for they are brethren of the devils, and know
+not how to mention the name of Allah Almighty; neither worship
+they Him." "And how did thy father with them?" asked I; and she
+answered, "My father was not of them, neither did he as they; and
+as now he is dead methinks thou hadst better sell all we have and
+with the price buy merchandise and journey to thine own country
+and people, and I with thee; for I care not to tarry in this
+city, my father and my mother being dead." So I sold all the
+Shaykh's property piecemeal, and looked for one who should be
+journeying thence to Bassorah that I might join myself to him.
+And while thus doing I heard of a company of townsfolk who had a
+mind to make the voyage, but could not find them a ship; so they
+bought wood and built them a great ship wherein I took passage
+with them, and paid them all the hire. Then we embarked, I and my
+wife, with all our moveables, leaving our houses and domains and
+so forth, and set sail, and ceased not sailing from island to
+island and from sea to sea, with a fair wind and a favouring,
+till we arrived at Bassorah safe and sound. I made no stay there,
+but freighted another vessel and, transferring my goods to her,
+set out forthright for Baghdad-city, where I arrived in safety,
+and entering my quarter and repairing to my house, foregathered
+with my family and friends and familiars who laid up my goods in
+my warehouses. When my people who, reckoning the period of my
+absence on this my seventh voyage, had found it to be seven and
+twenty years, and had given up all hope of me, heard of my
+return, they came to welcome me and to give me joy of my safety;
+and I related to them all that had befallen me; whereat they
+marvelled with exceeding marvel. Then I forswore travel and vowed
+to Allah the Most High I would venture no more by land or sea,
+for that this seventh and last voyage had surfeited me of travel
+and adventure; and I thanked the Lord (be He praised and
+glorified!), and blessed Him for having restored me to my kith
+and kin and country and home. "Consider, therefore, O Sindbad, O
+Landsman," continued Sindbad the Seaman, "what sufferings I have
+undergone and what perils and hardships I have endured before
+coming to my present state." "Allah upon thee, O my Lord!"
+answered Sindbad the Landsman, "pardon me the wrong I did
+thee."[FN#96] And they ceased not from friendship and fellowship,
+abiding in all cheer and pleasures and solace of life till there
+came to them the Destoyer of delights and the Sunderer of
+Societies, and the Shatterer of palaces and the Caterer for
+Cemeteries to wit, the Cup of Death, and glory be to the Living
+One who dieth not!"[FN#97]
+
+
+
+
+                        A Translation of
+            The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman
+
+                          according to
+                       the version of the
+                        Calcutta Edition
+
+                which differs in essential form
+                       from the preceding
+                              tale
+
+
+Know, O my brothers and friends and companions all, that when I
+left voyaging and commercing, I said in myself, "Sufficeth me
+that hath befallen me;" and I spent my time in solace and
+pleasure. One day as I sat at home there came a knock at the
+door, and when the porter opened a page entered and said, "The
+Caliph biddeth thee to him." I went with him to the King's
+majesty and kissed ground and saluted him; whereupon he welcomed
+me and entreated me with honour and said, "O Sindbad, I have an
+occasion for thee: wilt thou do it?" So I kissed his hand and
+asked him, saying, "O my lord, what occasion hath the master for
+the slave?"; whereto he answered me, "I am minded that thou
+travel to the King of Sarandib and carry to him our writ and our
+gift, for that he hath sent to us a present and a letter. I
+trembled at these words and rejoined, "By Allah the Omnipotent, O
+my lord, I have taken a loathing to wayfare, and when I hear the
+words 'Voyage' or 'Travel,' my limbs tremble for what hath
+befallen me of hardships and horrors. Indeed I have no desire
+whatever for this; more by token as I have bound myself by oath
+not to quit Baghdad." Then I informed the Caliph of all I had
+passed through from first to last, and he marvelled with
+exceeding marvel and said, "By the Almighty, O Sindbad, from ages
+of old such mishaps as happened to thee were never know to happen
+to any, and thou dost only right never even to talk of travel.
+For our sake, however, thou wilt go this time and carry our
+present and our letter to him of Sarandib; and Inshallah--by
+God's leave!--thou shalt return quickly; and on this wise we
+shall be under no obligation to the said King." I replied that I
+heard and obeyed, being unable to oppose his command, so he gave
+me the gifts and the missive with money to pay my way and I
+kissed hands and left the presence. Then I dropped down from
+Baghdad to the Gulf, and with other merchants embarked, and our
+ship sailed before a fair wind many days and nights till, by
+Allah's aid, we reached the island of Sarandib. As soon as we had
+made fast we landed and I took the present and the letter; and,
+going in with them to the King, kissed ground before him. When he
+saw me, he said, "Well come, O Sindbad! By Allah Omnipotent we
+were longing to see thee, and glory be to God who hath again
+shown us thy face!" Then taking me by the hand he made me sit by
+his side, rejoicing, and he welcomed me with familiar kindness
+again and entreated me as a friend. After this he began to
+converse with me and courteously addressed me and asked, "What
+was the cause of thy coming to us, O Sindbad?" So after kissing
+his hand and thanking him I answered, "O my lord, I have brought
+thee a present from my master, the Caliph Harun Al-Rashid;" and
+offered him the present and the letter which he read and at which
+he rejoiced with passing joy. The present consisted of a mare
+worth ten thousand ducats, bearing a golden saddle set with
+jewels; a book; a sumptuous suit of clothes and an hundred
+different kinds of white Cairene cloths and silks of Suez,[FN#98]
+Cufa and Alexandria; Greek carpets and an hundred maunds[FN#99]
+weight of linen and raw silk. Moreover there was a wondrous
+rarety, a marvellous cup of crystal middlemost of which was the
+figure of a lion faced by a kneeling man grasping a bow with
+arrow drawn to the very head, together with the food-tray[FN#100]
+of Sulayman the son of David (on whom be peace!). The missive ran
+as follows, "Peace from King Al-Rashid, the aided of Allah (who
+hath vouchsafed to him and his forefathers noble rank and wide-
+spread glory), be on the fortunate Sultan. But after. Thy letter
+came to our hands and we rejoiced thereat; and we have sent the
+book entitled 'Delight of the Intelligent and for Friends the
+Rare Present,'[FN#101] together with sundry curiosities suitable
+for Kings; so do thou favour us by accepting them: and peace be
+with thee!" Then the King lavished upon me much wealth and
+entreated me with all honour; so I prayed for him and thanked him
+for his munificence. Some days after I craved his leave to
+depart, but could not obtain it except by great pressing,
+whereupon I farewelled him and fared forth from his city, with
+merchants and other companions, homewards-bound without any
+desire for travel or companions, homewards-bound without any
+desire for travel or trade. We continued voyaging and coasting
+along many islands; but, when we were half-way, we were
+surrounded by a number of canoes, wherein were men like devils
+armed with bows and arrows, swords and daggers; habited in mail-
+coats and other armoury. They fell upon us and wounded and slew
+all who opposed them; then, having captured the ship and her
+contents, carried us to an island, where they sold us at the
+meanest price. Now I was bought by a wealthy man who, taking me
+to his house, gave me meat and drink and clothing and treated me
+in the friendliest manner; so I was heartened and I rested a
+little. One day he asked me, "Dost thou know any art or craft?"
+and I answered him, "O my lord, I am a merchant and know nothing
+but trade and traffic." "Dost thou know," rejoined he, "how to
+use bow and arrow?" "Yes," replied I, "I know that much."
+Thereupon he brought me a bow and arrows and mounted me behind
+him upon an elephant: then he set out as night was well nigh over
+and, passing through a forest of huge growths, came to a tall and
+sturdy tree up which he made me climb. Then he gave me the bow
+and arrows, saying, "Sit here now, and when the elephants troop
+hither in early morning, shoot at them; belike thou wilt hit one;
+and, if he fall, come and tell me." With this he left me. I hid
+myself in the tree being in sore terror and trembled till the sun
+arose; and, when the elephants appeared and wandered about among
+the trees, I shot my arrows at them and continued till I had shot
+down one of them. In the evening I reported my success to my
+master who was delighted in me and entreated me with high honour;
+and next morning he removed the slain elephant. In this wise I
+continued, every morning shooting an elephant which my master
+would remove till, one day, as I was perched in hiding on the
+tree there came on suddenly and unexpectedly an innumerable host
+of elephants whose screaming and trumpeting were such that I
+imagined the earth trembled under them. All surrounded my tree,
+whose circumference was some fifty cubits,[FN#102] and one
+enormous monster came up to it and winding his trunk round the
+bole haled it up by the roots, and dashed it to the ground. I
+fell down fainting amongst the beasts when the monster elephant
+wound his trunk about me and, setting me on his back, went off
+with me, the others accompanying us. He carried me still
+unconscious till he reached the place for which he was making,
+when he rolled me off his back and presently went his ways
+followed by the others. So I rested a little; and, when my terror
+had subsided, I looked about me and I found myself among the
+bones of elephants, whereby I concluded that this was their
+burial-place, and that the monster elephant had led me thither on
+account of the tusks.[FN#103] So I arose and walked a whole day
+and night till I arrived at the house of my master, who saw my
+colour changed by stress of affright and famine. He rejoiced in
+my return and said to me, "By Allah, thou hast made my heart
+sore! I went when thou wast missing and found the tree torn up,
+and thought that the elephants had slain thee. Tell me how it was
+with thee." I acquainted him with all that had betided me;
+whereat he wondered greatly, and rejoiced and at last asked me,
+"Dost thou know the place?"; whereto I answered, "Yes, O my
+master!" So we mounted an elephant and fared until we came to the
+spot and, when my master beheld the heaps of tusks, he rejoiced
+greatly; then carrying away as many as he wanted he returned with
+me home. After this, he entreated me with increased favour and
+said, "O my son, thou hast shown us the way to great gain,
+wherefore Allah requite thee! Thou art freed for the Almighty's
+sake and before His face! The elephants used to destroy many of
+us on account of our hunting them for their ivories and
+sorivellos; but Allah hath preserved thee from them, and thou
+hast profited us by the heaps to which thou hast led us." "O my
+master," replied I, "God free thy neck from the fire! And do thou
+grant me, O my master, thy gracious leave to return to my own
+country." "Yes" quoth he, "thou shalt have that permission. But
+we have a yearly fair, when merchants come to us from various
+quarters to buy up these ivories. The time is drawing near; and,
+when they shall have done their business, I will send thee under
+their charge and will give thee wherewithal to reach thy home."
+So I blessed and thanked him and remained with him, treated with
+respect and honour, for some days, when the merchants came as he
+had foretold, and bought and sold and bartered; and when they had
+made their preparations to return, my master came to me and said,
+"Rise and get thee ready to travel with the traders en route to
+thy country." They had bought a number of tusks which they had
+bound together in loads and were embarking them when my master
+sent me with them, paying for my passage and settling all my
+debts; besides which he gave me a large present in goods. We set
+out and voyaged from island to island till we had crossed the sea
+and landed on the shores of the Persian Gulf, when the merchants
+brought out and sold their stores: I also sold what I had at a
+high profit; and I bought some of the prettiest things in the
+place for presents and beautiful rareties and everything else I
+wanted. I likewise bought for myself a beast and we fared forth
+and crossed the deserts from country to country till I reached
+Baghdad. Here I went in to the Caliph and, after saluting him and
+kissing hands, informed him of all that had befallen me;
+whereupon he rejoiced in my safety and thanked Almighty Allah;
+and he bade my story be written in letters of gold. I then
+entered my house and met my family and brethren: and such is the
+end of the history that happened to me during my seven voyages.
+Praise be to Allah, the One, the Creator, the Maker of all things
+in Heaven and Earth!--
+
+Now when Shahrazad had ended her story of the two Sindbads,
+Dinarzad exclaimed, "O my sister, how pleasant is thy tale and
+how tasteful! How sweet and how grateful!" She replied, "And what
+is this compared with that I could tell thee tomorrow night?"
+Quoth the King, "What may it be?" And she said:--It is a tale
+touching
+
+
+
+               THE CITY OF BRASS.[FN#104]
+
+
+
+It is related that there was, in tide of yore and in times and
+years long gone before, at Damascus of Syria, a Caliph known as
+Abd al-Malik bin Marwan, the fifth of the Ommiade house. As this
+Commander of the Faithful was seated one day in his palace,
+conversing with his Sultans and Kings and the Grandees of his
+empire, the talk turned upon the legends of past peoples and the
+traditions of our lord Solomon, David's son (on the twain be
+peace!), and on that which Allah Almighty had bestowed on him of
+lordship and dominion over men and Jinn and birds and beasts and
+reptiles and the wind and other created things; and quoth the
+Caliph, "Of a truth we hear from those who forewent us that the
+Lord (extolled and exalted be He!) vouchsafed unto none the like
+of that which He vouchsafed unto our lord Solomon and that he
+attained unto that whereto never attained other than he, in that
+he was wont to imprison Jinns and Marids and Satans in cucurbites
+of copper and to stop them with lead and seal[FN#105] them with
+his ring."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
+saying her permitted say.
+
+     When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-seventh Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+Caliph Abd al-Malik bin Marwan sat conversing with his Grandees
+concerning our lord Solomon, and these noted what Allah had
+bestowed upon him of lordship and dominion, quoth the Commander
+of the Faithful, "Indeed he attained unto that whereto never
+attained other than he, in that he was wont to imprison Jinns and
+Marids and Satans in cucurbites of copper and stop them with lead
+and seal them with his ring." Then said Talib bin Sahl (who was a
+seeker after treasures and had books that discovered to him
+hoards and wealth hidden under the earth), "O Commander of the
+Faithful,--Allah make thy dominion to endure and exalt thy
+dignity here and hereafter!--my father told me of my grandfather,
+that he once took ship with a company, intending for the island
+of Sikiliyah or Sicily, and sailed until there arose against them
+a contrary wind, which drove them from their course and brought
+them, after a month, to a great mountain in one of the lands of
+Allah the Most High, but where that land was they wot not. Quoth
+my grandfather:--�This was in the darkness of the night and as
+soon as it was day, there came forth to us, from the caves of the
+mountain, folk black of colour and naked of body, as they were
+wild beasts, understanding not one word of what was addressed to
+them; nor was there any of them who knew Arabic, save their King
+who was of their own kind. When he saw the ship, he came down to
+it with a company of his followers and saluting us, bade us
+welcome and questioned us of our case and our faith. We told him
+all concerning ourselves and he said, �Be of good cheer for no
+harm shall befal you.' And when we, in turn, asked them of their
+faith, we found that each was of one of the many creeds
+prevailing before the preaching of Al-Islam and the mission of
+Mohammed, whom may Allah bless and keep! So my shipmates
+remarked, We wot not what thou sayest.' Then quoth the King, �No
+Adam-son hath ever come to our land before you: but fear not, and
+rejoice in the assurance of safety and of return to your own
+country.' Then he entertained us three days, feeding us on the
+flesh of birds and wild beasts and fishes, than which they had no
+other meat; and, on the fourth day, he carried us down to the
+beach, that we might divert ourselves by looking upon the fisher-
+folk. There we saw a man casting his net to catch fish, and
+presently he pulled them up and behold, in them was a cucurbite
+of copper, stopped with lead and sealed with the signet of
+Solomon, son of David, on whom be peace! He brought the vessel to
+land and broke it open, when there came forth a smoke, which rose
+a-twisting blue to the zenith, and we heard a horrible voice,
+saying, �I repent! I repent! Pardon, O Prophet of Allah! I will
+never return to that which I did aforetime.' Then the smoke
+became a terrible Giant frightful of form, whose head was level
+with the mountain-tops, and he vanished from our sight, whilst
+our hearts were well-nigh torn out for terror; but the blacks
+thought nothing of it. Then we returned to the King and
+questioned him of the matter; whereupon quoth he, �Know that this
+was one of the Jinns whom Solomon, son of David, being wroth with
+them, shut up in these vessels and cast into the sea, after
+stopping the mouths with melted lead. Our fishermen ofttimes, in
+casting their nets, bring up such bottles, which being broken
+open, there come forth of them Jinnis who, deeming that Solomon
+is still alive and can pardon them, make their submission to him
+and say, I repent, O Prophet of Allah!'" The Caliph marvelled at
+Talib's story and said, "Glory be to God! Verily, to Solomon was
+given a mighty dominion." Now al-N�bighah al-Zuby�n�[FN#106] was
+present, and he said, "Talib hath spoken soothly as is proven by
+the saying of the All-wise, the Prim�val One,
+
+�And Solomon, when Allah to him said, * �Rise, be thou Caliph,
+     rule with righteous sway:
+Honour obedience for obeying thee; * And who rebels imprison him
+     for aye'
+
+Wherefore he used to put them in copper-bottles and cast them
+into the sea." The poet's words seemed good to the Caliph, and he
+said, "By Allah, I long to look upon some of these Solomonic
+vessels, which must be a warning to whoso will be warned." "O
+Commander of the Faithful," replied Talib, "it is in thy power to
+do so, without stirring abroad. Send to thy brother Abd al-Aziz
+bin Marw�n, so he may write to M�s� bin Nusayr,[FN#107] governor
+of the Maghrib or Morocco, bidding him take horse thence to the
+mountains whereof I spoke and fetch thee therefrom as many of
+such cucurbites as thou hast a mind to; for those mountains
+adjoin the frontiers of his province." The Caliph approved his
+counsel and said "Thou hast spoken sooth, O Talib, and I desire
+that, touching this matter, thou be my messenger to Musa bin
+Nusayr; wherefore thou shalt have the White Flag[FN#108] and all
+thou hast a mind to of monies and honour and so forth; and I will
+care for thy family during thine absence." "With love and
+gladness, O Commander of the Faithful!" answered Talib. "Go, with
+the blessing of Allah and His aid," quoth the Caliph, and bade
+write a letter to his brother, Abd al-Aziz, his viceroy in Egypt,
+and another to Musa bin Nusayr, his viceroy in North Western
+Africa, bidding him go himself in quest of the Solomonic bottles,
+leaving his son to govern in his stead. Moreover, he charged him
+to engage guides and to spare neither men nor money, nor to be
+remiss in the matter as he would take no excuse. Then he sealed
+the two letters and committed them to Talib bin Sahl, bidding him
+advance the royal ensigns before him and make his utmost speed
+and he gave him treasure and horsemen and footmen, to further him
+on his way, and made provision for the wants of his household
+during his absence. So Talib set out and arrived in due course at
+Cairo.[FN#109]--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
+ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-eighth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Talib bin
+Sahl set out with his escort and crossed the desert country
+between Syria and Egypt, where the Governor came out to meet him
+and entreated him and his company with high honour whilst they
+tarried with him. Then he gave them a guide to bring them to the
+Sa'�d or Upper Egypt, where the Emir Musa had his abiding-place;
+and when the son of Nusayr heard of Talib's coming, he went forth
+to meet him and rejoiced in him. Talib gave him the Caliph's
+letter, and he took it reverently and, laying it on his head,
+cried, "I hear and I obey the Prince of the Faithful." Then he
+deemed it best to assemble his chief officers and when all were
+present he acquainted them with the contents of the Caliph's
+letter and sought counsel of them how he should act. "O Emir,"
+answered they, "if thou seek one who shall guide thee to the
+place summon the Shaykh 'Abd al-Samad, ibn 'Abd al-Kudd�s, al-
+Sam�d�;[FN#110] for he is a man of varied knowledge, who hath
+travelled much and knoweth by experience all the seas and wastes
+and words and countries of the world and the inhabitants and
+wonders thereof; wherefore send thou for him and he will surely
+guide thee to thy desire." So Musa sent for him, and behold, he
+was a very ancient man shot in years and broken down with lapse
+of days. The Emir saluted him and said, "O Shaykh Abd al-Samad,
+our lord the Commander of the Faithful, Abd al-Malik bin Marwan'
+hath commanded me thus and thus. I have small knowledge of the
+land wherein is that which the Caliph desireth; but it is told me
+that thou knowest it well and the ways thither. Wilt thou,
+therefore, go with me and help me to accomplish the Caliph's
+need? So it please Allah the Most High, thy trouble and travail
+shall not go waste." Replied the Shaykh, "I hear and obey the
+bidding of the Commander of the Faithful; but know, O Emir, that
+the road thither is long and difficult and the ways few." "How
+far is it?" asked Musa, and the Shaykh answered, "It is a journey
+of two years and some months going and the like returning; and
+the way is full of hardships and terrors and things wondrous and
+marvellous. Now thou art a champion of the Faith[FN#111] and our
+country is hard by that of the enemy; and peradventure the
+Nazarenes may come out upon us in thine absence; wherefore it
+behoveth thee to leave one to rule thy government in thy stead."
+"It is well," answered the Emir and appointed his son H�r�n
+Governor during his absence, requiring the troops to take the
+oath of fealty to him and bidding them obey him in all he should
+com mend. And they heard his words and promised obedience. Now
+this Harun was a man of great prowess and a renowned warrior and
+a doughty knight, and the Shaykh Abd al-Samad feigned to him that
+the place they sought was distant but four months' journey along
+the shore of the sea, with camping-places all the way, adjoining
+one another, and grass and springs, adding, "Allah will assuredly
+make the matter easy to us through thy blessing, O Lieutenant of
+the Commander of the Faithful!" Quoth the Emir Musa, "Knowest
+thou if any of the Kings have trodden this land before us?"; and
+quoth the Shaykh, "Yes, it belonged aforetime to Darius the
+Greek, King of Alexandria." But he said to Musa privily, "O Emir,
+take with thee a thousand camels laden with victual and store of
+gugglets."[FN#112] The Emir asked, "And what shall we do with
+these?", and the Shaykh answered. "On our way is the desert of
+Kayrw�n or Cyrene, the which is a vast wold four days' journey
+long, and lacketh water; nor therein doth sound of voice ever
+sound nor is soul at any time to be seen. Moreover, there bloweth
+the Simoon[FN#113] and other hot winds called Al-Juwayb, which
+dry up the water-skins; but if the water be in gugglets, no harm
+can come to it." "Right," said Musa and sending to Alexandria,
+let bring thence great plenty of gugglets. Then he took with him
+his Wazir and two thousand cavalry, clad in mail cap-�-pie and
+set out, without other to guide them but Abd al-Samad who
+forewent them, riding on his hackney. The party fared on
+diligently, now passing through inhabited lands, then ruins and
+anon traversing frightful words and thirsty wastes and then
+mountains which spired high in air; nor did they leave journeying
+a whole year's space till, one morning, when the day broke, after
+they had travelled all night, behold, the Shaykh found himself in
+a land he knew not and said, "There is no Majesty and there is no
+Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!" Quoth the Emir,
+"What is to do, O Shaykh?"; and he answered, saying, "By the Lord
+of the Ka'abah, we have wandered from our road!" "How cometh
+that?" asked Musa, and Abd al-Samad replied, "The stars were
+overclouded and I could not guide myself by them." "Where on
+God's earth are we now?" asked the Emir, and the Shaykh answered,
+"I know not; for I never set eyes on this land till this moment."
+Said Musa, "Guide us back to the place where we went astray", but
+the other, "I know it no more." Then Musa, "Let us push on; haply
+Allah will guide us to it or direct us aright of His power." So
+they fared on till the hour of noon-prayer, when they came to a
+fair champaign, and wide and level and smooth as it were the sea
+when calm, and presently there appeared to them, on the horizon
+some great thing, high and black, in whose midst was as it were
+smoke rising to the confines of the sky. They made for this, and
+stayed not in their course till they drew near thereto, when, lo!
+it was a high castle, firm of foundations and great and gruesome,
+as it were a towering mountain, builded all of black stone, with
+frowning crenelles and a door of gleaming China steel, that
+dazzled the eyes and dazed the wits. Round about it were a
+thousand steps and that which appeared afar off as it were smoke
+was a central dome of lead an hundred cubits high. When the Emir
+saw this, he marvelled thereat with exceeding marvel and how this
+place was void of inhabitants; and the Shaykh, after he had
+certified himself thereof, said, "There is no god but the God and
+Mohammed is the Apostle of God!" Quoth Musa, "I hear thee praise
+the Lord and hallow Him, and meseemeth thou rejoicest." "O Emir,"
+answered Abd al-Samad, "Rejoice, for Allah (extolled and exalted
+be He!) hath delivered us from the frightful words and thirsty
+wastes." "How knowest thou that?" said Musa, and the other, "I
+know it for that my father told me of my grandfather that he
+said, �We were once journeying in this land and, straying from
+the road, we came to this palace and thence to the City of Brass;
+between which and the place thou seekest is two full months'
+travel; but thou must take to the sea-shore and leave it not, for
+there be watering-places and wells and camping-grounds
+established by King Z� al-Karnayn Iskandar who, when he went to
+the conquest of Mauritania, found by the way thirsty deserts and
+wastes and wilds and dug therein water-pits and built cisterns.'
+" Quoth Musa, "Allah rejoice thee with good news!" and quoth the
+Shaykh, "Come, let us go look upon yonder palace and its marvels,
+for it is an admonition to whose will be admonished." So the Emir
+went up to the palace, with the Shaykh and his officers, and
+coming to the gate, found it open. Now this gate was builded with
+lofty columns and porticoes whose walls and ceilings were inlaid
+with gold and silver and precious stones; and there led up to it
+flights of steps, among which were two wide stairs of coloured
+marble, never was seen their like; and over the doorway was a
+tablet whereon were graven letters of gold in the old ancient
+Ionian character. "O Emir," asked the Shaykh, "Shall I read?";
+and Musa answered, "Read and God bless thee!; for all that
+betideth us in this journey dependeth upon thy blessing." So the
+Shaykh, who was a very learned man and versed in all tongues and
+characters, went up to the tablet and read whatso was thereon and
+it was verse like this,
+
+"The signs that here their mighty works portray * Warn us that
+     all must tread the self-same way:
+O thou who standest in this stead to hear * Tidings of folk,
+     whose power hath passed for aye,
+Enter this palace-gate and ask the news * Of greatness fallen
+     into dust and clay:
+Death has destroyed them and dispersed their might * And in the
+     dust they lost their rich display;
+As had they only set their burdens down * To rest awhile, and
+     then had rode away."
+
+When the Emir Musa heard these couplets, he wept till he lost his
+senses and said, "There is no god but the God, the Living, the
+Eternal, who ceaseth not!" Then he entered the palace and was
+confounded at its beauty and the goodliness of its construction.
+He diverted himself awhile by viewing the pictures and images
+therein, till he came to another door, over which also were
+written verses, and said to the Shaykh, "Come read me these!" So
+he advanced and read as follows,
+
+"Under these domes how many a company * Halted of old and fared
+     with-outen stay:
+See thou what might displays on other wights * Time with his
+     shifts which could such lords waylay:
+They shared together what they gathered * And left their joys and
+     fared to Death-decay:
+What joys they joyed! what food they ate! and now * In dust
+     they're eaten, for the worm a prey."
+
+At this the Emir Musa wept bitter tears; and the world waxed
+yellow before his eyes and he said, "Verily, we were created for
+a mighty matter!"[FN#114] Then they proceeded to explore the
+palace and found it desert and void of living thing, its courts
+desolate and dwelling places waste laid. In the midst stood a
+lofty pavilion with a dome rising high in air, and about it were
+four hundred tombs, builded of yellow marble. The Emir drew near
+unto these and behold, amongst them was a great tomb, wide and
+long; and at its head stood a tablet of white marble, whereon
+were graven these couplets,
+
+"How oft have I fought! and how many have slain! * How much have
+     I witnessed of blessing and bane!
+How much have I eaten! how much have I drunk! * How oft have I
+     hearkened to singing-girl's strain!
+How much have I bidden! how oft have forbid! * How many a castle
+     and castellain
+I have sieged and have searched, and the cloistered maids * In
+     the depths of its walls for my captives were ta'en!
+But of ignorance sinned I to win me the meeds * Which won proved
+     naught and brought nothing of gain:
+Then reckon thy reck'ning, O man, and be wise * Ere the goblet of
+     death and of doom thou shalt drain;
+For yet but a little the dust on thy head * They shall strew, and
+     thy life shall go down to the dead."
+
+The Emir and his companions wept; then, drawing near unto the
+pavilion, they saw that it had eight doors of sandal-wood,
+studded with nails of gold and stars of silver and inlaid with
+all manner precious stones. On the first door were written these
+verses,
+
+"What I left, I left it not for nobility of soul, * But through
+     sentence and decree that to every man are dight.
+What while I lived happy, with a temper haught and high, * My
+     hoarding-place defending like a lion in the fight,
+I took no rest, and greed of gain forbad me give a grain * Of
+     mustard seed to save from the fires of Hell my sprite,
+Until stricken on a day, as with arrow, by decree * Of the Maker,
+     the Fashioner, the Lord of Might and Right.
+When my death was appointed, my life I could not keep * By the
+     many of my stratagems, my cunning and my sleight:
+My troops I had collected availed me not, and none * Of my
+     friends and of my neighbours had power to mend my plight:
+Through my life I was weaned in journeying to death * In stress
+     or in solace, in joyance or despight:
+So when money-bags are bloated, and dinar unto dinar * Thou
+     addest, all may leave thee with fleeting of the night:
+And the driver of a camel and the digger of a grave[FN#115] * Are
+     what thine heirs shall bring ere the morning dawneth bright:
+And on Judgment Day alone shalt thou stand before thy Lord, *
+     Overladen with thy sins and thy crimes and thine affright:
+Let the world not seduce thee with lurings, but behold * What
+     measure to thy family and neighbours it hath doled."
+
+When Musa heard these verses, he wept with such weeping that he
+swooned away; then, coming to himself, he entered the pavilion
+and saw therein a long tomb, awesome to look upon, whereon was a
+tablet of China steel and Shaykh Abd al-Samad drew near it and
+read this inscription: "In the name of Ever-lasting Allah, the
+Never-beginning, the Never-ending; in the name of Allah who
+begetteth not nor is He begot and unto whom the like is not; in
+the name of Allah the Lord of Majesty and Might; in the name of
+the Living One who to death is never dight!"--And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-ninth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Shaykh Abd
+al-Samad, having read the aforesaid, also found the following, "O
+thou who comest to this place, take warning by that which thou
+seest of the accidents of Time and the vicissitudes of Fortune
+and be not deluded by the world and its pomps and vanities and
+fallacies and falsehoods and vain allurements, for that it is
+flattering, deceitful end treacherous, and the things thereof are
+but a loan to us which it will borrow back from all borrowers. It
+is like unto the dreams of the dreamer and the sleep-visions of
+the sleeper or as the mirage of the desert, which the thirsty
+take for water;[FN#116] and Satan maketh it fair for men even
+unto death These are the ways of the world; wherefore put not
+thou thy trust therein neither incline thereto, for it betrayeth
+him who leaneth upon it and who committeth himself thereunto in
+his affairs. Fall not thou into its snares neither take hold upon
+its skirts, but be warned by my example. I possessed four thou
+sand bay horses and a haughty palace, and I had to wife a thou
+sand daughters of kings, high-bosomed maids, as they were moons:
+I was blessed with a thousand sons as they were fierce lions, and
+I abode a thousand years, glad of heart and mind, and I amassed
+treasures beyond the competence of all the Kings of the regions
+of the earth, deeming that delight would still endure to me. But
+there fell on me unawares the Destroyer of delights and the
+Sunderer of societies, the Desolator of domiciles and the Spoiler
+of inhabited spots, the Murtherer of great and small, babes and
+children and mothers, he who hath no ruth on the poor for his
+poverty, or feareth the King for all his bidding or forbidding.
+Verily, we abode safe and secure in this palace, till there
+descended upon us the judgment of the Lord of the Three Worlds,
+Lord of the Heavens, and Lord of the Earths, the vengeance of the
+Manifest Truth[FN#117] overtook us, when there died of us every
+day two, till a great company of us had perished. When I saw that
+destruction had entered our dwellings and had homed with us and
+in the sea of deaths had drowned us, I summoned a writer and bade
+him indite these verses and instances and admonitions, the which
+I let grave, with rule and compass, on these doors and tablets
+and tombs. Now I had an army of a thousand thousand bridles, men
+of warrior mien with forearms strong and keen, armed with spears
+and mail-coats sheen and swords that gleam; so I bade them don
+their long-hanging hauberks and gird on their biting blades and
+mount their high-mettled steeds and level their dreadful lances;
+and whenas there fell on us the doom of the Lord of heaven and
+earth, I said to them, �Ho, all ye soldiers and troopers, can ye
+avail to ward off that which is fallen on me from the Omnipotent
+King?' But troopers and soldiers availed not unto this and said,
+�How shall we battle with Him to whom no chamberlain barreth
+access, the Lord of the door which hath no doorkeeper?' Then
+quoth I to them, �Bring me my treasures' Now I had in my
+treasuries a thousand cisterns in each of which were a thousand
+quintals[FN#118] of red gold and the like of white silver,
+besides pearls and jewels of all kinds and other things of price,
+beyond the attainment of the kings of the earth. So they did that
+and when they had laid all the treasure in my presence, I said to
+them, �Can ye ransom me with all this treasure or buy me one day
+of life therewith?' But they could not! So they resigned
+themselves to fore-ordained Fate and fortune and I submitted to
+the judgment of Allah, enduring patiently that which he decreed
+unto me of affliction, till He took my soul and made me to dwell
+in my grave. And if thou ask of my name, I am K�sh, the son of
+Shadd�d son of �d the Greater." And upon the tablets were
+engraved these lines,
+
+"An thou wouldst know my name, whose day is done * With shifts of
+     time and chances 'neath the sun,
+Know I am Shadd�d's son, who ruled mankind * And o'er all earth
+     upheld dominion!
+All stubborn peoples abject were to me; * And Sh�m to Cairo and
+     to Adnanwone;[FN#119]
+I reigned in glory conquering many kings; * And peoples feared my
+     mischief every one.
+Yea, tribes and armies in my hand I saw; * The world all dreaded
+     me, both friends and fone.
+When I took horse, I viewed my numbered troops, * Bridles on
+     neighing steeds a million.
+And I had wealth that none could tell or count, * Against
+     misfortune treasuring all I won;
+Fain had I bought my life with all my wealth, * And for a
+     moment's space my death to shun;
+But God would naught save what His purpose willed; * So from my
+     brethren cut I 'bode alone:
+And Death, that sunders man, exchanged my lot * To pauper hut
+     from grandeur's mansion
+When found I all mine actions gone and past * Wherefor I'm
+     pledged[FN#120] and by my sin undone.
+Then fear, O man, who by a brink dost range, * The turns of
+     Fortune and the chance of Change."
+
+The Emir Musa was hurt to his heart and loathed his life for what
+he saw of the slaughtering-places of the folk; and, as they went
+about the highways and byeways of the palace, viewing its
+sitting-chambers and pleasaunces, behold they came upon a table
+of yellow onyx, upborne on four feet of juniper-wood,[FN#121] and
+there-on these words graven, "At this table have eaten a thousand
+kings blind of the right eye and a thousand blind of the left and
+yet other thousand sound of both eyes, all of whom have departed
+the world and have taken up their sojourn in the tombs and the
+catacombs." All this the Emir wrote down and left the palace,
+carrying off with him naught save the table aforesaid. Then he
+fared on with his host three days' space, under the guidance of
+the Shaykh Abd al-Samad, till they came to a high hill, whereon
+stood a horseman of brass. In his hand he held a lance with a
+broad head, in brightness like blinding leven, whereon was
+graven, "O thou that comest unto me, if thou know not the way to
+the City of Brass, rub the hand of this rider and he will turn
+round and presently stop. Then take the direction whereto he
+faceth and fare fearless, for it will bring thee, without
+hardship, to the city aforesaid."--And Shahrazad perceived the
+dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+       When it was the Five Hundred and Seventieth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+Emir Musa rubbed the horseman's hand he revolved like the
+dazzling lightning, and stopped facing in a direction other than
+that wherein they were journeying. So they took the road to which
+he pointed (which was the right way) and, finding it a beaten
+track, fared on through their days and nights till they had
+covered a wide tract of country. Then they came upon a pillar of
+black stone like a furnace chimney wherein was one sunken up to
+his armpits. He had two great wings and four arms, two of them
+like the arms of the sons of Adam and other two as they were
+lion's paws, with claws of iron, and he was black and tall and
+frightful of aspect, with hair like horses' tails and eyes like
+blazing coals, slit upright in his face. Moreover, he had in the
+middle of his forehead a third eye, as it were that of a lynx,
+from which flew sparks of fire, and he cried out saying, "Glory
+to my Lord, who hath adjudged unto me this grievous torment and
+sore punishment until the Day of Doom!" When the folk saw him,
+they lost their reason for affright and turned to flee; so the
+Emir Musa asked the Shaykh Abd al-Samad, "What is this?"; and he
+answered, "I know not." Whereupon quoth Musa, "Draw near and
+question him of his condition; haply he will discover to thee his
+case." "Allah assain thee, Emir! Indeed, I am afraid of him;"
+replied the Shaykh; but the Emir rejoined, saying, "Fear not; he
+is hindered from thee and from all others by that wherein he is."
+So Abd al-Samad drew near to the pillar and said to him which was
+therein, "O creature, what is thy name and what art thou and how
+camest thou here in this fashion?" "I am an Ifrit of the Jinn,"
+replied he, "by name D�hish, son of Al-A'amash,[FN#122] and am
+confined here by the All-might, prisoned here by the Providence
+and punished by the judgement of Allah, till it pleases Him, to
+whom belong Might and Majesty, to release me." Then said Musa,
+"Ask him why he is in durance of this column?" So the Shaykh
+asked him of this, and the Ifrit replied, saying, "Verily my tale
+is wondrous and my case marvellous, and it is this. One of the
+sons of Iblis had an idol of red carnelian, whereof I was
+guardian, and there served it a King of the Kings of the sea, a
+Prince of puissant power and prow of prowess, over-ruling a
+thousand thousand warriors of the Jann who smote with swords
+before him and answered his summons in time of need. All these
+were under my commandment and obeyed my behest, being each and
+every rebels against Solomon, son of David, on whom be peace! And
+I used to enter the belly of the idol and thence bid and forbid
+them. Now this King's daughter loved the idol and was frequent in
+prostration to it and assiduous in its service; and she was the
+fairest woman of her day, accomplished in beauty and loveliness,
+elegance and grace. She was described unto Solomon and he sent to
+her father, saying, �Give me thy daughter to wife and break thine
+idol of carnelian and testify saying, There is no god but the God
+and Solomon is the Prophet of Allah!' an thou do this, our due
+shall be thy due and thy debt shall be our debt, but, if thou
+refuse, make ready to answer the summons of the Lord and don thy
+grave-gear, for I will come upon thee with an irresistible host,
+which shall fill the waste places of earth and make thee as
+yesterday that is passed away and hath no return for aye.' When
+this message reached the King, he waxed insolent and rebellious,
+pride-full and contumacious and he cried to his Wazirs, �What say
+ye of this? Know ye that Solomon son of David hath sent requiring
+me to give him my daughter to wife, and break my idol of
+carnelian and enter his faith!' And they replied, �O mighty King,
+how shall Solomon do thus with thee? Even could he come at thee
+in the midst of this vast ocean, he could not prevail against
+thee, for the Marids of the Jann will fight on thy side and thou
+wilt ask succour of thine idol whom thou servest, and he will
+help thee and give thee victory over him. So thou wouldst do well
+to consult on this matter thy Lord,' (meaning the idol aforesaid)
+�and hear what he saith. If he say, Fight him, fight him, and if
+not, not.' So the King went in without stay or delay to his idol
+and offered up sacrifices and slaughtered victims; after which he
+fell down before him, prostrate and weeping, and repeated these
+verses,
+
+�O my Lord, well I weet thy puissant hand: * Sulaym�n would break
+     thee and see thee bann'd.
+O my Lord, to crave succour here I stand * Command and I bow to
+     thy high command!'
+
+Then I" (continued the Ifrit addressing the Shaykh and those
+about him), "of my ignorance and want of wit and recklessness of
+the commandment of Solomon and lack of knowledge anent his power,
+entered the belly of the idol and made answer as follows.
+
+
+�As for me, of him I feel naught affright, * For my lore and my
+     wisdom are infinite:
+If he wish for warfare I'll show him fight * And out of his body
+     I'll tear his sprite!'
+
+When the King heard my boastful reply, he hardened his heart and
+resolved to wage war upon the Prophet and to offer him battle;
+wherefore he beat the messenger with a grievous beating and
+returned a foul answer to Solomon, threatening him and saying,
+�Of a truth, thy soul hath suggested to thee a vain thing; dost
+thou menace me with mendacious words? But gird thyself for
+battle; for, an thou come not to me, I will assuredly come to
+thee.' So the messenger returned to Solomon and told him all that
+had passed and whatso had befallen him, which when the Prophet
+heard, he raged like Doomsday and addressed himself to the fray
+and levied armies of men and Jann and birds and reptiles. He
+commanded his Wazir Al-Dimiry�t, King of the Jann, to gather
+together the Marids of the Jinn from all parts, and he collected
+for him six hundred thousand thousand of devils.[FN#123]
+Moreover, by his order, his Wazir �saf bin Barkhiy� levied him an
+army of men, to the number of a thousand thousand or more. These
+all he furnished with arms and armour and mounting, with his
+host, upon his carpet, took flight through air, while the beasts
+fared under him and the birds flew overhead, till he lighted down
+on the island of the refractory King and encompassed it about,
+filling earth with his hosts."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
+of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+     When it was the Five Hundred and Seventy-first Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Ifrit
+continued, "So when Solomon the prophet (with whom be peace!)
+lighted down with his host on the island he sent to our King,
+saying, �Behold, I am come: defend thy life against that which is
+fallen upon thee, or else make thy submission to me and confess
+my apostleship and give me thy daughter to lawful wife and break
+thine idol and worship the one God, the alone Worshipful; and
+testify, thou and thine, and say, �There is no God but the God,
+and Solomon is the Apostle of Allah![FN#124] This if thou do,
+thou shalt have pardon and peace; but if not, it will avail thee
+nothing to fortify thyself in this island, for Allah (extolled
+and exalted be He!) hath bidden the wind obey me; so I will bid
+it bear me to thee on my carpet and make thee a warning and an
+example to deter others.' But the King made answer to his
+messenger, saying, �It may not on any wise be as he requireth of
+me; so tell him I come forth to him,' With this reply the
+messenger returned to Solomon, who thereupon gathered together
+all the Jinn that were under his hand, to the number of a
+thousand thousand, and added to them other than they of Marids
+and Satans from the islands of the sea and the tops of the
+mountains and, drawing them up on parade, opened his armouries
+and distributed to them arms and armour. Then the Prophet drew
+out his host in battle array, dividing the beasts into two
+bodies, one on the right wing of the men and the other on the
+left, and bidding them tear the enemies' horses in sunder.
+Furthermore, he ordered the birds which were in the island to
+hover over their heads and, whenas the assault should be made,
+that they should swoop down and tear out the foe's eyes with
+their beaks and buffet their faces with their wings; and they
+answered, saying, �We hear and we obey Allah and thee, O Prophet
+of Allah!' Then Solomon seated himself on a throne of alabaster,
+studded with precious stones and plated with red gold; and,
+commanding the wind to bear him aloft, set his Wazir Asaf bin
+Barkhiya[FN#125] and the kings of mankind on his right and his
+Wazir Al-Dimiryat and the kings of the Jinn on his left, arraying
+the beasts and vipers and serpents in the van. Thereupon they all
+set on us together, and we gave them battle two days over a vast
+plain; but, on the third day, disaster befel us, and the judgment
+of Allah the Most High was executed upon us. Now the first to
+charge upon them were I and my troops, and I said to my
+companions, �Abide in your places, whilst I sally forth to them
+and provoke Al-Dimiryat to combat singular.' And behold, he came
+forth to the duello as he were a vast mountain, with his fires
+flaming and his smoke spireing, and shot at me a falling star of
+fire; but I swerved from it and it missed me. Then I cast at him
+in my turn, a flame of fire, and smote him; but his shaft[FN#126]
+overcame my fire and he cried out at me so terrible a cry that
+meseemed the skies were fallen flat upon me, and the mountains
+trembled at his voice. Then he commanded his hosts to charge;
+accordingly they rushed on us and we rushed on them, each crying
+out upon other, and battle reared its crest rising in volumes and
+smoke ascending in columns and hearts well nigh cleaving. The
+birds and the flying Jinn fought in the air and the beasts and
+men and the foot-faring Jann in the dust and I fought with Al-
+Dimiryat, till I was aweary and he not less so. At last, I grew
+weak and turned to flee from him, whereupon my companions and
+tribesmen likewise took to flight and my hosts were put to the
+rout, and Solomon cried out, saying, �Take yonder furious tyrant,
+the accursed, the infamous!' Then man fell upon man and Jinn upon
+Jinn and the armies of the Prophet charged down upon us, with the
+wild beasts and lions on their right hand and on their left,
+rending our horses and tearing our men; whilst the birds hovered
+over-head in air pecking out our eyes with their claws and beaks
+and beating our faces with their wings, and the serpents struck
+us with their fangs, till the most of our folk lay prone upon the
+face of the earth, like the trunks of date-trees. Thus defeat
+befel our King and we became a spoil unto Solomon. As to me, I
+fled from before Al-Dimiryat, but he followed me three months'
+journey, till I fell down for weariness and he overtook me, and
+pouncing upon me, made me prisoner. Quoth I, �By the virtue of
+Him who hath exalted thee and abased me, spare me and bring me
+into the presence of Solomon, on whom be peace!' So he carried me
+before Solomon, who received me after the foulest fashion and
+bade bring this pillar and hollow it out. Then he set me herein
+and chained me and sealed me with his signet-ring, and Al-
+Dimiryat bore me to this place wherein thou seest me. Moreover,
+he charged a great angel to guard me, and this pillar is my
+prison until Judgment-day." Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
+and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+     When it was the Five Hundred and Seventy-second Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+Jinni who was prisoned in the pillar had told them his tale, from
+first to last, the folk marvelled at his story and at the
+frightfulness of his favour, and the Emir Musa said, "There is no
+God but the God! Soothly was Solomon gifted with a mighty
+dominion." Then said the Shaykh Abd al-Samad to the Jinni, "Ho
+there! I would fain ask thee of a thing, whereof do thou inform
+us." "Ask what thou wilt," answered the Ifrit Dahish and the
+Shaykh said, "Are there hereabouts any of the Ifrits imprisoned
+in bottles of brass from the time of Solomon (on whom be
+peace!)?" "Yes," replied the Jinni; "there be such in the sea of
+al-Karkar[FN#127] on the shores whereof dwell a people of the
+lineage of Noah (on whom be peace!); for their country was not
+reached by the Deluge and they are cut off there from the other
+sons of Adam." Quoth Abd al-Samad, "And which is the way to the
+City of Brass and the place wherein are the cucurbites of
+Solomon, and what distance lieth between us and it?" Quoth the
+Ifrit, "It is near at hand," and directed them in the way
+thither. So they left him and fared forward till there appeared
+to them afar off a great blackness and therein two fires facing
+each other, and the Emir Musa asked the Shaykh, "What is yonder
+vast blackness and its twin fires?"; and the guide answered,
+"Rejoice O Emir, for this is the City of Brass, as it is
+described in the Book of Hidden Treasures which I have by me. Its
+walls are of black stone and it hath two towers of Andalusian
+brass,[FN#128] which appear to the beholder in the distance as
+they were twin fires, and hence is it named the City of Brass."
+Then they fared on without ceasing till they drew near the city
+and behold, it was as it were a piece of a mountain or a mass of
+iron cast in a mould and impenetrable for the height of its walls
+and bulwarks; while nothing could be more beautiful than its
+buildings and its ordinance. So they dismounted down and sought
+for an entrance, but saw none neither found any trace of opening
+in the walls, albeit there were five-and-twenty portals to the
+city, but none of them was visible from without. Then quoth the
+Emir, "O Shaykh, I see to this city no sign of any gate;" and
+quoth he, "O Emir, thus is it described in my Book of Hidden
+Treasures; it hath five-and-twenty portals; but none thereof may
+be opened save from within the city." Asked Musa, " And how shall
+we do to enter the city and view its wonders?" and Talib son of
+Sahl, his Wazir, answered, "Allah assain the Emir! let us rest
+here two or three days and, God willing, we will make shift to
+come within the walls." Then said Musa to one of his men, "Mount
+thy camel and ride round about the city, so haply thou may light
+upon a gate or a place somewhat lower than this fronting us, or
+Inshallah! a breach whereby we can enter." Accordingly he mounted
+his beast, taking water and victuals with him, and rode round the
+city two days and two nights, without drawing rein to rest, but
+found the wall thereof as it were one block, without breach or
+way of ingress; and on the third day, he came again in sight of
+his companions, dazed and amazed at what he had seen of the
+extent and loftiness of the place, and said, "O Emir, the easiest
+place of access is this where you have alighted." Then Musa took
+Talib and Abd al-Samad and ascended the highest hill which
+overlooked the city. When they reached the top, they beheld
+beneath them a city, never saw eyes a greater or a goodlier, with
+dwelling-places and mansions of towering height, and palaces and
+pavilions and domes gleaming gloriously bright and sconces and
+bulwarks of strength infinite; and its streams were a-flowing and
+flowers a-blowing and fruits a glowing. It was a city with gates
+impregnable; but void and still, without a voice or a cheering
+inhabitant. The owl hooted in its quarters; the bird skimmed
+circling over its squares and the raven croaked in its great
+thoroughfares weeping and bewailing the dwellers who erst made it
+their dwelling.[FN#129] The Emir stood awhile, marvelling and
+sorrowing for the desolation of the city and saying, Glory to Him
+whom nor ages nor changes nor times can blight, Him who created
+all things of His Might!" Presently, he chanced to look aside and
+caught sight of seven tablets of white marble afar off. So he
+drew near them and finding inscriptions graven thereon, called
+the Shaykh and bade him read these. Accordingly he came forward
+and, examining the inscriptions, found that they contained matter
+of admonition and warning and instances and restraint to those of
+understanding. On the first tablet was inscribed, in the ancient
+Greek character: "O son of Adam, how heedless art thou of that
+which is before thee! Verily, thy years and months and days have
+diverted thee therefrom. Knowest thou not that the cup of death
+is filled for thy bane which in a little while to the dregs thou
+shalt drain? Look to thy doom ere thou enter thy tomb. Where be
+the Kings who held dominion over the lands and abased Allah's
+servants and built these palaces and had armies under their
+commands? By Allah, the Destroyer of delights and the Severer of
+societies and the Devastator of dwelling-places came down upon
+them and transported them from the spaciousness of their palaces
+to the staitness of their burial-places." And at the foot of the
+tablet were written the following verses,
+
+"Where are the Kings earth-peopling, where are they? * The built
+     and peopled left they e'er and aye!
+They're tombed yet pledged to actions past away * And after death
+     upon them came decay.
+Where are their troops? They failed to ward and guard! * Where
+     are the wealth and hoards in treasuries lay?
+Th' Empyrean's Lord surprised them with one word, * Nor wealth
+     nor refuge could their doom delay!"
+
+When the Emir heard this, he cried out and the tears ran down his
+cheeks and he exclaimed, "By Allah, from the world abstaining is
+the wisest course and the sole assaining!" And he called for pen-
+case and paper and wrote down what was graven on the first
+tablet. Then he drew near the second tablet and found these words
+graven thereon, "O son of Adam, what hath seduced thee from the
+service of the Ancient of Days and made thee forget that one day
+thou must defray the debt of death? Wottest thou not that it is a
+transient dwelling wherein for none there is abiding; and yet
+thou taketh thought unto the world and cleaves" fast thereto?
+Where be the kings who Irak peopled and the four quarters of the
+globe possessed? Where be they who abode in Ispahan and the land
+of Khorasan? The voice of the Summoner of Death summoned them and
+they answered him, and the Herald of Destruction hailed them and
+they replied, Here are we! Verily, that which they builded and
+fortified profited them naught; neither did what they had
+gathered and provided avail for their defence." And at the foot
+of the tablet were graven the following verses,
+
+Where be the men who built and fortified * High places never man
+     their like espied?
+In fear of Fate they levied troops and hosts, * Availing naught
+     when came the time and tide,
+Where be the Kisr�s homed in strongest walls? * As though they
+     ne'er had been from home they tried!"
+
+The Emir Musa wept and exclaimed, "By Allah, we are indeed
+created for a grave matter!" Then he copied the inscription and
+passed on to the third tablet,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
+of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+     When it was the Five Hundred and Seventy-third Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Emir
+Musa passed on to the third tablet, whereon was written, "O son
+of Adam, the things of this world thou lovest and prizest and the
+hest of thy Lord thou spurnest and despisest. All the days of thy
+life pass by and thou art content thus to aby. Make ready thy
+viaticum against the day appointed for thee to see and prepare to
+answer the Lord of every creature that be!" And at the foot were
+written these verses,
+
+"Where is the wight who peopled in the past * Hind land and Sind;
+     and there the tyrant played?
+Who Zanj[FN#130] and Habash bound beneath his yoke, * And Nubia
+     curbed and low its puissance laid.
+Look not for news of what is in his grave. * Ah, he is far who
+     can thy vision aid!
+The stroke of death fell on him sharp and sure; * Nor saved him
+     palace, nor the lands he swayed."
+
+At this Musa wept with sore weeping and, going on to the fourth
+tablet, he read inscribed thereon, "O son of Adam, how long shall
+thy Lord bear with thee and thou every day sunken in the sea of
+thy folly? Hath it then been stablished unto thee that some day
+thou shalt not die? O son of Adam, let not the deceits of thy
+days and nights and times and hours delude thee with their
+delights; but remember that death lieth ready for thee ambushing,
+fain on thy shoulders to spring, nor doth a day pass but he
+morneth with thee in the morning and nighteth with thee by night.
+Beware, then, of his onslaught and make provision there-against.
+As was with me, so it is with thee; thou wastest thy whole life
+and squanderest the joys in which thy days are rife. Hearken,
+therefore, to my words and put thy trust in the Lord of Lords;
+for in the world there is no stability; it is but as a spider's
+web to thee." And at the foot of the tablet were written these
+couplets,
+
+"Where is the man who did those labours ply * And based and built
+     and reared these walls on high?
+Where be the castles' lords? Who therein dwelt * Fared forth and
+     left them in decay to lie.
+All are entombed, in pledge against the day * When every sin
+     shall show to every eye.
+None but the Lord Most High endurance hath, * Whose Might and
+     Majesty shall never die."
+
+When the Emir read this, he swooned away and presently coming to
+himself marvelled exceedingly and wrote it down. Then he drew
+near the fifth tablet and behold, thereon was graven, "O son of
+Adam, what is it that distracteth thee from obedience of thy
+Creator and the Author of thy being, Him who reared thee whenas
+thou west a little one, and fed thee whenas thou west full-grown?
+Thou art ungrateful for His bounty, albeit He watcheth over thee
+with His favours, letting down the curtain of His protection over
+thee. Needs must there be for thee an hour bitterer than aloes
+and hotter than live coals. Provide thee, therefore, against it;
+for who shall sweeten its gall or quench its fires? Bethink thee
+who forewent thee of peoples and heroes and take warning by them,
+ere thou perish." And at the foot of the tablet were graven these
+couplets,
+
+"Where be the Earth-kings who from where they �bode, * Sped and
+     to grave yards with their hoardings yode:
+Erst on their mounting-days there hadst beheld * Hosts that
+     concealed the ground whereon they rode:
+How many a king they humbled in their day! * How many a host they
+     led and laid on load!
+But from th' Empyrean's Lord in haste there came * One word, and
+     joy waxed grief ere morning glowed."
+
+The Emir marvelled at this and wrote it down; after which he
+passed on to the sixth tablet and behold, was inscribed thereon,
+"O son of Adam, think not that safety will endure for ever and
+aye, seeing that death is sealed to thy head alway. Where be thy
+fathers, where be thy brethren, where thy friends and dear ones?
+They have all gone to the dust of the tombs and presented
+themselves before the Glorious, the Forgiving, as if they had
+never eaten nor drunken, and they are a pledge for that which
+they have earned. So look to thyself, ere thy tomb come upon
+thee." And at the foot of the tablet were these couplets,
+
+"Where be the Kings who ruled the Franks of old? * Where be the
+     King who peopled Tingis-wold[FN#131]?
+Their works are written in a book which He, * The One, th' All-
+    father shall as witness hold."
+
+At this the Emir Musa marvelled and wrote it down, saying, "There
+is no god but the God! Indeed, how goodly were these folk!" Then
+he went up to the seventh tablet and behold, thereon was written,
+"Glory to Him who fore-ordaineth death to all He createth, the
+Living One, who dieth not! O son of Adam, let not thy days and
+their delights delude thee, neither thine hours and the delices
+of their time, and know that death to thee cometh and upon thy
+shoulder sitteth. Beware, then, of his assault and make ready for
+his onslaught. As it was with me, so it is with thee; thou
+wastest the sweet of thy life and the joyance of thine hours.
+Give ear, then, to my rede and put thy trust in the Lord of Lords
+and know that in the world is no stability, but it is as it were
+a spider's web to thee and all that is therein shall die and
+cease to be. Where is he who laid the foundation of Amid[FN#132]
+and builded it and builded F�rik�n[FN#133] and exalted it? Where
+be the peoples of the strong places? Whenas them they had
+inhabited, after their might into the tombs they descended. They
+have been carried off by death and we shall in like manner be
+afflicted by doom. None abideth save Allah the Most High, for He
+is Allah the Forgiving One." The Emir Musa wept and copied all
+this, and indeed the world was belittled in his eyes. Then he
+descended the hill and rejoined his host, with whom he passed the
+rest of tile day, casting about for a means of access to the
+city. And he said to his Wazir Talib bin Sahl and to the chief
+officers about him, "How shall we contrive to enter this city and
+view its marvels?: haply we shall find therein wherewithal to win
+the favour of the Commander of the Faithful." "Allah prolong the
+Emir's fortune!" replied Talib, "let us make a ladder and mount
+the wall therewith, so peradventure we may come at the gate from
+within." Quoth the Emir, "This is what occurred to my thought
+also, and admirable is the advice!" Then he called for carpenters
+and blacksmiths and bade them fashion wood and build a ladder
+plated and banded with iron. So they made a strong ladder and
+many men wrought at it a whole month. Then all the company laid
+hold of it and set it up against the wall, and it reached the top
+as truly as if it had been built for it before that time. The
+Emir marvelled and said, "The blessing of Allah be upon you. It
+seems as though ye had taken the measure of the mure, so
+excellent is your work." Then said he to his men, "Which of you
+will mount the ladder and walk along the wall and cast about for
+a way of descending into the city, so to see how the case stands
+and let us know how we may open the gate?" Whereupon quoth one of
+them, "I will go up, O Emir, and descend and open to you"; and
+Musa answered, saying, "Go and the blessing of Allah go with
+thee!" So the man mounted the ladder; but, when he came to the
+top of the wall, he stood up and gazed fixedly down into the
+city, then clapped his hands and crying out, at the top of his
+voice, "By Allah, thou art fair!" cast himself down into the
+place, and Musa cried, "By Allah, he is a dead man!" But another
+came up to him and said, "O Emir, this was a madman and doubtless
+his madness got the better of him and destroyed him. I will go up
+and open the gate to you, if it be the will of Allah the Most
+High." "Go up," replied Musa, "and Allah be with thee! But beware
+lest thou lose thy head, even as did thy comrade." Then the man
+mounted the ladder, but no sooner had he reached the top of the
+wall than he laughed aloud, saying, "Well done! well done!"; and
+clapping palms cast himself down into the city and died
+forthright. When the Emir saw this, he said, "An such be the
+action of a reasonable man, what is that of the madman? If all
+our men do on this wise, we shall have none left and shall fail
+of our errand and that of the Commander of the Faithful. Get ye
+ready for the march: verily we have no concern with this city."
+But a third one of the company said, "Haply another may be
+steadier than they." So a third mounted the wall and a fourth and
+a fifth and all cried out and cast themselves down, even as did
+the first, nor did they leave to do thus, till a dozen had
+perished in like fashion. Then the Shaykh Abd al-Samad came
+forward and heartened himself and said, "This affair is reserved
+to none other than myself; for the experienced is not like the
+inexperienced." Quoth the Emir, "Indeed thou shalt not do that
+nor will I have thee go up: an thou perish, we shall all be cut
+off to the last man since thou art our guide." But he answered,
+saying, "Peradventure, that which we seek may be accomplished at
+my hands, by the grace of God Most High!" So the folk all agreed
+to let him mount the ladder, and he arose and heartening himself,
+said, "In the name of Allah, the Compassionating, the
+Compassionate!" and mounted the ladder, calling on the name of
+the Lord and reciting the Verses of Safety.[FN#134] When he
+reached the top of the wall, he clapped his hands and gazed
+fixedly down into the city; whereupon the folk below cried out to
+him with one accord, saying "O Shaykh Abd al-Samad, for the
+Lord's sake, cast not thyself down!"; and they added, "Verily we
+are Allah's and unto Him we are returning! If the Shaykh fall, we
+are dead men one and all." Then he laughed beyond all measure and
+sat a long hour, reciting the names of Allah Almighty and
+repeating the Verses of Safety; then he rose arid cried out at
+the top of his voice, saying, O Emir, have no fear; no hurt shall
+betide you, for Allah (to whom belong Might and Majesty!) hath
+averted from me the wiles and malice of Satan, by the blessing of
+the words, �In the name of Allah the Compassionating the
+Compassionate!'" Asked Musa, "What didst thou see, O Shaykh?";
+and Abd al-Samad answered, "I saw ten maidens, as they were
+Houris of Heaven calling to me with their hands"--And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+     When it was the Five Hundred and Seventy-fourth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Shaykh
+Abd al-Samad answered, "I saw ten maidens like Houris of
+Heaven,[FN#135] and they calling and signing,[FN#136] �Come
+hither to us'; and meseemed there was below me a lake of water.
+So I thought to throw myself down, when behold, I espied my
+twelve companions lying dead; so I restrained myself and recited
+somewhat of Allah's Book, whereupon He dispelled from me the
+damsels' witchlike wiles and malicious guiles and they
+disappeared. And doubtless this was an enchantment devised by the
+people of the city, to repel any who should seek to gaze upon or
+to enter the place. And it hath succeeded in slaying our
+companions." Then he walked on along the wall, till he came to
+the two towers of brass aforesaid and saw therein two gates of
+gold, without pad locks or visible means of opening. Hereat he
+paused as long as Allah pleased[FN#137] and gazed about him
+awhile, till he espied in the middle of one of the gates, a
+horseman of brass with hand outstretched as if pointing, and in
+his palm was somewhat written. So he went up to it and read these
+words, "O thou who comest to this place, an thou wouldst enter
+turn the pin in my navel twelve times and the gate will open."
+Accordingly, he examined the horseman and finding in his navel a
+pin of gold, firm-set and fast fixed, he turned it twelve times,
+whereupon the horseman revolved like the blinding lightning and
+the gate swung open with a noise like thunder. He entered and
+found himself in a long passage,[FN#138] which brought him down
+some steps into a guard-room furnished with goodly wooden
+benches, whereon sat men dead, over whose heads hung fine shields
+and keen blades and bent bows and shafts ready notched. Thence,
+he came to the main gate of the city; and, finding it secured
+with iron bars and curiously wrought locks and bolts and chains
+and other fastenings of wood and metal, said to himself, "Belike
+the keys are with yonder dead folk." So he turned back to the
+guard-room and seeing amongst the dead an old man seated upon a
+high wooden bench, who seemed the chiefest of them, said in his
+mind, "Who knows but they are with this Shaykh? Doubtless he was
+the warder of the city and these others were under his hand." So
+he went up to him and lifting his gown, behold, the keys were
+hanging to his girdle; whereat he joyed with exceeding joy and
+was like to fly for gladness. Then he took them and going up to
+the portal, undid the padlocks and drew back the bolts and bars,
+whereupon the great leaves flew open with a crash like the
+pealing thunder by reason of its greatness and terribleness. At
+this he cried out saying, "Allaho Akbar--God is most great!" And
+the folk without answered him with the same words, rejoicing and
+thanking him for his deed. The Emir Musa also was delighted at
+the Shaykh's safety and the opening of the city-gate, and the
+troops all pressed forward to enter; but Musa cried out to them,
+saying, "O folk, if we all go in at once we shall not be safe
+from some ill-chance which may betide us. Let half enter and
+other half tarry without." So he pushed forwards with half his
+men, bearing their weapons of war, and finding their comrades
+lying dead, they buried them; and they saw the doorkeepers and
+eunuchs and chamberlains and officers reclining on couches of
+silk and all were corpses. Then they fared on till they came to
+the chief market-place, full of lofty buildings whereof none
+overpassed the others, and found all its shops open, with the
+scales hung out and the brazen vessels ordered and the
+caravanserais full of all manner goods; and they beheld the
+merchants sitting on the shop-boards dead, with shrivelled skin
+and rotted bones, a warning to those who can take warning; and
+here they saw four separate markets all replete with wealth. Then
+they left the great bazar and went on till they came to the silk
+market, where they found silks and brocades, orfrayed with red
+gold and diapered with white silver upon all manner of colours,
+and the owners lying dead upon mats of scented goats' leather,
+and looking as if they would speak; after which they traversed
+the market-street of pearls and rubies and other jewels and came
+to that of the schroffs and money-changers, whom they saw sitting
+dead upon carpets of raw silk and dyed stuffs in shops full of
+gold and silver. Thence they passed to the perfumers' bazar where
+they found the shops filled with drugs of all kinds and bladders
+of musk and ambergris and Nadd-scent and camphor and other
+perfumes, in vessels of ivory and ebony and Khalanj-wood and
+Andalusian copper, the which is equal in value to gold; and
+various kinds of rattan and Indian cane; but the shopkeepers all
+lay dead nor was there with them aught of food. And hard by this
+drug-market they came upon a palace, imposingly edified and
+magnificently decorated; so they entered and found therein
+banners displayed and drawn sword blades and strung bows and
+bucklers hanging by chains of gold and silver and helmets gilded
+with red gold. In the vestibules stood benches of ivory, plated
+with glittering gold and covered with silken stuffs, whereon lay
+men, whose skin had dried up on their bones; the fool had deemed
+them sleeping; but, for lack of food, they had perished and
+tasted the cup of death. Now when the Emir Musa saw this, he
+stood still, glorifying Allah the Most High and hallowing Him and
+contemplating the beauty of the palace and the massiveness of its
+masonry and fair perfection of its ordinance, for it was builded
+after the goodliest and stablest fashion and the most part of its
+adornment was of green[FN#139] lapis-lazuli, and on the inner
+door, which stood open, were written in characters of gold and
+ultramarine, these couplets,
+
+"Consider thou, O man, what these places to thee showed * And be
+     upon thy guard ere thou travel the same road:
+And prepare thee good provision some day may serve thy turn * For
+     each dweller in the house needs must yede wi' those who yode
+Consider how this people their palaces adorned * And in dust have
+     been pledged for the seed of acts they sowed
+They built but their building availed them not, and hoards * Nor
+     saved their lives nor day of Destiny forslowed:
+How often did they hope for what things were undecreed. * And
+     passed unto their tombs before Hope the bounty showed
+And from high and awful state all a sudden they were sent * To
+     the straitness of the grave and oh! base is their abode:
+Then came to them a Crier after burial and cried, * What booted
+     thrones or crowns or the gold to you bestowed:
+Where now are gone the faces hid by curtain and by veil, * Whose
+     charms were told in proverbs, those beauties �-la-mode?
+The tombs aloud reply to the questioners and cry, * �Death's
+     canker and decay those rosy cheeks corrode'
+Long time they ate and drank, but their joyaunce had a term, *
+     And the eater eke was eaten, and was eaten by the worm."
+
+When the Emir read this, he wept, till he was like to swoon away-
+-And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
+permitted say.
+
+     When it was the Five Hundred ante Seventy-fifth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Emir
+wept till he was like to swoon away, and bade write down the
+verses, after which he passed on into the inner palace and came
+to a vast hall, at each of whose four corners stood a pavilion
+lofty and spacious, washed with gold and silver and painted in
+various colours. In the heart of the hall was a great jetting-
+fountain of alabaster, surmounted by a canopy of brocade, and in
+each pavilion was a sitting-place and each place had its richly-
+wrought fountain and tank paved with marble and streams flowing
+in channels along the floor and meeting in a great and grand
+cistern of many-coloured marbles. Quoth the Emir to the Shaykh
+Abd al-Samad, "Come let us visit yonder pavilion!" So they
+entered the first and found it full of gold and silver and pearls
+and jacinths and other precious stones and metals, besides chests
+filled with brocades, red and yellow and white. Then they
+repaired to the second pavilion, and, opening a closet there,
+found it full of arms and armour, such as gilded helmets and
+Davidean[FN#140] hauberks and Hindi swords and Arabian spears and
+Chorasmian[FN#141] maces and other gear of fight and fray. Thence
+they passed to the third pavilion, wherein they saw closets
+padlocked and covered with curtains wrought with all manner of
+embroidery. They opened one of these and found it full of weapons
+curiously adorned with open work and with gold and silver
+damascene and jewels. Then they entered the fourth pavilion, and
+opening one of the closets there, beheld in it great store of
+eating and drinking vessels of gold and silver, with platters of
+crystal and goblets set with fine pearls and cups of carnelian
+and so forth. So they all fell to taking that which suited their
+tastes and each of the soldiers carried off what he could. When
+they left the pavilions, they saw in the midst of the palace a
+door of teak-wood marquetried with ivory and ebony and plated
+with glittering gold, over which hung a silken curtain purfled
+with all manner of embroideries; and on this door were locks of
+white silver, that opened by artifice without a key. The Shaykh
+Abd al-Samad went valiantly up thereto and by the aid of his
+knowledge and skill opened the locks, whereupon the door admitted
+them into a corridor paved with marble and hung with veil-
+like[FN#142] tapestries embroidered with figures of all manner
+beasts and birds, whose bodies were of red gold and white silver
+and their eyes of pearls and rubies, amazing all who looked upon
+them. Passing onwards they came to a saloon builded all of
+polished marble, inlaid with jewels, which seemed to the beholder
+as though the floor were flowing water[FN#143] and whoso walked
+thereon slipped. The Emir bade the Shaykh strew somewhat upon it,
+that they might walk over it; which being done, they made shift
+to fare forwards till they came to a great domed pavilion of
+stone, gilded with red gold and crowned with a cupola of
+alabaster, about which were set lattice-windows carved and
+jewelled with rods of emerald,[FN#144] beyond the competence of
+any King. Under this dome was a canopy of brocede, reposing upon
+pillars of red gold and wrought with figures of birds whose feet
+were of smaragd, and beneath each bird was a network of fresh-
+hued pearls. The canopy was spread above a jetting fountain of
+ivory and carnelian, plated with glittering gold and thereby
+stood a couch set with pearls and rubies and other jewels and
+beside the couch a pillar of gold. On the capital of the column
+stood a bird fashioned of red rubies and holding in his bill a
+pearl which shone like a star; and on the couch lay a damsel, as
+she were the lucident sun, eyes never saw a fairer. She wore a
+tight-fitting body-robe of fine pearls, with a crown of red gold
+on her head, filleted with gems, and on her forehead were two
+great jewels, whose light was as the light of the sun. On her
+breast she wore a jewelled amulet, filled with musk and ambergris
+and worth the empire of the Caesars; and around her neck hung a
+collar of rubies and great pearls, hollowed and filled with
+odoriferous musk And it seemed as if she gazed on them to the
+right and to the left.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
+and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+     When it was the Five Hundred and Seventy-sixth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the damsel
+seemed to be gazing at the folk to the right and to the left. The
+Emir Musa marvelled at her exceeding beauty and was confounded at
+the blackness of her hair and the redness of her cheeks, which
+made the beholder deem her alive and not dead, and said to her,
+"Peace be with thee, O damsel!" But Talib ibn Sahl said to him,
+"Allah preserve thee, O Emir, verily this damsel is dead and
+there is no life in her; so how shall she return thy salam?"
+adding, � Indeed, she is but a corpse embalmed with exceeding
+art; her eyes were taken out after her death and quicksilver set
+under them, after which they were restored to their sockets.
+Wherefore they glisten and when the air moveth the lashes, she
+seemeth to wink and it appeareth to the beholder as though she
+looked at him, for all she is dead." At this the Emir marvelled
+beyond measure and said, "Glory be to God who subjugateth His
+creatures to the dominion of Death!" Now the couch on which the
+damsel lay, had steps, and thereon stood two statues of
+Andalusian copper representing slaves, one white and the other
+black. The first held a mace of steel[FN#145] and the second a
+sword of watered steel which dazzled the eye; and between them,
+on one of the steps of the couch, lay a golden tablet, whereon
+were written, in characters of white silver, the following words:
+"In the name of God, the Compassionating, the Compassionate!
+Praise be to Allah, the Creator of mankind; and He is the Lord of
+Lords, the Causer of Causes! In the name of Allah, the Never
+beginning, the Everlasting, the Ordainer of Fate and Fortune! O
+son of Adam! what hath befooled thee in this long esperance? What
+hath unminded thee of the Death-day's mischance? Knowest thou not
+that Death calleth for thee and hasteneth to seize upon the soul
+of thee? Be ready, therefore, for the way and provide thee for
+thy departure from the world; for, assuredly, thou shalt leave it
+without delay. Where is Adam, first of humanity? Where is Noah
+with his progeny? Where be the Kings of Hind and Irak-plain and
+they who over earth's widest regions reign? Where do the
+Amalekites abide and the giants and tyrants of olden tide?
+Indeed, the dwelling-places are void of them and they have
+departed from kindred and home. Where be the Kings of Arab and
+Ajam? They are dead, all of them, and gone and are become rotten
+bones. Where be the lords so high in stead? They are all done
+dead. Where are Kora and Haman? Where is Shaddad son of Ad? Where
+be Canaan and Zu�l-Autad,[FN#146] Lord of the Stakes? By Allah,
+the Reaper of lives hath reaped them and made void the lands of
+them. Did they provide them against the Day of Resurrection or
+make ready to answer the Lord of men? O thou, if thou know me
+not, I will acquaint thee with my name: I am Tadmurah,[FN#147]
+daughter of the Kings of the Amalekites, of those who held
+dominion over the lands in equity and brought low the necks of
+humanity. I possessed that which never King possessed and was
+righteous in my rule and did justice among my lieges; yea, I gave
+gifts and largesse and freed bondsmen and bondswomen. Thus lived
+I many years in all ease and delight of life, till Death knocked
+at my door and to me and to my folk befel calamities galore; and
+it was on this wise. There betided us seven successive years of
+drought, wherein no drop of rain fell on us from the skies and no
+green thing sprouted for us on the face of earth.[FN#148] So we
+ate what was with us of victual, then we fell upon the cattle and
+devoured them, until nothing was left. Thereupon I let bring my
+treasures and meted them with measures and sent out trusty men to
+buy food. They circuited all the lands in quest thereof and left
+no city unsought, but found it not to be bought and returned to
+us with the treasure after a long absence; and gave us to know
+that they could not succeed in bartering fine pearls for poor
+wheat, bushel for bushel, weight for weight. So, when we
+despaired of succour, we displayed all our riches and things of
+price and, shutting the gates of the city and its strong places,
+resigned ourselves to the deme of our Lord and committed our case
+to our King. Then we all died,[FN#149] as thou seest us, and left
+what we had builded and all we had hoarded. This, then, is our
+story, and after the substance naught abideth but the trace."
+Then they looked at the foot of the tablet and read these
+couplets,
+
+"O child of Adam, let not hope make mock and flyte at thee, *
+     Prom all thy hands have treasur�d, remov�d thou shalt be;
+I see thou covetest the world and fleeting worldly charms, * And
+     races past and gone have done the same as thou I see.
+Lawful and lawless wealth they got; but all their hoarded store,
+     * Their term accomplished, naught delayed of Destiny's
+     decree.
+Armies they led and puissant men and gained them gold galore; *
+     Then left their wealth and palaces by Pate compelled to
+     flee,
+To straitness of the grave-yard and humble bed of dust * Whence,
+     pledged for every word and deed, they never more win free:
+As a company of travellers had unloaded in the night * At house
+     that lacketh food nor is o'erfain of company:
+Whose owner saith, �O folk, there be no lodging here for you;' *
+     So packed they who had erst unpacked and far�d hurriedly:
+Misliking much the march, nor the journey nor the halt * Had
+     aught of pleasant chances or had aught of goodly greet
+Then prepare thou good provision for to-morrow's journey stored,
+     * Naught but righteous honest life shall avail thee with the
+     Lord!"
+
+And the Emir Musa wept as he read, "By Allah, the fear of the
+Lord is the best of all property, the pillar of certainty and the
+sole sure stay. Verily, Death is the truth manifest and the sure
+behest, and therein, O thou, is the goal and return place
+evident. Take warning, therefore, by those who to the dust did
+wend and hastened on the way of the predestined end. Seest thou
+not that hoary hairs summon thee to the tomb and that the
+whiteness of thy locks maketh moan of thy doom? Wherefore be thou
+on the wake ready for thy departure and thine account to make. O
+son of Adam, what hath hardened thy heart in mode abhorred? What
+hath seduced thee from the service of thy Lord? Where be the
+peoples of old time? They are a warning to whoso will be warned!
+Where be the Kings of al-S�n and the lords of majestic mien?
+Where is Shaddad bin Ad and whatso he built and he stablished?
+Where is Nimrod who revolted against Allah and defied Him? Where
+is Pharaoh who rebelled against God and denied Him? Death
+followed hard upon the trail of them all, and laid them low
+sparing neither great nor small, male nor female; and the Reaper
+of Mankind cut them off, yea, by Him who maketh night to return
+upon day! Know, O thou who comest to this place, that she whom
+thou seest here was not deluded by the world and its frail
+delights, for it is faithless, perfidious, a house of ruin, vain
+and treacherous; and salutary to the creature is the remembrance
+of his sins; wherefore she feared her Lord and made fair her
+dealings and provided herself with provaunt against the appointed
+marching day. Whoso cometh to our city and Allah vouchsafeth him
+competence to enter it, let him take of the treasure all he can,
+but touch not aught that is on my body, for it is the covering of
+my shame[FN#150] and the outfit for the last journey; wherefore
+let him fear Allah and despoil naught thereof; else will he
+destroy his own self. This have I set forth to him for a warning
+from me and a solemn trust to be; wherewith, peace be with ye and
+I pray Allah to keep you from sickness and calamity." And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
+permitted say.
+
+    When it was the Five Hundred and Seventy-seventh Night,
+
+She said, it hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+Emir Musa read this, he wept with exceeding weeping till he
+swooned away and presently coming to himself, wrote down all he
+had seen and was admonished by all he had witnessed. Then he said
+to his men, "Fetch the camels and load them with these treasures
+and vases and jewels." "O Emir," asked Talib, "shall we leave our
+damsel with what is upon her, things which have no equal and
+whose like is not to be found and more perfect than aught else
+thou takest; nor couldst thou find a goodlier offering
+wherewithal to propitiate the favour of the Commander of the
+Faithful?" But Musa answered, "O man, heardest thou not what the
+Lady saith on this tablet? More by token that she giveth it in
+trust to us who are no traitors." "And shall we," rejoined the
+Wazir Talib, "because of these words, leave all these riches and
+jewels, seeing that she is dead? What should she do with these
+that are the adornments of the world and the ornament of the
+worldling, seeing that one garment of cotton would suffice for
+her covering? We have more right to them than she." So saying he
+mounted the steps of the couch between the pillars, but when he
+came within reach of the two slaves, lo! the mace-bearer smote
+him on the back and the other struck him with the sword he held
+in his hand and lopped off his head, and he dropped down dead.
+Quoth the Emir, "Allah have no mercy on thy resting-place! Indeed
+there was enough in these treasures, and greed of gain assuredly
+degradeth a man." Then he bade admit the troops; so they entered
+and loaded the camels with those treasures and precious ores;
+after which they went forth and the Emir commanded them to shut
+the gate as before. They fared on along the sea-shore a whole
+month, till they came in sight of a high mountain overlooking the
+sea and full of caves, wherein dwelt a tribe of blacks, clad in
+hides, with burnooses also of hide and speaking an unknown
+tongue. When they saw the troops they were startled like shying
+steeds and fled into the caverns, whilst their women and children
+stood at the cave doors, looking on the strangers. "O Shaykh Abd
+al-Samad," asked the Emir, "what are these folk?" and he
+answered, "They are those whom we seek for the Commander of the
+Faithful." So they dismounted and setting down their loads,
+pitched their tents; whereupon, almost before they had done, down
+came the King of the blacks from the mountain and drew near the
+camp. Now he understood the Arabic tongue; so, when he came to
+the Emir he saluted him with the salam and Musa returned his
+greeting and entreated him with honour. Then quoth he to the
+Emir, "Are ye men or Jinn?" "Well, we are men," quoth Musa; "but
+doubtless ye are Jinn, to judge by your dwelling apart in this
+mountain which is cut off from mankind, and by your inordinate
+bulk." "Nay," rejoined the black; "we also are children of Adam,
+of the lineage of Ham, son of Noah (with whom be peace!), and
+this sea is known as Al-Karkar." Asked Musa, "O King, what is
+your religion and what worship ye?"; and he answered, saying, "We
+worship the God of the heavens and our religion is that of
+Mohammed, whom Allah bless and preserve!" "And how came ye by the
+knowledge of this," questioned the Emir, "seeing that no prophet
+was inspired to visit this country?" "Know, Emir," replied the
+King, "that there appeared to us whilere from out the sea a man,
+from whom issued a light that illumined the horizons and he cried
+out, in a voice which was heard of men far and near, saying, �O
+children of Ham, reverence to Him who seeth and is not seen and
+say ye, �There is no god but the God, and Mohammed is the
+messenger of God!' And he added, �I am Abu al-Abb�s al-Khizr.'
+Before this we were wont to worship one another, but he summoned
+us to the service of the Lord of all creatures; and he taught us
+to repeat these words, �There is no god save the God alone, who
+hath for partner none, and His is the kingdom and His is the
+praise. He giveth life and death and He over all things is
+Almighty.' Nor do we draw near unto Allah (be He exalted and
+extolled!) except with these words, for we know none other; but
+every eve before Friday[FN#151] we see a light upon the face of
+earth and we hear a voice saying, �Holy and glorious, Lord of the
+Angels and the Spirit! What He willeth is, and what He willeth
+not, is not. Every boon is of His grace and there is neither
+Majesty nor is there Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the
+Great!' But ye," quoth the King, "who and what are ye and what
+bringeth you to this land?" Quoth Musa, "We are officers of the
+Sovereign of Al-Islam, the Commander of the Faithful, Abd al-
+Malik bin Marwan, who hath heard tell of the lord Solomon, son of
+David (on whom be peace!) and of that which the Most High
+bestowed upon him of supreme dominion; how he held sway over Jinn
+and beast and bird and was wont when he was wroth with one of the
+Marids, to shut him in a cucurbite of brass and, stopping its
+mouth on him with lead, whereon he impressed his seal ring, to
+cast him into the sea of Al-Karkar. Now we have heard tell that
+this sea is nigh your land; so the Commander of the Faithful hath
+sent us hither, to bring him some of these cucurbites, that he
+may look thereon and solace himself with their sight. Such, then,
+is our case and what we seek of thee, O King, and we desire that
+thou further us in the accomplishment of our errand commanded by
+the Commander of the Faithful." "With love and gladness," replied
+the black King, and carrying them to the guest house, entreated
+them with the utmost honour and furnished them with all they
+needed, feeding them upon fish. They abode thus three days, when
+he bade his divers fetch from out the sea some of the vessels of
+Solomon. So they dived and brought up twelve cucurbites, whereat
+the Emir and the Shaykh and all the company rejoiced in the
+accomplishment of the Caliph's need. Then Musa gave the King of
+the blacks many and great gifts; and he, in turn, made him a
+present Of the wonders of the deep, being fishes in human
+form,[FN#152] saying "Your entertainment these three days hath
+been of the meat of these fish." Quoth the Emir, "Needs must we
+carry some of these to the Caliph, for the sight of them will
+please him more than the cucurbites of Solomon." Then they took
+leave of the black King and, setting out on their homeward
+journey, travelled till they came to Damascus, where Musa went in
+to the Commander of the Faithful and told him all that he had
+sighted and heard of verses and legends and instances, together
+with the manner of the death of Talib bin Sahl; and the Caliph
+said, "Would I had been with you, that I might have seen what you
+saw!" Then he took the brazen vessels and opened them, cucurbite
+after cucurbite, whereupon the devils came forth of them, saying,
+"We repent, O Prophet of Allah! Never again will we return to the
+like of this thing; no never!" And the Caliph marvelled at this.
+As for the daughters of the deep presented to them by the black
+King, they made them cisterns of planks, full of water, and laid
+them therein; but they died of the great heat. Then the Caliph
+sent for the spoils of the Brazen City and divided them among the
+Faithful,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to
+say her permitted say,
+
+     When it was the Five Hundred and Seventy-eighth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Caliph
+marvelled much at the cucurbites and their contents; then he sent
+for the spoils and divided them among the Faithful, saying,
+"Never gave Allah unto any the like of that which he bestowed
+upon Solomon David-son!" Thereupon the Emir Musa sought leave of
+him to appoint his son Governor of the Province in his stead,
+that he might be take himself to the Holy City of Jerusalem,
+there to worship Allah. So the Commander of the Faithful invested
+his son Harun with the government and Musa repaired to the
+Glorious and Holy City, where he died. This, then, is all that
+hath come down to us of the story of the City of Brass, and God
+is All-knowing! Now (continued Shahrazad) I have another tale to
+tell anent the
+
+
+
+           CRAFT AND MALICE OF WOMEN,[FN#153] OR THE
+          TALE OF THE KING, HIS SON, HIS CONCUBINE AND
+                       THE SEVEN WAZIRS.
+
+
+
+There was, in days of yore and in ages and times long gone
+before, a puissant King among the Kings of China, the crown of
+crowned heads, who ruled over many men of war and vassals with
+wisdom and justice, might and majesty; equitable to his Ryots,
+liberal to his lieges and dearly beloved by the hearts of his
+subjects. He was wealthy as he was powerful, but he had grown old
+without being blessed with a son, and this caused him sore
+affliction. He could only brood over the cutting off of his seed
+and the oblivion that would bury his name and the passing of his
+realm into the stranger's hands. So he secluded himself in his
+palace, never going in and out or rising and taking rest till the
+lieges lost all tidings of him and were sore perplexed and began
+to talk about their King. Some said, "He's dead"; others said,
+"No, he's not"; but all resolved to find a ruler who could reign
+over them and carry out the customs of government. At last,
+utterly despairing of male issue, he sought the intercession of
+the Prophet (whom Allah bless and keep!) with the Most High and
+implored Him, by the glory of His Prophets and Saints and Martyrs
+and others of the Faithful who were acceptable to Heaven that he
+would grant him a son, to be the coolth of his eyes and heir to
+the kingdom after him. Then he rose forthright and, withdrawing
+to his sitting-saloon, sent for his wife who was the daughter of
+his uncle. Now this Queen was of surpassing beauty and
+loveliness, the fairest of all his wives and the dearest to him
+as she was the nearest: and to boot a woman of excellent wit and
+passing judgement. She found the King dejected and sorrowful,
+tearful-eyed and heavy-hearted; so she kissed ground between his
+hands and said, "O King, may my life ransom thy life! may Time
+never prove thy foe, nor the shifts of Fortune prevail over thee;
+may Allah grant thee every joy and ward off from thee all annoy!
+How is it I see thee brooding over thy case and tormented by the
+displeasures of memory?" He replied, "Thou wottest well that I am
+a man now shotten in years, who hath never been blessed with a
+son, a sight to cool his eyes; so I know that my kingdom shall
+pass away to the stranger in blood and my name and memory will be
+blotted out amongst men. 'Tis this causeth me to grieve with
+excessive grief." "Allah do away with thy sorrows," quoth she:
+"long ere this day a thought struck me; and yearning for issue
+arose in my heart even as in thine. One night I dreamed a dream
+and a voice said to me, 'The King thy husband pineth for progeny:
+if a daughter be vouchsafed to him, she will be the ruin of his
+realm; if a son, the youth will undergo much trouble and annoy
+but he will pass through it without loss of life. Such a son can
+be conceived by thee and thee only and the time of thy conception
+is when the moon conjoineth with Gemini!' I woke from my dream,
+but after what I heard that voice declare I refrained from
+breeding and would not consent to bear children." "There is no
+help for it but that I have a son, Inshallah, --God willing!"
+cried the King. Thereupon she soothed and consoled him till he
+forgot his sorrows and went forth amongst the lieges and sat, as
+of wont, upon his throne of estate. All rejoiced to see him once
+more and especially the Lords of his realm. Now when the
+conjunction of the moon and Gemini took place, the King knew his
+wife carnally and, by order of Allah Almighty she became
+pregnant. Presently she anounced the glad tidings to her husband
+and led her usual life until her nine months of pregnancy were
+completed and she bare a male child whose face was as the rondure
+of the moon on its fourteenth night. The lieges of the realm
+congratulated one another thereanent and the King commanded an
+assembly of his Olema and philosophers, astrologers and
+horoscopists, whom he thus addressed, "I desire you to forecast
+the fortune of my son and to determine his ascendant[FN#154] and
+whatever is shown by his nativity." They replied "'Tis well, in
+Allah's name, let us do so!" and cast his nativity with all
+diligence. After ascertaining his ascendant, they pronounced
+judgement in these words, "We see his lot favourable and his life
+viable and durable; save that a danger awaiteth his youth." The
+father was sorely concerned at this saying, when they added "But,
+O King, he shall escape from it nor shall aught of injury accrue
+to him!" Hereupon the King cast aside all cark and care and robed
+the wizards and dismissed them with splendid honoraria; and he
+resigned himself to the will of Heaven and acknowledged that the
+decrees of destiny may not be countervailed. He committed his boy
+to wet nurses and dry nurses, handmaids and eunuchs, leaving him
+to grow and fill out in the Harim till he reached the age of
+seven. Then he addressed letters to his Viceroys and Governors in
+every clime and by their means gathered together Olema and
+philosophers and doctors of law and religion, from all countries,
+to a number of three hundred and three score. He held an especial
+assembly for them and, when all were in presence, he bade them
+draw near him and be at their ease while he sent for the
+food-trays and all ate their sufficiency. And when the banquet
+ended and the wizards had taken seats in their several degrees,
+the King asked them, "Wot ye wherefore I have gathered ye
+together?"; whereto all answered, "We wot not, O King!" He
+continued, "It is my wish that you select from amongst you fifty
+men, and from these fifty ten, and from these ten one, that he
+may teach my son omnem rem scibilem; for whenas I see the youth
+perfect in all science, I will share my dignity with the Prince
+and make him partner with me in my possessions." "Know, O King,"
+they replied, "that among us none is more learned or more
+excellent than Al-Sindibad,[FN#155] hight the Sage, who woneth in
+thy capital under thy protection. If such be thy design, summon
+him and bid him do thy will." The King acted upon their advice
+and the Sage, standing in the presence, expressed his loyal
+sentiments with his salutation, whereupon his Sovereign bade him
+draw nigh and thus raised his rank, saying, "I would have thee to
+know, O Sage, that I summoned this assembly of the learned and
+bade them choose me out a man to teach my son all knowledge; when
+they selected thee without dissenting thought or voice. If, then,
+thou feel capable of what they claimed for thee, come thou to the
+task and understand that a man's son and heir is the very fruit
+of his vitals and core of his heart and liver. My desire of thee
+is thine instruction of him; and to happy issue Allah guideth!"
+The King then sent for his son and committed him to Al-Sindibad
+conditioning the Sage to finish his education in three years. He
+did accordingly but, at the end of that time, the young Prince
+had learned nothing, his mind being wholly occupied with play and
+disport; and when summoned and examined by his sire, behold, his
+knowledge was as nil. Thereupon the King turned his attention to
+the learned once more and bade them elect a tutor for his youth;
+so they asked, "And what hath his governor, Al-Sindibad, been
+doing?" and when the King answered, "He hath taught my son
+naught;" the Olema and philosophers and high officers summoned
+the instructor and said to him, "O Sage, what prevented thee from
+teaching the King's son during this length of days?" "O wise
+men," he replied, "the Prince's mind is wholly occupied with
+disport and play; yet, an the King will make with me three
+conditions and keep to them, I will teach him in seven months
+what he would not learn (nor indeed could any other lesson him)
+within seven years." "I hearken to thee," quoth the King, "and I
+submit myself to thy conditions;" and quoth Al-Sindibad, "Hear
+from me, Sire, and bear in mind these three sayings, whereof the
+first is, 'Do not to others what thou wouldest not they do unto
+thee';[FN#156] and second, 'Do naught hastily without consulting
+the experienced'; and thirdly, 'Where thou hast power show
+pity.'[FN#157] In teaching this lad I require no more of thee but
+to accept these three dictes and adhere thereto." Cried the King,
+"Bear ye witness against me, O all ye here assembled, that I
+stand firm by these conditions!"; and caused a proces verbal to
+be drawn up with his personal security and the testimony of his
+courtiers. Thereupon the Sage, taking the Prince's hand, led him
+to his place, and the King sent them all requisites of provaunt
+and kitchen-batteries, carpets and other furniture. Moreover the
+tutor bade build a house whose walls he lined with the whitest
+stucco painted over with ceruse,[FN#158] and, lastly, he
+delineated thereon all the objects concerning which he proposed
+to lecture his pupil. When the place was duly furnished, he took
+the lad's hand and installed him in the apartment which was amply
+furnished with belly-timber; and, after stablishing him therein,
+went forth and fastened the door with seven padlocks. Nor did he
+visit the Prince save every third day when he lessoned him on the
+knowledge to be extracted from the wall-pictures and renewed his
+provision of meat and drink, after which he left him again to
+solitude. So whenever the youth was straitened in breast by the
+tedium and ennui of loneliness, he applied himself diligently to
+his object-lessons and mastered all the deductions therefrom. His
+governor seeing this turned his mind into other channel and
+taught him the inner meanings of the external objects; and in a
+little time the pupil mastered every requisite. Then the Sage
+took him from the house and taught him cavalarice and Jerid play
+and archery. When the pupil had thoroughly mastered these arts,
+the tutor sent to the King informing him that the Prince was
+perfect and complete in all things required to figure favourably
+amongst his peers. Hereat the King rejoiced; and, summoning his
+Wazirs and Lords of estate to be present at the examination,
+commanded the Sage to send his son into the presence. Thereupon
+Al-Sindibad consulted his pupil's horoscope and found it barred
+by an inauspicious conjunction which would last seven days; so,
+in sore affright for the youth's life, he said, "Look into thy
+nativity-scheme." The Prince did so and, recognising the portent,
+feared for himself and presently asked the Sage, saying, "What
+dost thou bid me do?" "I bid thee," he answered, "remain silent
+and speak not a word during this se'nnight; even though thy sire
+slay thee with scourging. An thou pass safely through this
+period, thou shalt win to high rank and succeed to thy sire's
+reign; but an things go otherwise then the behest is with Allah
+from the beginning to the end thereof." Quoth the pupil, "Thou
+art in fault, O preceptor, and thou hast shown undue haste in
+sending that message to the King before looking into my
+horoscope. Hadst thou delayed till the week had passed all had
+been well." Quoth the tutor, "O my son, what was to be was; and
+the sole defaulter therein was my delight in thy scholarship. But
+now be firm in thy resolve; rely upon Allah Almighty and
+determine not to utter a single word." Thereupon the Prince fared
+for the presence and was met by the Wazirs who led him to his
+father. The King accosted him and addressed him but he answered
+not; and sought speech of him but he spake not. Whereupon the
+courtiers were astounded and the monarch, sore concerned for his
+son, summoned Al-Sindibad. But the tutor so hid himself that none
+could hit upon his trace nor gain tidings of him; and folk said,
+"He was ashamed to appear before the King's majesty and the
+courtiers." Under these conditions the Sovereign heard some of
+those present saying, "Send the lad to the Serraglio where he
+will talk with the women and soon set aside this bashfulness;"
+and, approving their counsel, gave orders accordingly. So the
+Prince was led into the palace, which was compassed about by a
+running stream whose banks were planted with all manner of
+fruit-trees and sweet-smelling flowers. Moreover, in this palace
+were forty chambers and in every chamber ten slave-girls, each
+skilled in some instrument of music, so that whenever one of them
+played, the palace danced to her melodious strains. Here the
+Prince passed one night; but, on the following morning, the
+King's favourite concubine happened to cast eyes upon his beauty
+and loveliness, his symmetrical stature, his brilliancy and his
+perfect grace, and love gat hold of her heart and she was
+ravished with his charms.[FN#159] So she went up to him and threw
+herself upon him, but he made her no response; whereupon, being
+dazed by his beauty, she cried out to him and required him of
+himself and importuned him; then she again threw herself upon him
+and clasped him to her bosom kissing him and saying, "O King's
+son, grant me thy favours and I will set thee in thy father's
+stead; I will give him to drink of poison, so he may die and thou
+shalt enjoy his realm and wealth." When the Prince heard these
+words, he was sore enraged against her and said to her by signs,
+"O accursed one, so it please Almighty Allah, I will assuredly
+requite thee this thy deed, whenas I can speak; for I will go
+forth to my father and will tell him, and he shall kill thee." So
+signing, he arose in rage, and went out from her chamber; whereat
+she feared for herself. Thereupon she buffeted her face and rent
+her raiment and tare her hair and bared her head, then went in to
+the King and cast herself at his feet, weeping and wailing. When
+he saw her in this plight, he was sore concerned and asked her,
+"What aileth thee, O damsel? How is it with thy lord, my son? Is
+he not well?"; and she answered, "O King, this thy son, whom thy
+courtiers avouch to be dumb, required me of myself and I repelled
+him, whereupon he did with me as thou seest and would have slain
+me; so I fled from him, nor will I ever return to him, nor to the
+palace again, no, never again!" When the King heard this, he was
+wroth with exceeding wrath and, calling his seven Wazirs, bade
+them put the Prince to death. However, they said one to other,
+"If we do the King's commandment, he will surely repent of having
+ordered his son's death, for he is passing dear to him and this
+child came not to him save after despair; and he will round upon
+us and blame us, saying, 'Why did ye not contrive to dissuade me
+from slaying him?'" So they took counsel together, to turn him
+from his purpose, and the chief Wazir said, "I will warrant you
+from the King's mischief this day." Then he went in to the
+presence and prostrating himself craved leave to speak. The King
+gave him permission, and he said, "O King, though thou hadst a
+thousand sons, yet were it no light matter to thee to put one of
+them to death, on the report of a woman, be she true or be she
+false; and belike this is a lie and a trick of her against thy
+son; for indeed, O King, I have heard tell great plenty of
+stories of the malice, the craft and perfidy of women." Quoth the
+King, "Tell me somewhat of that which hath come to thy knowledge
+thereof." And the Wazir answered, saying, 'Yes, there hath
+reached me, O King, a tale entituled
+
+
+
+
+The King and his Wazir's Wife.[FN#160]
+
+
+
+There was once a King of the Kings, a potent man and a proud, who
+was devoted to the love of women and one day being in the privacy
+of his palace, he espied a beautiful woman on the terraceroof of
+her house and could not contain himself from falling consumedly
+in love with her.[FN#161] He asked his folk to whom the house and
+the damsel belonged and they said, "This is the dwelling of the
+Wazir such an one and she is his wife." So he called the Minister
+in question and despatched him on an errand to a distant part of
+the kingdom, where he was to collect information and to return;
+but, as soon as he obeyed and was gone, the King contrived by a
+trick to gain access to his house and his spouse. When the
+Wazir's wife saw him, she knew him and springing up, kissed his
+hands and feet and welcomed him. Then she stood afar off, busying
+herself in his service, and said to him, "O our lord, what is the
+cause of thy gracious coming? Such an honour is not for the like
+of me." Quoth he, "The cause of it is that love of thee and
+desire thee-wards have moved me to this. Whereupon she kissed
+ground before him a second time and said, "By Allah, O our lord,
+indeed I am not worthy to be the handmaid of one of the King's
+servants; whence then have I the great good fortune to be in such
+high honour and favour with thee?" Then the King put out his hand
+to her intending to enjoy her person, when she said, "This thing
+shall not escape us; but take patience, O my King, and abide with
+thy handmaid all this day, that she may make ready for thee
+somewhat to eat and drink." So the King sat down on his
+Minister's couch and she went in haste and brought him a book
+wherein he might read, whilst she made ready the food. He took
+the book and, beginning to read, found therein moral instances
+and exhortations, such as restrained him from adultery and broke
+his courage to commit sin and crime. After awhile, she returned
+and set before him some ninety dishes of different kinds of
+colours, and he ate a mouthful of each and found that, while the
+number was many, the taste of them was one. At this, he marvelled
+with exceeding marvel and said to her, "O damsel, I see these
+meats to be manifold and various, but the taste of them is simple
+and the same." "Allah prosper the King!" replied she, "this is a
+parable I have set for thee, that thou mayst be admonished
+thereby." He asked, "And what is its meaning?"; and she answered,
+"Allah amend the case of our lord the King!; in thy palace are
+ninety concubines of various colours, but their taste is
+one."[FN#162] When the King heard this, he was ashamed and rising
+hastily, went out, without offering her any affront and returned
+to his palace; but, in his haste and confusion, he forgot his
+signet-ring and left it under the cushion where he had been
+sitting and albeit he remembered it he was ashamed to send for
+it. Now hardly had he reached home when the Wazir returned and,
+presenting himself before the King, kissed the ground and made
+his report to him of the state of the province in question. Then
+he repaired to his own house and sat down on his couch and
+chancing to put his hand under the cushion, behold, he found the
+King's seal-ring. So he knew it and taking the matter to heart,
+held aloof in great grief from his wife for a whole year, not
+going in unto her nor even speaking to her, whilst she knew not
+the reason of his anger. --And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
+day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+     When it was the Five Hundred and Seventy-ninth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wazir
+held aloof from his wife, whilst she knew not the cause of his
+wrath. At last, being weary of the longsome neglect, she sent for
+her sire and told him the case; whereupon quoth he, "I will
+complain of him to the King, at some time when he is in the
+presence." So, one day, he went in to the King and, finding the
+Wazir and the Kazi of the army before him,[FN#163] complained
+thus saying, "Almighty Allah amend the King's case! I had a fair
+flower-garden, which I planted with mine own hand and thereon
+spent my substance till it bare fruit; and its fruitage was ripe
+for plucking, when I gave it to this thy Wazir, who ate of it
+what seemed good to him, then deserted it and watered it not, so
+that its bloom wilted and withered and its sheen departed and its
+state changed." Then said the Wazir, "O my King, this man saith
+sooth. I did indeed care for and guard the garden and kept it in
+good condition and ate thereof, till one day I went thither and I
+saw the trail of the lion there, wherefore I feared for my life
+and withdrew from the garden." The King understood him that the
+trail of the lion meant his own seal-ring, which he had forgotten
+in the woman's house; so he said, "Return, O Wazir, to thy
+flower-garden and fear nothing, for the lion came not near it. It
+hath reached me that he went thither; but, by the honour of my
+fathers and forefathers, he offered it no hurt." "Hearkening and
+obedience," answered the Minister and, returning home sent for
+his wife and made his peace with her and thenceforth put faith in
+her chastity. "This I tell thee, O King (continued the Wazir),
+for no other purpose save to let thee know how great is their
+craft and how precipitancy bequeatheth repentance.[FN#164] And I
+have also heard the following
+
+
+
+Story of the Confectioner, his Wife, and the Parrot.
+
+
+
+Once upon a time there dwelt in Egypt a confectioner who had a
+wife famed for beauty and loveliness; and a parrot which, as
+occasion required, did the office of watchman and guard, bell and
+spy, and flapped her wings did she but hear a fly buzzing about
+the sugar. This parrot caused abundant trouble to the wife,
+always telling her husband what took place in his absence. Now
+one evening, before going out to visit certain friends, the
+confectioner gave the bird strict injunctions to watch all night
+and bade his wife make all fast, as he should not return until
+morning. Hardly had he left the door than the woman went for her
+old lover, who returned with her and they passed the night
+together in mirth and merriment, while the parrot observed all.
+Betimes in the morning the lover fared forth and the husband,
+returning, was informed by the parrot of what had taken place;
+whereupon he hastened to his wife's room and beat her with a
+painful beating. She thought in herself, "Who could have informed
+against me?" and she asked a woman that was in her confidence
+whether it was she. The woman protested by the worlds visible and
+invisible that she had not betrayed her mistress; but informed
+her that on the morning of his return home, the husband had stood
+some time before the cage listening to the parrot's talk. When
+the wife heard this, she resolved to contrive the destruction of
+the bird. Some days after, the husband was again invited to the
+house of a friend where he was to pass the night; and, before
+departing, he enjoined the parrot with the same injunctions as
+before; wherefore his heart was free from care, for he had his
+spy at home. The wife and her confidante then planned how they
+might destroy the credit of the parrot with the master. For this
+purpose they resolved to counterfeit a storm; and this they did
+by placing over the parrot's head a hand-mill (which the lover
+worked by pouring water upon a piece of hide), by waving a fan
+and by suddenly uncovering a candle hid under a dish. Thus did
+they raise such a tempest of rain and lightning, that the parrot
+was drenched and half-drowned in a deluge. Now rolled the
+thunder, then flashed the lightning; that from the noise of the
+hand-mill, this from the reflection of the candle; when thought
+the parrot to herself, "In very sooth the flood hath come on,
+such an one as belike Noah himself never witnessed." So saying
+she buried her head under her wing, a prey to terror. The
+husband, on his return, hastened to the parrot to ask what had
+happened during his absence; and the bird answered that she found
+it impossible to describe the deluge and tempest of the last
+night; and that years would be required to explain the uproar of
+the hurricane and storm. When the shopkeeper heard the parrot
+talk of last night's deluge, he said: "Surely O bird, thou art
+gone clean daft! Where was there, even in a dream, rain or
+lightning last night? Thou hast utterly ruined my house and
+ancient family. My wife is the most virtuous woman of the age and
+all thine accusations of her are lies." So in his wrath he dashed
+the cage upon the ground, tore off the parrot's head, and threw
+it from the window. Presently his friend, coming to call upon
+him, saw the parrot in this condition with head torn off, and
+without wings or plumage. Being informed of the circumstances he
+suspected some trick on the part of the woman, and said to the
+husband, "When your wife leaves home to go to the Hammam-bath,
+compel her confidante to disclose the secret." So as soon as his
+wife went out, the husband entered his Harim and insisted on the
+woman telling him the truth. She recounted the whole story and
+the husband now bitterly repented having killed the parrot, of
+whose innocence he had proof. "This I tell thee, O King
+(continued the Wazir), that thou mayst know how great are the
+craft and malice of women and that to act in haste leadeth to
+repent at leisure." So the King turned from slaying his son: but,
+next day, the favourite came in to him and, kissing the ground
+before him, said, "O King, why dost thou delay to do me justice?
+Indeed, the Kings have heard that thou commandest a thing and thy
+Wazir countermandeth it. Now the obedience of Kings is in the
+fulfilment of their commandments, and every one knows thy justice
+and equity: so do thou justice for me on the Prince. I also have
+heard tell a tale concerning
+
+
+
+
+The Fuller and his Son.
+
+
+
+There was once a man which was a fuller, and he used every day to
+go forth to the Tigris-bank a-cleaning clothes; and his son was
+wont to go with him that he might swim whilst his father was
+fulling, nor was he forbidden from this. One day, as the boy was
+swimming,[FN#165] he was taken with cramp in the forearms and
+sank, whereupon the fuller plunged into the water and caught hold
+of him; but the boy clung about him and pulled him down and so
+father and son were both drowned. "Thus it is with thee, O King.
+Except thou prevent thy son and do me justice on him, I fear lest
+both of you sink together, thou and he."--And Shahrazad perceived
+the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+       When it Was the Five Hundred and Eightieth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+favourite had told her tale of the Fuller and his son, she ended
+with, "I fear lest both of you sink together, thou and he.
+Moreover," continued she, "for an instance of the malice of men,
+I have heard tell a tale concerning
+
+
+
+
+The Rake's Trick against the Chaste Wife.
+
+
+
+A certain man loved a beautiful and lovely woman, a model of
+charms and grace, married to a man whom she loved and who loved
+her. Moreover, she was virtuous and chaste, like unto me, and her
+rake of a lover found no way to her; so when his patience was at
+an end, he devised a device to win his will. Now the husband had
+a young man, whom he had brought up in his house and who was in
+high trust with him as his steward. So the rake addressed himself
+to the youth and ceased not insinuating himself into his favour
+by presents and fair words and deeds, till he became more
+obedient to him than the hand to the mouth and did whatever he
+ordered him. One day, he said to him, "Harkye, such an one; wilt
+thou not bring me into the family dwelling-place some time when
+the lady is gone out?" "Yes," answered the young steward so, when
+his master was at the shop and his mistress gone forth to the
+Hammam, he took his friend by the hand and, bringing him into the
+house, showed him the sitting-rooms and all that was therein. Now
+the lover was determined to play a trick upon the woman; so he
+took the white of an egg which he had brought with him in a
+vessel, and spilt it on the merchant's bedding, unseen by the
+young man; after which he returned thanks and leaving the house
+went his way. In an hour or so the merchant came home; and, going
+to the bed to rest himself, found thereon something wet. So he
+took it up in his hand and looked at it and deemed it man's seed;
+whereat he stared at the young man with eyes of wrath, and asked
+him, "Where is thy mistress?"; and he answered, "She is gone
+forth to the Hammam and will return forthright after she has made
+her ablutions."[FN#166] When the man heard this, his suspicion
+concerning the semen was confirmed; and he waxed furious and
+said, "Go at once and bring her back." The steward accordingly
+fetched her and when she came before her husband, the jealous man
+sprang upon her and beat her a grievous beating; then, binding
+her arms behind her, offered to cut her throat with a knife; but
+she cried out to the neighbours, who came to her, and she said to
+them, "This my man hath beaten me unjustly and without cause and
+is minded to kill me, though I know not what is mine offence." So
+they rose up and asked him, "Why hast thou dealt thus by her?"
+And he answered, "She is divorced." Quoth they, "Thou hast no
+right to maltreat her; either divorce her or use her kindly, for
+we know her prudence and purity and chastity. Indeed, she hath
+been our neighbour this long time and we wot no evil of her."
+Quoth he, "When I came home, I found on my bed seed like human
+sperm, and I know not the meaning of this." Upon this a little
+boy, one of those present, came forward and said, "Show it to me,
+nuncle mine!" When he saw it, he smelt it and, calling for fire
+and a frying-pan, he took the white of egg and cooked it so that
+it became solid. Then he ate of it and made the husband and the
+others taste if it, and they were certified that it was white of
+egg. So the husband was convinced that he had sinned against his
+wife's innocence, she being clear of all offence, and the
+neighbours made peace between them after the divorce, and he
+prayed her pardon and presented her with an hundred gold pieces.
+And so the wicked lover's cunning trick came to naught. "And
+know, O King, that this is an instance of the malice of men and
+their perfidy." When the King heard this, he bade his son be
+slain; but on the next day the second Wazir came forward for
+intercession and kissed ground in prostration. Whereupon the King
+said, "Raise thy head: prostration must be made to Allah
+only."[FN#167] So the Minister rose from before him and said, "O
+King, hasten not to slay thy son, for he was not granted to his
+mother by the Almighty but after despair, nor didst thou expect
+such good luck; and we hope that he will live to become a guerdon
+to thy reign and a guardian of thy good. Wherefore, have
+patience, O King; belike he will offer a fit excuse; and, if thou
+make haste to slay him, thou wilt surely repent, even as the
+merchant-wight repented." Asked the King, "And how was it with
+the merchant, O Wazir?"; and the Wazir answered, "O King, I have
+heard a tale of
+
+
+
+The Miser and the Loaves of Bread.
+
+
+
+There was once a merchant, who was a niggard and miserly in his
+eating and drinking. One day, he went on a journey to a certain
+town and as he walked in the market-streets, behold, he met an
+old trot with two scones of bread which looked sound and fair, He
+asked her, "Are these for sale?"; and she answered, "Yes!" So he
+beat her down and bought them at the lowest price and took them
+home to his lodging, where he ate them that day. When morning
+morrowed, he returned to the same place and, finding the old
+woman there with other two scones, bought these also; and thus he
+ceased not during twenty-five days' space when the old wife
+disappeared. He made enquiry for her, but could hear no tidings
+of her, till, one day as he was walking about the high streets,
+he chanced upon her: so he accosted her and, after the usual
+salutation and with much praise and politeness, asked why she had
+disappeared from the market and ceased to supply the two cakes of
+bread? Hearing this, at first she evaded giving him a reply; but
+he conjured her to tell him her case; so she said, "Hear my
+excuse, O my lord, which is that I was attending upon a man who
+had a corroding ulcer on his spine, and his doctor bade us knead
+flour with butter into a plaster and lay it on the place of pain,
+where it abode all night. In the morning, I used to take that
+flour and turn it into dough and make it into two scones, which I
+cooked and sold to thee or to another; but presently the man died
+and I was cut off from making cakes."[FN#168] When the merchant
+heard this, he repented whenas repentance availed him naught,
+saying, "Verily, we are Allah's and verily unto Him we are
+returning! There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Him,
+the Glorious, the Great!" --And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
+day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-first Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+old trot told the merchant the provenance of the scones, he
+cried, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah,
+the Glorious, the Great!" And he repeated the saying of the Most
+High, "Whatever evil falleth to thee it is from thyself;"[FN#169]
+and vomited till he fell sick and repented whenas repentance
+availed him naught. "Moreover, O King" (continued the second
+Wazir), "I have heard tell, of the malice of women, a tale of
+
+
+
+The Lady and her Two Lovers.
+
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a man, who was sword-bearer to one of
+the Kings, and he loved a damsel of the common sort. One day, he
+sent his page to her with a message, as of wont between them, and
+the lad sat down with her and toyed with her. She inclined to him
+and pressed him to her breast and groped him and kissed him
+whereupon he sought carnal connection of her and she consented;
+but, as the two were thus, lo! the youth's master knocked at the
+door. So she pushed the page through a trapdoor into an
+underground chamber there and opened the door to his lord, who
+entered hending sword in hand and sat down upon her bed. Then she
+came up to him and sported and toyed with him, kissing him and
+pressing him to her bosom, and he took her and lay with her.
+Presently, her husband knocked at the door and the gallant asked
+her, "Who is that?"; whereto she answered, "My husband." Quoth
+he, "How shall I do?" Quoth she, "Draw thy sword and stand in the
+vestibule and abuse me and revile me; and when my husband comes
+in to thee, do thou go forth and wend thy ways." He did as she
+bade him; and, when the husband entered, he saw the King's
+sword-bearer standing with naked brand in hand, abusing and
+threatening his wife; but, when the lover saw him, he was ashamed
+and sheathing his scymitar, went forth the house. Said the man to
+his wife, "What means this?"; and she replied, "O man, how
+blessed is the hour of thy coming! Thou hast saved a True
+Believer from slaughter, and it happed after this fashion. I was
+on the house-terrace, spinning,[FN#170] when behold, there came
+up to me a youth, distracted and panting for fear of death,
+fleeing from yonder man, who followed upon him as hard as he
+could with his drawn sword. The young man fell down before me,
+and kissed my hands and feet, saying, "O Protector, of thy mercy,
+save me from him who would slay me wrongously!" So I hid him in
+that underground chamber of ours and presently in came yonder man
+to me, naked brand in hand, demanding the youth. But I denied him
+to him, whereupon he fell to abusing and threatening me as thou
+sawest. And praised be Allah who sent thee to me, for I was
+distraught and had none to deliver me!" "Well hast thou done, O
+woman!" answered the husband. "Thy reward is with Allah the
+Almighty, and may He abundantly requite thy good deed!" Then he
+went to the trap door and called to the page, saying, "Come forth
+and fear not; no harm shall befal thee." So he came out,
+trembling for fear, and the husband said, "Be of good cheer: none
+shall I hurt thee;" condoling with him on what had befallen him;
+whilst the page called down blessings on his head. Then they both
+went forth, nor was that Cornuto nor was the page aware of that
+which the woman had contrived. "This, then, O King," said the
+Wazir, "is one of the tricks of women; so beware lest thou rely
+upon their words." The King was persuaded and turned from
+putting his son to death; but, on the third day, the favourite
+came in to him and, kissing the ground before him, cried, "O
+King, do me justice on thy son and be not turned from thy purpose
+by thy Ministers' prate, for there is no good in wicked Wazirs,
+and be not as the King of Baghdad, who relied on the word of a
+certain wicked counsellor of his." Quoth he, "And how was that?"
+Quoth she, "There hath been told me, O auspicious and
+well-advised King, a tale of
+
+
+
+The Kings Son and the Ogress.[FN#171]
+
+
+
+A certain King had a son, whom he loved and favoured with
+exceeding favour, over all his other children; and this son said
+to him one day, "O my father, I have a mind to fare a-coursing
+and a-hunting." So the King bade furnish him and commanded one of
+his Wazirs to bear him company and do all the service he needed
+during his trip. The Minister accordingly took everything that
+was necessary for the journey and they set out with a retinue of
+eunuchs and officers and pages, and rode on, sporting as they
+went, till they came to a green and well-grassed champaign
+abounding in pasture and water and game. Here the Prince turned
+to the Minister and told him that the place pleased him and he
+purposed to halt there. So they set down in that site and they
+loosed the falcons and lynxes and dogs and caught great plenty of
+game, whereat they rejoiced and abode there some days, in all
+joyance of life and its delight. Then the King's son gave the
+signal for departure; but, as they went along, a beautiful
+gazelle, as if the sun rose shining from between her horns, that
+had strayed from her mate, sprang up before the Prince, whereupon
+his soul longed to make prize of her and he coveted her. So he
+said to the Wazir, "I have a mind to follow that gazelle;" and
+the Minister replied, "Do what seemeth good to thee." Thereupon
+the Prince rode single-handed after the gazelle, till he lost
+sight of his companions, and chased her all that day till dusk,
+when she took refuge in a bit of rocky ground[FN#172] and
+darkness closed in upon him. Then he would have turned back, but
+knew not the way; whereat he was sore concerned and said, "There
+is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious,
+the Great!" He sat his mare all night till morning dawned, in
+quest of relief, but found none; and, when the day appeared, he
+fared on at hazard fearful, famished, thirsty, and knowing not
+whither to wend till it was noon and the sun beat down upon him
+with burning heat. By that time he came in sight of a great city,
+with massive base and lofty bulwarks; but it was ruined and
+desolate, nor was there any live thing therein save owl and
+raven. As he stood among the buildings, marvelling at their
+ordinance, lo! his eyes fell on a damsel, young, beautiful and
+lovely, sitting under one of the city walls wailing and weeping
+copious tears. So he drew nigh to her and asked, "Who art thou
+and who brought thee hither?" She answered, "I am called Bint
+al-Tamimah, daughter of Al-Tiyakh, King of the Gray Country. I
+went out one day to obey a call of nature,[FN#173] when an Ifrit
+of the Jinn snatched me up and soared with me between heaven and
+earth; but as he flew there fell on him a shooting-star in the
+form of a flame of fire and burned him, and I dropped here, where
+these three days I have hungered and thirsted; but when I saw
+thee I longed for life." --And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
+day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+     When it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-second Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Prince
+when addressed by the daughter of King Al-Tiyakh who said to him,
+"When I saw thee I longed for life," was smitten with ruth and
+grief for her and took her up on his courser's crupper, saying,
+"Be of good cheer and keep thine eyes cool and clear; for, if
+Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) restore me to my people and
+family, I will send thee back to thine own folk." Then he rode
+on, praying for deliverance, and presently the damsel said to
+him, "O King's son, set me down, that I may do an occasion under
+this wall." So he drew bridle and she alighted. He waited for her
+a long while as she hid herself behind the wall; and she came
+forth, with the foulest of favours; which when he saw, his hair
+stood on end and he quaked for fear of her and he turned deadly
+pale. Then she sprang up on his steed, behind him, wearing the
+most loathly of aspects, and presently she said to him, "O King's
+son, what ails thee that I see thee troubled and thy favour
+changed?" "I have bethought me of somewhat that troubles me."
+"Seek aid against it of thy father's troops and his braves." "He
+whom I fear careth naught for troops, neither can braves affright
+him." "Aid thyself against him with thy father's monies and
+treasures." "He whom I fear will not be satisfied with wealth."
+"Ye hold that ye have in Heaven a God who seeth and is not seen
+and is Omnipotent and Omniscient." "Yes, we have none but Him."
+"Then pray thou to Him; haply He will deliver thee from me thine
+enemy!" So the King's son raised his eyes to heaven and began to
+pray with his whole heart, saying, "O my God, I implore Thy
+succour against that which troubleth me." Then he pointed to her
+with his hand, and she fell to the ground, burnt black as
+charcoal. Therewith he thanked Allah and praised Him and ceased
+not to fare forwards; and the Almighty (extolled and exalted be
+He!) of His grace made the way easy to him and guided him into
+the right road, so that he reached his own land and came upon his
+father's capital, after he had despaired of life. Now all this
+befel by the contrivance of the Wazir, who travelled with him, to
+the end that he might cause him to perish on the way; but
+Almighty Allah succoured him. "And this" (said the damsel) "have
+I told thee, O King, that thou mayst know that wicked Wazirs deal
+not honestly by nor counsel with sincere intent their Kings;
+wherefore be thou wise and ware of them in this matter." The King
+gave ear to her speech and bade put his son to death; but the
+third Wazir came in and said to his brother Ministers, "I will
+warrant you from the King's mischief this day" and, going in to
+him, kissed the ground between his hands and said, "O King, I am
+thy true counsellor and solicitous for thee and for thine estate,
+and indeed I rede thee the best of rede; it is that thou hasten
+not to slay thy son, the coolth of thine eyes and the fruit of
+thy vitals. Haply his sin is but a slight slip, which this damsel
+hath made great to thee; and indeed I have heard tell that the
+people of two villages once destroyed one another, because of a
+drop of honey." Asked the King, "How was that?"; and the Wazir
+answered, saying, "Know, O King, that I have heard this story
+anent
+
+
+
+The Drop of Honey.[FN#174]
+
+
+
+A certain hunter used to chase wild beasts in wold, and one day
+he came upon a grotto in the mountains, where he found a hollow
+full of bees' honey. So he took somewhat thereof in a water-skin
+he had with him and, throwing it over his shoulder, carried it to
+the city, followed by a hunting dog which was dear to him. He
+stopped at the shop of an oilman and offered him the honey for
+sale and he bought it. Then he emptied it out of the skin, that
+he might see it, and in the act a drop fell to the ground,
+whereupon the flies flocked to it and a bird swooped down upon
+the flies. Now the oilman had a cat, which sprang upon the bird,
+and the huntsman's dog, seeing the cat, sprang upon it and slew
+it; whereupon the oilman sprang upon the dog and slew it, and the
+huntsman in turn sprang upon the oilman and slew him. Now the
+oilman was of one village and the huntsman of another; and when
+the people of the two places heard what had passed, they took up
+arms and weapons and rose one on other in wrath and the two lines
+met; nor did the sword leave to play amongst them, till there
+died of them much people, none knoweth their number save Almighty
+Allah. "And amongst other stories of the malice of women"
+(continued the Wazir) "I have heard tell, O King, one concerning
+
+
+
+The Woman who made her Husband Sift Dust.[FN#175]
+
+
+
+A man once gave his wife a dirham to buy rice; so she took it and
+went to the rice-seller, who gave her the rice and began to jest
+with her and ogle her, for she was dowered with beauty and
+loveliness, saying, "Rice is not good but with sugar which if
+thou wilt have, come in with me for an hour." So, saying, "Give
+me sugar," she went in with him into his shop and he won his will
+of her and said to his slave, "Weigh her out a dirham's worth of
+sugar." But he made the slave a privy sign, and the boy, taking
+the napkin, in which was the rice, emptied it out and put in
+earth and dust in its stead, and for the sugar set stones, after
+which he again knotted up the napkin and left it by her. His
+object, in doing this, was that she should come to him a second
+time; so, when she went forth of the shop, he gave her the napkin
+and she took it, thinking to have in it rice and sugar, and
+ganged her gait; but when she returned home and, setting it
+before her husband, went for a cooking-pot, he found in it earth
+and stones. So, as soon as she came back bringing the pot, he
+said to her, "Did I tell thee I had aught to build, that thou
+bringest me earth and stones?" When she saw this; she knew that
+the rice-seller's slave had tricked her; so she said to her
+husband, "O man, in my trouble of mind for what hath befallen me,
+I went to fetch the sieve and brought the cooking-pot." "What
+hath troubled thee?" asked he; and she answered, "O husband, I
+dropped the dirham thou gavest me in the market-street and was
+ashamed to search for it before the folk; yet I grudged to lose
+the silver, so I gathered up the earth from the place where it
+fell and brought it away, thinking to sift it at home. Wherefore
+I went to fetch the sieve, but brought the cooking-pot instead."
+Then she fetched the sieve and gave it to her husband, saying,
+"Do thou sift it; for thine eyes are sharper than mine."
+Accordingly he sat, sifting the clay, till his face and beard
+were covered with dust; and he discovered not her trick, neither
+knew what had befallen her. "This then, O King," said the Wazir,
+"is an instance of the malice of women, and consider the saying
+of Allah Almighty, "Surely the cunning of you (women) is
+great!'[FN#176] And again, 'Indeed, the malice of Satan is weak
+in comparison with the malice of women.'"[FN#177] The King gave
+ear to his Wazir's speech and was persuaded thereby and was
+satisfied by what he cited to him of the signs of Allah[FN#178];
+and the lights of good counsel arose and shone in the firmament
+of his understanding and he turned from his purpose of slaying
+his son. But on the fourth day, the favourite came in to him
+weeping and wailing and, kissing the ground before him, said, "O
+auspicious King, and lord of good rede, I have made plainly
+manifest to thee my grievance and thou hast dealt unjustly by me
+and hast forborne to avenge me on him who hath wronged me,
+because he is thy son and the darling of thy heart; but Allah
+(extolled and exalted be He!) will presently succour me against
+him, even as He succoured the King's son against his father's
+Wazir." "And how was that?" asked the King; and she answered, "I
+have heard tell, O King, a tale of
+
+
+
+The Enchanted String.[FN#179]
+
+
+
+There was once in times gone by a King who had one son and none
+other; and, when the Prince grew up to man's estate, he
+contracted him in marriage to another King's daughter. Now the
+damsel was a model of beauty and grace and her uncle's son had
+sought her in wedlock of her sire, but she would none of him. So,
+when he knew that she was to be married to another, envy and
+jealousy gat hold of him and he bethought himself and sent a
+noble present to the Wazir of the bridegroom's father and much
+treasure, desiring him to use craft for slaying the Prince or
+contrive to make him leave his intent of espousing the girl and
+adding, "O Wazir, indeed jealousy moveth me to this for she is my
+cousin."[FN#180] The Wazir accepted the present and sent an
+answer, saying, "Be of good cheer and of eyes cool and clear, for
+I will do all that thou wishest." Presently, the bride's father
+wrote to the Prince, bidding him to his capital, that he might go
+in to his daughter; whereupon the King his father gave him leave
+to wend his way thither, sending with him the bribed Wazir and a
+thousand horse, besides presents and litters, tents and
+pavilions. The Minister set out with the Prince, plotting the
+while in his heart to do him a mischief; and when they came into
+the desert, he called to mind a certain spring of running water
+in the mountains there, called Al-Zahra,[FN#181] whereof
+whosoever drank from a man became a woman. So he called a halt of
+the troops near the fountain and presently mounting steed again,
+said to the Prince, "Hast thou a mind to go with me and look upon
+a spring of water near hand?" The Prince mounted, knowing not
+what should befal him in the future,[FN#182] and they rode on,
+unattended by any, and without stopping till they came to the
+spring. The Prince being thirsty said to the Wazir, "O Minister,
+I am suffering from drouth," and the other answered, "Get thee
+down and drink of this spring!" So he alighted and washed his
+hands and drank, when behold, he straightway became a woman. As
+soon as he knew what had befallen him, he cried out and wept till
+he fainted away, and the Wazir came up to him as if to learn what
+had befallen him and cried, "What aileth thee?" So he told him
+what had happened, and the Minister feigned to condole with him
+and weep for his affliction, saying, "Allah Almighty be thy
+refuge in thine affliction! How came this calamity upon thee and
+this great misfortune to betide thee, and we carrying thee with
+joy and gladness, that thou mightest go in to the King's
+daughter? Verily, now I know not whether we shall go to her or
+not; but the rede[FN#183] is thine. What dost thou command me to
+do?" Quoth the Prince, "Go back to my sire and tell him what hath
+betided me, for I will not stir hence till this matter be removed
+from me or I die in my regret." So he wrote a letter to his
+father, telling him what had happened, and the Wazir took it and
+set out on his return to the city, leaving what troops he had
+with the Prince and inwardly exulting for the success of his
+plot. As soon as he reached the King's capital, he went in to him
+and, telling him what had passed, delivered the letter. The King
+mourned for his son with sore mourning and sent for the wise men
+and masters of esoteric science, that they might discover and
+explain to him this thing which had befallen his son, but none
+could give him an answer. Then the Wazir wrote to the lady's
+cousin, conveying to him the glad news of the Prince's
+misfortune, and he when he read the letter rejoiced with great
+joy and thought to marry the Princess and answered the Minister
+sending him rich presents and great store of treasure and
+thanking him exceedingly. Meanwhile, the Prince abode by the
+stream three days and three nights, eating not nor drinking and
+committing himself, in his strait, unto Allah (extolled and
+exalted be He!) who disappointeth not whoso relieth on him. On
+the fourth night, lo! there came to him a cavalier on a
+bright-bay steed[FN#184] with a crown on his head, as he were of
+the sons of the Kings, and said to him, "Who brought thee hither,
+O youth?" The Prince told him his mishap, how he was wending to
+his wedding, and how the Wazir had led him to a spring whereof he
+drank and incurred what had occurred; and as he spoke his speech
+was broken by tears. Having heard him the horseman pitied his
+case and said, "It was thy father's Wazir who cast thee into this
+strait, for no man alive save he knoweth of this spring;"
+presently adding, "Mount thee behind me and come with me to my
+dwelling, for thou art my guest this night." "Acquaint me who
+thou art ere I fare with thee," quoth the Prince; and quoth the
+other, "I am a King's son of the J�nn, as thou a King's son of
+mankind; so be of good cheer and keep thine eyes clear of tear,
+for I will surely do away thy cark and care; and this is a slight
+thing unto me." So the Prince mounted him behind the stranger,
+and they rode on, leaving the troops, from the first of the day
+till midnight, when the King's son of the Jinn asked the Prince,
+"Knowest thou how many days' march we have covered in this time?"
+"Not I." "We have come a full year's journey for a diligent
+horseman." The Prince marvelled at this and said, "How shall I do
+to return to my people?" "That is not thine affair, but my
+business. As soon as thou art quit of thy complaint, thou shalt
+return to thy people in less than the twinkling of an eye; for
+that is an easy matter to me." When the Prince heard these words
+he was ready to fly for excess of joy; it seemed to him as he
+were in the imbroglio of a dream and he exclaimed, "Glory be to
+Him who can restore the unhappy to happiness!"--And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-third Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Prince
+of the Jinn said to the Prince of mankind, "When thou art quit of
+thy complaint, thou shalt return to thy folk in less than the
+twinkling of an eye;" and the King's son rejoiced. They fared on
+all that night till the morning morrowed when lo! they found
+themselves in a green and smiling country, full of trees spireing
+and birds quiring and garths fruit-growing and palaces
+highshowing and waters a-flowing and odoriferous flowers
+a-blowing. Here the King's son of the Jinn alighted from his
+steed and, bidding the Prince do the like, took him by the hand
+and carried him into one of the palaces, where he found a great
+King and puissant Sultan; and abode with him all that day eating
+and drinking, till nightfall. Then the King's son of the Jinn
+mounted his courser and taking the Prince up behind him, fared on
+swiftly through the murks and glooms until morning, when lo, they
+found themselves in a dark land and a desert, full of black rocks
+and stones, as it were a piece of Hell; and the Prince asked the
+Jinni, "What is the name of this land?" Answered the other, "It
+is called the Black Country, and belongs to one of the Kings of
+the Jinn, by name Zu'l Janahayn, against whom none of the other
+Kings may prevail, neither may any enter his dominions save by
+his permit; so tarry thou here, whilst I go ask leave." So
+saying, he went away and, returning after awhile, they fared on
+again, till they landed at a spring of water welling forth of a
+black rock, and the King's son of the Jinn said to the King's son
+of men, "Alight!" He dismounted and the other cried, "Drink of
+this water!" So he drank of the spring without stay or delay;
+and, no sooner had he done so than, by grace of Allah, he became
+a man as before. At this he joyed with exceeding joy and asked
+the Jinni, "O my brother, how is this spring called?" Answered
+the other, "It is called the Women's Spring, for that no woman
+drinketh thereof but she becometh a man: wherefore do thou praise
+Allah the Most High and thank Him for thy restoration and mount."
+So the Prince prostrated himself in gratitude to the Almighty,
+after which he mounted again and they fared on diligently all
+that day, till they returned to the Jinni's home, where the
+Prince passed the night in all solace of life. They spent the
+next day in eating and drinking till nightfall, when the King's
+son of the Jinn asked the Prince, "Hast thou a mind to return to
+thy people this very night?" "Yes," he answered; "for indeed I
+long for them." Then the Jinni called one of his father's slaves,
+Rajiz[FN#185] hight, and said to him, "Take this young man
+mounted on thy shoulders, and let not the day dawn ere he be with
+his father-in-law and his wife." Replied the slave, "Hearkening
+and obedience, and with love and gladness, and upon my head and
+eyes!" then, withdrawing awhile, re-appeared in the form of an
+Ifrit. When the Prince saw this, he lost his senses for affright,
+but the Jinni said to him, "Fear not; no harm shall befal thee.
+Mount thy horse and leap him on to the Ifrit's shoulders." "Nay,"
+answered he, "I will leave my horse with thee and bestride his
+shoulders myself." So he bestrode the Ifrit's shoulders and, when
+the Jinni cried, "Close thine eyes, O my lord, and be not a
+craven!" he strengthened his heart and shut his eyes. Thereupon
+the Ifrit rose with him into the air and ceased not to fly
+between sky and earth, whilst the Prince was unconscious, nor was
+the last third of the night come before he alighted down with him
+on the terrace-roof of his father-in-law's palace. Then said the
+Ifrit, "Dismount and open thine eyes; for this is the palace of
+thy father-in-law and his daughter." So he came down and the
+Ifrit flew away and left him on the roof of the palace. When the
+day broke and the Prince recovered from his troubles, he
+descended into the palace and as his father-in-law caught sight
+of him, he came to meet him and marvelled to see him descend from
+the roof of the palace, saying, "We see folk enter by the doors;
+but thou comest from the skies." Quoth the Prince, "Whatso Allah
+(may He be extolled and exalted!) willeth that cometh to pass."
+And he told him all that had befallen him, from first to last,
+whereat the King marvelled and rejoiced in his safety; and, as
+soon as the sun rose, bade his Wazir make ready splendid
+bride-feasts. So did he and they held the marriage festival:
+after which the Prince went in unto his bride and abode with her
+two months, then departed with her for his father's capital. As
+for the damsel's cousin, he died forthright of envy and jealousy.
+When the Prince and his bride drew near his father's city, the
+King came out to meet them with his troops and Wazirs, and so
+Allah (blessed and exalted be He!) enabled the Prince to prevail
+against his bride's cousin and his father's Minister. "And I pray
+the Almighty" (added the damsel) "to aid thee against thy Wazirs,
+O King, and I beseech thee to do me justice on thy son!" When the
+King heard this, he bade put his son to death;--And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+      When is was the Five Hundred and Eighty-forth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+favourite had told her tale to the King she said, "I beseech thee
+to do me justice by putting thy son to death." Now this was the
+fourth day, so the fourth Wazir entered and, kissing the ground
+before him, said, "Allah stablish and protect the King! O King,
+be deliberate in doing this thou art resolved upon, for the wise
+man doth naught till he hath considered the issue thereof, and
+the proverb saith, 'Whoso looketh not to his actions' end, hath
+not the world to friend; and whoso acteth without consideration,
+there befalleth him what befel the Hammam-keeper with his wife.'"
+"And what betided him?" asked the King. And the Wazir answered,
+"I have heard tell, O King, a tale of the
+
+
+
+Wazir's Son and the Hammam-Keepeer's Wife."[FN#186]
+
+
+
+There was once a bath-keeper, to whom resorted the notables of
+the folk and head men, and one day there came in to him a
+handsome youth of the sons of Wazirs who was fat and bulky of
+body. So he stood to serve him and when the young man put off his
+clothes[FN#187] he saw not his yard, for that it was hidden
+between his thighs, by reason of the excess of his fat, and there
+appeared thereof but what was like unto a filbert.[FN#188] At
+this the bath-keeper fell a-lamenting and smiting hand upon hand,
+which when the youth saw, he said to him, "What ails thee, O
+bath-keeper, to lament thus?" And he answered, saying, "O my
+lord, my lamentation is for thee, because thou art in sore
+straits, for all thy fair fortune and goodliness and exceeding
+comeliness, seeing thou hast naught wherewithal to do and receive
+delight, like unto other men." Quoth the youth, "Thou sayst
+sooth, but thou mindest me of somewhat I had forgotten." "What is
+that?" asked the bathkeeper, and the youth answered, "Take this
+gold piece and fetch me a pretty woman, that I may prove my
+nature on her." So he took the money and betaking himself to his
+wife, said to her, "O woman, there is come to me in the bath a
+young man of the sons of the Wazirs, as he were the moon on the
+fullest night; but he hath no prickle like other men, for that
+which he hath is but some small matter like unto a filbert. I
+lamented over his youth and he gave me this dinar and asked me to
+fetch him a woman on whom he might approve himself. Now thou art
+worthier of the money than another, and from this no harm shall
+betide us, for I will protect thee. So do thou sit with him
+awhile and laugh at him and take this dinar from him." So the
+good wife took the dinar and rising, adorned herself and donned
+the richest of her raiment. Now she was the fairest woman of her
+time. Then she went out with her husband and he carried her in to
+the Wazir's son in a privy place. When she came in to him, she
+looked at him and finding him a handsome youth, fair of favour as
+he were the moon at full, was confounded at his beauty and
+loveliness; and on like wise his heart and wit were amazed at the
+first sight of her and the sweetness of her smile. So he rose
+forthright and locking the door, took the damsel in his arms and
+pressed her to his bosom and they embraced, whereupon the young
+man's yard swelled and rose on end, as it were that of a jackass,
+and he rode upon her breast and futtered her, whilst she sobbed
+and sighed and writhed and wriggled under him. Now the bathkeeper
+was standing behind the door, awaiting what should betide between
+them, and he began to call her saying, "O Umm Abdillah, enough!
+Come out, for the day is long upon thy sucking child." Quoth the
+youth, "Go forth to thy boy and come back;" but quoth she, "If I
+go forth from thee, my soul will depart my body; as regards the
+child, so I must either leave him to die of weeping or let him be
+reared an orphan, without a mother." So she ceased not to abide
+with him till he had done his desire of her ten times running,
+while her husband stood at the door, calling her and crying out
+and weeping and imploring succour. But none came to aid him and
+he ceased not to do thus, saying, "I will slay myself!"; till at
+last, finding no way of access to his wife, and being distraught
+with rage and jealousy, to hear her sighing and murmuring and
+breathing hard under the young man, he went up to the top of the
+bath and, casting himself down therefrom, died. "Moreover, O
+King" (continued the Wazir), "there hath reached me another story
+of the malice of women." "What is that?" asked the King, and the
+Wazir said, "Know, O King, that it is anent
+
+
+
+
+The Wife's Device to Cheat her Husband."
+
+
+
+There was once a woman who had no equal in her day for beauty and
+loveliness and grace and perfection; and a certain lewd youth and
+an obscene setting eyes on her, fell in love with her and loved
+her with exceeding passion, but she was chaste and inclined not
+to adultery. It chanced one day that her husband went on a
+journey to a certain town, whereupon the young man fell to
+sending to her many times a day; but she made him no reply. At
+last, he resorted to an old woman, who dwelt hard by, and after
+saluting her he sat down and complained to her of his sufferings
+for love of the woman and his longing to enjoy her. Quoth she, "I
+will warrant thee this; no harm shall befal thee, for I will
+surely bring thee to thy desire, Inshallah, --an it please Allah
+the Most High!" At these words he gave her a dinar and went his
+way. When the morning morrowed she appeared before the woman and,
+renewing an old acquaintance with her, fell to visiting her
+daily, eating the undertime with her and the evening meal and
+carrying away food for her children. Moreover, she used to sport
+and jest with her, till the wife became corrupted[FN#189] and
+could not endure an hour without her company. Now she was wont,
+when she left the lady's house, to take bread and fat wherewith
+she mixed a little pepper and to feed a bitch, that was in that
+quarter; and thus she did day by day, till the bitch became fond
+of her and followed her wherever she went. One day she took a
+cake of dough and, putting therein an overdose of pepper, gave it
+to the bitch to eat, whereupon the beast's eyes began to shed
+tears, for the heat of the pepper, and she followed the old
+woman, weeping. When the lady saw this she was amazed and asked
+the ancient, "O my mother, what ails this bitch to weep?"
+Answered she, "Learn, O my heart's love, that hers is a strange
+story. Know that she was once a close friend of mine, a lovely
+and accomplished young lady, a model of comeliness and perfect
+grace. A young Nazarene of the quarter fell in love with her and
+his passion and pining increased on him, till he took to his
+pillow, and he sent to her times manifold, begging her to have
+compassion on him and show him mercy, but she refused, albeit I
+gave her good counsel, saying, "O my daughter, have pity on him
+and be kind and consent to all he wisheth." She gave no heed to
+my advice, until, the young man's patience failing him, he
+complained at last to one of his friends, who cast an enchantment
+on her and changed her human shape into canine form. When she saw
+what transformation had befallen her and that there was none to
+pity her case save myself, she came to my house and began to fawn
+on me and buss my hands and feet and whine and shed tears, till I
+recognised her and said to her, 'How often did I not warn thee?;
+but my advice profited thee naught.'"--And Shahrazad perceived
+the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-fifth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the old
+trot related to the young lady the tale of the bitch and
+recounted the case in her cunning and deceit, with the view to
+gain her consent and said to her, "When the enchanted beast came
+to me and wept I reminded her, 'How often did I not warn thee?;
+but my advice profited thee naught.' However, O my daughter,
+seeing her misery, I had compassion on her case and kept her by
+me; and as often as she bethinketh herself of her former estate,
+she weepeth thus, in pity for herself." When the lady heard this,
+she was taken with great alarm and said, "O my mother, by Allah,
+thou affrightest me with this thy story." "Why so?" asked the old
+woman. Answered the lady, "Because a certain handsome young man
+fell in love with me and hath sent many times to me, but hitherto
+I have repelled him; and now I fear lest there befal me the like
+of what befel this bitch." "O my daughter," rejoined the old
+woman, "look thou to what I counsel thee and beware of crossing
+me, for I am in great fear for thee. If thou know not his
+abiding-place, describe his semblance to me, that I may fetch him
+to thee, and let not any one's heart be angered against thee." So
+the lady described him to her, and she showed not to know him and
+said, "When I go out, I will ask after him." But when she left
+the lady, she went straight to the young man and said to him, "Be
+of good cheer, for I have played with the girl's wits; so
+to-morrow at noon wait thou at the head of the street, till I
+come and carry thee to her house, where thou shalt take thine
+ease with her the rest of the day and all night long." At this
+the young man rejoiced with exceeding joy and gave her two
+dinars, saying, "When I have won my wish of her, I will give thee
+ten gold pieces." Then she returned to the lady and said to her,
+"I have seen him and spoken with him on this matter. I found him
+exceeding wroth with thee and minded to do thee a harm, but I
+plied him with fair words till he agreed to come to-morrow at the
+time of the call to noon-prayer." When the lady heard this she
+rejoiced exceedingly and said, "O my mother, if he keep his
+promise, I will give thee ten dinars." Quoth the old woman, "Look
+to his coming from none but from me." When the next morn morrowed
+she said to the lady, "Make ready the early meal and forget not
+the wine and adorn thyself and don thy richest dress and
+decoration, whilst I go and fetch him to thee." So she clad
+herself in her finest finery and prepared food, whilst the old
+woman went out to look for the young man, who came not. So she
+went around searching for him, but could come by no news of him,
+and she said to herself, "What is to be done? Shall the food and
+drink she hath gotten ready be wasted and I lose the gold pieces
+she promised me? Indeed, I will not allow my cunning contrivance
+to come to naught, but will look her out another man and carry
+him to her." So she walked about the highways till her eyes fell
+on a pretty fellow, young and distinguished-looking, to whom the
+folk bowed and who bore in his face the traces of travel. She
+went up to him and saluting him, asked, "Hast thou a mind to meat
+and drink and a girl adorned and ready?" Answered he, "Where is
+this to be had?" "At home, in my house," rejoined she and
+carrying him to his own house, knocked at the door. The lady
+opened to them and ran in again, to make an end of her dressing
+and perfuming; whilst the wicked old woman brought the man, who
+was the husband and house-master, into the saloon and made him
+sit down congratulating herself on her cunning contrivance.
+Presently in walked the lady, who no sooner set eyes on her
+husband sitting by the old trot than she knew him and guessed how
+the case stood; nevertheless, she was not taken aback and without
+stay or delay bethought her of a device to hoodwink him. So she
+pulled off her outer boot and cried at her husband, "Is this how
+thou keepest the contract between us? How canst thou betray me
+and deal thus with me? Know that, when I heard of thy coming, I
+sent this old woman to try thee and she hath made thee fall into
+that against which I warned thee: so now I am certified of thine
+affair and that thou hast broken faith with me. I thought thee
+chaste and pure till I saw thee, with my own eyes, in this old
+woman's company and knew that thou didst frequent loose
+baggages." So saying, she fell to beating him with her slipper
+about the head, and crying out, "Divorce me! Divorce me!"; whilst
+he excused himself and swore to her, by Allah the Most High, that
+he had never in his life been untrue to her nor had done aught of
+that whereof she suspected him. But she stinted not to weep and
+scream and bash him, crying out and saying, "Come to my help, O
+Moslems!"; till he laid hold of her mouth with his hand and she
+bit it. Moreover, he humbled himself to her and kissed her hands
+and feet, whilst she would not be appeased and continued to cuff
+him. At last, she winked at the old woman to come and hold her
+hand from him. So she came up to her and kissed her hands and
+feet, till she made peace between them and they sat down
+together; whereupon the husband began to kiss her hands, saying,
+"Allah Almighty requite thee with all good, for that thou hast
+delivered me from her!" And the old woman marvelled at the wife's
+cunning and ready wit. "This, then, O King" (said the Wazir) "is
+one of many instances of the craft and malice and perfidy of
+women." When the King heard this story, he was persuaded by it
+and turned from his purpose to slay his son;-- And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-sixth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+fourth Wazir had told his tale, the King turned from his purpose
+to slay his son; but, on the fifth day, the damsel came in to him
+hending a bowl of poison in hand, calling on Heaven for help and
+buffeting her cheeks and face, and said to him, "O King, either
+thou shalt do me justice and avenge me on thy son, or I will
+drink up this poison-cup and die, and the sin of my blood shall
+be on thy head at the Day of Doom. These thy Ministers accuse me
+of malice and perfidy, but there be none in the world more
+perfidious than men. Hast thou not heard the story of the
+Goldsmith and the Cashmere[FN#190] singing-girl?" "What befel the
+twain, O damsel?" asked the King; and she answered, saying,
+"There hath come to my knowledge, O august King, a tale of the
+
+
+
+Goldsmith and the Cashmere Singing-Girl.
+
+
+
+There lived once, in a city of Persia a goldsmith who delighted
+in women and in drinking wine. One day, being in the house of one
+of his intimates, he saw painted on the wall the figure of a
+lutanist, a beautiful damsel, beholder never beheld a fairer or a
+more pleasant. He looked at the picture again and again,
+marvelling at its beauty, and fell so desperately in love with
+it, that he sickened for passion and came near to die. It chanced
+that one of his friends came to visit him and sitting down by his
+side, asked how he did and what ailed him, whereto the goldsmith
+answered, "O my brother, that which ails me is love, and it befel
+on this wise. I saw a figure of a woman painted on the house-
+wall of my brother such an one and became enamoured of it."
+Hereupon the other fell to blaming him and said, "This was of thy
+lack of wit; how couldst thou fall in love with a painted figure
+on a wall, that can neither harm nor profit, that seeth not
+neither heareth, that neither taketh nor withholdeth." Said the
+sick man, "He who painted yonder picture never could have limned
+it save after the likeness of some beautiful woman." "Haply,"
+rejoined his friend, "he painted it from imagination." "In any
+case," replied the goldsmith, "here am I dying for love of the
+picture, and if there live the original thereof in the world, I
+pray Allah Most High to protect my life till I see her." When
+those who were present went out, they asked for the painter of
+the picture and, finding that he had travelled to another town,
+wrote him a letter, complaining of their comrade's case and
+enquiring whether he had drawn the figure of his own inventive
+talents or copied it from a living model; to which he replied, "I
+painted it after a certain singing-girl belonging to one of the
+Wazirs in the city of Cashmere in the land of Hind." When the
+goldsmith heard this, he left Persia for Cashmere-city, where he
+arrived after much travail. He tarried awhile there till one day
+he went and clapped up an acquaintance with a certain of the
+citizens who was a druggist, a fellow of a sharp wit, keen,
+crafty; and, being one even-tide in company with him, asked him
+of their King and his polity; to which the other answered,
+saying, "Well, our King is just and righteous in his governance,
+equitable to his lieges and beneficent to his commons and
+abhorreth nothing in the world save sorcerers; but, whenever a
+sorcerer or sorceress falls into his hands, he casteth them into
+a pit without the city and there leaveth them in hunger to die."
+Then he questioned him of the King's Wazirs, and the druggist
+told him of each Minister, his fashion and condition, till the
+talk came round to the singing-girl and he told him, "She
+belongeth to such a Wazir." The goldsmith took note of the
+Minister's abiding place and waited some days, till he had
+devised a device to his desire; and one night of rain and thunder
+and stormy winds, he provided himself with thieves' tackle and
+repaired to the house of the Wazir who owned the damsel. Here he
+hanged a rope-ladder with grappling-irons to the battlements and
+climbed up to the terrace-roof of the palace. Thence he descended
+to the inner court and, making his way into the Harim, found all
+the slave-girls lying asleep, each on her own couch; and amongst
+them reclining on a couch of alabaster and covered with a
+coverlet of cloth of gold a damsel, as she were the moon rising
+on a fourteenth night. At her head stood a candle of ambergris,
+and at her feet another, each in a candlestick of glittering
+gold, her brilliancy dimming them both; and under her pillow lay
+a casket of silver, wherein were her Jewels. He raised the
+coverlet and drawing near her, considered her straitly, and
+behold, it was the lutanist whom he desired and of whom he was
+come in quest. So he took out a knife and wounded her in the back
+parts, a palpable outer wound, whereupon she awoke in terror;
+but, when she saw him, she was afraid to cry out, thinking he
+came to steal her goods. So she said to him, "Take the box and
+what is therein, but slay me not, for I am in thy protection and
+under thy safe-guard[FN#191] and my death will profit thee
+nothing." Accordingly, he took the box and went away.--And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
+permitted say.
+
+     When is was the Five Hundred and Eighty-seventh Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+goldsmith had entered the Wazir's palace he wounded the damsel
+slightly in the back parts and, taking the box which contained
+her jewels, wended his way. And when morning morrowed he donned
+clothes after the fashion of men of learning and doctors of the
+law and, taking the jewel-case went in therewith to the King of
+the city, before whom he kissed the ground and said to him, "O
+King, I am a devout man; withal a loyal well-wisher to thee and
+come hither a pilgrim to thy court from the land of Khorasan,
+attracted by the report of thy just governance and righteous
+dealing with thy subjects and minded to be under thy standard. I
+reached this city at the last of the day and finding the gate
+locked and barred, threw me down to sleep without the walls; but,
+as I lay betwixt sleep and wake, behold, I saw four women come
+up; one riding on a broom-stick, another on a wine-jar, a third
+on an oven-peel and a fourth on a black bitch,[FN#192] and I knew
+that they were witches making for thy city. One of them came up
+to me and kicked me with her foot and beat me with a fox's tail
+she had in her hand, hurting me grievously, whereat I was wroth
+and smote her with a knife I had with me, wounding her in the
+back parts, as she turned to flee from me. When she felt the
+wound, she fled before me and in her flight let drop this casket,
+which I picked up and opening, found these costly jewels therein.
+So do thou take it, for I have no need thereof, being a wanderer
+in the mountains[FN#193] who hath rejected the world from my
+heart and renounced it and all that is in it, seeking only the
+face of Allah the Most High." Then he set the casket before the
+King and fared forth. The King opened the box and emptying out
+all the trinkets it contained, fell to turning them over with his
+hand, till he chanced upon a necklace whereof he had made gift to
+the Wazir to whom the girl belonged. Seeing this, he called the
+Minister in question and said to him, "This is the necklace I
+gave thee?" He knew it at first sight and answered, "It is; and I
+gave it to a singing girl of mine." Quoth the King, "Fetch that
+girl to me forthwith." So he fetched her to him, and he said,
+"Uncover her back parts and see if there be a wound therein or
+no." The Wazir accordingly bared her backside and finding a
+knife-wound there, said, "Yes, O my lord, there is a wound." Then
+said the King, "This is the witch of whom the devotee told me,
+and there can be no doubt of it," and bade cast her into the
+witches' well. So they carried her thither at once. As soon as it
+was night and the goldsmith knew that his plot had succeeded, he
+repaired to the pit, taking with him a purse of a thousand
+dinars, and, entering into converse with the warder, sat talking
+with him till a third part of the night was passed, when he
+broached the matter to him, saying, "Know, O my brother, that
+this girl is innocent of that they lay to her charge and that it
+was I brought this calamity upon her." Then he told him the whole
+story, first and last, adding, "Take, O my brother, this purse of
+a thousand dinars and give me the damsel, that I may carry her to
+my own land, for these gold pieces will profit thee more than
+keeping her in prison; moreover Allah will requite thee for us,
+and we too will both offer up prayers for thy prosperity and
+safety." When the warder heard this story, he marvelled with
+exceeding marvel at that device and its success; then taking the
+money, he delivered the girl to the goldsmith, conditioning that
+he should not abide one hour with her in the city. Thereupon the
+goldsmith took the girl and fared on with her, without ceasing,
+till he reached his own country and so he won his wish. "See,
+then, O King" (said the damsel), "the malice of men and their
+wiles. Now thy Wazirs hinder thee from doing me justice on thy
+son; but to-morrow we shall stand, both thou and I, before the
+Just Judge, and He shall do me justice on thee, O King." When the
+King heard this, he commanded to put his son to death; but the
+fifth Wazir came in to him and kissing the ground before him,
+said, "O mighty King, delay and hasten not to slay thy son: speed
+will oftentimes repentance breed; and I fear for thee lest thou
+repent, even as did the man who never laughed for the rest of his
+days." "And how was that, O Wazir?" asked the King. Quoth he, "I
+have heard tell, O King, this tale concerning
+
+
+
+The Man who never Laughed during the Rest of his Days.
+
+
+
+There was once a man who was rich in lands and houses and monies
+and goods, eunuchs and slaves, and he died and went to the mercy
+of Allah the Most High; leaving a young son, who, when he grew
+up, gave himself to feasting and carousing and hearing music and
+singing and the loud laughter of parasites; and he wasted his
+substance in gifts and prodigality till he had squandered all the
+money his father left him, --And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
+day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+     When it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-eighth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the young
+man, when he had squandered all the money his father had left him
+and naught thereof remained to him, betook himself to selling his
+slaves and handmaids, lands and houses and spent the proceeds on
+like wise, till he was reduced to beggary and must needs labour
+for his living. He abode thus a year's space, at the end of which
+time he was sitting one day under a wall, awaiting who should
+hire him when behold, there came up to him an old man of comely
+aspect and apparel and saluted him. The young man asked, "O
+uncle, hast thou known me aforetime?" and the other answered,
+"Not so, O my son, I know thee not at all, at all; but I see the
+trace of gentle breeding on thee despite thy present case." "O
+uncle, " rejoined the poor man, "needs must Fate and Fortune be
+accomplished; but, O uncle, O bright of blee, hast thou any
+occasion wherein thou wouldst employ me?" Said the other, "I
+wish, O my son, to employ thee in a slight matter." "What is it?"
+quoth the young man, and quoth the stranger, "We are eleven old
+men in one house, but we have none to serve us; so an thou wilt
+stay and take service with us, thou shalt have food and clothing
+to thy heart's content, besides what cometh to thee of coin and
+other good; and haply Allah will restore thee thy fortune by our
+means." Replied the youth, "Hearkening and obedience!" "But I
+have a condition to impose on thee." "What is that?" "O my son,
+it is that thou keep our secret in what thou seest us do, and if
+thou see us weep, that thou question us not of the cause of our
+weeping." "It is well, O uncle;" "Come with me, O my son, with
+the blessing of Allah Almighty." So he followed him to the bath,
+where the old man caused cleanse his body of the crusted dirt,
+after which he sent one to fetch a handsome garment of linen and
+clad him therein. Then he carried him to his company which was in
+his domicile and the youth found a house lofty and spacious and
+strongly builded, wherein were sitting-chambers facing one
+another; and saloons, in each one a fountain of water, with the
+birds warbling over it, and windows on every side, giving upon a
+fair garden within the house. The old man brought him into one of
+the parlours, which was variegated with many-coloured marbles,
+the ceiling thereof being decorated with ultramarine and glowing
+gold; and the floor bespread with silken carpets. Here he found
+ten Shaykhs in mourning apparel, seated one opposite other,
+weeping and wailing. He marvelled at their case and purposed to
+ask the reason, when he remembered the condition and held his
+peace. Then he who had brought him delivered to him a chest
+containing thirty thousand dinars and said to him, "O my son,
+spend freely from this chest what is fitting for our
+entertainment and thine own; and be thou faithful and remember
+that wherewith I charged thee." "I hear and I obey, " answered he
+and served them days and nights, till one of them died, whereupon
+his fellows washed him and shrouded him and buried him in a
+garden behind the house,[FN#194] nor did death cease to take
+them, one after other, till there remained but the Shaykh who had
+hired the youth for service. Then the two men, old and young,
+dwelt together in that house alone for years and years, nor was
+there with them a third save Allah the Most High, till the elder
+fell sick; and when the younger despaired of his life, he went up
+to him and condoling with him, said, "O nuncle mine, I have
+waited upon you twelve years and have not failed of my duties a
+single hour, but have been loyal and faithful to you and served
+you with my might and main." "Yes, O my son," answered the old
+man, "thou hast served us well until all my comrades are gone to
+the mercy of Allah (to whom belong honour and glory!) and needs
+must I die also." "O my lord," said the other, "thou art in
+danger of death and I would fain have thee acquaint me with the
+cause of your weeping and wailing and of your unceasing mourning
+and lamentation and regrets." "O my son," answered the old man,
+"it concerns thee not to know this, so importune me not of what I
+may not do: for I have vowed to Almighty Allah that I would
+acquaint none of His creatures with this, lest he be afflicted
+with what befel me and my comrades. If, then, thou desire to be
+delivered from that into which we fell, look thou open not yonder
+door, "[FN#195] and pointed to a certain part of the house; "but,
+if thou have a mind to suffer what we have suffered, then open it
+and thou shalt learn the cause of that thou hast seen us do; and
+whenas thou knowest it, thou shalt repent what time repentance
+will avail thee not."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
+and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-ninth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
+surviving Shaykh of the ten said to the youth, "Beware how thou
+open yonder door or thou shalt repent what time repentance will
+avail thee not." Then his sickness grew on him and he
+accomplished his term and departed life to the presence of his
+Lord; and the young man washed him with his own hands and
+shrouded him and buried him by the side of his comrades; after
+which he abode alone in the place and took possession of
+whatsoever was therein. Withal he was uneasy and troubled
+concerning the case of the old men, till, one day, as he sat
+pondering the words of his dead master and his injunction not to
+open the door, he suddenly bethought himself to go and look for
+it. So he rose up and repaired to the part whither the dead man
+had pointed and sought till, in a dark unfrequented corner, he
+found a little door, over which the spider had spun her webs and
+which was fastened with four padlocks of steel. Seeing this he
+recalled the old man's warning and restrained himself and went
+away; and he held aloof from it seven days, whilst all the time
+his heart prompted him to open it. On the eighth day his
+curiosity got the better of him and he said, "Come what will,
+needs must I open the door and see what will happen to me
+therefrom. Nothing can avert what is fated and fore-ordained of
+Allah the Most High; nor doth aught befal but by His will." So
+saying, he rose and broke the padlocks and opening the door saw a
+narrow passage, which he followed for some three hours when lo!
+he came out on the shore of a vast ocean[FN#196] and fared on
+along the beach, marvelling at this main, whereof he had no
+knowledge and turning right and left. Presently, a great eagle
+swooped down upon him from the lift and seizing him in its
+talons, flew away with him betwixt heaven and earth, till it came
+to an island in the midst of the sea, where it cast him down and
+flew away. The youth was dazed and knew not whither he should
+wend, but after a few days as he sat pondering his case, he
+caught sight of the sails of a ship in the middlemost of the
+main, as it were a star in the sky; and his heart clave to it, so
+haply his deliverance might be therein. He continued gazing at
+the ship, until it drew nigh, when he saw that it was a foyst
+builded all of ivory and ebony, inlaid with glistening gold made
+fast by nails of steel, with oars of sandal and lign-aloes. In it
+were ten damsels, high-bosomed maids, as they were moons; and
+when they saw him, they came ashore to him and kissed his hands,
+saying, "Thou art the King, the Bridegroom!" Then there accosted
+him a young lady, as she were the sun shining in sky serene
+bearing in hand a silken napkin, wherein were a royal robe and a
+crown of gold set with all manner rubies and pearls. She threw
+the robe over him and set the crown upon his head, after which
+the damsels bore him on their arms to the foyst, where he found
+all kinds of silken carpets and hangings of various colours. Then
+they spread the sails and stretched out into mid-ocean. Quoth the
+young man, "Indeed, when they put to sea with me, meseemed it was
+a dream and I knew not whither they were wending with me.
+Presently, we drew near to land, and I saw the shore full of
+troops none knoweth their number save Allah (extolled and exalted
+be He!) and all were magnificently arrayed and clad in complete
+steel. As soon as the vessel had made fast to the land, they
+brought me five marked[FN#197] horses of noble breeds, housed and
+saddled with gold, inlaid with all manner pearls and high-priced
+bezel stones. I chose out one of them and mounted it, whilst they
+led the four others before me. Then they raised the banners and
+the standards over my head, whilst the troops ranged themselves
+right and left, and we set out, with drums beating and cymbals
+clashing, and rode on; whilst I debated in myself whether I were
+in sleep or on wake; and we never ceased faring, I believing not
+in that my estate, but taking all this for the imbroglio of a
+dream, till we drew near to the green mead, full of palaces and
+gardens and trees and streams and blooms and birds chanting the
+praises of Allah the One, the Victorious. Hereupon, behold, an
+army sallied out from amid the palaces and gardens, as it were
+the torrent when it poureth down,[FN#198] and the host overflowed
+the mead. These troops halted at a little distance from me and
+presently there rode forth from amongst them a King, preceded by
+some of his chief officers on foot." When he came up to the young
+man (saith the tale-teller) he dismounted also, and the two
+saluted each other after the goodliest fashion. Then said the
+King, "Come with us, for thou art my guest." So they took horse
+again and rode on stirrup touching stirrup in great and stately
+procession, conversing as they went, till they came to the royal
+palace, where they alighted together.--And Shahrazad perceived
+the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+       When it was the Five Hundred and Ninetieth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the two
+rode together in stately procession till they entered the palace,
+when the King taking the young man by the hand, led him into a
+domed room followed by his suite, and making him sit down on a
+throne of gold, seated himself beside him. Then he unbound the
+swathe from his lower face; and behold, the King was a young
+lady, like the splendid sun shining in the sheeny sky, perfect in
+beauty and loveliness, brilliancy and grace, arrogance[FN#199]
+and all perfection. The youth looked upon this singular blessing
+and embodied boon and was lost in wonder at her charms and
+comeliness and seemlihead and at the splendour and affluence he
+saw about him, when she said "Know, O King, that I am the Queen
+of this land and that all the troops thou hast seen, whether
+horse or foot, are women, there is no man amongst them; for in
+this our state the men delve and sow and ear and occupy
+themselves with the tillage of the earth and the building of
+towns and other mechanical crafts and useful arts, whilst the
+women govern and fill the great offices of state and bear arms."
+At this the youth marvelled with exceeding marvel and, as they
+were in discourse, behold, in came the Wazir who was a tall
+gray-haired old woman of venerable semblance and majestic aspect,
+and it was told him that this was the Minister. Quoth the Queen
+to her, "Bring us the Kazi and witnesses." So she went out to do
+this, and the Queen, turning to him, conversed with him in
+friendly fashion, and enforced herself to reassure his awe of her
+and do away his shame with speech blander than the zephyr,
+saying, "Art thou content to be to me baron and I to thee feme?"
+Thereupon he arose and would have kissed ground between her
+hands, but she forbade him and he replied, saying, "O my lady, I
+am the least of thy slaves who serve thee." "Seest thou all these
+servants and soldiers and riches and hoards and treasures?" asked
+she, and he answered, "Yes!" Quoth she, "All these are at thy
+commandment to dispose of them and give and bestow as seemeth
+good to thee." Then she pointed to a closed door and said, "All
+these things are at thy disposal, save yonder door; that shalt
+thou not open, and if thou open it thou shalt repent when
+repentance will avail thee naught. So beware! and again I say,
+beware!" Hardly had she made an end of speaking when the Waziress
+entered followed by the Kazii and witnesses, all old women, with
+their hair streaming over their shoulders and of reverend and
+majestic presence; and the Queen bade them draw up the contract
+of marriage between herself and the young man. Accordingly, they
+performed the marriage-ceremony and the Queen made a great
+bride-feast, to which she bade all the troops; and after they had
+eaten and drunken, he went in unto his bride and found her a maid
+virginal. So he did away her hymen and abode with her seven years
+in all joyance and solace and delight of life, till, one day of
+the days, he bethought himself of the forbidden door and said in
+himself, "Except there were therein treasures greater and grander
+than any I have seen, she had not forbidden me therefrom." So he
+rose and opened the door, when, lo! behind it was the very bird
+which had brought him from the sea-shore to the island, and it
+said to him, "No welcome to a face that shall never prosper!"
+When he saw it and heard what it said, he fled from it; but it
+followed him and seizing him in its talons, flew with him an
+hour's journey betwixt heaven and earth, till it set him down in
+the place whence it had first carried him off and flew away. When
+he came to his senses, he remembered his late estate, great,
+grand and glorious, and the troops which rode before him and his
+lordly rule and all the honour and fair fortune he had lost and
+fell to weeping and wailing.[FN#200] He abode two months on the
+sea-shore, where the bird had set him down, hoping yet to return
+to his wife, till, as he sat one night wakeful, mourning and
+musing, behold, he heard one speaking, albeit he saw no one, and
+saying, "How great were the delights! Alas, far from thee is the
+return of that which is past!" When he heard this, he redoubled
+in his regrets and despaired of recovering his wife and his fair
+estate that was; so he returned, weary and broken-hearted, to the
+house where he had dwelt with the old men and knew that they had
+fared even as he and that this was the cause of their shedding
+tears and lamenting their lot; wherefore he ever after held them
+excused. Then, being overcome with chagrin and concern, he took
+to his chamber and gave himself up to mourning and lamentation;
+and he ceased not crying and complaining and left eating and
+drinking and pleasant scents and merriment; nor did he laugh once
+till the day of his death, when they buried him beside the
+Shaykhs. "See, then, O King," continued the Wazir "what cometh of
+precipitance; verily, it is unpraiseworthy and bequeatheth
+repentance; and in this I give thee true advice and loyal
+counsel." When the King heard this story, he turned from slaying
+his son;--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
+saying her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-first Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+King heard this story he turned from slaying his son; but, on the
+sixth day, the favourite came in to him hending a naked knife in
+hand, and said to him, "Know, O my lord, that except thou hearken
+to my complaint and protect thy right and thine honour against
+these thy Ministers, who are banded together against me, to do me
+wrong, I will kill myself with this knife, and my blood will
+testify against thee on the Day of Doom. Indeed, they pretend
+that women are full of tricks and malice and perfidy; and they
+design thereby to defeat me of my due and hinder the King from
+doing me justice; but, behold, I will prove to thee that men are
+more perfidious than women by the story of a King among the Kings
+and how he gained access to the wife of a certain merchant." "And
+what passed between them?" asked the King, and she answered, "I
+have heard tell, O august King, a tale of
+
+
+
+The King's Son and the Merchant's Wife.
+
+
+
+A certain merchant, who was addicted to jealousy, had a wife that
+was a model of beauty and loveliness; and of the excess of his
+fear and jealousy of her, he would not abide with her in any
+town, but built her a pavilion without the city, apart from all
+other buildings. And he raised its height and strengthened its
+doors and provided them with curious locks; and when he had
+occasion to go into the city, he locked the doors and hung the
+keys about his neck.[FN#201] One day, when the merchant was
+abroad, the King's son of that city came forth, to take his
+pleasure and solace in the open country without the walls, and
+seeing the solitary pavilion, stood still to examine it for a
+long while. At last he caught sight of a charming lady looking
+and leaning out of one of the windows,[FN#202] and being smitten
+with amazement at her grace and charms, cast about for a means of
+getting to her, but could find none. So he called up one of his
+pages, who brought him ink-case[FN#203] and paper and wrote her a
+letter, setting forth his condition for love of her. Then he set
+it on the pile-point of an arrow and shot it at the pavilion, and
+it fell in the garden, where the lady was then walking with her
+maidens. She said to one of the girls, "Hasten and bring me yon
+letter," for she could read writing;[FN#204] and, when she had
+read it and understood what he said in it of his love and
+passion, yearning and longing, she wrote him a merciful reply, to
+the effect that she was smitten with a yet fiercer desire for
+him; and then threw the letter down to him from one of the
+windows of the pavilion. When he saw her, he picked up the reply
+and after reading it, came under the window and said to her, "Let
+me down a thread, that I may send thee this key; which do thou
+take and keep by thee." So she let down a thread and he tied the
+key to it.[FN#205] Then he went away and repairing to one of his
+father's Wazirs, complained to him of his passion for the lady
+and that he could not live without her; and the Minister said,
+"And how dost thou bid me contrive?" Quoth the Prince, "I would
+have thee set me in a chest[FN#206] and commit it to the
+merchant, feigning to him that it is thine and desiring him to
+keep it for thee in his country-house some days, that I may have
+my will of her; then do thou demand it back from him." The Wazir
+answered, "With love and gladness." So the Prince returned to his
+palace and fixing the padlock, the key whereof he had given the
+lady, on a chest he had by him, entered therein. Then the Wazir
+locked it upon him and setting it on a mule, carried it to the
+pavilion of the merchant, who, seeing the Minister, came forth to
+him and kissed his hands, saying, "Belike our lord the Wazir hath
+some need or business which we may have the pleasure and honour
+of accomplishing for him?" Quoth the Minister, "I would have thee
+set this chest in the safest and best place within thy house and
+keep it till I seek it of thee." So the merchant made the porters
+carry it inside and set it down in one of his store-closets,
+after which he went out on business. As soon as he was gone, his
+wife arose and went up to the chest and unlocked it with the key
+the King's son had given her, whereupon there came forth a youth
+like the moon. When she saw him, she donned her richest raiment
+and carried him to her sitting-saloon, where they abode seven
+days, eating and drinking and making merry: and as often as her
+husband came home, she put the Prince back into the chest and
+locked it upon him. One day the King asked for his son and the
+Wazir hurried off to the merchant's place of business and sought
+of him the chest.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
+ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+     When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-second Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+Wazir reached the merchant's counting-house he asked for the box.
+The man accordingly repaired in haste to his pavilion, contrary
+to his custom and knocked at the door. When his wife was ware of
+him, she hurried the Prince back into the chest, but, in her
+confusion, forgot to lock it. The merchant bade the porters take
+it up and carry it to his house in the town. So they took up the
+box by the lid, whereupon it flew open and lo! the Prince was
+lying within. When the merchant saw him and knew him for the
+King's son, he went out to the Wazir and said to him, "Go in,
+thou, and take the King's son; for none of us may lay hands on
+him." So the Minister went in and taking the Prince, went away
+with him. As soon as they were gone, the merchant put away his
+wife and swore that he would never marry again. "And," continued
+the damsel, "I have heard tell, also, O King, a tale of
+
+
+
+The Page who Feigned to Know the Speech of Birds.[FN#207]
+
+
+
+A certain man of rank once entered the slave-market and saw a
+page being cried for sale; so he bought him and carrying him
+home, said to his wife, "Take good care of him." The lad abode
+there for a while till, one day, the man said to his wife, "Go
+forth to-morrow to the garden and take thy solace therein and
+amuse thyself and enjoy thyself." And she replied, "With love and
+gladness!" Now when the page heard this, he made ready in secret
+meat and drink and fruits and desert, and sallied forth with them
+privily that night to the garden, where he laid the meat under
+one tree, the wine under another and the fruit and conserves
+under a third, in the way his mistress must pass. When morning
+morrowed the husband bade him accompany the lady to that garden
+carrying with him all the provisions required for the day; so she
+took horse and riding thither with him, dismounted and entered.
+Presently, as they were walking about, a crow croaked,[FN#208]
+and the page said, "Thou sayst sooth;" whereupon his mistress
+asked him, "Dost thou know what the crow said?"; and he answered,
+"Yes, O my lady, he said, Under yonder tree is meat; go and eat
+it." So she said, "I see thou really dost understand them;" then
+she went up to the tree and, finding a dish of meat ready
+dressed, was assured that the youth told the truth and marvelled
+with exceeding marvel. They ate of the meat and walked about
+awhile, taking their pleasure in the garden, till the crow
+croaked a second time, and the page again replied, "Thou sayst
+sooth." "What said he?" quoth the lady, and quoth the page, "O my
+lady, he saith that under such a tree are a gugglet of water
+flavoured with musk and a pitcher of old wine." So she went up
+with him to the tree and, finding the wine and water there,
+redoubled in wonderment and the page was magnified in her eyes.
+They sat down and drank, then arose and walked in another part of
+the garden. Presently the crow croaked again and the page said,
+"Thou sayst sooth." Said the lady, "What saith he now?" and the
+page replied, "He saith that under yonder tree are fruits, fresh
+and dried." So they went thither and found all as he said and sat
+down and ate. Then they walked about again till the crow croaked
+a fourth time, whereupon the page took up a stone and threw it at
+him. Quoth she, "What said he, that thou shouldst stone him?" "O
+my lady," answered he, "he said what I cannot tell thee." "Say
+on," rejoined she, "and be not abashed in my presence, for there
+is naught between me and thee." But he ceased not to say, "No,"
+and she to press him to speak, till at last she conjured him to
+tell her, and he answered, "The crow said to me, 'Do with thy
+lady even as doth her husband.'" When she heard his words she
+laughed till she fell backward and said, "This is a light matter,
+and I may not gainsay thee therein." So saying, she went up to a
+tree and, spreading the carpet under it, lay down, and called to
+him to come and do her need, when, lo! her husband, who had
+followed them unawares and saw this, called out to the page,
+saying, "Harkye, boy! What ails thy mistress to lie there,
+weeping?" Answered the page, "O my lord, she fell off the tree
+and was killed;[FN#209] and none but Allah (be He extolled and
+exalted!) restored her to thee. Wherefore she lay down awhile to
+recover herself by rest." When the lady saw her husband standing
+by her head, she rose and made a show of weakness and pain,
+saying, "O my back! O my sides! Come to my help, O my friends! I
+shall never survive this." So her husband was deceived and said
+to the page, "Fetch thy mistress's horse and set her thereon."
+Then he carried her home, the boy holding one stirrup and the man
+the other and saying, "Allah vouchsafe thee ease and recovery!"
+"These then, O King," (said the damsel) "are some instances of
+the craft of men and their perfidy; wherefore let not thy Wazirs
+turn thee from succouring me and doing me justice." Then she
+wept, and when the King saw her weeping (for she was the dearest
+to him of all his slave-girls) he once more commanded to put his
+son to death; but the sixth Minister entered and kissing ground
+before him, said, "May the Almighty advance the King! Verily I am
+a loyal counsellor to thee, in that I counsel thee to deal
+deliberately in the matter of thy son;"--And Shahrazad perceived
+the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-third Night,
+
+ She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the sixth
+Wazir said, "O King, deal deliberately in the matter of thy son;
+for falsehood is as smoke and fact is built on base which shall
+not be broken; yea, and the light of sooth dispelleth the night
+of untruth. Know that the perfidy of women is great, even as
+saith Allah the Most High in His Holy Book, "Verily, the malice
+of you is great.[FN#210] And indeed a tale hath reached me that a
+certain woman befooled the Chiefs of the State on such wise as
+never did any before her." Asked the King, "And how was that?"
+And the Wazir answered, "I have heard tell a tale, O King, as
+follows concerning
+
+
+
+
+The Lady and her Five Suitors.[FN#211]
+
+
+
+A woman of the daughters of the merchants was married to a man
+who was a great traveller. It chanced once that he set out for a
+far country and was absent so long that his wife, for pure ennui,
+fell in love with a handsome young man of the sons of the
+merchants, and they loved each other with exceeding love. One
+day, the youth quarrelled with another man, who lodged a
+complaint against him with the Chief of Police, and he cast him
+into prison. When the news came to the merchant's wife his
+mistress, she wellnigh lost her wits; then she arose and donning
+her richest clothes repaired to the house of the Chief of Police.
+She saluted him and presented a written petition to this purport,
+"He thou hast clapped in jail is my brother, such and such, who
+fell out with such an one; and those who testified against him
+bore false witness. He hath been wrongfully imprisoned, and I
+have none other to come in to me nor to provide for my support;
+therefore I beseech thee of thy grace to release him." When the
+magistrate had read the paper, he cast his eyes on her and fell
+in love with her forthright; so he said to her, "Go into the
+house, till I bring him before me; then I will send for thee and
+thou shalt take him." "O my lord," replied she, "I have none to
+protect me save Almighty Allah!: I am a stranger and may not
+enter any man's abode." Quoth the Wali, "I will not let him go,
+except thou come to my home and I take my will of thee." Rejoined
+she, "If it must be so, thou must needs come to my lodging and
+sit and sleep the siesta and rest the whole day there." "And
+where is thy abode?" asked he; and she answered, "In such a
+place," and appointed him for such a time. Then she went out from
+him, leaving his heart taken with love of her, and she repaired
+to the Kazi of the city, to whom she said, "O our lord the Kazi!"
+He exclaimed, "Yes!" and she continued, "Look into my case, and
+thy reward be with Allah the Most High!" Quoth he, "Who hath
+wronged thee?" and quoth she, "O my lord, I have a brother and I
+have none but that one, and it is on his account that I come to
+thee; because the Wali hath imprisoned him for a criminal and men
+have borne false witness against him that he is a wrong-doer; and
+I beseech thee to intercede for him with the Chief of Police."
+When the Kazi looked on her, he fell in love with her forthright
+and said to her, "Enter the house and rest awhile with my
+handmaids whilst I send to the Wali to release thy brother. If I
+knew the money-fine which is upon him, I would pay it out of my
+own purse, so I may have my desire of thee, for thou pleasest me
+with thy sweet speech." Quoth she, "If thou, O my lord, do thus,
+we must not blame others." Quoth he, "An thou wilt not come in,
+wend thy ways." Then said she, "An thou wilt have it so, O our
+lord, it will be privier and better in my place than in thine,
+for here are slave-girls and eunuchs and goers-in and comers-out,
+and indeed I am a woman who wotteth naught of this fashion; but
+need compelleth." Asked the Kazi, "And where is thy house?"; and
+she answered, "In such a place," and appointed him for the same
+day and time as the Chief of Police. Then she went out from him
+to the Wazir, to whom she preferred her petition for the release
+from prison of her brother who was absolutely necessary to her:
+but he also required her of herself, saying, "Suffer me to have
+my will of thee and I will set thy brother free." Quoth she, "An
+thou wilt have it so, be it in my house, for there it will be
+privier both for me and for thee. It is not far distant and thou
+knowest that which behoveth us women of cleanliness and
+adornment." Asked he, "Where is thy house?" "In such a place,"
+answered she and appointed him for the same time as the two
+others. Then she went out from him to the King of the city and
+told him her story and sought of him her brother's release. "Who
+imprisoned him?" enquired he; and she replied, "Twas thy Chief of
+Police." When the King heard her speech, it transpierced his
+heart with the arrows of love and he bade her enter the palace
+with him, that he might send to the Kazi and release her brother.
+Quoth she, "O King, this thing is easy to thee, whether I will or
+nill; and if the King will indeed have this of me, it is of my
+good fortune; but, if he come to my house, he will do me the more
+honour by setting step therein, even as saith the poet,
+
+'O my friends, have ye seen or have ye heard * Of his visit whose
+     virtues I hold so high?'"
+
+Quoth the King, "We will not cross thee in this." So she
+appointed him for the same time as the three others, and told him
+where her house was.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
+ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+     When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-fourth Night,
+
+ She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the woman
+told the King where her house was and appointed him for the same
+time as the Wali, the Kazi and the Wazir. Then she left him and
+betaking herself to a man which was a carpenter, said to him, "I
+would have thee make me a cabinet with four compartments one
+above other, each with its door for locking up. Let me know thy
+hire and I will give it thee." Replied he, "My price will be four
+dinars; but, O noble lady and well-protected, if thou wilt
+vouchsafe me thy favours, I will ask nothing of thee." Rejoined
+she, "An there be no help but that thou have it so, then make
+thou five compartments with their padlocks;" and she appointed
+him to bring it exactly on the day required. Said he, "It is
+well; sit down, O my lady, and I will make it for thee
+forthright, and after I will come to thee at my leisure." So she
+sat down by him, whilst he fell to work on the cabinet, and when
+he had made an end of it she chose to see it at once carried home
+and set up in the sitting-chamber. Then she took four gowns and
+carried them to the dyer, who dyed them each of a different
+colour; after which she applied herself to making ready meat and
+drink; fruits, flowers and perfumes. Now when the appointed
+trysting day came, she donned her costliest dress and adorned
+herself and scented herself, then spread the sitting-room with
+various kinds of rich carpets and sat down to await who should
+come. And behold, the Kazi was the first to appear, devancing the
+rest, and when she saw him, she rose to her feet and kissed the
+ground before him; then, taking him by the hand, made him sit
+down by her on the couch and lay with him and fell to jesting and
+toying with him. By and by, he would have her do his desire, but
+she said, "O my lord, doff thy clothes and turband and assume
+this yellow cassock and this head-kerchief,[FN#212] whilst I
+bring thee meat and drink; and after thou shalt win thy will." So
+saying, she took his clothes and turband and clad him in the
+cassock and the kerchief; but hardly had she done this, when lo!
+there came a knocking at the door. Asked he, "Who is that rapping
+at the door?" and she answered, "My husband." Quoth the Kazi,
+"What is to be done, and where shall I go?" Quoth she, "Fear
+nothing, I will hide thee in this cabinet;" and he, "Do as
+seemeth good to thee." So she took him by the hand and pushing
+him into the lowest compartment, locked the door upon him. Then
+she went to the house-door, where she found the Wali; so she
+bussed ground before him and taking his hand brought him into the
+saloon, where she made him sit down and said to him, "O my lord,
+this house is thy house; this place is thy place, and I am thy
+handmaid: thou shalt pass all this day with me; wherefore do thou
+doff thy clothes and don this red gown, for it is a sleeping
+gown." So she took away his clothes and made him assume the red
+gown and set on his head an old patched rag she had by her; after
+which she sat by him on the divan and she sported with him while
+he toyed with her awhile, till he put out his hand to her.
+Whereupon she said to him, "O our lord, this day is thy day and
+none shall share in it with thee; but first, of thy favour and
+benevolence, write me an order for my brother's release from gaol
+that my heart may be at ease." Quoth he, "Hearkening and
+obedience: on my head and eyes be it!"; and wrote a letter to his
+treasurer, saying, "As soon as this communication shall reach
+thee, do thou set such an one free, without stay or delay;
+neither answer the bearer a word." Then he sealed it and she took
+it from him, after which she began to toy again with him on the
+divan when, behold, some one knocked at the door. He asked, "Who
+is that?" and she answered, "My husband." "What shall I do?" said
+he, and she, "Enter this cabinet, till I send him away and return
+to thee." So she clapped him into the second compartment from the
+bottom and padlocked the door on him; and meanwhile the Kazi
+heard all they said. Then she went to the house-door and opened
+it, whereupon lo! the Wazir entered. She bussed the ground before
+him and received him with all honour and worship, saying, "O my
+lord, thou exaltest us by thy coming to our house; Allah never
+deprive us of the light of thy countenance!" Then she seated him
+on the divan and said to him, "O my lord, doff thy heavy dress
+and turband and don these lighter vestments." So he put off his
+clothes and turband and she clad him in a blue cassock and a tall
+red bonnet, and said to him, "Erst thy garb was that of the
+Wazirate; so leave it to its own time and don this light gown,
+which is better fitted for carousing and making merry and sleep."
+Thereupon she began to play with him and he with her, and he
+would have done his desire of her; but she put him off, saying,
+"O my lord, this shall not fail us." As they were talking there
+came a knocking at the door, and the Wazir asked her, "Who is
+that?": to which she answered, "My husband." Quoth he, "What is
+to be done?" Quoth she, "Enter this cabinet, till I get rid of
+him and come back to thee and fear thou nothing." So she put him
+in the third compartment and locked the door on him, after which
+she went out and opened the house-door when lo and behold! in
+came the King. As soon as she saw him she kissed ground before
+him, and taking him by the hand, led him into the saloon and
+seated him on the divan at the upper end. Then said she to him,
+"Verily, O King, thou dost us high honour, and if we brought thee
+to gift the world and all that therein is, it would not be worth
+a single one of thy steps us-wards."--And Shahrazad perceived the
+dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-fifth Night,
+
+ She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+King entered the lady's house she said to him, "Had we brought
+thee to gift the world and all which is therein, it would not be
+worth a single one of thy steps us-wards." And when he had taken
+his seat upon the divan she said, "Give me leave to speak one
+word." "Say what thou wilt," answered he, and she said, "O my
+lord, take thine ease and doff thy dress and turband." Now his
+clothes were worth a thousand dinars; and when he put them off
+she clad him in a patched gown, worth at the very most ten
+dirhams, and fell to talking and jesting with him; all this while
+the folk in the cabinet hearing everything that passed, but not
+daring to say a word. Presently, the King put his hand to her
+neck and sought to do his desire of her; when she said, "This
+thing shall not fail us, but I had first promised myself to
+entertain thee in this sitting-chamber, and I have that which
+shall content thee." Now as they were speaking, some one knocked
+at the door and he asked her, "Who is that?" "My husband,"
+answered she, and he, "Make him go away of his own good will, or
+I will fare forth to him and send him away perforce." Replied
+she, "Nay, O my lord, have patience till I send him away by my
+skilful contrivance." "And I, how shall I do!" enquired the King;
+whereupon she took him by the hand and making him enter the
+fourth compartment of the cabinet, locked it upon him. Then she
+went out and opened the house-door when behold, the carpenter
+entered and saluted her. Quoth she, "What manner of thing is this
+cabinet thou hast made me?" "What aileth it, O my lady?" asked
+he, and she answered, "The top compartment is too strait."
+Rejoined he, "Not so;" and she, "Go in thyself and see; it is not
+wide enough for thee." Quoth he, "It is wide enough for four,"
+and entered the fifth compartment, whereupon she locked the door
+on him. Then she took the letter of the Chief of Police and
+carried it to the treasurer who, having read and understood it,
+kissed it and delivered her lover to her. She told him all she
+had done and he said, "And how shall we act now?" She answered,
+"We will remove hence to another city, for after this work there
+is no tarrying for us here." So the twain packed up what goods
+they had and, loading them on camels, set out forthright for
+another city. Meanwhile, the five abode each in his compartment
+of the cabinet without eating or drinking three whole days,
+during which time they held their water until at last the
+carpenter could retain his no longer; so he staled on the King's
+head, and the King urined on the Wazir's head, and the Wazir
+piddled on the Wali and the Wali pissed on the head of the Kazi;
+whereupon the Judge cried out and said, "What nastiness[FN#213]
+is this? Doth not what strait we are in suffice us, but you must
+make water upon us?"' The Chief of Police recognised the Kazi's
+voice and answered, saying aloud, "Allah increase thy reward, O
+Kazi!" And when the Kazi heard him, he knew him for the Wali.
+Then the Chief of Police lifted up his voice and said, "What
+means this nastiness?" and the Wazir answered, saying, "Allah
+increase thy reward, O Wali!" whereupon he knew him to be the
+Minister. Then the Wazir lifted up his voice and said, "What
+means this nastiness?"  But when the King heard and recognised
+his Minister's voice, he held his peace and concealed his affair.
+Then said the Wazir, "May God damn[FN#214] this woman for her
+dealing with us! She hath brought hither all the Chief Officers
+of the state, except the King." Quoth the King, "Hold your peace,
+for I was the first to fall into the toils of this lewd
+strumpet." Whereat cried the carpenter, "And I, what have I done?
+I made her a cabinet for four gold pieces, and when I came to
+seek my hire, she tricked me into entering this compartment and
+locked the door on me." And they fell to talking with one
+another, diverting the King and doing away his chagrin. Presently
+the neighbours came up to the house and, seeing it deserted, said
+one to other, "But yesterday our neighbour, the wife of such an
+one, was in it; but now no sound is to be heard therein nor is
+soul to be seen. Let us break open the doors and see how the case
+stands, lest it come to the ears of the Wali or the King and we
+be cast into prison and regret not doing this thing before." So
+they broke open the doors and entered the saloon, where they saw
+a large wooden cabinet and heard men within groaning for hunger
+and thirst. Then said one of them, "Is there a Jinni in this
+cabinet?" and his fellow, "Let us heap fuel about it and burn it
+with fire." When the Kazi heard this, he bawled out to them, "Do
+it not!"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to
+say her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-sixth Night,
+
+ She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+neighbours proposed to heap fuel about the cabinet and to burn it
+the Kazi bawled out to them, "Do it not!" And they said to one
+another, "Verily the Jinn make believe to be mortals and speak
+with men's voices." Thereupon the Kazi repeated somewhat of the
+Sublime Koran and said to the neighbours, "Draw near to the
+cabinet wherein we are." So they drew near, and he said, "I am so
+and so the Kazi, and ye are such an one and such an one, and we
+are here a company." Quoth the neighbours, "Who brought you
+here?" And he told them the whole case from beginning to end.
+Then they fetched a carpenter, who opened the five doors and let
+out Kazi, Wazir, Wali, King and carpenter in their queer
+disguises; and each, when he saw how the others were accoutred,
+fell a-laughing at them. Now she had taken away all their
+clothes; so every one of them sent to his people for fresh
+clothes and put them on and went out, covering himself therewith
+from the sight of the folk. "Consider, therefore, O our lord the
+King" (said the Wazir), "what a trick this woman played off upon
+the folk! And I have heard tell also a tale of
+
+
+
+
+The Three Wishes,[FN#215] or the Man who Longed to see the
+Night of Power.
+
+
+
+A certain man had longed all his life to look upon the Night of
+Power,[FN#216] and one night it befel that he gazed at the sky
+and saw the angels, and Heaven's gates thrown open; and he beheld
+all things prostrating themselves before their Lord, each in its
+several stead. So he said to his wife, "Harkye, such an one,
+verily Allah hath shown me the Night of Power, and it hath been
+proclaimed to me, from the invisible world, that three prayers
+will be granted unto me; so I consult thee for counsel as to what
+shall I ask." Quoth she, "O man, the perfection of man and his
+delight is in his prickle; therefore do thou pray Allah to
+greaten thy yard and magnify it." So he lifted up his hands to
+heaven and said, "O Allah, greaten my yard and magnify it."
+Hardly had he spoken when his tool became as big as a column and
+he could neither sit nor stand nor move about nor even stir from
+his stead; and when he would have carnally known his wife, she
+fled before him from place to place. So he said to her, "O
+accursed woman, what is to be done? This is thy list, by reason
+of thy lust." She replied, "No, by Allah, I did not ask for this
+length and huge bulk, for which the gate of a street were too
+strait. Pray Heaven to make it less." So he raised his eyes to
+Heaven and said, "O Allah, rid me of this thing and deliver me
+therefrom." And immediately his prickle disappeared altogether
+and he became clean smooth. When his wife saw this, she said, "I
+have no occasion for thee, now thou are become pegless as a
+eunuch, shaven and shorn;" and he answered her, saying, "All this
+comes of thine ill-omened counsel and thine imbecile judgment. I
+had three prayers accepted of Allah, wherewith I might have
+gotten me my good, both in this world and in the next, and now
+two wishes are gone in pure waste, by thy lewd will, and there
+remaineth but one." Quoth she, "Pray Allah the Most High to
+restore thee thy yard as it was." So he prayed to his Lord and
+his prickle was restored to its first estate. Thus the man lost
+his three wishes by the ill counsel and lack of wit in the woman;
+"And this, O King" (said the Wazir), "have I told thee, that thou
+mightest be certified of the thoughtlessness of women and their
+inconsequence and silliness and see what cometh of hearkening to
+their counsel. Wherefore be not persuaded by them to slay thy
+son, thy heart's core, who shall cause thy remembrance to survive
+thee." The King gave ear to his Minister's words and forbore to
+put his son to death; but, on the seventh day, the damsel came
+in, shrieking, and after lighting a great fire in the King's
+presence, made as she would cast herself therein; whereupon they
+laid hands on her and brought her before him. He asked her, "Why
+hast thou done this?"; and she answered, "Except thou do me
+justice on thy son, I will cast myself into this very fire and
+accuse thee of this on the Day of Resurrection, for I am a-weary
+of my life, and before coming into thy presence I wrote my last
+will and testament and gave alms of my goods and resolved upon
+death. And thou wilt repent with all repentance, even as did the
+King of having punished the pious woman who kept the Hammam."
+Quoth the King, "How was that?" and quoth she, "I have heard
+tell, O King, this tale concerning
+
+
+
+
+The Stolen Necklace.
+
+
+
+There was once a devotee, a recluse, a woman who had devoted
+herself to religion. Now she used to resort to a certain King's
+palace,[FN#217] whose dwellers were blessed by her presence and
+she was held of them in high honour. One day she entered that
+palace according to her custom and sat down beside the King's
+wife. Presently the Queen gave her a necklace, worth a thousand
+dinars, saying, "Keep this for me, O woman, whilst I go to the
+Hammam." So she entered the bath, which was in the palace, and
+the pious woman remaining in the place where the Queen was and
+awaiting her return laid the necklace on the prayer-carpet and
+stood up to pray. As she was thus engaged, there came a
+magpie[FN#218] which snatched up the necklace, while she went out
+to obey a call of nature and carrying it off, hid it inside a
+crevice in a corner of the palace-walls. When the Queen came out
+of the bath, she sought the necklace of the recluse, who also
+searched for it, but found it not nor could light on any trace of
+it; so she said to the King's wife, "By Allah, O my daughter,
+none hath been with me. When thou gavest me the necklace, I laid
+it on the prayer-carpet, and I know not if one of the servants
+saw it and took it without my heed, whilst I was engaged in
+prayer. Almighty Allah only knoweth what is come of it!" When the
+King heard what had happened, he bade his Queen put the
+bath-woman to the question by fire and grievous blows, --And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
+permitted say.
+
+     When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-seventh Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+King bade his Queen question the bath-woman with fire and
+grievous blows, they tortured her with all manner tortures, but
+could not bring her to confess or to accuse any. Then he
+commanded to cast her into prison and manacle and fetter her; and
+they did as he bade. One day, after this, as the King sat in the
+inner court of his palace, with the Queen by his side and water
+flowing around him, he saw the pie fly into a crevice in a corner
+of the wall and pull out the necklace, whereupon he cried out to
+a damsel who was with him, and she caught the bird and took the
+necklace from it. By this the King knew that the pious bath-woman
+had been wronged and repented of that he had done with her. So he
+sent for her to the presence and fell to kissing her head and
+with many tears sought pardon of her. Moreover, he commanded much
+treasure to be given to her, but she refused and would none of
+it. However, she forgave him and went away, swearing never again
+to enter any one's house. So she betook herself to wandering in
+the mountains and valleys and worshipped God until she died, and
+Almighty Allah have mercy upon her! "And for an instance of the
+malice of the male sex" (continued the damsel), "I have heard, O
+King, tell this tale of
+
+
+
+
+The Two Pigeons.[FN#219]
+
+
+
+ A pair of pigeons once stored up wheat and barley in their nest
+during the winter, and when the summer came, the grain shrivelled
+and became less; so the male pigeon said to his wife, "Thou hast
+eaten of this grain." Replied she, "No, by Allah, I have never
+touched it!" But he believed not her words and beat her with his
+wings and pecked her with his bill, till he killed her. When the
+cold season returned, the corn swelled out and became as before,
+whereupon he knew that he had slain his wife wrongously and
+wickedly, and he repented whenas repentance availed him naught.
+Then he lay down by her side, mourning over her and weeping for
+grief, and left meat and drink, till he fell sick and died. "But"
+(added the damsel), "I know a story of the malice of men more
+extraordinary than either of these." Quoth the King, "Let us hear
+what thou hast to tell;" and quoth she, "I have heard tell, O
+King, this
+
+
+
+
+Story of Prince Behram and the Princess Al-Datma.
+
+
+
+There was once a King's daughter, who had no equal in her time
+for beauty and loveliness and symmetrical stature and grace,
+brilliancy, amorous lace and the art of ravishing the wits of the
+masculine race and her name was Al-Datm�. She used to boast,
+"Indeed there is none like me in this age." Nor was there one
+more accomplished than she in horsemanship and martial exercises
+and all that behoveth a cavalier. So all the Kings' sons sought
+her to wife; but she would take none of them, saying, "No man
+shall marry me except he overcome me at lunge of lance and stroke
+of sword in fair field and patent plain. If any can do this, I
+will willingly wed him; but, if I overcome him, I will take his
+horse and clothes and arms and write with fire upon his forehead,
+'This is the freed man of Al-Datma.'" Now the sons of the Kings
+flocked to her from every quarter far and near, and she overcame
+them and put them to shame, stripping them of their arms and
+branding them with fire. Presently the son of a King of the Kings
+of the Persians, by name Behram ibn T�j�, heard of her and
+journeyed from afar to her father's court, bringing with him men
+and horses and great store of wealth and royal treasures. When he
+drew near the city, he sent her parent a rich present and the
+King came out to meet him and honoured him with the utmost
+honour. Then the King's son sent a message to him by his Wazir,
+demanding his daughter's hand in marriage; but the King answered,
+saying, "O my son, as regards my daughter Al-Datma, I have no
+power over her, for she hath sworn by her soul to marry none
+except he overcome her in the listed field." Quoth the Prince, "I
+journeyed hither from my father's court with no other object but
+this; I came here to woo and for thine alliance to sue;" quoth
+the King, "Thou shalt meet her tomorrow." So next day he sent to
+bid his daughter who, making ready for battle, donned her harness
+of war, and the folk, hearing of the coming joust, flocked from
+all sides to the field. Presently the Princess rode into the
+lists, armed cap-�-pie and belted and with vizor down, and the
+Persian King's son came out singlehanded to meet her, equipped at
+all points after the fairest of fashions. Then they drove at each
+other and fought a great while, wheeling and falsing, advancing
+and retreating, till the Princess, finding in him such courage
+and cavalarice as she had seen in none else, began to fear for
+herself lest he put her to shame before the bystanders and knew
+that he would assuredly overcome her. So she resolved to trick
+him and, raising her vizor, lo! her face appeared more brilliant
+than the full moon, which when he saw, he was confounded by her
+beauty and his strength failed and his spirit faltered. When she
+perceived this, she fell upon him unawares in his moment of
+weakness, and tare him from his saddle, and he became in her
+hands as he were a sparrow in the clutches of an eagle, knowing
+not what was done with him for amazement and confusion. So she
+took his steed and clothes and armour and, branding him with
+fire, let him wend his ways. When he recovered from his stupor,
+he abode several days without meat or drink or sleep for despite
+and love of the girl which had taken hold upon his heart. Then he
+sent a letter by certain of his slaves to his father, advising
+him that he could not return home till he had won his will of the
+Princess or died for want of her. When his sire got the letter,
+he was sore concerned for his son and would have succoured him by
+sending troops and soldiers; but his Wazirs dissuaded him from
+this and exhorted him to patience; so he committed his affair to
+Almighty Allah. Meanwhile, the Prince cast about for a means of
+coming to his desire; and presently, disguising himself as a
+decrepit old man, with a white beard over his own black beard
+repaired to a garden of the Princess wherein she used to walk
+most of her days. Here he sought out the gardener and said to
+him, "I am a stranger from a far country and from my youth
+upwards I have been a gardener, and in the grafting of trees and
+the culture of fruits and flowers and care of the vine none is
+more skilled than I." When the gardener heard this, he rejoiced
+in him with exceeding joy and carried him into the garden, where
+he commended him to his underlings, and the Prince betook himself
+to the service of the garden and the tending of the trees and the
+bettering of their fruits and improving the Persian water-wheels
+and disposing the irrigation-channels. One day, as he was thus
+employed, lo! he saw some slaves enter the garden, leading mules
+laden with carpets and vessels, and asked them the meaning of
+this, to which they answered, "The Princess is minded to take her
+pleasure." When he heard these words he hastened to his lodging
+and, fetching some of the jewels and ornaments he had brought
+with him from home, sat down in the garden and spread somewhat of
+them out before him, shaking and making a show of extreme old
+age,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
+her permitted say.
+
+     When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-eighth Night,
+
+ She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the son of
+the Persian King, after disguising himself as an old man shotten
+in years and taking a seat in the garden, spread out somewhat of
+the jewels and ornaments before him and made a show of shaking
+and trembling as if for decrepitude and the weakness of extreme
+senility. After an hour or so a company of damsels and eunuchs
+entered with the Princess in their midst, as she were the moon
+among the stars, and dispersed about the garden, plucking the
+fruits and diverting themselves. Presently they espied a man
+sitting under one of the trees; and, making towards him (who was
+the Prince), found him a very old man, whose hands and feet
+trembled for decrepitude, and before him store of precious jewels
+and royal ornaments. So they marvelled at his case and asked him
+what he did there with the jewels; when he answered, "With these
+trinkets I would fain buy me to wife one of you." They laughed
+together at him and said, "If one of us marry thee, what wilt
+thou do with her?" Said he, "I will give her one kiss and divorce
+her." Then quoth the Princess, "I give thee this damsel to wife."
+So he rose and coming up to her, leaning on his staff and
+shivering and staggering, kissed her and gave her the jewels and
+ornaments; whereat she rejoiced and they, laughing at him, went
+their way. Next day, they came again to the garden, and finding
+him seated in the same place, with more jewels and ornaments than
+before spread in front of him, asked him, "O Shaykh, what wilt
+thou do with this jewellery?"; and he answered, saying, "I wish
+therewith to take one of you to wife even as yesterday." So the
+Princess said, "I marry thee to this damsel;" and he came up to
+her and kissed her and gave her the jewels, and they all went
+their ways. But, seeing such generosity to her handmaids, the
+Princess said in herself, "I have more right to all these fine
+things than these baggages, and no harm can betide me." So when
+morning morrowed she went down from her chamber singly into the
+garden, in the habit of one of her damsels, and presenting
+herself privily before the Prince, said to him, "O Shaykh, the
+King's daughter hath sent me to thee, that thou mayst marry me."
+He looked at her and knew her; so he answered, "With love and
+gladness," and gave her jewels and ornaments of the finest and
+costliest. Then he rose to kiss her, and she off her guard and
+fearing nothing but, when he came up to her, he suddenly laid
+hold of her with a strong hand and instantly throwing her down,
+on the ground abated her maidenhead.[FN#220] Then he pulled the
+beard from his face and said to her, "Dost thou not know me?"
+Asked she, "Who art thou?" and he answered, "I am Behram, the
+King's son of Persia, who have changed my favour and am become a
+stranger to my people and estate for thy sake and have lavished
+my treasures for thy love." So she rose from under him in silence
+and answered not his address nor spake a word of reply to him,
+being dazed for what had befallen her and seeing nothing better
+than to be silent, for fear of shame; and she bethought herself
+and said, "If I kill myself it will be useless and if I do him
+die, his death will profit me naught;" and presently added,
+"Nothing will serve me but that I elope with him to his own
+country." Then she gathered together her monies and treasures and
+sent to him, acquainting him therewith, to the intent that he
+also might equip himself with his wealth and needs; and they
+agreed upon a night on which to depart. So, at the appointed
+time, they mounted race-horses and set out under cover of the
+gloom, nor did morning morrow till they had traversed a great
+distance; and they ceased not faring forwards till they drew near
+his father's capital in the land of the Persians. When the King
+heard of his son's coming, he rode out to meet him with his
+troops and rejoiced in him with exceeding joy. Then, after a few
+days, he sent the Princess's father a splendid present, and a
+letter to the effect that his daughter was with him and demanding
+her wedding equipage. Al-Datma's father came out to meet the
+messengers with the greatest gladness (for that he had deemed his
+daughter lost and had grieved sore for her loss): after which he
+made bride-feasts and, summoning the Kazi and the witnesses, let
+draw up the marriage-contract between his daughter and the Prince
+of Persia. He invested the envoys with robes of honour, then he
+made ready her equipage and despatched it to her; and Prince
+Behram abode with her till death sundered their union. "See
+therefore, O King" (continued the favourite), "the malice of men
+in their dealing with women. As for me, I will not go back from
+my due till I die." So the King once more commanded to put his
+son to death; but the seventh Wazir came in to him and kissing
+the ground before him, said, "O King, have patience with me
+whilst I speak these words of good counsel to thee; how many
+patient and slow-moving men unto their hope attain, and how many
+who are precipitate fall into shameful state! Now I have seen how
+this damsel hath profligately excited the King by lies to
+horrible and unnatural cruelties; but I his Mameluke, whom he
+hath overwhelmed with his favours and bounties, do proffer him
+true and loyal rede; for that I, O King, know of the malice of
+women that which none knoweth save myself; and in particular
+there hath reached me, on this subject, the story of the old
+woman and the son of the merchant with its warning instances."
+Asked the King, "And what fell out between them, O Wazir?" and
+the seventh Wazir answered, "I have heard tell, O King, the tale
+of
+
+
+
+The House with the Belvedere.[FN#221]
+
+
+
+A wealthy merchant had a son who was very dear to him and who
+said to him one day, "O my father, I have a boon to beg of thee."
+Quoth the merchant, "O my son, what is it, that I may give it
+thee and bring thee to thy desire, though it were the light of
+mine eyes." Quoth the youth, "Give me money, that I may journey
+with the merchants to the city of Baghdad and see its sights and
+sail on the Tigris and look upon the palace of the
+Caliphs[FN#222]; for the sons of the merchants have described
+these things to me and I long to see them for myself." Said the
+father, "O my child, O my little son, how can I endure to part
+from thee?" But the youth replied, ' I have said my say and there
+is no help for it but I journey to Baghdad with thy consent or
+e'en without it: such a longing for its sight hath fallen upon me
+as can only be assuaged by the going hither." --And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-ninth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
+merchant's son said to his sire, "There is no help for it but
+that I journey to Baghdad." Now when the father saw that there
+was no help for it, he provided his son with goods to the value
+of thirty thousand gold pieces and sent him with certain
+merchants in whom he trusted, committing him to their charge.
+Then he took leave of the youth, who journeyed with his friends
+the merchants till they reached Baghdad, the House of Peace,
+where he entered the market and hired him a house, so handsome
+and delectable and spacious and elegant that on seeing it he well
+nigh lost his wits for admiration; for therein were pavilions
+facing one another, with floors of coloured marbles and ceilings
+inlaid with gold and lapis lazuli, and its gardens were full of
+warbling birds. So he asked the door keeper[FN#223] what was its
+monthly rent, and he replied, "Ten dinars." Quoth the young man,
+"Speakest thou soothly or dost thou but jest with me?" Quoth the
+porter, "By Allah, I speak naught but the truth, for none who
+taketh up his abode in This house lodgeth in it more than a
+week[FN#224] or two." "And how is that?" quoth the youth; and
+quoth the porter, "O my son, whoso dwelleth in this house cometh
+not forth of it, except sick or dead, wherefore it is known
+amongst all the folk of Baghdad so that none offereth to inhabit
+it, and thus cometh it that its rent is fallen so low." Hearing
+this the young merchant marvelled with exceeding marvel and said,
+"Needs must there be some reason for this sickening and
+perishing." However after considering awhile and seeking refuge
+with Allah from Satan the Stoned, he rented the house and took up
+his abode there. Then he put away apprehension from his thought
+and busied himself with selling and buying; and some days passed
+by without any such ill case befalling him in the house, as the
+doorkeeper had mentioned. One day as he sat upon the bench before
+his door, there came up a grizzled crone, as she were a snake
+speckled white and black, calling aloud on the name of Allah,
+magnifying Him inordinately and, at the same time, putting away
+the stones and other obstacles from the path.[FN#225] Seeing the
+youth sitting there, she looked at him and marvelled at his case;
+where upon quoth he to her, "O woman, dost thou know me or am I
+like any thou knowest?" When she heard him speak, she toddled up
+to him and saluting him with the salaam, asked, "How long hast
+thou dwelt in this house?" Answered he, "Two months, O my
+mother;" and she said, "It was hereat I marvelled; for I, O my
+son, know thee not, neither dost thou know me, nor yet art thou
+like unto any one I know; but I marvelled for that none other
+than thou hath taken up his abode in this house but hath gone
+forth from it, dead or dying, saving thee alone. Doubtless, O my
+son, thou hast periled thy young years; but I suppose thou hast
+not gone up to the upper story neither looked out from the
+belvedere there." So saying, she went her way and he fell a
+pondering her words and said to himself, "I have not gone up to
+the top of the house; nor did I know that there was a belvedere
+there." Then he arose forthright and going in, searched the by
+ways of the house till he espied, in a wall corner among the
+trees, a narrow door between whose posts[FN#226] the spider had
+woven her webs, and said in himself, "Haply the spider hath not
+webbed over the door, but because death and doom is within."
+However, he heartened himself with the saying of God the Most
+High, "Say, nothing shall befall us but what Allah hath written
+for us;"[FN#227] and opening the door, ascended a narrow flight
+of stairs, till he came to the terrace roof, where he found a
+belvedere, in which he sat down to rest and solace himself with
+the view. Presently, he caught sight of a fine house and a well
+cared for hard by, surmounted by a lofty belvedere, over looking
+the whole of Baghdad, in which sat a damsel fair as a Houri. Her
+beauty took possession of his whole heart and made away with his
+reason, bequeathing to him the pains and patience of Job and the
+grief and weeping of Jacob. And as he looked at her and
+considered her curiously, an object to enamour an ascetic and
+make a devotee lovesick, fire was lighted in his vitals and he
+cried, "Folk say that whoso taketh up his abode in this house
+dieth or sickeneth. An this be so, yon damsel is assuredly the
+cause. Would Heaven I knew how I shall win free of this affair,
+for my wits are clean gone!" Then he descended from the terrace,
+pondering his case, and sat down in the house, but being unable
+to rest, he went out and took his seat at the door, absorbed in
+melancholy thought when, behold, up came the old woman afoot,
+praising and magnifying Allah as she went. When he saw her, he
+rose and accosting her with a courteous salaam and wishes for her
+life being prolonged said to her, "O my mother, I was healthy and
+hearty till thou madest mention to me of the door leading to the
+belvedere; so I opened it and ascending to the top Of the house,
+saw thence what stole away my senses; and now methinks I am a
+lost man, and I know no physician for me but thyself." When she
+heard this, she laughed and said, "No harm shall befall thee
+Inshallah so Allah please!" Whereupon he rose and went into the
+house and coming back with an hundred dinars in his sleeve, said
+to her, "Take this, O my mother, and deal with me the dealing of
+lords with slaves and succour me quickly for, if I die, a claim
+for my blood will meet thee on the Day of Doom." Answered she,
+"With love and gladness; but, O my son, I expect thou lend me
+thine aid in some small matter, whereby hangs the winning of thy
+wish." Quoth he, "What wouldst thou have me do, O my mother?"
+Quoth she, "Go to the silk market and enquire for the shop of Ab�
+al-Fath bin Kayd�m. Sit thee down on his counter and salute him
+and say to him, 'Give me the face veil[FN#228] thou hast by thee
+orfrayed with gold:' for he hath none handsomer in his shop. Then
+buy it of him, O my son, at his own price however high and keep
+it till I come to thee to morrow, Allah Almighty willing." So
+saying, she went away and he passed the night upon live coals of
+the Ghaz�[FN#229]-wood. Next morning he took a thousand ducats in
+his pocket and repairing to the silk market, sought out the shop
+of Abu al-Fath to whom he was directed by one of the merchants.
+He found him a man of dignified aspect, surrounded by pages,
+eunuchs and attendants; for he was a merchant of great wealth and
+consideration befriended by the Caliph; and of the blessings
+which Allah the Most High had bestowed upon him was the damsel
+who had ravished the young man's heart. She was his wife and had
+not her match for beauty, nor was her like to be found with any
+of the sons of the Kings. The young man saluted him and Abu
+al-Fath returned his salaam and bade him be seated. So he sat
+down by him and said to him, "O merchant, I wish to look at such
+a face veil." Accordingly he bade his slave bring him a bundle of
+silk from the inner shop And opening it, brought out a number of
+veils, whose beauty amazed the youth. Among them was the veil he
+sought; so he bought it for fifty gold pieces and bore it home
+well pleased.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
+to say her permitted say.
+
+              When it was the Six Hundredth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the youth
+after buying the veil of the merchant bore it home; but hardly
+had he reached the house when lo! up came the old woman. He rose
+to her and gave her his purchase when she bade him bring a live
+coal, with which she burnt one of the corners of the veil, then
+folded it up as before and, repairing to Abu al-Fath's house,
+knocked at the door. Asked the damsel, "Who is there?"; and she
+answered, "I, such an one." Now the damsel knew her for a friend
+of her mother so, when she heard her voice, she came out and
+opening the door to her, said, "What brought thee here, O my
+mother? My mamma hath left me and gone to her own house." Replied
+the old woman, "O my daughter, I know thy mother is not with
+thee, for I have been with her in her home, and I come not to
+thee, but because I fear to pass the hour of prayer; wherefore I
+desire to make my Wuzu-ablution with thee, for I know thou art
+clean and thy house pure."[FN#230] The damsel admitted the old
+trot who saluted her and called down blessings upon her. Then she
+took the ewer and went into the wash house, where she made her
+ablutions and prayed in a place there. Presently, she came out
+again and said to the damsel, "O my daughter, I suspect thy
+handmaidens have been in yonder place and defiled it; so do thou
+show me another place where I may pray, for the prayer I have
+prayed I account null and void." Thereupon the damsel took her by
+the hand and said to her, "O my mother, come and pray on my
+carpet, where my husband sits." So she stood there and prayed and
+worshipped, bowed and prostrated; and presently, she took the
+damsel unawares and made shift to slip the veil under the
+cushion, unseen of her. Then she blessed her and went her ways.
+Now as the day was closing Abu al-Fath came home and sat down
+upon the carpet, whilst his wife brought him food and he ate of
+it his sufficiency and washed his hands; after which he leant
+back upon the cushion. Presently, he caught sight of a corner of
+the veil protruding from under the cushion; so he pulled it out
+and considered it straitly, when, knowing it for that he had sold
+to the young man, he at once suspected his wife of unchastity.
+Thereupon he called her and said, "Whence hadst thou this veil?"
+And she swore an oath to him, saying, "None hath come to me but
+thou." The merchant was silent for fear of scandal, and said to
+himself, "If I open up this chapter, I shall be put to shame
+before all Baghdad;" for he was one of the intimates of the
+Caliph and so he could do nothing save hold his peace. So he
+asked no questions, but said to his wife, whose name was
+Mahz�yah, "It hath reached me that thy mother lieth ill of heart
+ache[FN#231] and all the women are with her, weeping over her;
+wherefore I order thee to go to her." Accordingly, she repaired
+to her mother's house and found her in the best of health; and
+she asked her daughter, "What brings thee here at this hour?" So
+she told her what her husband had said and sat with her awhile;
+when behold, up came porters, who brought her clothes from her
+husband's house, and transporting all her paraphernalia and what
+not else belonged to her of goods and vessels, deposited them in
+her mother's lodging. When the mother saw this, she said to her
+daughter, "Tell me what hath passed between thee and thy husband,
+to bring about this." But she swore to her that she knew not the
+cause thereof and that there had befallen nothing between them to
+call for this conduct. Quoth her mother, "Needs must there be a
+cause for this." And she answered, saying, "I know of none, and
+after this, with Almighty Allah be it to make provision!"
+Whereupon her mother fell a weeping and lamented her daughter's
+separation from the like of this man, by reason of his
+sufficiency and fortune and the greatness of his rank and
+dignity. On this wise things abode some days, after which the
+curst, ill omened old woman, whose name was Miryam the
+Koranist,[FN#232] paid a visit to Mahziyah, in her mother's house
+and saluted her cordially, saying, "What ails thee, O my
+daughter, O my darling? Indeed, thou hast troubled my mind." Then
+she went in to her mother and said to her, "O my sister, what is
+this business about thy daughter and her husband? It hath reached
+me that he hath divorced her! What hath she done to call for
+this?" Quoth the mother, "Belike her husband will return to her
+by the blessed influence of thy prayers, O H�fizah; so do thou
+pray for her, O my sister, for thou art a day faster and a night
+prayer." Then the three fell to talking together and the old
+woman said to the damsel, "O my daughter, grieve not for, if
+Allah please, I will make peace between thee and thy husband
+before many days." Then she left them and going to the young
+merchant, said to him, "Get ready a handsome entertainment for
+us, for I will bring her to thee this very night." So he sprang
+up and went forth and provided all that was fitting of meat and
+drink and so forth, then sat down to await the twain; whilst the
+old woman returned to the girl's mother and said to her, "O my
+sister, we have a splendid bride feast to night; so let thy
+daughter go with me, that she may divert herself and make merry
+with us and throw off her cark and care, and forget the ruin of
+her home. I will bring her back to thee even as I took her away."
+The mother dressed her daughter in her finest dress and costliest
+jewels and accompanied her to the door, where she commended her
+to the old woman's charge, saying, " 'Ware lest thou let any of
+Almighty Allah's creatures look upon her, for thou knowest her
+husband's rank with the Caliph; and do not tarry, but bring her
+back to me as soon as possible." The old woman carried the girl
+to the young man's house which she entered, thinking it the place
+where the wedding was to be held: but as soon as she came into
+the sitting saloon,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
+ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+          When it was the Six Hundred and First Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that as soon as
+the damsel entered the sitting saloon, the youth sprang up to her
+and flung his arms round her neck and kissed her hands and feet.
+She was confounded at his loveliness, as well as at the beauty of
+the place and the profusion of meat and drink, flowers and
+perfumes that she saw therein, and deemed all was a dream. When
+the old woman saw her amazement, she said to her, "The name of
+Allah be upon thee, O my daughter! Fear not; I am here sitting
+with thee and will not leave thee for a moment. Thou art worthy
+of him and he is worthy of thee." So the damsel sat down
+shame-fast and in great confusion; but the young man jested and
+toyed with her and entertained her with laughable stories and
+loving verses, till her breast broadened and she became at her
+ease. Then she ate and drank and growing warm with wine, took the
+lute and sang these couplets,
+
+"My friend who went hath returned once more; * Oh, the welcome
+     light that such beauty shows!
+ And but for the fear of those arrowy eyes, * From his lovely
+     cheek I had culled the rose."
+
+And when the youth saw that she to his beauty did incline he waxt
+drunken without wine and his life was a light matter to him
+compared with his love.[FN#233] Presently the old woman went out
+and left them alone together to enjoy their loves till the next
+morning, when she went into them and gave them both good
+morrow[FN#234] and asked the damsel, "How hast thou passed the
+night, O my lady?" Answered the girl, "Right well, thanks to thy
+adroitness and the excellence of thy going between."[FN#235] Then
+said the old woman, ''Up, let us go back to thy mother." At these
+words the young man pulled out an hundred sequins and gave them
+to her, saying, "Take this and leave her with me to night." So
+she left them and repaired to the girl's mother, to whom quoth
+she, "Thy daughter saluteth thee, and the bride's mother hath
+sworn her to abide with her this night." Replied the mother, "O
+my sister, bear her my salaam, and, if it please and amuse the
+girl, there is no harm in her staying the night; so let her do
+this and divert herself and come back to me at her leisure, for
+all I fear for her is chagrin on account of an angry husband."
+The old woman ceased not to make excuse after excuse to the
+girl's mother and to put off cheat upon cheat upon her, till
+Mahziyah had tarried seven days with the young man, of whom she
+took an hundred dinars each day for herself; while he enjoyed all
+the solace of life and coition. But at the end of this time, the
+girl's mother said to her, "Bring my daughter back to me
+forthright; for I am uneasy about her, because she hath been so
+long absent, and I misdoubt me of this." So the old woman went
+out saying, "Woe to thee! shall such words be spoken to the like
+of me?"; and, going to the young man's house, took the girl by
+the hand and carried her away (leaving him lying asleep on his
+bed, for he was drunken with wine) to her mother. She received
+her with pleasure and gladness and seeing her in redoubled beauty
+and brilliancy rejoiced in her with exceeding joy, saying, "O my
+daughter, my heart was troubled about thee and in my uneasiness I
+offended against this my sister the Koranist with a speech that
+wounded her." Replied Mahziyah, "Rise and kiss her hands and
+feet, for she hath been to me as a servant in my hour of need,
+and if thou do it not thou art no mamma of mine, nor am I thy
+girl." So the mother went up at once to the old woman and made
+her peace with her. Meanwhile, the young man recovered from his
+drunkenness and missed the damsel, but congratulated himself on
+having enjoyed his desire. Presently Miryam the old Koranist came
+in to him and saluted him, saying, "What thinkest thou of my
+feat?" Quoth he, "Excellently well conceived and contrived of
+thee was that same." Then quoth she, "Come, let us mend what we
+have marred and restore this girl to her husband, for we have
+been the cause of their separation and it is unrighteous." Asked
+he, "How shall I do?" and she answered, "Go to Abu al-Fath's shop
+and salute him and sit down by him, till thou seest me pass by,
+when do thou rise in haste and catch hold of my dress and abuse
+me and threaten me, demanding of me the veil. And do thou say to
+the merchant, 'Thou knowest, O my lord, the face veil I bought of
+thee for fifty dinars? It so chanced that my handmaid put it on
+and burnt a corner of it by accident; so she gave it to this old
+woman, who took it, promising to get it fine-drawn[FN#236] and
+return it, and went away, nor have I seen her from that day to
+this.'" "With joy and good will," replied the young man, and
+rising forthright, walked to the shop of the silk merchant, with
+whom he sat awhile till behold, the old woman passed telling her
+beads on a rosary she held in hand; whereupon he sprang up and
+laying hold of her dress began to abuse and rail at her, whilst
+she answered him with fair words, saying, "Indeed, my son, thou
+art excusable." So the people of the bazaar flocked round the
+two, saying, "What is the matter?" and he replied, "O folk, I
+bought of this merchant a veil for fifty dinars and gave it to my
+slave girl, who wore it awhile, then sat down to fumigate it with
+perfume. Presently a spark flew out of the censer and, lighting
+on the edge of the veil, burnt a hole in it. So we committed it
+to this pestilent old woman, that she might give it to who should
+fine-draw it and return it to us; but from that time we have
+never set eyes on her again till this day." Answered the old
+woman, "This young man speaks sooth. I had the veil from him, but
+I took it with me into one of the houses where I am wont to visit
+and forgot it there, nor do I know where I left it; and, being a
+poor woman, I feared its owner and dared not face him." Now the
+girl's husband was listening to all they said,--And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+         When it was the Six Hundred and Second Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+young man seized the old woman and spoke to her of the veil as
+she had primed him, the girl's husband was listening to all they
+said, from beginning to end, and when he heard the tale which the
+crafty old woman had contrived with the young man, he rose to his
+feet and said, "Allah Almighty! I crave pardon of the Omnipotent
+One for my sins and for what my heart suspected!" And he praised
+the Lord who had discovered to him the truth. Then he accosted
+the old woman and said to her, "Dost thou use to visit
+us?"[FN#237] Replied she, "O my son, I visit you and other than
+you, for the sake of alms; but from that day to this, none hath
+given me news of the veil." Asked the merchant, "Hast thou
+enquired at my house?" and she answered, "O my lord, I did indeed
+go to thy house and ask; but they told me that the person of the
+house[FN#238] had been divorced by the merchant; so I went away
+and asked no farther; nor have I enquired of anybody else until
+this day." Hereupon the merchant turned to the young man and
+said, "Let the old woman go her way; for the veil is with me." So
+saying he brought it out from the shop and gave it to the
+fine-drawer before all present. Then he betook himself to his
+wife and, giving her somewhat of money, took her to himself
+again, after making abundance of excuses to her and asking pardon
+of Allah, because he knew not what the old woman had done. (Said
+the Wazir), "This then, O King, is an instance of the malice of
+women and for another to the same purport, I have heard tell the
+following tale anent
+
+
+
+The King's Son and the Ifrit's Mistress[FN#239]
+
+
+
+A certain King's son was once walking alone for his pleasure,
+when he came to a green meadow, abounding in trees laden with
+fruit and birds singing on the boughs, and a river running
+athwart it. The place pleased him; so he sat down there and
+taking out some dried fruits he had brought with him, began to
+eat, when lo! he espied a great smoke rising up to heaven and,
+taking fright, he climbed up into a tree and hid himself among
+the branches. Thence he saw an Ifrit rise out of the midst of the
+stream bearing on his head a chest of marble, secured by a
+padlock. He set down the chest on the meadow-sward and opened it
+and there came forth a damsel of mortal race like the sun shining
+in the sheeny sky. After seating her he solaced himself by gazing
+on her awhile, then laid his head in her lap and fell asleep,
+whereupon she lifted up his head and laying it on the chest, rose
+and walked about. Presently, she chanced to raise her eyes to the
+tree wherein was the Prince, and seeing him, signed to him to
+come down. He refused, but she swore to him, saying, "Except thou
+come down and do as I bid thee, I will wake the Ifrit and point
+thee out to him, when he will straightway kill thee." The King's
+son fearing she would do as she said, came down, whereupon she
+kissed his hands and feet and besought him to do her need. To
+this he consented and, when he had satisfied her wants, she said
+to him, "Give me this seal ring I see on thy finger." So he gave
+her his signet and she set it in a silken kerchief she had with
+her, wherein were more than four score others. When the Prince
+saw this, he asked her, "What dost thou with all these rings?";
+and she answered, "In very sooth this Ifrit carried me off from
+my father's palace and shut me in this box, which he beareth
+about on his head wherever he goeth, with the keys about him; and
+he hardly leaveth me one moment alone of the excess of his
+jealousy over me, and hindereth me from what I desire. When I saw
+this, I swore that I would deny my last favours to no man
+whatsoever, and these rings thou seest are after the tale of the
+men who have had me; for after coition I took from each a seal
+ring and laid it in this kerchief." Then she added, "And now go
+thy ways, that I may look for another than thyself, for the Ifrit
+will not awake yet awhile." Hardly crediting what he had heard,
+the Prince returned to his father's palace, but the King knew
+naught of the damsel's malice (for she feared not this and took
+no count thereof), and seeing that his son had lost his ring, he
+bade put him to death.[FN#240] Then he rose from his place and
+entered his palace; but his Wazirs came in to him and prevailed
+with him to abandon his purpose. The same night, the King sent
+for all of them and thanked them for having dissuaded him from
+slaying his son; and the Prince also thanked them, saying, "It
+was well done of you to counsel my father to let me live and
+Inshallah! I will soon requite you abundantly." Then he related
+to them how he had lost the ring, and they offered up prayers for
+his long life and advancement and withdrew. "See then, O King,"
+(said the Wazir), "the malice of women and what they do unto
+men." The King hearkened to the Minister's counsel and again
+countermanded his order to slay his son. Next morning, it being
+the eighth day, as the King sat in his audience chamber in the
+midst of his Grandees and Emirs and Wazirs and Olema, the Prince
+entered, with his hand in that of his governor, Al Sindibad, and
+praised his father and his Ministers and lords and divines in the
+most eloquent words and thanked them for having saved his life;
+so that all who were present wondered at his eloquence and
+fluency of speech. His father rejoiced in him with exceeding, all
+surpassing joy, and calling him to him, kissed him between the
+eyes. Then he called his preceptor, al-Sindibad, and asked him
+why his son had kept silence these seven days, to which he
+replied, "O our lord, the truth is, it was I who enjoined him to
+this, in my fear for him of death: I knew this from the day of
+his birth; and, when I took his nativity, I found it written in
+the stars that, if he should speak during this period, he would
+surely die; but now the danger is over, by the King's fortune."
+At this the King was glad and said to his Wazirs, "If I had
+killed my son, would the fault have fallen on me or the damsel or
+on the preceptor, al-Sindibad?" But all present refrained from
+replying, and al-Sindibad said to the Prince, "Answer thou, O my
+son."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
+her permitted say.
+
+          When it was the Six Hundred and Third Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
+Al-Sindibad said, "Answer thou, O my son," the Prince replied, "I
+have heard tell that a merchant at whose house certain guests
+once alighted sent his slave girl to the market to buy a jar of
+clotted milk.[FN#241] So she bought it and set out on her return
+home; but on the way there passed over her a kite, holding and
+squeezing a serpent in its claws, and a drop of the serpent's
+venom fell into the milk jar, unknown of the girl. So, when she
+came back, the merchant took the milk from her and drank of it,
+he and his guests; but hardly had it settled in their stomachs
+when they all died.[FN#242] Now consider, O King, whose was the
+fault in this matter?" Thereupon some present said, "It was the
+fault of the company who drank the milk without examining it."
+And other some, "That of the girl, who left the jar without
+cover." But al-Sindibad asked the Prince, "What sayest thou, O my
+son?" Answered he, "I say that the folk err; it was neither the
+fault of the damsel nor of the company, for their appointed hour
+was come, their divinely decreed provision was exhausted and
+Allah had fore ordained them to die thus."[FN#243] When the
+courtiers heard this, they marvelled greatly and lifted up their
+voices, blessing the King's son, and saying, "O our lord, thou
+hast made a reply sans peur, and thou art the sagest man of thine
+age sans reproche." "Indeed, I am no sage," answered the Prince;
+"the blind Shaykh and the son of three years and the son of five
+years were wiser than I." Said the bystanders, "O youth, tell us
+the stories of these three who were wiser than thou art, O
+youth." Answered he, "With all my heart. I have heard tell this
+tale concerning the
+
+
+
+Sandal-Wood Merchant and the Sharpers.[FN#244]
+
+
+
+There once lived an exceeding rich merchant, who was a great
+traveller and who visited all manner of places. One day, being
+minded to journey to a certain city, he asked those who came
+thence, saying, "What kind of goods brought most profit there?"
+and they answered, "Chanders-wood; for it selleth at a high
+price." So he laid out all his money in sandal and set out for
+that city; and arriving there at close of day, behold, he met and
+old woman driving her sheep. Quoth she to him, "Who art thou, O
+man? and quoth he, "I am a stranger, a merchant." "Beware of the
+townsfolk," said she, "for they are cheats, rascals, robbers who
+love nothing more than imposing on the foreigner that they may
+get the better of him and devour his substance. Indeed I give
+thee good counsel." Then she left him and on the morrow there met
+him one of the citizens who saluted him and asked him, "O my
+lord, whence comest thou?" Answered the merchant, "From such a
+place." "And what merchandise hast thou brought with thee?"
+enquired the other; and replied he, "Chanders-wood, for it is
+high of price with you." Quoth the townsman, "He blundered who
+told thee that; for we burn nothing under our cooking-pots save
+sandal-wood, whose worth with us is but that of fuel." When the
+merchant heard this he sighed and repented and stood balanced
+between belief and unbelief. Then he alighted at one of the khans
+of the city, and, when it was night, he saw a merchant make fire
+of chanders-wood under his cooking pot. Now this was the man who
+had spoken with him and this proceeding was a trick of his. When
+the townsman saw the merchant looking at him, he asked, "Wilt
+thou sell me thy sandal-wood for a measure[FN#245] of whatever
+thy soul shall desire?" "I sell it to thee," answered the
+merchant; and the buyer transported all the wood to his own house
+and stored it up there; whilst the seller purposed to take an
+equal quantity of gold for it. Next morning the merchant, who was
+a blue-eyed man, went out to walk in the city but, as he went
+along, one of the townsfolk, who was blue-eyed and one-eyed to
+boot, caught hold of him, saying, "Thou are he who stole my eye
+and I will never let thee go."[FN#246] The merchant denied this,
+saying, "I never stole it: the thing is impossible." Whereupon
+the folk collected round them and besought the one-eyed man to
+grant him till the morrow, that he might give him the price of
+his eye. So the merchant procured one to be surety for him, and
+they let him go. Now his sandal had been rent in the struggle
+with the one-eyed man; so he stopped at a cobbler's stall and
+gave it to him, saying, "Mend it and thou shalt have of me what
+shall content thee." Then he went on, till he came to some people
+sitting at play of forfeits and sat down with them, to divert his
+cark and care. They invited him to play with them and he did so;
+but they practised on him and overcoming him, offered him his
+choice,[FN#247] either to drink up the sea or disburse all the
+money he had. "Have patience with me till to-morrow," said he,
+and they granted him the delay he sought; whereupon he went away,
+sore concerned for what had betided him and knowing not how he
+should do, and sat down in a solitary place heart-heavy, care-
+full, thought-opprest. And behold, the old woman passed by and
+seeing him thus, said to him, "Peradventure the townsfolk have
+gotten the better of thee, for I see the troubled at that which
+hath befallen thee: recount to me what aileth thee." So he told
+her all that had passed from first to last, and she said, "As for
+him who diddled thee in the matter of the chanders-wood, thou
+must know that with us it is worth ten gold pieces a pound. But I
+will give thee a rede, whereby I trust thou shalt deliver
+thyself; and it is this. Go to such and such a gate whereby lives
+a blind Shaykh, a cripple, who is knowing, wise as a wizard and
+experienced; and all resort to him and ask him what they require,
+when he counsels them what will be their advantage; for he is
+versed in craft[FN#248] and magic and trickery. Now he is a
+sharper and the sharpers resort to him by night; therefore, I
+repeat, go thou to his lodging and hide thyself from thine
+adversaries, so thou mayst hear what they say, unseen of them;
+for he telleth them which party got the better and which got the
+worse; and haply thou shalt learn from them some plan which may
+avail to deliver thee from them." --And Shahrazad perceived the
+dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+         When it was the Six Hundred and Fourth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the old
+woman said to the merchant, "Go this night to that expert who is
+frequented by the townsfolk and hide thine identity: haply shalt
+thou hear from him some plea which shall deliver thee from thine
+adversaries." So he went to the place she mentioned and hid
+himself albeit he took seat near the blind man. Before long, up
+came the Shaykh's company who were wont to choose him for their
+judge: they saluted the oldster and one another and sat down
+round him, whereupon the merchant recognised his four
+adversaries. The Chief set somewhat of food before them and they
+ate; then each began to tell what had befallen him during his
+day, and amongst the rest came forward he of the chanders-wood
+and told the Shaykh how he had bought of one man sandal below its
+price, and had agreed to pay for it a S�'a or measure of whatever
+the seller should desire.[FN#249] Quoth the old man, "Thine
+opponent hath the better of thee." Asked the other, "How can that
+be?"; and the Shaykh answered, "What if he say, I will take the
+measure full of gold or silver, wilt thou give it to him?" "Yes,"
+replied the other, "I will give it to him and still be the
+gainer." And the Shaykh answered, "And if he say, I will take the
+measure full of fleas,[FN#250] half male and half female, what
+wilt thou do?" So the sharper knew that he was worsted. Then came
+forward the one-eyed man and said, "O Shaykh, I met to-day a
+blue-eyed man, a stranger to the town; so I picked a quarrel with
+him and caught hold of him, saying, ''Twas thou robbedst me of my
+eye'; nor did I let him go, till some became surety for him that
+he should return to me to-morrow and satisfy me for my eye."
+Quoth the oldster, "If he will he may have the better of thee and
+thou the worse." "How so?" asked the sharper; and the Chief said,
+"he may say to thee, 'Pluck out thine eye, and I will pluck out
+one of mine; then we will weigh them both, and if thine eye be of
+the same weight as mine, thou sayest sooth in what thou
+avouchest.' So wilt thou owe him the legal price of his eye and
+be stone blind, whilst he will still see with his other eye." So
+the sharper knew that the merchant might baffle him with such
+plea. Then came the cobbler; and said, "O Shaykh, a man brought
+me his sandal-shoe to-day, saying, 'Mend this;' and I asked him,
+'What wage wilt thou give me?'; when he answered, 'Thou shalt
+have of me what will content thee.' Now nothing will content me
+but all the wealth he hath." Quoth the oldster, "And he will, he
+may take his sandal from thee and give thee nothing." "How so?"
+quoth the cobbler, and quoth the Shaykh, "He has but to say to
+thee, 'The Sultan's enemies are put to the rout; his foes are
+waxed weak and his children and helpers are multiplied. Art thou
+content or no?' If thou say, 'I am content,'[FN#251] he will take
+his sandal and go away; and if thou say, 'I am not content,' he
+will take his sandal and beat thee therewith over the face and
+neck." So the cobbler owned himself worsted. Then came forward
+the gamester and said, "O Shaykh, I played at forfeits with a man
+to-day and beat him and quoth I to hime, 'If thou drink the sea I
+will give thee all my wealth; and if not I will take all that is
+thine.'" Replied the Chief, "An he will he may worst thee." "How
+so?" asked the sharper, and the Shaykh answered, "He hath but to
+say, 'Hold for me the mouth of the sea in thine hand and give it
+me and I will drink it.' But thou wilt not be able to do this; so
+he will baffle thee with this plea." When the merchant heard
+this, he knew how it behoved him to deal with his adversaries.
+Then the sharpers left the Shaykh and the merchant returned to
+his lodging. Now when morning morrowed, the gamester came to him
+and summoned him to drink the sea; so he said to him, "Hold for
+me its mouth and I will drink it up." Whereupon he confessed
+himself beaten and redeemed his foreit by paying an hundred gold
+pieces. Then came the cobbler and sought of him what should
+content him. Quoth the merchant, "Our lord the Sultan hath
+overcome his foes and hath destroyed his enemies and his children
+are multiplied. Art thou content or no?" "I am content," replied
+the cobbler and, giving up the shoe[FN#252] without wage, went
+away. Next came the one-eyed man and demanded the legal price of
+his eye. Said the merchant, "Pluck out thine eye, and I will
+pluck out mine: then we will weigh them, and if they are equal in
+weight, I will acknowledge thy truth, and pay thee the price of
+thine eye; but, if they differ, thou liest and I will sue thee
+for the price of mine eye." Quoth the one-eyed man, "Grant me
+time;" but the merchant answered, saying, "I am a stranger and
+grant time to none, nor will I part from thee till thou pay." So
+the sharper ransomed his eye by paying him an hundred ducats and
+went away. Last of all came the buyer of the chanders-wood and
+said, "Take the price of thy ware." Asked the merchant, "What
+wilt thou give me?"; and the other answered, "We agreed for a
+S�'a-measure of whatever thou shouldst desire; so, if thou wilt,
+take it full of gold and silver." "Not I," rejoined the merchant,
+"Not I! nothing shall serve me but I must have it full of fleas,
+half male and half female." Said the sharper, "I can do nothing
+of the kind;" and, confessing himself beaten, returned him his
+sandal-wood and redeemed himself from him with an hundred
+sequins, to be off his bargain. Then the merchant sold the
+chanders-wood at his own price and, quitting the city of
+sharpers, returned to his own land, ---And Shahrazad perceived
+the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+          When it was the Six Hundred and Fifth Night
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+merchant had sold his chanders-wood and had taken the money he
+quitted that city and returned to his own land. Then the Prince
+continued, "But this is not more wondrous than the tale of the
+three-year-old child." "What may that be?" asked the King, and
+the Prince answered, "I have heard tell this tale of
+
+
+
+The Debauchee and the Three-Year-Old Child.
+
+
+
+Know, O King that a certain profligate man, who was addicted to
+the sex, once heard of a beautiful and lovely woman who dwelt in
+a city other than his own. So he journeyed thither, taking with
+him a present, and wrote her a note, setting forth all that he
+suffered of love-longing and desire for her and how his passion
+for her had driven him to forsake his native land and come to
+her; and he ended by praying for an assignation. She gave him
+leave to visit her and, as he entered her abode, she stood up and
+received him with all honour and worship, kissing his hands and
+entertaining him with the best entertainment of meat and drink.
+Now she had a little son, but three years old, whom she left and
+busied herself in cooking rice.[FN#253] Presently the man said to
+her, "Come, let us go and lie together;" but she replied, "My son
+is sitting looking at us." Quoth the man, "He is a little child,
+understanding not neither knowing how to speak." Quoth the woman,
+"Thou wouldst not say thus, and thou knew his intelligence." When
+the boy saw that the rice was done, he wept with bitter weeping
+and his mother said to him, "What gars thee weep, O my son?"
+"Ladle me out some rice," answered he, "and put clarified butter
+in it." So she ladled him out somewhat of rice and put butter
+therein; and the child ate a little, then began to weep again.
+Quoth she, "What ails thee now, O my son?"; and quoth he, "O
+mother mine, I want some sugar with my rice." At this said the
+man, who was an-angered, "Thou art none other than a curst
+child." "Curst thyself, by Allah," answered the boy, "seeing thou
+weariest thyself and journeyest from city to city, in quest of
+adultery. As for me, I wept because I had somewhat in my eye, and
+my tears brought it out; and now I have eaten rice with butter
+and sugar and am content; so which is the curst of us twain?" The
+man was confounded at this rebuke from a little child and
+forthright grace entered him and he was reclaimed. Wherefor he
+laid not a finger on the woman, but went out from her and
+returned to his own country, where he lived a contrite life till
+he died. "As for the story of the five-year-old child" (continued
+the Prince), "I have heard tell, O King, the following anent
+
+
+
+The Stolen Purse.
+
+
+
+Four merchants once owned in common a thousand gold pieces; so
+they laid them mingled together in one purse and set out to buy
+merchandise therewith. They happened as they wended their way on
+a beautiful garden; so they left the purse with a woman who had
+care of the garden, saying to here, "Mind thee, thou shalt not
+give it back save when all four of us in person demand it of
+thee." She agreed to this and they entered and strolled awhile
+about the garden-walks and ate and drank and made merry, after
+which one of them said to the others, "I have with me scented
+fuller's-earth; come, let us wash our heads therewith in this
+running water." Quoth another, "We lack a comb;" and a third,
+"Let us ask the keeper; belike she hath a comb." Thereupon one of
+them arose and accosting the care-taker, said to her, "Give me
+the purse." Said she, "Not until ye be all present or thy fellows
+bid me give it thee." Then he called to his companions (who could
+see him but not hear him) saying, "She will not give it me;" and
+they said to her, "Give it him," thinking he meant the comb. So
+she gave him the purse and he took it and made off as fast as he
+could. When the three others were wary of waiting, they went to
+the keeper and asked her, "Why wilt thou not give him the comb?"
+Answered she, "He demanded naught of me save the purse, and I
+gave not that same but with your consent, and he went his way
+with it." When they heard her words they buffeted their faces
+and, laying hands upon her, said, "We authorized thee only to
+give him the comb;" and she rejoined, "He named not a comb to
+me." Then they seized her and haled her before the Kazi, to whom
+they related their claim and he condemned her to make good the
+the purse and bound over sundry of her debtors to answer for her.
+---And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say.
+
+
+          When it was the Six Hundred and Sixth Night
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Kazi
+condemned the care-taker to make good the purse and bound over
+sundry of her debtors to answer for her. So she went forth,
+confounded and knowing not her way out of difficulty. Presently
+she met a five-year-old boy who, seeing her troubled, said to
+her, "What ails thee, O my mother?" But she gave him no answer,
+contemning him because of his tender age, and he repeated his
+question a second time and a third time till, at last, she told
+him all that had passed,[FN#254] not forgetting the condition
+that she was to keep the purse until all four had demanded it of
+her. Said the boy, "Give me a dirham to buy sweetmeats withal and
+I will tell the how thou mayst acquit thyself." So she gave him a
+silver and said to him, "What hast thou to say?" Quoth he,
+"Return to the Kazi, and say to him, It was agreed between myself
+and them that I should not give them the purse, except all four
+of them were present. Let them all four come and I will give them
+the purse, as was agreed." So she went back to the Kazi and said
+to him as the boy had counselled; and he asked the merchants,
+"Was it thus agreed between you and this woman?"; and they
+answered, "Yes." Quoth the Kazi, "Then bring me your comrade and
+take the purse." So they went in quest of their fellow, whilst
+the keeper came off scot-free and went her way without let or
+hindrance. And Allah is Omniscient![FN#255] When the King and his
+Wazir and those present in the assembly heard the Prince's words
+they said to his father, "O our lord the King, in very sooth thy
+son is the most accomplished man of his time;" and they called
+down blessings upon the King and the Prince. Then the King
+strained his son to his bosom and kissed him between the eyes and
+questioned him of what had passed between the favourite and
+himself; and the Prince sware to him, by Almighty Allah and by
+His Holy Prophet that it was she who had required him of love
+which he refused, adding, "Moreover, she promised me that she
+would give thee poison to drink and kill the, so should the
+kingship be mine; whereupon I waxed wroth and signed to her, 'O
+accursed one, whenas I can speak I will requite thee!' So she
+feared me and did what she did." The King believed his words and
+sending for the favourite said to those present, "How shall we
+put this damsel to death?" Some counselled him to cut out her
+tongue and other some to burn it with fire; but, when she came
+before the King, she said to him, "My case with thee is like unto
+naught save the tale of the fox and the folk." "How so?" asked
+he; and she said, "I have heard, O King, tell a
+
+
+
+Story of the Fox and the Folk.[FN#256]
+
+
+
+A fox once made his way into a city by the wall and, entering a
+currier's store-house, played havoc with all therein and spoiled
+the skins for the owner. One day, the currier set a trap for him
+and taking him, beat him with the hides, till he fell down
+senseless, whereupon the man deeming him to be dead, cast him out
+into the road by the city-gate. Presently, an old woman who was
+walking by, seeing the fox said, "This is a fox whose eye, hung
+about a child's neck, is salutary against weeping." So she pluckt
+out his right eye and went away. Then passed a boy, who said,
+"What does this tail on this fox?"; and cut off his brush. After
+a while, up came a man and saying, "This is a fox whose gall
+cleareth away film and dimness from the eyes, if they be anointed
+therewith like kohl," took out his knife to slit up the fox's
+paunch. But Reynard said in himself, "We bore with the plucking
+out of the eye and the cutting off of the tail; but, as for the
+slitting of the paunch, there is no putting up with that!" So
+saying, he sprang up and made off through the gate of the city,
+hardly believing in his escape. Quoth the King, "I excuse her,
+and in my son's hands be her doom. If he will, let him torture
+her, and if he will, let him kill her." Quoth the Prince, "Pardon
+is better than vengeance and mercy is of the quality of the
+noble;" and the King repeated, "'Tis for thee to decide, O my
+son." So the Prince set her free, saying, "Depart from our
+neighbourhood and Alla pardon what is past!" Therewith the King
+rose from his throne of estate and seating his son thereon,
+crowned him with his crown and bade the Grandees of his realm
+swear fealty and commanded them do homage to him. And he said, "O
+folk, indeed, I am stricken in years and desire to withdraw apart
+and devote myself only to the service of my Lord; and I call you
+to witness that I divest myself of the kingly dignity, even as I
+have divested myself of my crown and set it on my son's head." So
+the troops and officers swore fealty to the Prince, and his
+father gave himself up to the worship of his Lord nor stinted
+from this, whilst his son abode in his kingship, doing justice
+and righteousness; and his power was magnified and his sultanate
+strengthened and he abode in all delight and solace of life, till
+there came to him the Certainty.
+
+
+
+                JUDAR[FN#257] AND HIS BRETHREN.
+
+
+
+There was once a man and a merchant named Omar and he had for
+issue three sons, the eldest called S�lim, the youngest J�dar and
+the cadet Sal�m. He reared them all till they came to man's
+estate, but the youngest he loved more than his brothers, who
+seeing this, waxed jealous of Judar and hated him. Now when their
+father, who was a man shotten in years, saw that his two eldest
+sons hated their brother, he feared lest after his death trouble
+should befall him from them. So he assembled a company of his
+kinsfolk, together with divers men of learning and property
+distributors of the Kazi's court, and bidding bring all his
+monies and cloth, said to them, "O folk, divide ye this money and
+stuff into four portions according to the law." They did so, and
+he gave one part to each of his sons and kept the fourth himself,
+saying, "This was my good and I have divided it among them in my
+lifetime; and this that I have kept shall be for my wife, their
+mother, wherewithal to provide for her subsistence whenas she
+shall be a widow."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
+ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+         When it was the Six Hundred and Seventh Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+merchant had divided his money and stuff into four portions he
+said, "This share shall be for my wife, their mother, wherewithal
+to provide for her subsistence whenas she shall be a widow." A
+little while after this he died, and neither of the two elder
+brothers was content with his share,[FN#258] but sought more of
+Judar, saying, "Our father's wealth is in thy hands." So he
+appealed to the judges; and the Moslems who had been present at
+the partition came and bore witness of that which they knew,
+wherefore the judge forbade them from one another; but Judar and
+his brothers wasted much money in bribes to him. After this, the
+twain left him awhile; presently, however, they began again to
+plot against him and he appealed a second time to the magistrate,
+who once more decided in his favour; but all three lost much
+money which went to the judges. Nevertheless S�lim and Sal�m
+forbore not to seek his hurt and to carry the case from court to
+court,[FN#259] he and they losing till they had given all their
+good for food to the oppressors and they became poor, all three.
+Then the two elder brothers went to their mother and flouted her
+and beat her, and seizing her money crave her away. So she betook
+herself to her son Judar and told him how his brothers had dealt
+with her and fell to cursing the twain. Said he, "O my mother, do
+not curse them, for Allah will requite each of them according to
+his deed. But, O mother mine, see, I am become poor, and so are
+my brethren, for strife occasioneth loss ruin rife, and we have
+striven amain, and fought, I and they, before the judges, and it
+hath profited us naught: nay, we have wasted all our father left
+us and are disgraced among the folk by reason of our testimony
+one against other. Shall I then con tend with them anew on thine
+account and shall we appeal to the judges? This may not be!
+Rather do thou take up thine abode with me, and the scone I eat I
+will share with thee. Do thou pray for me and Allah will give me
+the means of thine alimony. Leave them to receive of the Almighty
+the recompense of their deed, and console thyself with the saying
+of the poet who said,
+
+'If a fool oppress thee bear patiently; * And from Time expect
+     thy revenge to see:
+Shun tyranny; for if mount oppressed * A mount, 'twould be
+     shattered by tyranny.' "
+
+And he soothed and comforted her till she consented and took up
+her dwelling with him. Then he get him a net and went a fishing
+every day in the river or the banks about Bul�k and old Cairo or
+some other place in which there was water; and one day he would
+earn ten coppers,[FN#260] another twenty and another thirty,
+which he spent upon his mother and himself, and they ate well and
+drank well. But, as for his brothers, they plied no craft and
+neither sold nor bought; misery and ruin and overwhelming
+calamity entered their houses and they wasted that which they had
+taken from their mother and became of the wretched naked beggars.
+So at times they would come to their mother, humbling themselves
+before her exceedingly and complaining to her of hunger; and she
+(a mother's heart being pitiful) would give them some mouldy,
+sour smelling bread or, if there were any meat cooked the day
+before, she would say to them, "Eat it quick and go ere your
+brother come; for 'twould be grievous to him and he would harden
+his heart against me, and ye would disgrace me with him." So they
+would eat in haste and go. One day among days they came in to
+their mother, and she set cooked meat and bread before them. As
+they were eating, behold, in came their brother Judar, at whose
+sight the parent was put to shame and confusion, fearing lest he
+should be wroth with her; and she bowed her face earthwards
+abashed before her son. But he smiled in their faces, saying,
+"Welcome, O my brothers! A blessed day![FN#261] How comes it that
+ye visit me this blessed day?" Then he embraced them both and
+entreated them lovingly, saying to them, "I thought not that ye
+would have left me desolate by your absence nor that ye would
+have forborne to come and visit me and your mother." Said they,
+"By Allah, O our brother, we longed sore for thee and naught
+withheld us but abashment because of what befell between us and
+thee; but indeed we have repented much. 'Twas Satan's doing, the
+curse of Allah the Most High be upon him! And now we have no
+blessing but thyself and our mother."--And Shahrazad perceived
+the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+         When it was the Six Hundred and Eighth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Judar
+entered his place and saw his brothers, he welcomed them both,
+saying, "And I have no blessing but you twain." And his mother
+exclaimed, "Allah whiten thy face, and increase thy prosperity,
+for thou art the most generous of us all, O my son!" Then he said
+"Welcome to you both! Abide with me; for the Lord is bountiful
+and good aboundeth with me." So he made peace with them, and they
+supped and righted with him; and next morning, after they had
+broken their fast, Judar shouldered his net and went out,
+trusting in The Opener[FN#262] whilst the two others also went
+forth and were absent till midday, when they returned and their
+mother set the noon meal before them. At nightfall Judar came
+home, bearing meat and greens, and they abode on this wise a
+month's space, Judar catching fish and selling it and spending
+their price on his mother and his brothers, and these eating and
+frolicking till, one day, it chanced he went down to the river
+bank and throwing his net, brought it up empty. He cast it a
+second time, but again it came up empty and he said in himself,
+"No fish in this place!" So he removed to another and threw the
+net there, but without avail. And he ceased not to remove from
+place to place till night fall, but caught not a single
+sprat[FN#263] and said to himself, "Wonderful! Hath the fish fled
+the river or what?" Then he shouldered the net and made for home,
+chagrined, concerned, feeling for his mother and brothers and
+knowing not how he should feed them that night. Presently, he
+came to a baker's oven and saw the folk crowding for bread, with
+silver in their hands, whilst the baker took no note of them. So
+he stood there sighing, and the baker said to him, "Welcome to
+thee, O Judar! Dost thou want bread?" But he was silent and the
+baker continued, "An thou have no dirhams, take thy sufficiency
+and thou shalt get credit." So Judar said, "Give me ten coppers'
+worth of bread and take this net in pledge." Rejoined the baker,
+"Nay, my poor fellow, the net is thy gate of earning thy
+livelihood, and if I take it from thee, I shall close up against
+thee the door of thy subsistence. Take thee ten Nusfs' worth of
+bread and take these other ten, and to morrow bring me fish for
+the twenty." "On my head and eyes be it!" quoth Judar and took
+the bread and money saying, "To morrow the Lord will dispel the
+trouble of my case and will provide me the means of acquittance."
+Then he bought meat and vegetables and carried them home to his
+mother, who cooked them and they supped and went to bed. Next
+morning he arose at daybreak and took the net, and his mother
+said to him, "Sit down and break thy fast." But he said, "Do thou
+and my brothers break fast," and went down to the river about
+Bulak where he ceased not to cast once, twice, thrice; and to
+shift about all day, without aught falling to him, till the hour
+of mid afternoon prayer, when he shouldered his net and went away
+sore dejected. His way led him perforce by the booth of the baker
+who, when he saw him counted out to him the loaves and the money,
+saying, "Come, take it and go; an it be not today, 'twill be
+tomorrow." Judar would have excused himself, but the baker said
+to him, "Go! There needeth no excuse; an thou had netted aught,
+it would be with thee; so seeing thee empty handed, I knew thou
+hadst gotten naught; and if tomorrow thou have no better luck,
+come and take bread and be not abashed, for I will give thee
+credit." So Judar took the bread and money and went home. On the
+third day also he sallied forth and fished from tank to tank
+until the time of afternoon prayer, but caught nothing; so he
+went to the baker and took the bread and silver as usual. On this
+wise he did seven days running, till he became disheartened and
+said in himself, "To day I go to the Lake K�r�n."[FN#264] So he
+went thither and was about to cast his net, when there came up to
+him unawares a Maghrab�, a Moor, clad in splendid attire and
+riding a she mule with a pair of gold embroidered saddle bags on
+her back and all her trappings also orfrayed. The Moor alighted
+and said to him, "Peace be upon thee, O Judar, O son of Omar!"
+"And on thee likewise be peace, O my lord the pilgrim!" replied
+the fisherman. Quoth the Maghrabi, "O Judar, I have need of thee
+and, given thou obey me, thou shalt get great good and shalt be
+my companion and manage my affairs for me." Quoth Judar, "O my
+lord, tell me what is in thy mind and I will obey thee, without
+demur." Said the Moor, "Repeat the Fatihah, the Opening Chapter
+of the Koran."[FN#265] So he recited it with him and the Moor
+bringing out a silken cord, said to Judar, "Pinion my elbows
+behind me with this cord, as fast as fast can be, and cast me
+into the lake; then wait a little while; and, if thou see me put
+forth my hands above the water, raising them high ere my body
+show, cast thy net over me and drag me out in haste; but if thou
+see me come up feet foremost, then know that I am dead; in which
+case do thou leave me and take the mule and saddle bags and carry
+them to the merchants' bazaar, where thou wilt find a Jew by name
+Sham�yah. Give him the mule and he will give thee an hundred
+dinars, which do thou take and go thy ways and keep the matter
+secret with all secrecy." So Judar tied his arms tightly behind
+his back and he kept saying, "Tie tighter." Then said he "Push me
+till I fall into the lake:" so he pushed him in and he sank.
+Judar stood waiting some time till, behold, the Moor's feet
+appeared above the water, whereupon he knew that he was dead. So
+he left him and drove the mule to the bazaar, where seated on a
+stool at the door of his storehouse he saw the Jew who spying the
+mule, cried, "In very sooth the man hath perished," adding, "and
+naught undid him but covetise." Then he took the mule from Judar
+and gave him an hundred dinars, charging him to keep the matter
+secret. So Judar went and bought what bread he needed, saying to
+the baker, "Take this gold piece!"; and the man summed up what
+was due to him and said, "I still owe thee two days' bread"--And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
+permitted say.
+
+          When it was the Six Hundred and Ninth Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Judar,
+when the baker after summing up what was due to him said, "I
+still owe thee two days' bread," replied, "Good," and went on to
+the butcher, to whom he gave a gold piece and took meat, saying,
+"Keep the rest of the dinar on account." Then he bought
+vegetables and going home, found his brothers importuning their
+mother for victual, whilst she cried, "Have patience till your
+brother come home, for I have naught." So he went in to them and
+said, "Take and eat;" and they fell on the food like cannibals.
+Then he gave his mother the rest of his gold saying, "If my
+brothers come to thee, give them wherewithal to buy food and eat
+in my absence." He slept well that night and next morning he took
+his net and going down to Lake Karun stood there and was about to
+cast his net, when behold, there came up to him a second
+Maghribi, riding on a she mule more handsomely accoutred than he
+of the day before and having with him a pair of saddle bags of
+which each pocket contained a casket. "Peace be with thee, O
+Judar!" said the Moor: "And with thee be peace, O my lord, the
+pilgrim!" replied Judar. Asked the Moor, "Did there come to thee
+yesterday a Moor riding on a mule like this of mine?" Hereat
+Judar was alarmed and answered, "I saw none," fearing lest the
+other say, "Whither went he?" and if he replied, "He was drowned
+in the lake," that haply he should charge him with having drowned
+him; wherefore he could not but deny. Rejoined the Moor, "Hark
+ye, O unhappy![FN#266] this was my brother, who is gone before
+me." Judar persisted, "I know naught of him." Then the Moor
+enquired, "Didst thou not bind his arms behind him and throw him
+into the lake, and did he not say to thee, 'If my hands appear
+above the water first, cast thy net over me and drag me out in
+haste; but, if my feet show first, know that I am dead and carry
+the mule to the Jew Shamayah, who shall give thee an hundred
+dinars?'" Quoth Judar, "Since thou knowest all this why and
+wherefore dost thou question me?"; and quoth the Moor, "I would
+have thee do with me as thou didst with my brother." Then he gave
+him a silken cord, saying, "Bind my hands behind me and throw me
+in, and if I fare as did my brother, take the mule to the Jew and
+he will give thee other hundred dinars." Said Judar, "Come on;"
+so he came and he bound him and pushed him into the lake, where
+he sank. Then Judar sat watching and after awhile, his feet
+appeared above the water and the fisher said, "He is dead and
+damned! Inshallah, may Maghribis come to me every day, and I will
+pinion them and push them in and they shall die; and I will
+content me with an hundred dinars for each dead man." Then he
+took the mule to the Jew, who seeing him asked, "The other is
+dead?" Answered Judar, "May thy head live!"; and the Jew said,
+"This is the reward of the covetous!" Then he took the mule and
+gave Judar an hundred dinars, with which he returned to his
+mother. "O my son," said she, "whence hast thou this?" So he told
+her, and she said, "Go not again to Lake Karun, indeed I fear for
+thee from the Moors." Said he, "O my mother, I do but cast them
+in by their own wish, and what am I to do? This craft bringeth me
+an hundred dinars a day and I return speedily; wherefore, by
+Allah, I will not leave going to Lake Karun, till the race of the
+Magh�ribah[FN#267] is cut off and not one of them is left." So,
+on the morrow which was the third day, he went down to the lake
+and stood there, till there came up a third Moor, riding on a
+mule with saddle bags and still more richly accoutred than the
+first two, who said to him, "Peace be with thee, O Judar, O son
+of Omar!" And the fisherman saying in himself, "How comes it that
+they all know me?" returned his salute. Asked the Maghribi, "Have
+any Moors passed by here?" "Two," answered Judar. "Whither went
+they?" enquired the Moor, and Judar replied, "I pinioned their
+hands behind them and cast them into the lake, where they were
+drowned, and the same fate is in store for thee." The Moor
+laughed and rejoined, saying, "O unhappy! Every life hath its
+term appointed." Then he alighted and gave the fisherman the
+silken cord, saying, "Do with me, O Judar, as thou didst with
+them." Said Judar, "Put thy hands behind thy back, that I may
+pinion thee, for I am in haste, and time flies." So he put his
+hands behind him and Judar tied him up and cast him in. Then he
+waited awhile; presently the Moor thrust both hands forth of the
+water and called out to him, saying, "Ho, good fellow, cast out
+thy net!" So Judar threw the net over him and drew him ashore,
+and lo! in each hand he held a fish as red as coral. Quoth the
+Moor, "Bring me the two caskets that are in the saddle bags." So
+Judar brought them and opened them to him, and he laid in each
+casket a fish and shut them up. Then he pressed Judar to his
+bosom and kissed him on the right cheek and the left, saying,
+"Allah save thee from all stress! By the Almighty, hadst thou not
+cast the net over me and pulled me out, I should have kept hold
+of these two fishes till I sank and was drowned, for I could not
+get ashore of myself." Quoth Judar, "O my lord the pilgrim, Allah
+upon thee, tell me the true history of the two drowned men and
+the truth anent these two fishes and the Jew."--And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+          When it was the Six Hundred and Tenth Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
+Judar asked the Maghribi, saying, "Prithee tell me first of the
+drowned men," the Maghribi answered, "Know, O Judar, that these
+drowned men were my two brothers, by name Abd al-Sal�m and Abd
+al- Ahad. My own name is Abd al-Samad, and the Jew also is our
+brother; his name is Abd al-Rahim and he is no Jew but a true
+believer of the Maliki school. Our father, whose name was Abd al-
+Wad�d,[FN#268] taught us magic and the art of solving mysteries
+and bringing hoards to light, and we applied ourselves thereto,
+till we compelled the Ifrits and Marids of the Jinn to do us
+service. By and by, our sire died and left us much wealth, and we
+divided amongst us his treasures and talismans, till we came to
+the books, when we fell out over a volume called 'The Fables of
+the Ancients,' whose like is not in the world, nor can its price
+be paid of any, nor is its value to be evened with gold and
+jewels; for in it are particulars of all the hidden hoards of the
+earth and the solution of every secret. Our father was wont to
+make use of this book, of which we had some small matter by
+heart, and each of us desired to possess it, that he might
+acquaint himself with what was therein. Now when we fell out
+there was in our company an old man by name Cohen
+Al-Abtan,[FN#269] who had reared our sire and taught him
+divination and gramarye, and he said to us, 'Bring me the book.'
+So we gave it him and he continued, 'Ye are my son's sons, and it
+may not be that I should wrong any of you. So whoso is minded to
+have the volume, let him address himself to achieve the treasure
+of Al-Shamardal[FN#270] and bring me the celestial planisphere
+and the Kohl phial and the seal ring and the sword. For the ring
+hath a Marid that serveth it called Al-Ra'ad al-K�sif;[FN#271]
+and whoso hath possession thereof, neither King nor Sultan may
+prevail against him; and if he will, he may therewith make
+himself master of the earth, in all the length and breadth
+thereof. As for the brand, if its bearer draw it and brandish it
+against an army, the army will be put to the rout; and if he say
+the while, 'Slay yonder host,' there will come forth of that
+sword lightning and fire, that will kill the whole many. As for
+the planisphere, its possessor hath only to turn its face toward
+any country, east or west, with whose sight he hath a mind to
+solace himself, and therein he will see that country and its
+people, as they were between his hands and he sitting in his
+place; and if he be wroth with a city and have a mind to burn it,
+he hath but to face the planisphere towards the sun's disc,
+saying, 'Let such a city be burnt,' and that city will be
+consumed with fire. As for the Kohl phial, whoso pencilleth his
+eyes therefrom, he shall espy all the treasures of the earth. And
+I make this condition with you which is that whoso faileth to hit
+upon the hoards shall forfeit his right; and that none save he
+who shall achieve the treasure and bring me the four precious
+things which be therein shall have any claim to take this book.'
+So we all agreed to this condition, and he continued, 'O my sons,
+know that the treasure of Al-Shamardal is under the commandment
+of the sons of the Red King, and your father told me that he had
+himself essayed to open the treasure, but could not; for the sons
+of the Red King fled from him into the land of Egypt and took
+refuge in a lake there, called Lake Karun, whither he pursued
+them, but could not prevail over them, by reason of their
+stealing into that lake, which was guarded by a spell.' "--And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
+permitted say.
+
+        When it was the Six Hundred and Eleventh Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+Cohen al-Abtan had told the youths this much, he continued his
+tale as follows, "So your father returned empty handed and unable
+to win to his wish; and after failing he complained to me of his
+ill-success, whereupon I drew him an astrological figure and
+found that the treasure could be achieved only by means of a
+young fisherman of Cairo, highs Judar bin Omar, the place of
+foregathering with whom was at Lake Karun, for that he should be
+the means of capturing the sons of the Red King and that the
+charm would not be dissolved, save if he should bind the hands of
+the treasure seeker behind him and cast him into the lake, there
+to do battle with the sons of the Red King. And he whose lot it
+was to succeed would lay hands upon them; but, if it were not
+destined to him he should perish and his feet appear above water.
+As for him who was successful, his hands would show first,
+whereupon it behoved that Judar should cast the net over him and
+draw him ashore." Now quoth my brothers Abd al-Salam and Abd
+al-Ahad, "We will wend and make trial, although we perish;" and
+quoth I, "And I also will go;" but my brother Abd al- Rahim (he
+whom thou sawest in the habit of a Jew) said, "I have no mind to
+this." Thereupon we agreed with him that he should repair to
+Cairo in the disguise of a Jewish merchant, so that, if one of us
+perished in the lake, he might take his mule and saddle bags and
+give the bearer an hundred dinars. The first that came to thee
+the sons of the Red King slew, and so did they with my second
+brother; but against me they could not prevail and I laid hands
+on them." Cried Judar, "And where is thy catch?" Asked the Moor,
+"Didst thou not see me shut them in the caskets?" "Those were
+fishes," said Judar. "Nay," answered the Maghribi, "they are
+Ifrits in the guise of fish. But, O Judar," continued he, "thou
+must know that the treasure can be opened only by thy means: so
+say, wilt thou do my bidding and go with me to the city Fez and
+Mequinez[FN#272] where we will open the treasure?; and after I
+will give thee what thou wilt and thou shalt ever be my brother
+in the bond of Allah and return to thy family with a joyful
+heart." Said Judar, "O my lord the pilgrim, I have on my neck a
+mother and two brothers,"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
+day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+         When it was the Six Hundred and Twelfth Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Judar
+said to the Maghribi, "I have on my neck a mother and two
+brothers, whose provider I am; and if I go with thee, who shall
+give them bread to eat?" Replied the Moor, "This is an idle
+excuse! if it be but a matter of expenditure, I will give thee a
+thousand ducats for thy mother, wherewith she may provide her
+self till thou come back: and indeed thou shalt return before the
+end of four months." So when Judar heard mention of the thousand
+diners, he said, "Here with them, O Pilgrim, and I am thy man;"
+and the Moor, pulling out the money, gave it to him, whereupon he
+carried it to his mother and told her what had passed between
+them, saying, "Take these thousand diners and expend of them upon
+thyself and my brothers, whilst I journey to Marocco with the
+Moor, for I shall be absent four months, and great good will
+betide me; so bless me, O my mother!" Answered she, "O my son,
+thou desolatest me and I fear for thee." "O my mother," rejoined
+he, "no harm can befall him who is in Allah's keeping, and the
+Maghribi is a man of worth;" and he went on to praise his
+condition to her. Quoth she, "Allah incline his heart to thee! Go
+with him, O my son; peradventure, he will give thee somewhat." So
+he took leave of his mother and rejoined the Moor Abd al-Samad,
+who asked him, "Hast thou consulted thy mother?" "Yes," answered
+Judar; "and she blessed me." "Then mount behind me," said the
+Maghribi. So Judar mounted the mule's crupper and they rode on
+from noon till the time of mid afternoon prayer, when the
+fisherman was an hungered; but seeing no victual with the Moor,
+said to him, "O my lord the pilgrim, belike thou hast forgotten
+to bring us aught to eat by the way?" Asked the Moor, "Art thou
+hungry?" and Judar answered, "Yes." So Abd al-Samad alighted and
+made Judar alight and take down the saddle bage[FN#273]; then he
+said to him, "What wilt thou have, O my brother?" "Anything."
+"Allah upon thee, tell me what thou hast a mind to." "Bread and
+cheese." "O my poor fellow! bread and cheese besit thee not; wish
+for some thing good." "Just now everything is good to me." "Dost
+thou like nice browned chicken?" "Yes!" "Dost thou like rice and
+honey?" "Yes!" And the Moor went on to ask him if he liked this
+dish and that dish till he had named four and twenty kinds of
+meats; and Judar thought to himself, "He must be daft! Where are
+all these dainties to come from, seeing he hath neither cook nor
+kitchen? But I'll say to him, ''Tis enough!'" So he cried, "That
+will do: thou makest me long for all these meats, and I see
+nothing." Quoth the Moor, "Thou art welcome, O Judar!" and,
+putting his hand into the saddle bags, pulled out a golden dish
+containing two hot browned chickens. Then he thrust his hand a
+second time and drew out a golden dish, full of kabobs[FN#274];
+nor did he stint taking out dishes from saddle bags, till he had
+brought forth the whole of the four and twenty kinds he had
+named, whilst Judar looked on. Then said the Moor, "Fall to poor
+fellow!", and Judar said to him, "O my lord, thou carriest in
+yonder saddle bags kitchen and kitcheners!" The Moor laughed and
+replied, "These are magical saddle bags and have a servant, who
+would bring us a thousand dishes an hour, if we called for them."
+Quoth Judar, "By Allah, a meat thing in saddle bags'" Then they
+ate their fill and threw away what was left; after which the Moor
+replaced the empty dishes in the saddle bags and putting in his
+hand, drew out an ewer. They drank and making the Wuzu ablution,
+prayed the mid afternoon prayer; after which Abd al-Samad
+replaced the ewer and the two caskets in the saddle bags and
+throwing them over the mule's back, mounted and cried "Up with
+thee and let us be off," presently adding, "O Judar, knowest thou
+how far we have come since we left Cairo?" "Not I, by Allah,"
+replied he, and Abd al-Samad, "We have come a whole month's
+journey." Asked Judar, "And how is that?"; and the Moor answered,
+"Know, O Judar, that this mule under us is a Marid of the Jinn
+who every day performeth a year's journey; but, for thy sake, she
+hath gone an easier pace." Then they set out again and fared on
+westwards till nightfall, when they halted and the Maghribi
+brought out supper from the saddle bags, and in like manner, in
+the morning, he took forth wherewithal to break their fast. So
+they rode on four days, journeying till midnight and then
+alighting and sleeping until morning, when they fared on again;
+and all that Judar had a mind to, he sought of the Moor, who
+brought it out of the saddle bags. On the fifth day, they arrived
+at Fez and Mequinez and entered the city, where all who met the
+Maghribi saluted him and kissed his hands; and he continued
+riding through the streets, till he came to a certain door, at
+which he knocked, whereupon it opened and out came a girl like
+the moon, to whom said he, "O my daughter, O Rahmah,[FN#275] open
+us the upper chamber." "On my head and eyes, O my papa!" replied
+she and went in, swaying her hips to and fro with a graceful and
+swimming gait like a thirsting gazelle, movements that ravished
+Judar's reason, and he said, "This is none other than a King's
+daughter." So she opened the upper chamber, and the Moor, taking
+the saddle bags from the mule's back, said, "Go, and God bless
+thee!" when lo! the earth clove asunder and swallowing the mule,
+closed up again as before. And Judar said, "O Protector! praised
+be Allah, who hath kept us in safety on her back!" Quoth the
+Maghribi, "Marvel not, O Judar. I told thee that the mule was an
+Ifrit; but come with us into the upper chamber." So they went up
+into it, and Judar was amazed at the profusion of rich furniture
+and pendants of gold and silver and jewels and other rare and
+precious things which he saw there. As soon as they were seated,
+the Moor bade Rahmah bring him a certain bundle[FN#276] and
+opening it, drew out a dress worth a thousand diners, which he
+gave to Judar, saying, "Don this dress, O Judar, and welcome to
+thee!" So Judar put it on and became a fair en sample of the
+Kings of the West. Then the Maghribi laid the saddle bags before
+him, and, putting in his hand, pulled out dish after dish, till
+they had before them a tray of forty kinds of meat, when he said
+to Judar, "Come near, O my master! eat and excuse us"--And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
+permitted say,
+
+       When it was the Six Hundred and Thirteenth Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that
+Maghribi having served up in the pavilion a tray of forty kinds
+of meat, said to Judar, "Come near, O my master, and excuse us
+for that we know not what meats thou desirest; but tell us what
+thou hast a mind to, and we will set it before thee without
+delay." Replied Judar, "By Allah, O my lord the pilgrim, I love
+all kinds of meat and unlove none; so ask me not of aught, but
+bring all that cometh to thy thought, for save eating to do I
+have nought." After this he tarried twenty days with the Moor,
+who clad him in new clothes every day, and all this time they ate
+from the saddle bags; for the Maghribi bought neither meat nor
+bread nor aught else, nor cooked, but brought everything out of
+the bags, even to various sorts of fruit. On the twenty first
+day, he said, "O Judar up with thee; this is the day appointed
+for opening the hoard of Al-Shamardal." So he rose and they went
+afoot[FN#277] without the city, where they found two slaves, each
+holding a she mule. The Moor mounted one beast and Judar the
+other, and they ceased not riding till noon, when they came to a
+stream of running water, on whose banks Abd al-Samad alighted
+saying, "Dismount, O Judar!" Then he signed with his hand to the
+slaves and said, "To it!" So they took the mules and going each
+his own way, were absent awhile, after which they returned, one
+bearing a tent, which he pitched, and the other carpets, which he
+spread in the tent and laid mattresses, pillows and cushions
+there around. Then one of them brought the caskets containing the
+two fishes; and another fetched the saddle bags; whereupon the
+Maghribi arose and said, "Come, O Judar!" So Judar followed him
+into the tent and sat down beside him; and he brought out dishes
+of meat from the saddle bags and they ate the undurn meal. Then
+the Moor took the two caskets and conjured over them both,
+whereupon there came from within voices that said' "Adsumus, at
+thy service, O diviner of the world! Have mercy upon us!" and
+called aloud for aid. But he ceased not to repeat conjurations
+and they to call for help, till the two caskets flew in sunder,
+the fragments flying about, and there came forth two men, with
+pinioned hands saying, "Quarter, O diviner of the world! What
+wilt thou with us?" Quoth he, "My will is to burn you both with
+fire, except ye make a covenant with me, to open to me the
+treasure of Al-Shamardal." Quoth they, "We promise this to thee,
+and we will open the tree sure to thee, so thou produce to us
+Judar bin Omar, the fisherman, for the hoard may not be opened
+but by his means, nor can any enter therein save Judar." Cried
+the Maghribi "Him of whom ye speak, I have brought, and he is
+here, listening to you and looking at you." Thereupon they
+covenanted with him to open the treasure to him, and he released
+them. Then he brought out a hollow wand and tablets of red
+carnelian which he laid on the rod; and after this he took a
+chafing dish and setting charcoal thereon, blew one breath into
+it and it kindled forthwith. Presently he brought incense and
+said, "O Judar, I am now about to begin the necessary
+conjurations and fumigations, and when I have once begun, I may
+not speak, or the charm will be naught; so I will teach thee
+first what thou must do to win thy wish." "Teach me," quoth
+Judar. "Know," quoth the Moor, "that when I have recited the
+spell and thrown on the incense, the water will dry up from the
+river's bed and discover to thee, a golden door, the bigness of
+the city gate, with two rings of metal thereon; whereupon do thou
+go down to the door and knock a light knock and wait awhile; then
+knock a second time a knock louder than the first and wait
+another while; after which give three knocks in rapid succession,
+and thou wilt hear a voice ask, 'Who knocketh at the door of the
+treasure, unknowing how to solve the secrets?' Do thou answer, 'I
+am Judar the fisherman son of Omar': and the door will open and
+there will come forth a figure with a brand in hand who will say
+to thee: 'If thou be that man, stretch forth thy neck, that I may
+strike off thy head.' Then do thou stretch forth thy neck and
+fear not; for, when he lifts his hand and smites thee with the
+sword, he will fall down before thee, and in a little thou wilt
+see him a body sans soul; and the stroke shall not hurt thee nor
+shall any harm befall thee; but, if thou gainsay him, he will
+slay thee. When thou hast undone his enchantment by obedience,
+enter and go on till thou see another door, at which do thou
+knock, and there will come forth to thee a horseman riding a mare
+with a lance on his shoulder and say to thee, 'What bringeth thee
+hither, where none may enter ne man ne Jinni?' And he will shake
+his lance at thee. Bare thy breast to him and he will smite thee
+and fall down forthright and thou shalt see him a body without a
+soul; but if thou cross him he will kill thee. Then go on to the
+third door, whence there will come forth to thee a man with a bow
+and arrows in his hand and take aim at thee. Bare thy breast to
+him and he will shoot at thee and fall down before thee, a body
+without a soul; but if thou oppose him, he will kill thee. Then
+go on to the fourth door"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
+day and ceased to say her per misted say.
+
+       When it was the Six Hundred and Fourteenth Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
+Maghribi said to Judar, "Go on to the fourth door and knock and
+it shall be opened to thee, when there will come forth to thee a
+lion huge of bulk which will rush upon thee, opening his mouth
+and showing he hath a mind to devour thee. Have no fear of him,
+neither flee from him: but when he cometh to thee, give him thy
+hand and he will bite at it and fall down straightway, nor shall
+aught of hurt betide thee. Then enter the fifth door, where thou
+shalt find a black slave, who will say to thee, 'Who art thou?'
+Say, 'I am Judar!' and he will answer, 'If thou be that man, open
+the sixth door.' Then do thou go up to the door and say, 'O Isa,
+tell Musa to open the door'; whereupon the door will fly open and
+thou wilt see two dragons, one on the left hand and another on
+the right, which will open their mouths and fly at thee, both at
+once. Do thou put forth to them both hands and they will bite
+each a hand and fall down dead; but an thou resist them, they
+will slay thee. Then go on to the seventh door and knock,
+whereupon there will come forth to thee thy mother and say,
+'Welcome, O my son! Come, that I may greet thee!' But do thou
+reply, 'Hold off from me and doff thy dress.' And she will make
+answer, 'O my son, I am thy mother and I have a claim upon thee
+for suckling thee and for rearing thee: how then wouldst thou
+strip me naked?' Then do thou say, 'Except thou put off thy
+clothes, I will kill thee!' and look to thy right where thou wilt
+see a sword hanging up. Take it and draw it upon her, saying,
+'Strip!' where upon she will wheedle thee and humble herself to
+thee; but have thou no ruth on her nor be beguiled, and as often
+as she putteth off aught, say to her, 'Off with the rave'; nor do
+thou cease to threaten her with death, till she doff all that is
+upon her and fall down, whereupon the enchantment will be
+dissolved and the charms undone, and thou wilt be safe as to thy
+life. Then enter the hall of the treasure, where thou wilt see
+the gold lying in heaps; but pay no heed to aught thereof, but
+look to a closet at the upper end of the hall, where thou wilt
+see a curtain drawn. Draw back the curtain and thou wilt descry
+the enchanter, Al-Shamardal, lying upon a couch of gold, with
+something at his head round and shining like the moon, which is
+the celestial planisphere. He is baldrick'd with the
+sword[FN#278]; his finger is the ring and about his neck hangs a
+chain, to which hangs the Kohl phial. Bring me the four
+talismans, and beware lest thou forget aught of that which I have
+told thee, or thou wilt repent and there will be fear for thee."
+And he repeated his directions a second and a third and a fourth
+time, till Judar said, "I have them by heart: but who may face
+all these enchantments that thou namest and endure against these
+mighty terrors?" Replied the Moor, "O Judar, fear not, for they
+are semblances without life;" and he went on to hearten him, till
+he said, "I put my trust in Allah." Then Abd al-Samad threw
+perfumes on the chafing dish, and addressed himself to reciting
+conjurations for a time when, behold, the water disappeared and
+uncovered the river bed and discovered the door of the treasure,
+whereupon Judar went down to the door and knocked. Therewith he
+heard a voice saying, "Who knocketh at the door of the treasure,
+unknowing how to solve the secrets?" Quoth he, "I am Judar son of
+Omar;" whereupon the door opened and there came forth a figure
+with a drawn sword, who said to him, "Stretch forth thy neck." So
+he stretched forth his neck and the species smote him and fell
+down, lifeless. Then he went on to the second door and did the
+like, nor did he cease to do thus, till he had undone the
+enchantments of the first six doors and came to the seventh door,
+whence there issued forth to him his mother, saying, "I salute
+thee, O my son!" He asked, "What art thou?", and she answered, "O
+my son, I am thy mother who bare thee nine months and suckled
+thee and reared thee." Quoth he, "Put off thy clothes." Quoth
+she, "Thou art my son, how wouldst thou strip me naked?" But he
+said "Strip, or I will strike off thy head with this sword;" and
+he stretched out his hand to the brand and drew it upon her
+saying, "Except thou strip, I will slay thee." Then the strife
+became long between them and as often as he redoubled on her his
+threats, she put off somewhat of her clothes and he said to her,
+"Doff the rest," with many menaces; while she removed each
+article slowly and kept saying, "O my son, thou hast disappointed
+my fosterage of thee," till she had nothing left but her
+petticoat trousers Then said she, "O my son, is thy heart stone?
+Wilt thou dishonour me by discovering my shame? Indeed, this is
+unlawful, O my son!" And he answered, "Thou sayest sooth; put not
+off thy trousers." At once, as he uttered these words, she cried
+out, "He hath made default; beat him!" Whereupon there fell upon
+him blows like rain drops and the servants of the treasure
+flocked to him and dealt him a funding which he forgot not in all
+his days; after which they thrust him forth and threw him down
+without the treasure and the hoard doors closed of themselves,
+whilst the waters of the river returned to their bed.--And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
+permitted say.
+
+        When it was the Six Hundred and Fifteenth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+servants of the treasure beat Judar and cast him out and the
+hoard doors closed of themselves, whilst the river waters
+returned to their bed, Abd al-Samad the Maghribi took Judar up in
+haste and repeated conjurations over him, till he came to his
+senses but still dazed as with drink, when he asked him, "What
+hast thou done, O wretch?" Answered Judar, "O my brother, I undid
+all the opposing enchantments, till I came to my mother and there
+befell between her and myself a long contention. But I made her
+doff her clothes, O my brother, till but her trousers remained
+upon her and she said to me, 'Do not dishonour me; for to
+discover one's shame is forbidden.' So I left her her trousers
+out of pity, and behold, she cried out and said, 'He hath made
+default; beat him!' Whereupon there came out upon me folk, whence
+I know not, and funding me with a belabouring which was a Sister
+of Death, thrust me forth; nor do I know what befell me after
+this." Quoth the Moor, "Did I not warn thee not to swerve from my
+directions? Verily, thou hast injured me and hast injured
+thyself: for if thou hadst made her take off her petticoat
+trousers, we had won to our wish; but now thou must abide with me
+till this day next year." Then he cried out to the two slaves,
+who struck the tent forthright and loaded it on the beasts; then
+they were absent awhile and presently returned with the two
+mules; and the twain mounted and rode back to the city of Fez,
+where Judar tarried with the Maghribi, eating well and drinking
+well and donning a grand dress every day, till the year was ended
+and the anniversary day dawned. Then the Moor said to him, "Come
+with me, for this is the appointed day." And Judar said, "'Tis
+well." So the Maghribi carried him without the city, where they
+found the two slaves with the mules, and rode on till they
+reached the river. Here the slaves pitched the tent and furnished
+it; and the Moor brought forth the tray of food and they ate the
+morning meal; after which Abd al-Samad brought out the wand and
+the tablets as before and, kindling the fire in the chafing dish,
+made ready the incense. Then said he, "O Judar, I wish to renew
+my charge to thee." "O my lord the pilgrim," replied he, "if I
+have forgotten the bastinado, I have forgotten the
+injunctions."[FN#279] Asked the Moor, "Dost thou indeed remember
+them?" and he answered, "Yes." Quoth the Moor, "Keep thy wits,
+and think not that the woman is thy very mother; nay, she is but
+an enchantment in her semblance, whose purpose is to find thee
+defaulting. Thou camest off alive the first time; but, an thou
+trip this time, they will slay thee." Quoth Judar, "If I slip
+this time, I deserve to be burnt of them." Then Abd al-Samad cast
+the perfumes into the fire and recited the conjurations, till the
+river dried up; whereupon Judar descended and knocked. The door
+opened and he entered and undid the several enchantments, till he
+came to the seventh door and the semblance of his mother appeared
+before him, saying, "Welcome,[FN#280] O my son!" But he said to
+her, "How am I thy son, O accursed? Strip!" And she began to
+wheedle him and put off garment after garment, till only her
+trousers remained; and he said to her, "Strip, O accursed!" So
+she put off her trousers and became a body without a soul. Then
+he entered the hall of the treasures, where he saw gold lying in
+heaps, but paid no heed to it and passed on to the closet at the
+upper end, where he saw the enchanter Al-Shamardal lying on a
+couch of gold, baldrick'd with the sword, with the ring on his
+finger, the Kohl phial on his breast and the celestial
+planisphere hanging over his head. So he loosed the sword and
+taking the ring, the Kohl phial and the planisphere, went forth,
+when behold, a band of music sounded for him and the servants of
+the treasure cried out, saying, "Mayest thou be assained with
+that thou hast gained, O Judar!" Nor did the music leave
+sounding, till he came forth of the treasure to the Maghribi, who
+gave up his conjurations and fumigations and rose up and embraced
+him and saluted him. Then Judar made over to him the four hoarded
+talismans, and he took them and cried out to the slaves, who
+carried away the tent and brought the mules. So they mounted and
+returned to Fez-city, where the Moor fetched the saddle bags and
+brought forth dish after dish of meat, till the tray was full,
+and said, "O my brother, O Judar, eat!" So he ate till he was
+satisfied, when the Moor emptied what remained of the meats and
+other dishes and returned the empty platters to the saddle bags.
+Then quoth he, "O Judar, thou hast left home and native land on
+our account and thou hast accomplished our dearest desire;
+wherefore thou hast a right to require a reward of us. Ask,
+therefore, what thou wilt, it is Almighty Allah who giveth unto
+thee by our means.[FN#281] Ask thy will and be not ashamed, for
+thou art deserving." "O my lord," quoth Judar, "I ask first of
+Allah the Most High and then of thee, that thou give me yonder
+saddle bags." So the Maghribi called for them and gave them to
+him, saying, "Take them, for they are thy due; and, if thou hadst
+asked of me aught else instead, I had given it to thee. Eat from
+them, thou and thy family; but, my poor fellow, these will not
+profit thee, save by way of provaunt, and thou hast wearied
+thyself with us and we promised to send thee home rejoicing. So
+we will join to these other saddle bags, full of gold and gems,
+and forward thee back to thy native land, where thou shalt become
+a gentleman and a merchant and clothe thyself and thy family; nor
+shalt thou want ready money for thine expenditure. And know that
+the manner of using our gift is on this wise. Put thy hand
+therein and say, 'O servant of these saddle bags, I conjure thee
+by the virtue of the Mighty Names which have power over thee,
+bring me such a dish!' And he will bring thee whatsoever thou
+askest, though thou shouldst call for a thousand different dishes
+a day." So saying, he filled him a second pair of saddle bags
+half with gold and half with gems and precious stones; and,
+sending for a slave and a mule, said to him, "Mount this mule,
+and the slave shall go before thee and show thee the way, till
+thou come to the door of thy house, where do thou take the two
+pair of saddle bags and give him the mule, that he may bring it
+back. But admit none into thy secret; and so we commend thee to
+Allah!" "May the Almighty increase thy good!" replied Judar and,
+laying the two pairs of saddle bags on the mule's back, mounted
+and set forth. The slave went on before him and the mule followed
+him all that day and night, and on the morrow he entered Cairo by
+the Gate of Victory,[FN#282] where he saw his mother seated,
+saying, "Alms, for the love of Allah!" At this sight he well nigh
+lost his wits and alighting, threw himself upon her: and when she
+saw him she wept. Then he mounted her on the mule and walked by
+her stirrup,[FN#283] till they came to the house, where he set
+her down and, taking the saddle bags, left the she mule to the
+slave, who led her away and returned with her to his master, for
+that both slave and mule were devils. As for Judar, it was
+grievous to him that his mother should beg; so, when they were in
+the house, he asked her, "O my mother, are my brothers well?";
+and she answered, "They are both well." Quoth he, "Why dost thou
+beg by the wayside?" Quoth she, "Because I am hungry, O my son,"
+and he, 'Before I went away, I gave thee an hundred diners one
+day, the like the next and a thousand on the day of my
+departure." "O my son, they cheated me and took the money from
+me, saying, 'We will buy goods with it.' Then they drove me away,
+and I fell to begging by the wayside, for stress of hunger." "O
+my mother, no harm shall befall thee, now I am come; so have no
+concern, for these saddle bags are full of gold and gems, and
+good aboundeth with me." "Verily, thou art blessed, O my son!
+Allah accept of thee and increase thee of His bounties! Go, O my
+son, fetch us some victual, for I slept not last night for excess
+of hunger, having gone to bed supperless. "Welcome to thee, O my
+mother! Call for what thou wilt to eat, and I will set it before
+thee this moment; for I have no occasion to buy from the market,
+nor need I any to cook. "O my son, I see naught with thee." "I
+have with me in these saddle bags all manner of meats." "O my
+son, whatever is ready will serve to stay hunger." "True, when
+there is no choice, men are content with the smallest thing; but
+where there is plenty, they like to eat what is good: and I have
+abundance; so call for what thou hast a mind to." "O my son, give
+me some hot bread and a slice of cheese." "O my mother, this
+befitteth not thy condition." "Then give me to eat of that which
+besitteth my case, for thou knowest it." "O my mother," rejoined
+he, "what suit thine estate are browned meat and roast chicken
+and peppered rice and it becometh thy rank to eat of sausages and
+stuffed cucumbers and stuffed lamb and stuffed ribs of mutton and
+vermicelli with broken almonds and nuts and honey and sugar and
+fritters and almond cakes." But she thought he was laughing at
+her and making mock of her; so she said to him, "Yauh!
+Yauh![FN#284] what is come to thee? Dost thou dream or art thou
+daft?" Asked he, "Why deemest thou that I am mad?" and she
+answered, "Because thou namest to me all manner rich dishes. Who
+can avail unto their price, and who knoweth how to dress them?"
+Quoth he, "By my life! thou shalt eat of all that I have named to
+thee, and that at once;" and quoth she, "I see nothing;" and he,
+"Bring me the saddle bags." So she fetched them and feeling them,
+found them empty. However, she laid them before him and he thrust
+in his hand and pulled out dish after dish, till he had set
+before her all he had named. Whereupon asked she, "O my son, the
+saddle bags are small and moreover they were empty; yet hast thou
+taken thereout all these dishes. Where then were they all?"; and
+he answered, "O my mother, know that these saddle bags, which the
+Moor gave me, are enchanted and they have a servant whom, if one
+desire aught, he hath but to adjure by the Names which command
+him, saying, 'O servant of these saddle bags, bring me such a
+dish!' and he will bring it." Quoth his mother, "And may I put
+out my hand and ask of him?" Quoth he, "Do so." So she stretched
+out her hand and said, "O servant of the saddle bags, by the
+virtue of the Names which command thee, bring me stuffed ribs."
+Then she thrust in her hand and found a dish containing delicate
+stuffed ribs of lamb. So she took it out, and called for bread
+and what else she had a mind to: after which Judar said to her,
+"O my mother, when thou hast made an end of eating, empty what is
+left of the food into dishes other than these, and restore the
+empty platters to the saddle bags carefully." So she arose and
+laid them up in a safe place. "And look, O mother mine, that thou
+keep this secret," added he; "and whenever thou hast a mind to
+aught, take it forth of the saddle bags and give alms and feed my
+brothers, whether I be present or absent." Then he fell to eating
+with her and behold, while they were thus occupied, in came his
+two brothers, whom a son of the quarter[FN#285] had apprised of
+his return, saying, "Your brother is come back, riding on a she
+mule, with a slave before him, and wearing a dress that hath not
+its like." So they said to each other, "Would to Heaven we had
+not evilly entreated our mother! There is no hope but that she
+will surely tell him how we did by her, and then, oh our disgrace
+with him!" But one of the twain said, "Our mother is soft
+hearted, and if she tell him, our brother is yet tenderer over us
+than she; and, given we excuse ourselves to him, he will accept
+our excuse." So they went in to him and he rose to them and
+saluting them with the friendliest salutation, bade them sit down
+and eat. So they ate till they were satisfied, for they were weak
+with hunger; after which Judar said to them, "O my brothers, take
+what is left and distribute it to the poor and needy." "O
+brother," replied they, "let us keep it to sup withal." But he
+answered, "When supper time cometh, ye shall have more than
+this." So they took the rest of the victual and going out, gave
+it to every poor man who passed by them, saying, "Take and eat,"
+till nothing was left. Then they brought back the dishes and
+Judar said to his mother, "Put them in the saddle bags."--And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say.
+
+        When it was the Six Hundred and Sixteenth Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Judar,
+when his brethren had finished their under meal, said to his
+mother, "Put back the platters in the saddle bags." And when it
+was eventide, he entered the saloon and took forth of the saddle
+bags a table of forty dishes; after which he went up to the upper
+room and, sitting down between his brothers, said to his mother,
+"Bring the supper."[FN#286] So she went down to the saloon and,
+finding there the dishes ready, laid the tray and brought up the
+forty dishes, one after other. Then they ate the evening meal,
+and when they had done, Judar said to his brothers, "Take and
+feed the poor and needy." So they took what was left and gave
+alms thereof, and presently he brought forth to them sweetmeats,
+whereof they ate, and what was left he bade them give to the
+neighbours. On the morrow, they brake their fast after the same
+fashion, and thus they fared ten days, at the end of which time
+quoth S�lim to Sal�m, "How cometh it that our brother setteth
+before us a banquet in the morning, a banquet at noon, and a
+banquet at sundown, besides sweetmeats late at night, and all
+that is left he giveth to the poor? Verily, this is the fashion
+of Sultans. Yet we never see him buy aught, and he hath neither
+kitchener nor kitchen, nor doth he light a fire. Whence hath he
+this great plenty? Hast thou not a mind to discover the cause of
+all this?" Quoth Sal�m, "By Allah, I know not: but knowest thou
+any who will tell us the truth of the case?" Quoth S�lim, "None
+will tell us save our mother." So they laid a plot and repairing
+to their mother one day, in their brother's absence, said to her,
+"O our mother, we are hungry." Replied she, "Rejoice, for ye
+shall presently be satisfied;" and going into the saloon, sought
+of the servant of the saddle bags hot meats, which she took out
+and set before her sons. "O our mother," cried they, "this meat
+is hot; yet hast thou not cooked, neither kindled a fire." Quoth
+she, "It cometh from the saddle bags;" and quoth they, "What
+manner of thing be these saddle bags?" She answered, "They are
+enchanted; and the required is produced by the charm:" she then
+told her sons their virtue, enjoining them to secrecy. Said they,
+"The secret shall be kept, O our mother, but teach us the manner
+of this." So she taught them the fashion thereof and they fell to
+putting their hands into the saddle bags and taking forth
+whatever they had a mind to. But Judar knew naught of this. Then
+quoth S�lim privily to Sal�m, "O my brother, how long shall we
+abide with Judar servant wise and eat of his alms? Shall we not
+contrive to get the saddle bags from him and make off with them?"
+"And how shall we make shift to do this?" "We will sell him to
+the galleys." "How shall we do that?" "We two will go to the
+Ra�s, the Chief Captain of the Sea of Suez and bid him to an
+entertainment, with two of his company. What I say to Judar do
+thou confirm, and at the end of the night I will show thee what I
+will do." So they agreed upon the sale of their brother and going
+to the Captain's quarters said to him, "O Rais, we have come to
+thee on an errand that will please thee." "Good," answered he;
+and they continued, "We two are brethren, and we have a third
+brother, a lewd fellow and good for nothing. When our father
+died, he left us some money, which we shared amongst us, and he
+took his part of the inheritance and wasted it in frowardness and
+debauchery, till he was reduced to poverty, when he came upon us
+and cited us before the magistrates, avouching that we had taken
+his good and that of his father, and we disputed the matter
+before the judges and lost the money. Then he waited awhile and
+attacked us a second time, until he brought us to beggary; nor
+will he desist from us, and we are utterly weary of him;
+wherefore we would have thee buy him of us." Quoth the Captain,
+"Can ye cast about with him and bring him to me here? If so, I
+will pack him off to sea forthright." Quoth they "We cannot
+manage to bring him here; but be thou our guest this night and
+bring with thee two of thy men, not one more; and when he is
+asleep, we will aid one another to fall upon him, we five, and
+seize and gag him. Then shalt thou carry him forth the house,
+under cover of the night, and after do thou with him as thou
+wilt." Rejoined the Captain, "With all my heart! Will ye sell him
+for forty dinars?" and they, "Yes, come after nightfall to such a
+street, by such a mosque, and thou shalt find one of us awaiting
+thee." And he replied, "Now be off." Then they repaired to Judar
+and waited awhile, after which S�lim went up to him and kissed
+his hand. Quoth Judar, "What ails thee, O my brother?" And he
+made answer, saying, "Know that I have a friend, who hath many a
+time bidden me to his house in thine absence and hath ever
+hospitably entreated me, and I owe him a thousand kindnesses, as
+my brother here wotteth. I met him to day and he invited me to
+his house, but I said to him, 'I cannot leave my brother Judar.'
+Quoth he, 'Bring him with thee'; and quoth I, 'He will not
+consent to that; but if ye will be my guests, thou and thy
+brothers'[FN#287] * * * * * (for his brothers were sitting with
+him); and I invited them thinking that they would refuse. But he
+accepted my invitation for all of them, saying, 'Look for me at
+the gate of the little mosque,[FN#288] and I will come to thee, I
+and my brothers.' And now I fear they will come and am ashamed
+before thee. So wilt thou hearten my heart and entertain them
+this night, for thy good is abundant, O my brother? Or if thou
+consent not, give me leave to take them into the neighbours'
+houses." Replied Judar, "Why shouldst thou carry them into the
+neighbours' houses? Is our house then so strait or have we not
+wherewith to give them supper? Shame on thee to consult me! Thou
+hast but to call for what thou needest and have rich viands and
+sweetmeats and to spare. Whenever thou bringest home folk in my
+absence, ask thy mother, and she will set before thee victual
+more than enough. Go and fetch them; blessings have descended
+upon us through such guests." So S�lim kissed his hand and going
+forth, sat at the gate of the little mosque till after sundown,
+when the Captain and his men came up to him, and he carried them
+to the house. When Judar saw them he bade them welcome and seated
+them and made friends of them, knowing not what the future had in
+store for him at their hands. Then he called to his mother for
+supper, and she fell to taking dishes out of the saddlebags,
+whilst he said, "Bring such and such meats," till she had set
+forty different dishes before them. They ate their sufficiency
+and the tray was taken away, the sailors thinking the while that
+this liberal entertainment came from S�lim. When a third part of
+the night was past, Judar set sweetmeats before them and S�lim
+served them, whilst his two brothers sat with the guests, till
+they sought to sleep. Accordingly Judar lay down and the others
+with him, who waited till he was asleep, when they fell upon him
+together and gagging and pinioning him, before he was awake,
+carried him forth of the house,[FN#289] under cover of the
+night,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
+her permitted say.
+
+       When it was the Six Hundred and Seventeenth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that they seized
+Judar and carrying him forth of the house under cover of the
+night, at once packed him off to Suez, where they shackled him
+and set him to work as a galley slave; and he ceased not to serve
+thus in silence a whole year.[FN#290] So far concerning Judar;
+but as for his brothers, they went in next morning to his mother
+and said to her, "O our mother, our brother Judar is not awake."
+Said she, "Do ye wake him." Asked they, "Where lieth he?" and she
+answered, "With the guests." They rejoined, "Haply he went away
+with them whilst we slept, O mother. It would seem that he had
+tasted of strangerhood and yearned to get at hidden hoards; for
+we heard him at talk with the Moors, and they said to him, 'We
+will take thee with us and open the treasure to thee.'" She
+enquired, "Hath he then been in company with Moors?;" and they
+replied, saying, "Were they not our guests yester night?" And
+she, "Most like he hath gone with them, but Allah will direct him
+on the right way; for there is a blessing upon him and he will
+surely come back with great good." But she wept, for it was
+grievous to her to be parted from her son. Then said they to her,
+"O accursed woman, dost thou love Judar with all this love,
+whilst as for us, whether we be absent or present, thou neither
+joyest in us nor sorrowest for us? Are we not thy sons, even as
+Judar is thy son?" She said, "Ye are indeed my sons: but ye are
+reprobates who deserve no favour of me, for since your father's
+death I have never seen any good in you; whilst as for Judar, I
+have had abundant good of him and he hath heartened my heart and
+entreated me with honour; wherefore it behoveth me to weep for
+him, because of his kindness to me and to you." When they heard
+this, they abused her and beat her; after which they sought for
+the saddle bags, till they found the two pairs and took the
+enchanted one and all the gold from one pouch and jewels from the
+other of the unenchanted, saying, "This was our father's good."
+Said their mother, "Not so, by Allah!, it belongeth to your
+brother Judar, who brought it from the land of the Magharibah."
+Said they, "Thou liest, it was our father's property; and we will
+dispose of it, as we please." Then they divided the gold and
+jewels between them; but a brabble arose between them concerning
+the enchanted saddle bags, S�lim saying, "I will have them;" and
+Sal�m, saying, "I will take them;" and they came to high words.
+Then said she, "O my sons, ye have divided the gold and the
+jewels, but this may not be divided, nor can its value be made up
+in money; and if it be cut in twain, its spell will be voided; so
+leave it with me and I will give you to eat from it at all times
+and be content to take a morsel with you. If ye allow me aught to
+clothe me, 'twill be of your bounty, and each of you shall
+traffic with the folk for himself. Ye are my sons and I am your
+mother; wherefore let us abide as we are, lest your brother come
+back and we be disgraced." But they accepted not her words and
+passed the night, wrangling with each other. Now it chanced that
+a Janissary[FN#291] of the King's guards was a guest in the house
+adjoining Judar's and heard them through the open window. So he
+looked out and listening, heard all the angry words that passed
+between them and saw the division of the spoil. Next morning he
+presented himself before the King of Egypt, whose name was Shams
+al-Daulah,[FN#292] and told him all he had heard, whereupon he
+sent for Judar's brothers and put them to the question, till they
+confessed; and he took the two pairs of Saddle bags from them and
+clapped them in prison, appointing a sufficient daily allowance
+to their mother. Now as regards Judar, he abode a whole year in
+service at Suez, till one day, being in a ship bound on a voyage
+over the sea, a wind arose against them and cast the vessel upon
+a rock projecting from a mountain, where she broke up and all on
+board were drowned and none get ashore save Judar. As soon as he
+landed he fared on inland, till he reached an encampment of
+Badawi, who questioned him of his case, and he told them he had
+been a sailor.[FN#293] Now there was in camp a merchant, a native
+of Jiddah, who took pity on him and said to him, "Wilt thou take
+service with me, O Egyptian, and I will clothe thee and carry
+thee with me to Jiddah?" So Judar took service with him and
+accompanied him to Jiddah, where he showed him much favour. After
+awhile, his master the merchant set out on a pilgrimage to
+Meccah, taking Judar with him, and when they reached the city,
+the Cairene repaired to the Haram temple, to circumambulate the
+Ka'abah. As he was making the prescribed circuits,[FN#294] he
+suddenly saw his friend Abd al-Samad the Moor doing the like;--
+And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say.
+
+       When it was the Six Hundred and Eighteenth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Judar, as
+he was making the circuits, suddenly saw his friend Abd al-Samad
+also circumambulating; and when the Maghribi caught sight of him,
+he saluted him and asked him of his state; whereupon Judar wept
+and told him all that had befallen him. So the Moor carried him
+to his lodging and entreated him with honour, clothing him in a
+dress of which the like was not, and saying to him, "Thou hast
+seen the end of thine ills, O Judar." Then he drew out for him a
+geomantic figure, which showed what had befallen S�lim and Sal�m
+and said to Judar, "Such and such things have befallen thy
+brothers and they are now in the King of Egypt's prison; but thou
+art right welcome to abide with me and accomplish thine
+ordinances of pilgrimage and all shall be well." Replied Judar,
+"O my lord, let me go and take leave of the merchant with whom I
+am and after I will come back to thee." "Dost thou owe money?"
+asked the Moor, and he answered, "No." Said Abd al-Samad, "Go
+thou and take leave of him and come back forth right, for bread
+hath claims of its own from the ingenuous." So Judar returned to
+the merchant and farewelled him, saying, "I have fallen in with
+my brother."[FN#295] "Go bring him here," said the merchant, "and
+we will make him an entertainment." But Judar answered, saying,
+"He hath no need of that; for he is a man of wealth and hath many
+servants." Then the merchant gave Judar twenty dinars, saying,
+"Acquit me of responsibility";[FN#296] and he bade him adieu and
+went forth from him. Presently, he saw a poor man, so he gave him
+the twenty ducats and returned to the Moor, with whom he abode
+till they had accomplished the pilgrimage rites when Abd al-Samad
+gave him the seal ring, that he had taken from the treasure of
+Al-Shamardal, saying, "This ring will win thee thy wish, for it
+enchanteth and hath a servant, by name Al-Ra'ad al-K�sif; so
+whatever thou hast a mind to of the wants of this world, rub this
+ring and its servant will appear and do all thou biddest him."
+Then he rubbed the ring before him, whereupon the Jinni appeared,
+saying, "Adsum, O my lord! Ask what thou wilt and it shall be
+given thee. Hast thou a mind to people a ruined city or ruin a
+populous one? to slay a king or to rout a host?" "O Ra'ad," said
+Abd al-Samad, "this is become thy lord; do thou serve him
+faithfully." Then he dismissed him and said to Judar, "Rub the
+ring and the servant will appear and do thou command him to do
+whatever thou desirest, for he will not gainsay thee. Now go to
+thine own country and take care of the ring, for by means of it
+thou wilt baffle thine enemies; and be not ignorant of its
+puissance." "O my lord," quoth Judar, "with thy leave, I will set
+out homewards." Quoth the Maghribi, "Summon the Jinni and mount
+upon his back; and if thou say to him, 'Bring me to my native
+city this very day,' he will not disobey thy commandment." So he
+took leave of Moor Abd al-Samad and rubbed the ring, whereupon
+Al-Ra'ad presented himself, saying, "Adsum; ask and it shall be
+given to thee." Said Judar, "Carry me to Cairo this day;" and he
+replied, "Thy will be done;" and, taking him on his back, flew
+with him from noon till midnight, when he set him down in the
+courtyard of his mother's house and disappeared. Judar went in to
+his mother, who rose weeping, and greeted him fondly, and told
+him how the King had beaten his brothers and cast them into gaol
+and taken the two pairs of saddle bags; which when he heard, it
+was no light matter to him and he said to her, "Grieve not for
+the past; I will show thee what I can do and bring my brothers
+hither forth right." So he rubbed the ring, whereupon its servant
+appeared, saying, "Here am I! Ask and thou shalt have." Quoth
+Judar, "I bid thee bring me my two brothers from the prison of
+the King." So the Jinni sank into the earth and came not up but
+in the midst of the gaol where S�lim and Sal�m lay in piteous
+plight and sore sorrow for the plagues of prison,[FN#297] so that
+they wished for death, and one of them said to the other, "By
+Allah, O my brother, affliction is longsome upon us! How long
+shall we abide in this prison? Death would be relief." As he
+spoke, behold, the earth clove in sunder and out came Al-Ra'ad,
+who took both up and plunged with them into the earth. They
+swooned away for excess of fear, and when they recovered, they
+found themselves in their mother's house and saw Judar seated by
+her side. Quoth he, "I salute you, O my brothers! you have
+cheered me by your presence." And they bowed their heads and
+burst into tears. Then said he, "Weep not, for it was Satan and
+covetise that led you to do thus. How could you sell me? But I
+comfort myself with the thought of Joseph, whose brothers did
+with him even more than ye did with me, because they cast him
+into the pit."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
+ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+       When it was the Six Hundred and Nineteenth Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Judar
+said to his brothers, "How could you do with me thus? But repent
+unto Allah and crave pardon of Him, and He will forgive you both,
+for He is the Most Forgiving, the Merciful. As for me, I pardon
+you and welcome you: no harm shall befall you." Then he comforted
+them and set their hearts at ease and related to them all he had
+suffered, till he fell in with Shaykh Abd al-Samad, and told them
+also of the seal ring. They replied, "O our brother, forgive us
+this time; and, if we return to our old ways, do with us as thou
+wilt." Quoth he, "No harm shall befall you; but tell me what the
+King did with you." Quoth they, "He beat us and threatened us
+with death and took the two pairs of saddle bags from us." "Will
+he not care?"[FN#298] said Judar, and rubbed the ring, whereupon
+Al-Ra'ad appeared. When his brothers saw him, they were frighted
+and thought Judar would bid him slay them; so they fled to their
+mother, crying, "O our mother, we throw our selves on thy
+generosity; do thou intercede for us, O our mother!" And she said
+to them, "O my sons, fear nothing!" Then said Judar to the
+servant, "I command thee to bring me all that is in the King's
+treasury of goods and such; let nothing remain and fetch the two
+pairs of saddle bags he took from my brothers." "I hear and I
+obey," replied Al-Ra'ad; and, disappearing straight way gathered
+together all he found in the treasury and returned with the two
+pairs of saddle bags and the deposits therein and laid them
+before Judar, saying, "O my lord, I have left nothing in the
+treasury." Judar gave the treasure to his mother bidding her keep
+it and laying the enchanted saddle bags before him, said to the
+Jinni, "I command thee to build me this night a lofty palace and
+overlay it with liquid gold and furnish it with magnificent
+furniture: and let not the day dawn, ere thou be quit of the
+whole work." Replied he, "Thy bidding shall be obeyed;" and sank
+into the earth. Then Judar brought forth food and they ate and
+took their ease and lay down to sleep. Meanwhile, Al-Ra'ad
+summoned his attendant Jinn and bade them build the palace. So
+some of them fell to hewing stones and some to building, whilst
+others plastered and painted and furnished; nor did the day dawn
+ere the ordinance of the palace was complete; whereupon Al-Ra'ad
+came to Judar and said to him, "O my lord, the palace is finished
+and in best order, an it please thee to come and look on it." So
+Judar went forth with his mother and brothers and saw a palace,
+whose like there was not in the whole world; and it confounded
+all minds with the goodliness of its ordinance. Judar was
+delighted with it while he was passing along the highway and
+withal it had cost him nothing. Then he asked his mother, "Say
+me, wilt thou take up thine abode in this palace?" and she
+answered, "I will, O my son," and called down blessings upon him.
+Then he rubbed the ring and bade the Jinni fetch him forty
+handsome white hand maids and forty black damsels and as many
+Mamelukes and negro slaves. "Thy will be done," answered Al-Ra'ad
+and betaking himself, with forty of his attendant Genii to Hind
+and Sind and Persia, snatched up every beautiful girl and boy
+they saw, till they had made up the required number. Moreover, he
+sent other four score, who fetched comely black girls, and forty
+others brought male chattels and carried them all to Judar's
+house, which they filled. Then he showed them to Judar, who was
+pleased with them and said, "Bring for each a dress of the
+finest." "Ready!" replied the servant. Then quoth he, "Bring a
+dress for my mother and another for myself, and also for my
+brothers." So the Jinni fetched all that was needed and clad the
+female slaves, saying to them, "This is your mistress: kiss her
+hands and cross her not, but serve her, white and black." The
+Mamelukes also dressed them selves and kissed Judar's hands; and
+he and his brothers arrayed themselves in the robes the Jinni had
+brought them and Judar became like unto a King and his brothers
+as Wazirs. Now his house was spacious; so he lodged S�lim and his
+slave girls in one part thereof and Sal�m and his slave girls in
+another, whilst he and his mother took up their abode in the new
+palace; and each in his own place was like a Sultan. So far
+concerning them; but as regards the King's Treasurer, thinking to
+take something from the treasury, he went in and found it
+altogether empty, even as saith the poet,
+
+"'Twas as a hive of bees that greatly thrived; * But, when the
+     bee swarm fled, 'twas clean unhived."[FN#299]
+
+So he gave a great cry and fell down in a fit. When he came to
+himself, he left the door open and going in to King Shams
+al-Daulah, said to him, "O Commander of the Faithful,[FN#300] I
+have to inform thee that the treasury hath become empty during
+the night." Quoth the King, 'What hast thou done with my monies
+which were therein?" Quoth he, "By Allah, I have not done aught
+with them nor know I what is come of them! I visited the place
+yesterday and saw it full; but to day when I went in, I found it
+clean empty, albeit the doors were locked, the walls were
+unpierced[FN#301] and the bolts[FN#302] are unbroken; nor hath a
+thief entered it." Asked the King, "Are the two pairs of saddle
+bags gone?" "Yes," replied the Treasurer; whereupon the King's
+reason flew from his head,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
+day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+        When it was the Six Hundred and Twentieth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+Treasurer informed the King that all in the treasury had been
+plundered, including the two pairs of saddlebags, the King's
+reason flew from his head and he rose to his feet, saying, "Go
+thou before me." Then he followed the Treasurer to the treasury
+and he found nothing there, whereat he was wroth with him; and he
+said to them, "O soldiers! know that my treasury hath been
+plundered during the night, and I know not who did this deed and
+dared thus to outrage me, without fear of me." Said they, "How
+so?"; and he replied, "Ask the Treasurer." So they questioned
+him, and he answered, saying, "Yesterday I visited the treasury
+and it was full, but this morning when I entered it I found it
+empty, though the walls were unpierced and the doors unbroken."
+They all marvelled at this and could make the King no answer,
+when in came the Janissary, who had denounced S�lim and Sal�m,
+and said to Shams al-Daulah, "O King of the age, all this night I
+have not slept for that which I saw." And the King asked, "And
+what didst thou see?" "Know, O King of the age," answered the
+Kaww�s, "that all night long I have been amusing myself with
+watching builders at work; and, when it was day, I saw a palace
+ready edified, whose like is not in the world. So I asked about
+it and was told that Judar had come back with great wealth and
+Mamelukes and slaves and that he had freed his two brothers from
+prison, and built this palace, wherein he is as a Sultan." Quoth
+the King, "Go, look in the prison." So they went thither and not
+finding S�lim and Sal�m, returned and told the King, who said,
+"It is plain now who be the thief; he who took S�lim and Sal�m
+out of prison it is who hath stolen my monies." Quoth the Wazir,
+"O my lord, and who is he?"; and quoth the King, "Their brother
+Judar, and he hath taken the two pairs of saddle bags; but, O
+Wazir do thou send him an Emir with fifty men to seal up his
+goods and lay hands on him and his brothers and bring them to me,
+that I may hang them." And he was sore enraged and said, "Ho, off
+with the Emir at once, and fetch them, that I may put them to
+death." But the Wazir said to him, "Be thou merciful, for Allah
+is merciful and hasteth not to punish His servants, whenas they
+sin against Him. More over, he who can build a palace in a single
+night, as these say, none in the world can vie with him; and
+verily I fear lest the Emir fall into difficulty for Judar. Have
+patience, therefore, whilst I devise for thee some device of
+getting at the truth of the case, and so shalt thou win thy wish,
+O King of the age." Quoth the King, "Counsel me how I shall do, O
+Wazir." And the Minister said, "Send him an Emir with an
+invitation; and I will make much of him for thee and make a show
+of love for him and ask him of his estate; after which we will
+see. If we find him stout of heart, we will use sleight with him,
+and if weak of will, then do thou seize him and do with him thy
+desire." The King agreed to this and despatched one of his Emirs,
+Othman highs, to go and invite Judar and say to him, "The King
+biddeth thee to a banquet;" and the King said to him, "Return
+not, except with him." Now this Othman was a fool, proud and
+conceited; so he went forth upon his errand, and when he came to
+the gate of Judar's palace, he saw before the door an eunuch
+seated upon a chair of gold, who at his approach rose not, but
+sat as if none came near, though there were with the Emir fifty
+footmen. Now this eunuch was none other than Al-Ra'ad al-Kasif,
+the servant of the ring, whom Judar had commanded to put on the
+guise of an eunuch and sit at the palace gate. So the Emir rode
+up to him and asked him, ' O slave, where is thy lord?"; whereto
+he answered, "In the palace;" but he stirred not from his leaning
+posture; whereupon the Emir Othman waxed wroth and said to him,
+'O pestilent slave, art thou not ashamed, when I speak to thee,
+to answer me, sprawling at thy length, like a gallows bird?"
+Replied the eunuch "Off and multiply not words." Hardly had
+Othman heard this, when he was filled with rage and drawing his
+mace[FN#303] would have smitten the eunuch, knowing not that he
+was a devil; but Al-Ra'ad leapt upon him and taking the mace from
+him, dealt him four blows with it. Now when the fifty men saw
+their lord beaten, it was grievous to them; so they drew their
+swords and ran to slay the slave; but he said, "Do ye draw on us,
+O dogs?" and rose at them with the mace, and every one whom he
+smote, he broke his bones and drowned him in his blood. So they
+fell back before him and fled, whilst he followed them, beating
+them, till he had driven them far from the palace gate; after
+which he returned and sat down on his chair at the door, caring
+for none.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
+saying her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-first Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the eunuch
+having put to flight the Emir Othman, the King's officer, and his
+men, till they were driven far from Judar's gate, returned and
+sat down on his chair at the door, caring for none. But as for
+the Emir and his company, they returned, discomfited and funded,
+to King Shams al-Daulah, and Othman said, "O King of the age,
+when I came to the palace gate, I espied an eunuch seated there
+in a chair of gold and he was passing proud for, when he saw me
+approach, he stretched himself at full length albeit he had been
+sitting in his chair and entreated me contumeliously, neither
+offered to rise to me. So I began to speak to him and he answered
+without stirring, whereat wrath get hold of me and I drew the
+mace upon him, thinking to smite him. But he snatched it from me
+and beat me and my men therewith and overthrew us. So we fled
+from before him and could not prevail against him." At this, the
+King was wroth and said, "Let an hundred men go down to him."
+Accordingly, the hundred men went down to attack him; but he
+arose and fell upon them with the mace and ceased not smiting
+them till he had put them to the rout; when he regained his
+chair; upon which they returned to the King and told him what had
+passed, saying, "O King of the age, he beat us and we fled for
+fear of him." Then the King sent two hundred men against him, but
+these also he put to the rout, and Shams Al-Daulah said to his
+Minister, "I charge thee, O Wazir, take five hundred men and
+bring this eunuch in haste, and with him his master Judar and his
+brothers." Replied the Wazir, "O King of the age, I need no
+soldiers, but will go down to him alone and unarmed." "Go," quoth
+the King, "and do as thou seest suitable." So the Wazir laid down
+his arms and donning a white habit,[FN#304] took a rosary in his
+hand and set out afoot alone and unattended. When he came to
+Judar's gate, he saw the slave sitting there; so he went up to
+him and seating himself by his side courteously, said to him,
+"Peace be with thee!"; whereto he replied, "And on thee be peace,
+O mortal! What wilt thou?" When the Wazir heard him say "O
+mortal," he knew him to be of the Jinn and quaked for fear; then
+he asked him, "O my lord, tell me, is thy master Judar here?"
+Answered the eunuch, "Yes, he is in the palace." Quoth the
+Minister, "O my lord, go thou to him and say to him, 'King Shams
+Al-Daulah saluteth thee and biddeth thee honour his dwelling with
+thy presence and eat of a banquet he hath made for thee;'" Quoth
+the eunuch, "Tarry thou here, whilst I consult him. So the Wazir
+stood in a respectful attitude, whilst the Marid went up to the
+palace and said to Judar, "Know, O my lord, that the King sent to
+thee an Emir and fifty men, and I beat them and drove them away.
+Then he sent an hundred men and I beat them also; then two
+hundred, and these also I put to the rout. And now he hath sent
+thee his Wazir unarmed, bidding thee visit him and eat of his
+banquet. What sayst thou?" Said Judar, "Go, bring the Wazir
+hither." So the Marid went down and said to him, "O Wazir, come
+speak with my lord." "On my head be it.", replied he and going in
+to Judar, found him seated, in greater state than the King, upon
+a carpet, whose like the King could not spread, and was dazed and
+amazed at the goodliness of the palace and its decoration and
+appointments, which made him seem as he were a beggar in
+comparison. So he kissed the ground before Judar and called down
+blessings on him; and Judar said to him, "What is thy business, O
+Wazir?" Replied he, "O my lord, thy friend King Shams Al-Daulah
+saluteth thee with the salaam and longeth to look upon thy face;
+wherefore he hath made thee an entertainment. So say, wilt thou
+heal his heart and eat of his banquet?" Quoth Judar, "If he be
+indeed my friend, salute him and bid him come to me." "On my head
+be it," quoth the Minister. Then Judar bringing out the ring
+rubbed it and bade the Jinni fetch him a dress of the best, which
+he gave to the Wazir saying, "Don this dress and go tell the King
+what I say." So the Wazir donned the dress, the like whereof he
+had never donned, and returning to the King told him what had
+passed and praised the palace and that which was therein, saying,
+"Judar biddeth thee to him." So the King called out, "Up, ye men;
+mount your horses and bring me my steed, that we may go to
+Judar!" Then he and his suite rode off for the Cairene palace.
+Meanwhile Judar summoned the Marid and said to him, "It is my
+will that thou bring me some of the Ifrits at thy command in the
+guise of guards and station them in the open square before the
+palace, that the King may see them and be awed by them; so shall
+his heart tremble and he shall know that my power and majesty be
+greater than his." Thereupon Al-Ra'ad brought him two hundred
+Ifrits of great stature and strength, in the guise of guards,
+magnificently armed and equipped, and when the King came and saw
+these tall burly fellows his heart feared them. Then he entered
+the palace, and found Judar sitting in such state as nor King nor
+Sultan could even. So he saluted him and made his obeisance to
+him, yet Judar rose not to him nor did him honour nor said "Be
+seated," but left him standing,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
+of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-second Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+King entered, Judar rose not to him, nor did him honour nor even
+said "Be seated!"; but left him standing,[FN#305] so that fear
+entered into him and he could neither sit nor go away and said to
+himself, "If he feared me, he would not leave me thus unheeded
+peradventure he will do me a mischief, because of that which I
+did with his brothers." Then said Judar, "O King of the age, it
+beseemeth not the like of thee to wrong the folk and take away
+their good." Replied the King, "O my lord, deign excuse me, for
+greed impelled me to this and fate was thereby fulfilled; and,
+were there no offending, there would be no forgiving." And he
+went on to excuse himself for the past and pray to him for pardon
+and indulgence till he recited amongst other things this poetry,
+
+"O thou of generous seed and true nobility, * Reproach me not for
+     that which came from me to thee
+We pardon thee if thou have wrought us any wrong * And if I
+     wrought the wrong I pray thee pardon me!"
+
+And he ceased not to humble himself before him, till he said,
+"Allah pardon thee!" and bade him be seated. So he sat down and
+Judar invested him with garments of pardon and immunity and
+ordered his brothers spread the table. When they had eaten, he
+clad the whole of the King's company in robes of honour and gave
+them largesse; after which he bade the King depart. So he went
+forth and thereafter came every day to visit Judar and held not
+his Divan save in his house: wherefore friendship and familiarity
+waxed great between them, and they abode thus awhile, till one
+day the King, being alone with his Minister, said to him, "O
+Wazir, I fear lest Judar slay me and take the kingdom away from
+me." Replied the Wazir, "O King of the age, as for his taking the
+kingdom from thee, have no fear of that, for Judar's present
+estate is greater than that of the King, and to take the kingdom
+would be a lowering of his dignity; but, if thou fear that he
+kill thee, thou hast a daughter: give her to him to wife and thou
+and he will be of one condition." Quoth the King, "O Wazir, be
+thou intermediary between us and him"; and quoth the Minister,
+"Do thou invite him to an entertainment and pass the night with
+him in one of thy saloons. Then bid thy daughter don her richest
+dress and ornaments and pass by the door of the saloon. When he
+seeth her, he will assuredly fall in love with her, and when we
+know this, I will turn to him and tell him that she is thy
+daughter and engage him in converse and lead him on, so that thou
+shalt seem to know nothing of the matter, till he ask her to thee
+to wife. When thou hast married him to the Princess, thou and he
+will be as one thing and thou wilt be safe from him; and if he
+die, thou wilt inherit all he hath, both great and small."
+Replied the King, "Thou sayst sooth, O my Wazir," and made a
+banquet and invited thereto Judar who came to the Sultan's palace
+and they sat in the saloon in great good cheer till the end of
+the day. Now the King had commanded his wife to array the maiden
+in her richest raiment and ornaments and carry her by the door of
+the saloon. She did as he told her, and when Judar saw the
+Princess, who had not her match for beauty and grace, he looked
+fixedly at her and said, "Ah!"; and his limbs were loosened; for
+love and longing and passion and pine were sore upon him; desire
+and transport get hold upon him and he turned pale. Quoth the
+Wazir, "May no harm befall thee, O my lord! Why do I see thee
+change colour and in suffering?" Asked Judar, "O Wazir, whose
+daughter is this damsel? Verily she hath enthralled me and
+ravished my reason." Replied the Wazir, "She is the daughter of
+thy friend the King; and if she please thee, I will speak to him
+that he marry thee to her." Quoth Judar, "Do so, O Wazir, and as
+I live, I will bestow on thee what thou wilt and will give the
+King whatsoever he shall ask to her dowry; and we will become
+friends and kinsfolk." Quoth the Minister, "It shall go hard but
+thy desire be accomplished." Then he turned to the King and said
+in his ear, "O King of the age, thy friend Judar seeketh alliance
+with thee and will have me ask of thee for him the hand of thy
+daughter, the Princess Asiyah; so disappoint me not. but accept
+my intercession, and what dowry soever thou askest he will give
+thee." Said the King, "The dowry I have already received, and as
+for the girl, she is his handmaid; I give her to him to wife and
+he will do me honour by accepting her."--And Shahrazad perceived
+the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-third Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+Wazir whispered the King, "Judar seeketh alliance with thee by
+taking thy daughter to wife," the other replied, "The dowry I
+have already received, and the girl is his handmaid: he will do
+me honour by accepting her." So they spent the rest of that night
+together and on the morrow the King held a court, to which he
+summoned great and small, together with the Shaykh
+al-Islam.[FN#306] Then Judar demanded the Princess in marriage
+and the King said, "The dowry I have received." Thereupon they
+drew up the marriage contract and Judar sent for the saddle bags
+containing the jewels and gave them to the King as settlement
+upon his daughter. The drums beat and the pipes sounded and they
+held high festival, whilst Judar went in unto the girl.
+Thenceforward he and the King were as one flesh and they abode
+thus for many days, till Shams al-Daulah died; whereupon the
+troops proclaimed Judar Sultan, and he refused; but they
+importuned him, till he consented and they made him King in his
+father in law's stead. Then he bade build a cathedral mosque over
+the late King's tomb in the Bunduk�niyah[FN#307] quarter and
+endowed it. Now the quarter of Judar's house was called
+Yam�niyah; but, when he became Sultan he built therein a
+congregational mosque and other buildings, wherefore the quarter
+was named after him and was called the Judariyah[FN#308] quarter.
+Moreover, he made his brother S�lim his Wazir of the right and
+his brother Sal�m his Wazir of the left hand; and thus they abode
+a year and no more; for, at the end of that time, S�lim said to
+Sal�m, "O my brother, how long is this state to last? Shall we
+pass our whole lives in slavery to our brother Judar? We shall
+never enjoy luck or lordship whilst he lives," adding, "so how
+shall we do to kill him and take the ring and the saddle bags?"
+Replied Sal�m, "Thou art craftier than I; do thou devise, whereby
+we may kill him." "If I effect this," asked S�lim, "wilt thou
+agree that I be Sultan and keep the ring and that thou be my
+right hand Wazir and have the saddle bags?" Sal�m answered, "I
+consent to this;" and they agreed to slay Judar their brother for
+love of the world and of dominion. So they laid a snare for Judar
+and said to him, "O our brother, verily we have a mind to glory
+in thee and would fain have thee enter our houses and eat of our
+entertainment and solace our hearts." Replied Judar, "So be it,
+in whose house shall the banquet be?" "In mine," said S�lim "and
+after thou hast eaten of my victual, thou shalt be the guest of
+my brother." Said Judar, " 'Tis well," and went with him to his
+house, where he set before him poisoned food, of which when he
+had eaten, his flesh rotted from his bones and he died.[FN#309]
+Then S�lim came up to him and would have drawn the ring from his
+finger, but it resisted him; so he cut off the finger with a
+knife. Then he rubbed the ring and the Marid presented himself,
+saying, "Adsum! Ask what thou wilt." Quoth S�lim, "Take my
+brother Sal�m and put him to death and carry forth the two
+bodies, the poisoned and the slaughtered, and cast them down
+before the troops." So the Marid took Sal�m and slew him; then,
+carrying the two corpses forth, he cast them down before the
+chief officers of the army, who were sitting at table in the
+parlour of the house. When they saw Judar and Sal�m slain, they
+raised their hands from the food and fear get hold of them and
+they said to the Marid, "Who hath dealt thus with the Sultan and
+the Wazir Replied the Jinni, "Their brother S�lim." And behold,
+S�lim came up to them and said, "O soldiers, eat and make merry,
+for Judar is dead and I have taken to me the seal ring, whereof
+the Marid before you is the servant; and I bade him slay my
+brother Sal�m lest he dispute the kingdom with me, for he was a
+traitor and I feared lest he should betray me. So now I am become
+Sultan over you; will ye accept of me? If not, I will rub the
+ring and bid the Marid slay you all, great and small."--And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say.
+
+     When it was the Six Hundred and  Twenty-fourth Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
+S�lim said to the officers, "Will ye accept me as your Sultan,
+otherwise I will rub the ring and the Marid shall slay you all,
+great and small?"; they replied, "We accept thee to King and
+Sultan." Then he bade bury his brothers and summoned the Divan;
+and some of the folk followed the funeral, whilst others forewent
+him in state procession to the audience hall of the palace, where
+he sat down on the throne and they did homage to him as King;
+after which he said, "It is my will to marry my brother Judar's
+wife." Quoth they, "Wait till the days of widowhood are
+accomplished.[FN#310] Quoth he, "I know not days of widowhood nor
+aught else. As my head liveth, I needs must go in unto her this
+very night." So they drew up the marriage contract and sent to
+tell the Princess Asiyah, who replied, "Bid him enter."
+Accordingly, he went in to her and she received him with a show
+of joy and welcome; but by and by she gave him poison in water
+and made an end of him. Then she took the ring and broke it, that
+none might possess it thenceforward, and tore up the saddle bags;
+after which she sent to the Shaykh al-Islam and other great
+officers of state, telling them what had passed and saying to
+them, "Choose you out a King to rule over you." And this is all
+that hath come down to us of the Story of Judar and his
+Brethren.[FN#311] But I have also heard, O King, a tale called
+the
+
+
+
+
+        HISTORY OF GHARIB AND HIS BROTHER AJIB.[FN#312]
+
+
+
+There was once in olden time a King of might, Kundamir highs, who
+had been a brave and doughty man of war, a Kahram�n,[FN#313] in
+his day, but was grown passing old and decrepit. Now it pleased
+Allah to vouchsafe him, in his extreme senility, a son, whom he
+named Aj�b[FN#314]--the Wonderful--because of his beauty and
+loveliness; so he committed the babe to the midwives and wet-
+nurses and handmaids and serving-women, and they reared him till
+he was full seven years old, when his father gave him in charge
+to a divine of his own folk and faith. The priest taught him the
+laws and tenets of their Misbelief and instructed him in
+philosophy and all manner of other knowledge, and it needed but
+three full told years ere he was proficient therein and his
+spirit waxed resolute and his judgment mature; and he became
+learned, eloquent and philosophic[FN#315]; consorting with the
+wise and disputing with the doctors of the law. When his father
+saw this of him, it pleased him and he taught him to back the
+steed and stab with spear and smite with sword, till he grew to
+be an accomplished cavalier, versed in all martial exercises;
+and, by the end of his twentieth year, he surpassed in all things
+all the folk of his day. But his skill in weapons made him grow
+up a stubborn tyrant and a devil arrogant, using to ride forth a-
+hunting and a-chasing amongst a thousand horsemen and to make
+raids and razzias upon the neighbouring knights, cutting off
+caravans and carrying away the daughters of Kings and nobles;
+wherefore many brought complaints against him to his father, who
+cried out to five of his slaves and when they came said, "Seize
+this dog!" So they seized Prince Ajib and, pinioning his hands
+behind him, beat him by his father's command till he lost his
+senses; after which the King imprisoned him in a chamber so dark
+one might not know heaven from earth or length from breadth; and
+there he abode two days and a night. Then the Emirs went in to
+the King and, kissing the ground between his hands, interceded
+with him for the Prince, and he released him. So Ajib bore with
+his father for ten days, at the end of which he went in to him as
+he slept by night and smote his neck. When the day rose, he
+mounted the throne of his sire's estate and bade his men arm
+themselves cap-�-pie in steel and stand with drawn swords in
+front of him and on his right hand and on his left. By and by,
+the Emirs and Captains entered and finding their King slain and
+his son Ajib seated on the throne were confounded in mind and
+knew not what to do. But Ajib said to them, "O folk, verily ye
+see what your King hath gained. Whoso obeyeth me, I will honour
+him, and whoso gainsayeth me I will do with him that which I did
+with my sire." When they heard these words they feared lest he do
+them a mischief; so they replied, "Thou art our King and the son
+of our King;" and kissed ground before him; whereupon he thanked
+them and rejoiced in them. Then he bade bring forth money and
+apparel and clad them in sumptuous robes of honour and showered
+largesse upon them, wherefore they all loved him and obeyed him.
+In like manner he honoured the governors of the Provinces and the
+Shaykhs of the Badawin, both tributary and independent, so that
+the whole kingdom submitted to him and the folk obeyed him and he
+reigned and bade and forbade in peace and quiet for a time of
+five months. One Night, however, he dreamed a dream as he lay
+slumbering; whereupon he awoke trembling, nor did sleep visit him
+again till the morning. As soon as it was dawn he mounted his
+throne and his officers stood before him, right and left. Then he
+called the oneiromants and the astrologers and said to them
+"Expound to me my dream!" "What was the dream?" asked they; and
+he answered, "As I slept last Night, I saw my father standing
+before me, with his yard uncovered, and there came forth of it a
+thing the bigness of a bee, which grew till it became as a mighty
+lion, with claws like hangers. As I lay wondering at this lo! it
+ran upon me and smiting me with its claws, rent my belly in
+sunder; whereupon I awoke startled and trembling. So expound ye
+to me the meaning of this dream." The interpreters looked one at
+other; and, after considering, said, "O mighty King, this dream
+pointeth to one born of thy sire, between whom and thee shall
+befal strife and enmity, wherein he shall get the better of thee:
+so be on thy guard against him, by reason of this thy vision."
+When Ajib heard their words, he said, "I have no brother whom I
+should fear; so this your speech is mere lying." They replied,
+"We tell thee naught save what we know;" but he was an angered
+with them and bastinadoed them. Then he rose and, going in to the
+paternal palace, examined his father's concubines and found one
+of them seven months gone with child; whereupon he gave an order
+to two of his slaves, saying, "Take this damsel, ye twain, and
+carry her to the sea-shore and drown her." So they took her
+forthright and, going to the sea-shore, designed to drown her,
+when they looked at her and seeing her to be of singular beauty
+and loveliness said to each other, "Why should we drown this
+damsel? Let us rather carry her to the forest and live with her
+there in rare love-liasse." Then they took her and fared on with
+her days and nights till they had borne her afar off and had
+brought her to a bushy forest, abounding in fruit-trees and
+streams, where they both thought at the same time to win their
+will of her; but each said, "I will have her first." So they fell
+out one with the other concerning this, and while so doing a
+company of blackamoors came down upon them, and they drew their
+swords and both sides fell to laying on load. The mellay waxed
+hot with cut and thrust; and the two slaves fought their best;
+but the blacks slew them both in less than the twinkling of an
+eye. So the damsel abode alone and wandered about the forest,
+eating of its fruits and drinking of its founts, till in due time
+she gave birth to a boy, brown but clean limbed and comely, whom
+she named Ghar�b, the Stranger, by reason of her strangerhood.
+Then she cut his navel-string and wrapping him in some of her own
+clothes, gave him to suck, harrowed at heart, and with vitals
+sorrowing for the estate she had lost and its honour and solace.
+And Shahrazed perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
+permitted say,
+
+      When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-fifth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the damsel
+abode in the bush harrowed at heart and a-sorrowed; but she
+suckled her babe albeit she was full of grief and fear for her
+loneliness. Now behold, one day, there came horsemen and footmen
+into the forest with hawks and hounds and horses laden with
+partridges and cranes and wild geese and divers and other
+waterfowl; and young ostriches and hares and gazelles and wild
+oxen and lynxes and wolves and lions.[FN#316] Presently, these
+Arabs entered the thicket and came upon the damsel, sitting with
+her child on her breast a-suckling him: so they drew near and
+asked her, "Say art thou a mortal or a Jinniyah?" Answered she,
+"I am a mortal, O Chiefs of the Arabs." Thereupon they told their
+Emir, whose name was Mard�s, Prince of the Ban� Kaht�n,[FN#317]
+and who had come forth that day to hunt with five hundred of his
+cousins and the nobles of his tribe, and who in the course of the
+chase had happened upon her. He bade them bring her before him,
+which they did and she related to him her past from first to
+last, whereat he marvelled. Then he cried to his kinsmen and
+escort to continue the chase, after which they took her and
+returned to their encampment, where the Emir appointed her a
+separate dwelling-place and five damsels to serve her; and he
+loved her with exceeding love and went in to her and lay with
+her. She conceived by him straightway, and, when her months were
+accomplished, she bare a man child and named him Sah�m al-
+Layl.[FN#318] He grew up with his brother Gharib among the nurses
+and throve and waxed upon the lap of the Emir Mardas who, in due
+time committed the two boys to a Fakih for instruction in the
+things of their faith; after which he gave them in charge to
+valiant knights of the Arabs, for training them to smite with
+sword and lunge with lance and shoot with shaft; so by the time
+they reached the age of fifteen, they knew all they needed and
+surpassed each and every brave of their tribe; for Gharib would
+undertake a thousand horse and Sahim al-Layl no fewer. Now Mardas
+had many enemies, and the men of his tribe were the bravest of
+all the Arabs, being doughty cavaliers, none might warm himself
+at their fire.[FN#319] In his neighbourhood was an Emir of the
+Arabs, Hassan bin S�bit hight, who was his intimate friend; and
+he took to wife a noble lady of his tribe and bade all his
+friends to the wedding, amongst them Mardas lord of the Banu
+Kahtan, who accepted his invitation and set forth with three
+hundred riders of his tribe, leaving other four hundred to guard
+the women. Hassan met him with honour and seated him in the
+highest stead. Then came all the cavaliers to the bridal and he
+made them bride-feasts and held high festival by reason of the
+marriage, after which the Arabs departed to their dwelling-
+places. When Mardas came in sight of his camp, he saw slain men
+lying about and birds hovering over them right and left; and his
+heart sank within him at the sight. Then he entered the camp and
+was met by Gharib, clad in complete suit of ring-mail, who gave
+him joy of his safe return. Quoth Mardas, "What meaneth this
+case, O Gharib?"; and quoth Gharib, "Al-Hamal bin M�jid attacked
+us with five hundred horsemen of his tribe." Now the reason of
+this was that the Emir Mardas had a daughter called Mahd�yah,
+seer never saw fairer than she, and Al-Hamal, lord of the Banu
+Nabh�n,[FN#320] heard of her charms; whereupon he took horse with
+five hundred of his men and rode to Mardas to demand her hand;
+but he was not accepted and was sent away disappointed.[FN#321]
+So he awaited till Mardas was absent on his visit to Hassan, when
+he mounted with his champions and, falling upon the camp of the
+Banu Kahtan, slew a number of their knights and the rest fled to
+the mountains. Now Gharib and his brother had ridden forth a-
+hunting and chasing with an hundred horse and returned not till
+midday, when they found that Al-Hamal had seized the camp and all
+therein and had carried off the maidens, among whom was Mahdiyah,
+driving her away with the captives. When Gharib saw this, he lost
+his wits for rage and cried out to Sahim, saying, "O my brother,
+O son of an accursed dam,[FN#322] they have plundered our camp
+and carried off our women and children! Up and at the enemy, that
+we may deliver the captives!" So Gharib and Sahim and their
+hundred horse rushed upon the foe, and Gharib's wrath redoubled,
+and he reaped a harvest of heads slain, giving the champions
+death-cup to drain, till he won to Al-Hamal and saw Mahdiyah
+among the captives. Then he drave at the lord of the Banu Nabhan
+braves; with his lance lunged him and from his destrier hurled
+him; nor was the time of mid-afternoon prayer come before he had
+slain the most part of the foe and put to rout the rest and
+rescued the captives; whereupon he returned to the camp in
+triumph, bearing the head of Al-Hamal on the point of his lance
+and improvising these couplets,
+
+"I am he who is known on the day of fight, * And the Jinn of
+     earth at my shade take fright:
+And a sword have I when my right hand wields, * Death hastens
+     from left on mankind to alight;
+I have eke a lance and who look thereon * See a crescent head of
+     the liveliest light.[FN#323]
+And Gharib I'm highs of my tribe the brave * And if few my men I
+     feel naught affright."
+
+Hardly had Gharib made an end of these verses when up came Mardas
+who, seeing the slain and the vultures, was sore troubled and
+with fluttering heart asked the cause. The youth, after due
+greetings, related all that had befallen the tribe in his step-
+sire's absence. So Mardas thanked him and said, "Thou hast well
+requited our fosterage-pains in rearing thee, O Gharib!"; then he
+alighted and entered his pavilion, and the men stood about him,
+all the tribe praising Gharib and saying, "O our Emir, but for
+Gharib, not one of the tribe had been saved!" And Mardas again
+thanked him.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
+to say her permitted say,
+
+      When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-sixth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Mardas,
+hearing the tribesmen's praises of Gharib, again thanked him for
+his derring-do. But the youth, when he had delivered Mahdiyah
+from Al-Hamal whom he slew, was smitten by the shaft of her
+glances and fell into the nets of her allurements, wherefore his
+heart could not forget her and he became drowned in love and
+longing and the sweets of sleep forsook him and he had no joy of
+drink or meat. He would spur his horse up to the mountain tops,
+where he would spend the day in composing verses and return at
+nightfall; and indeed manifest upon him were the signs of
+affection and distraction. He discovered his secret to one of his
+companions and it became noised abroad in the camp, till it
+reached the ears of Mardas, who thundered and lightened and rose
+up and sat down and sparked and snorted and reviled the sun and
+the moon, saying, "This is the reward of him who reareth the sons
+of adultery! But except I kill Gharib, I shall be put to
+shame.''[FN#324] Then he consulted one of the wise men of his
+tribe and after telling his secret took counsel with him of
+killing the youth. Quoth the elder, "O Emir, 'twas but yesterday
+that he freed thy daughter from captivity. If there be no help
+for it but thou must slay him, let it be by the hand of another
+than thyself, so none of the folk may misdoubt of thee." Quoth
+Mardas, "Advise me how I may do him die, for I look to none but
+to thee for his death." "O Emir," answered the other, "wait till
+he go forth to hunt and chase, when do thou take an hundred horse
+and lie in wait for him in some cave till he pass; then fall upon
+him unawares and cut him in pieces, so shalt thou be quit of his
+reproach." Said Mardas, "This should serve me well;" and chose
+out an hundred and fifty of his furious knights and
+Amalekites[FN#325] whom he lessoned to his will. Then he watched
+Gharib till one day, he went forth to hunt and rode far away
+amongst the dells and hills; whereupon Mardas followed him with
+his men, ill-omened wights, and lay in wait for him by the way
+against he should return from the chase that they might sally
+forth and slay him. But as they lay in ambush among the trees
+behold, there fell upon them five hundred true Amalekites, who
+slew sixty of them and made fourscore and ten prisoners and
+trussed up Mardas with his arms behind his back. Now the reason
+of this was that when Gharib put Al-Hamal and his men to the
+sword, the rest fled and ceased not flying till they reached
+their lord's brother and told him what had happened, whereat his
+Doom-day rose and he gathered together his Amalekites and
+choosing out five hundred cavaliers, each fifty ells
+high,[FN#326] set out with them in quest of blood-revengement for
+his brother. By the way he fell in with Mardas and his companions
+and there happened between them what happened; after which he
+bade his men alight and rest, saying, "O folk, the idols have
+given us an easy brood-wreak; so guard ye Mardas and his
+tribesmen, till I carry them away and do them die with the
+foulest of deaths." When Mardas saw himself a prisoner, he
+repented of what he had done and said, "This is the reward of
+rebelling against the Lord!" Then the enemy passed the night
+rejoicing in their victory, whilst Mardas and his men despaired
+of life and made sure of doom. So far concerning them; but as
+regards Sahim al-Layl, who had been wounded in the fight with Al-
+Hamal, he went in to his sister Mahdiyah, and she rose to him and
+kissed his hands, saying, "May thy two hands ne'er wither nor
+thine enemies have occasion to be blither! But for thee and
+Gharib, we had not escaped captivity among our foes. Know,
+however, O my brother, that thy father hath ridden forth with an
+hundred and fifty horse, purposing to slaughter Gharib; and thou
+wottest it would be sore loss and foul wrong to slay him, for
+that it was he who saved your shame and rescued your good." When
+Sahim heard this, the light in his sight became Night, he donned
+his battle-harness; and, mounting steed, rode for the place where
+Gharib was a-hunting. He presently came up with him and found
+that he had taken great plenty of game; so he accosted him and
+saluted him and said, "O my brother, why didst thou go forth
+without telling me?" Replied Gharib, "By Allah, naught hindered
+me but that I saw thee wounded and thought to give thee rest."
+Then said Sahim, "O my brother, beware of my sire!" and told him
+how Mardas was abroad with an hundred and fifty men, seeking to
+slay him. Quoth Gharib, "Allah shall cause his treason to cut his
+own throat." Then the brothers set out campwards, but night
+overtook them by the way and they rode on in the darkness, till
+they drew near the Wady wherein the enemy lay and heard the
+neighing of steeds in the gloom; whereupon said Sahim, "O my
+brother, my father and his men are ambushed in yonder valley; let
+us flee from it." But Gharib dismounted and throwing his bridle
+to his brother, said to him, "Stay in this stead till I come back
+to thee." Then he went on till he drew in sight of the folk, when
+he saw that they were not of his tribe and heard them naming
+Mardas and saying, "We will not slay him, save in his own land."
+Wherefore he knew that nuncle Mardas was their prisoner, and
+said, "By the life of Mahdiyah, I will not depart hence till I
+have delivered her father, that she may not be troubled!" Then he
+sought and ceased not seeking till he hit upon Mardas and found
+him bound with cords; so he sat down by his side and said to him,
+"Heaven deliver thee, O uncle, from these bonds and this shame!"
+When Mardas saw Gharib his reason fled, and he said to him, "O my
+son, I am under thy protection: so deliver me in right of my
+fosterage of thee!" Quoth Gharib, "If I deliver thee, wilt thou
+give me Mahdiyah?" Quoth the Emir, "O my son, by whatso I hold
+sacred, she is thine to all time!" So he loosed him, saying,
+"Make for the horses, for thy son Sahim is there:" and Mardas
+crept along like a snake till he came to his son, who rejoiced in
+him and congratulated him on his escape. Meanwhile, Gharib
+unbound one after another of the prisoners, till he had freed the
+whole ninety and they were all far from the foe. Then he sent
+them their weapons and war horses, saying to them, "Mount ye and
+scatter yourselves round about the enemy and cry out, Ho, sons of
+Kahtan! And when they awake, do ye remove from them and encircle
+them in a thin ring.''[FN#327] So he waited till the last and
+third watch of the Night, when he cried out, "Ho, sons of
+Kahtan!" and his men answered in like guise, crying, "Ho, sons of
+Kahtan," as with one voice; and the mountains echoed their
+slogan, so that it seemed to the raiders as though the whole
+tribe of Banu Kahtan were assailing them; wherefore they all
+snatched up their arms and fell upon one another,--And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say,
+
+     When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-seventh Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+raiders[FN#328] awoke from sleep and heard Gharib and his men
+crying out, "Ho, sons of Kahtan!"; they imagined that the whole
+tribe was assailing them; wherefore they snatched up their arms
+and fell one upon other with mighty slaughter. Gharib and his men
+held aloof, and they fought one another till daybreak, when
+Gharib and Mardas and their ninety warriors came down upon them
+and killed some of them and put the rest to flight. Then the Banu
+Kahtan took the horses of the fugitives and the weapons of the
+slain and returned to their tribal camp, whilst Mardas could
+hardly credit his deliverance from the foe. When they reached the
+encampment, the stay-at-home folk all came forth to meet them and
+rejoiced in their safe return. Then they alighted and betook them
+to their tents; and all the youths of the tribe flocked to
+Gharib's stead and great and small saluted him and did him
+honour. But when Mardas saw this and the youths encircling his
+stepson he waxed more jealous of Gharib than before and said to
+his kinsfolk, "Verily, hatred of Gharib groweth on my heart, and
+what irketh me most is that I see these flocking about him! And
+to-morrow he will demand Mahdiyah of me." Quoth his confidant, "O
+Emir, ask of him somewhat he cannot avail to do." This pleased
+Mardas who passed a pleasant night and on the morrow, as he sat
+on his stuffed carpet, with the Arabs about him, Gharib entered,
+followed by his men and surrounded by the youth of the tribe, and
+kissed the ground before Mardas who, making a show of joy, rose
+to do him honour and seated him beside himself. Then said Gharib,
+"O uncle, thou madest me a promise; do thou fulfil it." Replied
+the Emir, "O my son, she is thine to all time; but thou lackest
+wealth." Quoth Gharib, "O uncle, ask of me what thou wilt, and I
+will fall upon the Emirs of the Arabs in their houses and on the
+Kings in their towns and bring thee fee[FN#329] enough to fence
+the land from East to West." "O my son," quoth Mardas," I have
+sworn by all the Idols that I would not give Mabdiyah save to him
+who should take my blood-wite of mine enemy and do away my
+reproach." "O uncle," said Gharib, "tell me with which of the
+Kings thou hast a feud, that I may go to him and break his throne
+upon his pate." "O my son," replied Mardas, "I once had a son, a
+champion of champions, and he went forth one day to chase and
+hunt with an hundred horse. They fared on from valley to valley,
+till they had wandered far away amongst the mountains and came to
+the Wady of Blossoms and the Castle of H�m bin Shays bin Shadd�d
+bin Khalad. Now in this place, O my son, dwelleth a black giant,
+seventy cubits high, who fights with trees from their roots
+uptorn; and when my son reached his Wady, the tyrant sallied out
+upon him and his men and slew them all, save three braves, who
+escaped and brought me the news. So I assembled my champions and
+fared forth to fight the giant, but could not prevail against
+him; wherefore I was baulked of my revenge and swore that I would
+not give my daughter in marriage save to him who should avenge me
+of my son." Said Gharib, "O uncle, I will go to this Amalekite
+and take the wreak of thy son on him with the help of Almighty
+Allah." And Mardas answered, saying, "O Gharib, if thou get the
+victory over him, thou wilt gain of him such booty of wealth and
+treasures as fires may not devour." Cried Gharib, "Swear to me
+before witnesses thou wilt give me her to wife, so that with
+heart at ease I may go forth to find my fortune." Accordingly,
+Mardas swore this to him and took the elders of the tribe to
+witness; whereupon Gharib fared forth, rejoicing in the
+attainment of his hopes, and went in to his mother, to whom he
+related what had passed. "O my son," said she, "know that Mardas
+hateth thee and doth but send thee to this mountain, to bereave
+me of thee; then take me with thee and let us depart the tents of
+this tyrant." But he answered, "O my mother, I will not depart
+hence till I win my wish and foil my foe." Thereupon he slept
+till morning arose with its sheen and shone, and hardly had he
+mounted his charger when his friends, the young men, came up to
+him; two hundred stalwart knights armed cap-�-pie and cried out
+to him, saying, "Take us with thee; we will help thee and company
+thee by the way." And he rejoiced in them and cried, "Allah
+requite you for us with good!" adding, "Come, my friends, let us
+go." So they set out and fared on the first day and the second
+day till evening, when they halted at the foot of a towering
+mount and baited their horses. As for Gharib, he left the rest
+and walked on into that mountain, till he came to a cave whence
+issued a light. He entered and found, at the higher facing end of
+the cave a Shaykh, three hundred and forty years old, whose
+eyebrows overhung his eyes and whose moustachios hid his mouth.
+Gharib at this sight was filled with awe and veneration, and the
+hermit said to him, "Methinks thou art of the idolaters, O my
+son, stone-worshipping[FN#330] in the stead of the All-powerful
+King, the Creator of Night and Day and of the sphere rolling on
+her way." When Gharib heard his words, his side muscles quivered
+and he said, "O Shaykh, where is this Lord of whom thou speakest,
+that I may worship him and take my fill of his sight?" Replied
+the Shaykh, "O my son, this is the Supreme Lord, upon whom none
+may look in this world. He seeth and is not seen. He is the Most
+High of aspect and is present everywhere in His works. He it is
+who maketh all the made and ordereth time to vade and fade; He is
+the Creator of men and Jinn and sendeth the Prophets to guide His
+creatures into the way of right. Whoso obeyeth Him, He bringeth
+into Heaven, and whoso gainsayeth Him, He casteth into Hell."
+Asked Gharib, "And how, O uncle, saith whoso worshippeth this
+puissant Lord who over all hath power?" "O my son," answered the
+Shaykh, "I am of the tribe of Ad, which were transgressors in the
+land and believed not in Allah. So He sent unto them a Prophet
+named H�d, but they called him liar and he destroyed them by
+means of a deadly wind; but I believed together with some of my
+tribe, and we were saved from destruction.[FN#331] Moreover, I
+was present with the tribe of Tham�d and saw what befel them with
+their Prophet S�lih. After Salih, the Al-mighty sent a prophet,
+called Abraham the Friend,[FN#332] to Nimrod son of Canaan, and
+there befel what befel between them. Then my companions died in
+the Saving Faith and I continued in this cave to serve Allah the
+Most High, who provideth my daily bread without my taking
+thought." Quoth Gharib, "O uncle, what shall I say, that I may
+become of the troop of this mighty Lord?" "Say," replied the old
+man, �There is no god but the God and Abraham is the Friend of
+God.' " So Gharib embraced the Faith of Submission[FN#333] with
+heart and tongue and the Shaykh said to him, "May the sweetness
+of belief and devotion be stablished in thy heart!" Then he
+taught him somewhat of the biblical ordinances and scriptures of
+Al-Islam and said to him, "What is thy name?"; and he replied,
+"My name is Gharib." Asked the old man, "Whither art thou bound,
+O Gharib?" So he told him all his history, till he came to the
+mention of the Gh�l of the Mountain whom he sought,--And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say,
+
+      When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-eighth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib
+became a Moslem and told the Shaykh his past, from first to last,
+till he came to the mention of the Mountain-Ghul whom he sought,
+the old man asked him, "O Gharib, art thou mad that thou goest
+forth against the Ghul of the Mountain single handed?"; and he
+answered, "O my lord, I have with me two hundred horse." "O
+Gharib," rejoined the hermit, "hadst thou ten thousand riders yet
+shouldest thou not prevail against him, for his name is The-Ghul-
+who-eateth-men-we-pray-Allah-for-safety, and he is of the
+children of Ham. His father's name was Hindi who peopled Hind and
+named it, and he left this son after him, whom he called Sa'adan
+the Ghul. Now the same was, O my son, even in his sire's
+lifetime, a cruel tyrant and a rebellious devil and had no other
+food than flesh of the sons of Adam. His father when about to die
+forbade him from this, but he would not be forbidden and he
+redoubled in his forwardness, till Hindi banished him and drove
+him forth the Land of Hind, after battles and sore travail. Then
+he came to this country and fortifying himself herein,
+established his home in this place, whence he is wont to sally
+forth and cut the road of all that come and go, presently
+returning to the valley he haunteth. Moreover, he hath begotten
+five sons, warlike warlocks, each one of whom will do battle with
+a thousand braves, and he hath flocked the valley with his booty
+of treasure and goods besides horses and camels and cattle and
+sheep. Wherefore I fear for thee from him; so do thou implore
+Almighty Allah to further thee against him by the Tahl�l, the
+formula of Unity, and when thou drivest at the Infidels, cry,
+�God is most Great!' for, saying, �There is no god but the God'
+confoundeth those who misbelieve." Then the Shaykh gave him a
+steel mace, an hundred pounds in weight, with ten rings which
+clashed like thunder whenas the wielder brandished it, and a
+sword forged of a thunderbolt,[FN#334] three ells long and three
+spans broad, wherewith if one smote a rock, the stroke would
+cleave it in sunder. Moreover he gave him a hauberk and target
+and a book and said to him, "Return to thy tribe and expound unto
+them Al-Islam." So Gharib left him, rejoicing in his new Faith,
+and fared till he found his companions, who met him with salams,
+saying, "What made thee tarry thus?" Whereupon he related to them
+that which had befallen him and expounded to them Al-Islam, and
+they all islamised. Early next morning, Gharib mounted and rode
+to the hermit to farewell him, after which he set out to return
+to his camp when behold, on his way, there met him a horseman
+cap-�-pie armed so that only his eyes appeared, who made at him,
+saying, "Doff what is on thee, O scum[FN#335] of the Arabs; or I
+will do thee die!" Therewith Gharib crave at him and there befel
+between them a battle such as would make a new-born child turn
+grey and melt the flinty rock with its sore affray; but presently
+the Badawi did off his face-veil, and lo! it was Gharib's half-
+brother Sahim al-Layl. Now the cause of his coming thither was
+that when Gharib set out in quest of the Mountain-Ghul, Sahim was
+absent and on his return, not seeing his brother, he went in to
+his mother, whom he found weeping. He asked the reason of her
+tears and she told him what had happened of his brother's
+journey, whereupon, without allowing himself aught of rest, he
+donned his war-gear and mounting rode after Gharib, till he
+overtook him and there befel between them what befel. When,
+therefore. Sahim discovered his face, Gharib knew him and saluted
+him, saying, "What moved thee to do this?" Quoth Sahim, "I had a
+mind to measure myself with thee in the field and make trial of
+my lustihood in cut and thrust." Then they rode together and on
+the way Gharib expounded Al-Islam to Sahim, who embraced the
+Faith; nor did they cease riding till they were hard upon the
+valley. Meanwhile, the Mountain-Ghul espied the dust of their
+horses' feet and said to his sons, "O my sons, mount and fetch me
+yonder loot." So the five took horse and made for the party. When
+Gharib saw the five Amalekites approaching, he plied shovel-iron
+upon his steed's flank and cried out, saying, "Who are ye, and
+what is your race and what do ye require?" Whereupon Falh�n bin
+Sa'adan, the eldest of the five, came out and said, "Dismount ye
+and bind one another[FN#336] and we will drive you to our father,
+that he may roast various of you and boil various, for it is long
+since he has tasted the flesh of Adam-son." When Gharib heard
+these words he drove at Falhun, shaking his mace, so that the
+rings rang like the roaring thunder and the giant was confounded.
+Then he smote him a light blow with the mace between the
+shoulders, and he fell to the ground like a tall-trunked palm-
+tree; whereupon Sahim and some of his men fell upon him and
+pinioned him; then, putting a rope about his neck, they haled him
+along like a cow. Now when his brothers saw him a prisoner they
+charged home upon Gharib, who took three[FN#337] of them captive
+and the fifth fled back to his sire, who said to him, "What is
+behind thee and where are the brothers of thee?" Quoth he
+"Verily, a beardless youth, forty cubits high, hath taken them
+prisoner." Quoth Sa'adan, "May the sun pour no blessing on you!"
+and, going down from his hold, tore up a huge tree, with which he
+went in quest of Gharib and his folk; and he was on foot, for
+that no horse might carry him, because of the bigness of his
+body. His son followed him and the twain went on till they came
+up with Gharib and his company, when the Ghul fell upon them,
+without word said, and slew five men with his club. Then he made
+at Sahim and struck at him with his tree, but Sahim avoided the
+blow and it fell harmless; whereat Sa'adan was wroth and throwing
+down the weapon, sprang upon Sahim and caught him in his pounces
+as the sparrow hawk catcheth up the sparrow. Now when Gharib saw
+his brother in the Ghul's clutches, he cried out, saying, "Allaho
+Akbar God is most Great! Oh the favour of Abraham the Friend, the
+Muhammad,[FN#338] the Blessed One (whom Allah keep and assain!)"-
+-And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
+permitted say,
+
+      When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-ninth Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
+Gharib saw his brother in the clutches of the Ghul, he cried out,
+saying "Oh the favour of Ibrahim, the Friend, the Blessed One
+(whom Allah keep and assain!) "; and crave his charger at
+Sa'adan, shaking his mace, till the rings loud rang. Then he
+cried out again, "God is most Great!" and smote the Ghul on the
+flat of the ribs with his mace, whereupon he fell to the ground,
+insensible, and loosed his grip on Sahim; nor did he come to
+himself ere he was pinioned and shackled. When his son saw this,
+he turned and fled; but Gharib drove steed after him and smiting
+him with his mace between the shoulders, threw him from his
+horse. So they bound him with his father and brethren and
+haltering them with ropes, haled them all six along like baggage-
+camels, till they reached the Ghul's castle, which they found
+full of goods and treasures and things of price; and there they
+also came upon twelve hundred Ajamis, men of Persia, bound and
+shackled. Gharib sat down on Sa'adan's chair, which had aforetime
+belonged to S�s�[FN#339] bin Shays bin Shaddad bin Ad causing
+Sahim to stand on his right and his companions on his either
+hand, and sending for the Ghul of the Mountain, said to him, "How
+findest thou thyself, O accursed?" Replied Sa'adan, "O my lord,
+in the sorriest of plights for abasement and mortification; my
+sons and I, we are bound with ropes like camels." Quoth Gharib,
+"It is my will that you enter my faith, the faith Al-Islam highs,
+and acknowledge the Unity of the All knowing King whose All-might
+created Light and Night and every thing, there is no God �but He,
+the Requiting King! and confess the mission and prophethood of
+Abraham the Friend (on whom be peace!)." So the Ghul and his sons
+made the required profession after the goodliest fashion, and
+Gharib bade loose their bonds; whereupon Sa'adan wept and would
+have kissed his feet, he and his sons: but Gharib forbade them
+and they stood with the rest who stood before him. Then said
+Gharib, "Harkye, Sa'adan!"; and he replied, "At thy service, O my
+lord!" Quoth Gharib, "What are these captives?" "O my lord,"
+quoth the Ghul, "these are my game from the land of the Persians
+and are not the only ones." Asked Gharib, "And who is with
+them?"; and Sa'adan answered, "O my lord, there is with them the
+Princess Fakhr T�j, daughter of King Sab�r of Persia,[FN#340] and
+an hundred damsels like moons." When Gharib heard this, he
+marvelled and said, "O Emir, how came ye by these?" Replied
+Sa'adan, "I went forth one night with my sons and five of my
+slaves in quest of booty, but finding no spoil in our way, we
+dispersed over wilds and words and fared on, hoping we might
+happen on somewhat of prey and not return emptyhanded, till we
+found ourselves in the land of the Persians. Presently, we espied
+a dust cloud and sent on to reconnoitre one of our slaves, who
+was absent a while and presently returned and said, �O my lord,
+this is the Princess Fakhr Taj, daughter of Sabur, King of the
+Persians, Turcomans and Medes; and she is on a journey, attended
+by two thousand horse.' Quoth I, �Thou hast gladdened us with
+good news! We could have no finer loot than this.' Then I and my
+sons fell upon the Persians and slew of them three hundred men
+and took the Princess and twelve hundred cavaliers prisoners,
+together with all that was with her of treasure and riches and
+brought them to this our castle." Quoth Gharib, "Hast thou
+offered any violence to the Princess Fakhr Taj?" Quoth Sa'adan,
+"Not I, as thy head liveth and by the virtue of the Faith I have
+but now embraced!" Gharib replied "It was well done of thee, O
+Sa'adan, for her father is King of the world and doubtless he
+will despatch troops in quest of her and lay waste the dwellings
+of those who took her. And whoso looketh not to issue and end
+hath not Fate to friend. But where is the damsel?" Said Sa'adan,
+"I have set apart a pavilion for her and her damsels;" and said
+Gharib, "Show me her lodging," whereto Sa'adan rejoined,
+"Hearkening and obedience!" So he carried him to the pavilion,
+and there he found the Princess mournful and cast down, weeping
+for her former condition of dignity and delight. When Gharib saw
+her, he thought the moon was near him and magnified Allah, the
+All-hearing, the All-seeing. The Princess also looked at him and
+saw him a princely cavalier, with velour shining from between his
+eyes and testifying for him and not against him; so she rose and
+kissed his hands, then fell at his feet, saying, "O hero of the
+age, I am under thy protection; guard me from this Ghul, for I
+fear lest he do away my maidenhead and after devour me. So take
+me to serve thine handmaidens." Quoth Gharib, "Thou art safe and
+thou shalt be restored to thy father and the seat of thy
+worship." Whereupon she prayed that he might live long and have
+advancement in rank and honour. Then he bade unbind the Persians
+and, turning to the Princess, said to her, "What brought thee
+forth of thy palace to the wilds and wastes, so that the highway-
+robbers made prize of thee?" She replied, "O my lord, my father
+and all the people of his realm, Turks and Daylamites, are
+Magians, worshipping fire, and not the All-powerful King. Now in
+our country is a monastery called the Monastery of the Fire,
+whither every year the daughters of the Magians and worshippers
+of the Fire resort at the time of their festival and abide there
+a month, after which they return to their houses. So I and my
+damsels set out, as of wont, attended by two thousand horse, whom
+my father sent with me to guard me; but by the way this Ghul came
+out against us and slew some of us and, taking the rest captive,
+imprisoned us in this hold. This, then, is what befel me, O
+valiant champion, whom Allah guard against the shifts of Time!"
+And Gharib said, "Fear not; for I will bring thee to thy palace
+and the seat of thy honours." Wherefore she blessed him and
+kissed his hands and feet. Then he went out from her, after
+having commanded to treat her with respect, and slept till
+morning, when he made the Wuzu-ablution and prayed a two-bow
+prayer, after the rite of our father Abraham the Friend (on whom
+be peace!), whilst the Ghul and his sons and Gharib's company all
+did the like after him. Then he turned to the Ghul and said to
+him, "O Sa'adan, wilt thou not show me the Wady of
+Blossoms?''[FN#341] "I will, O my lord," answered he. So Gharib
+and his company and Princess Fakhr Taj and her maidens all rose
+and went forth, whilst Sa'adan commanded his slaves and slave-
+girls to slaughter and cook and make ready the morning-meal and
+bring it to them among the trees. For the Giant had an hundred
+and fifty handmaids and a thousand chattels to pasture his camels
+and oxen and sheep. When they came to the valley, they found it
+beautiful exceedingly and passing all degree; and birds on tree
+sang joyously and the mocking-nightingale trilled out her melody,
+and the cushat filled with her moan the mansions made by the
+Deity,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
+her permitted say,
+
+        When it was the Six Hundred and Thirtieth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib
+and his merry men and the Giant and his tribe reached the Wady of
+Blossoms they found birds flying free; the cushat filling with
+her moan the mansions made by the Deity, the bulbul singing as if
+'twere human harmony and the merle whom to describe tongue
+faileth utterly; the turtle, whose plaining maddens men for
+loveecstasy and the ringdove and the popinjay answering her with
+fluency. There also were trees laden with all manner of fruitery,
+of each two kinds,[FN#342] the pomegranate, sweet and sour upon
+branches growing luxuriantly, the almond-apricot,[FN#343] the
+camphor-apricot[FN#344] and the almond Khorasan highs; the plum,
+with whose branches the boughs of the myrobalan were entwined
+tight; the orange, as it were a cresses flaming light, the
+shaddock weighed down with heavy freight; the lemon, that cures
+lack of appetite, the citron against jaundice of sovereign might,
+and the date, red and yellow-bright, the especial handiwork of
+Allah the Most High. Of the like of this place saith the
+enamoured poet,
+
+"When its birds in the lake make melody, * The lorn lover
+     yearneth its sight to see:
+'Tis as Eden breathing a fragrant breeze, * With its shade and
+     fruits and rills flowing free."
+
+Gharib marvelled at the beauty of that Wady and bade them set up
+there the pavilion of Fakhr Taj the Chosroite; so they pitched it
+among the trees and spread it with rich tapestries. Then he sat
+down and the slaves brought food and they ate their sufficiency;
+after which quoth Gharib, "Harkye, Sa'adan!": and quoth he, "At
+thy service, O my lord." "Hast thou aught of wine?" asked Gharib,
+and Sa'adan answered, "Yes, I have a cistern full of old wine."
+Said Gharib, "Bring us some of it." So Sa'adan sent ten slaves,
+who returned with great plenty of wine, and they ate and drank
+and were mirthful and merry. And Gharib bethought him of Mahdiyah
+and improvised these couplets,
+
+"I mind our union days when ye were nigh, * And flames my heart
+     with love's consuming lowe.
+By Allah, Ne'er of will I quitted you: * But shifts of Time from
+     you com pelled me go:
+Peace and fair luck and greetings thousand-fold * To you, from
+     exiled lover's pining woe."
+
+They abode eating and drinking and taking their pleasure in the
+valley for three days, after which they returned to the castle.
+Then Gharib called Sahim and said to him, "Take an hundred horse
+and go to thy father and mother and thy tribe, the Banu Kahtan,
+and bring them all to this place, here to pass the rest of their
+days, whilst I carry the Princess of Persia back to her father.
+As for thee, O Sa'adan, tarry thou here with thy sons, till I
+return to thee." Asked Sa'adan, "And why wilt thou not carry me
+with thee to the land of the Persians?"; and Gharib answered,
+"Because thou stolest away King Sabur's daughter and if his eye
+fall on thee, he will eat thy flesh and drink thy blood." When
+the Ghul heard this, he laughed a loud laugh, as it were the
+pealing thunder, and said, "O my lord, by the life of thy head,
+if the Persians and Medes united against me, I would make them
+quaff the cup of annihilation." Quoth Gharib, " 'Tis as thou
+sayest;[FN#345] but tarry thou here in fort till I return to
+thee;" and quoth the Ghul, "I hear and I obey." Then Sahim
+departed with his comrades of the Banu Kahtan for the dwelling
+places of their tribe, and Gharib set out with Princess Fakhr Taj
+and her company, intending for the cities of Sabur, King of the
+Persians. Thus far concerning them; but as regards King Sabur, he
+abode awaiting his daughter's return from the Monastery of the
+Fire, and when the appointed time passed by and she came not,
+flames raged in his heart. Now he had forty Wazirs, whereof the
+oldest, wisest and chiefest was highs Dayd�n: so he said to him,
+"O Minister, verily my daughter delayeth her return and I have no
+news of her though the appointed time is past; so do thou send a
+courier to the Monastery of the Fire to learn what is come of
+her." "Hearkening and obedience," replied Daydan; and, summoning
+the chief of the couriers, said to him, "Wend thou forthright to
+the Monastery." So he lost no time and when he reached it, he
+asked the monks of the King's daughter, but they said, "We have
+not seen her this year." So the courier returned to the city of
+Isb�n�r[FN#346] and told the Wazir, who went in to the King and
+acquainted him with the message. Now when Sabur heard this, he
+cast his crown on the ground, tore his beard and fell down in a
+trance. They sprinkled water upon him, and presently he came to
+himself, tearful-eyed and heavy-hearted, and repeated the words
+of the poet,
+
+"When I far-parted patience call and tears, * Tears came to call
+     but Patience never hears:
+What, then, if Fortune parted us so far? * Fortune and Perfidy
+     are peers
+
+Then he called ten of his captains and bade them mount with a
+thousand horse and ride in different directions, in quest of his
+daughter. So they mounted forthright and departed each with his
+thousand; whilst Fakhr Taj's mother clad herself and her women in
+black and strewed ashes on her head and sat weeping and
+lamenting. Such was their case;--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
+of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+
+      When it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-first Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that King Sabur
+sent his troops in quest of his daughter, whose mother clad
+herself and her women in black. Such was their case; but as
+regards the strange adventures of Gharib and the Princess, they
+journeyed on ten days, and on the eleventh day, appeared a dust
+cloud which rose to the confines of the sky; whereupon Gharib
+called the Emir of the Persians and said to him, "Go learn the
+cause thereof." "I hear and obey," replied he and crave his
+charger, till he came under the cloud of dust, where he saw folk
+and enquired of them. Quoth one of them, "We are of the Banu
+Hatt�l and are questing for plunder; our Emir is Samsam bin Al-
+Jir�h and we are five thousand horse." The Persians returned in
+haste and told their saying to Gharib, who cried out to his men
+of the Banu Kahtan and to the Persians, saying, "Don your arms!"
+They did as he bade them and presently up came the Arabs who were
+shouting, "A plunder! a plunder!" Quoth Gharib, "Allah confound
+you, O dogs of Arabs!" Then he loosed his horse and drove at them
+with the career of a right valiant kNight, shouting, "Allaho
+Akbar! Ho for the faith of Abraham the Friend, on whom be peace!"
+And there befel between them great fight and sore fray and the
+sword went round in sway and there was much said and say; nor did
+they leave fighting till fled the day and gloom came, when they
+drew from one another away. Then Gharib numbered his tribesmen
+and found that five of the Banu Kahtan had fallen and three-and-
+seventy of the Persians; but of the Banu Hattal they had slain
+more than five hundred horse. As for Samsam, he alighted and
+sought nor meat nor sleep, but said, "In all my life I never saw
+such a fighter as this youth! Anon he fighteth with the sword and
+anon with the mace; but, to-morrow I will go forth on champion
+wise and defy him to combat of twain in battle plain where edge
+and point are fain and I will cut off these Arabs." Now, when
+Gharib returned to his camp, the Princess Fakhr Taj met him,
+weeping and affrighted for the terror of that which had befallen,
+and kissed his foot in the stirrup, saying, "May thy hands never
+wither nor thy foes be blither, O champion of the age!
+Alhamdolillah--Praise to God--who hath saved thee alive this day!
+Verily, I am in fear for thee from yonder Arabs." When Gharib
+heard this, he smiled in her face and heartened and comforted
+her, saying, "Fear not, O Princess! Did the enemy fill this wild
+and wold yet would I scatter them, by the might of Allah
+Almighty." She thanked him and prayed that he might be given the
+victory over his foes; after which she returned to her women and
+Gharib went to his tent, where he cleansed himself of the blood
+of the Infidels, and they lay on guard through the night. Next
+morning, the two hosts mounted and sought the plain where cut and
+thrust ruled sovereign. The first to prick into the open was
+Gharib, who crave his charger till he was near the Infidels and
+cried out, "Who is for jousting with me? Let no sluggard or
+weakling come out to me!" Whereupon there rushed forth a giant
+Amalekite of the lineage of the tribe of Ad, armed with an iron
+flail twenty pounds in weight, and drove at Gharib, saying, "O
+scum of the Arabs, take what cometh to thee and learn the glad
+tidings that thy last hour is at hand!" So saying, he aimed a
+blow at Gharib, but he avoided it and the flail sank a cubit into
+the ground. Now the badawi was bent double with the blow, so
+Gharib smote him with his mace and clove his forehead in sunder
+and he fell down dead and Allah hurried his soul to Hell-fire.
+Then Gharib charged and wheeled and called for champions; so
+there came out to him a second and a third and a fourth and so
+on, till ten had come forth to him and he slew them all. When the
+Infidels saw his form of fight and his smashing blows they hung
+back and forebore to fare forth to him, whereupon Samsam looked
+at them and said, "Allah never bless you! I will go forth to
+him." So he donned his battle-gear and driving his charger into
+mid-field where he fronted the foe and cried out to Gharib
+saying, "Fie on thee, O dog of the Arabs! hath thy strength waxed
+so great that thou shouldst defy me in the open field and
+slaughter my men?" And Gharib replied, "Up and take bloodrevenge
+for the slaughter of thy braves!" So Samsam ran at Gharib who
+awaited him with broadened breast and heart enheartened, and they
+smote each at other with maces, till the two hosts marvelled and
+every eye was fixed on them. Then they wheeled about in the field
+and struck at each other two strokes; but Gharib avoided Samsam's
+stroke which wreak had wroke and dealt with a buffet that beat in
+his breastbone and cast him to the ground--stone dead. Thereupon
+all his host ran at Gharib as one man, and he ran at them,
+crying, "God is most Great! Help and Victory for us and shame and
+defeat for those who misbelieve the faith of Abraham the Friend,
+on whom be peace!"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
+ceased to say her permitted say,
+
+      When it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-second Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Sam
+sam's tribesmen rushed upon Gharib as one man, he ran at them
+crying, "God is most Great! Help and Victory for us and shame and
+defeat for the Miscreant!" Now when the Infidels heard the name
+of the All-powerful King, the One, the All-conquering, whom the
+sight comprehendeth not, but He comprehendeth the sight,[FN#347]
+they looked at one another and said, "What is this say that
+maketh our side-muscles tremble and weakeneth our resolution and
+causeth the life to fail in us? Never in our lives heard we aught
+goodlier than this saying!" adding, "Let us leave fighting, that
+we may ask its meaning." So they held their hands from the battle
+and dismounted; and their elders assembled and held counsel
+together, seeking to go to Gharib and saying, "Let ten of us
+repair to him!" So they chose out ten of their best, who set out
+for Gharib's tents. Now he and his people had alighted and
+returned to their camp, marvelling at the withdrawal of the
+Infidels from the fight. But, presently, lo and behold! the ten
+came up and seeking speech of Gharib, kissed the earth before him
+and wished him glory and lasting life. Quoth he to them, "What
+made you leave fighting?"; and quoth they, "O, my lord, thou
+didst affright us with the words thou shoutest out at us." Then
+asked Gharib, "What calamity do ye worship?"; and they answered,
+"We worship Wadd and Suw�'a and Yagh�s,[FN#348] lords of the
+tribe of Noah"; and Gharib, "We serve none but Allah Almighty,
+Maker of all things and Provider of all livings. He it is who
+created the heavens and the earth and stablished the mountains,
+who made water to well from the stones and the trees to grow and
+feedeth wild beasts in word; for He is Allah, the One, the All-
+powerful Lord." When they heard this, their bosoms broadened to
+the words of Unity-faith, and they said, "Verily, this be a Lord
+high and great, compassionating and compassionate!"; adding, "And
+what shall we say, to become of the Moslems, of those which
+submit themselves to Him?" Quoth Gharib, "Say, �There is no god
+but the God and Abraham is the Friend of God.'" So the ten made
+veracious profession of the veritable religion and Gharib said to
+them, "An the sweet savour of Al-Islam be indeed stablished in
+your hearts, fare ye to your tribe and expound the faith to them;
+and if they profess, they shall be saved, but if they refuse we
+will burn them with fire." So the ten elders returned and
+expounded Al-Islam to their people and set forth to them the path
+of truth and creed, and they embraced the Faith of Submission
+with heart and tongue. Then they repaired on foot to Gharib's
+tent and kissing ground between his hands wished him honour and
+high rank, saying, "O our lord, we are become thy slaves; so
+command us what thou wilt, for we are to thee audient and
+obedient and we will never depart from thee, since Allah hath
+guided us into the right way at thy hands." Replied he, "Allah
+abundantly requite you! Return to your dwellings and march forth
+with your good and your children and forego me to the Wady of
+Blossoms and the castle of S�s� bin Shays,[FN#349] whilst I carry
+the Princess Fakhr Taj, daughter of Sabur, King of the Persians,
+back to her father and return to you." "Hearkening and
+obedience," said they and straightway returned to their
+encampment, rejoicing in Al-Islam, and expounded the True Faith
+to their wives and children, who became Believers. Then they
+struck their tents and set forth, with their good and cattle, for
+the Wady of Blossoms. When they came in sight of the castle of
+Shays, Sa'adan and his sons sallied forth to them, but Gharib had
+charged them, saying, "If the Ghul of the Mountain come out to
+you and offer to attack you, do ye call upon the name of Allah
+the All-creator, and he will leave his hostile intent and receive
+you hospitably." So when he would have fallen upon them they
+called aloud upon the name of Almighty Allah and straightway he
+received them kindly and asked them of their case. They told him
+all that had passed between Gharib and themselves, whereupon he
+rejoiced in them and lodged them with him and loaded them with
+favours. Such was their case; but as regards Gharib, he and his,
+escorting the Princess fared on five days' journey towards the
+City of Isbanir, and on the sixth day they saw a dust-cloud. So
+Gharib sent one of the Persians to learn the meaning of this and
+he went and returned, swiftlier than bird in flight, saying, "O
+my lord, these be a thousand horse of our comrades, whom the King
+hath sent in quest of his daughter Fakhr Taj." When Gharib heard
+this, he commanded his company to halt and pitch the tents. So
+they halted and waited till the new comers reached them, when
+they went to meet them and told T�m�n, their captain, that the
+Princess was with them; whereupon he went in to Gharib and
+kissing the ground before him, enquired for her. Gharib sent him
+to her pavilion, and he entered and kissed her hands and feet and
+acquainted her with what had befallen her father and mother. She
+told him in return all that had betided her and how Gharib had
+delivered her from the Ghul of the Mountain,--And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say,
+
+      When it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-third Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
+King's daughter, Fakhr Taj, had told Tuman all that had befallen
+her from the Mountain-Ghul, and how he had imprisoned her and
+would have devoured her but for Gharib, adding, "And indeed, it
+behoveth my sire to give him the half of his reign," Tuman arose
+and returned to Gharib and kissed his hands and feet and thanked
+him for his good dealing, saying, "With thy leave, O my lord, I
+will return to Isbanir City and deliver to our King the good news
+of his daughter's approach." "Go," replied Gharib, "and take of
+him the gift of glad tidings." So Tuman returned with all
+dillgence to Isbanir, the Cities, and entering the palace, kissed
+ground before the King, who said to him, "What is there of new, O
+bringer of good news?" Quoth Tuman, "I will not speak thee, till
+thou give me the gift of glad tidings." Quoth the King, "Tell me
+thy glad tidings and I will content thee." So Tuman said, "O
+King, I bring thee joyful intelligence of the return of Princess
+Fakhr Taj." When Sabur heard his daughter's name, he fell down
+fainting and they sprinkled rose-water on him, till he recovered
+and cried to Tuman, "Draw near to me and tell me all the good
+which hath befallen her." So he came forward and acquainted him
+with all that had betided the Princess; and Sabur beat hand upon
+hand, saying, "Unhappy thou, O Fakhr Taj!''[FN#350] And he bade
+give Tuman ten thousand gold pieces and conferred on him the
+government of Isf�h�n City and its dependencies. Then he cried
+out to his Emirs, saying, "Mount, all of you, and fare we forth
+to meet the Princess Fakhr Taj!"; and the Chief Eunuch went in to
+the Queen-mother and told her and all the Harim the good news,
+whereat she rejoiced and gave him a robe of honour and a thousand
+dinars. Moreover, the people of the city heard of this and
+decorated the market streets and houses. Then the King and Tuman
+took horse and rode till they had sight of Gharib, when Sabur
+footed it and made some steps towards Gharib, who also dismounted
+and advanced to meet him; and they embraced and saluted each
+other, and Sabur bent over Gharib's hand and kissed it and
+thanked him for his favours.[FN#351] They pitched their pavilions
+in face of each other and Sabur went in to his daughter, who rose
+and embracing him told him, all that had befallen her and how
+Gharib had rescued her from the clutches of the Ghul of the
+Mountain. Quoth the King, "By thy life, O Princess of fair ones,
+I will overwhelm him with gifts!"; and quoth she, "O my papa,
+make him thy son-in-law, that he may be to thee a force against
+thy foes, for he is passing valiant." Her father replied, "O my
+daughter, knowst thou not that King Khirad Sh�h seeketh thee in
+marriage and that he hath cast the brocade[FN#352] and hath given
+an hundred thousand dinars in settlement, and he is King of
+Shiraz and its dependencies and is lord of empire and horsemen
+and footmen?" But when the Princess heard these words she said,
+"O my papa! I desire not that whereof thou speakest, and if thou
+constrain me to that I have no mind to, I will slay myself." So
+Sabur left her and went in to Gharib, who rose to him; and they
+sat awhile together; but the King could not take his fill of
+looking upon him; and he said in his mind, "By Allah, my daughter
+is excusable if she love this Badawi!" Then he called for food
+and they ate and passed the night together. On the morrow, they
+took horse and rode till they arrived at the City of Isbanir and
+entered, stirrup to stirrup, and it was for them a great day.
+Fakhr Taj repaired to her palace and the abiding-place of her
+rank, where her mother and her women received her with cries of
+joy and loud lullilooings. As for King Sabur, he sat down on his
+throne and seated Gharib on his right hand, whilst the Princes
+and Chamberlains, the Emirs, Wazirs and Nabobs stood on either
+hand and gave him joy of the recovery of his daughter. Said
+Sabur, "Whoso loveth me let him bestow a robe of honour on
+Gharib," and there fell dresses of honour on him like drops of
+rain. Then Gharib abode the King's guest ten days, when he would
+have departed, but Sabur clad him in an honourable robe and swore
+him by his faith that he should not march for a whole month.
+Quoth Gharib, "O King, I am plighted to one of the girls of the
+Arabs and I desire to go in to her." Quoth the King, "Whether is
+the fairer, thy betrothed or Fakhr Taj?" "O King of the age,"
+replied Gharib, "what is the slave beside the lord?" And Sabur
+said, "Fakhr Taj is become thy handmaid, for that thou didst
+rescue her from the pounces of the Ghul, and she shall have none
+other husband than thyself." Thereupon Gharib rose and kissed
+ground, saying, "O King of the age, thou art a sovereign and I am
+but a poor man, and belike thou wilt ask a heavy dowry." Replied
+the King, "O my son, know that Khirad Shah, lord of Shiraz and
+dependencies thereof, seeketh her in marriage and hath appointed
+an hundred thousand dinars to her dower; but I have chosen thee
+before all men, that I may make thee the sword of my kingship and
+my shield against vengeance.''[FN#353] Then he turned to his
+Chief Officers and said to them, "Bear witness[FN#354] against
+me, O Lords of mine Empire, that I marry my daughter Fakhr Taj to
+my son Gharib."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
+ceased to say her permitted say,
+
+      When it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-fourth Night,
+
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sabur,
+King of Ajam-land said to his Chief Officers, "Bear ye witness
+against me that I marry my daughter Fakhr Taj, to my son Gharib!"
+With that he joined palms[FN#355] with him and she became his
+wife. Then said Gharib, "Appoint me a dower and I will bring it
+to thee, for I have in the Castle of Sasa wealth and treasures
+beyond count." Replied Sabur, "O my son, I want of thee neither
+treasure nor wealth and I will take nothing for her dower save
+the head of Jamrk�n King of Dasht and the city of Ahw�z.[FN#356]"
+Quoth Gharib, "O King of the age, I will fetch my folk forthright
+and go to thy foe and spoil his realm." Quoth Sabur, "Allah
+requite thee with good!" and dismissed the lords and commons,
+thinking, "If Gharib go forth against Jamrkan, he will never more
+return." When morning morrowed the King mounted with Gharib and
+bidding all his troops take horse rode forth to the plain, where
+he said to his men, "Do ye tilt with spears and gladden my
+heart." So the champions of Persia land played one against other,
+and Gharib said, "O King of the age, I have a mind to tilt with
+the horsemen of Ajam-land, but on one condition." Asked the King,
+"What is that?"; and answered Gharib, "It is that I shall don a
+light tunic and take a headless lance, with a pennon dipped in
+saffron, whilst the Persian champions sally forth and tilt
+against me with sharp spears. If any conquer me, I will render
+myself to him: but, if I conquer him I will mark him on the
+breast and he shall leave the plain." Then the King cried to the
+commander of the troops to bring forward the champions of the
+Persians; so he chose out from amongst the Princes one thousand
+two hundred of his stoutest champions, and the King said to them,
+in the Persian tongue, "Whoso slayeth this Badawi may ask of me
+what he will." So they strove with one another for precedence and
+charged down upon Gharib and truth was distinguished from
+falsehood and jest from earnest. Quoth Gharib, "I put my trust in
+Allah, the God of Abraham the Friend, the Deity who hath power
+over all and from whom naught is hidden, the One, the Almighty,
+whom the sight comprehendeth not!" Then an Amalekite-like giant
+of the Persian champions rushed out to him, but Gharib let him
+not stand long before him ere he marked him and covered his
+breast with saffron and as he turned away, he smote him on the
+nape with the shaft of his lance, and he fell to the ground and
+his pages bore him from the lists.[FN#357] Then a second champion
+came forth against him and he overcame him and marked him on the
+breast; and thus did he with a third and a fourth and a fifth;
+and there came out against him champion after champion till he
+had overcome them all and marked them on the breast; for Almighty
+Allah gave him the victory over them and they fared forth
+vanquish from the plain. Then the servants set food and strong
+wine before them! and they ate and drank, till Gharib's wits were
+dazed by the drink. By and by, he went out to obey a call of
+Nature and would have returned, but lost his way and entered the
+palace of Fakhr Taj. When she saw him, her reason fled and she
+cried out to her women saying, "Go forth from me to your own
+places!" So they withdrew and she rose and kissed Gharib's hand,
+saying "Welcome to my lord, who delivered me from the Ghul!
+Indeed I am thine handmaid for ever and ever." Then she drew him
+to her bed and embraced him, whereupon desire was hot upon him
+and he broke her seal and lay with her till the morning.
+Meanwhile the King thought that he had departed; but on the
+morrow he went in to him and Sabur rose to him and made him sit
+by his side. Then entered the tributary kings and kissing the
+ground stood ranged in rows on the right and left and fell to
+talking of Gharib's velour and saying, "Extolled be He who gave
+him such prowess albeit he is so young in years!" As they were
+thus engaged, behold all espied from the palace-windows the dust
+of horse approaching and the King cried out to his scouts,
+saying, "Woe to you! Go and bring me news of yonder dust!" So a
+cavalier took horse and riding off, returned after a while, and
+said "O King, we found under that dust an hundred horse belonging
+to an Emir highs Sahim al-Layl." Gharib hearing these words,
+cried out, "O my lord, this is my brother, whom I had sent on an
+errand, and I will go forth to meet him." So saying, he mounted,
+with his hundred men of the Banu Kahtan and a thousand Persians,
+and rode to meet his brother in great state, but greatness
+belongeth to God alone.[FN#358] When the two came up with each
+other, they dismounted and embraced, and Gharib said to Sahim, "O
+my brother, hast thou brought our tribe to the Castle of Sasa and
+the Wady of Blossoms?" "O my brother," replied Sahim, "when the
+perfidious dog Mardas heard that thou hadst made thee master of
+the stronghold belonging to the Mountain-Ghul, he was sore
+chagrined and said, �Except I march hence, Gharib will come and
+carry off my daughter Mahdiyah without dower.' So he took his
+daughter and his goods and set out with his tribe for the land of
+Irak, where he entered the city of Cufa and put himself under the
+protection of King Ajib, seeking to give him his daughter to
+wife." When Gharib heard his brother's story, he well-nigh gave
+up the ghost for rage and said, "By the virtue of the faith of
+Al-Islam, the faith of Abraham the Friend, and by the Supreme
+Lord, I will assuredly go to the land of Irak and fierce war upon
+it I will set on foot." Then they returned to the city and going
+in to the King, kissed ground before him. He rose to Gharib and
+saluted Sahim; after which the elder brother told him what had
+happened and he put ten captains at his commandment, under each
+one's hand ten thousand horse of the doughtiest of the Arabs and
+the Ajams, who equipped themselves and were ready to depart in
+three days. Then Gharib set out and journeyed till he reached the
+Castle of Sasa whence the Ghul and his sons came forth to meet
+him and dismounting, kissed his feet in the stirrups. He told
+them all that had passed and the giant said, "O my lord, do thou
+abide in this thy castle, whilst I with my sons and servants
+repair to Irak and lay waste the city Al-Rust�k[FN#359] and bring
+to thy hand all its defenders bound in straitest bond." But
+Gharib thanked him and said, "O Sa'adan, we will all go." So he
+made him ready and the whole body set out for Irak, leaving a
+thousand horse to guard the Castle. Thus far concerning them; but
+as regards Mardas, he arrived with his tribe in the land of Irak
+bringing with him a handsome present and fared for Cufa-city
+which he entered. Then, he presented himself before Ajib and
+kissed ground between his hands and, after wishing him what is
+wished to kings, said, "O my lord, I come to place myself under
+thy protection."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
+ceased saying her permitted say,
+
+      When it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-fifth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King that Mardas
+coming into the presence of Ajib, said to him, "I come to place
+myself under thy protection!" Quoth Ajib, "Tell me who hath
+wronged thee, that I may protect thee against him, though it were
+Sabur, King of the Persians and Turcomans and Daylamites." Quoth
+Mardas, "O King of the Age, he who hath wronged me is none other
+than a youth whom I reared in my bosom. I found him in his
+mother's lap in a certain valley and took her to wife She brought
+me a son, whom I named Sahim al-Layl, and her own son, Gharib
+highs, grew up on my knees and became a blasting thunderbolt and
+a lasting calamity,[FN#360] for he smote Al-Hamal,[FN#361] Prince
+of the Banu Nabhan, and slew footmen and threw horsemen. Now I
+have a daughter, who befitteth thee alone, and he sought her of
+me; so I required of him the head of the Ghul of the Mountain,
+wherefore he went to him and, after engaging him in singular
+combat, made the master his man and took the Castle of Sasa bin
+Shays bin Shaddad bin Ad, wherein are the treasures of the
+ancients and the hoards of the moderns. Moreover, I hear that,
+become a Moslem, he goeth about, summoning the folk to his faith.
+He is now gone to bear the Princess of Persia, whom he delivered
+from the Ghul, back to her father, King Sabur, and will not
+return but with the treasures of the Persians." When Ajib heard
+the story of Mardas he changed colour to yellow and was in ill
+case and made sure of his own destruction; then he said, O
+Mardas, is the youth's mother with thee or with him?"; and Mardas
+replied, "She is with me in my tents." Quoth Ajib, What is her
+name?"; quoth Mardas, "Her name is Nusrah." " 'Tis very she,"
+rejoined Ajib and sent for her to the presence. Now when she came
+before him, he looked on her and knew her and asked her, "O
+accursed, where are the two slaves I sent with thee?"; and she
+answered, "They slew each other on my account;" whereupon Ajib
+bared his blade and smote her and cut her in twain. Then they
+dragged her away and cast her out; but trouble and suspicion
+entered Ajib's heart and he cried, "O Mardas, give me thy
+daughter to wife." He rejoined, "She is one of thine handmaids: I
+give her to thee to wife, and I am thy slave." Said Ajib, "I
+desire to look upon this son of an adulteress, Gharib, that I may
+destroy him and cause him taste all manner of torments." Then he
+bade give Mardas, to his daughter's dowry, thirty thousand dinars
+and an hundred pieces of silk-brocaded and fringed with gold and
+an hundred pieces of silk bordered stuffs and kerchiefs and
+golden collars. So he went forth with this mighty fine dowry and
+set himself to equip Mahdiyah in all diligence. Such was their
+case; but as regards Gharib, he fared on till he came to Al-
+Jaz�rah, which is the first town of Al-Irak[FN#362] and is a
+walled and fortified city and he hard by it called a halt. When
+the townsfolk saw his army encamped before it, they bolted the
+gates and manned the walls, then went to the King of the city,
+who was called Al-D�migh, the Brainer, for that he used to brain
+the champions in the open field of fight, and told him what was
+come upon them. So he looked forth from the battlements of the
+palace and seeing a conquering host, all of them Persians,
+encamped before the city, said to the citizens, "O folk, what do
+yonder Ajams want?"; and they replied, "We know not." Now Al-
+Damigh had among his officers a man called Saba' al-Kif�r, the
+Desert-lion, keen of wit and penetrating as he were a flame of
+fire; so he called him and said to him, "Go to this stranger host
+and find out who they be and what they want and return quickly."
+Accordingly, he sped like the wind to the Persian tents, where a
+company of Arabs rose up and met him saying, "Who art thou and
+what dost thou require?" He replied, "I am a messenger and an
+envoy from the lord of the city to your chief." So they took him
+and carried him through the lines of tents, pavilions and
+standards, till they came to Gharib's Shahmiy�nah and told him of
+the mission. He bade them bring him in and they did so, whereupon
+he kissed ground before Gharib and wished him honour and length
+of days. Quoth Gharib, "What is thine errand?" and quoth Saba'
+al-Kifar, "I am an envoy from the lord of the city of Al-Jazirah,
+Al-Damigh, brother of King Kundamir, lord of the city of Cufa and
+the land of Irak." When Gharib heard his father's name, the tears
+railed from his eyes in rills and he looked at the messenger and
+said, "What is thy name?"; and he replied, "My name is Saba' al-
+Kifar." Said Gharib, "Return to thy lord and tell him that the
+commander of this host is called Gharib, son of Kundamir, King of
+Cufa, whom his son Ajib slew, and he is come to take blood-
+revenge for his sire on Ajib the perfidious hound." So Saba' al-
+Kifar returned to the city and in great joy kissed the ground,
+when Al-Damigh said, "What is going on there, O Saba' al-Kifar?"
+He replied, "O my master, the leader of yon host is thy nephew,
+thy brother's son," and told him all. The King deemed himself in
+a dream and asked the messenger, "O Saba' al-Kifar, is this thou
+tellest me true?" and the Desert-lion answered, "As thy head
+liveth, it is sooth!" Then Al-Damigh bade his chief officers take
+horse forthright and all rode out to the camp, whence Gharib came
+forth and met him and they embraced and saluted each other; after
+which Gharib carried him to his tents and they sat down on beds
+of estate. Al-Damigh rejoiced in Gharib, his brother's son, and
+presently turning to him, said, "I also have yearned to take
+blood-revenge for thy father, but could not avail against the dog
+thy brother; for that his troops are many and my troops are few."
+Replied Gharib, "O uncle, here am I come to avenge my sire and
+blot out our shame and rid the realm of Ajib." Said Al-Damigh, "O
+son of my brother, thou hast two blood-wreaks to take, that of
+thy father and that of thy mother." Asked Gharib, "And what
+aileth my mother?" and Al-Damigh answered, "Thy brother Ajib hath
+slain her."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
+to say her permitted say,
+
+      When it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-sixth Night,
+
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib
+heard these words of his uncle Al-Damigh, "Verily thy brother
+Ajib hath slain her!", he asked what was the cause thereof and
+was told of all that had happened, especially how Mardas had
+married his daughter to Ajib who was about to go into her.
+Thereupon Gharib's reason fled from his head and he swooned away
+and was nigh upon death. No sooner did he come to himself than he
+cried out to the troops, saying, "To horse!" But Al-Damigh said
+to him, "O son of my brother, wait till I make ready mine affairs
+and mount among my men and fare with thee at thy stirrup."
+Replied Gharib "I have no patience to wait; do thou equip thy
+troops and join me at Cufa." Thereupon Gharib mounted with his
+troops and rode, till he came to the town of Babel,[FN#363] whose
+folk took fright at him. Now there was in this town a King called
+Jamak, under whose hand were twenty thousand horsemen, and there
+gathered themselves together to him from the villages other fifty
+thousand horse, who pitched their tents facing the city. Then
+Gharib wrote a letter and sent it to King Jamak by a messenger,
+who came up to the city-gate and cried out, saying, "I am an
+envoy;" whereupon the Warder of the Gate went in and told Jamak,
+who said, "Bring him to me." So he led in the messenger, who
+kissing the ground before the King, gave him the letter, and
+Jamak opened it and read its contents as follows: "Praise be to
+Allah, Lord of the Three Worlds, Lord of all things, who giveth
+to all creatures their daily bread and who over all things is
+Omnipotent! These from Gharib, son of King Kundamir, lord of Irak
+and Cufa, to Jamak. Immediately this letter reacheth thee, let
+not thy reply be other than to break thine idols and confess the
+unity of the All-knowing King, Creator of light and darkness,
+Creator of all things, the All-powerful; and except thou do as I
+bid thee, I will make this day the blackest of thy days. Peace be
+on those who follow in the way of Salvation, fearing the issues
+of fornication, and obey the hest of the Most High King, Lord of
+this world and the next, Him who saith to a thing, �Be'; and it
+becometh!" Now when Jamak read this letter, his eyes paled and
+his colour failed and he cried out to the messenger, "Go to thy
+lord and say to him, �To-morrow, at daybreak there shall be fight
+and conflict and it shall appear who is the conquering hero.'" So
+he returned and told Gharib, who bade his men make ready for
+battle, whilst Jamak commanded his tents to be pitched in face of
+Gharib's camp; and his troops poured forth like the surging sea
+and passed the night with intention of slaughter. As soon as
+dawned the day, the two hosts mounted and drew up in battle array
+and beat their drums amain and drave their steeds of swiftest
+strain; and they filled the whole earthly plain; and the
+champions to come out were fain. Now the first who sallied forth
+a championing to the field was the Ghul of the Mountain, bearing
+on shoulder a terrible tree, and he cried out between the two
+hosts, saying, "I am Sa'adan the Ghul! Who is for fighting, who
+is for jousting? Let no sluggard come forth to me nor weakling."
+And he called out to his sons, saying, "Woe to you! Bring me fuel
+and fire, for I am an-hungered." So they cried upon their slaves
+who brought firewood and kindled a fire in the heart of the
+plain. Then there came out to him a man of the Kafirs, an
+Amalekite of the unbelieving Amalekites, bearing on his shoulder
+a mace like the mast of a ship, and drove at Sa'adan the Ghul,
+saying, "Woe to thee, O Sa'adan!" When the giant heard this, he
+waxed furious beyond measure and raising his tree club, aimed at
+the Infidel a blow, that hummed through the air. The Amalekite
+met the stroke with his mace, but the tree beat down his guard
+and descending with its own weight, together with the weight of
+the mace upon his head, beat in his brain pan, and he fell like a
+long-stemmed palm-tree. Thereupon Sa'adan cried to his slaves,
+saying, "Take this fatted calf and roast him quickly." So they
+hastened to skin the Infidel and roasted him and brought him to
+the Ghul, who ate his flesh and crunched his bones.[FN#364] Now
+when the Kafirs saw how Sa'adan did with their fellow, their hair
+and pile stood on end; their skins quaked, their colour changed,
+their hearts died within them and they said to one another,
+"Whoso goeth out against this Ghul, he eateth him and cracketh
+his bones and causeth him to lack the zephyr-wind of the world."
+Wherefore they held their hands, quailing for fear of the Ghul
+and his sons and turned to fly, making for the town; but Gharib
+cried out to his troops, saying, "Up and after the runaways!" So
+the Persians and the Arabs crave after the King of Babel and his
+host and caused sword to smite them, till they slew of them
+twenty thousand or more. Then the fugitives crowded together in
+the city gate and they killed of them much people; and they could
+not avail to shut the gate. So the Arabs and the Persians entered
+with them, fighting, and Sa'adan, snatching a mace from one of
+the slain, wielded it in the enemy's face and gained the city
+race-course. Thence he fought his way through the foe and broke
+into the King's palace, where he met with Jamak and so smote him
+with the mace, that he toppled senseless to the ground. Then he
+fell upon those who were in the palace and pounded them into
+pieces, till all that were left cried out, "Quarter! Quarter!"
+and Sa'adan said to them, "Pinion your King."--And Shahrazad saw
+the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say,
+
+
+
+End of Vol 6.
+
+
+
+
+                    Arabian Nights, Volume 6
+                           Footnotes
+
+
+
+[FN#1] Lane (vol. iii. 1) calls our old friend "Es-Sindib�d of
+the Sea," and Benfey derives the name from the Sanskrit
+"Siddhapati"=lord of sages. The etymology (in Heb. Sandabar and
+in Greek Syntipas) is still uncertain, although the term often
+occurs in Arab stories; and some look upon it as a mere
+corruption of "Bidpai" (Bidy�pati). The derivation offered by
+Hole (Remarks on the Arabian Nights' Entertainments, by Richard
+Hole, LL.D. London, Cadell, 1797) from the Persian �b�d (a
+region) is impossible. It is, however, not a little curious that
+this purely Persian word (=a "habitation") should be found in
+Indian names as early as Alexanders' day, e.g. the "Dachina
+bades" of the Periplus is "Dakhsin-�b�d," the Sanskr. being
+"Dakshinapatha."
+
+[FN#2] A porter like the famous Armenians of Constantinople. Some
+edits. call him "Al-Hindib�d."
+
+[FN#3] Arab. "Karaw�n" (Charadrius �dicnemus, Linn.): its shrill
+note is admired by Egyptians and hated by sportsmen.
+
+[FN#4] This ejaculation, still popular, averts the evil eye. In
+describing Sindbad the Seaman the Arab writer seems to repeat
+what one reads of Marco Polo returned to Venice.
+
+[FN#5] Our old friend must not be confounded with the eponym of
+the "Sindib�d-n�mah;" the Persian book of Sindbad the Sage. See
+Night dlxxviii.
+
+[FN#6] The first and second are from Eccles. chapts. vii. 1, and
+ix. 4. The Bul. Edit. reads for the third, "The grave is better
+than the palace." None are from Solomon, but Easterns do not
+"verify quotations."
+
+[FN#7] Arab. "K�n�n"; a furnace, a brasier before noticed (vol.
+v., p. 272); here a pot full of charcoal sunk in the ground, or a
+little hearth of clay shaped like a horseshoe and opening down
+wind.
+
+[FN#8] These fish-islands are common in the Classics, e.g. the
+Pristis of Pliny (xvii. 4), which Olaus Magnus transfers to the
+Baltic (xxi. 6) and makes timid as the whales of Nearchus. C. J.
+Solinus (Plinii Simia) says, "Indica maria bal�nas habent ultra
+spatia quatuor jugerum." See also Bochart's Hierozoicon (i. 50)
+for Job's Leviathan (xli. 16-17). Hence deemed an island. A
+basking whale would readily suggest the Krakan and Cetus of Olaus
+Magnus (xxi. 25). Al-Kazw�ni's famous treatise on the "Wonders of
+the World" (Aj�ib al-Makhl�k�t) tells the same tale of the
+"Sulahfah" tortoise, the colossochelys, for which see Night dl.
+
+[FN#9] Sindbad does not say that he was a shipwrecked man, being
+a model in the matter of "travellers' tales," i.e. he always
+tells the truth when an untruth would not serve him.
+
+[FN#10] Lane (iii. 83) would make this a corruption of the Hindu
+"Mahar�j"=great Rajah: but it is the name of the great autumnal
+f�te of the Guebres; a term composed of two good old Persian
+words "Mihr" (the sun, whence "Mithras") and "j�n"=life. As will
+presently appear, in the days of the Just King Anushirw�n, the
+Persians possessed Southern Arabia and East Afica south of Cape
+Guardafui (Jird H�f�n). On the other hand, supposing the word to
+be a corruption of Maharaj, Sindbad may allude to the famous
+Narsinga kingdom in Mid-south India whose capital was Vijaya-
+nagar; or to any great Indian Rajah even he of Kachch (Cutch),
+famous in Moslem story as the Balhar� (Ballaba Rais, who founded
+the Ballabhi era; or the Zamorin of Camoens, the Samdry Rajah of
+Malabar). For Mahrage, or Mihrage, see Renaudot's "Two Mohammedan
+Travellers of the Ninth Century." In the account of Ceylon by
+Wolf (English Transl. p. 168) it adjoins the "Ilhas de Cavalos"
+(of wild horses) to which the Dutch merchants sent their brood-
+mares. Sir W. Jones (Description of Asia, chapt. ii.) makes the
+Arabian island Soborma or Mahr�j=Borneo.
+
+[FN#11] Arab. "S�is"; the well-known Anglo-Indian word for a
+groom or rather a "horse-keeper."
+
+[FN#12] Arab. "Darakah"; whence our word.
+
+[FN#13] The myth of mares being impregnated by the wind was known
+to the Classics of Europe; and the "sea-stallion" may have arisen
+from the Arab practice of picketing mare asses to be covered by
+the wild ass. Colonel J. D. Watson of the Bombay Army suggests to
+me that Sindbad was wrecked at the mouth of the Ran of Kachch
+(Cutch) and was carried in a boat to one of the Islands there
+formed during the rains and where the wild ass (Equus Onager,
+Khar-gadh, in Pers. Gor-khar) still breeds. This would explain
+the "stallions of the sea" and we find traces of the ass blood in
+the true Kathiaw�r horse, with his dun colour, barred legs and
+dorsal stripe.
+
+[FN#14] The second or warrior caste (Kshatriya), popularly
+supposed to have been annihilated by Battle-axe Ram� (Parashu
+R�ma); but several tribes of Rajputs and other races claim the
+honourable genealogy. Colonel Watson would explain the word by
+"Shakh�y�t" or noble K�this (Kathiawar-men), or by "Shik�ri," the
+professional hunter here acting as stable-groom.
+
+[FN#15] In Bul. Edit. "K�bil." Lane (iii. 88) supposes it to be
+the "Bartail" of Al-Kazwini near Borneo and quotes the Spaniard
+B. L. de Argensola (History of the Moluccas), who places near
+Banda a desert island, Poelsatton, infamous for cries,
+whistlings, roarings and dreadful apparitions, suggesting that it
+was peopled by devils (Stevens, vol. i., p. 168).
+
+[FN#16] Some texts substitute for this last phrase, "And the
+sailors say that Al-Dajj�l is there." He is a manner of Moslem
+Antichrist, the Man of Sin per excellentiam, who will come in the
+latter days and lay waste the earth, leading 70,000 Jews, till
+encountered and slain by Jesus at the gate of Lud. (Sale's Essay,
+sect. 4.)
+
+[FN#17] Also from Al-Kazwini: it is an exaggerated description of
+the whale still common off the East African Coast. My crew was
+dreadfully frightened by one between Berberah and Aden. Nearchus
+scared away the whales in the Persian Gulf by trumpets (Strabo,
+lib. xv.). The owl-faced fish is unknown to me: it may perhaps be
+a seal or a manatee. Hole says that Father Martini, the Jesuit
+(seventeenth century), placed in the Canton Seas, an "animal with
+the head of a bird and the tail of a fish,"�a parrot-beak?
+
+[FN#18] The captain or master (not owner) of a ship.
+
+[FN#19] The kindly Moslem feeling, shown to a namesake, however
+humble.
+
+[FN#20] A popular phrase to express utter desolation.
+
+[FN#21] The literature of all peoples contains this physiological
+perversion. Birds do not sing hymns; the song of the male is
+simply to call the female and when the pairing-season ends all
+are dumb.
+
+[FN#22] The older "roc." The word is Persian, with many meanings,
+e.g. a cheek (Lalla "Rookh"); a "rook" (hero) at chess; a
+rhinoceros, etc. The fable world-wide of the wundervogel is, as
+usual, founded upon fact: man remembers and combines but does not
+create. The Egyptian Bennu (Ti-bennu=phoenix) may have been a
+reminiscence of gigantic pterodactyls and other winged monsters.
+From the Nile the legend fabled by these Oriental "putters out or
+five for one" overspread the world and gave birth to the Eorosh
+of the Zend, whence the Pers. "S�murgh" (=the "thirty-fowl-
+like"), the "Bar Yuchre" of the Rabbis, the "Garuda" of the
+Hindus; the "Ank�" ("long-neck") of the Arabs; the "Hathilinga
+bird," of Buddhagosha's Parables, which had the strength of five
+elephants; the "Kerkes" of the Turks; the "Gryps" of the Greeks;
+the Russian "Norka"; the sacred dragon of the Chinese; the
+Japanese "Pheng" and "Kirni"; the "wise and ancient Bird" which
+sits upon the ash-tree yggdrasil, and the dragons, griffins,
+basilisks, etc. of the Middle Ages. A second basis wanting only a
+superstructure of exaggeration (M. Polo's Ruch had wing-feathers
+twelve paces long) would be the huge birds but lately killed out.
+Sindbad may allude to the �pyornus of Madagascar, a gigantic
+ostrich whose egg contains 2.35 gallons. The late Herr Hildebrand
+discovered on the African coast, facing Madagascar, traces of
+another huge bird. Bochart (Hierozoicon ii. 854) notices the
+Avium Avis Ruch and taking the pulli was followed by lapidation
+on the part of the parent bird. A Persian illustration in Lane
+(iii. 90) shows the Rukh carrying off three elephants in beak and
+pounces with the proportions of a hawk and field mice: and the
+Rukh hawking at an elephant is a favourite Persian subject. It is
+possible that the "Twelve Knights of the Round Table" were the
+twelve Rukhs of Persian story. We need not go, with Faber, to the
+Cherubim which guarded the Paradise-gate. The curious reader will
+consult Dr. H. H. Wilson's Essays, edited by my learned
+correspondent, Dr. Rost, Librarian of the India House (vol. i.
+pp. 192-3).
+
+[FN#23] It is not easy to explain this passage unless it be a
+garbled allustion to the steel-plate of the diamond-cutter. Nor
+can we account for the wide diffusion of this tale of perils
+unless to enhance the value of the gem. Diamonds occur in
+alluvial lands mostly open and comparatively level, as in India,
+the Brazil and the Cape. Archbishop Epiphanius of Salamis (ob.
+A.D. 403) tells this story about the jacinth or ruby (Epiphanii
+Opera, a Petaio, Coloni� 1682); and it was transferred to the
+diamond by Marco Polo (iii. 29, "of Eagles bring up diamonds")
+and Nicolo de Conti, whose "mountain Albenigaras" must be
+Vijayanagar in the kingdom of Golconda. Major Rennel places the
+famous mines of Pauna or Purna in a mountain-tract of more than
+200 miles square to the southwest of the Jumna. Al-Kazwini
+locates the "Chaos" in the "Valley of the Moon amongst the
+mountains of Serendib" (Ceylon); the Chinese tell the same tale
+in the campaigns of Hulaku; and it is known in Armenia. Col. Yule
+(M. P. ii. 349) suggests that all these are ramifications of the
+legend told by Herodotus concerning the Arabs and their cinnamon
+(iii. 3). But whence did Herodotus borrow the tale?
+
+[FN#24] Sindbad correctly describes the primitive way of
+extracting camphor, a drug unknown to the Greeks and Romans,
+introduced by the Arabs and ruined in reputation by M. Raspail.
+The best Laurus Camphora grows in the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra
+and Borneo: although Marsden (Marco Polo) declares that the tree
+is not found South of the Equator. In the Calc. Edit. of two
+hundred Nights the camphor-island (or peninsula) is called "Al-
+R�hah" which is the Arab name for Jericho-town.
+
+[FN#25] In Bul. Edit. Kazkazan: Calc. Karkaddan and others
+Karkand and Karkadan; the word being Persian, Karg or Kargadan;
+the {Greek letters} of �lian (Hist. Anim. xvi. 21). The length of
+the horn (greatly exaggerated) shows that the white species is
+meant; and it supplies only walking-sticks. Cups are made of the
+black horn (a bundle of fibres) which, like Venetian glass, sweat
+at the touch of poison. A section of the horn is supposed to show
+white lines in the figure of a man, and sundry likenesses of
+birds; but these I never saw. The rhinoceros gives splendid sport
+and the African is perhaps the most dangerous of noble game. It
+has served to explain away and abolish the unicorn among the
+Scientists of Europe. But Central Africa with one voice assures
+us that a horse-like animal with a single erectile horn on the
+forehead exists. The late Dr. Baikic, of Niger fame, thoroughly
+believed in it and those curious on the subject will read about
+Abu Karn (Father of a Horn) in Preface (pp. xvi.-xviii.) of the
+Voyage au Darfour, by Mohammed ibn Oman al-Tounsy (Al-Tunisi),
+Paris, Duprat, 1845.
+
+[FN#26] Ibn al-Wardi mentions an "Isle of Apes" in the Sea of
+China and Al-Idr�si places it two days' sail from Sukutra (Dwipa
+Sukhatra, Socotra). It is a popular error to explain the Homeric
+and Herodotean legend of the Pygmies by anthropoid apes. The
+Pygmy fable (Pygm�i Spithamai=1 cubit=3 spans) was, as usual,
+based upon fact, as the explorations of late years have proved:
+the dwarfs are homunculi of various tribes, the Akka, Doko, Tiki-
+Tiki, Wambilikimo ("two-cubit men"), the stunted race that share
+the central regions of Intertropical Africa with the abnormally
+tall peoples who speak dialects of the Great South African
+tongue, miscalled the "Bantu." Hole makes the Pygmies "monkeys,"
+a word we have borrowed from the Italians (monichio � mono=ape)
+and quotes Ptolemy,                   (Ape-Islands) East of
+Sunda.
+
+[FN#27] A kind of barge (Arab. B�rijah, plur. Baw�rij) used on
+the Nile of sub-pyriform shape when seen in bird's eye. Lane
+translates "ears like two mortars" from the Calc. Edit.
+
+[FN#28] This giant is distinctly Polyphemus; but the East had
+giants and cyclopes of her own (Hierozoicon ii. 845). The Aj�ib
+al-Hind (chapt. cxxii.) makes Polyphemus copulate with the sheep.
+Sir John Mandeville (if such person ever existed) mentions men
+fifty feet high in the Indian Islands; and Al-Kazwini and Al-
+Idrisi transfer them to the Sea of China, a Botany Bay for
+monsters in general.
+
+[FN#29] Fire is forbidden as a punishment amongst Mosems, the
+idea being that it should be reserved for the next world. Hence
+the sailors fear the roasting more than the eating: with ours it
+would probably be the reverse. The Persian insult "Pidar-
+sokhtah"=(son of a) burnt father, is well known. I have noted the
+advisability of burning the Moslem's corpse under certain
+circumstances: otherwise the murderer may come to be canonised.
+
+[FN#30] Arab. "Mastabah"=the bench or form of masonry before
+noticed. In olden Europe benches were much more used than chairs,
+these being articles of luxury. So King Horne "sett him abenche;"
+and hence our "King's Bench" (Court).
+
+[FN#31] This is from the Bresl. Edit. vol. iv. 32: the Calc. Edit
+gives only an abstract and in the Bul. Edit. the Ogre returned
+"accompanied by a female, greater than he and more hideous." We
+cannot accept Mistress Polyphemus.
+
+[FN#32] This is from Al-Kazwini, who makes the serpent "wind
+itself round a tree or a rock, and thus break to pieces the bones
+of the breast in its belly."
+
+[FN#33] "Like a closet," in the Calc. Edit. The serpent is an
+exaggeration of the python which grows to an enormous size.
+Monstrous Ophidia are mentioned in sober history, e.g. that which
+delayed the army of Regulus. Dr. de Lacerda, a sober and sensible
+Brazilian traveller, mentions his servants sitting down upon a
+tree-trunk in the Captaincy of San Paulo (Brasil), which began to
+move and proved to be a huge snake. F. M. Pinto (the Sindbad of
+Portugal though not so respectable) when in Sumatra takes refuge
+in a tree from "tigers, crocodiles, copped adders and serpents
+which slay men with their breath." Father Lobo in Tigre (chapt.
+x.) was nearly killed by the poison-breath of a huge snake, and
+healed himself with a bezoar carried ad hoc. Maff��us makes the
+breath of crocodiles suavissimus, but that of the Malabar
+serpents and vipers "adeo teter ac noxius ut afflatu ipso necare
+perhibeantur."
+
+[FN#34] Arab. "Aurat": the word has been borrowed by the
+Hindostani jargon, and means a woman, a wife.
+
+[FN#35] So in Al-Idr�si and Langl�s: the Bres. Edit. has "Al-
+Kal�sitah"; and Al-Kazwini "Al-Sal�mit." The latter notes in it a
+petrifying spring which Camoens (The Lus. x. 104), places in
+Sunda, i.e. Java-Minor of M. Polo. Some read Salabat-Timor, one
+of the Moluccas famed for sanders, cloves, cinnamon, etc.
+(Purchas ii. 1784.)
+
+[FN#36] Evidently the hippopotamus (Pliny, viii. 25; ix. 3 and
+xxiii. 11). It can hardly be the Mulaccan Tapir, as shields are
+not made of the hide. Hole suggests the buffalo which found its
+way to Egypt from India vi� Persia; but this would not be a
+speciosum miraculum.
+
+[FN#37] The ass-headed fish is from Pliny (ix. cap. 3): all those
+tales are founded upon the manatee (whose dorsal protuberance may
+have suggested the camel), the seal and the dugong or sea calf. I
+have noticed (Zanzibar i. 205) legends of ichthyological marvels
+current on the East African seaboard; and even the monsters of
+the Scottish waters are not all known: witness the mysterious
+"brigdie." See Bochart De Cetis i. 7; and Purchas iii. 930.
+
+[FN#38] The colossal tortoise is noticed by �lian (De Nat.
+Animal. xvi. 17), by Strabo (Lib. xv.), by Pliny (ix. 10) and
+Diodorus Siculus (iv. 1) who had heard of a tribe of
+Chelonophagi. �lian makes them 16 cubits long near Taprobane and
+serving as house-roofs; and others turn the shell into boats and
+coracles. A colossochelys was first found on the Scwalik Hills by
+Dr. Falconer and Major (afterwards Sir Proby) Cantley. In 1867 M.
+Emile Blanchard exhibited to the Academie des Sciences a monster
+crab from Japan 1.20 metres long (or 2.50 including legs); and
+other travellers have reported 4 metres. These crustace� seem
+never to cease growing and attain great dimensions under
+favourable circumstances, i.e. when not troubled by man.
+
+[FN#39] Lane suggests (iii. 97), and with some probability, that
+the "bird" was a nautilus; but the wild traditions concerning the
+barnacle-goose may perhaps have been the base of the fable. The
+albatross also was long supposed never to touch land. Possible
+the barnacle, like the barometz of Tartarean lamb, may be a
+survivor of the day when the animal and vegetable kingdoms had
+not yet branched off into different directions.
+
+[FN#40] Arab. "Zahwah," also meaning a luncheon. The five daily
+prayers made all Moslems take strict account of time, and their
+nomenclature of its division is extensive.
+
+[FN#41] This is the "insane herb." Davis, who visited Sumatra in
+1599 (Purchas i. 120) speaks "of a kind of seed, whereof a little
+being eaten, maketh a man to turn foole, all things seeming to
+him to be metamorphosed." Linschoten's "Dutroa" was a poppy-like
+bud containing small kernels like melons which stamped and
+administered as a drink make a man "as if he were foolish, or out
+of his wits." This is Father Lobo's "Vanguini" of the Cafres,
+called by the Portuguese dutro (Datura Stramonium) still used by
+dishonest confectioners. It may be Dampier's Ganga (Ganjah) or
+Bang (Bhang) which he justly describes as acting differently
+"according to different constitutions; for some it stupefies,
+others it makes sleepy, others merry and some quite mad."
+(Harris, Collect. ii. 900.) Dr. Fryer also mentions Duty, Bung
+and Post, the Poust of Bernier, an infusion of poppy-seed.
+
+[FN#42] Arab. "Ghul," here an ogre, a cannibal. I cannot but
+regard the "Ghul of the waste" as an embodiment of the natural
+fear and horror which a man feels when he faces a really
+dangerous desert. As regards cannibalism, Al-Islam's religion of
+common sense freely allows it when necessary to save life, and
+unlike our mawkish modern sensibility, never blames those who
+
+     Alimentis talibus usi
+     Produxere animos.
+
+[FN#43] For Cannibals, see the Massaget� of Herod (i.), the Pad�i
+of India (iii.), and the Essedones near M�otis (iv.); Strabo
+(lib. iv.) of the Luci; Pomponious Mela (iii. 7) and St. Jerome
+(ad Jovinum) of Scoti. M. Polo locates them in Dragvia, a kingdom
+of Sumatra (iii. 17), and in Angaman (the Andamanian Isles?),
+possibly the ten Maniolai which Ptolemy (vii.), confusing with
+the Nicobars, places on the Eastern side of the Bay of Bengal;
+and thence derives the Heraklian stone (magnet) which attracts
+the iron of ships (See Serapion, De Magnete, fol. 6, Edit. of
+1479, and Brown's Vulgar Errors, p. 74, 6th Edit.). Mandeville
+finds his cannibals in Lamaray (Sumatra) and Barthema in the
+"Isle of Gyava" (Java). Ibn Al-Wardi and Al-Kazwini notice them
+in the Isle Saksar, in the Sea of the Zanj (Zanzibar): the name
+is corrupted Persian "Sag-Sar" (Dogs'-heads) hence the dog-
+descended race of Camoens in Pegu (The Lus. x. 122). The Bresl.
+Edit. (iv. 52) calls them "Khaw�rij"=certain sectarians in
+Eastern Arabia. Needless to say that cocoa-nut oil would have no
+stupefying effect unless mixed with opium or datura, hemp or
+henbane.
+
+[FN#44] Black pepper is produced in the Goanese but we must go
+south to find the "Bil�d al-Filfil" (home of pepper) i.e.
+Malabar. The exorbitant prices demanded by Venice for this spice
+led directly to the discovery of The Cape route by the
+Portuguese; as the "Grains of Paradise" (Amomum Granum Paradisi)
+induced the English to explore the West African Coast.
+
+[FN#45] Arab. "Kazd�r." Sansk. "Kast�r." Gr. "Kassiteron." Lat.
+"Cassiteros," evidently derived from one root. The Heb. is
+"Badih," a substitute, an alloy. "Tanakah" is the vulg. Arab.
+word, a congener of the Assyrian "Anaku," and "Kala-i" is the
+corrupt Arab. term used in India.
+
+[FN#46] Our Arabian Ulysses had probably left a Penelope or two
+at home and finds a Calypso in this Ogygia. His modesty at the
+mention of womankind is notable.
+
+[FN#47] These are the commonplaces of Moslem consolation on such
+occasions: the artistic part is their contrast with the
+unfortunate widower's prospect.
+
+[FN#48] Lit. "a margin of stone, like the curb-stone of a well."
+
+[FN#49] I am not aware that this vivisepulture of the widower is
+the custom of any race, but the fable would be readily suggested
+by the Sati (Suttee)-rite of the Hindus. Simple vivisepulture was
+and is practised by many people.
+
+[FN#50] Because she was weaker than a man. The Bresl. Edit.
+however, has "a gugglet of water and five scones."
+
+[FN#51] The confession is made with true Eastern sang-froid and
+probably none of the hearers "disapproved" of the murders which
+saved the speaker's life.
+
+[FN#52] This tale is evidently taken from the escape of
+Aristomenes the Messenian from the pit into which he had been
+thrown, a fox being his guide. The Arabs in an early day were
+eager students of Greek literature. Hole (p. 140) noted the
+coincidence.
+
+[FN#53] Bresl. Edit. "Khw�jah," our "Howajee," meaning a
+schoolmaster, a man of letters, a gentleman.
+
+[FN#54] And he does repeat at full length what the hearers must
+have known right well. I abridge.
+
+[FN#55] Island of the Bell (Arab. "N�k�s"=a wooden gong used by
+Christians but forbidden to Moslems). "Kala" is written "Kela,"
+"Kullah" and a variety of ways. Baron Walckenaer places it at
+Keydah in the Malay peninsula opposite Sumatra. Renaudot
+identifies it with Calabar, "somewhere about the point of
+Malabar."
+
+[FN#56] Islands, because Arab cosmographers love to place their
+speciosa miracula in such places.
+
+[FN#57] Like the companions of Ulysses who ate the sacred oxen
+(Od. xii.).
+
+[FN#58] So the enormous kingfisher of Lucian's True History (lib.
+ii.).
+
+[FN#59] This tale is borrowed from Ibn Al-Wardi, who adds that
+the greybeards awoke in the morning after eating the young Rukh
+with black hair which never turned white. The same legend is
+recounted by Al-Dimiri (ob. A.H. 808=1405-6) who was translated
+into Latin by Bochart (Hierozoicon ii. p. 854) and quoted by Hole
+and Lane (iii. 103). An excellent study of Marco Polo's Rukh was
+made by my learned friend the late Prof. G. G. Bianconi of
+Bologna, "Dell'Uccello Ruc," Bologna, Gamberini, 1868. Prof.
+Bianconi predicted that other giant birds would be found in
+Madagascar on the East African Coast opposite; but he died before
+hearing of Hildebrand's discovery.
+
+[FN#60] Arab. "Iz�r," the earliest garb of Eastern man; and, as
+such preserved in the Meccan pilgrimage. The "waist-cloth" is
+either tucked in or kept in place by a girdle.
+
+[FN#61] Arab. "L�f," a succedaneum for the unclean sponge, not
+unknown in the "Turkish Baths" of London.
+
+[FN#62] The Persians have a Plinian monster called "Tasmeh-
+p�"=Strap-legs without bones. The "Old Man" is not an ourang-
+outang nor an Ifr�t as in Sayf al-Mul�k, Night dcclxxi., but a
+jocose exaggeration of a custom prevailing in parts of Asia and
+especially in the African interior where the Tsetse-fly prevents
+the breeding of burden-beasts. Ibn Bat�tah tells us that in
+Malabar everything was borne upon men's backs. In Central Africa
+the kinglet rides a slave, and on ceremonious occasions mounts
+his Prime Minister. I have often been reduced to this style of
+conveyance and found man the worst imaginable riding: there is no
+hold and the sharpness of the shoulder-ridge soon makes the legs
+ache intolerably. The classicists of course find the Shaykh of
+the Sea in the Tritons and Nereus, and Bochart (Hiero. ii. 858,
+880) notices the homo aquaticus, Senex Jud�us and Senex Marinus.
+Hole (p. 151) suggests the inevitable ouran-outan (man o' wood),
+one of "our humiliating copyists," and quotes "Destiny" in
+Scarron's comical romance (Part ii. chapt. i) and "Jealousy"
+enfolding Rinaldo. (O.F. lib. 42).
+
+[FN#63] More literally "The Chief of the Sea (-Coast)," Shaykh
+being here a chief rather than an elder (eoldermann, alderman).
+So the "Old Man of the Mountain," famous in crusading days, was
+the Chief who lived on the Nusayriyah or Ans�ri range, a northern
+prolongation of the Libanus. Our "old man" of the text may have
+been suggested by the Koranic commentators on chapt. vi. When an
+Infidel rises from the grave, a hideous figure meets him and
+says, "Why wonderest thou at my loathsomeness? I am thine Evil
+Deeds: thou didst ride upon me in the world and now I will ride
+upon thee." (Suiting the action to the words.)
+
+[FN#64] In parts of West Africa and especially in Gorilla-land
+there are many stories of women and children being carried off by
+apes, and all believe that the former bear issue to them. It is
+certain that the anthropoid ape is lustfully excited by the
+presence of women and I have related how at Cairo (1856) a huge
+cynocephalus would have raped a girl had it not been bayonetted.
+Young ladies who visited the Demidoff Gardens and menagerie at
+Florence were often scandalised by the vicious exposure of the
+baboons' parti-coloured persons. The female monkey equally
+solicits the attentions of man and I heard in India from my late
+friend, Mirza Ali Akbar of Bombay, that to his knowledge
+connection had taken place. Whether there would be issue and
+whether such issue would be viable are still disputed points: the
+produce would add another difficulty to the pseudo-science called
+psychology, as such mule would have only half a soul and issue by
+a congener would have a quarter-soul. A traveller well known to
+me once proposed to breed pithecoid men who might be useful as
+hewers of wood and drawers of water: his idea was to put the
+highest races of apes to the lowest of humanity. I never heard
+what became of his "breeding stables."
+
+[FN#65] Arab. "Jauz al-Hindi": our word cocoa is from the Port.
+"Coco," meaning a "bug" (bugbear) in allusion to its caricature
+of the human face, hair, eyes and mouth. I may here note that a
+cocoa-tree is easily climbed with a bit of rope or a
+handkerchief.
+
+[FN#66] Tomb-pictures in Egypt show tame monkeys gathering fruits
+and Grossier (Description of China, quoted by Hole and Lane)
+mentions a similar mode of harvesting tea by irritating the
+monkeys of the Middle Kingdom.
+
+[FN#67] Bresl. Edit. Cloves and cinnamon in those days grew in
+widely distant places.
+
+[FN#68] In pepper-plantations it is usual to set bananas (Musa
+Paradisiaca) for shading the young shrubs which bear bunches like
+ivy-fruit, not pods.
+
+[FN#69] The Bresl. Edit. has "Al-Ma'arat." Langl�s calls it the
+Island of Al-Kam�r�. See Lane, iii. 86.
+
+[FN#70] Insula, pro. peninsula. "Comorin" is a corrupt. of
+"Kany�" (=Virgo, the goddess Durg�) and "Kum�ri" (a maid, a
+princess); from a temple of Shiva's wife: hence Ptolemy's {Greek
+letters} and near it to the N. East {Greek letters},
+"Promontorium Cori quod Comorini caput insul� vocant," says
+Maff�us (Hist. Indic. i. p. 16). In the text "Al'�d" refers to
+the eagle-wood (Aloekylon Agallochum) so called because spotted
+like the bird's plume. That of Champa (Cochin-China, mentioned in
+Camoens, The Lus. x. 129) is still famous.
+
+[FN#71] Arab. "Birkat"=tank, pool, reach, bight. Hence Birkat
+Far'aun in the Suez Gulf. (Pilgrimage i. 297.)
+
+[FN#72] Probably Cape Comorin; to judge from the river, but the
+text names Sarandib (Ceylon Island) famous for gems. This was
+noticed by Marco Polo, iii. cap. 19; and ancient authors relate
+the same of "Taprobane."
+
+[FN#73] I need hardly trouble the reader with a note on pearl-
+fisheries: the descriptions of travellers are continuous from the
+days of Pliny (ix. 35), Solinus (cap. 56) and Marco Polo (iii.
+23). Maximilian of Transylvania, in his narrative of Magellan's
+voyage (Novus Orbis, p. 532) says that the Celebes produce pearls
+big as turtle-doves' eggs; and the King of Porne (Borneo) had two
+unions as great as goose's eggs. Pigafetta (in Purchas) reduces
+this to hen's eggs and Sir Thomas Herbert to dove's eggs.
+
+[FN#74] Arab. "Anbar" pronounced "Ambar;" wherein I would derive
+"Ambrosia." Ambergris was long supposed to be a fossil, a
+vegetable which grew upon the sea-bottom or rose in springs; or a
+"substance produced in the water like naphtha or bitumen"(!): now
+it is known to be the egesta of a whale. It is found in lumps
+weighing several pounds upon the Zanzibar Coast and is sold at a
+high price, being held a potent aphrodisiac. A small hollow is
+drilled in the bottom of the cup and the coffee is poured upon
+the bit of ambergris it contains; when the oleaginous matter
+shows in dots amidst the "Kaymagh" (coffee-cream), the bubbly
+froth which floats upon the surface and which an expert "coffee
+servant" distributes equally among the guests. Argensola mentions
+in Ceylon, "springs of liquid bitumen thicker than our oil and
+some of pure balsam."
+
+[FN#75] The tale-teller forgets that Sindbad and his companions
+have just ascended it; but this incons�quence is a characteristic
+of the Eastern Saga. I may note that the description of ambergris
+in the text tells us admirably well what it is not.
+
+[FN#76] This custom is alluded to by Lane (Mod Egypt, ch. xv.):
+it is the rule of pilgrims to Meccah when too ill to walk or ride
+(Pilgrimage i. 180). Hence all men carry their shrouds: mine,
+after being dipped in the Holy Water of Zemzem, was stolen from
+me by the rascally Somal of Berberah.
+
+[FN#77] Arab. "Fulk;" some Edits. read "Kalak" and "Ramaz" (=a
+raft).
+
+[FN#78] These lines occur in modified form in Night xi.
+
+[FN#79] These underground rivers (which Dr. Livingstone derided)
+are familiar to every geographer from Spenser's "Mole" to the
+Poika of Adelberg and the Timavo near Trieste. Hence "Peter
+Wilkins" borrowed his cavern which let him to Grandevolet. I have
+some experience of Sindbad's sorrows, having once attempted to
+descend the Poika on foot. The Classics had the Alpheus (Pliny v.
+31; and Seneca, Nat. Quae. vi.), and the Tigris-Euphrates
+supposed to flow underground: and the Medi�vals knew the Abana of
+Damascus and the Zender�d of Isfahan.
+
+[FN#80] Abyssinians can hardly be called "blackamoors," but the
+arrogance of the white skin shows itself in Easterns (e.g. Turks
+and Brahmans) as much as, if not more than, amongst Europeans.
+Southern India at the time it was explored by Vasco da Gama was
+crowded with Abyssinian slaves imported by the Arabs.
+
+[FN#81] "Sarandib" and "Ceylon" (the Taprobane of Ptolemy and
+Diodorus Siculus) derive from the Pali "Sihalam" (not the Sansk.
+"Sinhala") shortened to Silam and Ilam in old Tamul. Van der Tunk
+would find it in the Malay "Pulo Selam"=Isle of Gems (the Ratna-
+dw�pa or Jewel Isle of the Hindus and the Jazirat al-Yak�t or
+Ruby-Island of the Arabs); and the learned Colonel Yule (Marco
+Polo ii 296) remarks that we have adopted many Malayan names,
+e.g. Pegu, China and Japan. Sarandib is clearly "Selan-dw�pa,"
+which Mandeville reduced to "Silha."
+
+[FN#82] This is the well-known Adam's Peak, the Jabal al-Ramun of
+the Arabs where Adam fell when cast out of Eden in the lowest or
+lunar sphere. Eve fell at Jeddah (a modern myth) and the unhappy
+pair met at Mount Arafat (i.e. recognition) near Meccah. Thus
+their fall was a fall indeed. (Pilgrimage iii. 259.)
+
+[FN#83] He is the Alcinous of our Arabian Odyssey.
+
+[FN#84] This word is not in the dictionaries; Hole (p. 192) and
+Lane understand it to mean the hog-deer; but why, one cannot
+imagine. The animal is neither "beautiful" nor "uncommon" and
+most men of my day have shot dozens in the Sind-Shik�rgahs.
+
+[FN#85] M. Polo speaks of a ruby in Seilan (Ceylon) a palm long
+and three fingers thick: William of Tyre mentions a ruby weighing
+twelve Egyptian drams (Gibbon ii. 123), and Mandeville makes the
+King of Mammera wear about his neck a "rubye orient" one foot
+long by five fingers large.
+
+[FN#86] The fable is from Al-Kazwini and Ibn Al-Wardi who place
+the serpent (an animal sacred to �sculapius, Pliny, xxix. 4) "in
+the sea of Zanj" (i.e. Zanzibar). In the "garrow hills" of N.
+Eastern Bengal the skin of the snake Burrawar (?) is held to cure
+pain. (Asiat. Res. vol. iii.)
+
+[FN#87] For "Emerald," Hole (p. 177) would read emery or
+adamantine spar.
+
+[FN#88] Evidently Mah�r�j=Great Rajah, Rajah in Chief, an Hindu
+title common to the three potentates before alluded to, the
+Narsinga, Balhara or Samiry.
+
+[FN#89] This is probably classical. So the page said to Philip of
+Macedon every morning, "Remember, Philip, thou art mortal"; also
+the slave in the Roman Triumph,
+
+"Respice poste te: hominem te esse memento!"
+
+And the dying Severus, "Urnlet, soon shalt thou enclose what
+hardly a whole world could contain." But the custom may also have
+been Indian: the contrast of external pomp with the real vanity
+of human life suggests itself to all.
+
+[FN#90] Arab. "H�t"; a term applied to Jonah's whale and to
+monsters of the deep, "Samak" being the common fishes.
+
+[FN#91] Usually a two-bow prayer.
+
+[FN#92] This is the recognised formula of Moslem sales.
+
+[FN#93] Arab. "Wal�mah"; like our wedding-breakfast but a much
+more ceremonious and important affair.
+
+[FN#94] i.e. his wife (euphemistically). I remember an Italian
+lady being much hurt when a Maltese said to her "Mia moglie � con
+rispetto parlando" (my wife, saving your presence). "What," she
+cried, "he speaks of his wife as he would of the sweepings!"
+
+[FN#95] The serpent in Arabic is mostly feminine.
+
+[FN#96] i.e. in envying his wealth, with the risk of the evil
+eye.
+
+[FN#97] I subjoin a translation of the Seventh Voyage from the
+Calc. Edit. of the two hundred Nights which differs in essential
+points from the above. All respecting Sindbad the Seaman has an
+especial interest. In one point this world-famous tale is badly
+ordered. The most exciting adventures are the earliest and the
+falling off of the interest has a somewhat depressing effect. The
+Rukh, the Ogre and the Old Man o' the Sea should come last.
+
+[FN#98] Arab. "Al-Suways:" this successor of ancient Arsino� was,
+according to local tradition, founded by a Santon from Al-S�s in
+Marocco who called it after his name "Little S�s" (the wormlet).
+
+[FN#99] Arab. "Mann," a weight varying from two to six pounds:
+even this common term is not found in the tables of Lane's Mod.
+Egyptians, Appendix B. The "Maund" is a well-known Anglo-Indian
+weight.
+
+[FN#100] This article is not mentioned elsewhere in The Nights.
+
+[FN#101] Apparently a fancy title.
+
+[FN#102] The island is evidently Ceylon, long famed for
+elephants, and the tree is the well known "Banyan" (Ficus
+Indica). According to Linschoten and Wolf, the elephants of all
+lands do reverence and honour to those of Ceylon.
+
+[FN#103] "Tusks" not "teeth" which are not valued. As Hole
+remarks, the elephants of Pliny and Sindbad are equally conscious
+of the value of ivory. Pliny (viii. 3) quotes Herodotus about the
+buying of ivories and relates how elephants, when hunted, break
+their "cornua" (as Juba called them) against a tree trunk by way
+of ransom. �lian, Plutarch, and Philostratus speak of the
+linguistic intelligence and religious worship of the "half-reason
+with the hand," which the Hindus term "H�th�"=unimanus. Finally,
+Topsell's Gesner (p. 152) makes elephants bury their tusks,
+"which commonly drop out every tenth year." In Arabian literature
+the elephant is always connected with India.
+
+[FN#104] This is a true "City of Brass." (Nuh�s asfar=yellow
+copper), as we learn in Night dcclxxii. It is situated in the
+"Maghrib" (Mauritania), the region of magic and mystery; and the
+idea was probably suggested by the grand Roman ruins which rise
+abruptly from what has become a sandy waste. Compare with this
+tale "The City of Brass" (Night cclxxii.). In Egypt Nuh�s is
+vulg. pronounced Nih�s.
+
+[FN#105] The Bresl. Edit. adds that the seal-ring was of stamped
+stone and iron, copper and lead. I have borrowed copiously from
+its vol. vi. pp. 343, et seq.
+
+[FN#106] As this was a well-known pre-Islamitic bard, his
+appearance here is decidedly anachronistic, probably by
+intention.
+
+[FN#107] The first Moslem conqueror of Spain whose lieutenant,
+T�rik, the gallant and unfortunate, named Gibraltar (Jabal al-
+Tarik).
+
+[FN#108] The colours of the Ban� Umayyah (Ommiade) Caliphs were
+white, of the Ban� Abb�s (Abbasides) black, and of the Fatimites
+green. Carrying the royal flag denoted the generalissimo or
+plenipotentiary.
+
+[FN#109] i.e. Old Cairo, or Fustat: the present Cairo was then a
+Coptic village founded on an old Egyptian settlement called Lui-
+Tkeshroma, to which belonged the tanks on the hill and the great
+well, Bir Yusuf, absurdly attributed to Joseph the Patriarch. Lui
+is evidently the origin of Levi and means a high priest (Brugsh
+ii. 130) and his son's name was Roma.
+
+[FN#110] I cannot but suspect that this is a clerical error for
+"Al-Samanh�di," a native of Samanh�d (Wilkinson's "Semenood") in
+the Delta on the Damietta branch, the old Sebennytus (in Coptic
+Jem-nuti=Jem the God), a town which has produced many
+distinguished men in Moslem times. But there is also a Samh�d
+lying a few miles down stream from Denderah and, as its mounds
+prove, it is an ancient site.
+
+[FN#111] Egypt had not then been conquered from the Christians.
+
+[FN#112] Arab. "K�z�n fukk�'a," i.e. thin and slightly porous
+earthenware jars used for Fukk�'a, a fermented drink, made of
+barley or raisins.
+
+[FN#113] I retain this venerable blunder: the right form is
+Sam�m, from Samm, the poison-wind.
+
+[FN#114] i.e. for worship and to prepare for futurity.
+
+[FN#115] The camel carries the Badawi's corpse to the cemetery
+which is often distant: hence to dream of a camel is an omen of
+death.
+
+[FN#116] Koran xxiv 39. The word "Sar�b" (mirage) is found in
+Isaiah (xxxv. 7) where the passage should be rendered "And the
+mirage (sharab) shall become a lake" (not, "and the parched
+ground shall become a pool"). The Hindus prettily call it
+"Mrigatrishn�" = the thirst of the deer.
+
+[FN#117] A name of Allah.
+
+[FN#118] Arab. "Kint�r"=a hundredweight (i.e. 100 Ibs.), about 98
+3/4 Ibs. avoir. Hence the French quintal and its congeners
+(Littr�).
+
+[FN#119] i.e. "from Sh�m (Syria) to (the land of) Adnan,"
+ancestor of the Naturalized Arabs that is, to Arabia.
+
+[FN#120] Koran lii. 21. "Every man is given in pledge for that
+which he shall have wrought."
+
+[FN#121] There is a constant clerical confusion in the texts
+between "Arar" (Juniperus Oxycedrus used by the Breeks for the
+images of their gods) and "Marmar" marble or alabaster, in the
+Talmud "Marmora" = marble. evidently from {Greek letters} =
+brilliant, the brilliant stone.
+
+[FN#122] These Ifritical names are chosed for their bizarrerie.
+"Al-D�hish" = the Amazed; and "Al-A'amash" = one with weak eyes
+always watering.
+
+[FN#123] The Arabs have no word for million; so Messer Marco
+Miglione could not have learned it from them. On the other hand
+the Hindus have more quadrillions than modern Europe.
+
+[FN#124] This formula, according to Moslems, would begin with the
+beginning "There is no il�h but Allah and Adam is the Apostle
+(ras�l = one sent, a messenger, not nab� = prophet) of Allah."
+And so on with Noah, Moses, David (not Solomon as a rule) and
+Jesus, to Mohammed.
+
+[FN#125] This son of Barachia has been noticed before. The text
+embroiders the Koranic chapter No. xxvii.
+
+[FN#126] The Bresl. Edit. (vi. 371) reads "Samm-hu"=his poison,
+prob. a clerical error for "Sahmhu"=his shaft. It was a duel with
+the "Shih�b" or falling stars, the meteors which are popularly
+supposed, I have said, to be the arrows shot by the angels
+against devils and evil spirits when they approach too near
+Heaven in order to overhear divine secrets.
+
+[FN#127] A fancy sea from the Lat. "Carcer" ( ?).
+
+[FN#128] Andalusian = Spanish, the Vandal-land, a term accepted
+by the Moslem invader.
+
+[FN#129] This fine description will remind the traveller of the
+old Haurani towns deserted since the sixth century, which a silly
+writer miscalled the "Giant Cities of Bashan." I have never seen
+anything weirder than a moonlight night in one of these strong
+places whose masonry is perfect as when first built, the snowy
+light pouring on the jet-black basalt and the breeze sighing and
+the jackal wailing in the desert around.
+
+[FN#130] "Zanj," I have said, is the Arab. form of the Persian
+"Zang-bar" (=Black-land), our Zanzibar. Those who would know more
+of the etymology will consult my "Zanzibar," etc., chaps. i.
+
+[FN#131] Arab. "Tanjah"=Strabo {Greek letters} (derivation
+uncertain), Tingitania, Tangiers. But why the terminal s ?
+
+[FN#132] Or Amidah, by the Turks called "Kara (black) Amid" from
+the colour of the stones and the Arabs "Diyar-bakr" (Diarbekir),
+a name which they also give to the whole province--Mesopotamia.
+
+[FN#133] Mayy�f�rik�n, an episcopal city in Diyar-bakr: the
+natives are called F�rik�; hence the abbreviation in the text.
+
+[FN#134] Arab. "Ay�t al-Naj�t," certain Koranic verses which act
+as talismans, such as, "And wherefore should we not put our trust
+in Allah ?" (xiv. 15); "Say thou, �Naught shall befall us save
+what Allah hath decreed for us,' " (ix. 51), and sundry others.
+
+[FN#135] These were the "Brides of the Treasure," alluded to in
+the story of Hasan of Bassorah and elsewhere.
+
+[FN#136] Arab. "Ish�rah," which may also mean beckoning. Easterns
+reverse our process: we wave hand or finger towards ourselves;
+they towards the object; and our fashion represents to them, Go
+away!
+
+[FN#137] i.e. musing a long time and a longsome.
+
+[FN#138] Arab. "Dihl�z" from the Persian. This is the long dark
+passage which leads to the inner or main gate of an Eastern city,
+and which is built up before a siege. It is usually furnished
+with Mastabah-benches of wood and masonry, and forms a favourite
+lounge in hot weather. Hence Lot and Moses sat and stood in the
+gate, and here man speaks with his enemies.
+
+[FN#139] The names of colours are as loosely used by the Arabs as
+by the Classics of Europe; for instance, a light grey is called a
+"blue or a green horse." Much nonsense has been written upon the
+colours in Homer by men who imagine that the semi-civilised
+determine tints as we do. They see them but they do not name
+them, having no occasion for the words. As I have noticed,
+however, the Arabs have a complete terminology for the varieties
+of horse-hues. In our day we have witnessed the birth of colours,
+named by the dozen, because required by women's dress.
+
+[FN#140] For David's miracles of metallurgy see vol. i. 286.
+
+[FN#141] Arab. "Khw�razm," the land of the Chorasmioi, who are
+mentioned by Herodotus (iii. 93) and a host of classical
+geographers. They place it in Sogdiana (hod. Sughd) and it
+corresponds with the Khiva country.
+
+[FN#142] Arab. "Burka'," usually applied to a woman's face-veil
+and hence to the covering of the Ka'abah, which is the "Bride of
+Meccah."
+
+[FN#143] Alluding to the trick played upon Bilk�s by Solomon who
+had heard that her legs were hairy like those of an ass: he laid
+down a pavement of glass over flowing water in which fish were
+swimming and thus she raised her skirts as she approached him and
+he saw that the report was true. Hence, as I have said, the
+depilatory.
+
+[FN#144] I understand the curiously carved windows cut in
+arabesque-work of marble. (India) or basalt (the Haur�n) and
+provided with small panes of glass set in emeralds where tin
+would be used by the vulgar.
+
+[FN#145] Arab. "Bul�d" from the Pers. "Pul�d." Hence the name of
+the famous Druze family "Jumblat," a corruption of "J�n-
+pul�d"=Life o' Steel.
+
+[FN#146] Pharaoh, so called in Koran (xxxviii. 11) because he
+tortured men by fastening them to four stakes driven into the
+ground. Sale translates "the contriver of the stakes" and adds,
+"Some understand the word figuratively, of the firm establishment
+of Pharaoh's kingdom, because the Arabs fix their tents with
+stakes; but they may possibly intend that prince's obstinacy and
+hardness of heart." I may note that in "Tasawwuf," or Moslem
+Gnosticism, Pharaoh represents, like Prometheus and Job, the
+typical creature who upholds his own dignity and rights in
+presence and despight of the Creator. S�hib the S�f� declares
+that the secret of man's soul (i.e. its emanation) was first
+revealed when Pharaoh declared himself god; and Al-Ghaz�l� sees
+in his claim the most noble aspiration to the divine, innate in
+the human spirit. (Dabistan, vol. iii.)
+
+[FN#147] In the Calc. Edit. "Tarmuz, son of the daughter," etc.
+According to the Arabs Tadmur (Palmyra) was built by Queen
+Tadmurah, daughter of Hass�n bin Uzaynah.
+
+[FN#148] It is only by some such drought that I can account for
+the survival of those marvellous Haurani cities in the great
+valley S. E. of Damascus.
+
+[FN#149] So Moses described his own death and burial.
+
+[FN#150] A man's "aurat" (shame) extends from the navel
+(included) to his knees, a woman's from the top of the head to
+the tips of her toes. I have before noticed the Hindostan�
+application of the word.
+
+[FN#151] Arab. "Jum'ah" ( = the assembly) so called because the
+General Resurrection will take place on that day and it witnessed
+the creation of Adam. Both these reasons are evidently after-
+thoughts; as the Jews received a divine order to keep Saturday,
+and the Christians, at their own sweet will, transferred the
+weekly rest-day to Sunday, wherefore the Moslem preferred Friday.
+Sabbatarianism, however, is unknown to Al-Islam and business is
+interrupted, by Koranic order ([xii. 9-10), only during
+congregational prayers in the Mosque. The most a Mohammedan does
+is not to work or travel till after public service. But the
+Moslem hardly wants a "day of rest;" whereas a Christian,
+especially in the desperately dull routine of daily life and
+toil, without a gleam of light to break the darkness of his
+civilised and most unhappy existence, disctinctly requires it.
+
+[FN#152] Mankind, which sees itself everywhere and in everything,
+must create its own analogues in all the elements, air (Sylphs),
+fire (Jinns), water (Mermen and Mermaids) and earth (Kobolds),
+These merwomen were of course seals or manatees, as the wild
+women of Hanno were gorillas.
+
+[FN#153] Here begins the Sindibad-namah, the origin of Dolopathos
+(thirteenth century by the Trouv�re Harbers); of the "Seven
+Sages" (John Holland in 1575); the "Seven Wise Masters" and a
+host of minor romances. The Persian Sindib�d-N�mah assumed its
+present shape in A.D. 1375: Professor Falconer printed an
+abstract of it in the Orient. Journ. (xxxv. and xxxvi. 1841), and
+Mr. W. A. Clouston reissued the "Book of Sindibad," with useful
+notes in 1884. An abstract of the Persian work is found in all
+edits. of The Nights; but they differ greatly, especially that in
+the Bresl. Edit. xii. pp. 237-377, from which I borrow the
+introduction. According to Hamzah Isfah�n� (ch. xli.) the Reguli
+who succeeded to Alexander the Great and preceded Sapor caused
+some seventy books to be composed, amongst which were the Liber
+Maruc, Liber Bars�nas, Liber Sindibad, Liber Shim�s, etc., etc.
+
+[FN#154] Eusebius De Praep. Evang. iii. 4, quotes Prophesy
+concerning the Egyptian belief in the Lords of the Ascendant
+whose names are given {Greek letters}: in these "Almenichiaka" we
+have the first almanac, as the first newspaper in the Roman "Acta
+Diurna."
+
+[FN#155] "Al-Mas'�di," the "Herodotus of the Arabs," thus notices
+Sindibad the Sage (in his Mur�j, etc., written about A.D. 934).
+"During the reign of Kur�sh (Cyrus) lived Al-Sindibad who wrote
+the Seven Wazirs, etc." Al-Ya'ak�bi had also named him, circ.
+A.D. 880. For notes on the name Sindibad, see Sindbad the Seaman,
+Night dxxxvi. I need not enter into the history of the "Seven
+Sages," a book evidently older than The Nights in present form;
+but refer the reader to Mr. Clouston, of whom more in a future
+page.
+
+[FN#156] Evidently borrowed from the Christians, although the
+latter borrowed from writers of the most remote antiquity. Yet
+the saying is the basis of all morality and in few words contains
+the highest human wisdom.
+
+[FN#157] It is curious to compare the dry and business-like tone
+of the Arab style with the rhetorical luxuriance of the Persian:
+p.10 of Mr. Clouston's "Book of Sindibad."
+
+[FN#158] In the text "Isf�d�j," the Pers. Isped (or Saf�d) �b,
+lit. = white water, ceruse used for women's faces suggesting our
+"Age of Bismuth," Blanc Rosati, Cr�me de l'Imp�ratrice, Perline,
+Opaline, Milk of Beauty, etc., etc.
+
+[FN#159] Commentators compare this incident with the biblical
+story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife and with the old Egyptian
+romance and fairy tale of the brothers Anapon and Saton dating
+from the fourteenth century, the days of Pharaoh Ramses Miamun
+(who built Pi-tum and Ramses) at whose court Moses or Osarsiph is
+supposed to have been reared (Cambridge Essays 1858). The
+incident would often occur, e.g. Ph�dra-cum-Hippolytus;
+Fausta-cum-Crispus and Lucinian; Asoka's wife and Kun�la, etc.,
+etc. Such things happen in every-day life, and the situation has
+recommended itself to the folk lore of all peoples.
+
+[FN#160] Another version of this tale is given in the Bresl.
+Edit. (vol. viii. pp. 273-8: Night 675-6). It is the "Story of
+the King and the Virtuous Wife" in the Book of Sindibad. In the
+versions Arabic and Greek (Syntipas) the King forgets his ring;
+in the Hebrew Mishl� Sandabar, his staff, and his sandals in the
+old Spanish Libro de los Engannos et los Asayamientos de las
+Mugeres.
+
+[FN#161] One might fancy that this is Biblical, Bathsheba and
+Uriah. But such "villanies" must often have occurred in the East,
+at different times and places, without requiring direct
+derivation. The learned Prof. H. H. Wilson was mistaken in
+supposing that these fictions "originate in the feeling which has
+always pervaded the East unfavourable to the dignity of women."
+They belong to a certain stage of civilisation when the sexes are
+at war with each other; and they characterise chivalrous Europe
+as well as misogynous Asia; witness Jankins, clerk of Oxenforde;
+while �sop's fable of the Lion and the Man also explains their
+frequency.
+
+[FN#162] The European form of the tale is "Toujours perdrix," a
+sentence often quoted but seldom understood. It is the reproach
+of M. l'Abb� when the Count (proprietor of the pretty Countess)
+made him eat partridge every day for a month; on which the Abb�
+says, "Alway partridge is too much of a good thing!" Upon this
+text the Count speaks. A correspondent mentions that it was told
+by Horace Walpole concerning the Confessor of a French King who
+reproved him for conjugal infidelities. The degraded French (for
+"toujours de la perdrix" or "des perdrix") suggests a foreign
+origin. Another friend refers me to No. x. of the "Cent Nouvelles
+Nouvelles" (compiled in A.D. 1432 for the amusement of the
+Dauphin, afterwards Louis XI.) whose chief personage "un grand
+seigneur du Royaulme d'Angleterre," is lectured upon fidelity by
+the lord's mignon, a "jeune et gracieux gentil homme de son
+hostel." Here the partridge became past�s d'anguille. Possibly
+Scott refers to it in Redgauntlet (chapt. iv.); "One must be very
+fond of partridge to accept it when thrown in one's face." Did
+not Voltaire complain at Potsdam of "toujours perdrix" and make
+it one of his grievances? A similar story is that of the chaplain
+who, weary of the same diet, uttered "grace" as follows:--
+
+          Rabbits hot, rabbits cold,
+             Rabbits tender, and rabbits tough,
+          Rabbits young, and rabbits old�
+             I thank the Lord I've had enough.
+
+And I as cordially thank my kind correspondents.
+
+[FN#163] The great legal authority of the realm.
+
+[FN#164] In all editions the Wazir here tells the Tale of the
+Merchant's Wife and the Parrot which, following Lane, I have
+transferred to vol. i. p. 52. But not to break the tradition I
+here introduce the Persian version of the story from the "Book of
+Sindibad." In addition to the details given in the note to vol.
+i., 52 {Vol1, FN#90}; I may quote the two talking-birds left to
+watch over his young wife by Rajah Ras�l� (son of Shaliv�hana the
+great Indian monarch circ. A.D. 81), who is to the Punjab what
+Rustam is to Persia and Antar to Arabia. In the "Seven Wise
+Masters" the parrot becomes a magpie and Mr. Clouston, in some
+clever papers on "Popular Tales and Fictions" contributed to the
+Glasgow Evening Times (1884), compares it with the history, in
+the Gesta Romanorum, of the Adulteress, the Abigail, and the
+Three Cocks, two of which crowed during the congress of the lady
+and her lover. All these evidently belong to the Sindibad cycle.
+
+[FN#165] In the days of the Caliph Al-Mustakf� bi �llah (A.H.
+333=944) the youth of Baghdad studied swimming and it is said
+that they could swim holding chafing-dishes upon which were
+cooking-pots and keep afloat till the meat was dressed. The story
+is that of "The Washerman and his Son who were drowned in the
+Nile," of the Book of Sindibad.
+
+[FN#166] Her going to the bath suggested that she was fresh from
+coition..
+
+[FN#167] Taken from the life of the Egyptian Mameluke Sultan (No.
+viii, regn. A.H, 825= A.D. 1421) who would not suffer his
+subjects to prostrate themselves or kiss the ground before him.
+See D'Herbelot for details.
+
+[FN#168] This nauseous Joe Miller has often been told in the
+hospitals of London and Paris. It is as old as the Hitopadesa.
+
+[FN#169] Koran iv. 81, "All is from Allah;" but the evil which
+befals mankind, though ordered by Allah, is yet the consequence
+of their own wickedness (I add, which wickedness was created by
+Allah).
+
+[FN#170] The Bresl. Edit. (xii. 266) says "bathing."
+
+[FN#171] This tale is much like that told in the Fifth Night
+(vol. i. 54). It is the story of the Prince and the Lamia in the
+Book of Sindibad wherein it is given with Persian rhetoric and
+diffuseness.
+
+[FN#172] Arab. "Wa'ar"= rocky, hilly, tree-less ground unfit for
+riding. I have noted that the three Heb. words "Year" (e.g.
+Kiryath-Yearin=City of forest), "Choresh" (now Hirsh, a scrub),
+and "Pardes" ({Greek letters} a chase, a hunting-park opposed to
+{Greek letters}, an orchard) are preserved in Arabic and are
+intelligible in Palestine. (Unexplored Syria, i. 207.)
+
+[FN#173] The privy and the bath are favourite haunts of the
+Jinns.
+
+[FN#174] Arab history is full of petty wars caused by trifles. In
+Egypt the clans Sa'ad and Har�m and in Syria the Kays and Yaman
+(which remain to the present day) were as pugnacious as Highland
+Caterans. The tale bears some likeness to the accumulative
+nursery rhymes in "The House that Jack Built," and "The Old Woman
+and the Crooked Sixpence;" which find their indirect original in
+an allegorical Talmudic hymn.
+
+[FN#175] This is "The Story of the Old Man who sent his Young
+Wife to the Market to buy Rice," told with Persian reflections in
+the "Book of Sindibad."
+
+[FN#176] Koran xii. 28. The words were spoken by Potiphar to
+Joseph.
+
+[FN#177] Koran iv. 78. A mis-quotation, the words are, "Fight
+therefore against the friends of Satan, for the craft of Satan
+shall be weak."
+
+[FN#178] i.e. Koranic versets.
+
+[FN#179] In the Book of Sindibad this is the "Story of the Prince
+who went out to hunt and the stratagem which the Wazir practised
+on him."
+
+[FN#180] I have noted that it is a dire affront to an Arab if his
+first cousin marry any save himself without his formal leave.
+
+[FN#181] i.e. the flowery, the splendid; an epithet of Fatimah,
+the daughter of the Apostle "the bright blooming." F�timah is an
+old Arab name of good omen, "the weaner:" in Egypt it becomes
+Fatt�mah (an incrementative= "great weaner"); and so Am�nah,
+Khad�jah and Naf�sah on the banks of the Nile are barbarised to
+Amm�nah, Khadd�gah and Naff�sah.
+
+[FN#182] i.e. his coming misfortune, the phrase being
+euphemistic.
+
+[FN#183] Arab. "R�y:" in theology it means "private judgment" and
+"R�y�" (act. partic.) is a Rationalist. The Hanaf� School is
+called "Ash�b al-R�y" because it allows more liberty of thought
+than the other three orthodox.
+
+[FN#184] The angels in Al-Islam ride piebalds.
+
+[FN#185] In the Bresl. Edit. "Z�jir" (xii. 286).
+
+[FN#186] This is the "King's Son and the Merchant's Wife" of the
+Hitopadesa (chapt. i.) transferred to all the Prakrit versions of
+India. It is the Story of the Bath-keeper who conducted his Wife
+to the Son of the King of Kanuj in the Book of Sindibad.
+
+[FN#187] The pious Caliph Al-Muktadi bi Amri �llah (A.H. 467=A.D.
+1075) was obliged to forbid men entering the baths of Baghdad
+without drawers.
+
+[FN#188] This peculiarity is not uncommon amongst the so-called
+Aryan and Semitic races, while to the African it is all but
+unknown. Women highly prize a conformation which (as the
+prostitute described it) is always "either in his belly or in
+mine."
+
+[FN#189] Easterns, I have said, are perfectly aware of the fact
+that women corrupt women much more than men do. The tale is the
+"Story of the Libertine Husband" in the Book of Sindibad; blended
+with the "Story of the Go-between and the Bitch" in the Book of
+Sindibad. It is related in the "Disciplina Clericalis" of
+Alphonsus (A.D. 1106); the fabliau of La vieille qui seduisit la
+jeune fille; the Gesta Romanorum (thirteenth century) and the
+"Cunning Siddhikari" in the Kath�-Sarit-S�gara.
+
+[FN#190] The Kashmir people, men and women, have a very bad name
+in Eastern tales, the former for treachery and the latter for
+unchastity. A Persian distich says:
+
+  If folk be scarce as food in dearth ne'er let three lots come
+near ye:
+  First Sindi, second Jat, and third a rascally Kashmeeree.
+
+The women have fair skins and handsome features but, like all
+living in that zone, Persians, Sindis, Afghans, etc., their
+bosoms fall after the first child and become like udders. This is
+not the case with Hind� women, Rajp�ts, Mar�th�s, etc.
+
+[FN#191] By these words she appealed to his honour.
+
+[FN#192] These vehicles suggest derivation from European
+witchery. In the Bresl. Edit. (xii. 304) one of the women rides a
+"Miknasah" or broom.
+
+[FN#193] i.e. a recluse who avoids society.
+
+[FN#194] "Consecrated ground" is happily unknown to Moslems.
+
+[FN#195] This incident occurs in the "Third Kalandar's Tale." See
+vol. i. 157 {Vol 1, FN#290}; and note to p. 145. {Vol 1, FN#264}
+
+[FN#196] The Mac. Edit. has "Nahr"= river.
+
+[FN#197] i.e. marked with the Wasm or tribal sign to show their
+blood. The subject of Wasm is extensive and highly interesting,
+for many of these brands date doubtless from prehistoric ages.
+For instance, some of the great Anazah nation (not tribe) use a
+circlet, the initial of their name (an Ayn-letter), which thus
+shows the eye from which it was formed. I have given some
+specimens of Wasm in The Land of Midian (i. 320) where, as
+amongst the "Sinaitic" Badawin, various kinds of crosses are
+preserved long after the death and burial of Christianity.
+
+[FN#198] i.e. from the heights. The "Sayl" is a dangerous feature
+in Arabia as in Southern India, where many officers have lost
+their lives by trying to swim it.
+
+[FN#199] Arab. "'Ujb" I use arrogance in the Spanish sense of
+"arrogante," gay and gallant.
+
+[FN#200] In this rechauff� Paul Pry escapes without losing an
+eye.
+
+[FN#201] Eastern tale-tellers always harp upon this theme, the
+cunning precautions taken by mankind and their utter confusion by
+"Fate and Fortune." In such matters the West remarks, "Ce que
+femme veut, Dieu veut."
+
+[FN#202] As favourite an occupation in Oriental lands as in
+Southern Europe and the Brazil, where the Quinta or country villa
+must be built by the road-side to please the mistress.
+
+[FN#203] The ink-case would contain the pens; hence called in
+India Kalamd�n=reed (pen) box. I have advised travellers to
+prefer the strong Egyptian article of brass to the Persian, which
+is of wood or papier-m�ch�, prettily varnished, but not to wear
+it in the waist-belt, as this is a sign of being a scribe.
+(Pilgrimage i. 353.)
+
+[FN#204] The vulgar Eastern idea is that women are quite knowing
+enough without learning to read and write; and at all events they
+should not be taught anything beyond reading the Koran, or some
+clearly-written book. The contrast with modern Europe is great;
+greater still in Anglo-America of our day, and greatest with the
+new sects which propose "biunes" and "bisexuals" and "women robed
+with the sun."
+
+[FN#205] In the Bresl. Edit. the Prince ties a key to a second
+arrow and shoots it into the pavilion.
+
+[FN#206] The "box-trick" has often been played with success, by
+Lord Byron amongst a host of others. The readiness with which the
+Wazir enters into the scheme is characteristic of oriental
+servility: an honest Moslem should at least put in a
+remonstrance.
+
+[FN#207] This story appears familiar, but I have not found it
+easy to trace. In "The Book of Sindibad" (p. 83) it is apparently
+represented by a lacuna. In the Squire's Tale of Chaucer Canace's
+ring enables the wearer to understand bird-language, not merely
+to pretend as does the slave-boy in the text.
+
+[FN#208] The crow is an ill-omened bird in Al-lslam and in
+Eastern Christendom. "The crow of cursed life and foul odour,"
+says the Book of Kalilah and Dimna (p. 44). The Hindus are its
+only protectors, and in this matter they follow suit with the
+Guebres. I may note that the word belongs to the days before
+"Aryan" and "Semitic" speech had parted; we find it in Heb. Oreb;
+Arab. Ghurab; Lat. Corvus; Engl. Crow, etc.
+
+[FN#209] Again in the Hibernian sense of being "kilt."
+
+[FN#210] Quoted in Night dlxxxii.; said by Kitf�r or Itf�r
+(Potiphar) when his wife (R�il or Zulaykha) charged Joseph with
+attempting her chastity and he saw that the youth's garment was
+whole in front and rent in rear. (Koran, chapt. xii.)
+
+[FN#211] This witty tale, ending somewhat grossly here, has
+over-wandered the world. First we find it in the Kath� (S. S.)
+where Upakosh�, the merry wife of Vararuchi, disrobes her
+suitors, a family priest, a commander of the guard and the
+prince's tutor, under plea of the bath and stows them away in
+baskets which suggest Falstaff's "buck-basket." In Miss Stokes'
+"Indian Fairy Tales" the fair wife of an absent merchant plays a
+similar notable prank upon the Kotwal, the Wazir, the Kazi and
+the King; and akin to this is the exploit of Temal R�m�kistnan,
+the Madrasi Tyl Eulenspiegel and Scogin who by means of a lady
+saves his life from the Rajah and the High Priest. Mr. G. H.
+Damant (pp. 357-360 of the "Indian Antiquary" of 1873) relates
+the "Tale of the Touchstone," a legend of Dinahpur, wherein a
+woman "sells" her four admirers. In the Persian Tales ascribed to
+the Dervish "Mokles" (Mukhlis) of Isfahan, the lady Aruy� tricks
+and exposes a Kazi, a doctor and a governor. Boccaccio (viii. 1)
+has the story of a lady who shut up her gallant in a chest with
+her husband's sanction; and a similar tale (ix. 1) of Rinuccio
+and Alexander with the corpse of Scannadeo (Throkh-god). Hence a
+Lydgate (circ. A.D. 1430) derived the plot of his metrical tale
+of "The Lady Prioress and her Three Sisters"; which was modified
+in the Netherlandish version by the introduction of the Long
+Wapper, a Flemish Robin Goodfellow. Followed in English the
+metrical tale of "The Wright's Chaste Wife," by Adam of Cobham
+(edited by Mr. Furnivall from a MS. of circ. A.D. 1460) where the
+victims are a lord, a steward and a proctor. See also "The
+Master-Maid" in Dr. (now Sir George) Dasent's "Popular Tales from
+the Norse," Mr. Clouston, who gives these details more fully,
+mentions a similar Scottish story concerning a lascivious monk
+and the chaste wife of a miller.
+
+[FN#212]When Easterns sit down to a drinking bout, which means to
+get drunk as speedily and pleasantly as possible, they put off
+dresses of dull colours and robe themselves in clothes supplied
+by the host, of the brightest he may have, especially yellow,
+green and red of different shades. So the lady's proceeding was
+not likely to breed suspicion: al- though her tastes were
+somewhat fantastic and like Miss Julia's--peculiar.
+
+[FN#213] Arab. "Naj�sah," meaning anything unclean which requires
+ablution before prayer. Unfortunately mucus is not of the number,
+so the common Moslem is very offensive in the matter of nose.
+
+[FN#214] Here the word "la'an" is used which most Moslems express
+by some euphemism. The vulgar Egyptian says "Na'al" (Sapr� and
+Sapristi for Sacr� and Sacristie), the Hindostani express it "I
+send him the three letters"--l�m, ayn and n�n.
+
+[FN#215] The Mac. Edit. is here very concise; better the Bresi.
+Edit. (xii. 326). Here we have the Eastern form of the Three
+Wishes which dates from the earliest ages and which amongst us
+has been degraded to a matter of "black pudding." It is the
+grossest and most brutal satire on the sex, suggesting that a
+woman would prefer an additional inch of penis to anything this
+world or the next can offer her. In the Book of Sindibad it is
+the story of the Peri and Religious Man; his learning the Great
+Name; and his consulting with his wife. See also La Fontaine's
+"Trois Souhaits," Prior's "Ladle," and "Les quatre Souhaits de
+Saint-Martin."
+
+[FN#216] Arab. "Laylat al-Kadr"= Night of Power or of Divine
+Decrees. It is "better than a thousand months" (Koran xcvii. 3),
+but unhappily the exact time is not known although all agree that
+it is one of the last ten in Ramazan. The latter when named by
+Kil�b ibn Murrah, ancestor of Mohammed, about two centuries
+before Al-lslam, corresponded with July-August and took its name
+from "Ramz�" or intense heat. But the Prophet, in the tenth
+Hijrah year, most unwisely forbade "Nasy"= triennial
+intercalation (Koran ix. 36) and thus the lunar month went round
+all the seasons. On the Night of Power the Koran was sent down
+from the Preserved Tablet by Allah's throne, to the first or
+lunar Heaven whence Gabriel brought it for opportunest revelation
+to the Apostle (Koran xcvii.). Also during this night all Divine
+Decrees for the ensuing year are taken from the Tablet and are
+given to the angels for execution whilst, the gates of Heaven
+being open, prayer (as in the text) is sure of success. This mass
+of absurdity has engendered a host of superstitions everywhere
+varying. Lane (Mod. Egypt, chapt. xxv.) describes how some of the
+Faithful keep tasting a cup of salt water which should become
+sweet in the Night of Nights. In (Moslem) India not only the sea
+becomes sweet, but all the vegetable creation bows down before
+Allah. The exact time is known only to Prophets; but the pious
+sit through the Night of Ramazan 27th (our 26th) praying and
+burning incense-pastilles. In Stambul this is officially held to
+be the Night of Power. So in medi�val Europe on Christmas Eve the
+cattle worshipped God in their stalls and I have met peasants in
+France and Italy who firmly believed that brute beasts on that
+night not only speak but predict the events of the coming year.
+
+[FN#217] Hence the misfortune befel her; the pious especially
+avoid temporal palaces.
+
+[FN#218] This is our tale of "The Maid and the Magpie;" the Mac.
+Edit. does not specify the "Tayr" (any bird) but the Bresl. Edit.
+has Ak'ak, a pie. The true Magpie (C. Pica) called Buzar�i (?)
+and Zaghzagh�n Ab� M�ssah (=the Sweeper, from its tail) is found
+on the Libanus and Anti-Libanus (Unexplored Syria ii. 77-143),
+but I never saw it in other parts of Syria or in Arabia. It is
+completely ignored by the Reverend Mr. Tristram in his painfully
+superficial book "The Natural History of the Bible," published by
+the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (or rather
+Ignorance), London, 1873.
+
+[FN#219] This is "The Story of the Two Partridges," told at great
+length in the Book of Sindibad. See De Sacy's text in the Kalilah
+wa Damnah, quoted in the "Book of Kalilah and Damnah" (p. 306).
+
+[FN#220] This extremely wilful young person had rendered rape
+excusable. The same treat- ment is much called for by certain
+heroines of modern fiction--let me mention Princess Napraxine.
+
+[FN#221] The Story of the Hidden Robe, in the Book of Sindibad;
+where it is told with all manner of Persian embellishments.
+
+[FN#222] Now turned into Government offices for local
+administration; a "Tribunal of Commerce," etc.
+
+[FN#223] Arab. "Baww�b," a personage as important as the old
+French concierge and a man of trust who has charge of the keys
+and with letting vacant rooms. In Egypt the Berber from the Upper
+Nile is the favourite suisse; being held more honest or rather
+less rascally than the usual Egyptian. These Berbers, however,
+are true barbarians, overfond of B�zah (the beer of Osiris) and
+not unfrequently dangerous. They are supposed by Moslems to
+descend from the old Syrians expelled by Joshua. For the
+favourite chaff against them, eating the dog (not the puppy-pie),
+see Pilgrimage i. 93. They are the "paddies', of Egypt to whom
+all kinds of bulls and blunders are attributed.
+
+[FN#224] Arab. "Juma'ah," which means either Friday or a week. In
+pre-Moslem times it was called Al-Ar�bah (the other week-days
+being Shiy�r or Saturday, Bawal, Bahan Jabar, Dabar and F�mun�s
+or Thursday). Juma'ah, literally = "Meeting" or Congregation
+(-day), was made to represent the Jewish Sabbath and the
+Christian Sunday because on that day Allah ended the work of
+creation; it was also the date of Mohammed's entering Al-Medinah.
+According to Al-Bayz�w�, it was called Assembly day because Ka'ab
+ibn Lowa, one of the Prophet's ancestors, used to gather the
+people before him on Fridays. Moslems are not forbidden to do
+secular work after the congregational prayers at the hour when
+they must "hasten to the commemoration of Allah and leave
+merchandising." (Koran, chaps. Ixii. 9.)
+
+[FN#225] This is done only by the very pious: if they see a bit
+of bread they kiss it, place it upon their heads and deposit it
+upon a wall or some place where it will not be trodden on. She
+also removed the stones lest haply they prove stumbling-blocks to
+some Moslem foot.
+
+ [FN#226] Arab. "Ashj�r," which may mean either the door-posts or
+the wooden bolts. Lane (iii. 174) translates it "among the trees"
+in a room!
+
+[FN#227] Koran (ix. 51), when Mohammed reproaches the unbelievers
+for not accompanying him to victory or martyrdom.
+
+[FN#228] Arab. "Kin�," a true veil, not the "Burk� " or "nose
+bag" with the peep-holes. It is opposed to the "Tarkah" or "head
+veil." Europeans inveigh against the veil which represents the
+loup of Louis Quatorze's day: it is on the contrary the most
+coquettish of contrivances, hiding coarse skins, fleshy noses,
+wide mouths and vanishing chins, and showing only lustrous and
+liquid black eyes. Moreover a pretty woman, when she wishes, will
+always let you see something under the veil. (Pilgrimage i. 337.)
+
+[FN#229] A yellow-flowered artemisia or absinthe whose wood burns
+like holm-oak. (Unexplored Syria ii. 43.) See vol. ii. 24 for
+further details.
+
+[FN#230] The Farz or obligatory prayers, I have noted, must be
+recited (if necessary) in the most impure place; not so the other
+orisons. Hence the use of the "Sajj�dah" or prayer-rug an article
+too well known to require description.
+
+[FN#231] Anglic� a stomach-ache, a colic.
+
+[FN#232] Arab. "Al-H�fizah" which has two meanings. Properly it
+signifies the third order of Traditionists out of a total of five
+or those who know 300,000 traditions and their ascriptions.
+Popularly "one who can recite the Koran by rote." There are six
+great Traditionists whose words are held to be prime authorities;
+(1) Al-Bokh�ri, (2) Muslim, and these are entitled Al-Sah�hayn,
+The (two true) authorities. After them (3) Al-Tirmidi; and (4)
+Abu Da�d: these four being the authors of the "Four Sunan," the
+others are (5) Al- Nas�i and (6) Ibn M�jah (see Jarrett's
+Al-Siyuti pp. 2, 6; and, for modern Arab studies, Pilgrimage i.
+154 et seq.).
+
+[FN#233] Lane (iii. 176) marries the amorous couple, thus making
+the story highly proper and robbing it of all its point.
+
+[FN#234] Arab. "Sabbahat," i.e. Sabbah-ak' Allah bi'l khayr =
+Allah give thee good morning: still the popular phrase.
+
+[FN#235] Arab. "Ta'r�sak," with the implied hint of her being a
+"Mu'arrisah" or she pander. The Bresl. Edit. (xii. 356) bluntly
+says "Kiv�datak" thy pimping.
+
+[FN#236] Arab. "Rafw": the "Rafu-gar" or fine-drawer in India,
+who does this artistic style of darning, is famed for skill.
+
+[FN#237] The question sounds strange to Europeans, but in the
+Moslem East a man knows nothing, except by hearsay, of the women
+who visit his wife.
+
+[FN#238] Arab. "Ahl al-bayt," so as not rudely to say "wife."
+
+[FN#239] This is a mere abstract of the tale told in the
+Introduction (vol. i. 10-12). Here however, the rings are about
+eighty; there the number varies from ninety to five hundred and
+seventy.
+
+[FN#240] The father suspected the son of intriguing with one of
+his own women.
+
+[FN#241] Arab. and Heb. "Laban" (opp. to "laban-hal�b," or simply
+"hal�b" = fresh milk), milk artificially soured, the Dahin of
+India, the Kisain� of the Slavs and our Corstophine cream. But in
+The Nights, contrary to modern popular usage, "Laban" is also
+applied to Fresh milk. The soured form is universally in the East
+eaten with rice and enters into the Sal�tah or cucumber-salad. I
+have noted elsewhere that all the Galactophagi, the nomades who
+live on milk, use it in the soured never in the fresh form. The
+Badawi have curious prejudices about it: it is a disgrace to sell
+it (though not to exchange it), and "Labb�n," or "milk-vendor,"
+is an insult. The Br�hni and Beloch pomades have the same
+pundonor possibly learnt from the Arabs (Pilgrimage i. 363). For
+�Igt (Akit), Mahir, Saribah, Jam�dah and other lacteal
+preparations, see ibid. i. 362.
+
+[FN#242] I need hardly say that the poison would have been
+utterly harmless, unless there had been an abrasion of the skin.
+The slave- girl is blamed for carrying the jar uncovered because
+thus it would attract the evil eye. In the Book of Sindibad the
+tale appears as the Story of the Poisoned Guest; and the bird is
+a stork.
+
+[FN#243] The Prince expresses the pure and still popular Moslem
+feeling; and yet the learned and experienced Mr Redhouse would
+confuse this absolute Predestination with Providence. A friend
+tells me that the idea of absolute Fate in The Nights makes her
+feel as if the world were a jail.
+
+[FN#244] In the Book of Sindibad this is the Story of the
+Sandal-wood Merchant and the Advice of the Blind Old Man. Mr.
+Clouston (p. 163) quotes a Talmudic joke which is akin to the
+Shaykh's advice and a reply of Tyl Eulenspiegel, the arch-rogue,
+which has also a family resemblance.
+
+[FN#245] Arab. "S�'a," a measure of corn, etc., to be given in
+alms. The Kamus makes it = four mudds (each being 1/3 lbs.); the
+people understand by it four times the measure of a man's two
+open hands.
+
+[FN#246] i.e. till thou restore my eye to me. This style of
+prothesis without apodosis is very common in Arabic and should be
+preserved in translation, as it adds a na�vet� to the style. We
+find it in Genesis iii. 2, "And now lest he put forth his hand,"
+etc.
+
+[FN#247] They were playing at Mur�hanah, like children amongst
+us. It is also called "Hukm wa Riz�" = order and consent. The
+penalty is usually something ridiculous, but here it was
+villainous.
+
+[FN#248] Every Moslem capital has a "Shaykh of the thieves" who
+holds a regular lev�es and who will return stolen articles for
+consideration; and this has lasted since the days of Diodorus
+Siculus (Pilgrimage i. 91).
+
+[FN#249] This was not the condition; but I have left the text as
+it is characteristic of the writer's inconsequence.
+
+[FN#250] The idea would readily occur in Egypt where the pulex is
+still a plague although the Sultan is said to hold his court at
+Tiberias. "Male and female" says the rouge, otherwise it would be
+easy to fill a bushel with fleas. The insect was unknown to older
+India according to some and was introduced by strangers. This
+immigration is quite possible. In 1863 the jigger (P. penetrans)
+was not found in Western Africa; when I returned there in 1882 it
+had passed over from the Brazil and had become naturalised on the
+equatorial African seaboard. the Arabs call shrimps and prawns
+"sea-fleas" (barg�th al-bahr) showing an inland race. (See
+Pilgrimage i. 322.)
+
+[FN#251] Submission to the Sultan and the tidings of his
+well-being should content every Eastern subject. But, as Oriental
+history shows, the form of government is a Despotism tempered by
+assassination. And under no rule is man socially freer and his
+condition contrasts strangely with the grinding social tyranny
+which characterises every mode of democracy or constitutionalism,
+i.e. political equality.
+
+[FN#252] Here the text has "Mark�b" = a shoe; elsewhere "Na'al" =
+a sandal, especially with wooden sole. In classical Arabia,
+however, "Na'al" may be a shoe, a horse-shoe (iron-plate, not rim
+like ours). The Bresl. Edit. has "Wat�," any foot-gear.
+
+[FN#253] Water-melons (bat�yikh) says the Mac. Edit. a misprint
+for Aruz or rice. Water-melons are served up raw cut into square
+mouthfuls, to be eaten with rice and meat. They serve excellently
+well to keep the palate clean and cool.
+
+[FN#254] The text recounts the whole story over again - more than
+European patience can bear.
+
+[FN#255] The usual formula when telling an improbable tale. But
+here it is hardly called for: the same story is told (on weak
+authority) of the Alewife, the Three Graziers and
+Attorney-General Nay (temp. James II. 1577-1634) when five years
+old (Journ. Asiat. Soc. N.S. xxx. 280). The same feat had been
+credited to Thomas Egerton, Lord Chancellor in A.D. 1540-1617
+(Chalmers, Biographical Dictionary xxiii. 267-68). But the story
+had already found its way into the popular jest-books such as
+"Tales and Quick Answers, very Mery and Pleasant to Rede" (1530);
+"Jacke of Dover's Quest of Inquirie for the Foole of all Fooles"
+(1604) under the title "The Foole of Westchester", and in "Witty
+and Entertaining Exploits of George Buchanan, commonly called the
+King's Fool." The banker-bard Rogers (in Italy) was told a
+similar story concerning a widow of the Lambertini house (xivth
+centry). Thomas Wright (Introducition to the Seven Sages) says he
+had met the tale in Latin( xiiith-xivth centuries) and a variant
+in the "Nouveaux Contes � rire (Amsterdam 1737), under the title
+"Jugement Subtil du Duc d'Ossone contre Deux Marchands." Its
+origin is evidently the old Sindib�d-namah translated from Syriac
+into Greek ("Syntipas," xith century); into Hebrew (Mishl�
+Sandabar, xiith century) and from the Arabian version into old
+Castilian, "Libro de los Engannos et los Asayamientos de las
+Mugeres" (A.D. 1255), whereof a translation is appended to
+Professor Comparetti's Socitey. The Persion metrical form (an
+elaboration of one much older) dates from 1375; and gave rise to
+a host of imitations such as the Turkish Tales of the Forty
+Wazirs and the Canarese "Kath� Manjari," where four persons
+contend about a purse. See also Gladwin's "Persian Moonshee," No.
+vi. of "Pleasing Stories;" and Mr. Clouston's paper, "The Lost
+Purse," in the Glasgow Evening Times. All are the Eastern form of
+Gavarni's "Enfants Terribles," showing the portentous precocity
+for which some children (infant phenomena, calculating boys, etc.
+etc.) have been famous.
+
+[FN#256] From the Bresl. Edit. xii. 381. The Sa'lab or Abu Hosayn
+(Father of the Fortlet) is the fox, in Marocco Akk�b: Talib Yusuf
+and Wa'wi are the jackal. Arabas have not preserved "Jakal" from
+the Heb. Shu'al and Persian Shaghal and Persian Shagh�l (not
+Shagul) as the Rev. Mr. Tristram misinforms his readers. (Nat.
+Hist. p. 85)
+
+[FN#257] The name is old and classical Arabic: in Antar the young
+Amazon Jayd� was called Judar in public (Story of Jayd� and
+Kh�lid). It is also, as will be seen, the name of a quarter in
+Cairo, and men are often called after such places, e.g. Al-Jubn�
+from the S�k al Jubn in Damascus. The story is exceedingly
+Egyptian and the style abounds in Cairene vulgarisms, especially
+in the Bresl. Edit. ix. 311.
+
+[FN#258] Had the merchant left his property to be divided after
+his death and not made a will he widow would have had only
+one-eighth instead of a fourth.
+
+[FN#259] Lit. "from tyrant to tyrant," i.e. from official to
+official, Al-Zalamah, the "tyranny" of popular parlance.
+
+[FN#260] The coin is omitted in the text but it is evidently the
+"Nusf" or half-dirham. Lane (iii.235), noting that the dinar is
+worth 170 "nusfs" in this tale, thinks that it was written (or
+copied?) after the Osmanh Conquest of Egypt. Unfortunately he
+cannot tell the precise period when the value of the small change
+fell so low.
+
+[FN#261] Arab "Yaum mub�rak!" still a popular exclamation.
+
+[FN#262] i.e. of the door of daily bread.
+
+[FN#263] Arab. "S�rah," a small fish differently described (De
+Sacy, "Relation de l'Egypte par Abd allatif," pp. 278-288: Lane,
+Nights iii. 234. It is not found in Sonnini's list.
+
+[FN#264] A tank or lakelet in the southern parts of Cairo, long
+ago filled up; Von Hammer believes it inherited the name of the
+old Charon's Lake of Memphis, over which corpses were ferried.
+
+[FN#265] Thus making the agreement a kind of religious covenant,
+as Catholics would recite a Pater or an Ave Maria.
+
+[FN#266] Arab. "Y� misk�m"=O poor devil; mesquin, meschino, words
+evidently derived from the East.
+
+[FN#267] Plur. of Maghrib� a Western man, a Moor. I have already
+derived the word through the Lat. "Maurus" from Maghribiy�n.
+Europeans being unable to pronounce the Ghayn (or gh like the
+modern Cairenes) would turn it into "Ma'ariy�n." They are mostly
+of the Maliki school (for which see Sale) and are famous as
+magicians and treasure-finders. Amongst the suite of the late
+Amir Abd al-Kadir, who lived many years and died in Damascus, I
+found several men profoundly versed in Eastern spiritualism and
+occultism.
+
+ [FN#268] The names are respectively, Slave of the Salvation, of
+the One (God), of the Eternal; of the Compassionate; and of the
+Loving.
+
+[FN#269] i.e. "the most profound"; the root is that of "B�tin�,"
+a gnostic, a reprobate.
+
+[FN#270] i.e. the Tall One.
+
+[FN#271] The loud pealing or (ear-) breaking Thunder.
+
+[FN#272] Arab. "F�s and Mikn�s" which the writer evidently
+regards as one city. "F�s" means a hatchet, from the tradition of
+one having been found, says Ibn Sa'�d, when digging the base
+under the founder Idr�s bin Idr�s (A.D. 808). His sword was
+placed on the pinnacle of the minaret built by the Im�m Abu Ahmad
+bin Abi Bakr enclosed in a golden �tui studded with pearls and
+precious stones. From the local pronunciation "Fes" is derived
+the red cap of the nearer Moslem East (see Ibn Batutah p. 230).
+
+[FN#273] Arab. "Al-Khurj," whence the Span. Las Alforjas.
+
+[FN#274] Arab. "Keb�b," mutton or lamb cut into small squares and
+grilled upon skewers: it is the roast meat of the nearer East
+where, as in the West, men have not learned to cook meat so as to
+preserve all its flavour. This is found in the "Asa'o" of the
+Argentine Gaucho who broils the flesh while still quivering and
+before the fibre has time to set. Hence it is perfectly tender,
+if the animal be young, and has a "meaty" taste half lost by
+keeping
+
+[FN#275] Equivalent to our puritanical "Mercy."
+
+[FN#276] Arab. "Bukjah," from the Persian Bukcheh: a favourite
+way of keeping fine clothes in the East is to lay them folded in
+a piece of rough long-cloth with pepper and spices to drive away
+moths.
+
+[FN#277] This is always specified, for respectable men go out of
+town on horse-back, never on "foot-back," as our friends the
+Boers say. I have seen a Syrian put to sore shame when compelled
+by politeness to walk with me, and every acquaintance he met
+addressed him "Anta Zalamah!" What! afoot?
+
+[FN#278] This tale, including the Enchanted Sword which slays
+whole armies, was adopted in Europe as we see in Straparola (iv.
+3), and the "Water of Life" which the Grimms found in Hesse,
+etc., "Gammer Grethel's German Popular Stories," Edgar Taylor,
+Bells, 1878; and now published in fuller form as "Grimm's
+Household Tales," by Mrs. Hunt, with Introduction by A. Lang, 2
+vols. 8vo, 1884. It is curious that so biting and carping a
+critic, who will condescend to notice a misprint in another's
+book, should lay himself open to general animadversion by such a
+rambling farrago of half-digested knowledge as that which
+composes Mr. Andrew Lang's Introduction.
+
+[FN#279] These retorts of Judar are exactly what a sharp Egyptian
+Fellah would say on such occasions.
+
+[FN#280] Arab. "Sal�m�t," plur. of Salam, a favourite Egyptian
+welcome.
+
+[FN#281] This sentence expresses a Moslem idea which greatly
+puzzles strangers. Arabic has no equivalent of our "Thank you"
+(Kassara 'llah Khayr-ak being a mere blessing Allah increase thy
+weal!), nor can Al-lslam express gratitude save by a periphrase.
+The Moslem acknowledges a favour by blessing the donor and by
+wishing him increase of prosperity. "May thy shadow never be
+less! " means, Mayest thou always extend to me thy shelter and
+protection. I have noticed this before but it merits repetition.
+Strangers, and especially Englishmen, are very positive and very
+much mistaken upon a point, which all who have to do with
+Egyptians and Arabs ought thoroughly to understand. Old dwellers
+in the East know that the theory of ingratitude in no way
+interferes with the sense of gratitude innate in man (and beast)
+and that the "lively sense of favours to come," is as quick in
+Orient land as in Europe.
+
+[FN#282] Outside this noble gate, the Bab al-Nay, there is a
+great cemetery wherein, by the by, lies Burckhardt, my
+predecessor as a H�jj to Meccah and Al-Medinah. Hence many
+beggars are always found squatting in its neighbourhood.
+
+[FN#283] Friends sometimes walk alongside the rider holding the
+stirrup in sign of affection and respect, especially to the
+returning pilgrim.
+
+[FN#284] Equivalent to our Alas! It is woman's word never used by
+men; and foreigners must be most careful of this distinction
+under pain of incurring something worse than ridicule. I remember
+an officer in the Bombay Army who, having learned Hindostani from
+women, always spoke of himself in the feminine and hugely
+scandalised the Sepoys.
+
+[FN#285] i.e. a neighbour. The "quarters" of a town in the East
+are often on the worst of terms. See Pilgrimage.
+
+[FN#286] In the patriarchal stage of society the mother waits
+upon her adult sons. Even in Dalmatia I found, in many
+old-fashioned houses, the ladies of the family waiting upon the
+guests. Very pleasant, but somewhat startling at first.
+
+[FN#287] Here the apodosis would be "We can all sup together."
+
+[FN#288] Arab. "Z�wiyah" (=oratory), which is to a Masjid what a
+chapel is to a church.
+
+[FN#289] Arab. "Kasr," prop. a palace: so the Tuscan peasant
+speaks of his "palazzo."
+
+[FN#290] This sale of a free-born Moslem was mere felony. But
+many centuries later Englishmen used to be sold and sent to the
+plantations in America.
+
+[FN#291] Arab. "Kaww�s," lit. an archer, suggesting les archers
+de la Sainte Hermandade. In former days it denoted a sergeant, an
+apparitor, an officer who executed magisterial orders. In modern
+Egypt he became a policeman (Pilgrimage i. 29). As "Cavass" he
+appears in gorgeous uniform and sword, an orderly attached to
+public offices and Consulates.
+
+[FN#292] A purely imaginary King.
+
+[FN#293] The Bresl. Edit. (ix. 370) here and elsewhere uses the
+word "N�tiy�"=Nauta, for the common Bahr�yah or Mall�h.
+
+[FN#294] Arab. "Tawaf," the name given to the sets (Ashwat) of
+seven circuits with the left shoulder presented to the Holy
+House, that is walking "widdershins" or "against the sun" ("with
+the sun" being like the movement of a watch). For the requisites
+of this rite see Pilgrimage iii. 234.
+
+[FN#295] Arab. "Akh"; brother has a wide signification amongst
+Moslems and may be used to and of any of the Saving Faith.
+
+[FN#296] Said by the master when dismissing a servant and
+meaning, "I have not failed in my duty to thee!" The answer is,
+"Allah acquit thee thereof!'
+
+[FN#297] A Moslem prison is like those of Europe a century ago;
+to think of it gives gooseflesh. Easterns laugh at our idea of
+penitentiary and the Arabs of Bombay call it "Al-Bist�n" (the
+Garden) because the court contains a few trees and shrubs. And
+with them a garden always suggests an idea of Paradise. There are
+indeed only two efficacious forms of punishment all the world
+over, corporal for the poor and fines for the rich, the latter
+being the severer form.
+
+[FN#298] i.e. he shall answer for this.
+
+[FN#299] A pun upon "Khal�yah" (bee hive) and "Khaliyah" (empty).
+Khal�yah is properly a hive of bees with a honey-comb in the
+hollow of a tree-trunk, opposed to Kaww�rah, hive made of clay or
+earth (Al-Hariri; Ass. of Tiflis). There are many other terms,
+for Arabs are curious about honey. Pilgrimage iii. 110.
+
+[FN#300] Lane (iii. 237) supposes by this title that the author
+referred his tale to the days of the Caliphate. "Commander of the
+Faithful" was, I have said, the style adopted by Omar in order to
+avoid the clumsiness of "Caliph" (successor) of the Caliph (Abu
+Bakr) of the Apostle of Allah.
+
+[FN#301] eastern thieves count four modes of housebreaking,
+(1)picking out burnt bricks; (2) cutting through unbaked bricks;
+(3) wetting a mud wall and (4) boring through a wooden wall
+(Vikram and the Vampire p. 172).
+
+[FN#302] Arab. "Zabbat," lit. a lizard (fem.) also a wooden lock,
+the only one used throughout Egypt. An illustration of its
+curious mechanism is given in Lane (M. E. Introduction)
+
+[FN#303] Arab. "Dabb�s." The Eastern mace is well known to
+English collectors, it is always of metal, and mostly of steel,
+with a short handle like our facetiously called "life-preterver "
+The head is in various forms, the simplest a ball, smooth and
+round, or broken into sundry high and angular ridges like a
+melon, and in select weapons shaped like the head of some animal.
+bull, etc. See Night dcxlvi.
+
+[FN#304] The red habit is a sign of wrath and vengeance and the
+Persian Kings like Fath Al Shah, used to wear it when about to
+order some horrid punishment, such as the "Shakk"; in this a man
+was hung up by his heels and cut in two from the fork downwards
+to the neck, when a turn of the chopper left that untouched.
+White robes denoted peace and mercy as well as joy. The "white"
+hand and "black" hand have been explained. A "white death" is
+quiet and natural, with forgiveness of sins. A "black death" is
+violent and dreadful, as by strangulation; a "green death" is
+robing in rags and patches like a dervish, and a "red death" is
+by war or bloodshed (A. P. ii. 670). Among the mystics it is the
+resistance of man to his passions.
+
+[FN#305] This in the East is the way "pour se faire valoir";
+whilst Europeans would hold it a mere "bit of impudence." aping
+dignity.
+
+[FN#306] The Chief Mufti or Doctor of the Law, an appointment
+first made by the Osmanli Mohammed II., when he captured
+Constantinople in A.D. 1453. Before that time the functions were
+discharged by the K�zi al-Kuzat (Kazi-in-Chief), the Chancellor.
+
+[FN#307] So called because here lived the makers of crossbows
+(Arab. Bunduk now meaning a fire piece, musket, etc.). It is the
+modern district about the well-known Khan al-Hamzawi.
+
+[FN#308] Pronounced "Goodareeyyah," and so called after one of
+the troops of the Fatimite Caliphs. The name "Yam�niyah" is
+probably due to the story-teller's inventiveness.
+
+[FN#309] I have noted that as a rule in The Nights poetical
+justice is administered with much rigour and exactitude. Here,
+however, the tale-teller allows the good brother to be slain by
+the two wicked brothers as he permitted the adulterous queens to
+escape the sword of Kamar al-Zaman. Dr. Steingass brings to my
+notice that I have failed to do justice to the story of Sharrk�n
+(vol. ii., p. 172), where I note that the interest is injured by
+the gratuitous incest But this has a deeper meaning and a grander
+artistic effect. Sharrk�n begins with most unbrotherly feelings
+towards his father's children by a second wife. But Allah's
+decree forces him to love his half-sister despite himself, and
+awe and repentance convert the savage, who joys at the news of
+his brother's reported death, to a loyal and devoted subject of
+the same brother. But Judar with all his goodness proved himself
+an arrant softy and was no match for two atrocious villains. And
+there may be overmuch of forgiveness as of every other good
+thing.
+
+[FN#310] In such case the "'iddah" would be four months and ten
+days.
+
+[FN#311] Not quite true. Weil's German version, from a MS. in the
+Ducal Library of Gotha gives the "Story of Judar of Cairo and
+Mahmud of Tunis" in a very different form. It has been pleasantly
+"translated (from the German) and edited" by Mr. W. F. Kirby, of
+the British Museum, under the title of "The New Arabian Nights"
+(London: W. Swan Sonnenschein & Co.), and the author kindly sent
+me a copy. "New Arabian Nights" seems now to have become a
+fashionable title applied without any signification: such at
+least is the pleasant collection of Nineteenth Century
+Novelettes, published under that designation by Mr. Robert Louis
+Stevenson, Chatto and Windus, Piccadilly, 1884.
+
+[FN#312] Von Hammer holds this story to be a satire on Arab
+superstition and the compulsory propagation, the compelle
+intrare, of Al-Islam. Lane (iii. 235) omits it altogether for
+reasons of his own. I differ with great diffidence from the
+learned Baron whose Oriental reading was extensive; but the tale
+does not seem to justify his explanations. It appears to me
+simply one of the wilder romances, full of purposeful
+anachronisms (e.g. dated between Abraham and Moses, yet quoting
+the Koran) and written by someone familiar with the history of
+Oman. The style too is peculiar, in many places so abrupt that
+much manipulation is required to make it presentable: it suits,
+however, the rollicking, violent brigand-like life which it
+depicts. There is only one incident about the end which justifies
+Von Hammer's suspicion.
+
+[FN#313] The Persian hero of romance who converses with the
+Simurgh or Griffin.
+
+[FN#314] �The word is as much used in Egypt as wunderbar in
+Germany. As an exclamation is equivalent to "mighty fine!"
+
+[FN#315] In modern days used in a bad sense, as a freethinker,
+etc. So Dalilah the Wily is noted to be a philosopheress.
+
+[FN#316] The game is much mixed up after Arab fashion. The
+"Tufat" is the Siy�hgosh= Black-ears, of India (Felis caracal),
+the Persian lynx, which gives very good sport with Dachshunds.
+Lynxes still abound in the thickets near Cairo
+
+[FN#317] The "Sons of Kaht�n," especially the Ya'arubah tribe,
+made much history in Oman. Ya'arub (the eponymus) is written
+Ya'arab and Ya'arib; but Ya'arub (from Ya'arubu Aorist of 'Aruba)
+is best, because according to all authorities he was the first to
+cultivate primitive Arabian speech and Arabic poetry. (Caussin de
+Perceval's Hist. des Arabes i.50, etc.)
+
+[FN#318] He who shooteth an arrow by night. See the death of
+Antar shot down in the dark by the archer Jaz�r, son of J�b�r,
+who had been blinded by a red hot sabre passed before his eyes. I
+may note that it is a mere fiction of Al-Asma'i, as the real
+'Antar (or 'Antarah) lived to a good old age, and probably died
+the "straw death."
+
+[FN#319] See vol. ii., p. 77, for a reminiscence of masterful
+King Kulayb and his Him� or domain. Here the phrase would mean,
+"None could approach them when they were wroth; none were safe
+from their rage."
+
+[FN#320] The sons of Nabh�n (whom Mr. Badger calls Nebh�n)
+supplied the old Maliks or Kings of Oman. (History of the Imams
+and Sayyids of Oman, etc., London, Hakluyt Soc. 1871.)
+
+[FN#321] This is a sore insult in Arabia, where they have not
+dreamt of a "Jawab-club," like that of Calcutta in the old days,
+to which only men who had been half a dozen times "jawab'd" (=
+refused in Anglo-lndian jargon) could belong. "I am not a
+stallion to be struck on the nose," say the Arabs.
+
+[FN#322] Again "inverted speech": it is as if we said, "Now,
+you're a damned fine fellow, so," etc. "Allah curse thee! Thou
+hast guarded thy women alive and dead;" said the man of Sulaym in
+admiration after thrusting his spear into the eye of dead
+Rabi'ah.
+
+[FN#323] The Badawi use javelins or throw-spears of many kinds,
+especially the prettily worked Mizr�k (Pilgrimage i. 349); spears
+for footmen (Shalfah, a bamboo or palm-stick with a head about a
+hand broad), and the knightly lance, a male bamboo some 12 feet
+long with iron heel and a long tapering point often of open work
+or damascened steel, under which are tufts of black ostrich
+feathers, one or two. I never saw a crescent-shaped head as the
+text suggests. It is a "Pundonor" not to sell these weapons: you
+say, "Give me that article and I will satisfy thee!" After which
+the Sons of the Sand will haggle over each copper as if you were
+cheapening a sheep. (Ibid. iii. 73.)
+
+[FN#324] The shame was that Gharib had seen the girl and had
+fallen in love with her beauty instead of applying for her hand
+in recognised form. These punctilios of the Desert are peculiarly
+nice and tetchy; nor do strangers readily realise them.
+
+[FN#325] The Arabs derive these Noachid� from Imlik, great-
+grandson of Shem, who after the confusion of tongues settled at
+Sana'a, then moved North to Meccah and built the fifth Ka'abah.
+The dynastic name was Arkam, M. C. de Perceval's "Arcam," which
+he would identify with Rekem (Numbers xxxi. 8). The last Arkam
+fell before an army sent by Moses to purge the Holy Land (Al-
+Hijaz) of idolatry. Commentators on the Koran (chaps. vii.) call
+the Pharaoh of Moses Al-Walid and derive him from the Amalekites:
+we have lately ascertained that this Mene-Ptah was of the
+Shepherd-Kings and thus, according to the older Moslems, the
+Hyksos were of the seed of Imlik. (Pilgrimage ii. 116, and iii.
+190.) In Syria they fought with Joshua son of Nun. The tribe or
+rather nationality was famous and powerful: we know little about
+it and I may safely predict that when the Amalekite country shall
+have been well explored, it will produce monuments second in
+importance only to the Hittites. "A nomadic tribe which occupied
+the Peninsula of Sinai" (Smith's Dict. of the Bible) is
+peculiarly superficial, even for that most superficial of books.
+
+[FN#326] The Amalekites were giants and lived 500 years.
+(Pilgrimage, loc. cit.)
+
+[FN#327] His men being ninety against five hundred.
+
+[FN#328] Arab. "Kaum" (pron. G�m) here=a razzia, afterwards=a
+tribe. Relations between Badawi tribes are of three kinds; (1)
+Ash�b, allies offensive and defensive, friends who intermarry;
+(2) K�m�n (plur. of Kaum) when the blood-feud exists, and (3)
+Akhwan= brothers. The last is a complicated affair, "Akh�wat" or
+brotherhood, denotes the tie between patron and client (a noble
+and an ignoble tribe) or between the stranger and the tribe which
+claims an immemorial and unalienable right to its own lands.
+Hence a small fee (Al-Rifkah) must be paid and the traveller and
+his beast become "dakh�l," or entitled to brother-help. The
+guardian is known in the West as Raf�k; Rab�'a in Eastern Arabia;
+Ghaf�r in "Sinai ;" amongst the Somal, Abb�n and the Gallas
+Mog�s�. Further details are given in Pilgrimage iii. 85-87.
+
+[FN#329] Arab. "M�l," here=Badawi money, flocks and herds, our
+"fee" from feoh, vieh, cattle; as pecunia from pecus, etc., etc.
+
+[FN#330] The litholatry of the old Arabs is undisputed: Man�t the
+goddess-idol was a large rude stone and when the Meccans sent out
+colonies these carried with them stones of the Holy Land to be
+set up and worshipped like the Ka'abah. I have suggested
+(Pilgrimage iii. 159) that the famous Black Stone of Meccah,
+which appears to me a large aerolite, is a remnant of this
+worship and that the tomb of Eve near Jeddah was the old "Sakhrah
+taw�lah" or Long Stone (ibid. iii. 388). Jeddah is now translated
+the grandmother, alluding to Eve, a myth of late growth: it is
+properly Juddah=a plain lacking water.
+
+[FN#331] The First Adites, I have said, did not all perish: a few
+believers retired with the prophet Hud (Heber ?) to Hazramaut.
+The Second Adites, who had M�rib of the Dam for capital and
+Lukman for king, were dispersed by the Flood of Al-Yaman. Their
+dynasty lasted a thousand years, the exodus taking place
+according to De Sacy in A.D. 150-170 or shortly after A.D. 100
+(C. de Perceval), and was overthrown by Ya'arub bin Kaht�n, the
+first Arabist; see Night dcxxv.
+
+[FN#332] This title has been noticed: it suggests the "Saint
+Abraham" of our medaeval travellers. Every great prophet has his
+agnomen: Adam the Pure (or Elect) of Allah, Noah the N�jiy (or
+saved) of Allah; Moses (Kal�m) the Speaker with Allah; Jesus the
+R�h (Spirit breath) or Kal�m (the word) of Allah. For Mohammed's
+see Al-Busiri's Mantle-poem vv. 31-58.
+
+[FN#333] Koran (chaps. iii. 17), "Verily the true religion in the
+sight of Allah is Islam" i.e. resigning or devoting myself to the
+Lord, with a suspicion of "Salvation" conveyed by the root
+Salima, he was safe.
+
+[FN#334] Arab. "S�'ikah," which is supposed to be a stone. The
+allusion is to Antar's sword, "Dh�mi," made of a stone, black,
+brilliant and hard as a rock (an aerolite), which had struck a
+camel on the right side and had come out by the left. The
+blacksmith made it into a blade three feet long by two spans
+broad, a kind of falchion or chopper, cased it with gold and
+called it Dh�mi (the "Trenchant") from its sharpness. But he said
+to the owner:--
+
+     The sword is trenchant, O son of the Ghalib clan,
+     Trenchant in sooth, but where is the sworder-man?
+
+Whereupon the owner struck off the maker's head, a most
+satisfactory answer to all but one.
+
+[FN#335] Arab. "Kut�'ah": lit. a bit cut off, fragment, nail-
+paring, and here un diminutif. I have described this scene in
+Pilgrimage iii. 68. Latro often says, "Thy gear is wanted by the
+daughter of my paternal uncle" (wife), and thus parades his
+politeness by asking in a lady's name.
+
+[FN#336] As will appear the two brothers were joined by a party
+of horsemen.
+
+[FN#337] "Four" says the Mac. Edit. forgetting Falhun with
+characteristic inconsequence.
+
+[FN#338] Muhammad (the deserving great praise) is the name used
+by men; Ahmad (more laudable) by angels, and Mahm�d (praised) by
+devils. For a similar play upon the name, "Allah Allah Muhammad
+ast" (God is God the praisworthy) see Dabistan ii. 416.
+
+[FN#339] The Mac. Edit. here gives "S�s," but elsewhere "S�s�,"
+which is the correct form
+
+[FN#340] Sapor the Second (A.D. 310-330) was compelled to attack
+the powerful Arab hordes of Oman, most of whom, like the Tayy,
+Aus and Khazraj, the Banu Nabh�n and the Hin�wi left Al-Yaman
+A.D. 100-170, and settled in the north and north-east of Al-Najd
+This great exodus and dispersion of the tribes was caused, as has
+been said, by the bursting of the Dam of M�rib originally built
+by Abd al-Shams Sab�, father of Himyar. These Yamanian races were
+plunged into poverty and roamed northwards, planting themselves
+amongst the Arabs of Ma'add son of Adn�n. Hence the kingdom of
+Ghassan in Syria whose phylarchs under the Romans (i.e. Greek
+Emperors of Constantinople) controlled Palestine Tertia, the
+Arabs of Syria and Palestine, and the kingdom of H�rah, whose
+Lakhmite Princes, dependent upon Persia, managed the Arabs of the
+Euphrates, Oman and Al-Bahrayn. The Ma'addites still continued to
+occupy the central plateau of Arabia, a feature analogous with
+India "above the Ghauts."
+
+[FN#341] I have described (Pilgrimage i. 370) the grisly spot
+which a Badawi will dignify by the name of Wady al-Ward=Vale of
+Roses.
+
+[FN#342] Koran xiii. 3, "Of every fruit two different kinds "
+i.e. large and small, black and white, sweet and sour.
+
+[FN#343] A graft upon an almond tree, which makes its kernel
+s..veet and gives it an especial delicacy of favour. See
+Russell's (excellent) Natural History of Aleppo, p. 21.
+
+[FN#344] So called from the flavour of the kernel it is well-
+known at Damascus where a favourite fruit is the dried apricot
+with an almond by way of kernel. There are many preparations of
+apricots, especially the "Mare's skin" (Jild al-fares or Kamar
+al-din) a paste folded into sheets and exactly resembling the
+article from which it takes a name. When wanted it is dissolved
+in water and eaten as a relish with bread or biscuit (Pilgrimage
+i. 289).
+
+[FN#345] "Ante Kam� tak�l"=the vulgarest Cairene.
+
+[FN#346] This may be Ctesiphon, the ancient capital of the
+Chosro�s, on the Tigris below Baghdad; and spoken of elsewhere in
+The Nights; especially as, in Night dclxvii., it is called
+Isbanir Al-Mad�in; Mad�in Kisr� (the cities of Chosro�s) being
+the Arabic name of the old dual city.
+
+[FN#347] Koran vi. 103. The translation is Sale's which I have
+generally preferred, despite many imperfections: Lane renders
+this sentence, "The eyes see not Him, but He seeth the eyes ;"
+and Mr. Rodwell, "No vision taketh in Him ( ?), but He taketh in
+all vision ," and (better) "No eyesight reacheth to Him."
+
+[FN#348] Sale (sect. 1.) tells us all that was then known of
+these three which with Y�'�k and Nasr and the three "daughters of
+God," Goddesses or Energies (the Hindu Saktis) All�t Al-Uzz� and
+Man�t mentioned in the Koran were the chiefs of the pre-lslamitic
+Pantheon. I cannot but suspect that all will be connected with
+old Babylonian worship. Al-Bayd�wi (in Kor. Ixxi. 22) says of
+Wadd, Suw�'a, Yaghus, Ya'�k and Nasr that they were names of
+pious men between Adam and Noah, afterwards deified: Yagh�s was
+the giant idol of the Mazhaj tribe at Akamah of Al-Yaman and
+afterwards at Najr�n Al-Uzz� was widely worshipped: her idol (of
+the tree Semurat) belonging to Ghataf�n was destroyed after the
+Prophet's order by Kh�lid bin Wal�d. All�t or Al-L�t is written
+by Pocock (spec. 110) "Ilahat" i.e. deities in general. But
+Herodotus evidently refers to one god when he makes the Arabs
+worship Dionysus as {Greek letters} and Urania as {Greek letters}
+and the "tashdid" in All�t would, to a Greek ear, introduce
+another syllable (Alilat). This was the goddess of the Kuraysh
+and Thak�f whose temple at Ta�f was circuited like the Ka'abah
+before Mohammed destroyed it.
+
+[FN#349] Shays (Shayth) is Ab Seth (Father Seth,) of the Hebrews,
+a name containing the initial and terminal letters of the Egypto-
+Phoenico-Hebrew Alphabet and the "Abjad" of the Arabs. Those
+curious about its connection with the name of Allah (El), the
+Zodiacal signs and with the constellations, visions but not
+wholly uninteresting, will consult "Unexplored Syria" (vol. i.
+33).
+
+[FN#350] The exclamation of an honest Fellah.
+
+[FN#351] This is Antar with the Chosro� who "kissed the Absian
+hero between the eyes and bade him adieu, giving him as a last
+token a rich robe." The coarser hand of the story-teller
+exaggerates everything till he makes it ridiculous.
+
+[FN#352] The context suggests thee this is a royal form of
+"throwing the handkerchief;" but it does not occur elsewhere. In
+face, the European idea seems to have arisen from the oriental
+practice of sending presents in napkins or kerchiefs.
+
+[FN#353] i.e. if the disappointed suitor attack me.
+
+[FN#354] i.e. if ever I he tempted to deny it.
+
+[FN#355] Arab. "Mus�fahah,�' the Arab fashion of shaking hands.
+The right palms are applied flat to each other; then the fingers
+are squeezed and the hand is raised to the forehead (Pilgrimage
+ii. 332).
+
+[FN#356] A city and province of Khuzist�n the old Susiana. Dasht
+may be either the town in Khorasan or the "forests" (dasht)
+belonging to Ahw�z (Ahuaz in D'Herbelot).
+
+[FN#357] This is the contest between "Antar and the Satrap
+Khosrewan at the Court of Monzer." but without its tragical
+finish.
+
+[FN#358] Elliptical "he rode out in great state, that is to say
+if greatness can truly be attributed to man," for, etc.
+
+[FN#359] According to D'Herbelot (s.v. Rostac) it is a name given
+to the villages of Khorasan as "Souad" (Saw�d) to those of Irak
+and Makhlaf to those of Al-Yaman: there is, how ever, a well-
+known Al-Rustak (which like Al-Bahrayn always takes the article)
+in the Province of Oman West of Maskat, and as it rhymes with
+"Irak" it does well enough. Mr. Badger calls this ancient capital
+of the Ya'arubah Imams "er-Rast�k" (Imams of Oman).
+
+[FN#360] i.e. a furious knight.
+
+[FN#361] In the Mac. Edit. "Hass�n," which may rhyme with Nabh�n,
+but it is a mere blunder.
+
+[FN#362] In Classical Arabic Irak (like Yaman, Bahrayn and
+Rust�k) always takes the article.
+
+[FN#363] The story-teller goes back from Kufah founded in Omar's
+day to the times of Abraham.
+
+[FN#364] This man�uvre has often been practiced; especially by
+the first Crusaders under Bohemond (Gibbon) and in late years by
+the Arab slavers in Eastern Intertropical Africa. After their
+skirmishes with the natives they quartered and "bristled" the
+dead like game, roasted and boiled the choice pieces and
+pretended to eat the flesh. The enemy, who was not afraid of
+death, was struck with terror by the idea of being devoured, and
+this seems instinctive to the undeveloped mind.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, V6
+
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+<pre>
+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 6, by Richard F. Burton
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
+other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
+whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of
+the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
+www.gutenberg.org.  If you are not located in the United States, you'll have
+to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook.
+
+Title: The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 6
+
+Author: Richard F. Burton
+
+Release Date: July 10, 2001 [EBook #3440]
+Last updated: May 26, 2019
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: UTF-8
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOOK OF THE THOUSAND NIGHTS ***
+
+
+
+
+This etext was scanned by J.C. Byers and proofread by J.C. Byers, Sergio
+Camarena, Muhammad Hozien, P.J. LaBrocca, Laura Shaffer, Charles Wilson.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+<h1>THE BOOK OF THE<br/> THOUSAND NIGHTS AND A NIGHT</h1>
+
+<h4>A Plain and Literal Translation<br/>
+of the Arabian Nights Entertainments<br/></h4>
+
+<h2>Translated and Annotated by<br/> Richard F. Burton </h2>
+
+<h3>VOLUME SIX</h3>
+
+<h5>Privately Printed By The Burton Club</h5>
+
+<p>
+                     I Inscribe This Volume<br/>
+
+              To My Old And Valued Correspondent,<br/>
+
+                    I Whose Debt I Am Deep,<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+                    Professor Aloys Sprenger<br/>
+
+                        (of Heidelberg),<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Arabist, Philosopher and Friend.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Richard F. Burton.
+</p>
+
+<h3>Contents of the Sixth Volume</h3>
+
+<table summary="" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: auto">
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap01">133. Sindbad the Seaman and Sinbad the Landsman</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap02">a. The First Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap03">b. The Second Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap04">c. The Third Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap05">d. The Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap06">e. The Fifth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap07">f. The Sixth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap08">g. The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap09">The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman (according to the Calcutta Edition)</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap10">134. The City of Brass</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap11">135. The Craft and Malice of Woman</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap12">a. The King and His Wazir's Wife</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap13">b. The Confectioner, His Wife and the Parrot</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap14">c. The Fuller and His Son</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap15">d. The Rake's Trick Against the Chaste Wife</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap16">e. The Miser and the Loaves of Bread</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap17">f. The Lady and Her Two Lovers</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap18">g. The King's Son and the Ogress</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap19">h. The Drop of Honey</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap20">i. The Woman Who Made Her Husband Sift Dust</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap21">j. The Enchanted Spring</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap22">k. The Wazir's Son and the Hamman-Keeper's Wife</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap23">l. The Wife's Device to Cheat her Husband</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap24">m. The Goldsmith and the Cashmere Singing-Girl</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap25">n. The Man who Never Laughed Duing the Rest of His Days</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap26">o. The King's Son and the Merchant's Wife</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap27">p. The Page Who Feigned to Know the Speech of Birds</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap28">q. The Lady and Her Five Suitors</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap29">r. The Three Wishes, or the Man Who Longed to see the Night of Power</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap30">s. The Stolen Necklace</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap31">t. The Two Pigeons</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap32">u. Prince Behram and the Princess Al-Datma</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap33">v. The House With the Belvedere</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap34">w. The King's Son and the Ifrit's Mistress</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap35">x. The Sandal-Wood Merchant and the Sharpers</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap36">y. The Debauchee and the Three-Year-Old Child</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap37">z. The Stolen Purse</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap38">aa. The Fox and the Folk</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap39">136. Judar and His Brethren</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td> <a href="#chap40">137. The History of Gharib and His Brother Ajib</a></td>
+</tr>
+
+</table>
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3>
+The Book Of The<br/>
+THOUSAND NIGHTS AND A NIGHT<br/>
+</h3>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap01"></a>Sindbad The Seaman[FN#1] and Sindbad The Landsman.</h3>
+
+<p>
+There lived in the city of Baghdad, during the reign of the Commander of the
+Faithful, Harun al-Rashid, a man named Sindbád the Hammál,[FN#2] one in poor
+case who bore burdens on his head for hire. It happened to him one day of great
+heat that whilst he was carrying a heavy load, he became exceeding weary and
+sweated profusely, the heat and the weight alike oppressing him. Presently, as
+he was passing the gate of a merchant's house, before which the ground was
+swept and watered, and there the air was temperate, he sighted a broad bench
+beside the door; so he set his load thereon, to take rest and smell the
+air,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted
+say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Thirty-seventh Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Hammal set his
+load upon the bench to take rest and smell the air, there came out upon him
+from the court-door a pleasant breeze and a delicious fragrance. He sat down on
+the edge of the bench, and at once heard from within the melodious sound of
+lutes and other stringed instruments, and mirth-exciting voices singing and
+reciting, together with the song of birds warbling and glorifying Almighty
+Allah in various tunes and tongues; turtles, mocking-birds, merles,
+nightingales, cushats and stone- curlews,[FN#3] whereat he marvelled in himself
+and was moved to mighty joy and solace. Then he went up to the gate and saw
+within a great flower-garden wherein were pages and black slaves and such a
+train of servants and attendants and so forth as is found only with Kings and
+Sultans; and his nostrils were greeted with the savoury odours of all manner
+meats rich and delicate, and delicious and generous wines. So he raised his
+eyes heavenwards and said, "Glory to Thee, O Lord, O Creator and Provider, who
+providest whomso Thou wilt without count or stint! O mine Holy One, I cry Thee
+pardon for all sins and turn to Thee repenting of all offences! O Lord, there
+is no gainsaying Thee in Thine ordinance and Thy dominion, neither wilt Thou be
+questioned of that Thou dost, for Thou indeed over all things art Almighty!
+Extolled be Thy perfection: whom Thou wilt Thou makest poor and whom Thou wilt
+Thou makest rich! Whom Thou wilt Thou exaltest and whom Thou wilt Thou abasest
+and there is no god but Thou! How mighty is Thy majesty and how enduring Thy
+dominion and how excellent Thy government! Verily, Thou favourest whom Thou
+wilt of Thy servants, whereby the owner of this place abideth in all joyance of
+life and delighteth himself with pleasant scents and delicious meats and
+exquisite wines of all kinds. For indeed Thou appointest unto Thy creatures
+that which Thou wilt and that which Thou hast foreordained unto them; wherefore
+are some weary and others are at rest and some enjoy fair fortune and
+affluence, whilst others suffer the extreme of travail and misery, even as I
+do." And he fell to reciting,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+"How many by my labours, that evermore endure, * All goods of<br/>
+
+     life enjoy and in cooly shade recline?<br/>
+
+Each morn that dawns I wake in travail and in woe, * And strange<br/>
+
+     is my condition and my burden gars me pine:<br/>
+
+Many others are in luck and from miseries are free, * And Fortune<br/>
+
+     never loads them with loads the like o' mine:<br/>
+
+They live their happy days in all solace and delight; * Eat,<br/>
+
+     drink and dwell in honour 'mid the noble and the digne:<br/>
+
+All living things were made of a little drop of sperm, * Thine<br/>
+
+     origin is mine and my provenance is thine;<br/>
+
+Yet the difference and distance 'twixt the twain of us are far *<br/>
+
+     As the difference of savour 'twixt vinegar and wine:<br/>
+
+But at Thee, O God All-wise! I venture not to rail * Whose<br/>
+
+     ordinance is just and whose justice cannot fail."<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When Sindbad the Porter had made an end of reciting his verses, he bore up his
+burden and was about to fare on, when there came forth to him from the gate a
+little foot-page, fair of face and shapely of shape and dainty of dress who
+caught him by the hand saying, "Come in and speak with my lord, for he calleth
+for thee." The Porter would have excused himself to the page but the lad would
+take no refusal; so he left his load with the doorkeeper in the vestibule and
+followed the boy into the house, which he found to be a goodly mansion, radiant
+and full of majesty, till he brought him to a grand sitting-room wherein he saw
+a company of nobles and great lords, seated at tables garnished with all manner
+of flowers and sweet-scented herbs, besides great plenty of dainty viands and
+fruits dried and fresh and confections and wines of the choicest vintages.
+There also were instruments of music and mirth and lovely slave-girls playing
+and singing. All the company was ranged according to rank; and in the highest
+place sat a man of worshipful and noble aspect whose beard-sides hoariness had
+stricken; and he was stately of stature and fair of favour, agreeable of aspect
+and full of gravity and dignity and majesty. So Sindbad the Porter was
+confounded at that which he beheld and said in himself, "By Allah, this must be
+either a piece of Paradise or some King's palace!" Then he saluted the company
+with much respect praying for their prosperity, and kissing the ground before
+them, stood with his head bowed down in humble attitude.—And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Thirty-eighth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Porter, after
+kissing ground between their hands stood with his head bowed down in humble
+attitude. The master of the house bade him draw near and be seated and bespoke
+him kindly, bidding him welcome. Then he set before him various kinds of
+viands, rich and delicate and delicious, and the Porter, after saying his
+Bismillah, fell to and ate his fill, after which he exclaimed, "Praised be
+Allah whatso be our case![FN#4]" and, washing his hands, returned thanks to the
+company for his entertainment. Quoth the host, "Thou art welcome and thy day is
+a blessed. But what is thy name and calling?" Quoth the other, "O my lord, my
+name is Sindbad the Hammal, and I carry folk's goods on my head for hire." The
+house-master smiled and rejoined, "Know, O Porter that thy name is even as
+mine, for I am Sindbad the Seaman; and now, O Porter, I would have thee let me
+hear the couplets thou recitedst at the gate anon." The Porter was abashed and
+replied, "Allah upon thee! Excuse me, for toil and travail and lack of luck
+when the hand is empty, teach a man ill manners and boorish ways." Said the
+host, "Be not ashamed; thou art become my brother; but repeat to me the verses,
+for they pleased me whenas I heard thee recite them at the gate. Hereupon the
+Porter repeated the couplets and they delighted the merchant, who said to him,
+"Know, O Hammal, that my story is a wonderful one, and thou shalt hear all that
+befel me and all I underwent ere I rose to this state of prosperity and became
+the lord of this place wherein thou seest me; for I came not to this high
+estate save after travail sore and perils galore, and how much toil and trouble
+have I not suffered in days of yore! I have made seven voyages, by each of
+which hangeth a marvellous tale, such as confoundeth the reason, and all this
+came to pass by doom of fortune and fate; for from what destiny doth write
+there is neither refuge nor flight. Know, then, good my lords (continued he)
+that I am about to relate the
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap02"></a>First Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman."[FN#5]</h3>
+
+<p>
+My father was a merchant, one of the notables of my native place, a monied man
+and ample of means, who died whilst I was yet a child, leaving me much wealth
+in money and lands and farmhouses. When I grew up, I laid hands on the whole
+and ate of the best and drank freely and wore rich clothes and lived lavishly,
+companioning and consorting with youths of my own age, and considering that
+this course of life would continue for ever and ken no change. Thus did I for a
+long time, but at last I awoke from my heedlessness and, returning to my
+senses, I found my wealth had become unwealth and my condition ill-conditioned
+and all I once hent had left my hand. And recovering my reason I was stricken
+with dismay and confusion and bethought me of a saying of our lord Solomon, son
+of David (on whom be peace!), which I had heard aforetime from my father,
+"Three things are better than other three; the day of death is better than the
+day of birth, a live dog is better than a dead lion and the grave is better
+than want."[FN#6] Then I got together my remains of estates and property and
+sold all, even my clothes, for three thousand dirhams, with which I resolved to
+travel to foreign parts, remembering the saying of the poet,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+"By means of toil man shall scale the height; * Who to fame<br/>
+
+     aspires mustn't sleep o' night:<br/>
+
+Who seeketh pearl in the deep must dive, * Winning weal and<br/>
+
+     wealth by his main and might:<br/>
+
+And who seeketh Fame without toil and strife * Th' impossible<br/>
+
+     seeketh and wasteth life."<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+So taking heart I bought me goods, merchandise and all needed for a voyage and,
+impatient to be at sea, I embarked, with a company of merchants, on board a
+ship bound for Bassorah. There we again embarked and sailed many days and
+nights, and we passed from isle to isle and sea to sea and shore to shore,
+buying and selling and bartering everywhere the ship touched, and continued our
+course till we came to an island as it were a garth of the gardens of Paradise.
+Here the captain cast anchor and making fast to the shore, put out the landing
+planks. So all on board landed and made furnaces[FN#7] and lighting fires
+therein, busied themselves in various ways, some cooking and some washing,
+whilst other some walked about the island for solace, and the crew fell to
+eating and drinking and playing and sporting. I was one of the walkers but, as
+we were thus engaged, behold the master who was standing on the gunwale cried
+out to us at the top of his voice, saying, "Ho there! passengers, run for your
+lives and hasten back to the ship and leave your gear and save yourselves from
+destruction, Allah preserve you! For this island whereon ye stand is no true
+island, but a great fish stationary a-middlemost of the sea, whereon the sand
+hath settled and trees have sprung up of old time, so that it is become like
+unto an island;[FN#8] but, when ye lighted fires on it, it felt the heat and
+moved; and in a moment it will sink with you into the sea and ye will all be
+drowned. So leave your gear and seek your safety ere ye die!"— And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Thirty-ninth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the ship-master
+cried to the passengers, "Leave your gear and seek safety, ere ye die;" all who
+heard him left gear and goods, clothes washed and unwashed, fire pots and brass
+cooking-pots, and fled back to the ship for their lives, and some reached it
+while others (amongst whom was I) did not, for suddenly the island shook and
+sank into the abysses of the deep, with all that were thereon, and the dashing
+sea surged over it with clashing waves. I sank with the others down, down into
+the deep, but Almighty Allah preserved me from drowning and threw in my way a
+great wooden tub of those that had served the ship's company for tubbing. I
+gripped it for the sweetness of life and, bestriding it like one riding,
+paddled with my feet like oars, whilst the waves tossed me as in sport right
+and left. Meanwhile the captain made sail and departed with those who had
+reached the ship, regardless of the drowning and the drowned; and I ceased not
+following the vessel with my eyes, till she was hid from sight and I made sure
+of death. Darkness closed in upon me while in this plight and the winds and
+waves bore me on all that night and the next day, till the tub brought to with
+me under the lee of a lofty island, with trees overhanging the tide. I caught
+hold of a branch and by its aid clambered up on to the land, after coming nigh
+upon death; but when I reached the shore, I found my legs cramped and numbed
+and my feet bore traces of the nibbling of fish upon their soles; withal I had
+felt nothing for excess of anguish and fatigue. I threw myself down on the
+island ground, like a dead man, and drowned in desolation swooned away, nor did
+I return to my senses till next morning, when the sun rose and revived me. But
+I found my feet swollen, so made shift to move by shuffling on my breech and
+crawling on my knees, for in that island were found store of fruits and springs
+of sweet water. I ate of the fruits which strengthened me; and thus I abode
+days and nights, till my life seemed to return and my spirits began to revive
+and I was better able to move about. So, after due consideration, I fell to
+exploring the island and diverting myself with gazing upon all things that
+Allah Almighty had created there; and rested under the trees from one of which
+I cut me a staff to lean upon. One day as I walked along the marge, I caught
+sight of some object in the distance and thought it a wild beast or one of the
+monster-creatures of the sea; but, as I drew near it, looking hard the while, I
+saw that it was a noble mare, tethered on the beach. Presently I went up to
+her, but she cried out against me with a great cry, so that I trembled for fear
+and turned to go away, when there came forth a man from under the earth and
+followed me, crying out and saying, "Who and whence art thou, and what caused
+thee to come hither?" "O my lord," answered I, "I am in very sooth, a waif, a
+stranger, and was left to drown with sundry others by the ship we voyaged
+in;[FN#9] but Allah graciously sent me a wooden tub; so I saved myself thereon
+and it floated with me, till the waves cast me up on this island." When he
+heard this, he took my hand and saying, "Come with me," carried me into a great
+Sardab, or underground chamber, which was spacious as a saloon. He made me sit
+down at its upper end; then he brought me somewhat of food and, being
+anhungered, I ate till I was satisfied and refreshed; and when he had put me at
+mine ease he questioned me of myself, and I told him all that had befallen me
+from first to last; and, as he wondered at my adventure, I said, "By Allah, O
+my lord, excuse me; I have told thee the truth of my case and the accident
+which betided me; and now I desire that thou tell me who thou art and why thou
+abidest here under the earth and why thou hast tethered yonder mare on the
+brink of the sea." Answered he, "Know, that I am one of the several who are
+stationed in different parts of this island, and we are of the grooms of King
+Mihrjan[FN#10] and under our hand are all his horses. Every month, about
+new-moon tide we bring hither our best mares which have never been covered, and
+picket them on the sea-shore and hide ourselves in this place under the ground,
+so that none may espy us. Presently, the stallions of the sea scent the mares
+and come up out of the water and seeing no one, leap the mares and do their
+will of them. When they have covered them, they try to drag them away with
+them, but cannot, by reason of the leg-ropes; so they cry out at them and butt
+at them and kick them, which we hearing, know that the stallions have
+dismounted; so we run out and shout at them, whereupon they are startled and
+return in fear to the sea. Then the mares conceive by them and bear colts and
+fillies worth a mint of money, nor is their like to be found on earth's face.
+This is the time of the coming forth of the sea-stallions; and Inshallah! I
+will bear thee to King Mihrjan"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
+ceased to say her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Fortieth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Syce[FN#11] said
+to Sindbad the Seaman, "I will bear thee to King Mihrjan and show thee our
+country. And know that hadst thou not happened on us thou hadst perished
+miserably and none had known of thee: but I will be the means of the saving of
+thy life and of thy return to thine own land." I called down blessings on him
+and thanked him for his kindness and courtesy; and, while we were yet talking,
+behold, the stallion came up out of the sea; and, giving a great cry, sprang
+upon the mare and covered her. When he had done his will of her, he dismounted
+and would have carried her away with him, but could not by reason of the
+tether. She kicked and cried out at him, whereupon the groom took a sword and
+target[FN#12] and ran out of the underground saloon, smiting the buckler with
+the blade and calling to his company, who came up shouting and brandishing
+spears; and the stallion took fright at them and plunging into the sea, like a
+buffalo, disappeared under the waves.[FN#13] After this we sat awhile, till the
+rest of the grooms came up, each leading a mare, and seeing me with their
+fellow-Syce, questioned me of my case and I repeated my story to them.
+Thereupon they drew near me and spreading the table, ate and invited me to eat;
+so I ate with them, after which they took horse and mounting me on one of the
+mares, set out with me and fared on without ceasing, till we came to the
+capital city of King Mihrjan, and going in to him acquainted him with my story.
+Then he sent for me, and when they set me before him and salams had been
+exchanged, he gave me a cordial welcome and wishing me long life bade me tell
+him my tale. So I related to him all that I had seen and all that had befallen
+me from first to last, whereat he marvelled and said to me, "By Allah, O my
+son, thou hast indeed been miraculously preserved! Were not the term of thy
+life a long one, thou hadst not escaped from these straits; but praised by
+Allah for safety!" Then he spoke cheerily to me and entreated me with kindness
+and consideration: moreover, he made me his agent for the port and registrar of
+all ships that entered the harbour. I attended him regularly, to receive his
+commandments, and he favoured me and did me all manner of kindness and invested
+me with costly and splendid robes. Indeed, I was high in credit with him, as an
+intercessor for the folk and an intermediary between them and him, when they
+wanted aught of him. I abode thus a great while and, as often as I passed
+through the city to the port, I questioned the merchants and travellers and
+sailors of the city of Baghdad; so haply I might hear of an occasion to return
+to my native land, but could find none who knew it or knew any who resorted
+thither. At this I was chagrined, for I was weary of long strangerhood; and my
+disappointment endured for a time till one day, going in to King Mihrjan, I
+found him with a company of Indians. I saluted them and they returned my salam;
+and politely welcomed me and asked me of my country.—And Shahrazad perceived
+the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-first Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman
+said:—When they asked me of my country I questioned them of theirs and they
+told me that they were of various castes, some being called Shakiriyah[FN#14]
+who are the noblest of their castes and neither oppress nor offer violence to
+any, and others Brahmans, a folk who abstain from wine, but live in delight and
+solace and merriment and own camels and horses and cattle. Moreover, they told
+me that the people of India are divided into two-and-seventy castes, and I
+marvelled at this with exceeding marvel. Amongst other things that I saw in
+King Mihrjan's dominions was an island called Kásil,[FN#15] wherin all night is
+heard the beating of drums and tabrets; but we were told by the neighbouring
+islanders and by travellers that the inhabitants are people of diligence and
+judgment.[FN#16] In this sea I saw also a fish two hundred cubits long and the
+fishermen fear it; so they strike together pieces of wood and put it to
+flight.[FN#17] I also saw another fish, with a head like that of an owl,
+besides many other wonders and rarities, which it would be tedious to recount.
+I occupied myself thus in visiting the islands till, one day, as I stood in the
+port, with a staff in my hand, according to my custom, behold, a great ship,
+wherein were many merchants, came sailing for the harbour. When it reached the
+small inner port where ships anchor under the city, the master furled his sails
+and making fast to the shore, put out the landing-planks, whereupon the crew
+fell to breaking bulk and landing cargo whilst I stood by, taking written note
+of them. They were long in bringing the goods ashore so I asked the master, "Is
+there aught left in thy ship?"; and he answered, "O my lord, there are divers
+bales of merchandise in the hold, whose owner was drowned from amongst us at
+one of the islands on our course; so his goods remained in our charge by way of
+trust and we purpose to sell them and note their price, that we may convey it
+to his people in the city of Baghdad, the Home of Peace." "What was the
+merchant's name?" quoth I, and quoth he, "Sindbad the Seaman;" whereupon I
+straitly considered him and knowing him, cried out to him with a great cry,
+saying, "O captain, I am that Sindbad the Seaman who travelled with other
+merchants; and when the fish heaved and thou calledst to us some saved
+themselves and others sank, I being one of them. But Allah Almighty threw in my
+way a great tub of wood, of those the crew had used to wash withal, and the
+winds and waves carried me to this island, where by Allah's grace, I fell in
+with King Mihrjan's grooms and they brought me hither to the King their master.
+When I told him my story, he entreated me with favour and made me his harbour-
+master, and I have prospered in his service and found acceptance with him.
+These bales, therefore are mine, the goods which God hath given me."—And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-second Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Sindbad the
+Seaman said to the captain, "These bales are mine, the goods which Allah hath
+given me," the other exclaimed, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save
+in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! Verily, there is neither conscience nor good
+faith left among men!" said I, "O Rais,[FN#18] what mean these words, seeing
+that I have told thee my case?" And he answered, "Because thou heardest me say
+that I had with me goods whose owner was drowned, thou thinkest to take them
+without right; but this is forbidden by law to thee, for we saw him drown
+before our eyes, together with many other passengers, nor was one of them
+saved. So how canst thou pretend that thou art the owner of the goods?" "O
+captain," said I, "listen to my story and give heed to my words, and my truth
+will be manifest to thee; for lying and leasing are the letter-marks of the
+hypocrites." Then I recounted to him all that had befallen me since I sailed
+from Baghdad with him to the time when we came to the fish-island where we were
+nearly drowned; and I reminded him of certain matters which had passed between
+us; whereupon both he and the merchants were certified at the truth of my story
+and recognized me and gave me joy of my deliverance, saying, "By Allah, we
+thought not that thou hadst escaped drowning! But the Lord hath granted thee
+new life." Then they delivered my bales to me, and I found my name written
+thereon, nor was aught thereof lacking. So I opened them and making up a
+present for King Mihrjan of the finest and costliest of the contents, caused
+the sailors carry it up to the palace, where I went in to the King and laid my
+present at his feet, acquainting him with what had happened, especially
+concerning the ship and my goods; whereat he wondered with exceeding wonder and
+the truth of all that I had told him was made manifest to him. His affection
+for me redoubled after that and he showed me exceeding honour and bestowed on
+me a great present in return for mine. Then I sold my bales and what other
+matters I owned making a great profit on them, and bought me other goods and
+gear of the growth and fashion of the island- city. When the merchants were
+about to start on their homeward voyage, I embarked on board the ship all that
+I possessed, and going in to the King, thanked him for all his favours and
+friendship and craved his leave to return to my own land and friends. He
+farewelled me and bestowed on me great store of the country-stuffs and produce;
+and I took leave of him and embarked. Then we set sail and fared on nights and
+days, by the permission of Allah Almighty; and Fortune served us and Fate
+favoured us, so that we arrived in safety at Bassorah-city where I landed
+rejoiced at my safe return to my natal soil. After a short stay, I set out for
+Baghdad, the House of Peace, with store of goods and commodities of great
+price. Reaching the city in due time, I went straight to my own quarter and
+entered my house where all my friends and kinsfolk came to greet me. Then I
+bought me eunuchs and concubines, servants and negro slaves till I had a large
+establishment, and I bought me houses, and lands and gardens, till I was richer
+and in better case than before, and returned to enjoy the society of my friends
+and familiars more assiduously than ever, forgetting all I had suffered of
+fatigue and hardship and strangerhood and every peril of travel; and I applied
+myself to all manner joys and solaces and delights, eating the dantiest viands
+and drinking the deliciousest wines; and my wealth allowed this state of things
+to endure. "This, then, is the story of my first voyage, and to-morrow,
+Inshallah! I will tell you the tale of the second of my seven voyages." (Saith
+he who telleth the tale), Then Sindbad the Seaman made Sindbad the Landsman sup
+with him and bade give him an hundred gold pieces, saying, "Thou hast cheered
+us with thy company this day."[FN#19] The Porter thanked him and, taking the
+gift, went his way, pondering that which he had heard and marvelling mightily
+at what things betide mankind. He passed the night in his own place and with
+early morning repaired to the abode of Sindbad the Seaman, who received him
+with honour and seated him by his side. As soon as the rest of the company was
+assembled, he set meat and drink before them and, when they had well eaten and
+drunken and were merry and in cheerful case, he took up his discourse and
+recounted to them in these words the narrative of
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap03"></a>The Second Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.</h3>
+
+<p>
+Know, O my brother, that I was living a most comfortable and enjoyable life, in
+all solace and delight, as I told you yesterday,—And Shahrazad perceived the
+dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-third Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Sindbad the
+Seaman's guests were all gathered together he thus bespake them:—I was living a
+most enjoyable life until one day my mind became possessed with the thought of
+travelling about the world of men and seeing their cities and islands; and a
+longing seized me to traffic and to make money by trade. Upon this resolve I
+took a great store of cash and, buying goods and gear fit for travel, bound
+them up in bales. Then I went down to the river-bank, where I found a noble
+ship and brand-new about to sail, equipped with sails of fine cloth and well
+manned and provided; so I took passage in her, with a number of other
+merchants, and after embarking our goods we weighed anchor the same day. Right
+fair was our voyage and we sailed from place to place and from isle to isle;
+and whenever we anchored we met a crowd of merchants and notables and
+customers, and we took to buying and selling and bartering. At last Destiny
+brought us to an island, fair and verdant, in trees abundant, with yellow-ripe
+fruits luxuriant, and flowers fragrant and birds warbling soft descant; and
+streams crystalline and radiant; but no sign of man showed to the descrier, no,
+not a blower of the fire.[FN#20] The captain made fast with us to this island,
+and the merchants and sailors landed and walked about, enjoying the shade of
+the trees and the song of the birds, that chanted the praises of the One, the
+Victorious, and marvelling at the works of the Omnipotent King.[FN#21] I landed
+with the rest; and, sitting down by a spring of sweet water that welled up
+among the trees, took out some vivers I had with me and ate of that which Allah
+Almighty had allotted unto me. And so sweet was the zephyr and so fragrant were
+the flowers, that presently I waxed drowsy and, lying down in that place, was
+soon drowned in sleep. When I awoke, I found myself alone, for the ship had
+sailed and left me behind, nor had one of the merchants or sailors bethought
+himself of me. I seared the island right and left, but found neither man nor
+Jinn, whereat I was beyond measure troubled and my gall was like to burst for
+stress of chagrin and anguish and concern, because I was left quite alone,
+without aught of wordly gear or meat or drink, weary and heart-broken. So I
+gave myself up for lost and said, "Not always doth the crock escape the shock.
+I was saved the first time by finding one who brought me from the desert island
+to an inhabited place, but now there is no hope for me." Then I fell to weeping
+and wailing and gave myself up to an access of rage, blaming myself for having
+again ventured upon the perils and hardships of voyage, whenas I was at my ease
+in mine own house in mine own land, taking my pleasure with good meat and good
+drink and good clothes and lacking nothing, neither money nor goods. And I
+repented me of having left Baghdad, and this the more after all the travails
+and dangers I had undergone in my first voyage, wherein I had so narrowly
+escaped destruction, and exclaimed "Verily we are Allah's and unto Him we are
+returning!" I was indeed even as one mad and Jinn-struck and presently I rose
+and walked about the island, right and left and every whither, unable for
+trouble to sit or tarry in any one place. Then I climbed a tall tree and looked
+in all directions, but saw nothing save sky and sea and trees and birds and
+isles and sands. However, after a while my eager glances fell upon some great
+white thing, afar off in the interior of the island; so I came down from the
+tree and made for that which I had seen; and behold, it was a huge white dome
+rising high in air and of vast compass. I walked all around it, but found no
+door thereto, nor could I muster strength or nimbleness by reason of its
+exceeding smoothness and slipperiness. So I marked the spot where I stood and
+went round about the dome to measure its circumference which I found fifty good
+paces. And as I stood, casting about how to gain an entrance the day being near
+its fall and the sun being near the horizon, behold, the sun was suddenly
+hidden from me and the air became dull and dark. Methought a cloud had come
+over the sun, but it was the season of summer; so I marvelled at this and
+lifting my head looked steadfastly at the sky, when I saw that the cloud was
+none other than an enormous bird, of gigantic girth and inordinately wide of
+wing which, as it flew through the air, veiled the sun and hid it from the
+island. At this sight my wonder redoubled and I remembered a story,—And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-fourth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman
+continued in these words:—My wonder redoubled and I remembered a story I had
+heard aforetime of pilgrims and travellers, how in a certain island dwelleth a
+huge bird, called the "Rukh"[FN#22] which feedeth its young on elephants; and I
+was certified that the dome which caught my sight was none other than a Rukh's
+egg. As I looked and wondered at the marvellous works of the Almighty, the bird
+alighted on the dome and brooded over it with its wings covering it and its
+legs stretched out behind it on the ground, and in this posture it fell asleep,
+glory be to Him who sleepeth not! When I saw this, I arose and, unwinding my
+turband from my head, doubled it and twisted it into a rope, with which I girt
+my middle and bound my waist fast to the legs of the Rukh, saying in myself,
+"Peradventure, this bird may carry me to a land of cities and inhabitants, and
+that will be better than abiding in this desert island." I passed the night
+watching and fearing to sleep, lest the bird should fly away with me unawares;
+and, as soon as the dawn broke and morn shone, the Rukh rose off its egg and
+spreading its wings with a great cry flew up into the air dragging me with it;
+nor ceased it to soar and to tower till I thought it had reached the limit of
+the firmament; after which it descended, earthwards, little by little, till it
+lighted on the top of a high hill. As soon as I found myself on the hard
+ground, I made haste to unbind myself, quaking for fear of the bird, though it
+took no heed of me nor even felt me; and, loosing my turband from its feet, I
+made off with my best speed. Presently, I saw it catch up in its huge claws
+something from the earth and rise with it high in air, and observing it
+narrowly I saw it to be a serpent big of bulk and gigantic of girth, wherewith
+it flew away clean out of sight. I marvelled at this and faring forwards found
+myself on a peak overlooking a valley, exceeding great and wide and deep, and
+bounded by vast mountains that spired high in air: none could descry their
+summits, for the excess of their height, nor was any able to climb up thereto.
+When I saw this, I blamed myself for that which I had done and said, "Would
+Heaven I had tarried in the island! It was better than this wild desert; for
+there I had at least fruits to eat and water to drink, and here are neither
+trees nor fruits nor streams. But there is no Majesty and there is no Might
+save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! Verily, as often as I am quit of one
+peril, I fall into a worse danger and a more grievous." However, I took courage
+and walking along the Wady found that its soil was of diamond, the stone
+wherewith they pierce minerals and precious stones and porcelain and the onyx,
+for that it is a dense stone and a dure, whereon neither iron nor hardhead hath
+effect, neither can we cut off aught therefrom nor break it, save by means of
+leadstone.[FN#23] Moreover, the valley swarmed with snakes and vipers, each big
+as a palm tree, that would have made but one gulp of an elephant; and they came
+out by night, hiding during the day, lest the Rukhs and eagles pounce on them
+and tear them to pieces, as was their wont, why I wot not. And I repented of
+what I had done and said, "By Allah, I have made haste to bring destruction
+upon myself!" The day began to wane as I went along and I looked about for a
+place where I might pass the night, being in fear of the serpents; and I took
+no thought of meat and drink in my concern for my life. Presently, I caught
+sight of a cave nearhand, with a narrow doorway; so I entered and seeing a
+great stone close to the mouth, I rolled it up and stopped the entrance, saying
+to myself, "I am safe here for the night; and as soon as it is day, I will go
+forth and see what destiny will do." Then I looked within the cave and saw to
+the upper end a great serpent brooding on her eggs, at which my flesh quaked
+and my hair stood on end; but I raised my eyes to Heaven and, committing my
+case to fate and lot, abode all that night without sleep till daybreak, when I
+rolled back the stone from the mouth of the cave and went forth, staggering
+like a drunken man and giddy with watching and fear and hunger. As in this sore
+case I walked along the valley, behold, there fell down before me a slaughtered
+beast; but I saw no one, whereat I marvelled with great marvel and presently
+remembered a story I had heard aforetime of traders and pilgrims and
+travellers; how the mountains where are the diamonds are full of perils and
+terrors, nor can any fare through them; but the merchants who traffic in
+diamonds have a device by which they obtain them, that is to say, they take a
+sheep and slaughter and skin it and cut it in pieces and cast them down from
+the mountain-tops into the valley-sole, where the meat being fresh and sticky
+with blood, some of the gems cleave to it. There they leave it till mid-day,
+when the eagles and vultures swoop down upon it and carry it in their claws to
+the mountain-summits, whereupon the merchants come and shout at them and scare
+them away from the meat. Then they come and, taking the diamonds which they
+find sticking to it, go their ways with them and leave the meat to the birds
+and beasts; nor can any come at the diamonds but by this device,—And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-fifth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, it hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman
+continued his relation of what befel him in the Mountain of Diamonds, and
+informed them that the merchants cannot come at the diamonds save by the device
+aforesaid. So, when I saw the slaughtered beast fall (he pursued) and bethought
+me of the story, I went up to it and filled my pockets and shawl-girdle and
+turband and the folds of my clothes with the choicest diamonds; and, as I was
+thus engaged, down fell before me another great piece of meat. Then with my
+unrolled turband and lying on my back, I set the bit on my breast so that I was
+hidden by the meat, which was thus raised above the ground. Hardly had I
+gripped it, when an eagle swooped down upon the flesh and, seizing it with his
+talons, flew up with it high in air and me clinging thereto, and ceased not its
+flight till it alighted on the head of one of the mountains where, dropping the
+carcass he fell to rending it; but, behold, there arose behind him a great
+noise of shouting and clattering of wood, whereat the bird took fright and flew
+away. Then I loosed off myself the meat, with clothes daubed with blood
+therefrom, and stood up by its side; whereupon up came the merchant, who had
+cried out at the eagle, and seeing me standing there, bespoke me not, but was
+affrighted at me and shook with fear. However, he went up to the carcass and
+turning it over, found no diamonds sticking to it, whereat he gave a great cry
+and exclaimed, "Harrow, my disappointment! There is no Majesty and there is no
+Might save in Allah with whom we seek refuge from Satan the stoned!" And he
+bemoaned himself and beat hand upon hand, saying, "Alas, the pity of it! How
+cometh this?" Then I went up to him and he said to me, "Who art thou and what
+causeth thee to come hither?" And I, "Fear not, I am a man and a good man and a
+merchant. My story is a wondrous and my adventures marvellous and the manner of
+my coming hither is prodigious. So be of good cheer, thou shalt receive of me
+what shall rejoice thee, for I have with me great plenty of diamonds and I will
+give thee thereof what shall suffice thee; for each is better than aught thou
+couldst get otherwise. So fear nothing." The man rejoiced thereat and thanked
+and blessed me; then we talked together till the other merchants, hearing me in
+discourse with their fellow, came up and saluted me; for each of them had
+thrown down his piece of meat. And as I went off with them I told them my whole
+story, how I had suffered hardships at sea and the fashion of my reaching the
+valley. But I gave the owner of the meat a number of the stones I had by me, so
+they all wished me joy of my escape, saying, "By Allah a new life hath been
+decreed to thee, for none ever reached yonder valley and came off thence alive
+before thee; but praised be Allah for thy safety!" We passed the night together
+in a safe and pleasant place, beyond measure rejoiced at my deliverance from
+the Valley of Serpents and my arrival in an inhabited land; and on the morrow
+we set out and journeyed over the mighty range of mountains, seeing many
+serpents in the valley, till we came to a fair great island, wherein was a
+garden of huge camphor trees under each of which an hundred men might take
+shelter. When the folk have a mind to get camphor, they bore into the upper
+part of the bole with a long iron; whereupon the liquid camphor, which is the
+sap of the tree, floweth out and they catch it in vessels, where it concreteth
+like gum; but, after this, the tree dieth and becometh firewood.[FN#24]
+Moreover, there is in this island a kind of wild beast, called
+"Rhinoceros,"[FN#25] that pastureth as do steers and buffalos with us; but it
+is a huge brute, bigger of body than the camel and like it feedeth upon the
+leaves and twigs of trees. It is a remarkable animal with a great and thick
+horn, ten cubits long, amiddleward its head; wherein, when cleft in twain, is
+the likeness of a man. Voyagers and pilgrims and travellers declare that this
+beast called "Karkadan" will carry off a great elephant on its horn and graze
+about the island and the sea-coast therewith and take no heed of it, till the
+elephant dieth and its fat, melting in the sun, runneth down into the
+rhinoceros's eyes and blindeth him, so that he lieth down on the shore. Then
+comes the bird Rukh and carrieth off both the rhinoceros's eyes and blindeth
+him, so that he lieth down on the shore. Then comes the bird Rukh and carrieth
+off both the rhinoceros and that which is on its horn to feed its young withal.
+Moreover, I saw in this island many kinds of oxen and buffalos, whose like are
+not found in our country. Here I sold some of the diamonds which I had by me
+for gold dinars and silver dirhams and bartered others for the produce of the
+country; and, loading them upon beasts of burden, fared on with the merchants
+from valley to valley and town to town, buying and selling and viewing foreign
+countries and the works and creatures of Allah, till we came to Bassorah-city,
+where we abode a few days, after which I continued my journey to Baghdad.—And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-sixth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Sindbad the Seaman
+returned from his travel to Baghdad, the House of Peace, he arrived at home
+with great store of diamonds and money and goods. (Continued he) I foregathered
+with my friends and relations and gave alms and largesse and bestowed curious
+gifts and made presents to all my friends and companions. Then I betook myself
+to eating well and drinking well and wearing fine clothes and making merry with
+my fellows, and forgot all my sufferings in the pleasures of return to the
+solace and delight of life, with light heart and broadened breast. And every
+one who heard of my return came and questioned me of my adventures and of
+foreign countries, and I related to them all that had befallen me, and the much
+I had suffered, whereat they wondered and gave me joy of my safe return. "This,
+then is the end of the story of my second voyage; and to-morrow, Inshallah! I
+will tell you what befel me in my third voyage." The company marvelled at his
+story and supped with him; after which he ordered an hundred dinars of gold to
+be given to the Porter, who took the sum with many thanks and blessings (which
+he stinted not even when he reached home) and went his way, wondering at what
+he had heard. Next morning as soon as day came in its sheen and shone, he rose
+and praying the dawn-prayer, repaired to the house of Sindbad the Seaman, even
+as he had bidden him, and went in and gave him good-morrow. The merchant
+welcomed him and made him sit with him, till the rest of the company arrived;
+and when they had well eaten and drunken and were merry with joy and jollity,
+their host began by saying, "Hearken, O my brothers, to what I am about to tell
+you; for it is even more wondrous than what you have already heard; but Allah
+alone kenneth what things His Omniscience concealed from man! And listen to
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap04"></a>The Third Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.</h3>
+
+<p>
+As I told you yesterday, I returned from my second voyage overjoyed at my
+safety and with great increase of wealth, Allah having requited me all that I
+had wasted and lost, and I abode awhile in Baghdad-city savouring the utmost
+ease and prosperity and comfort and happiness, till the carnal man was once
+more seized with longing for travel and diversion and adventure, and yearned
+after traffic and lucre and emolument, for that the human heart is naturally
+prone to evil. So making up my mind I laid in great plenty of goods suitable
+for a sea-voyage and repairing to Bassorah, went down to the shore and found
+there a fine ship ready to sail, with a full crew and a numerous company of
+merchants, men of worth and substance; faith, piety and consideration. I
+embarked with them and we set sail on the blessing of Allah Almighty and on His
+aidance and His favour to bring our voyage to a safe and prosperous issue and
+already we congratulated one another on our good fortune and boon voyage. We
+fared on from sea to sea and from island to island and city to city, in all
+delight and contentment, buying and selling wherever we touched, and taking our
+solace and our pleasure, till one day when, as we sailed athwart the dashing
+sea, swollen with clashing billows, behold, the master (who stood on the
+gunwale examining the ocean in all directions) cried out with a great cry, and
+buffeted his face and pluckt out his beard and rent his raiment, and bade furl
+the sail and cast the anchors. So we said to him, "O Rais, what is the matter?"
+"Know, O my brethren (Allah preserve you!), that the wind hath gotten the
+better of us and hath driven us out of our course into mid-ocean, and destiny,
+for our ill luck, hath brought us to the Mountain of the Zughb, a hairy folk
+like apes,[FN#26] among whom no man ever fell and came forth alive; and my
+heart presageth that we all be dead men." Hardly had the master made an end of
+his speech when the apes were upon us. They surrounded the ship on all sides
+swarming like locusts and crowding the shore. They were the most frightful of
+wild creatures, covered with black hair like felt, foul of favour and small of
+stature, being but four spans high, yellow-eyed and black-faced; none knoweth
+their language nor what they are, and they shun the company of men. We feared
+to slay them or strike them or drive them away, because of their inconceivable
+multitude; lest, if we hurt one, the rest fall on us and slay us, for numbers
+prevail over courage; so we let them do their will, albeit we feared they would
+plunder our goods and gear. They swarmed up the cables and gnawed them asunder,
+and on like wise they did with all the ropes of the ship, so that it fell off
+from the wind and stranded upon their mountainous coast. Then they laid hands
+on all the merchants and crew, and landing us on the island, made off with the
+ship and its cargo and went their ways, we wot not whither. We were thus left
+on the island, eating of its fruits and pot-herbs and drinking of its streams
+till, one day, we espied in its midst what seemed an inhabited house. So we
+made for it as fast as our feet could carry us and behold, it was a castle
+strong and tall, compassed about with a lofty wall, and having a two-leaved
+gate of ebony-wood both of which leaves open stood. We entered and found within
+a space wide and bare like a great square, round which stood many high doors
+open thrown, and at the farther end a long bench of stone and brasiers, with
+cooking gear hanging thereon and about it great plenty of bones; but we saw no
+one and marvelled thereat with exceeding wonder. Then we sat down in the
+courtyard a little while and presently falling asleep, slept from the forenoon
+till sundown, when lo! the earth trembled under our feet and the air rumbled
+with a terrible tone. Then there came down upon us, from the top of the castle,
+a huge creature in the likeness of a man, black of colour, tall and big of
+bulk, as he were a great date-tree, with eyes like coals of fire and eye-teeth
+like boar's tusks and a vast big gape like the mouth of a well. Moreover, he
+had long loose lips like camel's, hanging down upon his breast and ears like
+two Jarms[FN#27] falling over his shoulder-blades and the nails of his hands
+were like the claws of a lion.[FN#28] When we saw this frightful giant, we were
+like to faint and every moment increased our fear and terror; and we became as
+dead men for excess of horror and affright.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
+day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-seventh Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman
+continued:—When we saw this frightful giant we were struck with exceeding
+terror and horror. And after trampling upon the earth, he sat awhile on the
+bench; then he arose and coming to us seized me by the arm choosing me out from
+among my comrades the merchants. He took me up in his hand and turning me over
+felt me, as a butcher feeleth a sheep he is about to slaughter, and I but a
+little mouthful in his hands; but finding me lean and fleshless for stress of
+toil and trouble and weariness, let me go and took up another, whom in like
+manner he turned over and felt and let go; nor did he cease to feel and turn
+over the rest of us, one after another, till he came to the master of the ship.
+Now he was a sturdy, stout, broad-shouldered wight, fat and in full vigour; so
+he pleased the giant, who seized him, as a butcher seizeth a beast, and
+throwing him down, set his foot on his neck and brake it; after which he
+fetched a long spit and thrusting it up his backside, brought it forth of the
+crown of his head. Then, lighting a fierce fire, he set over it the spit with
+the Rais thereon, and turned it over the coals, till the flesh was roasted,
+when he took the spit off the fire and set it like a Kabáb-stick before him.
+Then he tare the body, limb from limb, as one jointeth a chicken and, rending
+the flesh with his nails, fell to eating of it and gnawing the bones, till
+there was nothing left but some of these, which he threw on one side of the
+wall. This done, he sat for a while; then he lay down on the stone-bench and
+fell asleep, snarking and snoring like the gurgling of a lamb or a cow with its
+throat cut; nor did he awake till morning, when he rose and fared forth and
+went his ways. As soon as we were certified that he was gone, we began to talk
+with one another, weeping and bemoaning ourselves for the risk we ran, and
+saying, "Would Heaven we had been drowned in the sea or that the apes had eaten
+us! That were better than to be roasted over the coals; by Allah, this is a
+vile, foul death! But whatso the Lord willeth must come to pass and there is no
+Majesty and there is no Might, save in Him, the Glorious, the Great! We shall
+assuredly perish miserably and none will know of us; as there is no escape for
+us from this place." Then we arose and roamed about the island, hoping that
+haply we might find a place to hide us in or a means of flight, for indeed
+death was a light matter to us, provided we were not roasted over the
+fire[FN#29] and eaten. However, we could find no hiding-place and the evening
+overtook us; so, of the excess of our terror, we returned to the castle and sat
+down awhile. Presently, the earth trembled under our feet and the black ogre
+came up to us and turning us over, felt one after other, till he found a man to
+his liking, whom he took and served as he had done the captain, killing and
+roasting and eating him: after which he lay down on the bench[FN#30] and slept
+all night, snarking and snoring like a beast with its throat cut, till
+daybreak, when he arose and went out as before. Then we drew together and
+conversed and said one to other, "By Allah, we had better throw ourselves into
+the sea and be drowned than die roasted; for this is an abominable death!"
+Quoth one of us, "Hear ye my words! let us cast about to kill him, and be at
+peace from the grief of him and rid the Moslems of his barbarity and tyranny."
+Then said I, "Hear me, O my brothers; if there is nothing for it but to slay
+him, let us carry some of this firewood and planks down to the sea-shore and
+make us a boat wherein, if we succeed in slaughtering him, we may either embark
+and let the waters carry us whither Allah willeth, or else abide here till some
+ship pass, when we will take passage in it. If we fail to kill him, we will
+embark in the boat and put out to sea; and if we be drowned, we shall at least
+escape being roasted over a kitchen fire with sliced weasands; whilst, if we
+escape, we escape, and if we be drowned, we die martyrs." "By Allah," said they
+all, "this rede is a right;" and we agreed upon this, and set about carrying it
+out. So we haled down to the beach the pieces of wood which lay about the
+bench; and, making a boat, moored it to the strand, after which we stowed
+therein somewhat of victual and returned to the castle. As soon as evening fell
+the earth trembled under our feet and in came the blackamoor upon us, snarling
+like a dog about to bite. He came up to us and feeling us and turning us over
+one by one, took one of us and did with him as he had done before and ate him,
+after which he lay down on the bench and snored and snorted like thunder. As
+soon as we were assured that he slept, we arose and taking two iron spits of
+those standing there, heated them in the fiercest of the fire, till they were
+red-hot, like burning coals, when we gripped fast hold of them and going up to
+the giant, as he lay snoring on the bench, thrust them into his eyes and
+pressed upon them, all of us, with our united might, so that his eyeballs burst
+and he became stone blind. Thereupon he cried with a great cry, whereat our
+hearts trembled, and springing up from the bench, he fell a- groping after us,
+blind-fold. We fled from him right and left and he saw us not, for his sight
+was altogether blent; but we were in terrible fear of him and made sure we were
+dead men despairing of escape. Then he found the door, feeling for it with his
+hands and went out roaring aloud; and behold, the earth shook under us, for the
+noise of his roaring, and we quaked for fear. As he quitted the castle we
+followed him and betook ourselves to the place where we had moored our boat,
+saying to one another, "If this accursed abide absent till the going down of
+the sun and come not to the castle, we shall know that he is dead; and if he
+come back, we will embark in the boat and paddle till we escape, committing our
+affair to Allah." But, as we spoke, behold, up came the blackamoor with other
+two as they were Ghuls, fouler and more frightful than he, with eyes like
+red-hot coals; which when we saw, we hurried into the boat and casting off the
+moorings paddled away and pushed out to sea.[FN#31] As soon as the ogres caught
+sight of us, they cried out at us and running down to the sea-shore, fell
+a-pelting us with rocks, whereof some fell amongst us and others fell into the
+sea. We paddled with all our might till we were beyond their reach, but the
+most part of us were slain by the rock-throwing, and the winds and waves
+sported with us and carried us into the midst of the dashing sea, swollen with
+billows clashing. We knew not whither we went and my fellows died one after
+another, till there remained but three, myself and two others;—And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-eighth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman thus
+continued:—Most part of us were slain by the rock- thowing and only three of us
+remained on board the boat for, as often as one died, we threw him into the
+sea. We were sore exhausted for stress of hunger, but we took courage and
+heartened one another and worked for dear life and paddled with main and might,
+till the winds cast us upon an island, as we were dead men for fatigue and fear
+and famine. We landed on the island and walked about it for a while, finding
+that it abounded in trees and streams and birds; and we ate of the fruits and
+rejoiced in our escape from the black and our deliverance from the perils of
+the sea; and thus we did till nightfall, when we lay down and fell asleep for
+excess of fatigue. But we had hardly closed our eyes before we were aroused by
+a hissing sound like the sough of wind, and awaking, saw a serpent like a
+dragon, a seld-seen sight, of monstrous make and belly of enormous bulk which
+lay in a circle around us. Presently it reared its head and, seizing one of my
+companions, swallowed him up to his shoulders; then it gulped down the rest of
+him, and we heard his ribs crack in its belly. Presently it went its way, and
+we abode in sore amazement and grief for our comrade and mortal fear for
+ourselves, saying, "By Allah, this is a marvellous thing! Each kind of death
+that threatened us is more terrible than the last. We were rejoicing in our
+escape from the black ogre and our deliverance from the perils of the sea; but
+now we have fallen into that which is worse. There is no Majesty and there is
+no Might save in Allah! By the Almighty, we have escaped from the blackamoor
+and from drowning: but how shall we escape from this abominable and viperish
+monster?" Then we walked about the island, eating of its fruits and drinking of
+its streams till dusk, when we climbed up into a high tree and went to sleep
+there, I being on the topmost bough. As soon as it was dark night, up came the
+serpent, looking right and left; and, making for the tree whereon we were,
+climbed up to my comrade and swallowed him down to his shoulders. Then it
+coiled about the bole[FN#32] with him, whilst I, who could not take my eyes off
+the sight, heard his bones crack in its belly, and it swallowed him whole,
+after which it slid down from the tree. When the day broke and the light showed
+me that the serpent was gone, I came down, as I were a dead man for stress of
+fear and anguish, and thought to cast myself into the sea and be at rest from
+the woes of the world; but could not bring myself to this, for verily life is
+dear. So I took five pieces of wood, broad and long, and bound one crosswise to
+the soles of my feet and others in like fashion on my right and left sides and
+over my breast; and the broadest and largest I bound across my head and made
+them fast with ropes. Then I lay down on the ground on my back, so that I was
+completely fenced in by the pieces of wood, which enclosed me like a
+bier.[FN#33] So as soon as it was dark, up came the serpent, as usual, and made
+towards me, but could not get at me to swallow me for the wood that fenced me
+in. So it wriggled round me on every side, whilst I looked on, like one dead by
+reason of my terror; and every now and then it would glide away and come back;
+but as often as it tried to come at me, it was hindered by the pieces of wood
+wherewith I had bound myself on every side. It ceased not to beset me thus from
+sundown till dawn, but when the light of day shone upon the beast it made off,
+in the utmost fury and extreme disappointment. Then I put out my hand and
+unbound myself, well-nigh down among the dead men for fear and suffering; and
+went down to the island-shore, whence a ship afar off in the midst of the waves
+suddenly struck my sight. So I tore off a great branch of a tree and made signs
+with it to the crew, shouting out the while; which when the ship's company saw
+they said to another, "We must stand in and see what this is; peradventure 'tis
+a man." So they made for the island and presently heard my cries, whereupon
+they took me on board and questioned me of my case. I told them all my
+adventures from first to last, whereat they marvelled mightily and covered my
+shame[FN#34] with some of their clothes. Moreover, they set before me somewhat
+of food and I ate my fill and I drank cold sweet water and was mightily
+refreshed; and Allah Almighty quickened me after I was virtually dead. So I
+praised the Most Highest and thanked Him for His favours and exceeding mercies,
+and my heart revived in me after utter despair, till meseemed as if all I had
+suffered were but a dream I had dreamed. We sailed on with a fair wind the
+Almighty sent us till we came to an island, called Al-Saláhitah,[FN#35] which
+aboundeth in sandal- wood when the captain cast anchor,—And Shahrazad perceived
+the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-ninth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman
+continued:—And when we had cast anchor, the merchants and the sailors landed
+with their goods to sell and to buy. Then the captain turned to me and said,
+"Hark'ee, thou art a stranger and a pauper and tellest us that thou hast
+undergone frightful hardship; wherefore I have a mind to benefit thee with
+somewhat that may further thee to thy native land, so thou wilt ever bless me
+and pray for me." "So be it," answered I; "thou shalt have my prayers." Quoth
+he, "Know then that there was with us a man, a traveller, whom we lost, and we
+know not if he be alive or dead, for we had no news of him; so I purpose to
+commit his bales of goods to thy charge, that thou mayst sell them in this
+island. A part of the proceeds we will give thee as an equivalent for thy pains
+and service, and the rest we will keep till we return to Baghdad, where we will
+enquire for his family and deliver it to them, together with the unsold goods.
+Say me then, wilt thou undertake the charge and land and sell them as other
+merchants do?" I replied "Hearkening and obedience to thee, O my lord; and
+great is thy kindness to me," and thanked him; whereupon he bade the sailors
+and porters bear the bales in question ashore and commit them to my charge. The
+ship's scribe asked him, "O master, what bales are these and what merchant's
+name shall I write upon them?"; and he answered, "Write on them the name of
+Sindbad the Seaman, him who was with us in the ship and whom we lost at the
+Rukh's island, and of whom we have no tidings; for we mean this stranger to
+sell them; and we will give him a part of the price for his pains and keep the
+rest till we return to Baghdad where, if we find the owner we will make it over
+to him, and if not, to his family." And the clerk said, "Thy words are apposite
+and thy rede is right." Now when I heard the captain give orders for the bales
+to be inscribed with my name, I said to myself, "By Allah, I am Sindbad the
+Seaman!" So I armed myself with courage and patience and waited till all the
+merchants had landed and were gathered together, talking and chaffering about
+buying and selling; then I went up to the captain and asked him, "O my lord,
+knowest thou what manner of man was this Sindbad, whose goods thou hast
+committed to me for sale?"; and he answered, "I know of him naught save that he
+was a man from Baghdad-city, Sindbad hight the Seaman, who was drowned with
+many others when we lay anchored at such an island and I have heard nothing of
+him since then." At this I cried out with a great cry and said, "O captain,
+whom Allah keep! know that I am that Sindbad the Seaman and that I was not
+drowned, but when thou castest anchor at the island, I landed with the rest of
+the merchants and crew; and I sat down in a pleasant place by myself and ate
+somewhat of food I had with me and enjoyed myself till I became drowsy and was
+drowned in sleep; and when I awoke, I found no ship and none near me. These
+goods are my goods and these bales are my bales; and all the merchants who
+fetch jewels from the Valley of Diamonds saw me there and will bear me witness
+that I am the very Sindbad the Seaman; for I related to them everything that
+had befallen me and told them how you forgot me and left me sleeping on the
+island, and that betided me which betided me." When the passengers and crew
+heard my words, they gathered about me and some of them believed me and others
+disbelieved; but presently, behold, one of the merchants, hearing me mention
+the Valley of Diamonds, came up to me and said to them, "Hear what I say, good
+people! When I related to you the most wonderful thing in my travels, and I
+told you that, at the time we cast down our slaughtered animals into the Valley
+of Serpents (I casting with the rest as was my wont), there came up a man
+hanging to mine, ye believed me not and gave me the lie." "Yes," quoth they,
+"thou didst tell us some such tale, but we had no call to credit thee." He
+resumed, "Now this is the very man, by token that he gave me diamonds of great
+value, and high price whose like are not to be found, requiting me more than
+would have come up sticking to my quarter of meat; and I companied with him to
+Bassorah-city, where he took leave of us and went on to his native stead,
+whilst we returned to our own land. This is he; and he told us his name,
+Sindbad the Seaman, and how the ship left him on the desert island. And know ye
+that Allah hath sent him hither, so might the truth of my story be made
+manifest to you. Moreover, these are his goods for, when he first foregathered
+with us, he told us of them; and the truth of his words is patent." Hearing the
+merchant's speech the captain came up to me and considered me straitly awhile,
+after which he said, "What was the mark on thy bales?" "Thus and thus,"
+answered I, and reminded him of somewhat that had passed between him and me,
+when I shipped with him from Bassorah. Thereupon he was convinced that I was
+indeed Sindbad the Seaman and took me round the neck and gave me joy of my
+safety, saying, "By Allah, O my lord, thy case is indeed wondrous and thy tale
+marvellous; but lauded be Allah who hath brought thee and me together again,
+and who hath restored to thee thy goods and gear!"—And Shahrazad perceived the
+dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Fiftieth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman thus
+continued:—"Alhamdolillah!" quoth the captain, "lauded be Allah who hath
+restored unto thee thy goods and gear." Then I disposed of my merchandise to
+the best of my skill, and profited largely on them whereat I rejoiced with
+exceeding joy and congratulated myself on my safety and the recovery of my
+goods. We ceased not to buy and sell at the several islands till we came to the
+land of Hind, where we bought cloves and ginger and all manner spices; and
+thence we fared on to the land of Sind, where also we bought and sold. In these
+Indian seas, I saw wonders without number or count, amongst others a fish like
+a cow which bringeth forth its young and suckleth them like human beings; and
+of its skin bucklers are made.[FN#36] There were eke fishes like asses and
+camels[FN#37] and tortoises twenty cubits wide.[FN#38] And I saw also a bird
+that cometh out of a sea-shell and layeth eggs and hatcheth her chicks on the
+surface of the water, never coming up from the sea to the land.[FN#39] Then we
+set sail again with a fair wind and the blessing of Almighty Allah; and, after
+a prosperous voyage, arrived safe and sound at Bassorah. Here I abode a few
+days and presently returned to Baghdad where I went at once to my quarter and
+my house and saluted my family and familiars and friends. I had gained on this
+voyage what was beyond count and reckoning, so I gave alms and largesse and
+clad the widow and the orphan, by way of thanksgiving for my happy return, and
+fell to feasting and making merry with my companions and intimates and forgot,
+while eating well and drinking well and dressing well, everything that had
+befallen me and all the perils and hardships I had suffered. "These, then, are
+the most admirable things I sighted on my third voyage, and to-morrow, an it be
+the will of Allah, you shall come to me and I will relate the adventures of my
+fourth voyage, which is still more wonderful than those you have already
+heard." (Saith he who telleth the tale), Then Sindbad the Seaman bade give
+Sindbad the Landsman an hundred golden dinars as of wont and called for food.
+So they spread the tables and the company ate the night-meal and went their
+ways, marvelling at the tale they had heard. The Porter after taking his gold
+passed the night in his own house, also wondering at what his namesake the
+Seaman had told him, and as soon as day broke and the morning showed with its
+sheen and shone, he rose and praying the dawn-prayer betook himself to Sindbad
+the Seaman, who returned his salute and received him with an open breast and
+cheerful favour and made him sit with him till the rest of the company arrived,
+when he caused set on food and they ate and drank and made merry. Then Sindbad
+the Seaman bespake them and related to them the narrative of
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap05"></a>The Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.</h3>
+
+<p>
+Know, O my brethren that after my return from my third voyage and foregathering
+with my friends, and forgetting all my perils and hardships in the enjoyment of
+ease and comfort and repose, I was visited one day by a company of merchants
+who sat down with me and talked of foreign travel and traffic, till the old bad
+man within me yearned to go with them and enjoy the sight of strange countries,
+and I longed for the society of the various races of mankind and for traffic
+and profit. So I resolved to travel with them and buying the necessaries for a
+long voyage, and great store of costly goods, more than ever before,
+transported them from Baghdad to Bassorah where I took ship with the merchants
+in question, who were of the chief of the town. We set out, trusting in the
+blessing of Almighty Allah; and with a favouring breeze and the best conditions
+we sailed from island to island and sea to sea, till, one day, there arose
+against us a contrary wind and the captain cast out his anchors and brought the
+ship to a standsill, fearing lest she should founder in mid-ocean. Then we all
+fell to prayer and humbling ourselves before the Most High; but, as we were
+thus engaged there smote us a furious squall which tore the sails to rags and
+tatters: the anchor-cable parted and, the ship foundering, we were cast into
+the sea, goods and all. I kept myself afloat by swimming half the day, till,
+when I had given myself up for lost, the Almighty threw in my way one of the
+planks of the ship, whereon I and some others of the merchants scrambled.—And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-first Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman
+continued as follows:—And when the ship foundered I scrambled on to a plank
+with some others of the merchants and, mounting it as we would a horse, paddled
+with our feet in the sea. We abode thus a day and a night, the wind and waves
+helping us on, and on the second day shortly before the mid-time between
+sunrise and noon[FN#40] the breeze freshened and the sea wrought and the rising
+waves cast us upon an island, well-nigh dead bodies for weariness and want of
+sleep, cold and hunger and fear and thirst. We walked about the shore and found
+abundance of herbs, whereof we ate enough to keep breath in body and to stay
+our failing spirits, then lay down and slept till morning hard by the sea. And
+when morning came with its sheen and shone, we arose and walked about the
+island to the right and left, till we came in sight of an inhabited house afar
+off. So we made towards it, and ceased not walking till we reached the door
+thereof when lo! a number of naked men issued from it and without saluting us
+or a word said, laid hold of us masterfully and carried us to their king, who
+signed us to sit. So we sat down and they set food before us such as we knew
+not[FN#41] and whose like we had never seen in all our lives. My companions ate
+of it, for stress of hunger, but my stomach revolted from it and I would not
+eat; and my refraining from it was, by Allah's favour, the cause of my being
+alive till now: for no sooner had my comrades tasted of it than their reason
+fled and their condition changed and they began to devour it like madmen
+possessed of an evil spirit. Then the savages gave them to drink of cocoa-nut
+oil and anointed them therewith; and straightway after drinking thereof, their
+eyes turned into their heads and they fell to eating greedily, against their
+wont. When I saw this, I was confounded and concerned for them, nor was I less
+anxious about myself, for fear of the naked folk. So I watched them narrowly,
+and it was not long before I discovered them to be a tribe of Magian cannibals
+whose King was a Ghul.[FN#42] All who came to their country or whoso they
+caught in their valleys or on their roads they brought to this King and fed
+them upon that food and anointed them with that oil, whereupon their stomachs
+dilated that they might eat largely, whilst their reason fled and they lost the
+power of thought and became idiots. Then they stuffed them with cocoa-nut oil
+and the aforesaid food, till they became fat and gross, when they slaughtered
+them by cutting their throats and roasted them for the King's eating; but, as
+for the savages themselves, they ate human flesh raw.[FN#43] When I saw this, I
+was sore dismayed for myself and my comrades, who were now become so stupefied
+that they knew not what was done with them and the naked folk committed them to
+one who used every day to lead them out and pasture them on the island like
+cattle. And they wandered amongst the trees and rested at will, thus waxing
+very fat. As for me, I wasted away and became sickly for fear and hunger and my
+flesh shrivelled on my bones; which when the savages saw, they left me alone
+and took no thought of me and so far forgot me that one day I gave them the
+slip and walking out of their place made for the beach which was distant and
+there espied a very old man seated on a high place, girt by the waters. I
+looked at him and knew him for the herdsman, who had charge of pasturing my
+fellows, and with him were many others in like case. As soon as he saw me, he
+knew me to be in possession of my reason and not afflicted like the rest whom
+he was pasturing; so signed to me from afar, as who should say, "Turn back and
+take the right-hand road, for that will lead thee into the King's highway." So
+I turned back, as he bade me, and followed the right-hand road, now running for
+fear and then walking leisurely to rest me, till I was out of the old man's
+sight. By this time, the sun had gone down and the darkness set in; so I sat
+down to rest and would have slept, but sleep came not to me that night, for
+stress of fear and famine and fatigue. When the night was half spent, I rose
+and walked on, till the day broke in all its beauty and the sun rose over the
+heads of the lofty hills and athwart the low gravelly plains. Now I was weary
+and hungry and thirsty; so I ate my fill of herbs and grasses that grew in the
+island and kept life in body and stayed my stomach, after which I set out again
+and fared on all that day and the next night, staying my greed with roots and
+herbs; nor did I cease walking for seven days and their nights, till the morn
+of the eighth day, when I caught sight of a faint object in the distance. So I
+made towards it, though my heart quaked for all I had suffered first and last,
+and behold it was a company of men gathering pepper-grains.[FN#44] As soon as
+they saw me, they hastened up to me and surrounding me on all sides, said to
+me, "Who art thou and whence come?" I replied, "Know, O folk, that I am a poor
+stranger," and acquainted them with my case and all the hardships and perils I
+had suffered,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-second Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman
+continued:—And the men gathering pepper in the island questioned me of my case,
+when I acquainted them with all the hardships and perils I had suffered and how
+I had fled from the savages; whereat they marvelled and gave me joy of my
+safety, saying, "By Allah, this is wonderful! But how didst thou escape from
+these blacks who swarm in the island and devour all who fall in with them; nor
+is any safe from them, nor can any get out of their clutches?" And after I had
+told them the fate of my companions, they made me sit by them, till they got
+quit of their work; and fetched me somewhat of good food, which I ate, for I
+was hungry, and rested awhile, after which they took ship with me and carrying
+me to their island-home brought me before their King, who returned my salute
+and received me honourably and questioned me of my case. I told him all that
+had befallen me, from the day of my leaving Baghdad-city, whereupon he wondered
+with great wonder at my adventures, he and his courtiers, and bade me sit by
+him; then he called for food and I ate with him what sufficed me and washed my
+hands and returned thanks to Almighty Allah for all His favours praising Him
+and glorifying Him. Then I left the King and walked for solace about the city,
+which I found wealthy and populous, abounding in market-streets well stocked
+with food and merchandise and full of buyers and sellers. So I rejoiced at
+having reached so pleasant a place and took my ease there after my fatigues;
+and I made friends with the townsfolk, nor was it long before I became more in
+honour and favour with them and their King than any of the chief men of the
+realm. Now I saw that all the citizens, great and small, rode fine horses,
+high-priced and thorough-bred, without saddles or housings, whereat I wondered
+and said to the King, "Wherefore, O my lord, dost thou not ride with a saddle?
+Therein is ease for the rider and increase of power." "What is a saddle?" asked
+he: "I never saw nor used such a thing in all my life;" and I answered, "With
+thy permission I will make thee a saddle, that thou mayest ride on it and see
+the comfort thereof." And quoth he, "Do so." So quoth I to him, "Furnish me
+with some wood," which being brought, I sought me a clever carpenter and
+sitting by him showed him how to make the saddle-tree, portraying for him the
+fashion thereof in ink on the wood. Then I took wool and teased it and made
+felt of it, and, covering the saddle-tree with leather, stuffed it and polished
+it and attached the girth and stirrup leathers; after which I fetched a
+blacksmith and described to him the fashion of the stirrups and bridle-bit. So
+he forged a fine pair of stirrups and a bit, and filed them smooth and
+tinned[FN#45] them. Moreover, I made fast to them fringes of silk and fitted
+bridle-leathers to the bit. Then I fetched one of the best of the royal horses
+and saddling and bridling him, hung the stirrups to the saddle and led him to
+the King. The thing took his fancy and he thanked me; then he mounted and
+rejoiced greatly in the saddle and rewarded me handsomely for my work. When the
+King's Wazir saw the saddle, he asked of me one like it and I made it for him.
+Furthermore, all the grandees and officers of state came for saddles to me; so
+I fell to making saddles (having taught the craft to the carpenter and
+blacksmith), and selling them to all who sought, till I amassed great wealth
+and became in high honour and great favour with the King and his household and
+grandees. I abode thus till, one day, as I was sitting with the King in all
+respect and contentment, he said to me, "Know thou, O such an one, thou art
+become one of us, dear as a brother, and we hold thee in such regard and
+affection that we cannot part with thee nor suffer thee to leave our city;
+wherefore I desire of thee obedience in a certain matter, and I will not have
+thee gainsay me." Answered I, "O King, what is it thou desirest of me? Far be
+it from me to gainsay thee in aught, for I am indebted to thee for many favours
+and bounties and much kindness, and (praised be Allah!) I am become one of thy
+servants." Quoth he, "I have a mind to marry thee to a fair, clever and
+agreeable wife who is wealthy as she is beautiful; so thou mayst be naturalised
+and domiciled with us: I will lodge thee with me in my palace; wherefore oppose
+me not neither cross me in this." When I heard these words I was ashamed and
+held my peace nor could make him any answer,[FN#46] by reason of my much
+bashfulness before him. Asked he, "Why dost thou not reply to me, O my son?";
+and I answered saying, "O my master, it is thine to command, O King of the
+age!" So he summoned the Kazi and the witnesses and married me straightway to a
+lady of a noble tree and high pedigree; wealthy in moneys and means; the flower
+of an ancient race; of surpassing beauty and grace, and the owner of farms and
+estates and many a dwelling-place.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
+ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-third Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman
+continued in these words:—Now after the King my master had married me to this
+choice wife, he also gave me a great and goodly house standing alone, together
+with slaves and officers, and assigned me pay and allowances. So I became in
+all ease and contentment and delight and forgot everything which had befalled
+me of weariness and trouble and hardship; for I loved my wife with fondest love
+and she loved me no less, and we were as one and abode in the utmost comfort of
+life and in its happiness. And I said in myself, "When I return to my native
+land, I will carry her with me." But whatso is predestined to a man, that needs
+must be, and none knoweth what shall befal him. We lived thus a great while,
+till Almighty Allah bereft one of my neighbours of his wife. Now he was a
+gossip of mine; so hearing the cry of the keeners I went in to condole with him
+on his loss and found him in very ill plight, full of trouble and weary of soul
+and mind. I condoled with him and comforted him, saying, "Mourn not for thy
+wife who hath now found the mercy of Allah; the Lord will surely give thee a
+better in her stead and thy name shall be great and thy life shall be long in
+the land, Inshallah!"[FN#47] But he wept bitter tears and replied, "O my
+friend, how can I marry another wife and how shall Allah replace her to me with
+a better than she, whenas I have but one day left to live?" "O my brother,"
+said I, "return to thy senses and announce not the glad tidings of thine own
+death, for thou art well, sound and in good case." "By thy life, O my friend,"
+rejoined he, "to-morrow thou wilt lose me and wilt never see me again till the
+Day of Resurrection." I asked, "How so?" and he answered, "This very day they
+bury my wife, and they bury me with her in one tomb; for it is the custom with
+us, if the wife die first, to bury the husband alive with her and in like
+manner the wife, if the husband die first; so that neither may enjoy life after
+losing his or her mate." "By Allah," cried I, "this is a most vile, lewd custom
+and not to be endured of any!" Meanwhile, behold, the most part of the
+townsfolk came in and fell to condoling with my gossip for his wife and for
+himself. Presently they laid the dead woman out, as was their wont; and,
+setting her on a bier, carried her and her husband without the city, till they
+came to a place in the side of the mountain at the end of the island by the
+sea; and here they raised a great rock and discovered the mouth of a
+stone-rivetted pit or well,[FN#48] leading down into a vast underground cavern
+that ran beneath the mountain. Into this pit they threw the corpse, then tying
+a rope of palm-fibres under the husband's armpits, they let him down into the
+cavern, and with him a great pitcher of fresh water and seven scones by was of
+viaticum.[FN#49] When he came to the bottom, he loosed himself from the rope
+and they drew it up; and, stopping the mouth of the pit with the great stone,
+they returned to the city, leaving my friend in the cavern with his dead wife.
+When I saw this, I said to myself, "By Allah, this fashion of death is more
+grievous than the first!" And I went in to the King and said to him, "O my
+lord, why do ye bury the quick with the dead?" Quoth he, "It hath been the
+custom, thou must know, of our forbears and our olden Kings from time
+immemorial, if the husband die first, to bury his wife with him, and the like
+with the wife, so we may not sever them, alive or dead." I asked, "O King of
+the age, if the wife of a foreigner like myself die among you, deal ye with him
+as with yonder man?"; and he answered, "Assuredly, we do with him even as thou
+hast seen." When I heard this, my gall-bladder was like to burst, for the
+violence of my dismay and concern for myself: my wit became dazed; I felt as if
+in a vile dungeon; and hated their society; for I went about in fear lest my
+wife should die before me and they bury me alive with her. However, after a
+while, I comforted myself, saying, "Haply I shall predecease her, or shall have
+returned to my own land before she die, for none knoweth which shall go first
+and which shall go last." Then I applied myself to diverting my mind from this
+thought with various occupations; but it was not long before my wife sickened
+and complained and took to her pillow and fared after a few days to the mercy
+of Allah; and the King and the rest of the folk came, as was their wont, to
+condole with me and her family and to console us for her loss and not less to
+condole with me for myself. Then the women washed her and arraying her in her
+richest raiment and golden ornaments, necklaces and jewellery, laid her on the
+bier and bore her to the mountain aforesaid, where they lifted the cover of the
+pit and cast her in; after which all my intimates and acquaintances and my
+wife's kith and kin came round me, to farewell me in my lifetime and console me
+for my own death, whilst I cried out among them, saying, "Almighty Allah never
+made it lawful to bury the quick with the dead! I am a stranger, not one of
+your kind; and I cannot abear your custom, and had I known it I never would
+have wedded among you!" They heard me not and paid no heed to my words, but
+laying hold of me, bound me by force and let me down into the cavern, with a
+large gugglet of sweet water and seven cakes of bread, according to their
+custom. When I came to the bottom, they called out to me to cast myself loose
+from the cords, but I refused to do so; so they threw them down on me and,
+closing the mouth of the pit with the stones aforesaid, went their ways,—And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-fourth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman
+continued:—When they left me in the cavern with my dead wife and, closing the
+mouth of the pit, went their ways, I looked about me and found myself in a vast
+cave full of dead bodies, that exhaled a fulsome and loathsome smell and the
+air was heavy with the groans of the dying. Thereupon I fell to blaming myself
+for what I had done, saying, "By Allah, I deserve all that hath befallen me and
+all that shall befal me! What curse was upon me to take a wife in this city?
+There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the
+Great! As often as I say, I have escaped from one calamity, I fall into a
+worse. By Allah, this is an abominable death to die! Would Heaven I had died a
+decent death and been washed and shrouded like a man and a Moslem. Would I had
+been drowned at sea or perished in the mountains! It were better than to die
+this miserable death!" And on such wise I kept blaming my own folly and greed
+of gain in that black hole, knowing not night from day; and I ceased not to ban
+the Foul Fiend and to bless the Almighty Friend. Then I threw myself down on
+the bones of the dead and lay there, imploring Allah's help and in the violence
+of my despair, invoking death which came not to me, till the fire of hunger
+burned my stomach and thirst set my throat aflame when I sat up and feeling for
+the bread, ate a morsel and upon it swallowed a mouthful of water. After this,
+the worst night I ever knew, I arose, and exploring the cavern, found that it
+extended a long way with hollows in its sides; and its floor was strewn with
+dead bodies and rotten bones, that had lain there from olden time. So I made
+myself a place in a cavity of the cavern, afar from the corpses lately thrown
+down and there slept. I abode thus a long while, till my provision was like to
+give out; and yet I ate not save once every day or second day; nor did I drink
+more than an occasional draught, for fear my victual should fail me before my
+death; and I said to myself, "Eat little and drink little; belike the Lord
+shall vouchsafe deliverance to thee!" One day, as I sat thus, pondering my case
+and bethinking me how I should do, when my bread and water should be exhausted,
+behold, the stone that covered the opening was suddenly rolled away and the
+light streamed down upon me. Quoth I, "I wonder what is the matter: haply they
+have brought another corpse." Then I espied folk standing about the mouth of
+the pit, who presently let down a dead man and a live woman, weeping and
+bemoaning herself, and with her an ampler supply of bread and water than
+usual.[FN#50] I saw her and she was a beautiful woman; but she saw me not; and
+they closed up the opening and went away. Then I took the leg- bone of a dead
+man and, going up to the woman, smote her on the crown of the head; and she
+cried one cry and fell down in a swoon. I smote her a second and a third time,
+till she was dead, when I laid hands on her bread and water and found on her
+great plenty of ornaments and rich apparel, necklaces, jewels and gold
+trinkets;[FN#51] for it was their custom to bury women in all their finery. I
+carried the vivers to my sleeping place in the cavern-side and ate and drank of
+them sparingly, no more than sufficed to keep the life in me, lest the provaunt
+come speedily to an end and I perish of hunger and thirst. Yet did I never
+wholly lose hope in Almighty Allah. I abode thus a great while, killing all the
+live folk they let down into the cavern and taking their provisions of meat and
+drink; till one day, as I slept, I was awakened by something scratching and
+burrowing among the bodies in a corner of the cave and said, "What can this
+be?" fearing wolves or hyaenas. So I sprang up and seizing the leg- bone
+aforesaid, made for the noise. As soon as the thing was ware of me, it fled
+from me into the inward of the cavern, and lo! it was a wild beast. However, I
+followed it to the further end, till I saw afar off a point of light not bigger
+than a star, now appearing and then disappearing. So I made for it, and as I
+drew near, it grew larger and brighter, till I was certified that it was a
+crevice in the rock, leading to the open country; and I said to myself, "There
+must be some reason for this opening: either it is the mouth of a second pit,
+such as that by which they let me down, or else it is a natural fissure in the
+stonery." So I bethought me awhile and nearing the light, found that it came
+from a breach in the back side of the mountain, which the wild beasts had
+enlarged by burrowing, that they might enter and devour the dead and freely go
+to and fro. When I saw this, my spirits revived and hope came back to me and I
+made sure of life, after having died a death. So I went on, as in a dream, and
+making shift to scramble through the breach found myself on the slope of a high
+mountain, overlooking the salt sea and cutting off all access thereto from the
+island, so that none could come at that part of the beach from the city.[FN#52]
+I praised my Lord and thanked Him, rejoicing greatly and heartening myself with
+the prospect of deliverance; then I returned through the crack to the cavern
+and brought out all the food and water I had saved up and donned some of the
+dead folk's clothes over my own; after which I gathered together all the
+collars and necklaces of pearls and jewels and trinkets of gold and silver set
+with precious stones and other ornaments and valuables I could find upon the
+corpses; and, making them into bundles with the grave clothes and raiment of
+the dead, carried them out to the back of the mountain facing the sea-shore,
+where I established myself, purposing to wait there till it should please
+Almighty Allah to send me relief by means of some passing ship. I visited the
+cavern daily and as often as I found folk buried alive there, I killed them all
+indifferently, men and women, and took their victual and valuables and
+transported them to my seat on the sea-shore. Thus I abode a long while,—And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-fifth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman
+continued:—And after carrying all my victuals and valuables from the cavern to
+the coast I abode a long while by the sea, pondering my case, till one day I
+caught sight of a ship passing in the midst of the clashing sea, swollen with
+dashing billows. So I took a piece of a white shroud I had with me and, tying
+it to a staff, ran along the sea-shore, making signals therewith and calling to
+the people in the ship, till they espied me and hearing my shouts, sent a boat
+to fetch me off. When it drew near, the crew called out to me, saying, "Who art
+thou and how camest thou to be on this mountain, whereon never saw we any in
+our born days?" I answered, "I am a gentleman[FN#53] and a merchant, who hath
+been wrecked and saved myself on one of the planks of the ship, with some of my
+goods; and by the blessing of the Almighty and the decrees of Destiny and my
+own strength and skill, after much toil and moil I have landed with my gear in
+this place where I awaited some passing ship to take me off." So they took me
+in their boat together with the bundles I had made of the jewels and valuables
+from the cavern, tied up in clothes and shrouds, and rowed back with me to the
+ship, where the captain said to me, "How camest thou, O man, to yonder place on
+yonder mountain behind which lieth a great city? All my life I have sailed
+these seas and passed to and fro hard by these heights; yet never saw I here
+any living thing save wild beasts and birds." I repeated to him the story I had
+told the sailors,[FN#54] but acquainted him with nothing of that which had
+befallen me in the city and the cavern, lest there should be any of the
+islandry in the ship. Then I took out some of the best pearls I had with me and
+offered them to the captain, saying, "O my lord, thou hast been the means of
+saving me off this mountain. I have no ready money; but take this from me in
+requital of thy kindness and good offices." But he refused to accept it of me,
+saying, "When we find a shipwrecked man on the sea-shore or on an island, we
+take him up and give him meat and drink, and if he be naked we clothe him; nor
+take we aught from him; nay, when we reach a port of safety, we set him ashore
+with a present of our own money and entreat him kindly and charitably, for the
+love of Allah the Most High." So I prayed that his life be long in the land and
+rejoiced in my escape, trusting to be delivered from my stress and to forget my
+past mishaps; for every time I remembered being let down into the cave with my
+dead wife I shuddered in horror. Then we pursued our voyage and sailed from
+island to island and sea to sea, till we arrived at the Island of the Bell,
+which containeth a city two days' journey in extent, whence after a six days'
+run we reached the Island Kala, hard by the land of Hind.[FN#55] This place is
+governed by a potent and puissant King and it produceth excellent camphor and
+an abundance of the Indian rattan: here also is a lead mine. At last by the
+decree of Allah, we arrived in safety at Bassorah-town where I tarried a few
+days, then went on to Baghdad-city, and, finding my quarter, entered my house
+with lively pleasure. There I foregathered with my family and friends, who
+rejoiced in my happy return and gave my joy of my safety. I laid up in my
+storehouses all the goods I had brought with me, and gave alms and largesse to
+Fakirs and beggars and clothed the widow and the orphan. Then I gave myself up
+to pleasure and enjoyment, returning to my old merry mode of life. "Such, then,
+be the most marvellous adventures of my fourth voyage, but to-morrow if you
+will kindly come to me, I will tell you that which befel me in my fifth voyage,
+which was yet rarer and more marvellous than those which forewent it. And thou,
+O my brother Sindbad the Landsman, shalt sup with me as thou art wont." (Saith
+he who telleth the tale), When Sindbad the Seaman had made an end of his story,
+he called for supper; so they spread the table and the guests ate the evening
+meal; after which he gave the Porter an hundred dinars as usual, and he and the
+rest of the company went their ways, glad at heart and marvelling at the tales
+they had heard, for that each story was more extraordinary than that which
+forewent it. The porter Sindbad passed the night in his own house, in all joy
+and cheer and wonderment; and, as soon as morning came with its sheen and
+shone, he prayed the dawn-prayer and repaired to the house of Sindbad the
+Seaman, who welcomed him and bade him sit with him till the rest of the company
+arrived, when they ate and drank and made merry and the talk went round amongst
+them. Presently, their host began the narrative of the fifth voyage,—And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-sixth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the host began in these
+words the narrative of
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap06"></a>The Fifth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.</h3>
+
+<p>
+Know, O my brothers, that when I had been awhile on shore after my fourth
+voyage; and when, in my comfort and pleasures and merry-makings and in my
+rejoicing over my large gains and profits, I had forgotten all I had endured of
+perils and sufferings, the carnal man was again seized with the longing to
+travel and to see foreign countries and islands.[FN#56] Accordingly I bought
+costly merchandise suited to my purpose and, making it up into bales, repaired
+to Bassorah, where I walked about the river-quay till I found a fine tall ship,
+newly builded with gear unused and fitted ready for sea. She pleased me; so I
+bought her and, embarking my goods in her, hired a master and crew, over whom I
+set certain of my slaves and servants as inspectors. A number of merchants also
+brought their outfits and paid me freight and passage-money; then, after
+reciting the Fatihah we set sail over Allah's pool in all joy and cheer,
+promising ourselves a prosperous voyage and much profit. We sailed from city to
+city and from island to island and from sea to sea viewing the cities and
+countries by which we passed, and selling and buying in not a few till one day
+we came to a great uninhabited island, deserted and desolate, whereon was a
+white dome of biggest bulk half buried in the sands. The merchants landed to
+examine this dome, leaving me in the ship; and when they drew near, behold, it
+was a huge Rukh's egg. They fell a- beating it with stones, knowing not what it
+was, and presently broke it open, whereupon much water ran out of it and the
+young Rukh appeared within. So they pulled it forth of the shell and cut its
+throat and took of it great store of meat. Now I was in the ship and knew not
+what they did; but presently one of the passengers came up to me and said, "O
+my lord, come and look at the egg we thought to be a dome." So I looked and
+seeing the merchants beating it with stones, called out to them, "Stop, stop!
+do not meddle with that egg, or the bird Rukh will come out and break our ship
+and destroy us."[FN#57] But they paid no heed to me and gave not over smiting
+upon the egg, when behold, the day grew dark and dun and the sun was hidden
+from us, as if some great cloud had passed over the firmament.[FN#58] So we
+raised our eyes and saw that what we took for a cloud was the Rukh poised
+between us and the sun, and it was his wings that darkened the day. When he
+came and saw his egg broken, he cried a loud cry, whereupon his mate came
+flying up and they both began circling about the ship, crying out at us with
+voices louder than thunder. I called to the Rais and crew, "Put out to sea and
+seek safety in flight, before we be all destroyed." So the merchants came on
+board and we cast off and made haste from the island to gain the open sea. When
+the Rukhs saw this, they flew off and we crowded all sail on the ship, thinking
+to get out of their country; but presently the two re-appeared and flew after
+us and stood over us, each carrying in its claws a huge boulder which it had
+brought from the mountains. As soon as the he-Rukh came up with us, he let fall
+upon us the rock he held in his pounces; but the master put about ship, so that
+the rock missed her by some small matter and plunged into the waves with such
+violence, that the ship pitched high and then sank into the trough of the sea
+and the bottom of the ocean appeared to us. Then the she-Rukh let fall her
+rock, which was bigger than that of her mate, and as Destiny had decreed, it
+fell on the poop of the ship and crushed it, the rudder flying into twenty
+pieces; whereupon the vessel foundered and all and everything on board were
+cast into the main.[FN#59] As for me I struggled for sweet life, till Almighty
+Allah threw in my way one of the planks of the ship, to which I clung and
+bestriding it, fell a-paddling with my feet. Now the ship had gone down hard by
+an island in the midst of the main and the winds and waves bore me on till, by
+permission of the Most High, they cast me up on the shore of the island, at the
+last gasp for toil and distress and half dead with hunger and thirst. So I
+landed more like a corpse than a live man and throwing myself down on the
+beach, lay there awhile, till I began to revive and recover spirits, when I
+walked about the island and found it as it were one of the garths and gardens
+of Paradise. Its trees, in abundance dight, bore ripe-yellow fruit for freight;
+its streams ran clear and bright; its flowers were fair to scent and to sight
+and its birds warbled with delight the praises of Him to whom belong permanence
+and all-might. So I ate my fill of the fruits and slaked my thirst with the
+water of the streams till I could no more and I returned thanks to the Most
+High and glorified Him;—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
+saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-seventh Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman
+continued:—So when I escaped drowning and reached the island which afforded me
+fruit to eat and water to drink, I returned thanks to the Most High and
+glorified Him; after which I sat till nightfall, hearing no voice and seeing
+none inhabitant. Then I lay down, well-nigh dead for travail and trouble and
+terror, and slept without surcease till morning, when I arose and walked about
+under the trees, till I came to the channel of a draw-well fed by a spring of
+running water, by which well sat an old man of venerable aspect, girt about
+with a waist-cloth[FN#60] made of the fibre of palm-fronds.[FN#61] Quoth I to
+myself, "Haply this Shaykh is one of those who were wrecked in the ship and
+hath made his way to this island." So I drew near to him and saluted him, and
+he returned my salam by signs, but spoke not; and I said to him, "O nuncle
+mine, what causeth thee to sit here?" He shook his head and moaned and signed
+to me with his hands as who should say, "Take me on thy shoulders and carry me
+to the other side of the well-channel." And quoth I in my mind, "I will deal
+kindly with him and do what he desireth; it may be I shall win me a reward in
+Heaven for he may be a paralytic." So I took him on my back and carrying him to
+the place whereat he pointed, said to him, "Dismount at thy leisure." But he
+would not get off my back and wound his legs about my neck. I looked at them
+and seeing that they were like a buffalo's hide for blackness and
+roughness,[FN#62] was affrighted and would have cast him off; but he clung to
+me and gripped my neck with his legs, till I was well-nigh choked, the world
+grew black in my sight and I fell senseless to the ground like one dead. But he
+still kept his seat and raising his legs drummed with his heels and beat harder
+than palm-rods my back and shoulders, till he forced me to rise for excess of
+pain. Then he signed to me with his hand to carry him hither and thither among
+the trees which bore the best fruits; and if ever I refused to do his bidding
+or loitered or took my leisure he beat me with his feet more grievously than if
+I had been beaten with whips. He ceased not to signal with his hand wherever he
+was minded to go; so I carried him about the island, like a captive slave, and
+he bepissed and conskited my shoulders and back, dismounting not night nor day;
+and whenas he wished to sleep he wound his legs about my neck and leaned back
+and slept awhile, then arose and beat me; whereupon I sprang up in haste,
+unable to gainsay him because of the pain he inflicted on me. And indeed I
+blamed myself and sore repented me of having taken compassion on him and
+continued in this condition, suffering fatigue not to be described, till I said
+to myself, "I wrought him a weal and he requited me with my ill; by Allah,
+never more will I do any man a service so long as I live!" And again and again
+I besought the Most High that I might die, for stress of weariness and misery;
+and thus I abode a long while till, one day, I came with him to a place wherein
+was abundance of gourds, many of them dry. So I took a great dry gourd and,
+cutting open the head, scooped out the inside and cleaned it; after which I
+gathered grapes from a vine which grew hard by and squeezed them into the
+gourd, till it was full of the juice. Then I stopped up the mouth and set it in
+the sun, where I left it for some days, until it became strong wine; and every
+day I used to drink of it, to comfort and sustain me under my fatigues with
+that froward and obstinate fiend; and as often as I drank myself drunk, I
+forgot my troubles and took new heart. One day he saw me drinking and signed to
+me with his hand, as who should say, "What is that?" Quoth I, "It is an
+excellent cordial, which cheereth the heart and reviveth the spirits." Then,
+being heated with wine, I ran and danced with him among the trees, clapping my
+hands and singing and making merry; and I staggered under him by design. When
+he saw this, he signed to me to give him the gourd that he might drink, and I
+feared him and gave it him. So he took it and, draining it to the dregs, cast
+it on the ground, whereupon he grew frolicsome and began to clap hands and jig
+to and fro on my shoulders and he made water upon me so copiously that all my
+dress was drenched. But presently the fumes of the wine rising to his head, he
+became helplessly drunk and his side- muscles and limbs relaxed and he swayed
+to and fro on my back. When I saw that he had lost his senses for drunkenness,
+I put my hand to his legs and, loosing them from my neck, stooped down
+well-nigh to the ground and threw him at full length,—And Shahrazad perceived
+the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-eighth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman
+continued:—So I threw the devil off my shoulders, hardly crediting my
+deliverance from him and fearing lest he should shake off his drunkenness and
+do me a mischief. Then I took up a great stone from among the trees and coming
+up to him smote him therewith on the head with all my might and crushed in his
+skull as he lay dead drunk. Thereupon his flesh and fat and blood being in a
+pulp, he died and went to his deserts, The Fire, no mercy of Allah be upon him!
+I then returned, with a heart at ease, to my former station on the sea-shore
+and abode in that island many days, eating of its fruits and drinking of its
+waters and keeping a look-out for passing ships; till one day, as I sat on the
+beach, recalling all that had befallen me and saying, "I wonder if Allah will
+save me alive and restore me to my home and family and friends!" behold, a ship
+was making for the island through the dashing sea and clashing waves.
+Presently, it cast anchor and the passengers landed; so I made for them, and
+when they saw me all hastened up to me and gathering round me questioned me of
+my case and how I came thither. I told them all that had betided me, whereat
+they marvelled with exceeding marvel and said, "He who rode on thy shoulder is
+called the 'Shaykh al-Bahr' or Old Man of the Sea,[FN#63] and none ever felt
+his legs on neck and came off alive but thou; and those who die under him he
+eateth: so praised be Allah for thy safety!" Then they set somewhat of food
+before me, whereof I ate my fill, and gave me somewhat of clothes wherewith I
+clad myself anew and covered my nakedness; after which they took me up into the
+ship, and we sailed days and nights, till fate brought us to a place called the
+City of Apes, builded with lofty houses, all of which gave upon the sea and it
+had a single gate studded and strengthened with iron nails. Now every night, as
+soon as it is dusk the dwellers in this city use to come forth of the gates
+and, putting out to sea in boats and ships, pass the night upon the waters in
+their fear lest the apes should come down on them from the mountains. Hearing
+this I was sore troubled remembering what I had before suffered from the
+ape-kind. Presently I landed to solace myself in the city, but meanwhile the
+ship set sail without me and I repented of having gone ashore, and calling to
+mind my companions and what had befallen me with the apes, first and after, sat
+down and fell a- weeping and lamenting. Presently one of the townsfolk accosted
+me and said to me, "O my lord, meseemeth thou art a stranger to these parts?"
+"Yes," answered I, "I am indeed a stranger and a poor one, who came hither in a
+ship which cast anchor here, and I landed to visit the town; but when I would
+have gone on board again, I found they had sailed without me." Quoth he, "Come
+and embark with us, for if thou lie the night in the city, the apes will
+destroy thee." "Hearkening and obedience," replied I, and rising, straightway
+embarked with him in one of the boats, whereupon they pushed off from shore and
+anchoring a mile or so from the land, there passed the night. At daybreak, they
+rowed back to the city and landing, went each about his business. Thus they did
+every night, for if any tarried in the town by night the apes came down on him
+and slew him. As soon as it was day, the apes left the place and ate of the
+fruits of the gardens, then went back to the mountains and slept there till
+nightfall, when they again came down upon the city.[FN#64] Now this place was
+in the farthest part of the country of the blacks, and one of the strangest
+things that befel me during my sojourn in the city was on this wise. One of the
+company with whom I passed the night in the boat, asked me, "O my lord, thou
+art apparently a stranger in these parts; hast thou any craft whereat thou
+canst work?"; and I answered, "By Allah, O my brother, I have no trade nor know
+I any handicraft, for I was a merchant and a man of money and substance and had
+a ship of my own, laden with great store of goods and merchandise; but it
+foundered at sea and all were drowned excepting me who saved myself on a piece
+of plank which Allah vouchsafed to me of His favour." Upon this he brought me a
+cotton bag and giving it to me, said, "Take this bag and fill it with pebbles
+from the beach and go forth with a company of the townsfolk to whom I will give
+a charge respecting thee. Do as they do and belike thou shalt gain what may
+further thy return voyage to thy native land." Then he carried me to the beach,
+where I filled my bag with pebbles large and small, and presently we saw a
+company of folk issue from the town, each bearing a bag like mine, filled with
+pebbles. To these he committed me, commending me to their care, and saying,
+"This man is a stranger, so take him with you and teach him how to gather, that
+he may get his daily bread, and you will earn your reward and recompense in
+Heaven." "On our head and eyes be it!" answered they and bidding me welcome,
+fared on with me till we came to a spacious Wady, full of lofty trees with
+trunks so smooth that none might climb them. Now sleeping under these trees
+were many apes, which when they saw us rose and fled from us and swarmed up
+among the branches; whereupon my companions began to pelt them with what they
+had in their bags, and the apes fell to plucking of the fruit of the trees and
+casting them at the folk. I looked at the fruits they cast at us and found them
+to be Indian[FN#65] or cocoa-nuts; so I chose out a great tree, full of apes,
+and going up to it, began to pelt them with stones, and they in return pelted
+me with nuts, which I collected, as did the rest; so that even before I had
+made an end of my bagful of pebbles, I had gotten great plenty of nuts; and as
+soon as my companions had in like manner gotten as many nuts as they could
+carry, we returned to the city, where we arrived at the fag-end of day. Then I
+went in to the kindly man who had brought me in company with the nut- gatherers
+and gave him all I had gotten, thanking him for his kindness; but he would not
+accept them, saying, "Sell them and make profit by the price; and presently he
+added (giving me the key of a closet in his house) "Store thy nuts in this safe
+place and go thou forth every morning and gather them as thou hast done to-day,
+and choose out the worst for sale and supplying thyself; but lay up the rest
+here, so haply thou mayst collect enough to serve thee for thy return home."
+"Allah requite thee!" answered I and did as he advised me, going out daily with
+the cocoa-nut gatherers, who commended me to one another and showed me the
+best-stocked trees.[FN#66] Thus did I for some time, till I had laid up great
+store of excellent nuts, besides a large sum of money, the price of those I had
+sold. I became thus at my ease and bought all I saw and had a mind to, and
+passed my time pleasantly greatly enjoying my stay in the city, till, as I
+stood on the beach, one day, a great ship steering through the heart of the sea
+presently cast anchor by the shore and landed a company of merchants, who
+proceeded to sell and buy and barter their goods for cocoa-nuts and other
+commodities. Then I went to my friend and told him of the coming of the ship
+and how I had a mind to return to my own country; and he said, "'Tis for thee
+to decide." So I thanked him for his bounties and took leave of him; then,
+going to the captain of the ship, I agreed with him for my passage and embarked
+my cocoa-nuts and what else I possessed. We weighed anchor,—And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-ninth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman
+continued:—So I left the City of the Apes and embarked my cocoa-nuts and what
+else I possessed. We weighed anchor the same day and sailed from island to
+island and sea to sea; and whenever we stopped, I sold and traded with my
+cocoa-nuts, and the Lord requited me more than I erst had and lost. Amongst
+other places, we came to an island abounding in cloves[FN#67] and cinnamon and
+pepper; and the country people told me that by the side of each pepper-bunch
+groweth a great leaf which shadeth it from the sun and casteth the water off it
+in the wet season; but, when the rain ceaseth the leaf turneth over and
+droopeth down by the side of the bunch.[FN#68] Here I took in great store of
+pepper and cloves and cinnamon, in exchange for cocoa-nuts, and we passed
+thence to the Island of Al-Usirat,[FN#69] whence cometh the Comorin aloes-wood
+and thence to another island, five days' journey in length, where grows the
+Chinese lign-aloes, which is better than the Comorin; but the people of this
+island[FN#70] are fouler of condition and religion than those of the other, for
+that they love fornication and wine-bibbing, and know not prayer nor call to
+prayer. Thence we came to the pearl-fisheries, and I gave the divers some of my
+cocoa-nuts and said to them, "Dive for my luck and lot!" They did so and
+brought up from the deep bight[FN#71] great store of large and priceless
+pearls; and they said to me, "By Allah, O my master, thy luck is a lucky!" Then
+we sailed on, with the blessing of Allah (whose name be exalted!); and ceased
+not sailing till we arrived safely at Bassorah. There I abode a little and then
+went on to Baghdad, where I entered my quarter and found my house and
+foregathered with my family and saluted my friends who gave me joy of my safe
+return, and I laid up all my goods and valuables in my storehouses. Then I
+distributed alms and largesse and clothed the widow and the orphan and made
+presents to my relations and comrades; for the Lord had requited me fourfold
+that I had lost. After which I returned to my old merry way of life and forgot
+all I had suffered in the great profit and gain I had made. "Such, then, is the
+history of my fifth voyage and its wonderments, and now to supper; and
+to-morrow, come again and I will tell you what befel me in my sixth voyage; for
+it was still more wonderful than this." (Saith he who telleth the tale), Then
+he called for food; and the servants spread the table, and when they had eaten
+the evening-meal, he bade give Sindbad the porter an hundred golden dinars and
+the Landsman returned home and lay him down to sleep, much marvelling at all he
+had heard. Next morning, as soon as it was light, he prayed the dawn-prayer;
+and, after blessing Mohammed the Cream of all creatures, betook himself to the
+house of Sindbad the Seaman and wished him a good day. The merchant bade him
+sit and talked with him, till the rest of the company arrived. Then the
+servants spread the table and when they had well eaten and drunken and were
+mirthful and merry, Sindbad the Seaman began in these words the narrative of
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap07"></a>The Sixth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.</h3>
+
+<p>
+Know, O my brothers and friends and companions all, that I abode some time,
+after my return from my fifth voyage, in great solace and satisfaction and
+mirth and merriment, joyance and enjoyment; and I forgot what I had suffered,
+seeing the great gain and profit I had made till, one day, as I sat making
+merry and enjoying myself with my friends, there came in to me a company of
+merchants whose case told tales of travel, and talked with me of voyage and
+adventure and greatness of pelf and lucre. Hereupon I remembered the days of my
+return from abroad, and my joy at once more seeing my native land and
+foregathering with my family and friends; and my soul yearned for travel and
+traffic. So compelled by Fate and Fortune I resolved to undertake another
+voyage; and, buying me fine and costly merchandise meet for foreign trade, made
+it up into bales, with which I journeyed from Baghdad to Bassorah. Here I found
+a great ship ready for sea and full of merchants and notables, who had with
+them goods of price; so I embarked my bales therein. And we left Bassorah in
+safety and good spirits under the safeguard of the King, the Preserver.—And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Sixtieth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman
+continued:—And after embarking my bales and leaving Bassorah in safety and good
+spirits, we continued our voyage from place to place and from city to city,
+buying and selling and profiting and diverting ourselves with the sight of
+countries where strange folk dwell. And Fortune and the voyage smiled upon us,
+till one day, as we went along, behold, the captain suddenly cried with a great
+cry and cast his turband on the deck. Then he buffeted his face like a woman
+and plucked out his beard and fell down in the waist of the ship will nigh
+fainting for stress of grief and rage, and crying, "Oh and alas for the ruin of
+my house and the orphanship of my poor children!" So all the merchant and
+sailors came round about him and asked him, "O master, what is the matter?";
+for the light had become night before their sight. And he answered, saying,
+"Know, O folk, that we have wandered from our course and left the sea whose
+ways we wot, and come into a sea whose ways I know not; and unless Allah
+vouchsafe us a means of escape, we are all dead men; wherefore pray ye to the
+Most High, that He deliver us from this strait. Haply amongst you is one
+righteous whose prayers the Lord will accept." Then he arose and clomb the mast
+to see an there were any escape from that strait; and he would have loosed the
+sails; but the wind redoubled upon the ship and whirled her round thrice and
+drave her backwards; whereupon her rudder brake and she fell off towards a high
+mountain. With this the captain came down from the mast, saying, "There is no
+Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great; nor can
+man prevent that which is fore-ordained of fate! By Allah, we are fallen on a
+place of sure destruction, and there is no way of escape for us, nor can any of
+us be saved!" Then we all fell a-weeping over ourselves and bidding one another
+farewell for that our days were come to an end, and we had lost all hopes of
+life. Presently the ship struck the mountain and broke up, and all and
+everything on board of her were plunged into the sea. Some of the merchants
+were drowned and others made shift to reach the shore and save themselves upon
+the mountain; I amongst the number, and when we got ashore, we found a great
+island, or rather peninsula[FN#72] whose base was strewn with wreckage of
+crafts and goods and gear cast up by the sea from broken ships whose passengers
+had been drowned; and the quantity confounded compt and calculation. So I
+climbed the cliffs into the inward of the isle and walked on inland, till I
+came to a stream of sweet water, that welled up at the nearest foot of the
+mountains and disappeared in the earth under the range of hills on the opposite
+side. But all the other passengers went over the mountains to the inner tracts;
+and, dispersing hither and thither, were confounded at what they saw and became
+like madmen at the sight of the wealth and treasures wherewith the shores were
+strewn. As for me I looked into the bed of the stream aforesaid and saw therein
+great plenty of rubies, and great royal pearls[FN#73] and all kinds of jewels
+and precious stones which were as gravel in the bed of the rivulets that ran
+through the fields, and the sands sparkled and glittered with gems and precious
+ores. Moreover we found in the island abundance of the finest lign-aloes, both
+Chinese and Comorin; and there also is a spring of crude ambergris[FN#74] which
+floweth like wax or gum over the stream-banks, for the great heat of the sun,
+and runneth down to the sea-shore, where the monsters of the deep come up and
+swallowing it, return into the sea. But it burneth in their bellies; so they
+cast it up again and it congealeth on the surface of the water, whereby its
+color and quantities are changed; and at last, the waves cast it ashore, and
+the travellers and merchants who know it, collect it and sell it. But as to the
+raw ambergris which is not swallowed, it floweth over the channel and
+congealeth on the banks and when the sun shineth on it, it melteth and scenteth
+the whole valley with a musk-like fragrance: then, when the sun ceaseth from
+it, it congealeth again. But none can get to this place where is the crude
+ambergris, because of the mountains which enclose the island on all sides and
+which foot of man cannot ascend.[FN#75] We continued thus to explore the
+island, marvelling at the wonderful works of Allah and the riches we found
+there, but sore troubled for our own case, and dismayed at our prospects. Now
+we had picked up on the beach some small matter of victual from the wreck and
+husbanded it carefully, eating but once every day or two, in our fear lest it
+should fail us and we die miserably of famine or affright. Moreover, we were
+weak for colic brought on by sea-sickness and low diet, and my companions
+deceased, one after other, till there was but a small company of us left. Each
+that died we washed and shrouded in some of the clothes and linen cast ashore
+by the tides; and after a little, the rest of my fellows perished, one by one,
+till I had buried the last of the party and abode alone on the island, with but
+a little provision left, I who was wont to have so much. And I wept over
+myself, saying, "Would Heaven I had died before my companions and they had
+washed and buried me! It had been better than I should perish and none wash me
+and shroud me and bury me. But there is Majesty and there is no Might save in
+Allah, the Glorious, the Great!"— And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
+ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-first Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman
+continued in these words:—Now after I had buried the last of my party and abode
+alone on the island, I arose and dug me a deep grave on the sea-shore, saying
+to myself, "Whenas I grow weak and know that death cometh to me, I will cast
+myself into the grave and die there, so the wind may drift the sand over me and
+cover me and I be buried therein."[FN#76] Then I fell to reproaching myself for
+my little wit in leaving my native land and betaking me again to travel, after
+all I had suffered during my first five voyages, and when I had not made a
+single one without suffering more horrible perils and more terrible hardships
+than in its forerunner and having no hope of escape from my present stress; and
+I repented me of my folly and bemoaned myself, especially as I had no need of
+money, seeing that I had enough and more than enough and could not spend what I
+had, no, nor a half of it in all my life. However, after a while Allah sent me
+a thought and I said to myself, "By God, needs must this stream have an end as
+well as a beginning; ergo an issue somewhere, and belike its course may lead to
+some inhabited place; so my best plan is to make me a little boat[FN#77] big
+enough to sit in, and carry it and launching it on the river, embark therein
+and drop down the stream. If I escape, I escape, by God's leave; and if I
+perish, better die in the river than here." Then, sighing for myself, I set to
+work collecting a number of pieces of Chinese and Comorin aloes-wood and I
+bound them together with ropes from the wreckage; then I chose out from the
+broken-up ships straight planks of even size and fixed them firmly upon the
+aloes-wood, making me a boat-raft a little narrower than the channel of the
+stream; and I tied it tightly and firmly as though it were nailed. Then I
+loaded it with the goods, precious ores and jewels: and the union pearls which
+were like gravel and the best of the ambergris crude and pure, together with
+what I had collected on the island and what was left me of victual and wild
+herbs. Lastly I lashed a piece of wood on either side, to serve me as oars; and
+launched it, and embarking, did according to the saying of the poet,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+"Fly, fly with life whenas evils threat; * Leave the house to<br/>
+
+     tell of its builder's fate!<br/>
+
+Land after land shalt thou seek and find * But no other life on<br/>
+
+     thy wish shall wait:<br/>
+
+Fret not thy soul in thy thoughts o' night; * All woes shall end<br/>
+
+     or sooner or late.<br/>
+
+Whoso is born in one land to die, * There and only there shall<br/>
+
+     gang his gait:<br/>
+
+Nor trust great things to another wight, * Soul hath only soul<br/>
+
+     for confederate."[FN#78]<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+My boat-raft drifted with the stream, I pondering the issue of my affair; and
+the drifting ceased not till I came to the place where it disappeared beneath
+the mountain. I rowed my conveyance into the place which was intensely dark;
+and the current carried the raft with it down the underground channel.[FN#79]
+The thin stream bore me on through a narrow tunnel where the raft touched
+either side and my head rubbed against the roof, return therefrom being
+impossible. Then I blamed myself for having thus risked my life, and said, "If
+this passage grow any straiter, the raft will hardly pass, and I cannot turn
+back; so I shall inevitably perish miserably in this place." And I threw myself
+down upon my face on the raft, by reason of the narrowness of the channel,
+whilst the stream ceased not to carry me along, knowing not night from day, for
+the excess of the gloom which encompassed me about and my terror and concern
+for myself lest I should perish. And in such condition my course continued down
+the channel which now grew wide and then straiter till, sore aweary by reason
+of the darkness which could be felt, I fell asleep, as I lay prone on the raft,
+and I slept knowing not an the time were long or short. When I awoke at last, I
+found myself in the light of Heaven and opening my eyes I saw myself in a broad
+stream and the raft moored to an island in the midst of a number of Indians and
+Abyssinians. As soon as these blackamoors[FN#80] saw that I was awake, they
+came up to me and bespoke me in their speech; but I understood not what they
+said and thought that this was a dream and a vision which had betided me for
+stress of concern and chagrin. But I was delighted at my escape from the river.
+When they saw I understood them not and made them no answer, one of them came
+forward and said to me in Arabic, "Peace be with thee, O my brother! Who art
+thou and whence faredst thou thither? How camest thou into this river and what
+manner of land lies behind yonder mountains, for never knew we any one make his
+way thence to us?" Quoth I, "And upon thee be peace and the ruth of Allah and
+his blessing! Who are ye and what country is this?" "O my brother," answered
+he, "we are husbandmen and tillers of the soil, who came out to water our
+fields and plantations; and, finding thee asleep on this raft, laid hold of it
+and made it fast by us, against thou shouldst awake at thy leisure. So tell us
+how thou camest hither?" I answered, "For Allah's sake, O my lord, ere I speak
+give me somewhat to eat, for I am starving, and after ask me what thou wilt."
+So he hastened to fetch me food and I ate my fill, till I was refreshed and my
+fear was calmed by a good belly-full and my life returned to me. Then I
+rendered thanks to the Most High for mercies great and small, glad to be out of
+the river and rejoicing to be amongst them, and I told them all my adventures
+from first to last, especially my troubles in the narrow channel.—And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-second Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman
+continued:—When I landed and found myself amongst the Indians and Abyssinians
+and had taken some rest, they consulted among themselves and said to one
+another, "There is no help for it but we carry him with us and present him to
+our King, that he may acquaint him with his adventures." So they took me,
+together with the raft-boat and its lading of monies and merchandise; jewels,
+minerals and golden gear, and brought me to their King, who was King of
+Sarandib,[FN#81] telling him what had happened; whereupon he saluted me and
+bade me welcome. Then he questioned me of my condition and adventures through
+the man who had spoken Arabic and I repeated to him my story from beginning to
+end, whereat he marvelled exceedingly and gave me joy of my deliverance; after
+which I arose and fetched from the raft great store of precious ores and jewels
+and ambergris and lign-aloes and presented them to the King, who accepted them
+and entreated me with the utmost honour, appointing me a lodging in his own
+palace. So I consorted with the chief of the islanders, and they paid me the
+utmost respect. And I quitted not the royal palace. Now the Island Sarandib
+lieth under the equinoctial line, its night and day both numbering twelve
+house. It measureth eighty leagues long by a breadth of thirty and its wideth
+is bounded by a lofty mountain[FN#82] and a deep valley, The mountain is
+conspicuous from a distance of three days and it containeth many kinds of
+rubies and other minerals, and spice-trees of all sorts. The surface is covered
+with emery wherewith gems are cut and fashioned; diamonds are in its rivers and
+pearls are in its valleys. I ascended that mountain and solaced myself with a
+view of its marvels which are indescribable and afterwards I returned to the
+King.[FN#83] Thereupon, all the travellers and merchants who came to the place
+questioned me of the affairs of my native land and of the Caliph Harun
+al-Rashid and his rule and I told them of him and of that wherefor he was
+renowned, and they praised him because of this; whilst I in turn questioned
+them of the manners and customers of their own countries and got the knowledge
+I desired. One day, the King himself asked me of the fashions and form of
+government of my country, and I acquainted him with the circumstance of the
+Caliph's sway in the city of Baghdad and the justice of his rule. The King
+marvelled at my account of his appointments and said, "By Allah, the Caliph's
+ordinances are indeed wise and his fashions of praiseworthy guise and thou hast
+made me love him by what thou tellest me; wherefore I have a mind to make him a
+present and send it by thee." Quoth I, "Hearkening and obedience, O my lord; I
+will bear thy gift to him and inform him that thou art his sincere lover and
+true friend." Then I abode with the King in great honour and regard and
+consideration for a long while till, one day, as I sat in his palace, I heard
+news of a company of merchants, that were fitting out a ship for Bassorah, and
+said to myself, "I cannot do better than voyage with these men." So I rose
+without stay or delay and kissed the King's hand and acquainted him with my
+longing to set out with the merchants, for that I pined after my people and
+mine own land. Quoth he, "Thou art thine own master; yet, if it be thy will to
+abide with us, on our head and eyes be it, for thou gladdenest us with thy
+company." "By Allah, O my lord," answered I, "thou hast indeed overwhelmed me
+with thy favours and well- doings; but I weary for a sight of my friends and
+family and native country." When he heard this, he summoned the merchants in
+question and commended me to their care, paying my freight and passage-money.
+Then he bestowed on me great riches from his treasuries and charged me with a
+magnificent present for the Caliph Harun al-Rashid. Moreover he gave me a
+sealed letter, saying, "Carry this with thine own hand to the Commander of the
+Faithful and give him many salutations from us!" "Hearing and obedience," I
+replied. The missive was written on the skin of the Kháwi[FN#84] (which is
+finer than lamb-parchment and of yellow colour), with ink of ultramarine and
+the contents were as follows. "Peace be with thee from the King of Al-Hind,
+before whom are a thousand elephants and upon whose palace-crenelles are a
+thousand jewels. But after (laud to the Lord and praises to His Prophet!): we
+send thee a trifling gift which be thou pleased to accept. Thou art to us a
+brother and a sincere friend; and great is the love we bear for thee in heart;
+favour us therefore with a reply. The gift besitteth not thy dignity: but we
+beg of thee, O our brother, graciously to accept it and peace be with thee."
+And the present was a cup of ruby a span high[FN#85] the inside of which was
+adorned with precious pearls; and a bed covered with the skin of the serpent
+which swalloweth the elephant, which skin hath spots each like a dinar and
+whoso sitteth upon it never sickeneth;[FN#86] and an hundred thousand miskals
+of Indian lign- aloes and a slave-girl like a shining moon. Then I took leave
+of him and of all my intimates and acquaintances in the island and embarked
+with the merchants aforesaid. We sailed with a fair wind, committing ourselves
+to the care of Allah (be He extolled and exalted!) and by His permission
+arrived at Bassorah, where I passed a few days and nights equipping myself and
+packing up my bales. Then I went on to Baghdad-city, the House of Peace, where
+I sought an audience of the Caliph and laid the King's presents before him. He
+asked me whence they came and I said to him, "By Allah, O Commander of the
+Faithful, I know not the name of the city nor the way thither!" He then asked
+me, "O Sindbad, is this true which the King writeth?"; and I answered, after
+kissing the ground, "O my lord, I saw in his kingdom much more than he hath
+written in his letter. For state processions a throne is set for him upon a
+huge elephant, eleven cubits high: and upon this he sitteth having his great
+lords and officers and guests standing in two ranks, on his right hand and on
+his left. At his head is a man hending in hand a golden javelin and behind him
+another with a great mace of gold whose head is an emerald[FN#87] a span long
+and as thick as a man's thumb. And when he mounteth horse there mount with him
+a thousand horsemen clad in gold brocade and silk; and as the King proceedeth a
+man precedeth him, crying, 'This is the King of great dignity, of high
+authority!' And he continueth to repeat his praises in words I remember not,
+saying at the end of his panegyric, 'This is the King owning the crown whose
+like nor Solomon nor the Mihraj[FN#88] ever possessed.' Then he is silent and
+one behind him proclaimeth, saying, 'He will die! Again I say he will die!;'
+and the other addeth, 'Extolled be the perfection of the Living who dieth
+not!'[FN#89] Moreover by reason of his justice and ordinance and intelligence,
+there is no Kazi in his city, and all his lieges distinguish between Truth and
+Falsehood." Quoth the Caliph, "How great is this King! His letter hath shown me
+this; and as for the mightiness of his dominion thou hast told us what thou
+hast eye-witnessed. By Allah, he hath been endowed with wisdom as with wide
+rule." Then I related to the Commander of the Faithful all that had befallen me
+in my last voyage; at which he wondered exceedingly and bade his historians
+record my story and store it up in his treasuries, for the edification of all
+who might see it. Then he conferred on me exceeding great favours, and I
+repaired to my quarter and entered my home, where I warehoused all my goods and
+possessions. Presently, my friends came to me and I distributed presents among
+my family and gave alms and largesse; after which I yielded myself to joyance
+and enjoyment, mirth and merry-making, and forgot all that I had suffered.
+"Such, then, O my brothers, is the history of what befel me in my sixth voyage,
+and to-morrow, Inshallah! I will tell you the story of my seventh and last
+voyage, which is still more wondrous and marvellous than that of the first
+six." (Saith he who telleth the tale), Then he bade lay the table, and the
+company supped with him; after which he gave the Porter an hundred dinars, as
+of wont, and they all went their ways, marvelling beyond measure at that which
+they had heard.— And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
+permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-third Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Sindbad the Seaman
+had related the history of what befel him in his sixth voyage, and all the
+company had dispersed, Sindbad the Landsman went home and slept as of wont.
+Next day he rose and prayed the dawn-prayer and repaired to his namesake's
+house where, after the company was all assembled, the host began to relate
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap08"></a>The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.</h3>
+
+<p>
+Know, O company, that after my return from my sixth voyage, which brought me
+abundant profit, I resumed my former life in all possible joyance and enjoyment
+and mirth and making merry day and night; and I tarried some time in this
+solace and satisfaction till my soul began once more to long to sail the seas
+and see foreign countries and company with merchants and hear new things. So
+having made up my mind, I packed up in bales a quantity of precious stuffs
+suited for sea-trade and repaired with them from Baghdad-city to Bassorah-town,
+where I found a ship ready for sea, and in her a company of considerable
+merchants. I shipped with them and becoming friends, we set forth on our
+venture, in health and safety; and sailed with a fair wind, till we came to a
+city called Madínat-al-Sín; but after we had left it, as we fared on in all
+cheer and confidence, devising of traffic and travel, behold, there sprang up a
+violent head-wind and a tempest of rain fell on us and drenched us and our
+goods. So we covered the bales with our cloaks and garments and drugget and
+canvas, lest they be spoiled by the rain, and betook ourselves to prayer and
+supplication to Almighty Allah and humbled ourselves before Him for deliverance
+from the peril that was upon us. But the captain arose and tightening his
+girdle tucked up his skirts and, after taking refuge with Allah from Satan the
+Stoned, clomb to the mast-head, whence he looked out right and left and gazing
+at the passengers and crew fell to buffeting his face and plucking out his
+beard. So we cried to him, "O Rais, what is the matter?"; and he replied
+saying, "Seek ye deliverance of the Most High from the strait into which we
+have fallen and bemoan yourselves and take leave of one another; for know that
+the wind hath gotten the mastery of us and hath driven us into the uttermost of
+the seas of the world." Then he came down from the mast-head and opening his
+sea-chest, pulled out a bag of blue cotton, from which he took a powder like
+ashes. This he set in a saucer wetted with a little water and, after waiting a
+short time, smelt and tasted it; and then he took out of the chest a booklet,
+wherein he read awhile and said weeping, "Know, O ye passengers, that in this
+book is a marvellous matter, denoting that whoso cometh hither shall surely
+die, without hope of escape; for that this ocean is called the Sea of the Clime
+of the King, wherein is the sepulchre of our lord Solomon, son of David (on
+both be peace!) and therein are serpents of vast bulk and fearsome aspect: and
+what ship soever cometh to these climes there riseth to her a great fish[FN#90]
+out of the sea and swalloweth her up with all and everything on board her."
+Hearing these words from the captain great was our wonder, but hardly had he
+made an end of speaking, when the ship was lifted out of the water and let fall
+again and we applied to praying the death-prayer[FN#91] and committing our
+souls to Allah. Presently we heard a terrible great cry like the loud-pealing
+thunder, whereat we were terror-struck and became as dead men, giving ourselves
+up for lost. Then behold, there came up to us a huge fish, as big as a tall
+mountain, at whose sight we became wild for affight and, weeping sore, made
+ready for death, marvelling at its vast size and gruesome semblance; when lo! a
+second fish made its appearance than which we had seen naught more monstrous.
+So we bemoaned ourselves of our lives and farewelled one another; but suddenly
+up came a third fish bigger than the two first; whereupon we lost the power of
+thought and reason and were stupefied for the excess of our fear and horror.
+Then the three fish began circling round about the ship and the third and
+biggest opened his mouth to swallow it, and we looked into its mouth and
+behold, it was wider than the gate of a city and its throat was like a long
+valley. So we besought the Almighty and called for succour upon His Apostle (on
+whom be blessing and peace!), when suddenly a violent squall of wind arose and
+smote the ship, which rose out of the water and settled upon a great reef, the
+haunt of sea-monsters, where it broke up and fell asunder into planks and all
+and everything on board were plunged into the sea. As for me, I tore off all my
+clothes but my gown and swam a little way, till I happened upon one of the
+ship's planks whereto I clung and bestrode it like a horse, whilst the winds
+and the waters sported with me and the waves carried me up and cast me down;
+and I was in most piteous plight for fear and distress and hunger and thirst.
+Then I reproached myself for what I had done and my soul was weary after a life
+of ease and comfort; and I said to myself, "O Sindbad, O Seaman, thou repentest
+not and yet thou art ever suffering hardships and travails; yet wilt thou not
+renounce sea-travel; or, an thou say, 'I renounce,' thou liest in thy
+renouncement. Endure then with patience that which thou sufferest, for verily
+thou deservest all that betideth thee!"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
+and ceased to say her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-fourth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman
+continued:—But when I had bestridden the plank, quoth I to myself, "Thou
+deservest all that betideth thee. All this is decreed to me of Allah (whose
+name be exalted!), to turn me from my greed of gain, whence ariseth all that I
+endure, for I have wealth galore." Then I returned to my senses and said, "In
+very sooth, this time I repent to the Most High, with a sincere repentance, of
+my lust for gain and venture; and never will I again name travel with tongue
+nor in thought." And I ceased not to humble myself before Almighty Allah and
+weep and bewail myself, recalling my former estate of solace and satisfaction
+and mirth and merriment and joyance; and thus I abode two days, at the end of
+which time I came to a great island abounding in trees and streams. There I
+landed and ate of the fruits of the island and drank of its waters, till I was
+refreshed and my life returned to me and my strength and spirits were restored
+and I recited,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+"Oft when thy case shows knotty and tangled skein, * Fate downs<br/>
+
+     from Heaven and straightens every ply:<br/>
+
+In patience keep thy soul till clear thy lot * For He who ties<br/>
+
+     the knot can eke untie."<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Then I walked about, till I found on the further side, a great river of sweet
+water, running with a strong current; whereupon I called to mind the boat-raft
+I had made aforetime and said to myself, "Needs must I make another; haply I
+may free me from this strait. If I escape, I have my desire and I vow to Allah
+Almighty to foreswear travel; and if I perish I shall be at peace and shall
+rest from toil and moil." So I rose up and gathered together great store of
+pieces of wood from the trees (which were all of the finest sanders-wood, whose
+like is not albe I knew it not), and made shift to twist creepers and
+tree-twigs into a kind of rope, with which I bound the billets together and so
+contrived a raft. Then saying, "An I be saved, 'tis of God's grace," I embarked
+thereon and committed myself to the current, and it bore me on for the first
+day and the second and the third after leaving the island; whilst I lay in the
+raft, eating not and drinking, when I was athirst, of the water of the river,
+till I was weak and giddy as a chicken, for stress of fatigue and famine and
+fear. At the end of this time I came to a high mountain, whereunder ran the
+river; which when I saw, I feared for my life by reason of the straitness I had
+suffered in my former journey, and I would fain have stayed the raft and landed
+on the mountain- side; but the current overpowered me and drew it into the
+subterranean passage like an archway; whereupon I gave myself up for lost and
+said, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious,
+the Great!" However, after a little, the raft glided into open air and I saw
+before me a wide valley, whereinto the river fell with a noise like the rolling
+of thunder and a swiftness as the rushing of the wind. I held on to the raft,
+for fear of falling off it, whilst the waves tossed me right and left; and the
+craft continued to descend with the current nor could I avail to stop it nor
+turn it shorewards, till it stopped with me at a great and goodly city, grandly
+edified and containing much people. And when the townsfolk saw me on the raft,
+dropping down with the current, they threw me out ropes which I had not
+strength enough to hold; then they tossed a net over the craft and drew it
+ashore with me, whereupon I fell to the ground amidst them, as I were a dead
+man, for stress of fear and hunger and lack of sleep. After awhile, there came
+up to me out of the crowd an old man of reverend aspect, well stricken in
+years, who welcomed me and threw over me abundance of handsome clothes,
+wherewith I covered my nakedness. Then he carried me to the Hammam-bath and
+brought me cordial sherbets and delicious perfumes; moreover, when I came out,
+he bore me to his house, where his people made much of me and, seating me in a
+pleasant place, set rich food before me, whereof I ate my fill and returned
+thanks to God the Most High for my deliverance. Thereupon his pages fetched me
+hot water, and I washed my hands, and his handmaids brought me silken napkins,
+with which I dried them and wiped my mouth. Also the Shaykh set apart for me an
+apartment in a part of his house and charged his pages and slave- girls to wait
+upon me and do my will and supply my wants. They were assiduous in my service,
+and I abode with him in the guest- chamber three days, taking my ease of good
+eating and good drinking and good scents till life returned to me and my
+terrors subsided and my heart was calmed and my mind was eased. On the fourth
+day the Shaykh, my host, came in to me and said, "Thou cheerest us with thy
+company, O my son, and praised be Allah for thy safety! Say: wilt thou now come
+down with me to the beach and the bazar and sell thy goods and take their
+price? Belike thou mayst buy thee wherewithal to traffic. I have ordered my
+servants to remove thy stock-in-trade from the sea and they have piled it on
+the shore." I was silent awhile and said to myself, "What mean these words and
+what goods have I?" Then said he, "O my son, be not troubled nor careful, but
+come with me to the market and if any offer for thy goods what price contenteth
+thee, take it; but, an thou be not satisfied, I will lay them up for thee in my
+warehouse, against a fitting occasion for sale." So I bethought me of my case
+and said to myself, "Do his bidding and see what are these goods!"; and I said
+to him, "O my nuncle the Shaykh, I hear and I obey; I may not gainsay thee in
+aught for Allah's blessing is on all thou dost." Accordingly he guided me to
+the market-street, where I found that he had taken in pieces the raft which
+carried me and which was of sandal-wood and I heard the broker calling it for
+sale.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted
+say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-fifth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman thus
+resumed his tale:—I found that the Shaykh had taken to pieces my raft which lay
+on the beach and the broker was crying the sandal-wood for sale. Then the
+merchants came and opened the gate of bidding for the wood and bid against one
+another till its price reached a thousand dinars, when they left bidding and my
+host said to me, "Hear, O my son, this is the current price of thy goods in
+hard times like these: wilt thou sell them for this or shall I lay them up for
+thee in my storehouses, till such time as prices rise?" "O my lord," answered
+I, "the business is in thy hands: do as thou wilt." Then asked he, "Wilt thou
+sell the wood to me, O my son, for an hundred gold pieces over and above what
+the merchants have bidden for it?" and I answered, "Yes, I have sold it to thee
+for monies received."[FN#92] So, he bade his servants transport the wood to his
+storehouses and, carrying me back to his house, seated me and counted out to me
+the purchase money; after which he laid it in bags and setting them in a privy
+place, locked them up with an iron padlock and gave me its key. Some days after
+this, the Shaykh said to me, "O my son, I have somewhat to propose to thee,
+wherein I trust thou wilt do my bidding." Quoth I, "What is it?" Quoth he, "I
+am a very old man and have no son; but I have a daughter who is young in years
+and fair of favour and endowed with abounding wealth and beauty. Now I have a
+mind to marry her to thee, that thou mayst abide with her in this our country,
+and I will make thee master of all I have in hand for I am an old man and thou
+shalt stand in my stead." I was silent for shame and made him no answer,
+whereupon he continued, "Do my desire in this, O my son, for I wish but thy
+weal; and if thou wilt but do as I say, thou shalt have her at once and be as
+my son; and all that is under my hand or that cometh to me shall be thine. If
+thou have a mind to traffic and travel to thy native land, none shall hinder
+thee, and thy property will be at thy sole disposal; so do as thou wilt." "By
+Allah, O my uncle," replied I, "thou art become to me even as my father, and I
+am a stranger and have undergone many hardships: while for stress of that which
+I have suffered naught of judgment or knowledge is left to me. It is for thee,
+therefore, to decide what I shall do." Hereupon he sent his servants for the
+Kazi and the witnesses and married me to his daughter making us for a noble
+marriage-feast[FN#93] and high festival. When I went in to her, I found her
+perfect in beauty and loveliness and symmetry and grace, clad in rich raiment
+and covered with a profusion of ornaments and necklaces and other trinkets of
+gold and silver and precious stones, worth a mint of money, a price none could
+pay. She pleased me and we loved each other; and I abode with her in solace and
+delight of life, till her father was taken to the mercy of Allah Almighty. So
+we shrouded him and buried him, and I laid hands on the whole of his property
+and all his servants and slaves became mine. Moreover, the merchants installed
+me in his office, for he was their Shaykh and their Chief; and none of them
+purchased aught but with his knowledge and by his leave. And now his rank
+passed on to me. When I became acquainted with the townsfolk, I found that at
+the beginning of each month they were transformed, in that their faces changed
+and they became like birds and they put forth wings wherewith they flew unto
+the upper regions of the firmament and none remained in the city save the women
+and children; and I said in my mind, "When the first of the month cometh, I
+will ask one of them to carry me with them, whither they go." So when the time
+came and their complexion changed and their forms altered, I went in to one of
+the townsfolk and said to him, "Allah upon thee! carry me with thee, that I
+might divert myself with the rest and return with you." "This may not be,"
+answered he; but I ceased not to solicit him and I importuned him till he
+consented. Then I went out in his company, without telling any of my
+family[FN#94] or servants or friends, and he took me on his back and flew up
+with me so high in air, that I heard the angels glorifying God in the heavenly
+dome, whereat I wondered and exclaimed, "Praised be Allah! Extolled be the
+perfection of Allah!" Hardly had I made an end of pronouncing the
+Tasbih—praised be Allah!—when there came out a fire from heaven and all but
+consumed the company; whereupon they fled from it and descended with curses
+upon me and, casting me down on a high mountain, went away, exceeding wroth
+with me, and left me there alone. As I found myself in this plight, I repented
+of what I had done and reproached myself for having undertaken that for which I
+was unable, saying, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might, save in Allah,
+the Glorious, the Great! No sooner am I delivered from one affliction than I
+fall into a worse." And I continued in this case knowing not whither I should
+go, when lo! there came up two young men, as they were moons, each using as a
+staff a rod of red gold. So I approached them and saluted them; and when they
+returned my salam, I said to them, "Allah upon you twain; who are ye and what
+are ye?" Quoth they, "We are of the servants of the Most High Allah, abiding in
+this mountain;" and, giving me a rod of red gold they had with them, went their
+ways and left me. I walked on along the mountain-ridge staying my steps with
+the staff and pondering the case of the two youths, when behold, a serpent came
+forth from under the mountain, with a man in her[FN#95] jaws, whom she had
+swallowed even to below his navel, and he was crying out and saying, "Whoso
+delivereth me, Allah will deliver him from all adversity!" So I went up to the
+serpent and smote her on the head with the golden staff, whereupon she cast the
+man forth of her mouth.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to
+say her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-sixth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the Seaman thus
+continued:—When I smote the serpent on the head with my golden staff she cast
+the man forth of her mouth. Then I smote her a second time, and she turned and
+fled; whereupon he came up to me and said, "Since my deliverance from yonder
+serpent hath been at thy hands I will never leave thee, and thou shalt be my
+comrade on this mountain." "And welcome," answered I; so we fared on along the
+mountain, till we fell in with a company of folk, and I looked and saw amongst
+them the very man who had carried me and cast me down there. I went up to him
+and spake him fair, excusing myself to him and saying, "O my comrade, it is not
+thus that friend should deal with friend." Quoth he, "It was thou who well-nigh
+destroyed us by thy Tasbih and thy glorifying God on my back." Quoth I, "Pardon
+me, for I had no knowledge of this matter; but, if thou wilt take me with thee,
+I swear not to say a word." So he relented and consented to carry me with him,
+but he made an express condition that, so long as I abode on his back, I should
+abstain from pronouncing the Tasbih or otherwise glorifying God. Then I gave
+the wand of gold to him whom I had delivered from the serpent and bade him
+farewell, and my friend took me on his back and flew with me as before, till he
+brought me to the city and set me down in my own house. My wife came to meet me
+and saluting me gave me joy of my safety and then said, "Beware of going forth
+hereafter with yonder folk, neither consort with them, for they are brethren of
+the devils, and know not how to mention the name of Allah Almighty; neither
+worship they Him." "And how did thy father with them?" asked I; and she
+answered, "My father was not of them, neither did he as they; and as now he is
+dead methinks thou hadst better sell all we have and with the price buy
+merchandise and journey to thine own country and people, and I with thee; for I
+care not to tarry in this city, my father and my mother being dead." So I sold
+all the Shaykh's property piecemeal, and looked for one who should be
+journeying thence to Bassorah that I might join myself to him. And while thus
+doing I heard of a company of townsfolk who had a mind to make the voyage, but
+could not find them a ship; so they bought wood and built them a great ship
+wherein I took passage with them, and paid them all the hire. Then we embarked,
+I and my wife, with all our moveables, leaving our houses and domains and so
+forth, and set sail, and ceased not sailing from island to island and from sea
+to sea, with a fair wind and a favouring, till we arrived at Bassorah safe and
+sound. I made no stay there, but freighted another vessel and, transferring my
+goods to her, set out forthright for Baghdad-city, where I arrived in safety,
+and entering my quarter and repairing to my house, foregathered with my family
+and friends and familiars who laid up my goods in my warehouses. When my people
+who, reckoning the period of my absence on this my seventh voyage, had found it
+to be seven and twenty years, and had given up all hope of me, heard of my
+return, they came to welcome me and to give me joy of my safety; and I related
+to them all that had befallen me; whereat they marvelled with exceeding marvel.
+Then I forswore travel and vowed to Allah the Most High I would venture no more
+by land or sea, for that this seventh and last voyage had surfeited me of
+travel and adventure; and I thanked the Lord (be He praised and glorified!),
+and blessed Him for having restored me to my kith and kin and country and home.
+"Consider, therefore, O Sindbad, O Landsman," continued Sindbad the Seaman,
+"what sufferings I have undergone and what perils and hardships I have endured
+before coming to my present state." "Allah upon thee, O my Lord!" answered
+Sindbad the Landsman, "pardon me the wrong I did thee."[FN#96] And they ceased
+not from friendship and fellowship, abiding in all cheer and pleasures and
+solace of life till there came to them the Destoyer of delights and the
+Sunderer of Societies, and the Shatterer of palaces and the Caterer for
+Cemeteries to wit, the Cup of Death, and glory be to the Living One who dieth
+not!"[FN#97]
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap09"></a>
+A Translation of<br/>
+The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman<br/>
+</h3>
+
+<p class="center">
+according to<br/>
+the version of the<br/>
+Calcutta Edition<br/><br/>
+which differs in essential form<br/>
+from the preceding<br/>
+tale<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Know, O my brothers and friends and companions all, that when I left voyaging
+and commercing, I said in myself, "Sufficeth me that hath befallen me;" and I
+spent my time in solace and pleasure. One day as I sat at home there came a
+knock at the door, and when the porter opened a page entered and said, "The
+Caliph biddeth thee to him." I went with him to the King's majesty and kissed
+ground and saluted him; whereupon he welcomed me and entreated me with honour
+and said, "O Sindbad, I have an occasion for thee: wilt thou do it?" So I
+kissed his hand and asked him, saying, "O my lord, what occasion hath the
+master for the slave?"; whereto he answered me, "I am minded that thou travel
+to the King of Sarandib and carry to him our writ and our gift, for that he
+hath sent to us a present and a letter. I trembled at these words and rejoined,
+"By Allah the Omnipotent, O my lord, I have taken a loathing to wayfare, and
+when I hear the words 'Voyage' or 'Travel,' my limbs tremble for what hath
+befallen me of hardships and horrors. Indeed I have no desire whatever for
+this; more by token as I have bound myself by oath not to quit Baghdad." Then I
+informed the Caliph of all I had passed through from first to last, and he
+marvelled with exceeding marvel and said, "By the Almighty, O Sindbad, from
+ages of old such mishaps as happened to thee were never know to happen to any,
+and thou dost only right never even to talk of travel. For our sake, however,
+thou wilt go this time and carry our present and our letter to him of Sarandib;
+and Inshallah—by God's leave!—thou shalt return quickly; and on this wise we
+shall be under no obligation to the said King." I replied that I heard and
+obeyed, being unable to oppose his command, so he gave me the gifts and the
+missive with money to pay my way and I kissed hands and left the presence. Then
+I dropped down from Baghdad to the Gulf, and with other merchants embarked, and
+our ship sailed before a fair wind many days and nights till, by Allah's aid,
+we reached the island of Sarandib. As soon as we had made fast we landed and I
+took the present and the letter; and, going in with them to the King, kissed
+ground before him. When he saw me, he said, "Well come, O Sindbad! By Allah
+Omnipotent we were longing to see thee, and glory be to God who hath again
+shown us thy face!" Then taking me by the hand he made me sit by his side,
+rejoicing, and he welcomed me with familiar kindness again and entreated me as
+a friend. After this he began to converse with me and courteously addressed me
+and asked, "What was the cause of thy coming to us, O Sindbad?" So after
+kissing his hand and thanking him I answered, "O my lord, I have brought thee a
+present from my master, the Caliph Harun Al-Rashid;" and offered him the
+present and the letter which he read and at which he rejoiced with passing joy.
+The present consisted of a mare worth ten thousand ducats, bearing a golden
+saddle set with jewels; a book; a sumptuous suit of clothes and an hundred
+different kinds of white Cairene cloths and silks of Suez,[FN#98] Cufa and
+Alexandria; Greek carpets and an hundred maunds[FN#99] weight of linen and raw
+silk. Moreover there was a wondrous rarety, a marvellous cup of crystal
+middlemost of which was the figure of a lion faced by a kneeling man grasping a
+bow with arrow drawn to the very head, together with the food-tray[FN#100] of
+Sulayman the son of David (on whom be peace!). The missive ran as follows,
+"Peace from King Al-Rashid, the aided of Allah (who hath vouchsafed to him and
+his forefathers noble rank and wide- spread glory), be on the fortunate Sultan.
+But after. Thy letter came to our hands and we rejoiced thereat; and we have
+sent the book entitled 'Delight of the Intelligent and for Friends the Rare
+Present,'[FN#101] together with sundry curiosities suitable for Kings; so do
+thou favour us by accepting them: and peace be with thee!" Then the King
+lavished upon me much wealth and entreated me with all honour; so I prayed for
+him and thanked him for his munificence. Some days after I craved his leave to
+depart, but could not obtain it except by great pressing, whereupon I
+farewelled him and fared forth from his city, with merchants and other
+companions, homewards-bound without any desire for travel or companions,
+homewards-bound without any desire for travel or trade. We continued voyaging
+and coasting along many islands; but, when we were half-way, we were surrounded
+by a number of canoes, wherein were men like devils armed with bows and arrows,
+swords and daggers; habited in mail- coats and other armoury. They fell upon us
+and wounded and slew all who opposed them; then, having captured the ship and
+her contents, carried us to an island, where they sold us at the meanest price.
+Now I was bought by a wealthy man who, taking me to his house, gave me meat and
+drink and clothing and treated me in the friendliest manner; so I was heartened
+and I rested a little. One day he asked me, "Dost thou know any art or craft?"
+and I answered him, "O my lord, I am a merchant and know nothing but trade and
+traffic." "Dost thou know," rejoined he, "how to use bow and arrow?" "Yes,"
+replied I, "I know that much." Thereupon he brought me a bow and arrows and
+mounted me behind him upon an elephant: then he set out as night was well nigh
+over and, passing through a forest of huge growths, came to a tall and sturdy
+tree up which he made me climb. Then he gave me the bow and arrows, saying,
+"Sit here now, and when the elephants troop hither in early morning, shoot at
+them; belike thou wilt hit one; and, if he fall, come and tell me." With this
+he left me. I hid myself in the tree being in sore terror and trembled till the
+sun arose; and, when the elephants appeared and wandered about among the trees,
+I shot my arrows at them and continued till I had shot down one of them. In the
+evening I reported my success to my master who was delighted in me and
+entreated me with high honour; and next morning he removed the slain elephant.
+In this wise I continued, every morning shooting an elephant which my master
+would remove till, one day, as I was perched in hiding on the tree there came
+on suddenly and unexpectedly an innumerable host of elephants whose screaming
+and trumpeting were such that I imagined the earth trembled under them. All
+surrounded my tree, whose circumference was some fifty cubits,[FN#102] and one
+enormous monster came up to it and winding his trunk round the bole haled it up
+by the roots, and dashed it to the ground. I fell down fainting amongst the
+beasts when the monster elephant wound his trunk about me and, setting me on
+his back, went off with me, the others accompanying us. He carried me still
+unconscious till he reached the place for which he was making, when he rolled
+me off his back and presently went his ways followed by the others. So I rested
+a little; and, when my terror had subsided, I looked about me and I found
+myself among the bones of elephants, whereby I concluded that this was their
+burial-place, and that the monster elephant had led me thither on account of
+the tusks.[FN#103] So I arose and walked a whole day and night till I arrived
+at the house of my master, who saw my colour changed by stress of affright and
+famine. He rejoiced in my return and said to me, "By Allah, thou hast made my
+heart sore! I went when thou wast missing and found the tree torn up, and
+thought that the elephants had slain thee. Tell me how it was with thee." I
+acquainted him with all that had betided me; whereat he wondered greatly, and
+rejoiced and at last asked me, "Dost thou know the place?"; whereto I answered,
+"Yes, O my master!" So we mounted an elephant and fared until we came to the
+spot and, when my master beheld the heaps of tusks, he rejoiced greatly; then
+carrying away as many as he wanted he returned with me home. After this, he
+entreated me with increased favour and said, "O my son, thou hast shown us the
+way to great gain, wherefore Allah requite thee! Thou art freed for the
+Almighty's sake and before His face! The elephants used to destroy many of us
+on account of our hunting them for their ivories and sorivellos; but Allah hath
+preserved thee from them, and thou hast profited us by the heaps to which thou
+hast led us." "O my master," replied I, "God free thy neck from the fire! And
+do thou grant me, O my master, thy gracious leave to return to my own country."
+"Yes" quoth he, "thou shalt have that permission. But we have a yearly fair,
+when merchants come to us from various quarters to buy up these ivories. The
+time is drawing near; and, when they shall have done their business, I will
+send thee under their charge and will give thee wherewithal to reach thy home."
+So I blessed and thanked him and remained with him, treated with respect and
+honour, for some days, when the merchants came as he had foretold, and bought
+and sold and bartered; and when they had made their preparations to return, my
+master came to me and said, "Rise and get thee ready to travel with the traders
+en route to thy country." They had bought a number of tusks which they had
+bound together in loads and were embarking them when my master sent me with
+them, paying for my passage and settling all my debts; besides which he gave me
+a large present in goods. We set out and voyaged from island to island till we
+had crossed the sea and landed on the shores of the Persian Gulf, when the
+merchants brought out and sold their stores: I also sold what I had at a high
+profit; and I bought some of the prettiest things in the place for presents and
+beautiful rareties and everything else I wanted. I likewise bought for myself a
+beast and we fared forth and crossed the deserts from country to country till I
+reached Baghdad. Here I went in to the Caliph and, after saluting him and
+kissing hands, informed him of all that had befallen me; whereupon he rejoiced
+in my safety and thanked Almighty Allah; and he bade my story be written in
+letters of gold. I then entered my house and met my family and brethren: and
+such is the end of the history that happened to me during my seven voyages.
+Praise be to Allah, the One, the Creator, the Maker of all things in Heaven and
+Earth!—
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Now when Shahrazad had ended her story of the two Sindbads, Dinarzad exclaimed,
+"O my sister, how pleasant is thy tale and how tasteful! How sweet and how
+grateful!" She replied, "And what is this compared with that I could tell thee
+tomorrow night?" Quoth the King, "What may it be?" And she said:—It is a tale
+touching
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap10"></a>THE CITY OF BRASS.[FN#104]</h3>
+
+<p>
+It is related that there was, in tide of yore and in times and years long gone
+before, at Damascus of Syria, a Caliph known as Abd al-Malik bin Marwan, the
+fifth of the Ommiade house. As this Commander of the Faithful was seated one
+day in his palace, conversing with his Sultans and Kings and the Grandees of
+his empire, the talk turned upon the legends of past peoples and the traditions
+of our lord Solomon, David's son (on the twain be peace!), and on that which
+Allah Almighty had bestowed on him of lordship and dominion over men and Jinn
+and birds and beasts and reptiles and the wind and other created things; and
+quoth the Caliph, "Of a truth we hear from those who forewent us that the Lord
+(extolled and exalted be He!) vouchsafed unto none the like of that which He
+vouchsafed unto our lord Solomon and that he attained unto that whereto never
+attained other than he, in that he was wont to imprison Jinns and Marids and
+Satans in cucurbites of copper and to stop them with lead and seal[FN#105] them
+with his ring."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
+permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-seventh Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Caliph Abd
+al-Malik bin Marwan sat conversing with his Grandees concerning our lord
+Solomon, and these noted what Allah had bestowed upon him of lordship and
+dominion, quoth the Commander of the Faithful, "Indeed he attained unto that
+whereto never attained other than he, in that he was wont to imprison Jinns and
+Marids and Satans in cucurbites of copper and stop them with lead and seal them
+with his ring." Then said Talib bin Sahl (who was a seeker after treasures and
+had books that discovered to him hoards and wealth hidden under the earth), "O
+Commander of the Faithful,—Allah make thy dominion to endure and exalt thy
+dignity here and hereafter!—my father told me of my grandfather, that he once
+took ship with a company, intending for the island of Sikiliyah or Sicily, and
+sailed until there arose against them a contrary wind, which drove them from
+their course and brought them, after a month, to a great mountain in one of the
+lands of Allah the Most High, but where that land was they wot not. Quoth my
+grandfather:—This was in the darkness of the night and as soon as it was day,
+there came forth to us, from the caves of the mountain, folk black of colour
+and naked of body, as they were wild beasts, understanding not one word of what
+was addressed to them; nor was there any of them who knew Arabic, save their
+King who was of their own kind. When he saw the ship, he came down to it with a
+company of his followers and saluting us, bade us welcome and questioned us of
+our case and our faith. We told him all concerning ourselves and he said, Be of
+good cheer for no harm shall befal you.' And when we, in turn, asked them of
+their faith, we found that each was of one of the many creeds prevailing before
+the preaching of Al-Islam and the mission of Mohammed, whom may Allah bless and
+keep! So my shipmates remarked, We wot not what thou sayest.' Then quoth the
+King, No Adam-son hath ever come to our land before you: but fear not, and
+rejoice in the assurance of safety and of return to your own country.' Then he
+entertained us three days, feeding us on the flesh of birds and wild beasts and
+fishes, than which they had no other meat; and, on the fourth day, he carried
+us down to the beach, that we might divert ourselves by looking upon the
+fisher- folk. There we saw a man casting his net to catch fish, and presently
+he pulled them up and behold, in them was a cucurbite of copper, stopped with
+lead and sealed with the signet of Solomon, son of David, on whom be peace! He
+brought the vessel to land and broke it open, when there came forth a smoke,
+which rose a-twisting blue to the zenith, and we heard a horrible voice,
+saying, I repent! I repent! Pardon, O Prophet of Allah! I will never return to
+that which I did aforetime.' Then the smoke became a terrible Giant frightful
+of form, whose head was level with the mountain-tops, and he vanished from our
+sight, whilst our hearts were well-nigh torn out for terror; but the blacks
+thought nothing of it. Then we returned to the King and questioned him of the
+matter; whereupon quoth he, Know that this was one of the Jinns whom Solomon,
+son of David, being wroth with them, shut up in these vessels and cast into the
+sea, after stopping the mouths with melted lead. Our fishermen ofttimes, in
+casting their nets, bring up such bottles, which being broken open, there come
+forth of them Jinnis who, deeming that Solomon is still alive and can pardon
+them, make their submission to him and say, I repent, O Prophet of Allah!'" The
+Caliph marvelled at Talib's story and said, "Glory be to God! Verily, to
+Solomon was given a mighty dominion." Now al-Nábighah al-Zubyání[FN#106] was
+present, and he said, "Talib hath spoken soothly as is proven by the saying of
+the All-wise, the Primćval One,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+And Solomon, when Allah to him said, * Rise, be thou Caliph,<br/>
+
+     rule with righteous sway:<br/>
+
+Honour obedience for obeying thee; * And who rebels imprison him<br/>
+
+     for aye'<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Wherefore he used to put them in copper-bottles and cast them into the sea."
+The poet's words seemed good to the Caliph, and he said, "By Allah, I long to
+look upon some of these Solomonic vessels, which must be a warning to whoso
+will be warned." "O Commander of the Faithful," replied Talib, "it is in thy
+power to do so, without stirring abroad. Send to thy brother Abd al-Aziz bin
+Marwán, so he may write to Músá bin Nusayr,[FN#107] governor of the Maghrib or
+Morocco, bidding him take horse thence to the mountains whereof I spoke and
+fetch thee therefrom as many of such cucurbites as thou hast a mind to; for
+those mountains adjoin the frontiers of his province." The Caliph approved his
+counsel and said "Thou hast spoken sooth, O Talib, and I desire that, touching
+this matter, thou be my messenger to Musa bin Nusayr; wherefore thou shalt have
+the White Flag[FN#108] and all thou hast a mind to of monies and honour and so
+forth; and I will care for thy family during thine absence." "With love and
+gladness, O Commander of the Faithful!" answered Talib. "Go, with the blessing
+of Allah and His aid," quoth the Caliph, and bade write a letter to his
+brother, Abd al-Aziz, his viceroy in Egypt, and another to Musa bin Nusayr, his
+viceroy in North Western Africa, bidding him go himself in quest of the
+Solomonic bottles, leaving his son to govern in his stead. Moreover, he charged
+him to engage guides and to spare neither men nor money, nor to be remiss in
+the matter as he would take no excuse. Then he sealed the two letters and
+committed them to Talib bin Sahl, bidding him advance the royal ensigns before
+him and make his utmost speed and he gave him treasure and horsemen and
+footmen, to further him on his way, and made provision for the wants of his
+household during his absence. So Talib set out and arrived in due course at
+Cairo.[FN#109]—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-eighth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Talib bin Sahl set out
+with his escort and crossed the desert country between Syria and Egypt, where
+the Governor came out to meet him and entreated him and his company with high
+honour whilst they tarried with him. Then he gave them a guide to bring them to
+the Sa'íd or Upper Egypt, where the Emir Musa had his abiding-place; and when
+the son of Nusayr heard of Talib's coming, he went forth to meet him and
+rejoiced in him. Talib gave him the Caliph's letter, and he took it reverently
+and, laying it on his head, cried, "I hear and I obey the Prince of the
+Faithful." Then he deemed it best to assemble his chief officers and when all
+were present he acquainted them with the contents of the Caliph's letter and
+sought counsel of them how he should act. "O Emir," answered they, "if thou
+seek one who shall guide thee to the place summon the Shaykh 'Abd al-Samad, ibn
+'Abd al-Kuddús, al- Samúdí;[FN#110] for he is a man of varied knowledge, who
+hath travelled much and knoweth by experience all the seas and wastes and words
+and countries of the world and the inhabitants and wonders thereof; wherefore
+send thou for him and he will surely guide thee to thy desire." So Musa sent
+for him, and behold, he was a very ancient man shot in years and broken down
+with lapse of days. The Emir saluted him and said, "O Shaykh Abd al-Samad, our
+lord the Commander of the Faithful, Abd al-Malik bin Marwan' hath commanded me
+thus and thus. I have small knowledge of the land wherein is that which the
+Caliph desireth; but it is told me that thou knowest it well and the ways
+thither. Wilt thou, therefore, go with me and help me to accomplish the
+Caliph's need? So it please Allah the Most High, thy trouble and travail shall
+not go waste." Replied the Shaykh, "I hear and obey the bidding of the
+Commander of the Faithful; but know, O Emir, that the road thither is long and
+difficult and the ways few." "How far is it?" asked Musa, and the Shaykh
+answered, "It is a journey of two years and some months going and the like
+returning; and the way is full of hardships and terrors and things wondrous and
+marvellous. Now thou art a champion of the Faith[FN#111] and our country is
+hard by that of the enemy; and peradventure the Nazarenes may come out upon us
+in thine absence; wherefore it behoveth thee to leave one to rule thy
+government in thy stead." "It is well," answered the Emir and appointed his son
+Hárún Governor during his absence, requiring the troops to take the oath of
+fealty to him and bidding them obey him in all he should com mend. And they
+heard his words and promised obedience. Now this Harun was a man of great
+prowess and a renowned warrior and a doughty knight, and the Shaykh Abd
+al-Samad feigned to him that the place they sought was distant but four months'
+journey along the shore of the sea, with camping-places all the way, adjoining
+one another, and grass and springs, adding, "Allah will assuredly make the
+matter easy to us through thy blessing, O Lieutenant of the Commander of the
+Faithful!" Quoth the Emir Musa, "Knowest thou if any of the Kings have trodden
+this land before us?"; and quoth the Shaykh, "Yes, it belonged aforetime to
+Darius the Greek, King of Alexandria." But he said to Musa privily, "O Emir,
+take with thee a thousand camels laden with victual and store of
+gugglets."[FN#112] The Emir asked, "And what shall we do with these?", and the
+Shaykh answered. "On our way is the desert of Kayrwán or Cyrene, the which is a
+vast wold four days' journey long, and lacketh water; nor therein doth sound of
+voice ever sound nor is soul at any time to be seen. Moreover, there bloweth
+the Simoon[FN#113] and other hot winds called Al-Juwayb, which dry up the
+water-skins; but if the water be in gugglets, no harm can come to it." "Right,"
+said Musa and sending to Alexandria, let bring thence great plenty of gugglets.
+Then he took with him his Wazir and two thousand cavalry, clad in mail
+cap-á-pie and set out, without other to guide them but Abd al-Samad who
+forewent them, riding on his hackney. The party fared on diligently, now
+passing through inhabited lands, then ruins and anon traversing frightful words
+and thirsty wastes and then mountains which spired high in air; nor did they
+leave journeying a whole year's space till, one morning, when the day broke,
+after they had travelled all night, behold, the Shaykh found himself in a land
+he knew not and said, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah,
+the Glorious, the Great!" Quoth the Emir, "What is to do, O Shaykh?"; and he
+answered, saying, "By the Lord of the Ka'abah, we have wandered from our road!"
+"How cometh that?" asked Musa, and Abd al-Samad replied, "The stars were
+overclouded and I could not guide myself by them." "Where on God's earth are we
+now?" asked the Emir, and the Shaykh answered, "I know not; for I never set
+eyes on this land till this moment." Said Musa, "Guide us back to the place
+where we went astray", but the other, "I know it no more." Then Musa, "Let us
+push on; haply Allah will guide us to it or direct us aright of His power." So
+they fared on till the hour of noon-prayer, when they came to a fair champaign,
+and wide and level and smooth as it were the sea when calm, and presently there
+appeared to them, on the horizon some great thing, high and black, in whose
+midst was as it were smoke rising to the confines of the sky. They made for
+this, and stayed not in their course till they drew near thereto, when, lo! it
+was a high castle, firm of foundations and great and gruesome, as it were a
+towering mountain, builded all of black stone, with frowning crenelles and a
+door of gleaming China steel, that dazzled the eyes and dazed the wits. Round
+about it were a thousand steps and that which appeared afar off as it were
+smoke was a central dome of lead an hundred cubits high. When the Emir saw
+this, he marvelled thereat with exceeding marvel and how this place was void of
+inhabitants; and the Shaykh, after he had certified himself thereof, said,
+"There is no god but the God and Mohammed is the Apostle of God!" Quoth Musa,
+"I hear thee praise the Lord and hallow Him, and meseemeth thou rejoicest." "O
+Emir," answered Abd al-Samad, "Rejoice, for Allah (extolled and exalted be He!)
+hath delivered us from the frightful words and thirsty wastes." "How knowest
+thou that?" said Musa, and the other, "I know it for that my father told me of
+my grandfather that he said, We were once journeying in this land and, straying
+from the road, we came to this palace and thence to the City of Brass; between
+which and the place thou seekest is two full months' travel; but thou must take
+to the sea-shore and leave it not, for there be watering-places and wells and
+camping-grounds established by King Zú al-Karnayn Iskandar who, when he went to
+the conquest of Mauritania, found by the way thirsty deserts and wastes and
+wilds and dug therein water-pits and built cisterns.' " Quoth Musa, "Allah
+rejoice thee with good news!" and quoth the Shaykh, "Come, let us go look upon
+yonder palace and its marvels, for it is an admonition to whose will be
+admonished." So the Emir went up to the palace, with the Shaykh and his
+officers, and coming to the gate, found it open. Now this gate was builded with
+lofty columns and porticoes whose walls and ceilings were inlaid with gold and
+silver and precious stones; and there led up to it flights of steps, among
+which were two wide stairs of coloured marble, never was seen their like; and
+over the doorway was a tablet whereon were graven letters of gold in the old
+ancient Ionian character. "O Emir," asked the Shaykh, "Shall I read?"; and Musa
+answered, "Read and God bless thee!; for all that betideth us in this journey
+dependeth upon thy blessing." So the Shaykh, who was a very learned man and
+versed in all tongues and characters, went up to the tablet and read whatso was
+thereon and it was verse like this,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+"The signs that here their mighty works portray * Warn us that<br/>
+
+     all must tread the self-same way:<br/>
+
+O thou who standest in this stead to hear * Tidings of folk,<br/>
+
+     whose power hath passed for aye,<br/>
+
+Enter this palace-gate and ask the news * Of greatness fallen<br/>
+
+     into dust and clay:<br/>
+
+Death has destroyed them and dispersed their might * And in the<br/>
+
+     dust they lost their rich display;<br/>
+
+As had they only set their burdens down * To rest awhile, and<br/>
+
+     then had rode away."<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When the Emir Musa heard these couplets, he wept till he lost his senses and
+said, "There is no god but the God, the Living, the Eternal, who ceaseth not!"
+Then he entered the palace and was confounded at its beauty and the goodliness
+of its construction. He diverted himself awhile by viewing the pictures and
+images therein, till he came to another door, over which also were written
+verses, and said to the Shaykh, "Come read me these!" So he advanced and read
+as follows,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+"Under these domes how many a company * Halted of old and fared<br/>
+
+     with-outen stay:<br/>
+
+See thou what might displays on other wights * Time with his<br/>
+
+     shifts which could such lords waylay:<br/>
+
+They shared together what they gathered * And left their joys and<br/>
+
+     fared to Death-decay:<br/>
+
+What joys they joyed! what food they ate! and now * In dust<br/>
+
+     they're eaten, for the worm a prey."<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At this the Emir Musa wept bitter tears; and the world waxed yellow before his
+eyes and he said, "Verily, we were created for a mighty matter!"[FN#114] Then
+they proceeded to explore the palace and found it desert and void of living
+thing, its courts desolate and dwelling places waste laid. In the midst stood a
+lofty pavilion with a dome rising high in air, and about it were four hundred
+tombs, builded of yellow marble. The Emir drew near unto these and behold,
+amongst them was a great tomb, wide and long; and at its head stood a tablet of
+white marble, whereon were graven these couplets,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+"How oft have I fought! and how many have slain! * How much have<br/>
+
+     I witnessed of blessing and bane!<br/>
+
+How much have I eaten! how much have I drunk! * How oft have I<br/>
+
+     hearkened to singing-girl's strain!<br/>
+
+How much have I bidden! how oft have forbid! * How many a castle<br/>
+
+     and castellain<br/>
+
+I have sieged and have searched, and the cloistered maids * In<br/>
+
+     the depths of its walls for my captives were ta'en!<br/>
+
+But of ignorance sinned I to win me the meeds * Which won proved<br/>
+
+     naught and brought nothing of gain:<br/>
+
+Then reckon thy reck'ning, O man, and be wise * Ere the goblet of<br/>
+
+     death and of doom thou shalt drain;<br/>
+
+For yet but a little the dust on thy head * They shall strew, and<br/>
+
+     thy life shall go down to the dead."<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The Emir and his companions wept; then, drawing near unto the pavilion, they
+saw that it had eight doors of sandal-wood, studded with nails of gold and
+stars of silver and inlaid with all manner precious stones. On the first door
+were written these verses,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+"What I left, I left it not for nobility of soul, * But through<br/>
+
+     sentence and decree that to every man are dight.<br/>
+
+What while I lived happy, with a temper haught and high, * My<br/>
+
+     hoarding-place defending like a lion in the fight,<br/>
+
+I took no rest, and greed of gain forbad me give a grain * Of<br/>
+
+     mustard seed to save from the fires of Hell my sprite,<br/>
+
+Until stricken on a day, as with arrow, by decree * Of the Maker,<br/>
+
+     the Fashioner, the Lord of Might and Right.<br/>
+
+When my death was appointed, my life I could not keep * By the<br/>
+
+     many of my stratagems, my cunning and my sleight:<br/>
+
+My troops I had collected availed me not, and none * Of my<br/>
+
+     friends and of my neighbours had power to mend my plight:<br/>
+
+Through my life I was weaned in journeying to death * In stress<br/>
+
+     or in solace, in joyance or despight:<br/>
+
+So when money-bags are bloated, and dinar unto dinar * Thou<br/>
+
+     addest, all may leave thee with fleeting of the night:<br/>
+
+And the driver of a camel and the digger of a grave[FN#115] * Are<br/>
+
+     what thine heirs shall bring ere the morning dawneth bright:<br/>
+
+And on Judgment Day alone shalt thou stand before thy Lord, *<br/>
+
+     Overladen with thy sins and thy crimes and thine affright:<br/>
+
+Let the world not seduce thee with lurings, but behold * What<br/>
+
+     measure to thy family and neighbours it hath doled."<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When Musa heard these verses, he wept with such weeping that he swooned away;
+then, coming to himself, he entered the pavilion and saw therein a long tomb,
+awesome to look upon, whereon was a tablet of China steel and Shaykh Abd
+al-Samad drew near it and read this inscription: "In the name of Ever-lasting
+Allah, the Never-beginning, the Never-ending; in the name of Allah who
+begetteth not nor is He begot and unto whom the like is not; in the name of
+Allah the Lord of Majesty and Might; in the name of the Living One who to death
+is never dight!"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
+permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-ninth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Shaykh Abd al-Samad,
+having read the aforesaid, also found the following, "O thou who comest to this
+place, take warning by that which thou seest of the accidents of Time and the
+vicissitudes of Fortune and be not deluded by the world and its pomps and
+vanities and fallacies and falsehoods and vain allurements, for that it is
+flattering, deceitful end treacherous, and the things thereof are but a loan to
+us which it will borrow back from all borrowers. It is like unto the dreams of
+the dreamer and the sleep-visions of the sleeper or as the mirage of the
+desert, which the thirsty take for water;[FN#116] and Satan maketh it fair for
+men even unto death These are the ways of the world; wherefore put not thou thy
+trust therein neither incline thereto, for it betrayeth him who leaneth upon it
+and who committeth himself thereunto in his affairs. Fall not thou into its
+snares neither take hold upon its skirts, but be warned by my example. I
+possessed four thou sand bay horses and a haughty palace, and I had to wife a
+thou sand daughters of kings, high-bosomed maids, as they were moons: I was
+blessed with a thousand sons as they were fierce lions, and I abode a thousand
+years, glad of heart and mind, and I amassed treasures beyond the competence of
+all the Kings of the regions of the earth, deeming that delight would still
+endure to me. But there fell on me unawares the Destroyer of delights and the
+Sunderer of societies, the Desolator of domiciles and the Spoiler of inhabited
+spots, the Murtherer of great and small, babes and children and mothers, he who
+hath no ruth on the poor for his poverty, or feareth the King for all his
+bidding or forbidding. Verily, we abode safe and secure in this palace, till
+there descended upon us the judgment of the Lord of the Three Worlds, Lord of
+the Heavens, and Lord of the Earths, the vengeance of the Manifest
+Truth[FN#117] overtook us, when there died of us every day two, till a great
+company of us had perished. When I saw that destruction had entered our
+dwellings and had homed with us and in the sea of deaths had drowned us, I
+summoned a writer and bade him indite these verses and instances and
+admonitions, the which I let grave, with rule and compass, on these doors and
+tablets and tombs. Now I had an army of a thousand thousand bridles, men of
+warrior mien with forearms strong and keen, armed with spears and mail-coats
+sheen and swords that gleam; so I bade them don their long-hanging hauberks and
+gird on their biting blades and mount their high-mettled steeds and level their
+dreadful lances; and whenas there fell on us the doom of the Lord of heaven and
+earth, I said to them, Ho, all ye soldiers and troopers, can ye avail to ward
+off that which is fallen on me from the Omnipotent King?' But troopers and
+soldiers availed not unto this and said, How shall we battle with Him to whom
+no chamberlain barreth access, the Lord of the door which hath no doorkeeper?'
+Then quoth I to them, Bring me my treasures' Now I had in my treasuries a
+thousand cisterns in each of which were a thousand quintals[FN#118] of red gold
+and the like of white silver, besides pearls and jewels of all kinds and other
+things of price, beyond the attainment of the kings of the earth. So they did
+that and when they had laid all the treasure in my presence, I said to them,
+Can ye ransom me with all this treasure or buy me one day of life therewith?'
+But they could not! So they resigned themselves to fore-ordained Fate and
+fortune and I submitted to the judgment of Allah, enduring patiently that which
+he decreed unto me of affliction, till He took my soul and made me to dwell in
+my grave. And if thou ask of my name, I am Kúsh, the son of Shaddád son of Ád
+the Greater." And upon the tablets were engraved these lines,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+"An thou wouldst know my name, whose day is done * With shifts of<br/>
+
+     time and chances 'neath the sun,<br/>
+
+Know I am Shaddád's son, who ruled mankind * And o'er all earth<br/>
+
+     upheld dominion!<br/>
+
+All stubborn peoples abject were to me; * And Shám to Cairo and<br/>
+
+     to Adnanwone;[FN#119]<br/>
+
+I reigned in glory conquering many kings; * And peoples feared my<br/>
+
+     mischief every one.<br/>
+
+Yea, tribes and armies in my hand I saw; * The world all dreaded<br/>
+
+     me, both friends and fone.<br/>
+
+When I took horse, I viewed my numbered troops, * Bridles on<br/>
+
+     neighing steeds a million.<br/>
+
+And I had wealth that none could tell or count, * Against<br/>
+
+     misfortune treasuring all I won;<br/>
+
+Fain had I bought my life with all my wealth, * And for a<br/>
+
+     moment's space my death to shun;<br/>
+
+But God would naught save what His purpose willed; * So from my<br/>
+
+     brethren cut I 'bode alone:<br/>
+
+And Death, that sunders man, exchanged my lot * To pauper hut<br/>
+
+     from grandeur's mansion<br/>
+
+When found I all mine actions gone and past * Wherefor I'm<br/>
+
+     pledged[FN#120] and by my sin undone.<br/>
+
+Then fear, O man, who by a brink dost range, * The turns of<br/>
+
+     Fortune and the chance of Change."<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The Emir Musa was hurt to his heart and loathed his life for what he saw of the
+slaughtering-places of the folk; and, as they went about the highways and
+byeways of the palace, viewing its sitting-chambers and pleasaunces, behold
+they came upon a table of yellow onyx, upborne on four feet of
+juniper-wood,[FN#121] and there-on these words graven, "At this table have
+eaten a thousand kings blind of the right eye and a thousand blind of the left
+and yet other thousand sound of both eyes, all of whom have departed the world
+and have taken up their sojourn in the tombs and the catacombs." All this the
+Emir wrote down and left the palace, carrying off with him naught save the
+table aforesaid. Then he fared on with his host three days' space, under the
+guidance of the Shaykh Abd al-Samad, till they came to a high hill, whereon
+stood a horseman of brass. In his hand he held a lance with a broad head, in
+brightness like blinding leven, whereon was graven, "O thou that comest unto
+me, if thou know not the way to the City of Brass, rub the hand of this rider
+and he will turn round and presently stop. Then take the direction whereto he
+faceth and fare fearless, for it will bring thee, without hardship, to the city
+aforesaid."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Seventieth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Emir Musa rubbed
+the horseman's hand he revolved like the dazzling lightning, and stopped facing
+in a direction other than that wherein they were journeying. So they took the
+road to which he pointed (which was the right way) and, finding it a beaten
+track, fared on through their days and nights till they had covered a wide
+tract of country. Then they came upon a pillar of black stone like a furnace
+chimney wherein was one sunken up to his armpits. He had two great wings and
+four arms, two of them like the arms of the sons of Adam and other two as they
+were lion's paws, with claws of iron, and he was black and tall and frightful
+of aspect, with hair like horses' tails and eyes like blazing coals, slit
+upright in his face. Moreover, he had in the middle of his forehead a third
+eye, as it were that of a lynx, from which flew sparks of fire, and he cried
+out saying, "Glory to my Lord, who hath adjudged unto me this grievous torment
+and sore punishment until the Day of Doom!" When the folk saw him, they lost
+their reason for affright and turned to flee; so the Emir Musa asked the Shaykh
+Abd al-Samad, "What is this?"; and he answered, "I know not." Whereupon quoth
+Musa, "Draw near and question him of his condition; haply he will discover to
+thee his case." "Allah assain thee, Emir! Indeed, I am afraid of him;" replied
+the Shaykh; but the Emir rejoined, saying, "Fear not; he is hindered from thee
+and from all others by that wherein he is." So Abd al-Samad drew near to the
+pillar and said to him which was therein, "O creature, what is thy name and
+what art thou and how camest thou here in this fashion?" "I am an Ifrit of the
+Jinn," replied he, "by name Dáhish, son of Al-A'amash,[FN#122] and am confined
+here by the All-might, prisoned here by the Providence and punished by the
+judgement of Allah, till it pleases Him, to whom belong Might and Majesty, to
+release me." Then said Musa, "Ask him why he is in durance of this column?" So
+the Shaykh asked him of this, and the Ifrit replied, saying, "Verily my tale is
+wondrous and my case marvellous, and it is this. One of the sons of Iblis had
+an idol of red carnelian, whereof I was guardian, and there served it a King of
+the Kings of the sea, a Prince of puissant power and prow of prowess,
+over-ruling a thousand thousand warriors of the Jann who smote with swords
+before him and answered his summons in time of need. All these were under my
+commandment and obeyed my behest, being each and every rebels against Solomon,
+son of David, on whom be peace! And I used to enter the belly of the idol and
+thence bid and forbid them. Now this King's daughter loved the idol and was
+frequent in prostration to it and assiduous in its service; and she was the
+fairest woman of her day, accomplished in beauty and loveliness, elegance and
+grace. She was described unto Solomon and he sent to her father, saying, Give
+me thy daughter to wife and break thine idol of carnelian and testify saying,
+There is no god but the God and Solomon is the Prophet of Allah!' an thou do
+this, our due shall be thy due and thy debt shall be our debt, but, if thou
+refuse, make ready to answer the summons of the Lord and don thy grave-gear,
+for I will come upon thee with an irresistible host, which shall fill the waste
+places of earth and make thee as yesterday that is passed away and hath no
+return for aye.' When this message reached the King, he waxed insolent and
+rebellious, pride-full and contumacious and he cried to his Wazirs, What say ye
+of this? Know ye that Solomon son of David hath sent requiring me to give him
+my daughter to wife, and break my idol of carnelian and enter his faith!' And
+they replied, O mighty King, how shall Solomon do thus with thee? Even could he
+come at thee in the midst of this vast ocean, he could not prevail against
+thee, for the Marids of the Jann will fight on thy side and thou wilt ask
+succour of thine idol whom thou servest, and he will help thee and give thee
+victory over him. So thou wouldst do well to consult on this matter thy Lord,'
+(meaning the idol aforesaid) and hear what he saith. If he say, Fight him,
+fight him, and if not, not.' So the King went in without stay or delay to his
+idol and offered up sacrifices and slaughtered victims; after which he fell
+down before him, prostrate and weeping, and repeated these verses,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+O my Lord, well I weet thy puissant hand: * Sulaymán would break<br/>
+
+     thee and see thee bann'd.<br/>
+
+O my Lord, to crave succour here I stand * Command and I bow to<br/>
+
+     thy high command!'<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Then I" (continued the Ifrit addressing the Shaykh and those about him), "of my
+ignorance and want of wit and recklessness of the commandment of Solomon and
+lack of knowledge anent his power, entered the belly of the idol and made
+answer as follows.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+As for me, of him I feel naught affright, * For my lore and my<br/>
+
+     wisdom are infinite:<br/>
+
+If he wish for warfare I'll show him fight * And out of his body<br/>
+
+     I'll tear his sprite!'<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When the King heard my boastful reply, he hardened his heart and resolved to
+wage war upon the Prophet and to offer him battle; wherefore he beat the
+messenger with a grievous beating and returned a foul answer to Solomon,
+threatening him and saying, Of a truth, thy soul hath suggested to thee a vain
+thing; dost thou menace me with mendacious words? But gird thyself for battle;
+for, an thou come not to me, I will assuredly come to thee.' So the messenger
+returned to Solomon and told him all that had passed and whatso had befallen
+him, which when the Prophet heard, he raged like Doomsday and addressed himself
+to the fray and levied armies of men and Jann and birds and reptiles. He
+commanded his Wazir Al-Dimiryát, King of the Jann, to gather together the
+Marids of the Jinn from all parts, and he collected for him six hundred
+thousand thousand of devils.[FN#123] Moreover, by his order, his Wazir Ásaf bin
+Barkhiyá levied him an army of men, to the number of a thousand thousand or
+more. These all he furnished with arms and armour and mounting, with his host,
+upon his carpet, took flight through air, while the beasts fared under him and
+the birds flew overhead, till he lighted down on the island of the refractory
+King and encompassed it about, filling earth with his hosts."—And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Seventy-first Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Ifrit continued, "So
+when Solomon the prophet (with whom be peace!) lighted down with his host on
+the island he sent to our King, saying, Behold, I am come: defend thy life
+against that which is fallen upon thee, or else make thy submission to me and
+confess my apostleship and give me thy daughter to lawful wife and break thine
+idol and worship the one God, the alone Worshipful; and testify, thou and
+thine, and say, There is no God but the God, and Solomon is the Apostle of
+Allah![FN#124] This if thou do, thou shalt have pardon and peace; but if not,
+it will avail thee nothing to fortify thyself in this island, for Allah
+(extolled and exalted be He!) hath bidden the wind obey me; so I will bid it
+bear me to thee on my carpet and make thee a warning and an example to deter
+others.' But the King made answer to his messenger, saying, It may not on any
+wise be as he requireth of me; so tell him I come forth to him,' With this
+reply the messenger returned to Solomon, who thereupon gathered together all
+the Jinn that were under his hand, to the number of a thousand thousand, and
+added to them other than they of Marids and Satans from the islands of the sea
+and the tops of the mountains and, drawing them up on parade, opened his
+armouries and distributed to them arms and armour. Then the Prophet drew out
+his host in battle array, dividing the beasts into two bodies, one on the right
+wing of the men and the other on the left, and bidding them tear the enemies'
+horses in sunder. Furthermore, he ordered the birds which were in the island to
+hover over their heads and, whenas the assault should be made, that they should
+swoop down and tear out the foe's eyes with their beaks and buffet their faces
+with their wings; and they answered, saying, We hear and we obey Allah and
+thee, O Prophet of Allah!' Then Solomon seated himself on a throne of
+alabaster, studded with precious stones and plated with red gold; and,
+commanding the wind to bear him aloft, set his Wazir Asaf bin Barkhiya[FN#125]
+and the kings of mankind on his right and his Wazir Al-Dimiryat and the kings
+of the Jinn on his left, arraying the beasts and vipers and serpents in the
+van. Thereupon they all set on us together, and we gave them battle two days
+over a vast plain; but, on the third day, disaster befel us, and the judgment
+of Allah the Most High was executed upon us. Now the first to charge upon them
+were I and my troops, and I said to my companions, Abide in your places, whilst
+I sally forth to them and provoke Al-Dimiryat to combat singular.' And behold,
+he came forth to the duello as he were a vast mountain, with his fires flaming
+and his smoke spireing, and shot at me a falling star of fire; but I swerved
+from it and it missed me. Then I cast at him in my turn, a flame of fire, and
+smote him; but his shaft[FN#126] overcame my fire and he cried out at me so
+terrible a cry that meseemed the skies were fallen flat upon me, and the
+mountains trembled at his voice. Then he commanded his hosts to charge;
+accordingly they rushed on us and we rushed on them, each crying out upon
+other, and battle reared its crest rising in volumes and smoke ascending in
+columns and hearts well nigh cleaving. The birds and the flying Jinn fought in
+the air and the beasts and men and the foot-faring Jann in the dust and I
+fought with Al- Dimiryat, till I was aweary and he not less so. At last, I grew
+weak and turned to flee from him, whereupon my companions and tribesmen
+likewise took to flight and my hosts were put to the rout, and Solomon cried
+out, saying, Take yonder furious tyrant, the accursed, the infamous!' Then man
+fell upon man and Jinn upon Jinn and the armies of the Prophet charged down
+upon us, with the wild beasts and lions on their right hand and on their left,
+rending our horses and tearing our men; whilst the birds hovered over-head in
+air pecking out our eyes with their claws and beaks and beating our faces with
+their wings, and the serpents struck us with their fangs, till the most of our
+folk lay prone upon the face of the earth, like the trunks of date-trees. Thus
+defeat befel our King and we became a spoil unto Solomon. As to me, I fled from
+before Al-Dimiryat, but he followed me three months' journey, till I fell down
+for weariness and he overtook me, and pouncing upon me, made me prisoner. Quoth
+I, By the virtue of Him who hath exalted thee and abased me, spare me and bring
+me into the presence of Solomon, on whom be peace!' So he carried me before
+Solomon, who received me after the foulest fashion and bade bring this pillar
+and hollow it out. Then he set me herein and chained me and sealed me with his
+signet-ring, and Al- Dimiryat bore me to this place wherein thou seest me.
+Moreover, he charged a great angel to guard me, and this pillar is my prison
+until Judgment-day." Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Seventy-second Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Jinni who was
+prisoned in the pillar had told them his tale, from first to last, the folk
+marvelled at his story and at the frightfulness of his favour, and the Emir
+Musa said, "There is no God but the God! Soothly was Solomon gifted with a
+mighty dominion." Then said the Shaykh Abd al-Samad to the Jinni, "Ho there! I
+would fain ask thee of a thing, whereof do thou inform us." "Ask what thou
+wilt," answered the Ifrit Dahish and the Shaykh said, "Are there hereabouts any
+of the Ifrits imprisoned in bottles of brass from the time of Solomon (on whom
+be peace!)?" "Yes," replied the Jinni; "there be such in the sea of
+al-Karkar[FN#127] on the shores whereof dwell a people of the lineage of Noah
+(on whom be peace!); for their country was not reached by the Deluge and they
+are cut off there from the other sons of Adam." Quoth Abd al-Samad, "And which
+is the way to the City of Brass and the place wherein are the cucurbites of
+Solomon, and what distance lieth between us and it?" Quoth the Ifrit, "It is
+near at hand," and directed them in the way thither. So they left him and fared
+forward till there appeared to them afar off a great blackness and therein two
+fires facing each other, and the Emir Musa asked the Shaykh, "What is yonder
+vast blackness and its twin fires?"; and the guide answered, "Rejoice O Emir,
+for this is the City of Brass, as it is described in the Book of Hidden
+Treasures which I have by me. Its walls are of black stone and it hath two
+towers of Andalusian brass,[FN#128] which appear to the beholder in the
+distance as they were twin fires, and hence is it named the City of Brass."
+Then they fared on without ceasing till they drew near the city and behold, it
+was as it were a piece of a mountain or a mass of iron cast in a mould and
+impenetrable for the height of its walls and bulwarks; while nothing could be
+more beautiful than its buildings and its ordinance. So they dismounted down
+and sought for an entrance, but saw none neither found any trace of opening in
+the walls, albeit there were five-and-twenty portals to the city, but none of
+them was visible from without. Then quoth the Emir, "O Shaykh, I see to this
+city no sign of any gate;" and quoth he, "O Emir, thus is it described in my
+Book of Hidden Treasures; it hath five-and-twenty portals; but none thereof may
+be opened save from within the city." Asked Musa, " And how shall we do to
+enter the city and view its wonders?" and Talib son of Sahl, his Wazir,
+answered, "Allah assain the Emir! let us rest here two or three days and, God
+willing, we will make shift to come within the walls." Then said Musa to one of
+his men, "Mount thy camel and ride round about the city, so haply thou may
+light upon a gate or a place somewhat lower than this fronting us, or
+Inshallah! a breach whereby we can enter." Accordingly he mounted his beast,
+taking water and victuals with him, and rode round the city two days and two
+nights, without drawing rein to rest, but found the wall thereof as it were one
+block, without breach or way of ingress; and on the third day, he came again in
+sight of his companions, dazed and amazed at what he had seen of the extent and
+loftiness of the place, and said, "O Emir, the easiest place of access is this
+where you have alighted." Then Musa took Talib and Abd al-Samad and ascended
+the highest hill which overlooked the city. When they reached the top, they
+beheld beneath them a city, never saw eyes a greater or a goodlier, with
+dwelling-places and mansions of towering height, and palaces and pavilions and
+domes gleaming gloriously bright and sconces and bulwarks of strength infinite;
+and its streams were a-flowing and flowers a-blowing and fruits a glowing. It
+was a city with gates impregnable; but void and still, without a voice or a
+cheering inhabitant. The owl hooted in its quarters; the bird skimmed circling
+over its squares and the raven croaked in its great thoroughfares weeping and
+bewailing the dwellers who erst made it their dwelling.[FN#129] The Emir stood
+awhile, marvelling and sorrowing for the desolation of the city and saying,
+Glory to Him whom nor ages nor changes nor times can blight, Him who created
+all things of His Might!" Presently, he chanced to look aside and caught sight
+of seven tablets of white marble afar off. So he drew near them and finding
+inscriptions graven thereon, called the Shaykh and bade him read these.
+Accordingly he came forward and, examining the inscriptions, found that they
+contained matter of admonition and warning and instances and restraint to those
+of understanding. On the first tablet was inscribed, in the ancient Greek
+character: "O son of Adam, how heedless art thou of that which is before thee!
+Verily, thy years and months and days have diverted thee therefrom. Knowest
+thou not that the cup of death is filled for thy bane which in a little while
+to the dregs thou shalt drain? Look to thy doom ere thou enter thy tomb. Where
+be the Kings who held dominion over the lands and abased Allah's servants and
+built these palaces and had armies under their commands? By Allah, the
+Destroyer of delights and the Severer of societies and the Devastator of
+dwelling-places came down upon them and transported them from the spaciousness
+of their palaces to the staitness of their burial-places." And at the foot of
+the tablet were written the following verses,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+"Where are the Kings earth-peopling, where are they? * The built<br/>
+
+     and peopled left they e'er and aye!<br/>
+
+They're tombed yet pledged to actions past away * And after death<br/>
+
+     upon them came decay.<br/>
+
+Where are their troops? They failed to ward and guard! * Where<br/>
+
+     are the wealth and hoards in treasuries lay?<br/>
+
+Th' Empyrean's Lord surprised them with one word, * Nor wealth<br/>
+
+     nor refuge could their doom delay!"<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When the Emir heard this, he cried out and the tears ran down his cheeks and he
+exclaimed, "By Allah, from the world abstaining is the wisest course and the
+sole assaining!" And he called for pen- case and paper and wrote down what was
+graven on the first tablet. Then he drew near the second tablet and found these
+words graven thereon, "O son of Adam, what hath seduced thee from the service
+of the Ancient of Days and made thee forget that one day thou must defray the
+debt of death? Wottest thou not that it is a transient dwelling wherein for
+none there is abiding; and yet thou taketh thought unto the world and cleaves"
+fast thereto? Where be the kings who Irak peopled and the four quarters of the
+globe possessed? Where be they who abode in Ispahan and the land of Khorasan?
+The voice of the Summoner of Death summoned them and they answered him, and the
+Herald of Destruction hailed them and they replied, Here are we! Verily, that
+which they builded and fortified profited them naught; neither did what they
+had gathered and provided avail for their defence." And at the foot of the
+tablet were graven the following verses,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Where be the men who built and fortified * High places never man<br/>
+
+     their like espied?<br/>
+
+In fear of Fate they levied troops and hosts, * Availing naught<br/>
+
+     when came the time and tide,<br/>
+
+Where be the Kisrás homed in strongest walls? * As though they<br/>
+
+     ne'er had been from home they tried!"<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The Emir Musa wept and exclaimed, "By Allah, we are indeed created for a grave
+matter!" Then he copied the inscription and passed on to the third tablet,—And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Seventy-third Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Emir Musa passed on
+to the third tablet, whereon was written, "O son of Adam, the things of this
+world thou lovest and prizest and the hest of thy Lord thou spurnest and
+despisest. All the days of thy life pass by and thou art content thus to aby.
+Make ready thy viaticum against the day appointed for thee to see and prepare
+to answer the Lord of every creature that be!" And at the foot were written
+these verses,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+"Where is the wight who peopled in the past * Hind land and Sind;<br/>
+
+     and there the tyrant played?<br/>
+
+Who Zanj[FN#130] and Habash bound beneath his yoke, * And Nubia<br/>
+
+     curbed and low its puissance laid.<br/>
+
+Look not for news of what is in his grave. * Ah, he is far who<br/>
+
+     can thy vision aid!<br/>
+
+The stroke of death fell on him sharp and sure; * Nor saved him<br/>
+
+     palace, nor the lands he swayed."<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At this Musa wept with sore weeping and, going on to the fourth tablet, he read
+inscribed thereon, "O son of Adam, how long shall thy Lord bear with thee and
+thou every day sunken in the sea of thy folly? Hath it then been stablished
+unto thee that some day thou shalt not die? O son of Adam, let not the deceits
+of thy days and nights and times and hours delude thee with their delights; but
+remember that death lieth ready for thee ambushing, fain on thy shoulders to
+spring, nor doth a day pass but he morneth with thee in the morning and
+nighteth with thee by night. Beware, then, of his onslaught and make provision
+there-against. As was with me, so it is with thee; thou wastest thy whole life
+and squanderest the joys in which thy days are rife. Hearken, therefore, to my
+words and put thy trust in the Lord of Lords; for in the world there is no
+stability; it is but as a spider's web to thee." And at the foot of the tablet
+were written these couplets,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+"Where is the man who did those labours ply * And based and built<br/>
+
+     and reared these walls on high?<br/>
+
+Where be the castles' lords? Who therein dwelt * Fared forth and<br/>
+
+     left them in decay to lie.<br/>
+
+All are entombed, in pledge against the day * When every sin<br/>
+
+     shall show to every eye.<br/>
+
+None but the Lord Most High endurance hath, * Whose Might and<br/>
+
+     Majesty shall never die."<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When the Emir read this, he swooned away and presently coming to himself
+marvelled exceedingly and wrote it down. Then he drew near the fifth tablet and
+behold, thereon was graven, "O son of Adam, what is it that distracteth thee
+from obedience of thy Creator and the Author of thy being, Him who reared thee
+whenas thou west a little one, and fed thee whenas thou west full-grown? Thou
+art ungrateful for His bounty, albeit He watcheth over thee with His favours,
+letting down the curtain of His protection over thee. Needs must there be for
+thee an hour bitterer than aloes and hotter than live coals. Provide thee,
+therefore, against it; for who shall sweeten its gall or quench its fires?
+Bethink thee who forewent thee of peoples and heroes and take warning by them,
+ere thou perish." And at the foot of the tablet were graven these couplets,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+"Where be the Earth-kings who from where they bode, * Sped and<br/>
+
+     to grave yards with their hoardings yode:<br/>
+
+Erst on their mounting-days there hadst beheld * Hosts that<br/>
+
+     concealed the ground whereon they rode:<br/>
+
+How many a king they humbled in their day! * How many a host they<br/>
+
+     led and laid on load!<br/>
+
+But from th' Empyrean's Lord in haste there came * One word, and<br/>
+
+     joy waxed grief ere morning glowed."<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The Emir marvelled at this and wrote it down; after which he passed on to the
+sixth tablet and behold, was inscribed thereon, "O son of Adam, think not that
+safety will endure for ever and aye, seeing that death is sealed to thy head
+alway. Where be thy fathers, where be thy brethren, where thy friends and dear
+ones? They have all gone to the dust of the tombs and presented themselves
+before the Glorious, the Forgiving, as if they had never eaten nor drunken, and
+they are a pledge for that which they have earned. So look to thyself, ere thy
+tomb come upon thee." And at the foot of the tablet were these couplets,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+"Where be the Kings who ruled the Franks of old? * Where be the<br/>
+
+     King who peopled Tingis-wold[FN#131]?<br/>
+
+Their works are written in a book which He, * The One, th' All-<br/>
+
+    father shall as witness hold."<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+At this the Emir Musa marvelled and wrote it down, saying, "There is no god but
+the God! Indeed, how goodly were these folk!" Then he went up to the seventh
+tablet and behold, thereon was written, "Glory to Him who fore-ordaineth death
+to all He createth, the Living One, who dieth not! O son of Adam, let not thy
+days and their delights delude thee, neither thine hours and the delices of
+their time, and know that death to thee cometh and upon thy shoulder sitteth.
+Beware, then, of his assault and make ready for his onslaught. As it was with
+me, so it is with thee; thou wastest the sweet of thy life and the joyance of
+thine hours. Give ear, then, to my rede and put thy trust in the Lord of Lords
+and know that in the world is no stability, but it is as it were a spider's web
+to thee and all that is therein shall die and cease to be. Where is he who laid
+the foundation of Amid[FN#132] and builded it and builded Fárikín[FN#133] and
+exalted it? Where be the peoples of the strong places? Whenas them they had
+inhabited, after their might into the tombs they descended. They have been
+carried off by death and we shall in like manner be afflicted by doom. None
+abideth save Allah the Most High, for He is Allah the Forgiving One." The Emir
+Musa wept and copied all this, and indeed the world was belittled in his eyes.
+Then he descended the hill and rejoined his host, with whom he passed the rest
+of tile day, casting about for a means of access to the city. And he said to
+his Wazir Talib bin Sahl and to the chief officers about him, "How shall we
+contrive to enter this city and view its marvels?: haply we shall find therein
+wherewithal to win the favour of the Commander of the Faithful." "Allah prolong
+the Emir's fortune!" replied Talib, "let us make a ladder and mount the wall
+therewith, so peradventure we may come at the gate from within." Quoth the
+Emir, "This is what occurred to my thought also, and admirable is the advice!"
+Then he called for carpenters and blacksmiths and bade them fashion wood and
+build a ladder plated and banded with iron. So they made a strong ladder and
+many men wrought at it a whole month. Then all the company laid hold of it and
+set it up against the wall, and it reached the top as truly as if it had been
+built for it before that time. The Emir marvelled and said, "The blessing of
+Allah be upon you. It seems as though ye had taken the measure of the mure, so
+excellent is your work." Then said he to his men, "Which of you will mount the
+ladder and walk along the wall and cast about for a way of descending into the
+city, so to see how the case stands and let us know how we may open the gate?"
+Whereupon quoth one of them, "I will go up, O Emir, and descend and open to
+you"; and Musa answered, saying, "Go and the blessing of Allah go with thee!"
+So the man mounted the ladder; but, when he came to the top of the wall, he
+stood up and gazed fixedly down into the city, then clapped his hands and
+crying out, at the top of his voice, "By Allah, thou art fair!" cast himself
+down into the place, and Musa cried, "By Allah, he is a dead man!" But another
+came up to him and said, "O Emir, this was a madman and doubtless his madness
+got the better of him and destroyed him. I will go up and open the gate to you,
+if it be the will of Allah the Most High." "Go up," replied Musa, "and Allah be
+with thee! But beware lest thou lose thy head, even as did thy comrade." Then
+the man mounted the ladder, but no sooner had he reached the top of the wall
+than he laughed aloud, saying, "Well done! well done!"; and clapping palms cast
+himself down into the city and died forthright. When the Emir saw this, he
+said, "An such be the action of a reasonable man, what is that of the madman?
+If all our men do on this wise, we shall have none left and shall fail of our
+errand and that of the Commander of the Faithful. Get ye ready for the march:
+verily we have no concern with this city." But a third one of the company said,
+"Haply another may be steadier than they." So a third mounted the wall and a
+fourth and a fifth and all cried out and cast themselves down, even as did the
+first, nor did they leave to do thus, till a dozen had perished in like
+fashion. Then the Shaykh Abd al-Samad came forward and heartened himself and
+said, "This affair is reserved to none other than myself; for the experienced
+is not like the inexperienced." Quoth the Emir, "Indeed thou shalt not do that
+nor will I have thee go up: an thou perish, we shall all be cut off to the last
+man since thou art our guide." But he answered, saying, "Peradventure, that
+which we seek may be accomplished at my hands, by the grace of God Most High!"
+So the folk all agreed to let him mount the ladder, and he arose and heartening
+himself, said, "In the name of Allah, the Compassionating, the Compassionate!"
+and mounted the ladder, calling on the name of the Lord and reciting the Verses
+of Safety.[FN#134] When he reached the top of the wall, he clapped his hands
+and gazed fixedly down into the city; whereupon the folk below cried out to him
+with one accord, saying "O Shaykh Abd al-Samad, for the Lord's sake, cast not
+thyself down!"; and they added, "Verily we are Allah's and unto Him we are
+returning! If the Shaykh fall, we are dead men one and all." Then he laughed
+beyond all measure and sat a long hour, reciting the names of Allah Almighty
+and repeating the Verses of Safety; then he rose arid cried out at the top of
+his voice, saying, O Emir, have no fear; no hurt shall betide you, for Allah
+(to whom belong Might and Majesty!) hath averted from me the wiles and malice
+of Satan, by the blessing of the words, In the name of Allah the
+Compassionating the Compassionate!'" Asked Musa, "What didst thou see, O
+Shaykh?"; and Abd al-Samad answered, "I saw ten maidens, as they were Houris of
+Heaven calling to me with their hands"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
+and ceased to say her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Seventy-fourth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Shaykh Abd al-Samad
+answered, "I saw ten maidens like Houris of Heaven,[FN#135] and they calling
+and signing,[FN#136] Come hither to us'; and meseemed there was below me a lake
+of water. So I thought to throw myself down, when behold, I espied my twelve
+companions lying dead; so I restrained myself and recited somewhat of Allah's
+Book, whereupon He dispelled from me the damsels' witchlike wiles and malicious
+guiles and they disappeared. And doubtless this was an enchantment devised by
+the people of the city, to repel any who should seek to gaze upon or to enter
+the place. And it hath succeeded in slaying our companions." Then he walked on
+along the wall, till he came to the two towers of brass aforesaid and saw
+therein two gates of gold, without pad locks or visible means of opening.
+Hereat he paused as long as Allah pleased[FN#137] and gazed about him awhile,
+till he espied in the middle of one of the gates, a horseman of brass with hand
+outstretched as if pointing, and in his palm was somewhat written. So he went
+up to it and read these words, "O thou who comest to this place, an thou
+wouldst enter turn the pin in my navel twelve times and the gate will open."
+Accordingly, he examined the horseman and finding in his navel a pin of gold,
+firm-set and fast fixed, he turned it twelve times, whereupon the horseman
+revolved like the blinding lightning and the gate swung open with a noise like
+thunder. He entered and found himself in a long passage,[FN#138] which brought
+him down some steps into a guard-room furnished with goodly wooden benches,
+whereon sat men dead, over whose heads hung fine shields and keen blades and
+bent bows and shafts ready notched. Thence, he came to the main gate of the
+city; and, finding it secured with iron bars and curiously wrought locks and
+bolts and chains and other fastenings of wood and metal, said to himself,
+"Belike the keys are with yonder dead folk." So he turned back to the
+guard-room and seeing amongst the dead an old man seated upon a high wooden
+bench, who seemed the chiefest of them, said in his mind, "Who knows but they
+are with this Shaykh? Doubtless he was the warder of the city and these others
+were under his hand." So he went up to him and lifting his gown, behold, the
+keys were hanging to his girdle; whereat he joyed with exceeding joy and was
+like to fly for gladness. Then he took them and going up to the portal, undid
+the padlocks and drew back the bolts and bars, whereupon the great leaves flew
+open with a crash like the pealing thunder by reason of its greatness and
+terribleness. At this he cried out saying, "Allaho Akbar—God is most great!"
+And the folk without answered him with the same words, rejoicing and thanking
+him for his deed. The Emir Musa also was delighted at the Shaykh's safety and
+the opening of the city-gate, and the troops all pressed forward to enter; but
+Musa cried out to them, saying, "O folk, if we all go in at once we shall not
+be safe from some ill-chance which may betide us. Let half enter and other half
+tarry without." So he pushed forwards with half his men, bearing their weapons
+of war, and finding their comrades lying dead, they buried them; and they saw
+the doorkeepers and eunuchs and chamberlains and officers reclining on couches
+of silk and all were corpses. Then they fared on till they came to the chief
+market-place, full of lofty buildings whereof none overpassed the others, and
+found all its shops open, with the scales hung out and the brazen vessels
+ordered and the caravanserais full of all manner goods; and they beheld the
+merchants sitting on the shop-boards dead, with shrivelled skin and rotted
+bones, a warning to those who can take warning; and here they saw four separate
+markets all replete with wealth. Then they left the great bazar and went on
+till they came to the silk market, where they found silks and brocades,
+orfrayed with red gold and diapered with white silver upon all manner of
+colours, and the owners lying dead upon mats of scented goats' leather, and
+looking as if they would speak; after which they traversed the market-street of
+pearls and rubies and other jewels and came to that of the schroffs and
+money-changers, whom they saw sitting dead upon carpets of raw silk and dyed
+stuffs in shops full of gold and silver. Thence they passed to the perfumers'
+bazar where they found the shops filled with drugs of all kinds and bladders of
+musk and ambergris and Nadd-scent and camphor and other perfumes, in vessels of
+ivory and ebony and Khalanj-wood and Andalusian copper, the which is equal in
+value to gold; and various kinds of rattan and Indian cane; but the shopkeepers
+all lay dead nor was there with them aught of food. And hard by this
+drug-market they came upon a palace, imposingly edified and magnificently
+decorated; so they entered and found therein banners displayed and drawn sword
+blades and strung bows and bucklers hanging by chains of gold and silver and
+helmets gilded with red gold. In the vestibules stood benches of ivory, plated
+with glittering gold and covered with silken stuffs, whereon lay men, whose
+skin had dried up on their bones; the fool had deemed them sleeping; but, for
+lack of food, they had perished and tasted the cup of death. Now when the Emir
+Musa saw this, he stood still, glorifying Allah the Most High and hallowing Him
+and contemplating the beauty of the palace and the massiveness of its masonry
+and fair perfection of its ordinance, for it was builded after the goodliest
+and stablest fashion and the most part of its adornment was of green[FN#139]
+lapis-lazuli, and on the inner door, which stood open, were written in
+characters of gold and ultramarine, these couplets,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+"Consider thou, O man, what these places to thee showed * And be<br/>
+
+     upon thy guard ere thou travel the same road:<br/>
+
+And prepare thee good provision some day may serve thy turn * For<br/>
+
+     each dweller in the house needs must yede wi' those who yode<br/>
+
+Consider how this people their palaces adorned * And in dust have<br/>
+
+     been pledged for the seed of acts they sowed<br/>
+
+They built but their building availed them not, and hoards * Nor<br/>
+
+     saved their lives nor day of Destiny forslowed:<br/>
+
+How often did they hope for what things were undecreed. * And<br/>
+
+     passed unto their tombs before Hope the bounty showed<br/>
+
+And from high and awful state all a sudden they were sent * To<br/>
+
+     the straitness of the grave and oh! base is their abode:<br/>
+
+Then came to them a Crier after burial and cried, * What booted<br/>
+
+     thrones or crowns or the gold to you bestowed:<br/>
+
+Where now are gone the faces hid by curtain and by veil, * Whose<br/>
+
+     charms were told in proverbs, those beauties ŕ-la-mode?<br/>
+
+The tombs aloud reply to the questioners and cry, * Death's<br/>
+
+     canker and decay those rosy cheeks corrode'<br/>
+
+Long time they ate and drank, but their joyaunce had a term, *<br/>
+
+     And the eater eke was eaten, and was eaten by the worm."<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When the Emir read this, he wept, till he was like to swoon away- -And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred ante Seventy-fifth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Emir wept till he was
+like to swoon away, and bade write down the verses, after which he passed on
+into the inner palace and came to a vast hall, at each of whose four corners
+stood a pavilion lofty and spacious, washed with gold and silver and painted in
+various colours. In the heart of the hall was a great jetting- fountain of
+alabaster, surmounted by a canopy of brocade, and in each pavilion was a
+sitting-place and each place had its richly- wrought fountain and tank paved
+with marble and streams flowing in channels along the floor and meeting in a
+great and grand cistern of many-coloured marbles. Quoth the Emir to the Shaykh
+Abd al-Samad, "Come let us visit yonder pavilion!" So they entered the first
+and found it full of gold and silver and pearls and jacinths and other precious
+stones and metals, besides chests filled with brocades, red and yellow and
+white. Then they repaired to the second pavilion, and, opening a closet there,
+found it full of arms and armour, such as gilded helmets and Davidean[FN#140]
+hauberks and Hindi swords and Arabian spears and Chorasmian[FN#141] maces and
+other gear of fight and fray. Thence they passed to the third pavilion, wherein
+they saw closets padlocked and covered with curtains wrought with all manner of
+embroidery. They opened one of these and found it full of weapons curiously
+adorned with open work and with gold and silver damascene and jewels. Then they
+entered the fourth pavilion, and opening one of the closets there, beheld in it
+great store of eating and drinking vessels of gold and silver, with platters of
+crystal and goblets set with fine pearls and cups of carnelian and so forth. So
+they all fell to taking that which suited their tastes and each of the soldiers
+carried off what he could. When they left the pavilions, they saw in the midst
+of the palace a door of teak-wood marquetried with ivory and ebony and plated
+with glittering gold, over which hung a silken curtain purfled with all manner
+of embroideries; and on this door were locks of white silver, that opened by
+artifice without a key. The Shaykh Abd al-Samad went valiantly up thereto and
+by the aid of his knowledge and skill opened the locks, whereupon the door
+admitted them into a corridor paved with marble and hung with veil-
+like[FN#142] tapestries embroidered with figures of all manner beasts and
+birds, whose bodies were of red gold and white silver and their eyes of pearls
+and rubies, amazing all who looked upon them. Passing onwards they came to a
+saloon builded all of polished marble, inlaid with jewels, which seemed to the
+beholder as though the floor were flowing water[FN#143] and whoso walked
+thereon slipped. The Emir bade the Shaykh strew somewhat upon it, that they
+might walk over it; which being done, they made shift to fare forwards till
+they came to a great domed pavilion of stone, gilded with red gold and crowned
+with a cupola of alabaster, about which were set lattice-windows carved and
+jewelled with rods of emerald,[FN#144] beyond the competence of any King. Under
+this dome was a canopy of brocede, reposing upon pillars of red gold and
+wrought with figures of birds whose feet were of smaragd, and beneath each bird
+was a network of fresh- hued pearls. The canopy was spread above a jetting
+fountain of ivory and carnelian, plated with glittering gold and thereby stood
+a couch set with pearls and rubies and other jewels and beside the couch a
+pillar of gold. On the capital of the column stood a bird fashioned of red
+rubies and holding in his bill a pearl which shone like a star; and on the
+couch lay a damsel, as she were the lucident sun, eyes never saw a fairer. She
+wore a tight-fitting body-robe of fine pearls, with a crown of red gold on her
+head, filleted with gems, and on her forehead were two great jewels, whose
+light was as the light of the sun. On her breast she wore a jewelled amulet,
+filled with musk and ambergris and worth the empire of the Caesars; and around
+her neck hung a collar of rubies and great pearls, hollowed and filled with
+odoriferous musk And it seemed as if she gazed on them to the right and to the
+left.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted
+say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Seventy-sixth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the damsel seemed to be
+gazing at the folk to the right and to the left. The Emir Musa marvelled at her
+exceeding beauty and was confounded at the blackness of her hair and the
+redness of her cheeks, which made the beholder deem her alive and not dead, and
+said to her, "Peace be with thee, O damsel!" But Talib ibn Sahl said to him,
+"Allah preserve thee, O Emir, verily this damsel is dead and there is no life
+in her; so how shall she return thy salam?" adding,  Indeed, she is but a
+corpse embalmed with exceeding art; her eyes were taken out after her death and
+quicksilver set under them, after which they were restored to their sockets.
+Wherefore they glisten and when the air moveth the lashes, she seemeth to wink
+and it appeareth to the beholder as though she looked at him, for all she is
+dead." At this the Emir marvelled beyond measure and said, "Glory be to God who
+subjugateth His creatures to the dominion of Death!" Now the couch on which the
+damsel lay, had steps, and thereon stood two statues of Andalusian copper
+representing slaves, one white and the other black. The first held a mace of
+steel[FN#145] and the second a sword of watered steel which dazzled the eye;
+and between them, on one of the steps of the couch, lay a golden tablet,
+whereon were written, in characters of white silver, the following words: "In
+the name of God, the Compassionating, the Compassionate! Praise be to Allah,
+the Creator of mankind; and He is the Lord of Lords, the Causer of Causes! In
+the name of Allah, the Never beginning, the Everlasting, the Ordainer of Fate
+and Fortune! O son of Adam! what hath befooled thee in this long esperance?
+What hath unminded thee of the Death-day's mischance? Knowest thou not that
+Death calleth for thee and hasteneth to seize upon the soul of thee? Be ready,
+therefore, for the way and provide thee for thy departure from the world; for,
+assuredly, thou shalt leave it without delay. Where is Adam, first of humanity?
+Where is Noah with his progeny? Where be the Kings of Hind and Irak-plain and
+they who over earth's widest regions reign? Where do the Amalekites abide and
+the giants and tyrants of olden tide? Indeed, the dwelling-places are void of
+them and they have departed from kindred and home. Where be the Kings of Arab
+and Ajam? They are dead, all of them, and gone and are become rotten bones.
+Where be the lords so high in stead? They are all done dead. Where are Kora and
+Haman? Where is Shaddad son of Ad? Where be Canaan and Zul-Autad,[FN#146] Lord
+of the Stakes? By Allah, the Reaper of lives hath reaped them and made void the
+lands of them. Did they provide them against the Day of Resurrection or make
+ready to answer the Lord of men? O thou, if thou know me not, I will acquaint
+thee with my name: I am Tadmurah,[FN#147] daughter of the Kings of the
+Amalekites, of those who held dominion over the lands in equity and brought low
+the necks of humanity. I possessed that which never King possessed and was
+righteous in my rule and did justice among my lieges; yea, I gave gifts and
+largesse and freed bondsmen and bondswomen. Thus lived I many years in all ease
+and delight of life, till Death knocked at my door and to me and to my folk
+befel calamities galore; and it was on this wise. There betided us seven
+successive years of drought, wherein no drop of rain fell on us from the skies
+and no green thing sprouted for us on the face of earth.[FN#148] So we ate what
+was with us of victual, then we fell upon the cattle and devoured them, until
+nothing was left. Thereupon I let bring my treasures and meted them with
+measures and sent out trusty men to buy food. They circuited all the lands in
+quest thereof and left no city unsought, but found it not to be bought and
+returned to us with the treasure after a long absence; and gave us to know that
+they could not succeed in bartering fine pearls for poor wheat, bushel for
+bushel, weight for weight. So, when we despaired of succour, we displayed all
+our riches and things of price and, shutting the gates of the city and its
+strong places, resigned ourselves to the deme of our Lord and committed our
+case to our King. Then we all died,[FN#149] as thou seest us, and left what we
+had builded and all we had hoarded. This, then, is our story, and after the
+substance naught abideth but the trace." Then they looked at the foot of the
+tablet and read these couplets,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+"O child of Adam, let not hope make mock and flyte at thee, *<br/>
+
+     Prom all thy hands have treasuréd, removéd thou shalt be;<br/>
+
+I see thou covetest the world and fleeting worldly charms, * And<br/>
+
+     races past and gone have done the same as thou I see.<br/>
+
+Lawful and lawless wealth they got; but all their hoarded store,<br/>
+
+     * Their term accomplished, naught delayed of Destiny's<br/>
+
+     decree.<br/>
+
+Armies they led and puissant men and gained them gold galore; *<br/>
+
+     Then left their wealth and palaces by Pate compelled to<br/>
+
+     flee,<br/>
+
+To straitness of the grave-yard and humble bed of dust * Whence,<br/>
+
+     pledged for every word and deed, they never more win free:<br/>
+
+As a company of travellers had unloaded in the night * At house<br/>
+
+     that lacketh food nor is o'erfain of company:<br/>
+
+Whose owner saith, O folk, there be no lodging here for you;' *<br/>
+
+     So packed they who had erst unpacked and faréd hurriedly:<br/>
+
+Misliking much the march, nor the journey nor the halt * Had<br/>
+
+     aught of pleasant chances or had aught of goodly greet<br/>
+
+Then prepare thou good provision for to-morrow's journey stored,<br/>
+
+     * Naught but righteous honest life shall avail thee with the<br/>
+
+     Lord!"<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+And the Emir Musa wept as he read, "By Allah, the fear of the Lord is the best
+of all property, the pillar of certainty and the sole sure stay. Verily, Death
+is the truth manifest and the sure behest, and therein, O thou, is the goal and
+return place evident. Take warning, therefore, by those who to the dust did
+wend and hastened on the way of the predestined end. Seest thou not that hoary
+hairs summon thee to the tomb and that the whiteness of thy locks maketh moan
+of thy doom? Wherefore be thou on the wake ready for thy departure and thine
+account to make. O son of Adam, what hath hardened thy heart in mode abhorred?
+What hath seduced thee from the service of thy Lord? Where be the peoples of
+old time? They are a warning to whoso will be warned! Where be the Kings of
+al-Sín and the lords of majestic mien? Where is Shaddad bin Ad and whatso he
+built and he stablished? Where is Nimrod who revolted against Allah and defied
+Him? Where is Pharaoh who rebelled against God and denied Him? Death followed
+hard upon the trail of them all, and laid them low sparing neither great nor
+small, male nor female; and the Reaper of Mankind cut them off, yea, by Him who
+maketh night to return upon day! Know, O thou who comest to this place, that
+she whom thou seest here was not deluded by the world and its frail delights,
+for it is faithless, perfidious, a house of ruin, vain and treacherous; and
+salutary to the creature is the remembrance of his sins; wherefore she feared
+her Lord and made fair her dealings and provided herself with provaunt against
+the appointed marching day. Whoso cometh to our city and Allah vouchsafeth him
+competence to enter it, let him take of the treasure all he can, but touch not
+aught that is on my body, for it is the covering of my shame[FN#150] and the
+outfit for the last journey; wherefore let him fear Allah and despoil naught
+thereof; else will he destroy his own self. This have I set forth to him for a
+warning from me and a solemn trust to be; wherewith, peace be with ye and I
+pray Allah to keep you from sickness and calamity." And Shahrazad perceived the
+dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Seventy-seventh Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, it hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Emir Musa read
+this, he wept with exceeding weeping till he swooned away and presently coming
+to himself, wrote down all he had seen and was admonished by all he had
+witnessed. Then he said to his men, "Fetch the camels and load them with these
+treasures and vases and jewels." "O Emir," asked Talib, "shall we leave our
+damsel with what is upon her, things which have no equal and whose like is not
+to be found and more perfect than aught else thou takest; nor couldst thou find
+a goodlier offering wherewithal to propitiate the favour of the Commander of
+the Faithful?" But Musa answered, "O man, heardest thou not what the Lady saith
+on this tablet? More by token that she giveth it in trust to us who are no
+traitors." "And shall we," rejoined the Wazir Talib, "because of these words,
+leave all these riches and jewels, seeing that she is dead? What should she do
+with these that are the adornments of the world and the ornament of the
+worldling, seeing that one garment of cotton would suffice for her covering? We
+have more right to them than she." So saying he mounted the steps of the couch
+between the pillars, but when he came within reach of the two slaves, lo! the
+mace-bearer smote him on the back and the other struck him with the sword he
+held in his hand and lopped off his head, and he dropped down dead. Quoth the
+Emir, "Allah have no mercy on thy resting-place! Indeed there was enough in
+these treasures, and greed of gain assuredly degradeth a man." Then he bade
+admit the troops; so they entered and loaded the camels with those treasures
+and precious ores; after which they went forth and the Emir commanded them to
+shut the gate as before. They fared on along the sea-shore a whole month, till
+they came in sight of a high mountain overlooking the sea and full of caves,
+wherein dwelt a tribe of blacks, clad in hides, with burnooses also of hide and
+speaking an unknown tongue. When they saw the troops they were startled like
+shying steeds and fled into the caverns, whilst their women and children stood
+at the cave doors, looking on the strangers. "O Shaykh Abd al-Samad," asked the
+Emir, "what are these folk?" and he answered, "They are those whom we seek for
+the Commander of the Faithful." So they dismounted and setting down their
+loads, pitched their tents; whereupon, almost before they had done, down came
+the King of the blacks from the mountain and drew near the camp. Now he
+understood the Arabic tongue; so, when he came to the Emir he saluted him with
+the salam and Musa returned his greeting and entreated him with honour. Then
+quoth he to the Emir, "Are ye men or Jinn?" "Well, we are men," quoth Musa;
+"but doubtless ye are Jinn, to judge by your dwelling apart in this mountain
+which is cut off from mankind, and by your inordinate bulk." "Nay," rejoined
+the black; "we also are children of Adam, of the lineage of Ham, son of Noah
+(with whom be peace!), and this sea is known as Al-Karkar." Asked Musa, "O
+King, what is your religion and what worship ye?"; and he answered, saying, "We
+worship the God of the heavens and our religion is that of Mohammed, whom Allah
+bless and preserve!" "And how came ye by the knowledge of this," questioned the
+Emir, "seeing that no prophet was inspired to visit this country?" "Know,
+Emir," replied the King, "that there appeared to us whilere from out the sea a
+man, from whom issued a light that illumined the horizons and he cried out, in
+a voice which was heard of men far and near, saying, O children of Ham,
+reverence to Him who seeth and is not seen and say ye, There is no god but the
+God, and Mohammed is the messenger of God!' And he added, I am Abu al-Abbás
+al-Khizr.' Before this we were wont to worship one another, but he summoned us
+to the service of the Lord of all creatures; and he taught us to repeat these
+words, There is no god save the God alone, who hath for partner none, and His
+is the kingdom and His is the praise. He giveth life and death and He over all
+things is Almighty.' Nor do we draw near unto Allah (be He exalted and
+extolled!) except with these words, for we know none other; but every eve
+before Friday[FN#151] we see a light upon the face of earth and we hear a voice
+saying, Holy and glorious, Lord of the Angels and the Spirit! What He willeth
+is, and what He willeth not, is not. Every boon is of His grace and there is
+neither Majesty nor is there Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!' But
+ye," quoth the King, "who and what are ye and what bringeth you to this land?"
+Quoth Musa, "We are officers of the Sovereign of Al-Islam, the Commander of the
+Faithful, Abd al- Malik bin Marwan, who hath heard tell of the lord Solomon,
+son of David (on whom be peace!) and of that which the Most High bestowed upon
+him of supreme dominion; how he held sway over Jinn and beast and bird and was
+wont when he was wroth with one of the Marids, to shut him in a cucurbite of
+brass and, stopping its mouth on him with lead, whereon he impressed his seal
+ring, to cast him into the sea of Al-Karkar. Now we have heard tell that this
+sea is nigh your land; so the Commander of the Faithful hath sent us hither, to
+bring him some of these cucurbites, that he may look thereon and solace himself
+with their sight. Such, then, is our case and what we seek of thee, O King, and
+we desire that thou further us in the accomplishment of our errand commanded by
+the Commander of the Faithful." "With love and gladness," replied the black
+King, and carrying them to the guest house, entreated them with the utmost
+honour and furnished them with all they needed, feeding them upon fish. They
+abode thus three days, when he bade his divers fetch from out the sea some of
+the vessels of Solomon. So they dived and brought up twelve cucurbites, whereat
+the Emir and the Shaykh and all the company rejoiced in the accomplishment of
+the Caliph's need. Then Musa gave the King of the blacks many and great gifts;
+and he, in turn, made him a present Of the wonders of the deep, being fishes in
+human form,[FN#152] saying "Your entertainment these three days hath been of
+the meat of these fish." Quoth the Emir, "Needs must we carry some of these to
+the Caliph, for the sight of them will please him more than the cucurbites of
+Solomon." Then they took leave of the black King and, setting out on their
+homeward journey, travelled till they came to Damascus, where Musa went in to
+the Commander of the Faithful and told him all that he had sighted and heard of
+verses and legends and instances, together with the manner of the death of
+Talib bin Sahl; and the Caliph said, "Would I had been with you, that I might
+have seen what you saw!" Then he took the brazen vessels and opened them,
+cucurbite after cucurbite, whereupon the devils came forth of them, saying, "We
+repent, O Prophet of Allah! Never again will we return to the like of this
+thing; no never!" And the Caliph marvelled at this. As for the daughters of the
+deep presented to them by the black King, they made them cisterns of planks,
+full of water, and laid them therein; but they died of the great heat. Then the
+Caliph sent for the spoils of the Brazen City and divided them among the
+Faithful,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Seventy-eighth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Caliph marvelled much
+at the cucurbites and their contents; then he sent for the spoils and divided
+them among the Faithful, saying, "Never gave Allah unto any the like of that
+which he bestowed upon Solomon David-son!" Thereupon the Emir Musa sought leave
+of him to appoint his son Governor of the Province in his stead, that he might
+be take himself to the Holy City of Jerusalem, there to worship Allah. So the
+Commander of the Faithful invested his son Harun with the government and Musa
+repaired to the Glorious and Holy City, where he died. This, then, is all that
+hath come down to us of the story of the City of Brass, and God is All-knowing!
+Now (continued Shahrazad) I have another tale to tell anent the
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap11"></a>CRAFT AND MALICE OF WOMEN,[FN#153] OR THE TALE OF THE
+KING, HIS SON, HIS CONCUBINE AND THE SEVEN WAZIRS.</h3>
+
+<p>
+There was, in days of yore and in ages and times long gone before, a puissant
+King among the Kings of China, the crown of crowned heads, who ruled over many
+men of war and vassals with wisdom and justice, might and majesty; equitable to
+his Ryots, liberal to his lieges and dearly beloved by the hearts of his
+subjects. He was wealthy as he was powerful, but he had grown old without being
+blessed with a son, and this caused him sore affliction. He could only brood
+over the cutting off of his seed and the oblivion that would bury his name and
+the passing of his realm into the stranger's hands. So he secluded himself in
+his palace, never going in and out or rising and taking rest till the lieges
+lost all tidings of him and were sore perplexed and began to talk about their
+King. Some said, "He's dead"; others said, "No, he's not"; but all resolved to
+find a ruler who could reign over them and carry out the customs of government.
+At last, utterly despairing of male issue, he sought the intercession of the
+Prophet (whom Allah bless and keep!) with the Most High and implored Him, by
+the glory of His Prophets and Saints and Martyrs and others of the Faithful who
+were acceptable to Heaven that he would grant him a son, to be the coolth of
+his eyes and heir to the kingdom after him. Then he rose forthright and,
+withdrawing to his sitting-saloon, sent for his wife who was the daughter of
+his uncle. Now this Queen was of surpassing beauty and loveliness, the fairest
+of all his wives and the dearest to him as she was the nearest: and to boot a
+woman of excellent wit and passing judgement. She found the King dejected and
+sorrowful, tearful-eyed and heavy-hearted; so she kissed ground between his
+hands and said, "O King, may my life ransom thy life! may Time never prove thy
+foe, nor the shifts of Fortune prevail over thee; may Allah grant thee every
+joy and ward off from thee all annoy! How is it I see thee brooding over thy
+case and tormented by the displeasures of memory?" He replied, "Thou wottest
+well that I am a man now shotten in years, who hath never been blessed with a
+son, a sight to cool his eyes; so I know that my kingdom shall pass away to the
+stranger in blood and my name and memory will be blotted out amongst men. 'Tis
+this causeth me to grieve with excessive grief." "Allah do away with thy
+sorrows," quoth she: "long ere this day a thought struck me; and yearning for
+issue arose in my heart even as in thine. One night I dreamed a dream and a
+voice said to me, 'The King thy husband pineth for progeny: if a daughter be
+vouchsafed to him, she will be the ruin of his realm; if a son, the youth will
+undergo much trouble and annoy but he will pass through it without loss of
+life. Such a son can be conceived by thee and thee only and the time of thy
+conception is when the moon conjoineth with Gemini!' I woke from my dream, but
+after what I heard that voice declare I refrained from breeding and would not
+consent to bear children." "There is no help for it but that I have a son,
+Inshallah, —God willing!" cried the King. Thereupon she soothed and consoled
+him till he forgot his sorrows and went forth amongst the lieges and sat, as of
+wont, upon his throne of estate. All rejoiced to see him once more and
+especially the Lords of his realm. Now when the conjunction of the moon and
+Gemini took place, the King knew his wife carnally and, by order of Allah
+Almighty she became pregnant. Presently she anounced the glad tidings to her
+husband and led her usual life until her nine months of pregnancy were
+completed and she bare a male child whose face was as the rondure of the moon
+on its fourteenth night. The lieges of the realm congratulated one another
+thereanent and the King commanded an assembly of his Olema and philosophers,
+astrologers and horoscopists, whom he thus addressed, "I desire you to forecast
+the fortune of my son and to determine his ascendant[FN#154] and whatever is
+shown by his nativity." They replied "'Tis well, in Allah's name, let us do
+so!" and cast his nativity with all diligence. After ascertaining his
+ascendant, they pronounced judgement in these words, "We see his lot favourable
+and his life viable and durable; save that a danger awaiteth his youth." The
+father was sorely concerned at this saying, when they added "But, O King, he
+shall escape from it nor shall aught of injury accrue to him!" Hereupon the
+King cast aside all cark and care and robed the wizards and dismissed them with
+splendid honoraria; and he resigned himself to the will of Heaven and
+acknowledged that the decrees of destiny may not be countervailed. He committed
+his boy to wet nurses and dry nurses, handmaids and eunuchs, leaving him to
+grow and fill out in the Harim till he reached the age of seven. Then he
+addressed letters to his Viceroys and Governors in every clime and by their
+means gathered together Olema and philosophers and doctors of law and religion,
+from all countries, to a number of three hundred and three score. He held an
+especial assembly for them and, when all were in presence, he bade them draw
+near him and be at their ease while he sent for the food-trays and all ate
+their sufficiency. And when the banquet ended and the wizards had taken seats
+in their several degrees, the King asked them, "Wot ye wherefore I have
+gathered ye together?"; whereto all answered, "We wot not, O King!" He
+continued, "It is my wish that you select from amongst you fifty men, and from
+these fifty ten, and from these ten one, that he may teach my son omnem rem
+scibilem; for whenas I see the youth perfect in all science, I will share my
+dignity with the Prince and make him partner with me in my possessions." "Know,
+O King," they replied, "that among us none is more learned or more excellent
+than Al-Sindibad,[FN#155] hight the Sage, who woneth in thy capital under thy
+protection. If such be thy design, summon him and bid him do thy will." The
+King acted upon their advice and the Sage, standing in the presence, expressed
+his loyal sentiments with his salutation, whereupon his Sovereign bade him draw
+nigh and thus raised his rank, saying, "I would have thee to know, O Sage, that
+I summoned this assembly of the learned and bade them choose me out a man to
+teach my son all knowledge; when they selected thee without dissenting thought
+or voice. If, then, thou feel capable of what they claimed for thee, come thou
+to the task and understand that a man's son and heir is the very fruit of his
+vitals and core of his heart and liver. My desire of thee is thine instruction
+of him; and to happy issue Allah guideth!" The King then sent for his son and
+committed him to Al-Sindibad conditioning the Sage to finish his education in
+three years. He did accordingly but, at the end of that time, the young Prince
+had learned nothing, his mind being wholly occupied with play and disport; and
+when summoned and examined by his sire, behold, his knowledge was as nil.
+Thereupon the King turned his attention to the learned once more and bade them
+elect a tutor for his youth; so they asked, "And what hath his governor,
+Al-Sindibad, been doing?" and when the King answered, "He hath taught my son
+naught;" the Olema and philosophers and high officers summoned the instructor
+and said to him, "O Sage, what prevented thee from teaching the King's son
+during this length of days?" "O wise men," he replied, "the Prince's mind is
+wholly occupied with disport and play; yet, an the King will make with me three
+conditions and keep to them, I will teach him in seven months what he would not
+learn (nor indeed could any other lesson him) within seven years." "I hearken
+to thee," quoth the King, "and I submit myself to thy conditions;" and quoth
+Al-Sindibad, "Hear from me, Sire, and bear in mind these three sayings, whereof
+the first is, 'Do not to others what thou wouldest not they do unto
+thee';[FN#156] and second, 'Do naught hastily without consulting the
+experienced'; and thirdly, 'Where thou hast power show pity.'[FN#157] In
+teaching this lad I require no more of thee but to accept these three dictes
+and adhere thereto." Cried the King, "Bear ye witness against me, O all ye here
+assembled, that I stand firm by these conditions!"; and caused a proces verbal
+to be drawn up with his personal security and the testimony of his courtiers.
+Thereupon the Sage, taking the Prince's hand, led him to his place, and the
+King sent them all requisites of provaunt and kitchen-batteries, carpets and
+other furniture. Moreover the tutor bade build a house whose walls he lined
+with the whitest stucco painted over with ceruse,[FN#158] and, lastly, he
+delineated thereon all the objects concerning which he proposed to lecture his
+pupil. When the place was duly furnished, he took the lad's hand and installed
+him in the apartment which was amply furnished with belly-timber; and, after
+stablishing him therein, went forth and fastened the door with seven padlocks.
+Nor did he visit the Prince save every third day when he lessoned him on the
+knowledge to be extracted from the wall-pictures and renewed his provision of
+meat and drink, after which he left him again to solitude. So whenever the
+youth was straitened in breast by the tedium and ennui of loneliness, he
+applied himself diligently to his object-lessons and mastered all the
+deductions therefrom. His governor seeing this turned his mind into other
+channel and taught him the inner meanings of the external objects; and in a
+little time the pupil mastered every requisite. Then the Sage took him from the
+house and taught him cavalarice and Jerid play and archery. When the pupil had
+thoroughly mastered these arts, the tutor sent to the King informing him that
+the Prince was perfect and complete in all things required to figure favourably
+amongst his peers. Hereat the King rejoiced; and, summoning his Wazirs and
+Lords of estate to be present at the examination, commanded the Sage to send
+his son into the presence. Thereupon Al-Sindibad consulted his pupil's
+horoscope and found it barred by an inauspicious conjunction which would last
+seven days; so, in sore affright for the youth's life, he said, "Look into thy
+nativity-scheme." The Prince did so and, recognising the portent, feared for
+himself and presently asked the Sage, saying, "What dost thou bid me do?" "I
+bid thee," he answered, "remain silent and speak not a word during this
+se'nnight; even though thy sire slay thee with scourging. An thou pass safely
+through this period, thou shalt win to high rank and succeed to thy sire's
+reign; but an things go otherwise then the behest is with Allah from the
+beginning to the end thereof." Quoth the pupil, "Thou art in fault, O
+preceptor, and thou hast shown undue haste in sending that message to the King
+before looking into my horoscope. Hadst thou delayed till the week had passed
+all had been well." Quoth the tutor, "O my son, what was to be was; and the
+sole defaulter therein was my delight in thy scholarship. But now be firm in
+thy resolve; rely upon Allah Almighty and determine not to utter a single
+word." Thereupon the Prince fared for the presence and was met by the Wazirs
+who led him to his father. The King accosted him and addressed him but he
+answered not; and sought speech of him but he spake not. Whereupon the
+courtiers were astounded and the monarch, sore concerned for his son, summoned
+Al-Sindibad. But the tutor so hid himself that none could hit upon his trace
+nor gain tidings of him; and folk said, "He was ashamed to appear before the
+King's majesty and the courtiers." Under these conditions the Sovereign heard
+some of those present saying, "Send the lad to the Serraglio where he will talk
+with the women and soon set aside this bashfulness;" and, approving their
+counsel, gave orders accordingly. So the Prince was led into the palace, which
+was compassed about by a running stream whose banks were planted with all
+manner of fruit-trees and sweet-smelling flowers. Moreover, in this palace were
+forty chambers and in every chamber ten slave-girls, each skilled in some
+instrument of music, so that whenever one of them played, the palace danced to
+her melodious strains. Here the Prince passed one night; but, on the following
+morning, the King's favourite concubine happened to cast eyes upon his beauty
+and loveliness, his symmetrical stature, his brilliancy and his perfect grace,
+and love gat hold of her heart and she was ravished with his charms.[FN#159] So
+she went up to him and threw herself upon him, but he made her no response;
+whereupon, being dazed by his beauty, she cried out to him and required him of
+himself and importuned him; then she again threw herself upon him and clasped
+him to her bosom kissing him and saying, "O King's son, grant me thy favours
+and I will set thee in thy father's stead; I will give him to drink of poison,
+so he may die and thou shalt enjoy his realm and wealth." When the Prince heard
+these words, he was sore enraged against her and said to her by signs, "O
+accursed one, so it please Almighty Allah, I will assuredly requite thee this
+thy deed, whenas I can speak; for I will go forth to my father and will tell
+him, and he shall kill thee." So signing, he arose in rage, and went out from
+her chamber; whereat she feared for herself. Thereupon she buffeted her face
+and rent her raiment and tare her hair and bared her head, then went in to the
+King and cast herself at his feet, weeping and wailing. When he saw her in this
+plight, he was sore concerned and asked her, "What aileth thee, O damsel? How
+is it with thy lord, my son? Is he not well?"; and she answered, "O King, this
+thy son, whom thy courtiers avouch to be dumb, required me of myself and I
+repelled him, whereupon he did with me as thou seest and would have slain me;
+so I fled from him, nor will I ever return to him, nor to the palace again, no,
+never again!" When the King heard this, he was wroth with exceeding wrath and,
+calling his seven Wazirs, bade them put the Prince to death. However, they said
+one to other, "If we do the King's commandment, he will surely repent of having
+ordered his son's death, for he is passing dear to him and this child came not
+to him save after despair; and he will round upon us and blame us, saying, 'Why
+did ye not contrive to dissuade me from slaying him?'" So they took counsel
+together, to turn him from his purpose, and the chief Wazir said, "I will
+warrant you from the King's mischief this day." Then he went in to the presence
+and prostrating himself craved leave to speak. The King gave him permission,
+and he said, "O King, though thou hadst a thousand sons, yet were it no light
+matter to thee to put one of them to death, on the report of a woman, be she
+true or be she false; and belike this is a lie and a trick of her against thy
+son; for indeed, O King, I have heard tell great plenty of stories of the
+malice, the craft and perfidy of women." Quoth the King, "Tell me somewhat of
+that which hath come to thy knowledge thereof." And the Wazir answered, saying,
+'Yes, there hath reached me, O King, a tale entituled
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap12"></a>The King and his Wazir's Wife.[FN#160]</h3>
+
+<p>
+There was once a King of the Kings, a potent man and a proud, who was devoted
+to the love of women and one day being in the privacy of his palace, he espied
+a beautiful woman on the terraceroof of her house and could not contain himself
+from falling consumedly in love with her.[FN#161] He asked his folk to whom the
+house and the damsel belonged and they said, "This is the dwelling of the Wazir
+such an one and she is his wife." So he called the Minister in question and
+despatched him on an errand to a distant part of the kingdom, where he was to
+collect information and to return; but, as soon as he obeyed and was gone, the
+King contrived by a trick to gain access to his house and his spouse. When the
+Wazir's wife saw him, she knew him and springing up, kissed his hands and feet
+and welcomed him. Then she stood afar off, busying herself in his service, and
+said to him, "O our lord, what is the cause of thy gracious coming? Such an
+honour is not for the like of me." Quoth he, "The cause of it is that love of
+thee and desire thee-wards have moved me to this. Whereupon she kissed ground
+before him a second time and said, "By Allah, O our lord, indeed I am not
+worthy to be the handmaid of one of the King's servants; whence then have I the
+great good fortune to be in such high honour and favour with thee?" Then the
+King put out his hand to her intending to enjoy her person, when she said,
+"This thing shall not escape us; but take patience, O my King, and abide with
+thy handmaid all this day, that she may make ready for thee somewhat to eat and
+drink." So the King sat down on his Minister's couch and she went in haste and
+brought him a book wherein he might read, whilst she made ready the food. He
+took the book and, beginning to read, found therein moral instances and
+exhortations, such as restrained him from adultery and broke his courage to
+commit sin and crime. After awhile, she returned and set before him some ninety
+dishes of different kinds of colours, and he ate a mouthful of each and found
+that, while the number was many, the taste of them was one. At this, he
+marvelled with exceeding marvel and said to her, "O damsel, I see these meats
+to be manifold and various, but the taste of them is simple and the same."
+"Allah prosper the King!" replied she, "this is a parable I have set for thee,
+that thou mayst be admonished thereby." He asked, "And what is its meaning?";
+and she answered, "Allah amend the case of our lord the King!; in thy palace
+are ninety concubines of various colours, but their taste is one."[FN#162] When
+the King heard this, he was ashamed and rising hastily, went out, without
+offering her any affront and returned to his palace; but, in his haste and
+confusion, he forgot his signet-ring and left it under the cushion where he had
+been sitting and albeit he remembered it he was ashamed to send for it. Now
+hardly had he reached home when the Wazir returned and, presenting himself
+before the King, kissed the ground and made his report to him of the state of
+the province in question. Then he repaired to his own house and sat down on his
+couch and chancing to put his hand under the cushion, behold, he found the
+King's seal-ring. So he knew it and taking the matter to heart, held aloof in
+great grief from his wife for a whole year, not going in unto her nor even
+speaking to her, whilst she knew not the reason of his anger. —And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Seventy-ninth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wazir held aloof from
+his wife, whilst she knew not the cause of his wrath. At last, being weary of
+the longsome neglect, she sent for her sire and told him the case; whereupon
+quoth he, "I will complain of him to the King, at some time when he is in the
+presence." So, one day, he went in to the King and, finding the Wazir and the
+Kazi of the army before him,[FN#163] complained thus saying, "Almighty Allah
+amend the King's case! I had a fair flower-garden, which I planted with mine
+own hand and thereon spent my substance till it bare fruit; and its fruitage
+was ripe for plucking, when I gave it to this thy Wazir, who ate of it what
+seemed good to him, then deserted it and watered it not, so that its bloom
+wilted and withered and its sheen departed and its state changed." Then said
+the Wazir, "O my King, this man saith sooth. I did indeed care for and guard
+the garden and kept it in good condition and ate thereof, till one day I went
+thither and I saw the trail of the lion there, wherefore I feared for my life
+and withdrew from the garden." The King understood him that the trail of the
+lion meant his own seal-ring, which he had forgotten in the woman's house; so
+he said, "Return, O Wazir, to thy flower-garden and fear nothing, for the lion
+came not near it. It hath reached me that he went thither; but, by the honour
+of my fathers and forefathers, he offered it no hurt." "Hearkening and
+obedience," answered the Minister and, returning home sent for his wife and
+made his peace with her and thenceforth put faith in her chastity. "This I tell
+thee, O King (continued the Wazir), for no other purpose save to let thee know
+how great is their craft and how precipitancy bequeatheth repentance.[FN#164]
+And I have also heard the following
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap13"></a>Story of the Confectioner, his Wife, and the Parrot.</h3>
+
+<p>
+Once upon a time there dwelt in Egypt a confectioner who had a wife famed for
+beauty and loveliness; and a parrot which, as occasion required, did the office
+of watchman and guard, bell and spy, and flapped her wings did she but hear a
+fly buzzing about the sugar. This parrot caused abundant trouble to the wife,
+always telling her husband what took place in his absence. Now one evening,
+before going out to visit certain friends, the confectioner gave the bird
+strict injunctions to watch all night and bade his wife make all fast, as he
+should not return until morning. Hardly had he left the door than the woman
+went for her old lover, who returned with her and they passed the night
+together in mirth and merriment, while the parrot observed all. Betimes in the
+morning the lover fared forth and the husband, returning, was informed by the
+parrot of what had taken place; whereupon he hastened to his wife's room and
+beat her with a painful beating. She thought in herself, "Who could have
+informed against me?" and she asked a woman that was in her confidence whether
+it was she. The woman protested by the worlds visible and invisible that she
+had not betrayed her mistress; but informed her that on the morning of his
+return home, the husband had stood some time before the cage listening to the
+parrot's talk. When the wife heard this, she resolved to contrive the
+destruction of the bird. Some days after, the husband was again invited to the
+house of a friend where he was to pass the night; and, before departing, he
+enjoined the parrot with the same injunctions as before; wherefore his heart
+was free from care, for he had his spy at home. The wife and her confidante
+then planned how they might destroy the credit of the parrot with the master.
+For this purpose they resolved to counterfeit a storm; and this they did by
+placing over the parrot's head a hand-mill (which the lover worked by pouring
+water upon a piece of hide), by waving a fan and by suddenly uncovering a
+candle hid under a dish. Thus did they raise such a tempest of rain and
+lightning, that the parrot was drenched and half-drowned in a deluge. Now
+rolled the thunder, then flashed the lightning; that from the noise of the
+hand-mill, this from the reflection of the candle; when thought the parrot to
+herself, "In very sooth the flood hath come on, such an one as belike Noah
+himself never witnessed." So saying she buried her head under her wing, a prey
+to terror. The husband, on his return, hastened to the parrot to ask what had
+happened during his absence; and the bird answered that she found it impossible
+to describe the deluge and tempest of the last night; and that years would be
+required to explain the uproar of the hurricane and storm. When the shopkeeper
+heard the parrot talk of last night's deluge, he said: "Surely O bird, thou art
+gone clean daft! Where was there, even in a dream, rain or lightning last
+night? Thou hast utterly ruined my house and ancient family. My wife is the
+most virtuous woman of the age and all thine accusations of her are lies." So
+in his wrath he dashed the cage upon the ground, tore off the parrot's head,
+and threw it from the window. Presently his friend, coming to call upon him,
+saw the parrot in this condition with head torn off, and without wings or
+plumage. Being informed of the circumstances he suspected some trick on the
+part of the woman, and said to the husband, "When your wife leaves home to go
+to the Hammam-bath, compel her confidante to disclose the secret." So as soon
+as his wife went out, the husband entered his Harim and insisted on the woman
+telling him the truth. She recounted the whole story and the husband now
+bitterly repented having killed the parrot, of whose innocence he had proof.
+"This I tell thee, O King (continued the Wazir), that thou mayst know how great
+are the craft and malice of women and that to act in haste leadeth to repent at
+leisure." So the King turned from slaying his son: but, next day, the favourite
+came in to him and, kissing the ground before him, said, "O King, why dost thou
+delay to do me justice? Indeed, the Kings have heard that thou commandest a
+thing and thy Wazir countermandeth it. Now the obedience of Kings is in the
+fulfilment of their commandments, and every one knows thy justice and equity:
+so do thou justice for me on the Prince. I also have heard tell a tale
+concerning
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap14"></a>The Fuller and his Son.</h3>
+
+<p>
+There was once a man which was a fuller, and he used every day to go forth to
+the Tigris-bank a-cleaning clothes; and his son was wont to go with him that he
+might swim whilst his father was fulling, nor was he forbidden from this. One
+day, as the boy was swimming,[FN#165] he was taken with cramp in the forearms
+and sank, whereupon the fuller plunged into the water and caught hold of him;
+but the boy clung about him and pulled him down and so father and son were both
+drowned. "Thus it is with thee, O King. Except thou prevent thy son and do me
+justice on him, I fear lest both of you sink together, thou and he."—And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it Was the Five Hundred and Eightieth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the favourite had
+told her tale of the Fuller and his son, she ended with, "I fear lest both of
+you sink together, thou and he. Moreover," continued she, "for an instance of
+the malice of men, I have heard tell a tale concerning
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap15"></a>The Rake's Trick against the Chaste Wife.</h3>
+
+<p>
+A certain man loved a beautiful and lovely woman, a model of charms and grace,
+married to a man whom she loved and who loved her. Moreover, she was virtuous
+and chaste, like unto me, and her rake of a lover found no way to her; so when
+his patience was at an end, he devised a device to win his will. Now the
+husband had a young man, whom he had brought up in his house and who was in
+high trust with him as his steward. So the rake addressed himself to the youth
+and ceased not insinuating himself into his favour by presents and fair words
+and deeds, till he became more obedient to him than the hand to the mouth and
+did whatever he ordered him. One day, he said to him, "Harkye, such an one;
+wilt thou not bring me into the family dwelling-place some time when the lady
+is gone out?" "Yes," answered the young steward so, when his master was at the
+shop and his mistress gone forth to the Hammam, he took his friend by the hand
+and, bringing him into the house, showed him the sitting-rooms and all that was
+therein. Now the lover was determined to play a trick upon the woman; so he
+took the white of an egg which he had brought with him in a vessel, and spilt
+it on the merchant's bedding, unseen by the young man; after which he returned
+thanks and leaving the house went his way. In an hour or so the merchant came
+home; and, going to the bed to rest himself, found thereon something wet. So he
+took it up in his hand and looked at it and deemed it man's seed; whereat he
+stared at the young man with eyes of wrath, and asked him, "Where is thy
+mistress?"; and he answered, "She is gone forth to the Hammam and will return
+forthright after she has made her ablutions."[FN#166] When the man heard this,
+his suspicion concerning the semen was confirmed; and he waxed furious and
+said, "Go at once and bring her back." The steward accordingly fetched her and
+when she came before her husband, the jealous man sprang upon her and beat her
+a grievous beating; then, binding her arms behind her, offered to cut her
+throat with a knife; but she cried out to the neighbours, who came to her, and
+she said to them, "This my man hath beaten me unjustly and without cause and is
+minded to kill me, though I know not what is mine offence." So they rose up and
+asked him, "Why hast thou dealt thus by her?" And he answered, "She is
+divorced." Quoth they, "Thou hast no right to maltreat her; either divorce her
+or use her kindly, for we know her prudence and purity and chastity. Indeed,
+she hath been our neighbour this long time and we wot no evil of her." Quoth
+he, "When I came home, I found on my bed seed like human sperm, and I know not
+the meaning of this." Upon this a little boy, one of those present, came
+forward and said, "Show it to me, nuncle mine!" When he saw it, he smelt it
+and, calling for fire and a frying-pan, he took the white of egg and cooked it
+so that it became solid. Then he ate of it and made the husband and the others
+taste if it, and they were certified that it was white of egg. So the husband
+was convinced that he had sinned against his wife's innocence, she being clear
+of all offence, and the neighbours made peace between them after the divorce,
+and he prayed her pardon and presented her with an hundred gold pieces. And so
+the wicked lover's cunning trick came to naught. "And know, O King, that this
+is an instance of the malice of men and their perfidy." When the King heard
+this, he bade his son be slain; but on the next day the second Wazir came
+forward for intercession and kissed ground in prostration. Whereupon the King
+said, "Raise thy head: prostration must be made to Allah only."[FN#167] So the
+Minister rose from before him and said, "O King, hasten not to slay thy son,
+for he was not granted to his mother by the Almighty but after despair, nor
+didst thou expect such good luck; and we hope that he will live to become a
+guerdon to thy reign and a guardian of thy good. Wherefore, have patience, O
+King; belike he will offer a fit excuse; and, if thou make haste to slay him,
+thou wilt surely repent, even as the merchant-wight repented." Asked the King,
+"And how was it with the merchant, O Wazir?"; and the Wazir answered, "O King,
+I have heard a tale of
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap16"></a>The Miser and the Loaves of Bread.</h3>
+
+<p>
+There was once a merchant, who was a niggard and miserly in his eating and
+drinking. One day, he went on a journey to a certain town and as he walked in
+the market-streets, behold, he met an old trot with two scones of bread which
+looked sound and fair, He asked her, "Are these for sale?"; and she answered,
+"Yes!" So he beat her down and bought them at the lowest price and took them
+home to his lodging, where he ate them that day. When morning morrowed, he
+returned to the same place and, finding the old woman there with other two
+scones, bought these also; and thus he ceased not during twenty-five days'
+space when the old wife disappeared. He made enquiry for her, but could hear no
+tidings of her, till, one day as he was walking about the high streets, he
+chanced upon her: so he accosted her and, after the usual salutation and with
+much praise and politeness, asked why she had disappeared from the market and
+ceased to supply the two cakes of bread? Hearing this, at first she evaded
+giving him a reply; but he conjured her to tell him her case; so she said,
+"Hear my excuse, O my lord, which is that I was attending upon a man who had a
+corroding ulcer on his spine, and his doctor bade us knead flour with butter
+into a plaster and lay it on the place of pain, where it abode all night. In
+the morning, I used to take that flour and turn it into dough and make it into
+two scones, which I cooked and sold to thee or to another; but presently the
+man died and I was cut off from making cakes."[FN#168] When the merchant heard
+this, he repented whenas repentance availed him naught, saying, "Verily, we are
+Allah's and verily unto Him we are returning! There is no Majesty and there is
+no Might save in Him, the Glorious, the Great!" —And Shahrazad perceived the
+dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-first Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the old trot told
+the merchant the provenance of the scones, he cried, "There is no Majesty and
+there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!" And he repeated the
+saying of the Most High, "Whatever evil falleth to thee it is from
+thyself;"[FN#169] and vomited till he fell sick and repented whenas repentance
+availed him naught. "Moreover, O King" (continued the second Wazir), "I have
+heard tell, of the malice of women, a tale of
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap17"></a>The Lady and her Two Lovers.</h3>
+
+<p>
+Once upon a time there was a man, who was sword-bearer to one of the Kings, and
+he loved a damsel of the common sort. One day, he sent his page to her with a
+message, as of wont between them, and the lad sat down with her and toyed with
+her. She inclined to him and pressed him to her breast and groped him and
+kissed him whereupon he sought carnal connection of her and she consented; but,
+as the two were thus, lo! the youth's master knocked at the door. So she pushed
+the page through a trapdoor into an underground chamber there and opened the
+door to his lord, who entered hending sword in hand and sat down upon her bed.
+Then she came up to him and sported and toyed with him, kissing him and
+pressing him to her bosom, and he took her and lay with her. Presently, her
+husband knocked at the door and the gallant asked her, "Who is that?"; whereto
+she answered, "My husband." Quoth he, "How shall I do?" Quoth she, "Draw thy
+sword and stand in the vestibule and abuse me and revile me; and when my
+husband comes in to thee, do thou go forth and wend thy ways." He did as she
+bade him; and, when the husband entered, he saw the King's sword-bearer
+standing with naked brand in hand, abusing and threatening his wife; but, when
+the lover saw him, he was ashamed and sheathing his scymitar, went forth the
+house. Said the man to his wife, "What means this?"; and she replied, "O man,
+how blessed is the hour of thy coming! Thou hast saved a True Believer from
+slaughter, and it happed after this fashion. I was on the house-terrace,
+spinning,[FN#170] when behold, there came up to me a youth, distracted and
+panting for fear of death, fleeing from yonder man, who followed upon him as
+hard as he could with his drawn sword. The young man fell down before me, and
+kissed my hands and feet, saying, "O Protector, of thy mercy, save me from him
+who would slay me wrongously!" So I hid him in that underground chamber of ours
+and presently in came yonder man to me, naked brand in hand, demanding the
+youth. But I denied him to him, whereupon he fell to abusing and threatening me
+as thou sawest. And praised be Allah who sent thee to me, for I was distraught
+and had none to deliver me!" "Well hast thou done, O woman!" answered the
+husband. "Thy reward is with Allah the Almighty, and may He abundantly requite
+thy good deed!" Then he went to the trap door and called to the page, saying,
+"Come forth and fear not; no harm shall befal thee." So he came out, trembling
+for fear, and the husband said, "Be of good cheer: none shall I hurt thee;"
+condoling with him on what had befallen him; whilst the page called down
+blessings on his head. Then they both went forth, nor was that Cornuto nor was
+the page aware of that which the woman had contrived. "This, then, O King,"
+said the Wazir, "is one of the tricks of women; so beware lest thou rely upon
+their words." The King was persuaded and turned from putting his son to death;
+but, on the third day, the favourite came in to him and, kissing the ground
+before him, cried, "O King, do me justice on thy son and be not turned from thy
+purpose by thy Ministers' prate, for there is no good in wicked Wazirs, and be
+not as the King of Baghdad, who relied on the word of a certain wicked
+counsellor of his." Quoth he, "And how was that?" Quoth she, "There hath been
+told me, O auspicious and well-advised King, a tale of
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap18"></a>The Kings Son and the Ogress.[FN#171]</h3>
+
+<p>
+A certain King had a son, whom he loved and favoured with exceeding favour,
+over all his other children; and this son said to him one day, "O my father, I
+have a mind to fare a-coursing and a-hunting." So the King bade furnish him and
+commanded one of his Wazirs to bear him company and do all the service he
+needed during his trip. The Minister accordingly took everything that was
+necessary for the journey and they set out with a retinue of eunuchs and
+officers and pages, and rode on, sporting as they went, till they came to a
+green and well-grassed champaign abounding in pasture and water and game. Here
+the Prince turned to the Minister and told him that the place pleased him and
+he purposed to halt there. So they set down in that site and they loosed the
+falcons and lynxes and dogs and caught great plenty of game, whereat they
+rejoiced and abode there some days, in all joyance of life and its delight.
+Then the King's son gave the signal for departure; but, as they went along, a
+beautiful gazelle, as if the sun rose shining from between her horns, that had
+strayed from her mate, sprang up before the Prince, whereupon his soul longed
+to make prize of her and he coveted her. So he said to the Wazir, "I have a
+mind to follow that gazelle;" and the Minister replied, "Do what seemeth good
+to thee." Thereupon the Prince rode single-handed after the gazelle, till he
+lost sight of his companions, and chased her all that day till dusk, when she
+took refuge in a bit of rocky ground[FN#172] and darkness closed in upon him.
+Then he would have turned back, but knew not the way; whereat he was sore
+concerned and said, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah,
+the Glorious, the Great!" He sat his mare all night till morning dawned, in
+quest of relief, but found none; and, when the day appeared, he fared on at
+hazard fearful, famished, thirsty, and knowing not whither to wend till it was
+noon and the sun beat down upon him with burning heat. By that time he came in
+sight of a great city, with massive base and lofty bulwarks; but it was ruined
+and desolate, nor was there any live thing therein save owl and raven. As he
+stood among the buildings, marvelling at their ordinance, lo! his eyes fell on
+a damsel, young, beautiful and lovely, sitting under one of the city walls
+wailing and weeping copious tears. So he drew nigh to her and asked, "Who art
+thou and who brought thee hither?" She answered, "I am called Bint al-Tamimah,
+daughter of Al-Tiyakh, King of the Gray Country. I went out one day to obey a
+call of nature,[FN#173] when an Ifrit of the Jinn snatched me up and soared
+with me between heaven and earth; but as he flew there fell on him a
+shooting-star in the form of a flame of fire and burned him, and I dropped
+here, where these three days I have hungered and thirsted; but when I saw thee
+I longed for life." —And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
+her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-second Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Prince when addressed
+by the daughter of King Al-Tiyakh who said to him, "When I saw thee I longed
+for life," was smitten with ruth and grief for her and took her up on his
+courser's crupper, saying, "Be of good cheer and keep thine eyes cool and
+clear; for, if Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) restore me to my people and
+family, I will send thee back to thine own folk." Then he rode on, praying for
+deliverance, and presently the damsel said to him, "O King's son, set me down,
+that I may do an occasion under this wall." So he drew bridle and she alighted.
+He waited for her a long while as she hid herself behind the wall; and she came
+forth, with the foulest of favours; which when he saw, his hair stood on end
+and he quaked for fear of her and he turned deadly pale. Then she sprang up on
+his steed, behind him, wearing the most loathly of aspects, and presently she
+said to him, "O King's son, what ails thee that I see thee troubled and thy
+favour changed?" "I have bethought me of somewhat that troubles me." "Seek aid
+against it of thy father's troops and his braves." "He whom I fear careth
+naught for troops, neither can braves affright him." "Aid thyself against him
+with thy father's monies and treasures." "He whom I fear will not be satisfied
+with wealth." "Ye hold that ye have in Heaven a God who seeth and is not seen
+and is Omnipotent and Omniscient." "Yes, we have none but Him." "Then pray thou
+to Him; haply He will deliver thee from me thine enemy!" So the King's son
+raised his eyes to heaven and began to pray with his whole heart, saying, "O my
+God, I implore Thy succour against that which troubleth me." Then he pointed to
+her with his hand, and she fell to the ground, burnt black as charcoal.
+Therewith he thanked Allah and praised Him and ceased not to fare forwards; and
+the Almighty (extolled and exalted be He!) of His grace made the way easy to
+him and guided him into the right road, so that he reached his own land and
+came upon his father's capital, after he had despaired of life. Now all this
+befel by the contrivance of the Wazir, who travelled with him, to the end that
+he might cause him to perish on the way; but Almighty Allah succoured him. "And
+this" (said the damsel) "have I told thee, O King, that thou mayst know that
+wicked Wazirs deal not honestly by nor counsel with sincere intent their Kings;
+wherefore be thou wise and ware of them in this matter." The King gave ear to
+her speech and bade put his son to death; but the third Wazir came in and said
+to his brother Ministers, "I will warrant you from the King's mischief this
+day" and, going in to him, kissed the ground between his hands and said, "O
+King, I am thy true counsellor and solicitous for thee and for thine estate,
+and indeed I rede thee the best of rede; it is that thou hasten not to slay thy
+son, the coolth of thine eyes and the fruit of thy vitals. Haply his sin is but
+a slight slip, which this damsel hath made great to thee; and indeed I have
+heard tell that the people of two villages once destroyed one another, because
+of a drop of honey." Asked the King, "How was that?"; and the Wazir answered,
+saying, "Know, O King, that I have heard this story anent
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap19"></a>The Drop of Honey.[FN#174]</h3>
+
+<p>
+A certain hunter used to chase wild beasts in wold, and one day he came upon a
+grotto in the mountains, where he found a hollow full of bees' honey. So he
+took somewhat thereof in a water-skin he had with him and, throwing it over his
+shoulder, carried it to the city, followed by a hunting dog which was dear to
+him. He stopped at the shop of an oilman and offered him the honey for sale and
+he bought it. Then he emptied it out of the skin, that he might see it, and in
+the act a drop fell to the ground, whereupon the flies flocked to it and a bird
+swooped down upon the flies. Now the oilman had a cat, which sprang upon the
+bird, and the huntsman's dog, seeing the cat, sprang upon it and slew it;
+whereupon the oilman sprang upon the dog and slew it, and the huntsman in turn
+sprang upon the oilman and slew him. Now the oilman was of one village and the
+huntsman of another; and when the people of the two places heard what had
+passed, they took up arms and weapons and rose one on other in wrath and the
+two lines met; nor did the sword leave to play amongst them, till there died of
+them much people, none knoweth their number save Almighty Allah. "And amongst
+other stories of the malice of women" (continued the Wazir) "I have heard tell,
+O King, one concerning
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap20"></a>The Woman who made her Husband Sift Dust.[FN#175]</h3>
+
+<p>
+A man once gave his wife a dirham to buy rice; so she took it and went to the
+rice-seller, who gave her the rice and began to jest with her and ogle her, for
+she was dowered with beauty and loveliness, saying, "Rice is not good but with
+sugar which if thou wilt have, come in with me for an hour." So, saying, "Give
+me sugar," she went in with him into his shop and he won his will of her and
+said to his slave, "Weigh her out a dirham's worth of sugar." But he made the
+slave a privy sign, and the boy, taking the napkin, in which was the rice,
+emptied it out and put in earth and dust in its stead, and for the sugar set
+stones, after which he again knotted up the napkin and left it by her. His
+object, in doing this, was that she should come to him a second time; so, when
+she went forth of the shop, he gave her the napkin and she took it, thinking to
+have in it rice and sugar, and ganged her gait; but when she returned home and,
+setting it before her husband, went for a cooking-pot, he found in it earth and
+stones. So, as soon as she came back bringing the pot, he said to her, "Did I
+tell thee I had aught to build, that thou bringest me earth and stones?" When
+she saw this; she knew that the rice-seller's slave had tricked her; so she
+said to her husband, "O man, in my trouble of mind for what hath befallen me, I
+went to fetch the sieve and brought the cooking-pot." "What hath troubled
+thee?" asked he; and she answered, "O husband, I dropped the dirham thou gavest
+me in the market-street and was ashamed to search for it before the folk; yet I
+grudged to lose the silver, so I gathered up the earth from the place where it
+fell and brought it away, thinking to sift it at home. Wherefore I went to
+fetch the sieve, but brought the cooking-pot instead." Then she fetched the
+sieve and gave it to her husband, saying, "Do thou sift it; for thine eyes are
+sharper than mine." Accordingly he sat, sifting the clay, till his face and
+beard were covered with dust; and he discovered not her trick, neither knew
+what had befallen her. "This then, O King," said the Wazir, "is an instance of
+the malice of women, and consider the saying of Allah Almighty, "Surely the
+cunning of you (women) is great!'[FN#176] And again, 'Indeed, the malice of
+Satan is weak in comparison with the malice of women.'"[FN#177] The King gave
+ear to his Wazir's speech and was persuaded thereby and was satisfied by what
+he cited to him of the signs of Allah[FN#178]; and the lights of good counsel
+arose and shone in the firmament of his understanding and he turned from his
+purpose of slaying his son. But on the fourth day, the favourite came in to him
+weeping and wailing and, kissing the ground before him, said, "O auspicious
+King, and lord of good rede, I have made plainly manifest to thee my grievance
+and thou hast dealt unjustly by me and hast forborne to avenge me on him who
+hath wronged me, because he is thy son and the darling of thy heart; but Allah
+(extolled and exalted be He!) will presently succour me against him, even as He
+succoured the King's son against his father's Wazir." "And how was that?" asked
+the King; and she answered, "I have heard tell, O King, a tale of
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap21"></a>The Enchanted String.[FN#179]</h3>
+
+<p>
+There was once in times gone by a King who had one son and none other; and,
+when the Prince grew up to man's estate, he contracted him in marriage to
+another King's daughter. Now the damsel was a model of beauty and grace and her
+uncle's son had sought her in wedlock of her sire, but she would none of him.
+So, when he knew that she was to be married to another, envy and jealousy gat
+hold of him and he bethought himself and sent a noble present to the Wazir of
+the bridegroom's father and much treasure, desiring him to use craft for
+slaying the Prince or contrive to make him leave his intent of espousing the
+girl and adding, "O Wazir, indeed jealousy moveth me to this for she is my
+cousin."[FN#180] The Wazir accepted the present and sent an answer, saying, "Be
+of good cheer and of eyes cool and clear, for I will do all that thou wishest."
+Presently, the bride's father wrote to the Prince, bidding him to his capital,
+that he might go in to his daughter; whereupon the King his father gave him
+leave to wend his way thither, sending with him the bribed Wazir and a thousand
+horse, besides presents and litters, tents and pavilions. The Minister set out
+with the Prince, plotting the while in his heart to do him a mischief; and when
+they came into the desert, he called to mind a certain spring of running water
+in the mountains there, called Al-Zahra,[FN#181] whereof whosoever drank from a
+man became a woman. So he called a halt of the troops near the fountain and
+presently mounting steed again, said to the Prince, "Hast thou a mind to go
+with me and look upon a spring of water near hand?" The Prince mounted, knowing
+not what should befal him in the future,[FN#182] and they rode on, unattended
+by any, and without stopping till they came to the spring. The Prince being
+thirsty said to the Wazir, "O Minister, I am suffering from drouth," and the
+other answered, "Get thee down and drink of this spring!" So he alighted and
+washed his hands and drank, when behold, he straightway became a woman. As soon
+as he knew what had befallen him, he cried out and wept till he fainted away,
+and the Wazir came up to him as if to learn what had befallen him and cried,
+"What aileth thee?" So he told him what had happened, and the Minister feigned
+to condole with him and weep for his affliction, saying, "Allah Almighty be thy
+refuge in thine affliction! How came this calamity upon thee and this great
+misfortune to betide thee, and we carrying thee with joy and gladness, that
+thou mightest go in to the King's daughter? Verily, now I know not whether we
+shall go to her or not; but the rede[FN#183] is thine. What dost thou command
+me to do?" Quoth the Prince, "Go back to my sire and tell him what hath betided
+me, for I will not stir hence till this matter be removed from me or I die in
+my regret." So he wrote a letter to his father, telling him what had happened,
+and the Wazir took it and set out on his return to the city, leaving what
+troops he had with the Prince and inwardly exulting for the success of his
+plot. As soon as he reached the King's capital, he went in to him and, telling
+him what had passed, delivered the letter. The King mourned for his son with
+sore mourning and sent for the wise men and masters of esoteric science, that
+they might discover and explain to him this thing which had befallen his son,
+but none could give him an answer. Then the Wazir wrote to the lady's cousin,
+conveying to him the glad news of the Prince's misfortune, and he when he read
+the letter rejoiced with great joy and thought to marry the Princess and
+answered the Minister sending him rich presents and great store of treasure and
+thanking him exceedingly. Meanwhile, the Prince abode by the stream three days
+and three nights, eating not nor drinking and committing himself, in his
+strait, unto Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) who disappointeth not whoso
+relieth on him. On the fourth night, lo! there came to him a cavalier on a
+bright-bay steed[FN#184] with a crown on his head, as he were of the sons of
+the Kings, and said to him, "Who brought thee hither, O youth?" The Prince told
+him his mishap, how he was wending to his wedding, and how the Wazir had led
+him to a spring whereof he drank and incurred what had occurred; and as he
+spoke his speech was broken by tears. Having heard him the horseman pitied his
+case and said, "It was thy father's Wazir who cast thee into this strait, for
+no man alive save he knoweth of this spring;" presently adding, "Mount thee
+behind me and come with me to my dwelling, for thou art my guest this night."
+"Acquaint me who thou art ere I fare with thee," quoth the Prince; and quoth
+the other, "I am a King's son of the Jánn, as thou a King's son of mankind; so
+be of good cheer and keep thine eyes clear of tear, for I will surely do away
+thy cark and care; and this is a slight thing unto me." So the Prince mounted
+him behind the stranger, and they rode on, leaving the troops, from the first
+of the day till midnight, when the King's son of the Jinn asked the Prince,
+"Knowest thou how many days' march we have covered in this time?" "Not I." "We
+have come a full year's journey for a diligent horseman." The Prince marvelled
+at this and said, "How shall I do to return to my people?" "That is not thine
+affair, but my business. As soon as thou art quit of thy complaint, thou shalt
+return to thy people in less than the twinkling of an eye; for that is an easy
+matter to me." When the Prince heard these words he was ready to fly for excess
+of joy; it seemed to him as he were in the imbroglio of a dream and he
+exclaimed, "Glory be to Him who can restore the unhappy to happiness!"—And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-third Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Prince of the Jinn
+said to the Prince of mankind, "When thou art quit of thy complaint, thou shalt
+return to thy folk in less than the twinkling of an eye;" and the King's son
+rejoiced. They fared on all that night till the morning morrowed when lo! they
+found themselves in a green and smiling country, full of trees spireing and
+birds quiring and garths fruit-growing and palaces highshowing and waters
+a-flowing and odoriferous flowers a-blowing. Here the King's son of the Jinn
+alighted from his steed and, bidding the Prince do the like, took him by the
+hand and carried him into one of the palaces, where he found a great King and
+puissant Sultan; and abode with him all that day eating and drinking, till
+nightfall. Then the King's son of the Jinn mounted his courser and taking the
+Prince up behind him, fared on swiftly through the murks and glooms until
+morning, when lo, they found themselves in a dark land and a desert, full of
+black rocks and stones, as it were a piece of Hell; and the Prince asked the
+Jinni, "What is the name of this land?" Answered the other, "It is called the
+Black Country, and belongs to one of the Kings of the Jinn, by name Zu'l
+Janahayn, against whom none of the other Kings may prevail, neither may any
+enter his dominions save by his permit; so tarry thou here, whilst I go ask
+leave." So saying, he went away and, returning after awhile, they fared on
+again, till they landed at a spring of water welling forth of a black rock, and
+the King's son of the Jinn said to the King's son of men, "Alight!" He
+dismounted and the other cried, "Drink of this water!" So he drank of the
+spring without stay or delay; and, no sooner had he done so than, by grace of
+Allah, he became a man as before. At this he joyed with exceeding joy and asked
+the Jinni, "O my brother, how is this spring called?" Answered the other, "It
+is called the Women's Spring, for that no woman drinketh thereof but she
+becometh a man: wherefore do thou praise Allah the Most High and thank Him for
+thy restoration and mount." So the Prince prostrated himself in gratitude to
+the Almighty, after which he mounted again and they fared on diligently all
+that day, till they returned to the Jinni's home, where the Prince passed the
+night in all solace of life. They spent the next day in eating and drinking
+till nightfall, when the King's son of the Jinn asked the Prince, "Hast thou a
+mind to return to thy people this very night?" "Yes," he answered; "for indeed
+I long for them." Then the Jinni called one of his father's slaves,
+Rajiz[FN#185] hight, and said to him, "Take this young man mounted on thy
+shoulders, and let not the day dawn ere he be with his father-in-law and his
+wife." Replied the slave, "Hearkening and obedience, and with love and
+gladness, and upon my head and eyes!" then, withdrawing awhile, re-appeared in
+the form of an Ifrit. When the Prince saw this, he lost his senses for
+affright, but the Jinni said to him, "Fear not; no harm shall befal thee. Mount
+thy horse and leap him on to the Ifrit's shoulders." "Nay," answered he, "I
+will leave my horse with thee and bestride his shoulders myself." So he
+bestrode the Ifrit's shoulders and, when the Jinni cried, "Close thine eyes, O
+my lord, and be not a craven!" he strengthened his heart and shut his eyes.
+Thereupon the Ifrit rose with him into the air and ceased not to fly between
+sky and earth, whilst the Prince was unconscious, nor was the last third of the
+night come before he alighted down with him on the terrace-roof of his
+father-in-law's palace. Then said the Ifrit, "Dismount and open thine eyes; for
+this is the palace of thy father-in-law and his daughter." So he came down and
+the Ifrit flew away and left him on the roof of the palace. When the day broke
+and the Prince recovered from his troubles, he descended into the palace and as
+his father-in-law caught sight of him, he came to meet him and marvelled to see
+him descend from the roof of the palace, saying, "We see folk enter by the
+doors; but thou comest from the skies." Quoth the Prince, "Whatso Allah (may He
+be extolled and exalted!) willeth that cometh to pass." And he told him all
+that had befallen him, from first to last, whereat the King marvelled and
+rejoiced in his safety; and, as soon as the sun rose, bade his Wazir make ready
+splendid bride-feasts. So did he and they held the marriage festival: after
+which the Prince went in unto his bride and abode with her two months, then
+departed with her for his father's capital. As for the damsel's cousin, he died
+forthright of envy and jealousy. When the Prince and his bride drew near his
+father's city, the King came out to meet them with his troops and Wazirs, and
+so Allah (blessed and exalted be He!) enabled the Prince to prevail against his
+bride's cousin and his father's Minister. "And I pray the Almighty" (added the
+damsel) "to aid thee against thy Wazirs, O King, and I beseech thee to do me
+justice on thy son!" When the King heard this, he bade put his son to
+death;—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted
+say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When is was the Five Hundred and Eighty-forth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the favourite had
+told her tale to the King she said, "I beseech thee to do me justice by putting
+thy son to death." Now this was the fourth day, so the fourth Wazir entered
+and, kissing the ground before him, said, "Allah stablish and protect the King!
+O King, be deliberate in doing this thou art resolved upon, for the wise man
+doth naught till he hath considered the issue thereof, and the proverb saith,
+'Whoso looketh not to his actions' end, hath not the world to friend; and whoso
+acteth without consideration, there befalleth him what befel the Hammam-keeper
+with his wife.'" "And what betided him?" asked the King. And the Wazir
+answered, "I have heard tell, O King, a tale of the
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap22"></a>Wazir's Son and the Hammam-Keepeer's Wife."[FN#186]</h3>
+
+<p>
+There was once a bath-keeper, to whom resorted the notables of the folk and
+head men, and one day there came in to him a handsome youth of the sons of
+Wazirs who was fat and bulky of body. So he stood to serve him and when the
+young man put off his clothes[FN#187] he saw not his yard, for that it was
+hidden between his thighs, by reason of the excess of his fat, and there
+appeared thereof but what was like unto a filbert.[FN#188] At this the
+bath-keeper fell a-lamenting and smiting hand upon hand, which when the youth
+saw, he said to him, "What ails thee, O bath-keeper, to lament thus?" And he
+answered, saying, "O my lord, my lamentation is for thee, because thou art in
+sore straits, for all thy fair fortune and goodliness and exceeding comeliness,
+seeing thou hast naught wherewithal to do and receive delight, like unto other
+men." Quoth the youth, "Thou sayst sooth, but thou mindest me of somewhat I had
+forgotten." "What is that?" asked the bathkeeper, and the youth answered, "Take
+this gold piece and fetch me a pretty woman, that I may prove my nature on
+her." So he took the money and betaking himself to his wife, said to her, "O
+woman, there is come to me in the bath a young man of the sons of the Wazirs,
+as he were the moon on the fullest night; but he hath no prickle like other
+men, for that which he hath is but some small matter like unto a filbert. I
+lamented over his youth and he gave me this dinar and asked me to fetch him a
+woman on whom he might approve himself. Now thou art worthier of the money than
+another, and from this no harm shall betide us, for I will protect thee. So do
+thou sit with him awhile and laugh at him and take this dinar from him." So the
+good wife took the dinar and rising, adorned herself and donned the richest of
+her raiment. Now she was the fairest woman of her time. Then she went out with
+her husband and he carried her in to the Wazir's son in a privy place. When she
+came in to him, she looked at him and finding him a handsome youth, fair of
+favour as he were the moon at full, was confounded at his beauty and
+loveliness; and on like wise his heart and wit were amazed at the first sight
+of her and the sweetness of her smile. So he rose forthright and locking the
+door, took the damsel in his arms and pressed her to his bosom and they
+embraced, whereupon the young man's yard swelled and rose on end, as it were
+that of a jackass, and he rode upon her breast and futtered her, whilst she
+sobbed and sighed and writhed and wriggled under him. Now the bathkeeper was
+standing behind the door, awaiting what should betide between them, and he
+began to call her saying, "O Umm Abdillah, enough! Come out, for the day is
+long upon thy sucking child." Quoth the youth, "Go forth to thy boy and come
+back;" but quoth she, "If I go forth from thee, my soul will depart my body; as
+regards the child, so I must either leave him to die of weeping or let him be
+reared an orphan, without a mother." So she ceased not to abide with him till
+he had done his desire of her ten times running, while her husband stood at the
+door, calling her and crying out and weeping and imploring succour. But none
+came to aid him and he ceased not to do thus, saying, "I will slay myself!";
+till at last, finding no way of access to his wife, and being distraught with
+rage and jealousy, to hear her sighing and murmuring and breathing hard under
+the young man, he went up to the top of the bath and, casting himself down
+therefrom, died. "Moreover, O King" (continued the Wazir), "there hath reached
+me another story of the malice of women." "What is that?" asked the King, and
+the Wazir said, "Know, O King, that it is anent
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap23"></a>The Wife's Device to Cheat her Husband."</h3>
+
+<p>
+There was once a woman who had no equal in her day for beauty and loveliness
+and grace and perfection; and a certain lewd youth and an obscene setting eyes
+on her, fell in love with her and loved her with exceeding passion, but she was
+chaste and inclined not to adultery. It chanced one day that her husband went
+on a journey to a certain town, whereupon the young man fell to sending to her
+many times a day; but she made him no reply. At last, he resorted to an old
+woman, who dwelt hard by, and after saluting her he sat down and complained to
+her of his sufferings for love of the woman and his longing to enjoy her. Quoth
+she, "I will warrant thee this; no harm shall befal thee, for I will surely
+bring thee to thy desire, Inshallah, —an it please Allah the Most High!" At
+these words he gave her a dinar and went his way. When the morning morrowed she
+appeared before the woman and, renewing an old acquaintance with her, fell to
+visiting her daily, eating the undertime with her and the evening meal and
+carrying away food for her children. Moreover, she used to sport and jest with
+her, till the wife became corrupted[FN#189] and could not endure an hour
+without her company. Now she was wont, when she left the lady's house, to take
+bread and fat wherewith she mixed a little pepper and to feed a bitch, that was
+in that quarter; and thus she did day by day, till the bitch became fond of her
+and followed her wherever she went. One day she took a cake of dough and,
+putting therein an overdose of pepper, gave it to the bitch to eat, whereupon
+the beast's eyes began to shed tears, for the heat of the pepper, and she
+followed the old woman, weeping. When the lady saw this she was amazed and
+asked the ancient, "O my mother, what ails this bitch to weep?" Answered she,
+"Learn, O my heart's love, that hers is a strange story. Know that she was once
+a close friend of mine, a lovely and accomplished young lady, a model of
+comeliness and perfect grace. A young Nazarene of the quarter fell in love with
+her and his passion and pining increased on him, till he took to his pillow,
+and he sent to her times manifold, begging her to have compassion on him and
+show him mercy, but she refused, albeit I gave her good counsel, saying, "O my
+daughter, have pity on him and be kind and consent to all he wisheth." She gave
+no heed to my advice, until, the young man's patience failing him, he
+complained at last to one of his friends, who cast an enchantment on her and
+changed her human shape into canine form. When she saw what transformation had
+befallen her and that there was none to pity her case save myself, she came to
+my house and began to fawn on me and buss my hands and feet and whine and shed
+tears, till I recognised her and said to her, 'How often did I not warn thee?;
+but my advice profited thee naught.'"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
+and ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-fifth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the old trot related to
+the young lady the tale of the bitch and recounted the case in her cunning and
+deceit, with the view to gain her consent and said to her, "When the enchanted
+beast came to me and wept I reminded her, 'How often did I not warn thee?; but
+my advice profited thee naught.' However, O my daughter, seeing her misery, I
+had compassion on her case and kept her by me; and as often as she bethinketh
+herself of her former estate, she weepeth thus, in pity for herself." When the
+lady heard this, she was taken with great alarm and said, "O my mother, by
+Allah, thou affrightest me with this thy story." "Why so?" asked the old woman.
+Answered the lady, "Because a certain handsome young man fell in love with me
+and hath sent many times to me, but hitherto I have repelled him; and now I
+fear lest there befal me the like of what befel this bitch." "O my daughter,"
+rejoined the old woman, "look thou to what I counsel thee and beware of
+crossing me, for I am in great fear for thee. If thou know not his
+abiding-place, describe his semblance to me, that I may fetch him to thee, and
+let not any one's heart be angered against thee." So the lady described him to
+her, and she showed not to know him and said, "When I go out, I will ask after
+him." But when she left the lady, she went straight to the young man and said
+to him, "Be of good cheer, for I have played with the girl's wits; so to-morrow
+at noon wait thou at the head of the street, till I come and carry thee to her
+house, where thou shalt take thine ease with her the rest of the day and all
+night long." At this the young man rejoiced with exceeding joy and gave her two
+dinars, saying, "When I have won my wish of her, I will give thee ten gold
+pieces." Then she returned to the lady and said to her, "I have seen him and
+spoken with him on this matter. I found him exceeding wroth with thee and
+minded to do thee a harm, but I plied him with fair words till he agreed to
+come to-morrow at the time of the call to noon-prayer." When the lady heard
+this she rejoiced exceedingly and said, "O my mother, if he keep his promise, I
+will give thee ten dinars." Quoth the old woman, "Look to his coming from none
+but from me." When the next morn morrowed she said to the lady, "Make ready the
+early meal and forget not the wine and adorn thyself and don thy richest dress
+and decoration, whilst I go and fetch him to thee." So she clad herself in her
+finest finery and prepared food, whilst the old woman went out to look for the
+young man, who came not. So she went around searching for him, but could come
+by no news of him, and she said to herself, "What is to be done? Shall the food
+and drink she hath gotten ready be wasted and I lose the gold pieces she
+promised me? Indeed, I will not allow my cunning contrivance to come to naught,
+but will look her out another man and carry him to her." So she walked about
+the highways till her eyes fell on a pretty fellow, young and
+distinguished-looking, to whom the folk bowed and who bore in his face the
+traces of travel. She went up to him and saluting him, asked, "Hast thou a mind
+to meat and drink and a girl adorned and ready?" Answered he, "Where is this to
+be had?" "At home, in my house," rejoined she and carrying him to his own
+house, knocked at the door. The lady opened to them and ran in again, to make
+an end of her dressing and perfuming; whilst the wicked old woman brought the
+man, who was the husband and house-master, into the saloon and made him sit
+down congratulating herself on her cunning contrivance. Presently in walked the
+lady, who no sooner set eyes on her husband sitting by the old trot than she
+knew him and guessed how the case stood; nevertheless, she was not taken aback
+and without stay or delay bethought her of a device to hoodwink him. So she
+pulled off her outer boot and cried at her husband, "Is this how thou keepest
+the contract between us? How canst thou betray me and deal thus with me? Know
+that, when I heard of thy coming, I sent this old woman to try thee and she
+hath made thee fall into that against which I warned thee: so now I am
+certified of thine affair and that thou hast broken faith with me. I thought
+thee chaste and pure till I saw thee, with my own eyes, in this old woman's
+company and knew that thou didst frequent loose baggages." So saying, she fell
+to beating him with her slipper about the head, and crying out, "Divorce me!
+Divorce me!"; whilst he excused himself and swore to her, by Allah the Most
+High, that he had never in his life been untrue to her nor had done aught of
+that whereof she suspected him. But she stinted not to weep and scream and bash
+him, crying out and saying, "Come to my help, O Moslems!"; till he laid hold of
+her mouth with his hand and she bit it. Moreover, he humbled himself to her and
+kissed her hands and feet, whilst she would not be appeased and continued to
+cuff him. At last, she winked at the old woman to come and hold her hand from
+him. So she came up to her and kissed her hands and feet, till she made peace
+between them and they sat down together; whereupon the husband began to kiss
+her hands, saying, "Allah Almighty requite thee with all good, for that thou
+hast delivered me from her!" And the old woman marvelled at the wife's cunning
+and ready wit. "This, then, O King" (said the Wazir) "is one of many instances
+of the craft and malice and perfidy of women." When the King heard this story,
+he was persuaded by it and turned from his purpose to slay his son;— And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-sixth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the fourth Wazir had
+told his tale, the King turned from his purpose to slay his son; but, on the
+fifth day, the damsel came in to him hending a bowl of poison in hand, calling
+on Heaven for help and buffeting her cheeks and face, and said to him, "O King,
+either thou shalt do me justice and avenge me on thy son, or I will drink up
+this poison-cup and die, and the sin of my blood shall be on thy head at the
+Day of Doom. These thy Ministers accuse me of malice and perfidy, but there be
+none in the world more perfidious than men. Hast thou not heard the story of
+the Goldsmith and the Cashmere[FN#190] singing-girl?" "What befel the twain, O
+damsel?" asked the King; and she answered, saying, "There hath come to my
+knowledge, O august King, a tale of the
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap24"></a>Goldsmith and the Cashmere Singing-Girl.</h3>
+
+<p>
+There lived once, in a city of Persia a goldsmith who delighted in women and in
+drinking wine. One day, being in the house of one of his intimates, he saw
+painted on the wall the figure of a lutanist, a beautiful damsel, beholder
+never beheld a fairer or a more pleasant. He looked at the picture again and
+again, marvelling at its beauty, and fell so desperately in love with it, that
+he sickened for passion and came near to die. It chanced that one of his
+friends came to visit him and sitting down by his side, asked how he did and
+what ailed him, whereto the goldsmith answered, "O my brother, that which ails
+me is love, and it befel on this wise. I saw a figure of a woman painted on the
+house- wall of my brother such an one and became enamoured of it." Hereupon the
+other fell to blaming him and said, "This was of thy lack of wit; how couldst
+thou fall in love with a painted figure on a wall, that can neither harm nor
+profit, that seeth not neither heareth, that neither taketh nor withholdeth."
+Said the sick man, "He who painted yonder picture never could have limned it
+save after the likeness of some beautiful woman." "Haply," rejoined his friend,
+"he painted it from imagination." "In any case," replied the goldsmith, "here
+am I dying for love of the picture, and if there live the original thereof in
+the world, I pray Allah Most High to protect my life till I see her." When
+those who were present went out, they asked for the painter of the picture and,
+finding that he had travelled to another town, wrote him a letter, complaining
+of their comrade's case and enquiring whether he had drawn the figure of his
+own inventive talents or copied it from a living model; to which he replied, "I
+painted it after a certain singing-girl belonging to one of the Wazirs in the
+city of Cashmere in the land of Hind." When the goldsmith heard this, he left
+Persia for Cashmere-city, where he arrived after much travail. He tarried
+awhile there till one day he went and clapped up an acquaintance with a certain
+of the citizens who was a druggist, a fellow of a sharp wit, keen, crafty; and,
+being one even-tide in company with him, asked him of their King and his
+polity; to which the other answered, saying, "Well, our King is just and
+righteous in his governance, equitable to his lieges and beneficent to his
+commons and abhorreth nothing in the world save sorcerers; but, whenever a
+sorcerer or sorceress falls into his hands, he casteth them into a pit without
+the city and there leaveth them in hunger to die." Then he questioned him of
+the King's Wazirs, and the druggist told him of each Minister, his fashion and
+condition, till the talk came round to the singing-girl and he told him, "She
+belongeth to such a Wazir." The goldsmith took note of the Minister's abiding
+place and waited some days, till he had devised a device to his desire; and one
+night of rain and thunder and stormy winds, he provided himself with thieves'
+tackle and repaired to the house of the Wazir who owned the damsel. Here he
+hanged a rope-ladder with grappling-irons to the battlements and climbed up to
+the terrace-roof of the palace. Thence he descended to the inner court and,
+making his way into the Harim, found all the slave-girls lying asleep, each on
+her own couch; and amongst them reclining on a couch of alabaster and covered
+with a coverlet of cloth of gold a damsel, as she were the moon rising on a
+fourteenth night. At her head stood a candle of ambergris, and at her feet
+another, each in a candlestick of glittering gold, her brilliancy dimming them
+both; and under her pillow lay a casket of silver, wherein were her Jewels. He
+raised the coverlet and drawing near her, considered her straitly, and behold,
+it was the lutanist whom he desired and of whom he was come in quest. So he
+took out a knife and wounded her in the back parts, a palpable outer wound,
+whereupon she awoke in terror; but, when she saw him, she was afraid to cry
+out, thinking he came to steal her goods. So she said to him, "Take the box and
+what is therein, but slay me not, for I am in thy protection and under thy
+safe-guard[FN#191] and my death will profit thee nothing." Accordingly, he took
+the box and went away.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
+saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When is was the Five Hundred and Eighty-seventh Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the goldsmith had
+entered the Wazir's palace he wounded the damsel slightly in the back parts
+and, taking the box which contained her jewels, wended his way. And when
+morning morrowed he donned clothes after the fashion of men of learning and
+doctors of the law and, taking the jewel-case went in therewith to the King of
+the city, before whom he kissed the ground and said to him, "O King, I am a
+devout man; withal a loyal well-wisher to thee and come hither a pilgrim to thy
+court from the land of Khorasan, attracted by the report of thy just governance
+and righteous dealing with thy subjects and minded to be under thy standard. I
+reached this city at the last of the day and finding the gate locked and
+barred, threw me down to sleep without the walls; but, as I lay betwixt sleep
+and wake, behold, I saw four women come up; one riding on a broom-stick,
+another on a wine-jar, a third on an oven-peel and a fourth on a black
+bitch,[FN#192] and I knew that they were witches making for thy city. One of
+them came up to me and kicked me with her foot and beat me with a fox's tail
+she had in her hand, hurting me grievously, whereat I was wroth and smote her
+with a knife I had with me, wounding her in the back parts, as she turned to
+flee from me. When she felt the wound, she fled before me and in her flight let
+drop this casket, which I picked up and opening, found these costly jewels
+therein. So do thou take it, for I have no need thereof, being a wanderer in
+the mountains[FN#193] who hath rejected the world from my heart and renounced
+it and all that is in it, seeking only the face of Allah the Most High." Then
+he set the casket before the King and fared forth. The King opened the box and
+emptying out all the trinkets it contained, fell to turning them over with his
+hand, till he chanced upon a necklace whereof he had made gift to the Wazir to
+whom the girl belonged. Seeing this, he called the Minister in question and
+said to him, "This is the necklace I gave thee?" He knew it at first sight and
+answered, "It is; and I gave it to a singing girl of mine." Quoth the King,
+"Fetch that girl to me forthwith." So he fetched her to him, and he said,
+"Uncover her back parts and see if there be a wound therein or no." The Wazir
+accordingly bared her backside and finding a knife-wound there, said, "Yes, O
+my lord, there is a wound." Then said the King, "This is the witch of whom the
+devotee told me, and there can be no doubt of it," and bade cast her into the
+witches' well. So they carried her thither at once. As soon as it was night and
+the goldsmith knew that his plot had succeeded, he repaired to the pit, taking
+with him a purse of a thousand dinars, and, entering into converse with the
+warder, sat talking with him till a third part of the night was passed, when he
+broached the matter to him, saying, "Know, O my brother, that this girl is
+innocent of that they lay to her charge and that it was I brought this calamity
+upon her." Then he told him the whole story, first and last, adding, "Take, O
+my brother, this purse of a thousand dinars and give me the damsel, that I may
+carry her to my own land, for these gold pieces will profit thee more than
+keeping her in prison; moreover Allah will requite thee for us, and we too will
+both offer up prayers for thy prosperity and safety." When the warder heard
+this story, he marvelled with exceeding marvel at that device and its success;
+then taking the money, he delivered the girl to the goldsmith, conditioning
+that he should not abide one hour with her in the city. Thereupon the goldsmith
+took the girl and fared on with her, without ceasing, till he reached his own
+country and so he won his wish. "See, then, O King" (said the damsel), "the
+malice of men and their wiles. Now thy Wazirs hinder thee from doing me justice
+on thy son; but to-morrow we shall stand, both thou and I, before the Just
+Judge, and He shall do me justice on thee, O King." When the King heard this,
+he commanded to put his son to death; but the fifth Wazir came in to him and
+kissing the ground before him, said, "O mighty King, delay and hasten not to
+slay thy son: speed will oftentimes repentance breed; and I fear for thee lest
+thou repent, even as did the man who never laughed for the rest of his days."
+"And how was that, O Wazir?" asked the King. Quoth he, "I have heard tell, O
+King, this tale concerning
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap25"></a>The Man who never Laughed during the Rest of his Days.</h3>
+
+<p>
+There was once a man who was rich in lands and houses and monies and goods,
+eunuchs and slaves, and he died and went to the mercy of Allah the Most High;
+leaving a young son, who, when he grew up, gave himself to feasting and
+carousing and hearing music and singing and the loud laughter of parasites; and
+he wasted his substance in gifts and prodigality till he had squandered all the
+money his father left him, —And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
+to say her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-eighth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the young man, when he
+had squandered all the money his father had left him and naught thereof
+remained to him, betook himself to selling his slaves and handmaids, lands and
+houses and spent the proceeds on like wise, till he was reduced to beggary and
+must needs labour for his living. He abode thus a year's space, at the end of
+which time he was sitting one day under a wall, awaiting who should hire him
+when behold, there came up to him an old man of comely aspect and apparel and
+saluted him. The young man asked, "O uncle, hast thou known me aforetime?" and
+the other answered, "Not so, O my son, I know thee not at all, at all; but I
+see the trace of gentle breeding on thee despite thy present case." "O uncle, "
+rejoined the poor man, "needs must Fate and Fortune be accomplished; but, O
+uncle, O bright of blee, hast thou any occasion wherein thou wouldst employ
+me?" Said the other, "I wish, O my son, to employ thee in a slight matter."
+"What is it?" quoth the young man, and quoth the stranger, "We are eleven old
+men in one house, but we have none to serve us; so an thou wilt stay and take
+service with us, thou shalt have food and clothing to thy heart's content,
+besides what cometh to thee of coin and other good; and haply Allah will
+restore thee thy fortune by our means." Replied the youth, "Hearkening and
+obedience!" "But I have a condition to impose on thee." "What is that?" "O my
+son, it is that thou keep our secret in what thou seest us do, and if thou see
+us weep, that thou question us not of the cause of our weeping." "It is well, O
+uncle;" "Come with me, O my son, with the blessing of Allah Almighty." So he
+followed him to the bath, where the old man caused cleanse his body of the
+crusted dirt, after which he sent one to fetch a handsome garment of linen and
+clad him therein. Then he carried him to his company which was in his domicile
+and the youth found a house lofty and spacious and strongly builded, wherein
+were sitting-chambers facing one another; and saloons, in each one a fountain
+of water, with the birds warbling over it, and windows on every side, giving
+upon a fair garden within the house. The old man brought him into one of the
+parlours, which was variegated with many-coloured marbles, the ceiling thereof
+being decorated with ultramarine and glowing gold; and the floor bespread with
+silken carpets. Here he found ten Shaykhs in mourning apparel, seated one
+opposite other, weeping and wailing. He marvelled at their case and purposed to
+ask the reason, when he remembered the condition and held his peace. Then he
+who had brought him delivered to him a chest containing thirty thousand dinars
+and said to him, "O my son, spend freely from this chest what is fitting for
+our entertainment and thine own; and be thou faithful and remember that
+wherewith I charged thee." "I hear and I obey, " answered he and served them
+days and nights, till one of them died, whereupon his fellows washed him and
+shrouded him and buried him in a garden behind the house,[FN#194] nor did death
+cease to take them, one after other, till there remained but the Shaykh who had
+hired the youth for service. Then the two men, old and young, dwelt together in
+that house alone for years and years, nor was there with them a third save
+Allah the Most High, till the elder fell sick; and when the younger despaired
+of his life, he went up to him and condoling with him, said, "O nuncle mine, I
+have waited upon you twelve years and have not failed of my duties a single
+hour, but have been loyal and faithful to you and served you with my might and
+main." "Yes, O my son," answered the old man, "thou hast served us well until
+all my comrades are gone to the mercy of Allah (to whom belong honour and
+glory!) and needs must I die also." "O my lord," said the other, "thou art in
+danger of death and I would fain have thee acquaint me with the cause of your
+weeping and wailing and of your unceasing mourning and lamentation and
+regrets." "O my son," answered the old man, "it concerns thee not to know this,
+so importune me not of what I may not do: for I have vowed to Almighty Allah
+that I would acquaint none of His creatures with this, lest he be afflicted
+with what befel me and my comrades. If, then, thou desire to be delivered from
+that into which we fell, look thou open not yonder door, "[FN#195] and pointed
+to a certain part of the house; "but, if thou have a mind to suffer what we
+have suffered, then open it and thou shalt learn the cause of that thou hast
+seen us do; and whenas thou knowest it, thou shalt repent what time repentance
+will avail thee not."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
+her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-ninth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the surviving Shaykh of
+the ten said to the youth, "Beware how thou open yonder door or thou shalt
+repent what time repentance will avail thee not." Then his sickness grew on him
+and he accomplished his term and departed life to the presence of his Lord; and
+the young man washed him with his own hands and shrouded him and buried him by
+the side of his comrades; after which he abode alone in the place and took
+possession of whatsoever was therein. Withal he was uneasy and troubled
+concerning the case of the old men, till, one day, as he sat pondering the
+words of his dead master and his injunction not to open the door, he suddenly
+bethought himself to go and look for it. So he rose up and repaired to the part
+whither the dead man had pointed and sought till, in a dark unfrequented
+corner, he found a little door, over which the spider had spun her webs and
+which was fastened with four padlocks of steel. Seeing this he recalled the old
+man's warning and restrained himself and went away; and he held aloof from it
+seven days, whilst all the time his heart prompted him to open it. On the
+eighth day his curiosity got the better of him and he said, "Come what will,
+needs must I open the door and see what will happen to me therefrom. Nothing
+can avert what is fated and fore-ordained of Allah the Most High; nor doth
+aught befal but by His will." So saying, he rose and broke the padlocks and
+opening the door saw a narrow passage, which he followed for some three hours
+when lo! he came out on the shore of a vast ocean[FN#196] and fared on along
+the beach, marvelling at this main, whereof he had no knowledge and turning
+right and left. Presently, a great eagle swooped down upon him from the lift
+and seizing him in its talons, flew away with him betwixt heaven and earth,
+till it came to an island in the midst of the sea, where it cast him down and
+flew away. The youth was dazed and knew not whither he should wend, but after a
+few days as he sat pondering his case, he caught sight of the sails of a ship
+in the middlemost of the main, as it were a star in the sky; and his heart
+clave to it, so haply his deliverance might be therein. He continued gazing at
+the ship, until it drew nigh, when he saw that it was a foyst builded all of
+ivory and ebony, inlaid with glistening gold made fast by nails of steel, with
+oars of sandal and lign-aloes. In it were ten damsels, high-bosomed maids, as
+they were moons; and when they saw him, they came ashore to him and kissed his
+hands, saying, "Thou art the King, the Bridegroom!" Then there accosted him a
+young lady, as she were the sun shining in sky serene bearing in hand a silken
+napkin, wherein were a royal robe and a crown of gold set with all manner
+rubies and pearls. She threw the robe over him and set the crown upon his head,
+after which the damsels bore him on their arms to the foyst, where he found all
+kinds of silken carpets and hangings of various colours. Then they spread the
+sails and stretched out into mid-ocean. Quoth the young man, "Indeed, when they
+put to sea with me, meseemed it was a dream and I knew not whither they were
+wending with me. Presently, we drew near to land, and I saw the shore full of
+troops none knoweth their number save Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) and
+all were magnificently arrayed and clad in complete steel. As soon as the
+vessel had made fast to the land, they brought me five marked[FN#197] horses of
+noble breeds, housed and saddled with gold, inlaid with all manner pearls and
+high-priced bezel stones. I chose out one of them and mounted it, whilst they
+led the four others before me. Then they raised the banners and the standards
+over my head, whilst the troops ranged themselves right and left, and we set
+out, with drums beating and cymbals clashing, and rode on; whilst I debated in
+myself whether I were in sleep or on wake; and we never ceased faring, I
+believing not in that my estate, but taking all this for the imbroglio of a
+dream, till we drew near to the green mead, full of palaces and gardens and
+trees and streams and blooms and birds chanting the praises of Allah the One,
+the Victorious. Hereupon, behold, an army sallied out from amid the palaces and
+gardens, as it were the torrent when it poureth down,[FN#198] and the host
+overflowed the mead. These troops halted at a little distance from me and
+presently there rode forth from amongst them a King, preceded by some of his
+chief officers on foot." When he came up to the young man (saith the
+tale-teller) he dismounted also, and the two saluted each other after the
+goodliest fashion. Then said the King, "Come with us, for thou art my guest."
+So they took horse again and rode on stirrup touching stirrup in great and
+stately procession, conversing as they went, till they came to the royal
+palace, where they alighted together.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
+and ceased to say her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Ninetieth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the two rode together in
+stately procession till they entered the palace, when the King taking the young
+man by the hand, led him into a domed room followed by his suite, and making
+him sit down on a throne of gold, seated himself beside him. Then he unbound
+the swathe from his lower face; and behold, the King was a young lady, like the
+splendid sun shining in the sheeny sky, perfect in beauty and loveliness,
+brilliancy and grace, arrogance[FN#199] and all perfection. The youth looked
+upon this singular blessing and embodied boon and was lost in wonder at her
+charms and comeliness and seemlihead and at the splendour and affluence he saw
+about him, when she said "Know, O King, that I am the Queen of this land and
+that all the troops thou hast seen, whether horse or foot, are women, there is
+no man amongst them; for in this our state the men delve and sow and ear and
+occupy themselves with the tillage of the earth and the building of towns and
+other mechanical crafts and useful arts, whilst the women govern and fill the
+great offices of state and bear arms." At this the youth marvelled with
+exceeding marvel and, as they were in discourse, behold, in came the Wazir who
+was a tall gray-haired old woman of venerable semblance and majestic aspect,
+and it was told him that this was the Minister. Quoth the Queen to her, "Bring
+us the Kazi and witnesses." So she went out to do this, and the Queen, turning
+to him, conversed with him in friendly fashion, and enforced herself to
+reassure his awe of her and do away his shame with speech blander than the
+zephyr, saying, "Art thou content to be to me baron and I to thee feme?"
+Thereupon he arose and would have kissed ground between her hands, but she
+forbade him and he replied, saying, "O my lady, I am the least of thy slaves
+who serve thee." "Seest thou all these servants and soldiers and riches and
+hoards and treasures?" asked she, and he answered, "Yes!" Quoth she, "All these
+are at thy commandment to dispose of them and give and bestow as seemeth good
+to thee." Then she pointed to a closed door and said, "All these things are at
+thy disposal, save yonder door; that shalt thou not open, and if thou open it
+thou shalt repent when repentance will avail thee naught. So beware! and again
+I say, beware!" Hardly had she made an end of speaking when the Waziress
+entered followed by the Kazii and witnesses, all old women, with their hair
+streaming over their shoulders and of reverend and majestic presence; and the
+Queen bade them draw up the contract of marriage between herself and the young
+man. Accordingly, they performed the marriage-ceremony and the Queen made a
+great bride-feast, to which she bade all the troops; and after they had eaten
+and drunken, he went in unto his bride and found her a maid virginal. So he did
+away her hymen and abode with her seven years in all joyance and solace and
+delight of life, till, one day of the days, he bethought himself of the
+forbidden door and said in himself, "Except there were therein treasures
+greater and grander than any I have seen, she had not forbidden me therefrom."
+So he rose and opened the door, when, lo! behind it was the very bird which had
+brought him from the sea-shore to the island, and it said to him, "No welcome
+to a face that shall never prosper!" When he saw it and heard what it said, he
+fled from it; but it followed him and seizing him in its talons, flew with him
+an hour's journey betwixt heaven and earth, till it set him down in the place
+whence it had first carried him off and flew away. When he came to his senses,
+he remembered his late estate, great, grand and glorious, and the troops which
+rode before him and his lordly rule and all the honour and fair fortune he had
+lost and fell to weeping and wailing.[FN#200] He abode two months on the
+sea-shore, where the bird had set him down, hoping yet to return to his wife,
+till, as he sat one night wakeful, mourning and musing, behold, he heard one
+speaking, albeit he saw no one, and saying, "How great were the delights! Alas,
+far from thee is the return of that which is past!" When he heard this, he
+redoubled in his regrets and despaired of recovering his wife and his fair
+estate that was; so he returned, weary and broken-hearted, to the house where
+he had dwelt with the old men and knew that they had fared even as he and that
+this was the cause of their shedding tears and lamenting their lot; wherefore
+he ever after held them excused. Then, being overcome with chagrin and concern,
+he took to his chamber and gave himself up to mourning and lamentation; and he
+ceased not crying and complaining and left eating and drinking and pleasant
+scents and merriment; nor did he laugh once till the day of his death, when
+they buried him beside the Shaykhs. "See, then, O King," continued the Wazir
+"what cometh of precipitance; verily, it is unpraiseworthy and bequeatheth
+repentance; and in this I give thee true advice and loyal counsel." When the
+King heard this story, he turned from slaying his son;—And Shahrazad perceived
+the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-first Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the King heard this
+story he turned from slaying his son; but, on the sixth day, the favourite came
+in to him hending a naked knife in hand, and said to him, "Know, O my lord,
+that except thou hearken to my complaint and protect thy right and thine honour
+against these thy Ministers, who are banded together against me, to do me
+wrong, I will kill myself with this knife, and my blood will testify against
+thee on the Day of Doom. Indeed, they pretend that women are full of tricks and
+malice and perfidy; and they design thereby to defeat me of my due and hinder
+the King from doing me justice; but, behold, I will prove to thee that men are
+more perfidious than women by the story of a King among the Kings and how he
+gained access to the wife of a certain merchant." "And what passed between
+them?" asked the King, and she answered, "I have heard tell, O august King, a
+tale of
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap26"></a>The King's Son and the Merchant's Wife.</h3>
+
+<p>
+A certain merchant, who was addicted to jealousy, had a wife that was a model
+of beauty and loveliness; and of the excess of his fear and jealousy of her, he
+would not abide with her in any town, but built her a pavilion without the
+city, apart from all other buildings. And he raised its height and strengthened
+its doors and provided them with curious locks; and when he had occasion to go
+into the city, he locked the doors and hung the keys about his neck.[FN#201]
+One day, when the merchant was abroad, the King's son of that city came forth,
+to take his pleasure and solace in the open country without the walls, and
+seeing the solitary pavilion, stood still to examine it for a long while. At
+last he caught sight of a charming lady looking and leaning out of one of the
+windows,[FN#202] and being smitten with amazement at her grace and charms, cast
+about for a means of getting to her, but could find none. So he called up one
+of his pages, who brought him ink-case[FN#203] and paper and wrote her a
+letter, setting forth his condition for love of her. Then he set it on the
+pile-point of an arrow and shot it at the pavilion, and it fell in the garden,
+where the lady was then walking with her maidens. She said to one of the girls,
+"Hasten and bring me yon letter," for she could read writing;[FN#204] and, when
+she had read it and understood what he said in it of his love and passion,
+yearning and longing, she wrote him a merciful reply, to the effect that she
+was smitten with a yet fiercer desire for him; and then threw the letter down
+to him from one of the windows of the pavilion. When he saw her, he picked up
+the reply and after reading it, came under the window and said to her, "Let me
+down a thread, that I may send thee this key; which do thou take and keep by
+thee." So she let down a thread and he tied the key to it.[FN#205] Then he went
+away and repairing to one of his father's Wazirs, complained to him of his
+passion for the lady and that he could not live without her; and the Minister
+said, "And how dost thou bid me contrive?" Quoth the Prince, "I would have thee
+set me in a chest[FN#206] and commit it to the merchant, feigning to him that
+it is thine and desiring him to keep it for thee in his country-house some
+days, that I may have my will of her; then do thou demand it back from him."
+The Wazir answered, "With love and gladness." So the Prince returned to his
+palace and fixing the padlock, the key whereof he had given the lady, on a
+chest he had by him, entered therein. Then the Wazir locked it upon him and
+setting it on a mule, carried it to the pavilion of the merchant, who, seeing
+the Minister, came forth to him and kissed his hands, saying, "Belike our lord
+the Wazir hath some need or business which we may have the pleasure and honour
+of accomplishing for him?" Quoth the Minister, "I would have thee set this
+chest in the safest and best place within thy house and keep it till I seek it
+of thee." So the merchant made the porters carry it inside and set it down in
+one of his store-closets, after which he went out on business. As soon as he
+was gone, his wife arose and went up to the chest and unlocked it with the key
+the King's son had given her, whereupon there came forth a youth like the moon.
+When she saw him, she donned her richest raiment and carried him to her
+sitting-saloon, where they abode seven days, eating and drinking and making
+merry: and as often as her husband came home, she put the Prince back into the
+chest and locked it upon him. One day the King asked for his son and the Wazir
+hurried off to the merchant's place of business and sought of him the
+chest.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted
+say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-second Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Wazir reached
+the merchant's counting-house he asked for the box. The man accordingly
+repaired in haste to his pavilion, contrary to his custom and knocked at the
+door. When his wife was ware of him, she hurried the Prince back into the
+chest, but, in her confusion, forgot to lock it. The merchant bade the porters
+take it up and carry it to his house in the town. So they took up the box by
+the lid, whereupon it flew open and lo! the Prince was lying within. When the
+merchant saw him and knew him for the King's son, he went out to the Wazir and
+said to him, "Go in, thou, and take the King's son; for none of us may lay
+hands on him." So the Minister went in and taking the Prince, went away with
+him. As soon as they were gone, the merchant put away his wife and swore that
+he would never marry again. "And," continued the damsel, "I have heard tell,
+also, O King, a tale of
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap27"></a>The Page who Feigned to Know the Speech of Birds.[FN#207]</h3>
+
+<p>
+A certain man of rank once entered the slave-market and saw a page being cried
+for sale; so he bought him and carrying him home, said to his wife, "Take good
+care of him." The lad abode there for a while till, one day, the man said to
+his wife, "Go forth to-morrow to the garden and take thy solace therein and
+amuse thyself and enjoy thyself." And she replied, "With love and gladness!"
+Now when the page heard this, he made ready in secret meat and drink and fruits
+and desert, and sallied forth with them privily that night to the garden, where
+he laid the meat under one tree, the wine under another and the fruit and
+conserves under a third, in the way his mistress must pass. When morning
+morrowed the husband bade him accompany the lady to that garden carrying with
+him all the provisions required for the day; so she took horse and riding
+thither with him, dismounted and entered. Presently, as they were walking
+about, a crow croaked,[FN#208] and the page said, "Thou sayst sooth;" whereupon
+his mistress asked him, "Dost thou know what the crow said?"; and he answered,
+"Yes, O my lady, he said, Under yonder tree is meat; go and eat it." So she
+said, "I see thou really dost understand them;" then she went up to the tree
+and, finding a dish of meat ready dressed, was assured that the youth told the
+truth and marvelled with exceeding marvel. They ate of the meat and walked
+about awhile, taking their pleasure in the garden, till the crow croaked a
+second time, and the page again replied, "Thou sayst sooth." "What said he?"
+quoth the lady, and quoth the page, "O my lady, he saith that under such a tree
+are a gugglet of water flavoured with musk and a pitcher of old wine." So she
+went up with him to the tree and, finding the wine and water there, redoubled
+in wonderment and the page was magnified in her eyes. They sat down and drank,
+then arose and walked in another part of the garden. Presently the crow croaked
+again and the page said, "Thou sayst sooth." Said the lady, "What saith he
+now?" and the page replied, "He saith that under yonder tree are fruits, fresh
+and dried." So they went thither and found all as he said and sat down and ate.
+Then they walked about again till the crow croaked a fourth time, whereupon the
+page took up a stone and threw it at him. Quoth she, "What said he, that thou
+shouldst stone him?" "O my lady," answered he, "he said what I cannot tell
+thee." "Say on," rejoined she, "and be not abashed in my presence, for there is
+naught between me and thee." But he ceased not to say, "No," and she to press
+him to speak, till at last she conjured him to tell her, and he answered, "The
+crow said to me, 'Do with thy lady even as doth her husband.'" When she heard
+his words she laughed till she fell backward and said, "This is a light matter,
+and I may not gainsay thee therein." So saying, she went up to a tree and,
+spreading the carpet under it, lay down, and called to him to come and do her
+need, when, lo! her husband, who had followed them unawares and saw this,
+called out to the page, saying, "Harkye, boy! What ails thy mistress to lie
+there, weeping?" Answered the page, "O my lord, she fell off the tree and was
+killed;[FN#209] and none but Allah (be He extolled and exalted!) restored her
+to thee. Wherefore she lay down awhile to recover herself by rest." When the
+lady saw her husband standing by her head, she rose and made a show of weakness
+and pain, saying, "O my back! O my sides! Come to my help, O my friends! I
+shall never survive this." So her husband was deceived and said to the page,
+"Fetch thy mistress's horse and set her thereon." Then he carried her home, the
+boy holding one stirrup and the man the other and saying, "Allah vouchsafe thee
+ease and recovery!" "These then, O King," (said the damsel) "are some instances
+of the craft of men and their perfidy; wherefore let not thy Wazirs turn thee
+from succouring me and doing me justice." Then she wept, and when the King saw
+her weeping (for she was the dearest to him of all his slave-girls) he once
+more commanded to put his son to death; but the sixth Minister entered and
+kissing ground before him, said, "May the Almighty advance the King! Verily I
+am a loyal counsellor to thee, in that I counsel thee to deal deliberately in
+the matter of thy son;"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
+saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-third Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the sixth Wazir said, "O
+King, deal deliberately in the matter of thy son; for falsehood is as smoke
+and fact is built on base which shall not be broken; yea, and the light of
+sooth dispelleth the night of untruth. Know that the perfidy of women is
+great, even as saith Allah the Most High in His Holy Book, "Verily, the malice
+of you is great.[FN#210] And indeed a tale hath reached me that a certain
+woman befooled the Chiefs of the State on such wise as never did any before
+her." Asked the King, "And how was that?" And the Wazir answered, "I have
+heard tell a tale, O King, as follows concerning
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap28"></a>The Lady and her Five Suitors.[FN#211]</h3>
+
+<p>
+A woman of the daughters of the merchants was married to a man who was a great
+traveller. It chanced once that he set out for a far country and was absent so
+long that his wife, for pure ennui, fell in love with a handsome young man of
+the sons of the merchants, and they loved each other with exceeding love. One
+day, the youth quarrelled with another man, who lodged a complaint against him
+with the Chief of Police, and he cast him into prison. When the news came to
+the merchant's wife his mistress, she wellnigh lost her wits; then she arose
+and donning her richest clothes repaired to the house of the Chief of Police.
+She saluted him and presented a written petition to this purport, "He thou hast
+clapped in jail is my brother, such and such, who fell out with such an one;
+and those who testified against him bore false witness. He hath been wrongfully
+imprisoned, and I have none other to come in to me nor to provide for my
+support; therefore I beseech thee of thy grace to release him." When the
+magistrate had read the paper, he cast his eyes on her and fell in love with
+her forthright; so he said to her, "Go into the house, till I bring him before
+me; then I will send for thee and thou shalt take him." "O my lord," replied
+she, "I have none to protect me save Almighty Allah!: I am a stranger and may
+not enter any man's abode." Quoth the Wali, "I will not let him go, except thou
+come to my home and I take my will of thee." Rejoined she, "If it must be so,
+thou must needs come to my lodging and sit and sleep the siesta and rest the
+whole day there." "And where is thy abode?" asked he; and she answered, "In
+such a place," and appointed him for such a time. Then she went out from him,
+leaving his heart taken with love of her, and she repaired to the Kazi of the
+city, to whom she said, "O our lord the Kazi!" He exclaimed, "Yes!" and she
+continued, "Look into my case, and thy reward be with Allah the Most High!"
+Quoth he, "Who hath wronged thee?" and quoth she, "O my lord, I have a brother
+and I have none but that one, and it is on his account that I come to thee;
+because the Wali hath imprisoned him for a criminal and men have borne false
+witness against him that he is a wrong-doer; and I beseech thee to intercede
+for him with the Chief of Police." When the Kazi looked on her, he fell in love
+with her forthright and said to her, "Enter the house and rest awhile with my
+handmaids whilst I send to the Wali to release thy brother. If I knew the
+money-fine which is upon him, I would pay it out of my own purse, so I may have
+my desire of thee, for thou pleasest me with thy sweet speech." Quoth she, "If
+thou, O my lord, do thus, we must not blame others." Quoth he, "An thou wilt
+not come in, wend thy ways." Then said she, "An thou wilt have it so, O our
+lord, it will be privier and better in my place than in thine, for here are
+slave-girls and eunuchs and goers-in and comers-out, and indeed I am a woman
+who wotteth naught of this fashion; but need compelleth." Asked the Kazi, "And
+where is thy house?"; and she answered, "In such a place," and appointed him
+for the same day and time as the Chief of Police. Then she went out from him to
+the Wazir, to whom she preferred her petition for the release from prison of
+her brother who was absolutely necessary to her: but he also required her of
+herself, saying, "Suffer me to have my will of thee and I will set thy brother
+free." Quoth she, "An thou wilt have it so, be it in my house, for there it
+will be privier both for me and for thee. It is not far distant and thou
+knowest that which behoveth us women of cleanliness and adornment." Asked he,
+"Where is thy house?" "In such a place," answered she and appointed him for the
+same time as the two others. Then she went out from him to the King of the city
+and told him her story and sought of him her brother's release. "Who imprisoned
+him?" enquired he; and she replied, "Twas thy Chief of Police." When the King
+heard her speech, it transpierced his heart with the arrows of love and he bade
+her enter the palace with him, that he might send to the Kazi and release her
+brother. Quoth she, "O King, this thing is easy to thee, whether I will or
+nill; and if the King will indeed have this of me, it is of my good fortune;
+but, if he come to my house, he will do me the more honour by setting step
+therein, even as saith the poet,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+'O my friends, have ye seen or have ye heard * Of his visit whose virtues I
+hold so high?'"
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Quoth the King, "We will not cross thee in this." So she appointed him for the
+same time as the three others, and told him where her house was.—And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-fourth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the woman told the King
+where her house was and appointed him for the same time as the Wali, the Kazi
+and the Wazir. Then she left him and betaking herself to a man which was a
+carpenter, said to him, "I would have thee make me a cabinet with four
+compartments one above other, each with its door for locking up. Let me know
+thy hire and I will give it thee." Replied he, "My price will be four dinars;
+but, O noble lady and well-protected, if thou wilt vouchsafe me thy favours, I
+will ask nothing of thee." Rejoined she, "An there be no help but that thou
+have it so, then make thou five compartments with their padlocks;" and she
+appointed him to bring it exactly on the day required. Said he, "It is well;
+sit down, O my lady, and I will make it for thee forthright, and after I will
+come to thee at my leisure." So she sat down by him, whilst he fell to work on
+the cabinet, and when he had made an end of it she chose to see it at once
+carried home and set up in the sitting-chamber. Then she took four gowns and
+carried them to the dyer, who dyed them each of a different colour; after
+which she applied herself to making ready meat and drink; fruits, flowers and
+perfumes. Now when the appointed trysting day came, she donned her costliest
+dress and adorned herself and scented herself, then spread the sitting-room
+with various kinds of rich carpets and sat down to await who should come. And
+behold, the Kazi was the first to appear, devancing the rest, and when she saw
+him, she rose to her feet and kissed the ground before him; then, taking him
+by the hand, made him sit down by her on the couch and lay with him and fell
+to jesting and toying with him. By and by, he would have her do his desire,
+but she said, "O my lord, doff thy clothes and turband and assume this yellow
+cassock and this head-kerchief,[FN#212] whilst I bring thee meat and drink;
+and after thou shalt win thy will." So saying, she took his clothes and
+turband and clad him in the cassock and the kerchief; but hardly had she done
+this, when lo! there came a knocking at the door. Asked he, "Who is that
+rapping at the door?" and she answered, "My husband." Quoth the Kazi, "What is
+to be done, and where shall I go?" Quoth she, "Fear nothing, I will hide thee
+in this cabinet;" and he, "Do as seemeth good to thee." So she took him by the
+hand and pushing him into the lowest compartment, locked the door upon him.
+Then she went to the house-door, where she found the Wali; so she bussed
+ground before him and taking his hand brought him into the saloon, where she
+made him sit down and said to him, "O my lord, this house is thy house; this
+place is thy place, and I am thy handmaid: thou shalt pass all this day with
+me; wherefore do thou doff thy clothes and don this red gown, for it is a
+sleeping gown." So she took away his clothes and made him assume the red gown
+and set on his head an old patched rag she had by her; after which she sat by
+him on the divan and she sported with him while he toyed with her awhile, till
+he put out his hand to her. Whereupon she said to him, "O our lord, this day
+is thy day and none shall share in it with thee; but first, of thy favour and
+benevolence, write me an order for my brother's release from gaol that my
+heart may be at ease." Quoth he, "Hearkening and obedience: on my head and
+eyes be it!"; and wrote a letter to his treasurer, saying, "As soon as this
+communication shall reach thee, do thou set such an one free, without stay or
+delay; neither answer the bearer a word." Then he sealed it and she took it
+from him, after which she began to toy again with him on the divan when,
+behold, some one knocked at the door. He asked, "Who is that?" and she
+answered, "My husband." "What shall I do?" said he, and she, "Enter this
+cabinet, till I send him away and return to thee." So she clapped him into the
+second compartment from the bottom and padlocked the door on him; and
+meanwhile the Kazi heard all they said. Then she went to the house-door and
+opened it, whereupon lo! the Wazir entered. She bussed the ground before him
+and received him with all honour and worship, saying, "O my lord, thou
+exaltest us by thy coming to our house; Allah never deprive us of the light of
+thy countenance!" Then she seated him on the divan and said to him, "O my
+lord, doff thy heavy dress and turband and don these lighter vestments." So he
+put off his clothes and turband and she clad him in a blue cassock and a tall
+red bonnet, and said to him, "Erst thy garb was that of the Wazirate; so leave
+it to its own time and don this light gown, which is better fitted for
+carousing and making merry and sleep." Thereupon she began to play with him
+and he with her, and he would have done his desire of her; but she put him
+off, saying, "O my lord, this shall not fail us." As they were talking there
+came a knocking at the door, and the Wazir asked her, "Who is that?": to which
+she answered, "My husband." Quoth he, "What is to be done?" Quoth she, "Enter
+this cabinet, till I get rid of him and come back to thee and fear thou
+nothing." So she put him in the third compartment and locked the door on him,
+after which she went out and opened the house-door when lo and behold! in came
+the King. As soon as she saw him she kissed ground before him, and taking him
+by the hand, led him into the saloon and seated him on the divan at the upper
+end. Then said she to him, "Verily, O King, thou dost us high honour, and if
+we brought thee to gift the world and all that therein is, it would not be
+worth a single one of thy steps us-wards."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
+day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-fifth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the King entered
+the lady's house she said to him, "Had we brought thee to gift the world and
+all which is therein, it would not be worth a single one of thy steps
+us-wards." And when he had taken his seat upon the divan she said, "Give me
+leave to speak one word." "Say what thou wilt," answered he, and she said, "O
+my lord, take thine ease and doff thy dress and turband." Now his clothes were
+worth a thousand dinars; and when he put them off she clad him in a patched
+gown, worth at the very most ten dirhams, and fell to talking and jesting with
+him; all this while the folk in the cabinet hearing everything that passed,
+but not daring to say a word. Presently, the King put his hand to her neck and
+sought to do his desire of her; when she said, "This thing shall not fail us,
+but I had first promised myself to entertain thee in this sitting-chamber, and
+I have that which shall content thee." Now as they were speaking, some one
+knocked at the door and he asked her, "Who is that?" "My husband," answered
+she, and he, "Make him go away of his own good will, or I will fare forth to
+him and send him away perforce." Replied she, "Nay, O my lord, have patience
+till I send him away by my skilful contrivance." "And I, how shall I do!"
+enquired the King; whereupon she took him by the hand and making him enter the
+fourth compartment of the cabinet, locked it upon him. Then she went out and
+opened the house-door when behold, the carpenter entered and saluted her.
+Quoth she, "What manner of thing is this cabinet thou hast made me?" "What
+aileth it, O my lady?" asked he, and she answered, "The top compartment is too
+strait." Rejoined he, "Not so;" and she, "Go in thyself and see; it is not
+wide enough for thee." Quoth he, "It is wide enough for four," and entered the
+fifth compartment, whereupon she locked the door on him. Then she took the
+letter of the Chief of Police and carried it to the treasurer who, having read
+and understood it, kissed it and delivered her lover to her. She told him all
+she had done and he said, "And how shall we act now?" She answered, "We will
+remove hence to another city, for after this work there is no tarrying for us
+here." So the twain packed up what goods they had and, loading them on camels,
+set out forthright for another city. Meanwhile, the five abode each in his
+compartment of the cabinet without eating or drinking three whole days, during
+which time they held their water until at last the carpenter could retain his
+no longer; so he staled on the King's head, and the King urined on the Wazir's
+head, and the Wazir piddled on the Wali and the Wali pissed on the head of the
+Kazi; whereupon the Judge cried out and said, "What nastiness[FN#213] is this?
+Doth not what strait we are in suffice us, but you must make water upon us?"'
+The Chief of Police recognised the Kazi's voice and answered, saying aloud,
+"Allah increase thy reward, O Kazi!" And when the Kazi heard him, he knew him
+for the Wali. Then the Chief of Police lifted up his voice and said, "What
+means this nastiness?" and the Wazir answered, saying, "Allah increase thy
+reward, O Wali!" whereupon he knew him to be the Minister. Then the Wazir
+lifted up his voice and said, "What means this nastiness?"  But when the King
+heard and recognised his Minister's voice, he held his peace and concealed his
+affair. Then said the Wazir, "May God damn[FN#214] this woman for her dealing
+with us! She hath brought hither all the Chief Officers of the state, except
+the King." Quoth the King, "Hold your peace, for I was the first to fall into
+the toils of this lewd strumpet." Whereat cried the carpenter, "And I, what
+have I done? I made her a cabinet for four gold pieces, and when I came to
+seek my hire, she tricked me into entering this compartment and locked the
+door on me." And they fell to talking with one another, diverting the King and
+doing away his chagrin. Presently the neighbours came up to the house and,
+seeing it deserted, said one to other, "But yesterday our neighbour, the wife
+of such an one, was in it; but now no sound is to be heard therein nor is soul
+to be seen. Let us break open the doors and see how the case stands, lest it
+come to the ears of the Wali or the King and we be cast into prison and regret
+not doing this thing before." So they broke open the doors and entered the
+saloon, where they saw a large wooden cabinet and heard men within groaning
+for hunger and thirst. Then said one of them, "Is there a Jinni in this
+cabinet?" and his fellow, "Let us heap fuel about it and burn it with fire."
+When the Kazi heard this, he bawled out to them, "Do it not!"—And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-sixth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the neighbours
+proposed to heap fuel about the cabinet and to burn it the Kazi bawled out to
+them, "Do it not!" And they said to one another, "Verily the Jinn make believe
+to be mortals and speak with men's voices." Thereupon the Kazi repeated
+somewhat of the Sublime Koran and said to the neighbours, "Draw near to the
+cabinet wherein we are." So they drew near, and he said, "I am so and so the
+Kazi, and ye are such an one and such an one, and we are here a company."
+Quoth the neighbours, "Who brought you here?" And he told them the whole case
+from beginning to end. Then they fetched a carpenter, who opened the five
+doors and let out Kazi, Wazir, Wali, King and carpenter in their queer
+disguises; and each, when he saw how the others were accoutred, fell
+a-laughing at them. Now she had taken away all their clothes; so every one of
+them sent to his people for fresh clothes and put them on and went out,
+covering himself therewith from the sight of the folk. "Consider, therefore, O
+our lord the King" (said the Wazir), "what a trick this woman played off upon
+the folk! And I have heard tell also a tale of
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap29"></a>The Three Wishes,[FN#215] or the Man who Longed to see
+the Night of Power.</h3>
+
+<p>
+A certain man had longed all his life to look upon the Night of Power,[FN#216]
+and one night it befel that he gazed at the sky and saw the angels, and
+Heaven's gates thrown open; and he beheld all things prostrating themselves
+before their Lord, each in its several stead. So he said to his wife, "Harkye,
+such an one, verily Allah hath shown me the Night of Power, and it hath been
+proclaimed to me, from the invisible world, that three prayers will be granted
+unto me; so I consult thee for counsel as to what shall I ask." Quoth she, "O
+man, the perfection of man and his delight is in his prickle; therefore do thou
+pray Allah to greaten thy yard and magnify it." So he lifted up his hands to
+heaven and said, "O Allah, greaten my yard and magnify it." Hardly had he
+spoken when his tool became as big as a column and he could neither sit nor
+stand nor move about nor even stir from his stead; and when he would have
+carnally known his wife, she fled before him from place to place. So he said to
+her, "O accursed woman, what is to be done? This is thy list, by reason of thy
+lust." She replied, "No, by Allah, I did not ask for this length and huge bulk,
+for which the gate of a street were too strait. Pray Heaven to make it less."
+So he raised his eyes to Heaven and said, "O Allah, rid me of this thing and
+deliver me therefrom." And immediately his prickle disappeared altogether and
+he became clean smooth. When his wife saw this, she said, "I have no occasion
+for thee, now thou are become pegless as a eunuch, shaven and shorn;" and he
+answered her, saying, "All this comes of thine ill-omened counsel and thine
+imbecile judgment. I had three prayers accepted of Allah, wherewith I might
+have gotten me my good, both in this world and in the next, and now two wishes
+are gone in pure waste, by thy lewd will, and there remaineth but one." Quoth
+she, "Pray Allah the Most High to restore thee thy yard as it was." So he
+prayed to his Lord and his prickle was restored to its first estate. Thus the
+man lost his three wishes by the ill counsel and lack of wit in the woman; "And
+this, O King" (said the Wazir), "have I told thee, that thou mightest be
+certified of the thoughtlessness of women and their inconsequence and silliness
+and see what cometh of hearkening to their counsel. Wherefore be not persuaded
+by them to slay thy son, thy heart's core, who shall cause thy remembrance to
+survive thee." The King gave ear to his Minister's words and forbore to put his
+son to death; but, on the seventh day, the damsel came in, shrieking, and after
+lighting a great fire in the King's presence, made as she would cast herself
+therein; whereupon they laid hands on her and brought her before him. He asked
+her, "Why hast thou done this?"; and she answered, "Except thou do me justice
+on thy son, I will cast myself into this very fire and accuse thee of this on
+the Day of Resurrection, for I am a-weary of my life, and before coming into
+thy presence I wrote my last will and testament and gave alms of my goods and
+resolved upon death. And thou wilt repent with all repentance, even as did the
+King of having punished the pious woman who kept the Hammam." Quoth the King,
+"How was that?" and quoth she, "I have heard tell, O King, this tale concerning
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap30"></a>The Stolen Necklace.</h3>
+
+<p>
+There was once a devotee, a recluse, a woman who had devoted herself to
+religion. Now she used to resort to a certain King's palace,[FN#217] whose
+dwellers were blessed by her presence and she was held of them in high honour.
+One day she entered that palace according to her custom and sat down beside the
+King's wife. Presently the Queen gave her a necklace, worth a thousand dinars,
+saying, "Keep this for me, O woman, whilst I go to the Hammam." So she entered
+the bath, which was in the palace, and the pious woman remaining in the place
+where the Queen was and awaiting her return laid the necklace on the
+prayer-carpet and stood up to pray. As she was thus engaged, there came a
+magpie[FN#218] which snatched up the necklace, while she went out to obey a
+call of nature and carrying it off, hid it inside a crevice in a corner of the
+palace-walls. When the Queen came out of the bath, she sought the necklace of
+the recluse, who also searched for it, but found it not nor could light on any
+trace of it; so she said to the King's wife, "By Allah, O my daughter, none
+hath been with me. When thou gavest me the necklace, I laid it on the
+prayer-carpet, and I know not if one of the servants saw it and took it without
+my heed, whilst I was engaged in prayer. Almighty Allah only knoweth what is
+come of it!" When the King heard what had happened, he bade his Queen put the
+bath-woman to the question by fire and grievous blows, —And Shahrazad perceived
+the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-seventh Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the King bade his
+Queen question the bath-woman with fire and grievous blows, they tortured her
+with all manner tortures, but could not bring her to confess or to accuse any.
+Then he commanded to cast her into prison and manacle and fetter her; and they
+did as he bade. One day, after this, as the King sat in the inner court of his
+palace, with the Queen by his side and water flowing around him, he saw the pie
+fly into a crevice in a corner of the wall and pull out the necklace, whereupon
+he cried out to a damsel who was with him, and she caught the bird and took the
+necklace from it. By this the King knew that the pious bath-woman had been
+wronged and repented of that he had done with her. So he sent for her to the
+presence and fell to kissing her head and with many tears sought pardon of her.
+Moreover, he commanded much treasure to be given to her, but she refused and
+would none of it. However, she forgave him and went away, swearing never again
+to enter any one's house. So she betook herself to wandering in the mountains
+and valleys and worshipped God until she died, and Almighty Allah have mercy
+upon her! "And for an instance of the malice of the male sex" (continued the
+damsel), "I have heard, O King, tell this tale of
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap31"></a>The Two Pigeons.[FN#219]</h3>
+
+<p>
+A pair of pigeons once stored up wheat and barley in their nest during the
+winter, and when the summer came, the grain shrivelled and became less; so the
+male pigeon said to his wife, "Thou hast eaten of this grain." Replied she,
+"No, by Allah, I have never touched it!" But he believed not her words and
+beat her with his wings and pecked her with his bill, till he killed her. When
+the cold season returned, the corn swelled out and became as before, whereupon
+he knew that he had slain his wife wrongously and wickedly, and he repented
+whenas repentance availed him naught. Then he lay down by her side, mourning
+over her and weeping for grief, and left meat and drink, till he fell sick and
+died. "But" (added the damsel), "I know a story of the malice of men more
+extraordinary than either of these." Quoth the King, "Let us hear what thou
+hast to tell;" and quoth she, "I have heard tell, O King, this
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap32"></a>Story of Prince Behram and the Princess Al-Datma.</h3>
+
+<p>
+There was once a King's daughter, who had no equal in her time for beauty and
+loveliness and symmetrical stature and grace, brilliancy, amorous lace and the
+art of ravishing the wits of the masculine race and her name was Al-Datmá. She
+used to boast, "Indeed there is none like me in this age." Nor was there one
+more accomplished than she in horsemanship and martial exercises and all that
+behoveth a cavalier. So all the Kings' sons sought her to wife; but she would
+take none of them, saying, "No man shall marry me except he overcome me at
+lunge of lance and stroke of sword in fair field and patent plain. If any can
+do this, I will willingly wed him; but, if I overcome him, I will take his
+horse and clothes and arms and write with fire upon his forehead, 'This is the
+freed man of Al-Datma.'" Now the sons of the Kings flocked to her from every
+quarter far and near, and she overcame them and put them to shame, stripping
+them of their arms and branding them with fire. Presently the son of a King of
+the Kings of the Persians, by name Behram ibn Tájí, heard of her and journeyed
+from afar to her father's court, bringing with him men and horses and great
+store of wealth and royal treasures. When he drew near the city, he sent her
+parent a rich present and the King came out to meet him and honoured him with
+the utmost honour. Then the King's son sent a message to him by his Wazir,
+demanding his daughter's hand in marriage; but the King answered, saying, "O my
+son, as regards my daughter Al-Datma, I have no power over her, for she hath
+sworn by her soul to marry none except he overcome her in the listed field."
+Quoth the Prince, "I journeyed hither from my father's court with no other
+object but this; I came here to woo and for thine alliance to sue;" quoth the
+King, "Thou shalt meet her tomorrow." So next day he sent to bid his daughter
+who, making ready for battle, donned her harness of war, and the folk, hearing
+of the coming joust, flocked from all sides to the field. Presently the
+Princess rode into the lists, armed cap-ŕ-pie and belted and with vizor down,
+and the Persian King's son came out singlehanded to meet her, equipped at all
+points after the fairest of fashions. Then they drove at each other and fought
+a great while, wheeling and falsing, advancing and retreating, till the
+Princess, finding in him such courage and cavalarice as she had seen in none
+else, began to fear for herself lest he put her to shame before the bystanders
+and knew that he would assuredly overcome her. So she resolved to trick him
+and, raising her vizor, lo! her face appeared more brilliant than the full
+moon, which when he saw, he was confounded by her beauty and his strength
+failed and his spirit faltered. When she perceived this, she fell upon him
+unawares in his moment of weakness, and tare him from his saddle, and he became
+in her hands as he were a sparrow in the clutches of an eagle, knowing not what
+was done with him for amazement and confusion. So she took his steed and
+clothes and armour and, branding him with fire, let him wend his ways. When he
+recovered from his stupor, he abode several days without meat or drink or sleep
+for despite and love of the girl which had taken hold upon his heart. Then he
+sent a letter by certain of his slaves to his father, advising him that he
+could not return home till he had won his will of the Princess or died for want
+of her. When his sire got the letter, he was sore concerned for his son and
+would have succoured him by sending troops and soldiers; but his Wazirs
+dissuaded him from this and exhorted him to patience; so he committed his
+affair to Almighty Allah. Meanwhile, the Prince cast about for a means of
+coming to his desire; and presently, disguising himself as a decrepit old man,
+with a white beard over his own black beard repaired to a garden of the
+Princess wherein she used to walk most of her days. Here he sought out the
+gardener and said to him, "I am a stranger from a far country and from my youth
+upwards I have been a gardener, and in the grafting of trees and the culture of
+fruits and flowers and care of the vine none is more skilled than I." When the
+gardener heard this, he rejoiced in him with exceeding joy and carried him into
+the garden, where he commended him to his underlings, and the Prince betook
+himself to the service of the garden and the tending of the trees and the
+bettering of their fruits and improving the Persian water-wheels and disposing
+the irrigation-channels. One day, as he was thus employed, lo! he saw some
+slaves enter the garden, leading mules laden with carpets and vessels, and
+asked them the meaning of this, to which they answered, "The Princess is minded
+to take her pleasure." When he heard these words he hastened to his lodging
+and, fetching some of the jewels and ornaments he had brought with him from
+home, sat down in the garden and spread somewhat of them out before him,
+shaking and making a show of extreme old age,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
+of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-eighth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the son of the Persian
+King, after disguising himself as an old man shotten in years and taking a
+seat in the garden, spread out somewhat of the jewels and ornaments before him
+and made a show of shaking and trembling as if for decrepitude and the
+weakness of extreme senility. After an hour or so a company of damsels and
+eunuchs entered with the Princess in their midst, as she were the moon among
+the stars, and dispersed about the garden, plucking the fruits and diverting
+themselves. Presently they espied a man sitting under one of the trees; and,
+making towards him (who was the Prince), found him a very old man, whose hands
+and feet trembled for decrepitude, and before him store of precious jewels and
+royal ornaments. So they marvelled at his case and asked him what he did there
+with the jewels; when he answered, "With these trinkets I would fain buy me to
+wife one of you." They laughed together at him and said, "If one of us marry
+thee, what wilt thou do with her?" Said he, "I will give her one kiss and
+divorce her." Then quoth the Princess, "I give thee this damsel to wife." So
+he rose and coming up to her, leaning on his staff and shivering and
+staggering, kissed her and gave her the jewels and ornaments; whereat she
+rejoiced and they, laughing at him, went their way. Next day, they came again
+to the garden, and finding him seated in the same place, with more jewels and
+ornaments than before spread in front of him, asked him, "O Shaykh, what wilt
+thou do with this jewellery?"; and he answered, saying, "I wish therewith to
+take one of you to wife even as yesterday." So the Princess said, "I marry
+thee to this damsel;" and he came up to her and kissed her and gave her the
+jewels, and they all went their ways. But, seeing such generosity to her
+handmaids, the Princess said in herself, "I have more right to all these fine
+things than these baggages, and no harm can betide me." So when morning
+morrowed she went down from her chamber singly into the garden, in the habit
+of one of her damsels, and presenting herself privily before the Prince, said
+to him, "O Shaykh, the King's daughter hath sent me to thee, that thou mayst
+marry me." He looked at her and knew her; so he answered, "With love and
+gladness," and gave her jewels and ornaments of the finest and costliest. Then
+he rose to kiss her, and she off her guard and fearing nothing but, when he
+came up to her, he suddenly laid hold of her with a strong hand and instantly
+throwing her down, on the ground abated her maidenhead.[FN#220] Then he pulled
+the beard from his face and said to her, "Dost thou not know me?" Asked she,
+"Who art thou?" and he answered, "I am Behram, the King's son of Persia, who
+have changed my favour and am become a stranger to my people and estate for
+thy sake and have lavished my treasures for thy love." So she rose from under
+him in silence and answered not his address nor spake a word of reply to him,
+being dazed for what had befallen her and seeing nothing better than to be
+silent, for fear of shame; and she bethought herself and said, "If I kill
+myself it will be useless and if I do him die, his death will profit me
+naught;" and presently added, "Nothing will serve me but that I elope with him
+to his own country." Then she gathered together her monies and treasures and
+sent to him, acquainting him therewith, to the intent that he also might equip
+himself with his wealth and needs; and they agreed upon a night on which to
+depart. So, at the appointed time, they mounted race-horses and set out under
+cover of the gloom, nor did morning morrow till they had traversed a great
+distance; and they ceased not faring forwards till they drew near his father's
+capital in the land of the Persians. When the King heard of his son's coming,
+he rode out to meet him with his troops and rejoiced in him with exceeding
+joy. Then, after a few days, he sent the Princess's father a splendid present,
+and a letter to the effect that his daughter was with him and demanding her
+wedding equipage. Al-Datma's father came out to meet the messengers with the
+greatest gladness (for that he had deemed his daughter lost and had grieved
+sore for her loss): after which he made bride-feasts and, summoning the Kazi
+and the witnesses, let draw up the marriage-contract between his daughter and
+the Prince of Persia. He invested the envoys with robes of honour, then he
+made ready her equipage and despatched it to her; and Prince Behram abode with
+her till death sundered their union. "See therefore, O King" (continued the
+favourite), "the malice of men in their dealing with women. As for me, I will
+not go back from my due till I die." So the King once more commanded to put
+his son to death; but the seventh Wazir came in to him and kissing the ground
+before him, said, "O King, have patience with me whilst I speak these words of
+good counsel to thee; how many patient and slow-moving men unto their hope
+attain, and how many who are precipitate fall into shameful state! Now I have
+seen how this damsel hath profligately excited the King by lies to horrible
+and unnatural cruelties; but I his Mameluke, whom he hath overwhelmed with his
+favours and bounties, do proffer him true and loyal rede; for that I, O King,
+know of the malice of women that which none knoweth save myself; and in
+particular there hath reached me, on this subject, the story of the old woman
+and the son of the merchant with its warning instances." Asked the King, "And
+what fell out between them, O Wazir?" and the seventh Wazir answered, "I have
+heard tell, O King, the tale of
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap33"></a>The House with the Belvedere.[FN#221]</h3>
+
+<p>
+A wealthy merchant had a son who was very dear to him and who said to him one
+day, "O my father, I have a boon to beg of thee." Quoth the merchant, "O my
+son, what is it, that I may give it thee and bring thee to thy desire, though
+it were the light of mine eyes." Quoth the youth, "Give me money, that I may
+journey with the merchants to the city of Baghdad and see its sights and sail
+on the Tigris and look upon the palace of the Caliphs[FN#222]; for the sons of
+the merchants have described these things to me and I long to see them for
+myself." Said the father, "O my child, O my little son, how can I endure to
+part from thee?" But the youth replied, ' I have said my say and there is no
+help for it but I journey to Baghdad with thy consent or e'en without it: such
+a longing for its sight hath fallen upon me as can only be assuaged by the
+going hither." —And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
+permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-ninth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the merchant's son said
+to his sire, "There is no help for it but that I journey to Baghdad." Now when
+the father saw that there was no help for it, he provided his son with goods to
+the value of thirty thousand gold pieces and sent him with certain merchants in
+whom he trusted, committing him to their charge. Then he took leave of the
+youth, who journeyed with his friends the merchants till they reached Baghdad,
+the House of Peace, where he entered the market and hired him a house, so
+handsome and delectable and spacious and elegant that on seeing it he well nigh
+lost his wits for admiration; for therein were pavilions facing one another,
+with floors of coloured marbles and ceilings inlaid with gold and lapis lazuli,
+and its gardens were full of warbling birds. So he asked the door
+keeper[FN#223] what was its monthly rent, and he replied, "Ten dinars." Quoth
+the young man, "Speakest thou soothly or dost thou but jest with me?" Quoth the
+porter, "By Allah, I speak naught but the truth, for none who taketh up his
+abode in This house lodgeth in it more than a week[FN#224] or two." "And how is
+that?" quoth the youth; and quoth the porter, "O my son, whoso dwelleth in this
+house cometh not forth of it, except sick or dead, wherefore it is known
+amongst all the folk of Baghdad so that none offereth to inhabit it, and thus
+cometh it that its rent is fallen so low." Hearing this the young merchant
+marvelled with exceeding marvel and said, "Needs must there be some reason for
+this sickening and perishing." However after considering awhile and seeking
+refuge with Allah from Satan the Stoned, he rented the house and took up his
+abode there. Then he put away apprehension from his thought and busied himself
+with selling and buying; and some days passed by without any such ill case
+befalling him in the house, as the doorkeeper had mentioned. One day as he sat
+upon the bench before his door, there came up a grizzled crone, as she were a
+snake speckled white and black, calling aloud on the name of Allah, magnifying
+Him inordinately and, at the same time, putting away the stones and other
+obstacles from the path.[FN#225] Seeing the youth sitting there, she looked at
+him and marvelled at his case; where upon quoth he to her, "O woman, dost thou
+know me or am I like any thou knowest?" When she heard him speak, she toddled
+up to him and saluting him with the salaam, asked, "How long hast thou dwelt in
+this house?" Answered he, "Two months, O my mother;" and she said, "It was
+hereat I marvelled; for I, O my son, know thee not, neither dost thou know me,
+nor yet art thou like unto any one I know; but I marvelled for that none other
+than thou hath taken up his abode in this house but hath gone forth from it,
+dead or dying, saving thee alone. Doubtless, O my son, thou hast periled thy
+young years; but I suppose thou hast not gone up to the upper story neither
+looked out from the belvedere there." So saying, she went her way and he fell a
+pondering her words and said to himself, "I have not gone up to the top of the
+house; nor did I know that there was a belvedere there." Then he arose
+forthright and going in, searched the by ways of the house till he espied, in a
+wall corner among the trees, a narrow door between whose posts[FN#226] the
+spider had woven her webs, and said in himself, "Haply the spider hath not
+webbed over the door, but because death and doom is within." However, he
+heartened himself with the saying of God the Most High, "Say, nothing shall
+befall us but what Allah hath written for us;"[FN#227] and opening the door,
+ascended a narrow flight of stairs, till he came to the terrace roof, where he
+found a belvedere, in which he sat down to rest and solace himself with the
+view. Presently, he caught sight of a fine house and a well cared for hard by,
+surmounted by a lofty belvedere, over looking the whole of Baghdad, in which
+sat a damsel fair as a Houri. Her beauty took possession of his whole heart and
+made away with his reason, bequeathing to him the pains and patience of Job and
+the grief and weeping of Jacob. And as he looked at her and considered her
+curiously, an object to enamour an ascetic and make a devotee lovesick, fire
+was lighted in his vitals and he cried, "Folk say that whoso taketh up his
+abode in this house dieth or sickeneth. An this be so, yon damsel is assuredly
+the cause. Would Heaven I knew how I shall win free of this affair, for my wits
+are clean gone!" Then he descended from the terrace, pondering his case, and
+sat down in the house, but being unable to rest, he went out and took his seat
+at the door, absorbed in melancholy thought when, behold, up came the old woman
+afoot, praising and magnifying Allah as she went. When he saw her, he rose and
+accosting her with a courteous salaam and wishes for her life being prolonged
+said to her, "O my mother, I was healthy and hearty till thou madest mention to
+me of the door leading to the belvedere; so I opened it and ascending to the
+top Of the house, saw thence what stole away my senses; and now methinks I am a
+lost man, and I know no physician for me but thyself." When she heard this, she
+laughed and said, "No harm shall befall thee Inshallah so Allah please!"
+Whereupon he rose and went into the house and coming back with an hundred
+dinars in his sleeve, said to her, "Take this, O my mother, and deal with me
+the dealing of lords with slaves and succour me quickly for, if I die, a claim
+for my blood will meet thee on the Day of Doom." Answered she, "With love and
+gladness; but, O my son, I expect thou lend me thine aid in some small matter,
+whereby hangs the winning of thy wish." Quoth he, "What wouldst thou have me
+do, O my mother?" Quoth she, "Go to the silk market and enquire for the shop of
+Abú al-Fath bin Kaydám. Sit thee down on his counter and salute him and say to
+him, 'Give me the face veil[FN#228] thou hast by thee orfrayed with gold:' for
+he hath none handsomer in his shop. Then buy it of him, O my son, at his own
+price however high and keep it till I come to thee to morrow, Allah Almighty
+willing." So saying, she went away and he passed the night upon live coals of
+the Ghazá[FN#229]-wood. Next morning he took a thousand ducats in his pocket
+and repairing to the silk market, sought out the shop of Abu al-Fath to whom he
+was directed by one of the merchants. He found him a man of dignified aspect,
+surrounded by pages, eunuchs and attendants; for he was a merchant of great
+wealth and consideration befriended by the Caliph; and of the blessings which
+Allah the Most High had bestowed upon him was the damsel who had ravished the
+young man's heart. She was his wife and had not her match for beauty, nor was
+her like to be found with any of the sons of the Kings. The young man saluted
+him and Abu al-Fath returned his salaam and bade him be seated. So he sat down
+by him and said to him, "O merchant, I wish to look at such a face veil."
+Accordingly he bade his slave bring him a bundle of silk from the inner shop
+And opening it, brought out a number of veils, whose beauty amazed the youth.
+Among them was the veil he sought; so he bought it for fifty gold pieces and
+bore it home well pleased.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
+to say her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundredth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the youth after buying
+the veil of the merchant bore it home; but hardly had he reached the house when
+lo! up came the old woman. He rose to her and gave her his purchase when she
+bade him bring a live coal, with which she burnt one of the corners of the
+veil, then folded it up as before and, repairing to Abu al-Fath's house,
+knocked at the door. Asked the damsel, "Who is there?"; and she answered, "I,
+such an one." Now the damsel knew her for a friend of her mother so, when she
+heard her voice, she came out and opening the door to her, said, "What brought
+thee here, O my mother? My mamma hath left me and gone to her own house."
+Replied the old woman, "O my daughter, I know thy mother is not with thee, for
+I have been with her in her home, and I come not to thee, but because I fear to
+pass the hour of prayer; wherefore I desire to make my Wuzu-ablution with thee,
+for I know thou art clean and thy house pure."[FN#230] The damsel admitted the
+old trot who saluted her and called down blessings upon her. Then she took the
+ewer and went into the wash house, where she made her ablutions and prayed in a
+place there. Presently, she came out again and said to the damsel, "O my
+daughter, I suspect thy handmaidens have been in yonder place and defiled it;
+so do thou show me another place where I may pray, for the prayer I have prayed
+I account null and void." Thereupon the damsel took her by the hand and said to
+her, "O my mother, come and pray on my carpet, where my husband sits." So she
+stood there and prayed and worshipped, bowed and prostrated; and presently, she
+took the damsel unawares and made shift to slip the veil under the cushion,
+unseen of her. Then she blessed her and went her ways. Now as the day was
+closing Abu al-Fath came home and sat down upon the carpet, whilst his wife
+brought him food and he ate of it his sufficiency and washed his hands; after
+which he leant back upon the cushion. Presently, he caught sight of a corner of
+the veil protruding from under the cushion; so he pulled it out and considered
+it straitly, when, knowing it for that he had sold to the young man, he at once
+suspected his wife of unchastity. Thereupon he called her and said, "Whence
+hadst thou this veil?" And she swore an oath to him, saying, "None hath come to
+me but thou." The merchant was silent for fear of scandal, and said to himself,
+"If I open up this chapter, I shall be put to shame before all Baghdad;" for he
+was one of the intimates of the Caliph and so he could do nothing save hold his
+peace. So he asked no questions, but said to his wife, whose name was Mahzíyah,
+"It hath reached me that thy mother lieth ill of heart ache[FN#231] and all the
+women are with her, weeping over her; wherefore I order thee to go to her."
+Accordingly, she repaired to her mother's house and found her in the best of
+health; and she asked her daughter, "What brings thee here at this hour?" So
+she told her what her husband had said and sat with her awhile; when behold, up
+came porters, who brought her clothes from her husband's house, and
+transporting all her paraphernalia and what not else belonged to her of goods
+and vessels, deposited them in her mother's lodging. When the mother saw this,
+she said to her daughter, "Tell me what hath passed between thee and thy
+husband, to bring about this." But she swore to her that she knew not the cause
+thereof and that there had befallen nothing between them to call for this
+conduct. Quoth her mother, "Needs must there be a cause for this." And she
+answered, saying, "I know of none, and after this, with Almighty Allah be it to
+make provision!" Whereupon her mother fell a weeping and lamented her
+daughter's separation from the like of this man, by reason of his sufficiency
+and fortune and the greatness of his rank and dignity. On this wise things
+abode some days, after which the curst, ill omened old woman, whose name was
+Miryam the Koranist,[FN#232] paid a visit to Mahziyah, in her mother's house
+and saluted her cordially, saying, "What ails thee, O my daughter, O my
+darling? Indeed, thou hast troubled my mind." Then she went in to her mother
+and said to her, "O my sister, what is this business about thy daughter and her
+husband? It hath reached me that he hath divorced her! What hath she done to
+call for this?" Quoth the mother, "Belike her husband will return to her by the
+blessed influence of thy prayers, O Háfizah; so do thou pray for her, O my
+sister, for thou art a day faster and a night prayer." Then the three fell to
+talking together and the old woman said to the damsel, "O my daughter, grieve
+not for, if Allah please, I will make peace between thee and thy husband before
+many days." Then she left them and going to the young merchant, said to him,
+"Get ready a handsome entertainment for us, for I will bring her to thee this
+very night." So he sprang up and went forth and provided all that was fitting
+of meat and drink and so forth, then sat down to await the twain; whilst the
+old woman returned to the girl's mother and said to her, "O my sister, we have
+a splendid bride feast to night; so let thy daughter go with me, that she may
+divert herself and make merry with us and throw off her cark and care, and
+forget the ruin of her home. I will bring her back to thee even as I took her
+away." The mother dressed her daughter in her finest dress and costliest jewels
+and accompanied her to the door, where she commended her to the old woman's
+charge, saying, " 'Ware lest thou let any of Almighty Allah's creatures look
+upon her, for thou knowest her husband's rank with the Caliph; and do not
+tarry, but bring her back to me as soon as possible." The old woman carried the
+girl to the young man's house which she entered, thinking it the place where
+the wedding was to be held: but as soon as she came into the sitting
+saloon,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted
+say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and First Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that as soon as the damsel
+entered the sitting saloon, the youth sprang up to her and flung his arms round
+her neck and kissed her hands and feet. She was confounded at his loveliness,
+as well as at the beauty of the place and the profusion of meat and drink,
+flowers and perfumes that she saw therein, and deemed all was a dream. When the
+old woman saw her amazement, she said to her, "The name of Allah be upon thee,
+O my daughter! Fear not; I am here sitting with thee and will not leave thee
+for a moment. Thou art worthy of him and he is worthy of thee." So the damsel
+sat down shame-fast and in great confusion; but the young man jested and toyed
+with her and entertained her with laughable stories and loving verses, till her
+breast broadened and she became at her ease. Then she ate and drank and growing
+warm with wine, took the lute and sang these couplets,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+"My friend who went hath returned once more; * Oh, the welcome<br/>
+
+     light that such beauty shows!<br/>
+
+ And but for the fear of those arrowy eyes, * From his lovely<br/>
+
+     cheek I had culled the rose."<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+And when the youth saw that she to his beauty did incline he waxt drunken
+without wine and his life was a light matter to him compared with his
+love.[FN#233] Presently the old woman went out and left them alone together to
+enjoy their loves till the next morning, when she went into them and gave them
+both good morrow[FN#234] and asked the damsel, "How hast thou passed the night,
+O my lady?" Answered the girl, "Right well, thanks to thy adroitness and the
+excellence of thy going between."[FN#235] Then said the old woman, ''Up, let us
+go back to thy mother." At these words the young man pulled out an hundred
+sequins and gave them to her, saying, "Take this and leave her with me to
+night." So she left them and repaired to the girl's mother, to whom quoth she,
+"Thy daughter saluteth thee, and the bride's mother hath sworn her to abide
+with her this night." Replied the mother, "O my sister, bear her my salaam,
+and, if it please and amuse the girl, there is no harm in her staying the
+night; so let her do this and divert herself and come back to me at her
+leisure, for all I fear for her is chagrin on account of an angry husband." The
+old woman ceased not to make excuse after excuse to the girl's mother and to
+put off cheat upon cheat upon her, till Mahziyah had tarried seven days with
+the young man, of whom she took an hundred dinars each day for herself; while
+he enjoyed all the solace of life and coition. But at the end of this time, the
+girl's mother said to her, "Bring my daughter back to me forthright; for I am
+uneasy about her, because she hath been so long absent, and I misdoubt me of
+this." So the old woman went out saying, "Woe to thee! shall such words be
+spoken to the like of me?"; and, going to the young man's house, took the girl
+by the hand and carried her away (leaving him lying asleep on his bed, for he
+was drunken with wine) to her mother. She received her with pleasure and
+gladness and seeing her in redoubled beauty and brilliancy rejoiced in her with
+exceeding joy, saying, "O my daughter, my heart was troubled about thee and in
+my uneasiness I offended against this my sister the Koranist with a speech that
+wounded her." Replied Mahziyah, "Rise and kiss her hands and feet, for she hath
+been to me as a servant in my hour of need, and if thou do it not thou art no
+mamma of mine, nor am I thy girl." So the mother went up at once to the old
+woman and made her peace with her. Meanwhile, the young man recovered from his
+drunkenness and missed the damsel, but congratulated himself on having enjoyed
+his desire. Presently Miryam the old Koranist came in to him and saluted him,
+saying, "What thinkest thou of my feat?" Quoth he, "Excellently well conceived
+and contrived of thee was that same." Then quoth she, "Come, let us mend what
+we have marred and restore this girl to her husband, for we have been the cause
+of their separation and it is unrighteous." Asked he, "How shall I do?" and she
+answered, "Go to Abu al-Fath's shop and salute him and sit down by him, till
+thou seest me pass by, when do thou rise in haste and catch hold of my dress
+and abuse me and threaten me, demanding of me the veil. And do thou say to the
+merchant, 'Thou knowest, O my lord, the face veil I bought of thee for fifty
+dinars? It so chanced that my handmaid put it on and burnt a corner of it by
+accident; so she gave it to this old woman, who took it, promising to get it
+fine-drawn[FN#236] and return it, and went away, nor have I seen her from that
+day to this.'" "With joy and good will," replied the young man, and rising
+forthright, walked to the shop of the silk merchant, with whom he sat awhile
+till behold, the old woman passed telling her beads on a rosary she held in
+hand; whereupon he sprang up and laying hold of her dress began to abuse and
+rail at her, whilst she answered him with fair words, saying, "Indeed, my son,
+thou art excusable." So the people of the bazaar flocked round the two, saying,
+"What is the matter?" and he replied, "O folk, I bought of this merchant a veil
+for fifty dinars and gave it to my slave girl, who wore it awhile, then sat
+down to fumigate it with perfume. Presently a spark flew out of the censer and,
+lighting on the edge of the veil, burnt a hole in it. So we committed it to
+this pestilent old woman, that she might give it to who should fine-draw it and
+return it to us; but from that time we have never set eyes on her again till
+this day." Answered the old woman, "This young man speaks sooth. I had the veil
+from him, but I took it with me into one of the houses where I am wont to visit
+and forgot it there, nor do I know where I left it; and, being a poor woman, I
+feared its owner and dared not face him." Now the girl's husband was listening
+to all they said,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Second Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the young man seized
+the old woman and spoke to her of the veil as she had primed him, the girl's
+husband was listening to all they said, from beginning to end, and when he
+heard the tale which the crafty old woman had contrived with the young man, he
+rose to his feet and said, "Allah Almighty! I crave pardon of the Omnipotent
+One for my sins and for what my heart suspected!" And he praised the Lord who
+had discovered to him the truth. Then he accosted the old woman and said to
+her, "Dost thou use to visit us?"[FN#237] Replied she, "O my son, I visit you
+and other than you, for the sake of alms; but from that day to this, none hath
+given me news of the veil." Asked the merchant, "Hast thou enquired at my
+house?" and she answered, "O my lord, I did indeed go to thy house and ask; but
+they told me that the person of the house[FN#238] had been divorced by the
+merchant; so I went away and asked no farther; nor have I enquired of anybody
+else until this day." Hereupon the merchant turned to the young man and said,
+"Let the old woman go her way; for the veil is with me." So saying he brought
+it out from the shop and gave it to the fine-drawer before all present. Then he
+betook himself to his wife and, giving her somewhat of money, took her to
+himself again, after making abundance of excuses to her and asking pardon of
+Allah, because he knew not what the old woman had done. (Said the Wazir), "This
+then, O King, is an instance of the malice of women and for another to the same
+purport, I have heard tell the following tale anent
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap34"></a>The King's Son and the Ifrit's Mistress[FN#239]</h3>
+
+<p>
+A certain King's son was once walking alone for his pleasure, when he came to a
+green meadow, abounding in trees laden with fruit and birds singing on the
+boughs, and a river running athwart it. The place pleased him; so he sat down
+there and taking out some dried fruits he had brought with him, began to eat,
+when lo! he espied a great smoke rising up to heaven and, taking fright, he
+climbed up into a tree and hid himself among the branches. Thence he saw an
+Ifrit rise out of the midst of the stream bearing on his head a chest of
+marble, secured by a padlock. He set down the chest on the meadow-sward and
+opened it and there came forth a damsel of mortal race like the sun shining in
+the sheeny sky. After seating her he solaced himself by gazing on her awhile,
+then laid his head in her lap and fell asleep, whereupon she lifted up his head
+and laying it on the chest, rose and walked about. Presently, she chanced to
+raise her eyes to the tree wherein was the Prince, and seeing him, signed to
+him to come down. He refused, but she swore to him, saying, "Except thou come
+down and do as I bid thee, I will wake the Ifrit and point thee out to him,
+when he will straightway kill thee." The King's son fearing she would do as she
+said, came down, whereupon she kissed his hands and feet and besought him to do
+her need. To this he consented and, when he had satisfied her wants, she said
+to him, "Give me this seal ring I see on thy finger." So he gave her his signet
+and she set it in a silken kerchief she had with her, wherein were more than
+four score others. When the Prince saw this, he asked her, "What dost thou with
+all these rings?"; and she answered, "In very sooth this Ifrit carried me off
+from my father's palace and shut me in this box, which he beareth about on his
+head wherever he goeth, with the keys about him; and he hardly leaveth me one
+moment alone of the excess of his jealousy over me, and hindereth me from what
+I desire. When I saw this, I swore that I would deny my last favours to no man
+whatsoever, and these rings thou seest are after the tale of the men who have
+had me; for after coition I took from each a seal ring and laid it in this
+kerchief." Then she added, "And now go thy ways, that I may look for another
+than thyself, for the Ifrit will not awake yet awhile." Hardly crediting what
+he had heard, the Prince returned to his father's palace, but the King knew
+naught of the damsel's malice (for she feared not this and took no count
+thereof), and seeing that his son had lost his ring, he bade put him to
+death.[FN#240] Then he rose from his place and entered his palace; but his
+Wazirs came in to him and prevailed with him to abandon his purpose. The same
+night, the King sent for all of them and thanked them for having dissuaded him
+from slaying his son; and the Prince also thanked them, saying, "It was well
+done of you to counsel my father to let me live and Inshallah! I will soon
+requite you abundantly." Then he related to them how he had lost the ring, and
+they offered up prayers for his long life and advancement and withdrew. "See
+then, O King," (said the Wazir), "the malice of women and what they do unto
+men." The King hearkened to the Minister's counsel and again countermanded his
+order to slay his son. Next morning, it being the eighth day, as the King sat
+in his audience chamber in the midst of his Grandees and Emirs and Wazirs and
+Olema, the Prince entered, with his hand in that of his governor, Al Sindibad,
+and praised his father and his Ministers and lords and divines in the most
+eloquent words and thanked them for having saved his life; so that all who were
+present wondered at his eloquence and fluency of speech. His father rejoiced in
+him with exceeding, all surpassing joy, and calling him to him, kissed him
+between the eyes. Then he called his preceptor, al-Sindibad, and asked him why
+his son had kept silence these seven days, to which he replied, "O our lord,
+the truth is, it was I who enjoined him to this, in my fear for him of death: I
+knew this from the day of his birth; and, when I took his nativity, I found it
+written in the stars that, if he should speak during this period, he would
+surely die; but now the danger is over, by the King's fortune." At this the
+King was glad and said to his Wazirs, "If I had killed my son, would the fault
+have fallen on me or the damsel or on the preceptor, al-Sindibad?" But all
+present refrained from replying, and al-Sindibad said to the Prince, "Answer
+thou, O my son."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
+permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Third Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Al-Sindibad said,
+"Answer thou, O my son," the Prince replied, "I have heard tell that a merchant
+at whose house certain guests once alighted sent his slave girl to the market
+to buy a jar of clotted milk.[FN#241] So she bought it and set out on her
+return home; but on the way there passed over her a kite, holding and squeezing
+a serpent in its claws, and a drop of the serpent's venom fell into the milk
+jar, unknown of the girl. So, when she came back, the merchant took the milk
+from her and drank of it, he and his guests; but hardly had it settled in their
+stomachs when they all died.[FN#242] Now consider, O King, whose was the fault
+in this matter?" Thereupon some present said, "It was the fault of the company
+who drank the milk without examining it." And other some, "That of the girl,
+who left the jar without cover." But al-Sindibad asked the Prince, "What sayest
+thou, O my son?" Answered he, "I say that the folk err; it was neither the
+fault of the damsel nor of the company, for their appointed hour was come,
+their divinely decreed provision was exhausted and Allah had fore ordained them
+to die thus."[FN#243] When the courtiers heard this, they marvelled greatly and
+lifted up their voices, blessing the King's son, and saying, "O our lord, thou
+hast made a reply sans peur, and thou art the sagest man of thine age sans
+reproche." "Indeed, I am no sage," answered the Prince; "the blind Shaykh and
+the son of three years and the son of five years were wiser than I." Said the
+bystanders, "O youth, tell us the stories of these three who were wiser than
+thou art, O youth." Answered he, "With all my heart. I have heard tell this
+tale concerning the
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap35"></a>Sandal-Wood Merchant and the Sharpers.[FN#244]</h3>
+
+<p>
+There once lived an exceeding rich merchant, who was a great traveller and who
+visited all manner of places. One day, being minded to journey to a certain
+city, he asked those who came thence, saying, "What kind of goods brought most
+profit there?" and they answered, "Chanders-wood; for it selleth at a high
+price." So he laid out all his money in sandal and set out for that city; and
+arriving there at close of day, behold, he met and old woman driving her sheep.
+Quoth she to him, "Who art thou, O man? and quoth he, "I am a stranger, a
+merchant." "Beware of the townsfolk," said she, "for they are cheats, rascals,
+robbers who love nothing more than imposing on the foreigner that they may get
+the better of him and devour his substance. Indeed I give thee good counsel."
+Then she left him and on the morrow there met him one of the citizens who
+saluted him and asked him, "O my lord, whence comest thou?" Answered the
+merchant, "From such a place." "And what merchandise hast thou brought with
+thee?" enquired the other; and replied he, "Chanders-wood, for it is high of
+price with you." Quoth the townsman, "He blundered who told thee that; for we
+burn nothing under our cooking-pots save sandal-wood, whose worth with us is
+but that of fuel." When the merchant heard this he sighed and repented and
+stood balanced between belief and unbelief. Then he alighted at one of the
+khans of the city, and, when it was night, he saw a merchant make fire of
+chanders-wood under his cooking pot. Now this was the man who had spoken with
+him and this proceeding was a trick of his. When the townsman saw the merchant
+looking at him, he asked, "Wilt thou sell me thy sandal-wood for a
+measure[FN#245] of whatever thy soul shall desire?" "I sell it to thee,"
+answered the merchant; and the buyer transported all the wood to his own house
+and stored it up there; whilst the seller purposed to take an equal quantity of
+gold for it. Next morning the merchant, who was a blue-eyed man, went out to
+walk in the city but, as he went along, one of the townsfolk, who was blue-eyed
+and one-eyed to boot, caught hold of him, saying, "Thou are he who stole my eye
+and I will never let thee go."[FN#246] The merchant denied this, saying, "I
+never stole it: the thing is impossible." Whereupon the folk collected round
+them and besought the one-eyed man to grant him till the morrow, that he might
+give him the price of his eye. So the merchant procured one to be surety for
+him, and they let him go. Now his sandal had been rent in the struggle with the
+one-eyed man; so he stopped at a cobbler's stall and gave it to him, saying,
+"Mend it and thou shalt have of me what shall content thee." Then he went on,
+till he came to some people sitting at play of forfeits and sat down with them,
+to divert his cark and care. They invited him to play with them and he did so;
+but they practised on him and overcoming him, offered him his choice,[FN#247]
+either to drink up the sea or disburse all the money he had. "Have patience
+with me till to-morrow," said he, and they granted him the delay he sought;
+whereupon he went away, sore concerned for what had betided him and knowing not
+how he should do, and sat down in a solitary place heart-heavy, care- full,
+thought-opprest. And behold, the old woman passed by and seeing him thus, said
+to him, "Peradventure the townsfolk have gotten the better of thee, for I see
+the troubled at that which hath befallen thee: recount to me what aileth thee."
+So he told her all that had passed from first to last, and she said, "As for
+him who diddled thee in the matter of the chanders-wood, thou must know that
+with us it is worth ten gold pieces a pound. But I will give thee a rede,
+whereby I trust thou shalt deliver thyself; and it is this. Go to such and such
+a gate whereby lives a blind Shaykh, a cripple, who is knowing, wise as a
+wizard and experienced; and all resort to him and ask him what they require,
+when he counsels them what will be their advantage; for he is versed in
+craft[FN#248] and magic and trickery. Now he is a sharper and the sharpers
+resort to him by night; therefore, I repeat, go thou to his lodging and hide
+thyself from thine adversaries, so thou mayst hear what they say, unseen of
+them; for he telleth them which party got the better and which got the worse;
+and haply thou shalt learn from them some plan which may avail to deliver thee
+from them." —And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Fourth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the old woman said to the
+merchant, "Go this night to that expert who is frequented by the townsfolk and
+hide thine identity: haply shalt thou hear from him some plea which shall
+deliver thee from thine adversaries." So he went to the place she mentioned and
+hid himself albeit he took seat near the blind man. Before long, up came the
+Shaykh's company who were wont to choose him for their judge: they saluted the
+oldster and one another and sat down round him, whereupon the merchant
+recognised his four adversaries. The Chief set somewhat of food before them and
+they ate; then each began to tell what had befallen him during his day, and
+amongst the rest came forward he of the chanders-wood and told the Shaykh how
+he had bought of one man sandal below its price, and had agreed to pay for it a
+Sá'a or measure of whatever the seller should desire.[FN#249] Quoth the old
+man, "Thine opponent hath the better of thee." Asked the other, "How can that
+be?"; and the Shaykh answered, "What if he say, I will take the measure full of
+gold or silver, wilt thou give it to him?" "Yes," replied the other, "I will
+give it to him and still be the gainer." And the Shaykh answered, "And if he
+say, I will take the measure full of fleas,[FN#250] half male and half female,
+what wilt thou do?" So the sharper knew that he was worsted. Then came forward
+the one-eyed man and said, "O Shaykh, I met to-day a blue-eyed man, a stranger
+to the town; so I picked a quarrel with him and caught hold of him, saying,
+''Twas thou robbedst me of my eye'; nor did I let him go, till some became
+surety for him that he should return to me to-morrow and satisfy me for my
+eye." Quoth the oldster, "If he will he may have the better of thee and thou
+the worse." "How so?" asked the sharper; and the Chief said, "he may say to
+thee, 'Pluck out thine eye, and I will pluck out one of mine; then we will
+weigh them both, and if thine eye be of the same weight as mine, thou sayest
+sooth in what thou avouchest.' So wilt thou owe him the legal price of his eye
+and be stone blind, whilst he will still see with his other eye." So the
+sharper knew that the merchant might baffle him with such plea. Then came the
+cobbler; and said, "O Shaykh, a man brought me his sandal-shoe to-day, saying,
+'Mend this;' and I asked him, 'What wage wilt thou give me?'; when he answered,
+'Thou shalt have of me what will content thee.' Now nothing will content me but
+all the wealth he hath." Quoth the oldster, "And he will, he may take his
+sandal from thee and give thee nothing." "How so?" quoth the cobbler, and quoth
+the Shaykh, "He has but to say to thee, 'The Sultan's enemies are put to the
+rout; his foes are waxed weak and his children and helpers are multiplied. Art
+thou content or no?' If thou say, 'I am content,'[FN#251] he will take his
+sandal and go away; and if thou say, 'I am not content,' he will take his
+sandal and beat thee therewith over the face and neck." So the cobbler owned
+himself worsted. Then came forward the gamester and said, "O Shaykh, I played
+at forfeits with a man to-day and beat him and quoth I to hime, 'If thou drink
+the sea I will give thee all my wealth; and if not I will take all that is
+thine.'" Replied the Chief, "An he will he may worst thee." "How so?" asked the
+sharper, and the Shaykh answered, "He hath but to say, 'Hold for me the mouth
+of the sea in thine hand and give it me and I will drink it.' But thou wilt not
+be able to do this; so he will baffle thee with this plea." When the merchant
+heard this, he knew how it behoved him to deal with his adversaries. Then the
+sharpers left the Shaykh and the merchant returned to his lodging. Now when
+morning morrowed, the gamester came to him and summoned him to drink the sea;
+so he said to him, "Hold for me its mouth and I will drink it up." Whereupon he
+confessed himself beaten and redeemed his foreit by paying an hundred gold
+pieces. Then came the cobbler and sought of him what should content him. Quoth
+the merchant, "Our lord the Sultan hath overcome his foes and hath destroyed
+his enemies and his children are multiplied. Art thou content or no?" "I am
+content," replied the cobbler and, giving up the shoe[FN#252] without wage,
+went away. Next came the one-eyed man and demanded the legal price of his eye.
+Said the merchant, "Pluck out thine eye, and I will pluck out mine: then we
+will weigh them, and if they are equal in weight, I will acknowledge thy truth,
+and pay thee the price of thine eye; but, if they differ, thou liest and I will
+sue thee for the price of mine eye." Quoth the one-eyed man, "Grant me time;"
+but the merchant answered, saying, "I am a stranger and grant time to none, nor
+will I part from thee till thou pay." So the sharper ransomed his eye by paying
+him an hundred ducats and went away. Last of all came the buyer of the
+chanders-wood and said, "Take the price of thy ware." Asked the merchant, "What
+wilt thou give me?"; and the other answered, "We agreed for a Sá'a-measure of
+whatever thou shouldst desire; so, if thou wilt, take it full of gold and
+silver." "Not I," rejoined the merchant, "Not I! nothing shall serve me but I
+must have it full of fleas, half male and half female." Said the sharper, "I
+can do nothing of the kind;" and, confessing himself beaten, returned him his
+sandal-wood and redeemed himself from him with an hundred sequins, to be off
+his bargain. Then the merchant sold the chanders-wood at his own price and,
+quitting the city of sharpers, returned to his own land, —-And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Fifth Night
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the merchant had
+sold his chanders-wood and had taken the money he quitted that city and
+returned to his own land. Then the Prince continued, "But this is not more
+wondrous than the tale of the three-year-old child." "What may that be?" asked
+the King, and the Prince answered, "I have heard tell this tale of
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap36"></a>The Debauchee and the Three-Year-Old Child.</h3>
+
+<p>
+Know, O King that a certain profligate man, who was addicted to the sex, once
+heard of a beautiful and lovely woman who dwelt in a city other than his own.
+So he journeyed thither, taking with him a present, and wrote her a note,
+setting forth all that he suffered of love-longing and desire for her and how
+his passion for her had driven him to forsake his native land and come to her;
+and he ended by praying for an assignation. She gave him leave to visit her
+and, as he entered her abode, she stood up and received him with all honour and
+worship, kissing his hands and entertaining him with the best entertainment of
+meat and drink. Now she had a little son, but three years old, whom she left
+and busied herself in cooking rice.[FN#253] Presently the man said to her,
+"Come, let us go and lie together;" but she replied, "My son is sitting looking
+at us." Quoth the man, "He is a little child, understanding not neither knowing
+how to speak." Quoth the woman, "Thou wouldst not say thus, and thou knew his
+intelligence." When the boy saw that the rice was done, he wept with bitter
+weeping and his mother said to him, "What gars thee weep, O my son?" "Ladle me
+out some rice," answered he, "and put clarified butter in it." So she ladled
+him out somewhat of rice and put butter therein; and the child ate a little,
+then began to weep again. Quoth she, "What ails thee now, O my son?"; and quoth
+he, "O mother mine, I want some sugar with my rice." At this said the man, who
+was an-angered, "Thou art none other than a curst child." "Curst thyself, by
+Allah," answered the boy, "seeing thou weariest thyself and journeyest from
+city to city, in quest of adultery. As for me, I wept because I had somewhat in
+my eye, and my tears brought it out; and now I have eaten rice with butter and
+sugar and am content; so which is the curst of us twain?" The man was
+confounded at this rebuke from a little child and forthright grace entered him
+and he was reclaimed. Wherefor he laid not a finger on the woman, but went out
+from her and returned to his own country, where he lived a contrite life till
+he died. "As for the story of the five-year-old child" (continued the Prince),
+"I have heard tell, O King, the following anent
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap37"></a>The Stolen Purse.</h3>
+
+<p>
+Four merchants once owned in common a thousand gold pieces; so they laid them
+mingled together in one purse and set out to buy merchandise therewith. They
+happened as they wended their way on a beautiful garden; so they left the purse
+with a woman who had care of the garden, saying to here, "Mind thee, thou shalt
+not give it back save when all four of us in person demand it of thee." She
+agreed to this and they entered and strolled awhile about the garden-walks and
+ate and drank and made merry, after which one of them said to the others, "I
+have with me scented fuller's-earth; come, let us wash our heads therewith in
+this running water." Quoth another, "We lack a comb;" and a third, "Let us ask
+the keeper; belike she hath a comb." Thereupon one of them arose and accosting
+the care-taker, said to her, "Give me the purse." Said she, "Not until ye be
+all present or thy fellows bid me give it thee." Then he called to his
+companions (who could see him but not hear him) saying, "She will not give it
+me;" and they said to her, "Give it him," thinking he meant the comb. So she
+gave him the purse and he took it and made off as fast as he could. When the
+three others were wary of waiting, they went to the keeper and asked her, "Why
+wilt thou not give him the comb?" Answered she, "He demanded naught of me save
+the purse, and I gave not that same but with your consent, and he went his way
+with it." When they heard her words they buffeted their faces and, laying hands
+upon her, said, "We authorized thee only to give him the comb;" and she
+rejoined, "He named not a comb to me." Then they seized her and haled her
+before the Kazi, to whom they related their claim and he condemned her to make
+good the the purse and bound over sundry of her debtors to answer for her.
+—-And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Sixth Night
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Kazi condemned the
+care-taker to make good the purse and bound over sundry of her debtors to
+answer for her. So she went forth, confounded and knowing not her way out of
+difficulty. Presently she met a five-year-old boy who, seeing her troubled,
+said to her, "What ails thee, O my mother?" But she gave him no answer,
+contemning him because of his tender age, and he repeated his question a second
+time and a third time till, at last, she told him all that had passed,[FN#254]
+not forgetting the condition that she was to keep the purse until all four had
+demanded it of her. Said the boy, "Give me a dirham to buy sweetmeats withal
+and I will tell the how thou mayst acquit thyself." So she gave him a silver
+and said to him, "What hast thou to say?" Quoth he, "Return to the Kazi, and
+say to him, It was agreed between myself and them that I should not give them
+the purse, except all four of them were present. Let them all four come and I
+will give them the purse, as was agreed." So she went back to the Kazi and said
+to him as the boy had counselled; and he asked the merchants, "Was it thus
+agreed between you and this woman?"; and they answered, "Yes." Quoth the Kazi,
+"Then bring me your comrade and take the purse." So they went in quest of their
+fellow, whilst the keeper came off scot-free and went her way without let or
+hindrance. And Allah is Omniscient![FN#255] When the King and his Wazir and
+those present in the assembly heard the Prince's words they said to his father,
+"O our lord the King, in very sooth thy son is the most accomplished man of his
+time;" and they called down blessings upon the King and the Prince. Then the
+King strained his son to his bosom and kissed him between the eyes and
+questioned him of what had passed between the favourite and himself; and the
+Prince sware to him, by Almighty Allah and by His Holy Prophet that it was she
+who had required him of love which he refused, adding, "Moreover, she promised
+me that she would give thee poison to drink and kill the, so should the
+kingship be mine; whereupon I waxed wroth and signed to her, 'O accursed one,
+whenas I can speak I will requite thee!' So she feared me and did what she
+did." The King believed his words and sending for the favourite said to those
+present, "How shall we put this damsel to death?" Some counselled him to cut
+out her tongue and other some to burn it with fire; but, when she came before
+the King, she said to him, "My case with thee is like unto naught save the tale
+of the fox and the folk." "How so?" asked he; and she said, "I have heard, O
+King, tell a
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap38"></a>Story of the Fox and the Folk.[FN#256]</h3>
+
+<p>
+A fox once made his way into a city by the wall and, entering a currier's
+store-house, played havoc with all therein and spoiled the skins for the owner.
+One day, the currier set a trap for him and taking him, beat him with the
+hides, till he fell down senseless, whereupon the man deeming him to be dead,
+cast him out into the road by the city-gate. Presently, an old woman who was
+walking by, seeing the fox said, "This is a fox whose eye, hung about a child's
+neck, is salutary against weeping." So she pluckt out his right eye and went
+away. Then passed a boy, who said, "What does this tail on this fox?"; and cut
+off his brush. After a while, up came a man and saying, "This is a fox whose
+gall cleareth away film and dimness from the eyes, if they be anointed
+therewith like kohl," took out his knife to slit up the fox's paunch. But
+Reynard said in himself, "We bore with the plucking out of the eye and the
+cutting off of the tail; but, as for the slitting of the paunch, there is no
+putting up with that!" So saying, he sprang up and made off through the gate of
+the city, hardly believing in his escape. Quoth the King, "I excuse her, and in
+my son's hands be her doom. If he will, let him torture her, and if he will,
+let him kill her." Quoth the Prince, "Pardon is better than vengeance and mercy
+is of the quality of the noble;" and the King repeated, "'Tis for thee to
+decide, O my son." So the Prince set her free, saying, "Depart from our
+neighbourhood and Alla pardon what is past!" Therewith the King rose from his
+throne of estate and seating his son thereon, crowned him with his crown and
+bade the Grandees of his realm swear fealty and commanded them do homage to
+him. And he said, "O folk, indeed, I am stricken in years and desire to
+withdraw apart and devote myself only to the service of my Lord; and I call you
+to witness that I divest myself of the kingly dignity, even as I have divested
+myself of my crown and set it on my son's head." So the troops and officers
+swore fealty to the Prince, and his father gave himself up to the worship of
+his Lord nor stinted from this, whilst his son abode in his kingship, doing
+justice and righteousness; and his power was magnified and his sultanate
+strengthened and he abode in all delight and solace of life, till there came to
+him the Certainty.
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap39"></a>JUDAR[FN#257] AND HIS BRETHREN.</h3>
+
+<p>
+There was once a man and a merchant named Omar and he had for issue three sons,
+the eldest called Sálim, the youngest Júdar and the cadet Salím. He reared them
+all till they came to man's estate, but the youngest he loved more than his
+brothers, who seeing this, waxed jealous of Judar and hated him. Now when their
+father, who was a man shotten in years, saw that his two eldest sons hated
+their brother, he feared lest after his death trouble should befall him from
+them. So he assembled a company of his kinsfolk, together with divers men of
+learning and property distributors of the Kazi's court, and bidding bring all
+his monies and cloth, said to them, "O folk, divide ye this money and stuff
+into four portions according to the law." They did so, and he gave one part to
+each of his sons and kept the fourth himself, saying, "This was my good and I
+have divided it among them in my lifetime; and this that I have kept shall be
+for my wife, their mother, wherewithal to provide for her subsistence whenas
+she shall be a widow."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
+saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Seventh Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the merchant had
+divided his money and stuff into four portions he said, "This share shall be
+for my wife, their mother, wherewithal to provide for her subsistence whenas
+she shall be a widow." A little while after this he died, and neither of the
+two elder brothers was content with his share,[FN#258] but sought more of
+Judar, saying, "Our father's wealth is in thy hands." So he appealed to the
+judges; and the Moslems who had been present at the partition came and bore
+witness of that which they knew, wherefore the judge forbade them from one
+another; but Judar and his brothers wasted much money in bribes to him. After
+this, the twain left him awhile; presently, however, they began again to plot
+against him and he appealed a second time to the magistrate, who once more
+decided in his favour; but all three lost much money which went to the judges.
+Nevertheless Sálim and Salím forbore not to seek his hurt and to carry the case
+from court to court,[FN#259] he and they losing till they had given all their
+good for food to the oppressors and they became poor, all three. Then the two
+elder brothers went to their mother and flouted her and beat her, and seizing
+her money crave her away. So she betook herself to her son Judar and told him
+how his brothers had dealt with her and fell to cursing the twain. Said he, "O
+my mother, do not curse them, for Allah will requite each of them according to
+his deed. But, O mother mine, see, I am become poor, and so are my brethren,
+for strife occasioneth loss ruin rife, and we have striven amain, and fought, I
+and they, before the judges, and it hath profited us naught: nay, we have
+wasted all our father left us and are disgraced among the folk by reason of our
+testimony one against other. Shall I then con tend with them anew on thine
+account and shall we appeal to the judges? This may not be! Rather do thou take
+up thine abode with me, and the scone I eat I will share with thee. Do thou
+pray for me and Allah will give me the means of thine alimony. Leave them to
+receive of the Almighty the recompense of their deed, and console thyself with
+the saying of the poet who said,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+'If a fool oppress thee bear patiently; * And from Time expect<br/>
+
+     thy revenge to see:<br/>
+
+Shun tyranny; for if mount oppressed * A mount, 'twould be<br/>
+
+     shattered by tyranny.' "<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+And he soothed and comforted her till she consented and took up her dwelling
+with him. Then he get him a net and went a fishing every day in the river or
+the banks about Bulák and old Cairo or some other place in which there was
+water; and one day he would earn ten coppers,[FN#260] another twenty and
+another thirty, which he spent upon his mother and himself, and they ate well
+and drank well. But, as for his brothers, they plied no craft and neither sold
+nor bought; misery and ruin and overwhelming calamity entered their houses and
+they wasted that which they had taken from their mother and became of the
+wretched naked beggars. So at times they would come to their mother, humbling
+themselves before her exceedingly and complaining to her of hunger; and she (a
+mother's heart being pitiful) would give them some mouldy, sour smelling bread
+or, if there were any meat cooked the day before, she would say to them, "Eat
+it quick and go ere your brother come; for 'twould be grievous to him and he
+would harden his heart against me, and ye would disgrace me with him." So they
+would eat in haste and go. One day among days they came in to their mother, and
+she set cooked meat and bread before them. As they were eating, behold, in came
+their brother Judar, at whose sight the parent was put to shame and confusion,
+fearing lest he should be wroth with her; and she bowed her face earthwards
+abashed before her son. But he smiled in their faces, saying, "Welcome, O my
+brothers! A blessed day![FN#261] How comes it that ye visit me this blessed
+day?" Then he embraced them both and entreated them lovingly, saying to them,
+"I thought not that ye would have left me desolate by your absence nor that ye
+would have forborne to come and visit me and your mother." Said they, "By
+Allah, O our brother, we longed sore for thee and naught withheld us but
+abashment because of what befell between us and thee; but indeed we have
+repented much. 'Twas Satan's doing, the curse of Allah the Most High be upon
+him! And now we have no blessing but thyself and our mother."—And Shahrazad
+perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Eighth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Judar entered his
+place and saw his brothers, he welcomed them both, saying, "And I have no
+blessing but you twain." And his mother exclaimed, "Allah whiten thy face, and
+increase thy prosperity, for thou art the most generous of us all, O my son!"
+Then he said "Welcome to you both! Abide with me; for the Lord is bountiful and
+good aboundeth with me." So he made peace with them, and they supped and
+righted with him; and next morning, after they had broken their fast, Judar
+shouldered his net and went out, trusting in The Opener[FN#262] whilst the two
+others also went forth and were absent till midday, when they returned and
+their mother set the noon meal before them. At nightfall Judar came home,
+bearing meat and greens, and they abode on this wise a month's space, Judar
+catching fish and selling it and spending their price on his mother and his
+brothers, and these eating and frolicking till, one day, it chanced he went
+down to the river bank and throwing his net, brought it up empty. He cast it a
+second time, but again it came up empty and he said in himself, "No fish in
+this place!" So he removed to another and threw the net there, but without
+avail. And he ceased not to remove from place to place till night fall, but
+caught not a single sprat[FN#263] and said to himself, "Wonderful! Hath the
+fish fled the river or what?" Then he shouldered the net and made for home,
+chagrined, concerned, feeling for his mother and brothers and knowing not how
+he should feed them that night. Presently, he came to a baker's oven and saw
+the folk crowding for bread, with silver in their hands, whilst the baker took
+no note of them. So he stood there sighing, and the baker said to him, "Welcome
+to thee, O Judar! Dost thou want bread?" But he was silent and the baker
+continued, "An thou have no dirhams, take thy sufficiency and thou shalt get
+credit." So Judar said, "Give me ten coppers' worth of bread and take this net
+in pledge." Rejoined the baker, "Nay, my poor fellow, the net is thy gate of
+earning thy livelihood, and if I take it from thee, I shall close up against
+thee the door of thy subsistence. Take thee ten Nusfs' worth of bread and take
+these other ten, and to morrow bring me fish for the twenty." "On my head and
+eyes be it!" quoth Judar and took the bread and money saying, "To morrow the
+Lord will dispel the trouble of my case and will provide me the means of
+acquittance." Then he bought meat and vegetables and carried them home to his
+mother, who cooked them and they supped and went to bed. Next morning he arose
+at daybreak and took the net, and his mother said to him, "Sit down and break
+thy fast." But he said, "Do thou and my brothers break fast," and went down to
+the river about Bulak where he ceased not to cast once, twice, thrice; and to
+shift about all day, without aught falling to him, till the hour of mid
+afternoon prayer, when he shouldered his net and went away sore dejected. His
+way led him perforce by the booth of the baker who, when he saw him counted out
+to him the loaves and the money, saying, "Come, take it and go; an it be not
+today, 'twill be tomorrow." Judar would have excused himself, but the baker
+said to him, "Go! There needeth no excuse; an thou had netted aught, it would
+be with thee; so seeing thee empty handed, I knew thou hadst gotten naught; and
+if tomorrow thou have no better luck, come and take bread and be not abashed,
+for I will give thee credit." So Judar took the bread and money and went home.
+On the third day also he sallied forth and fished from tank to tank until the
+time of afternoon prayer, but caught nothing; so he went to the baker and took
+the bread and silver as usual. On this wise he did seven days running, till he
+became disheartened and said in himself, "To day I go to the Lake
+Kárún."[FN#264] So he went thither and was about to cast his net, when there
+came up to him unawares a Maghrabí, a Moor, clad in splendid attire and riding
+a she mule with a pair of gold embroidered saddle bags on her back and all her
+trappings also orfrayed. The Moor alighted and said to him, "Peace be upon
+thee, O Judar, O son of Omar!" "And on thee likewise be peace, O my lord the
+pilgrim!" replied the fisherman. Quoth the Maghrabi, "O Judar, I have need of
+thee and, given thou obey me, thou shalt get great good and shalt be my
+companion and manage my affairs for me." Quoth Judar, "O my lord, tell me what
+is in thy mind and I will obey thee, without demur." Said the Moor, "Repeat the
+Fatihah, the Opening Chapter of the Koran."[FN#265] So he recited it with him
+and the Moor bringing out a silken cord, said to Judar, "Pinion my elbows
+behind me with this cord, as fast as fast can be, and cast me into the lake;
+then wait a little while; and, if thou see me put forth my hands above the
+water, raising them high ere my body show, cast thy net over me and drag me out
+in haste; but if thou see me come up feet foremost, then know that I am dead;
+in which case do thou leave me and take the mule and saddle bags and carry them
+to the merchants' bazaar, where thou wilt find a Jew by name Shamáyah. Give him
+the mule and he will give thee an hundred dinars, which do thou take and go thy
+ways and keep the matter secret with all secrecy." So Judar tied his arms
+tightly behind his back and he kept saying, "Tie tighter." Then said he "Push
+me till I fall into the lake:" so he pushed him in and he sank. Judar stood
+waiting some time till, behold, the Moor's feet appeared above the water,
+whereupon he knew that he was dead. So he left him and drove the mule to the
+bazaar, where seated on a stool at the door of his storehouse he saw the Jew
+who spying the mule, cried, "In very sooth the man hath perished," adding, "and
+naught undid him but covetise." Then he took the mule from Judar and gave him
+an hundred dinars, charging him to keep the matter secret. So Judar went and
+bought what bread he needed, saying to the baker, "Take this gold piece!"; and
+the man summed up what was due to him and said, "I still owe thee two days'
+bread"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted
+say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Ninth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Judar, when the
+baker after summing up what was due to him said, "I still owe thee two days'
+bread," replied, "Good," and went on to the butcher, to whom he gave a gold
+piece and took meat, saying, "Keep the rest of the dinar on account." Then he
+bought vegetables and going home, found his brothers importuning their mother
+for victual, whilst she cried, "Have patience till your brother come home, for
+I have naught." So he went in to them and said, "Take and eat;" and they fell
+on the food like cannibals. Then he gave his mother the rest of his gold
+saying, "If my brothers come to thee, give them wherewithal to buy food and eat
+in my absence." He slept well that night and next morning he took his net and
+going down to Lake Karun stood there and was about to cast his net, when
+behold, there came up to him a second Maghribi, riding on a she mule more
+handsomely accoutred than he of the day before and having with him a pair of
+saddle bags of which each pocket contained a casket. "Peace be with thee, O
+Judar!" said the Moor: "And with thee be peace, O my lord, the pilgrim!"
+replied Judar. Asked the Moor, "Did there come to thee yesterday a Moor riding
+on a mule like this of mine?" Hereat Judar was alarmed and answered, "I saw
+none," fearing lest the other say, "Whither went he?" and if he replied, "He
+was drowned in the lake," that haply he should charge him with having drowned
+him; wherefore he could not but deny. Rejoined the Moor, "Hark ye, O
+unhappy![FN#266] this was my brother, who is gone before me." Judar persisted,
+"I know naught of him." Then the Moor enquired, "Didst thou not bind his arms
+behind him and throw him into the lake, and did he not say to thee, 'If my
+hands appear above the water first, cast thy net over me and drag me out in
+haste; but, if my feet show first, know that I am dead and carry the mule to
+the Jew Shamayah, who shall give thee an hundred dinars?'" Quoth Judar, "Since
+thou knowest all this why and wherefore dost thou question me?"; and quoth the
+Moor, "I would have thee do with me as thou didst with my brother." Then he
+gave him a silken cord, saying, "Bind my hands behind me and throw me in, and
+if I fare as did my brother, take the mule to the Jew and he will give thee
+other hundred dinars." Said Judar, "Come on;" so he came and he bound him and
+pushed him into the lake, where he sank. Then Judar sat watching and after
+awhile, his feet appeared above the water and the fisher said, "He is dead and
+damned! Inshallah, may Maghribis come to me every day, and I will pinion them
+and push them in and they shall die; and I will content me with an hundred
+dinars for each dead man." Then he took the mule to the Jew, who seeing him
+asked, "The other is dead?" Answered Judar, "May thy head live!"; and the Jew
+said, "This is the reward of the covetous!" Then he took the mule and gave
+Judar an hundred dinars, with which he returned to his mother. "O my son," said
+she, "whence hast thou this?" So he told her, and she said, "Go not again to
+Lake Karun, indeed I fear for thee from the Moors." Said he, "O my mother, I do
+but cast them in by their own wish, and what am I to do? This craft bringeth me
+an hundred dinars a day and I return speedily; wherefore, by Allah, I will not
+leave going to Lake Karun, till the race of the Magháribah[FN#267] is cut off
+and not one of them is left." So, on the morrow which was the third day, he
+went down to the lake and stood there, till there came up a third Moor, riding
+on a mule with saddle bags and still more richly accoutred than the first two,
+who said to him, "Peace be with thee, O Judar, O son of Omar!" And the
+fisherman saying in himself, "How comes it that they all know me?" returned his
+salute. Asked the Maghribi, "Have any Moors passed by here?" "Two," answered
+Judar. "Whither went they?" enquired the Moor, and Judar replied, "I pinioned
+their hands behind them and cast them into the lake, where they were drowned,
+and the same fate is in store for thee." The Moor laughed and rejoined, saying,
+"O unhappy! Every life hath its term appointed." Then he alighted and gave the
+fisherman the silken cord, saying, "Do with me, O Judar, as thou didst with
+them." Said Judar, "Put thy hands behind thy back, that I may pinion thee, for
+I am in haste, and time flies." So he put his hands behind him and Judar tied
+him up and cast him in. Then he waited awhile; presently the Moor thrust both
+hands forth of the water and called out to him, saying, "Ho, good fellow, cast
+out thy net!" So Judar threw the net over him and drew him ashore, and lo! in
+each hand he held a fish as red as coral. Quoth the Moor, "Bring me the two
+caskets that are in the saddle bags." So Judar brought them and opened them to
+him, and he laid in each casket a fish and shut them up. Then he pressed Judar
+to his bosom and kissed him on the right cheek and the left, saying, "Allah
+save thee from all stress! By the Almighty, hadst thou not cast the net over me
+and pulled me out, I should have kept hold of these two fishes till I sank and
+was drowned, for I could not get ashore of myself." Quoth Judar, "O my lord the
+pilgrim, Allah upon thee, tell me the true history of the two drowned men and
+the truth anent these two fishes and the Jew."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
+of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Tenth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Judar asked the
+Maghribi, saying, "Prithee tell me first of the drowned men," the Maghribi
+answered, "Know, O Judar, that these drowned men were my two brothers, by name
+Abd al-Salám and Abd al- Ahad. My own name is Abd al-Samad, and the Jew also is
+our brother; his name is Abd al-Rahim and he is no Jew but a true believer of
+the Maliki school. Our father, whose name was Abd al- Wadúd,[FN#268] taught us
+magic and the art of solving mysteries and bringing hoards to light, and we
+applied ourselves thereto, till we compelled the Ifrits and Marids of the Jinn
+to do us service. By and by, our sire died and left us much wealth, and we
+divided amongst us his treasures and talismans, till we came to the books, when
+we fell out over a volume called 'The Fables of the Ancients,' whose like is
+not in the world, nor can its price be paid of any, nor is its value to be
+evened with gold and jewels; for in it are particulars of all the hidden hoards
+of the earth and the solution of every secret. Our father was wont to make use
+of this book, of which we had some small matter by heart, and each of us
+desired to possess it, that he might acquaint himself with what was therein.
+Now when we fell out there was in our company an old man by name Cohen
+Al-Abtan,[FN#269] who had reared our sire and taught him divination and
+gramarye, and he said to us, 'Bring me the book.' So we gave it him and he
+continued, 'Ye are my son's sons, and it may not be that I should wrong any of
+you. So whoso is minded to have the volume, let him address himself to achieve
+the treasure of Al-Shamardal[FN#270] and bring me the celestial planisphere and
+the Kohl phial and the seal ring and the sword. For the ring hath a Marid that
+serveth it called Al-Ra'ad al-Kásif;[FN#271] and whoso hath possession thereof,
+neither King nor Sultan may prevail against him; and if he will, he may
+therewith make himself master of the earth, in all the length and breadth
+thereof. As for the brand, if its bearer draw it and brandish it against an
+army, the army will be put to the rout; and if he say the while, 'Slay yonder
+host,' there will come forth of that sword lightning and fire, that will kill
+the whole many. As for the planisphere, its possessor hath only to turn its
+face toward any country, east or west, with whose sight he hath a mind to
+solace himself, and therein he will see that country and its people, as they
+were between his hands and he sitting in his place; and if he be wroth with a
+city and have a mind to burn it, he hath but to face the planisphere towards
+the sun's disc, saying, 'Let such a city be burnt,' and that city will be
+consumed with fire. As for the Kohl phial, whoso pencilleth his eyes therefrom,
+he shall espy all the treasures of the earth. And I make this condition with
+you which is that whoso faileth to hit upon the hoards shall forfeit his right;
+and that none save he who shall achieve the treasure and bring me the four
+precious things which be therein shall have any claim to take this book.' So we
+all agreed to this condition, and he continued, 'O my sons, know that the
+treasure of Al-Shamardal is under the commandment of the sons of the Red King,
+and your father told me that he had himself essayed to open the treasure, but
+could not; for the sons of the Red King fled from him into the land of Egypt
+and took refuge in a lake there, called Lake Karun, whither he pursued them,
+but could not prevail over them, by reason of their stealing into that lake,
+which was guarded by a spell.' "—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
+ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Eleventh Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Cohen al-Abtan
+had told the youths this much, he continued his tale as follows, "So your
+father returned empty handed and unable to win to his wish; and after failing
+he complained to me of his ill-success, whereupon I drew him an astrological
+figure and found that the treasure could be achieved only by means of a young
+fisherman of Cairo, highs Judar bin Omar, the place of foregathering with whom
+was at Lake Karun, for that he should be the means of capturing the sons of the
+Red King and that the charm would not be dissolved, save if he should bind the
+hands of the treasure seeker behind him and cast him into the lake, there to do
+battle with the sons of the Red King. And he whose lot it was to succeed would
+lay hands upon them; but, if it were not destined to him he should perish and
+his feet appear above water. As for him who was successful, his hands would
+show first, whereupon it behoved that Judar should cast the net over him and
+draw him ashore." Now quoth my brothers Abd al-Salam and Abd al-Ahad, "We will
+wend and make trial, although we perish;" and quoth I, "And I also will go;"
+but my brother Abd al- Rahim (he whom thou sawest in the habit of a Jew) said,
+"I have no mind to this." Thereupon we agreed with him that he should repair to
+Cairo in the disguise of a Jewish merchant, so that, if one of us perished in
+the lake, he might take his mule and saddle bags and give the bearer an hundred
+dinars. The first that came to thee the sons of the Red King slew, and so did
+they with my second brother; but against me they could not prevail and I laid
+hands on them." Cried Judar, "And where is thy catch?" Asked the Moor, "Didst
+thou not see me shut them in the caskets?" "Those were fishes," said Judar.
+"Nay," answered the Maghribi, "they are Ifrits in the guise of fish. But, O
+Judar," continued he, "thou must know that the treasure can be opened only by
+thy means: so say, wilt thou do my bidding and go with me to the city Fez and
+Mequinez[FN#272] where we will open the treasure?; and after I will give thee
+what thou wilt and thou shalt ever be my brother in the bond of Allah and
+return to thy family with a joyful heart." Said Judar, "O my lord the pilgrim,
+I have on my neck a mother and two brothers,"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
+of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Twelfth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Judar said to the
+Maghribi, "I have on my neck a mother and two brothers, whose provider I am;
+and if I go with thee, who shall give them bread to eat?" Replied the Moor,
+"This is an idle excuse! if it be but a matter of expenditure, I will give thee
+a thousand ducats for thy mother, wherewith she may provide her self till thou
+come back: and indeed thou shalt return before the end of four months." So when
+Judar heard mention of the thousand diners, he said, "Here with them, O
+Pilgrim, and I am thy man;" and the Moor, pulling out the money, gave it to
+him, whereupon he carried it to his mother and told her what had passed between
+them, saying, "Take these thousand diners and expend of them upon thyself and
+my brothers, whilst I journey to Marocco with the Moor, for I shall be absent
+four months, and great good will betide me; so bless me, O my mother!" Answered
+she, "O my son, thou desolatest me and I fear for thee." "O my mother,"
+rejoined he, "no harm can befall him who is in Allah's keeping, and the
+Maghribi is a man of worth;" and he went on to praise his condition to her.
+Quoth she, "Allah incline his heart to thee! Go with him, O my son;
+peradventure, he will give thee somewhat." So he took leave of his mother and
+rejoined the Moor Abd al-Samad, who asked him, "Hast thou consulted thy
+mother?" "Yes," answered Judar; "and she blessed me." "Then mount behind me,"
+said the Maghribi. So Judar mounted the mule's crupper and they rode on from
+noon till the time of mid afternoon prayer, when the fisherman was an hungered;
+but seeing no victual with the Moor, said to him, "O my lord the pilgrim,
+belike thou hast forgotten to bring us aught to eat by the way?" Asked the
+Moor, "Art thou hungry?" and Judar answered, "Yes." So Abd al-Samad alighted
+and made Judar alight and take down the saddle bage[FN#273]; then he said to
+him, "What wilt thou have, O my brother?" "Anything." "Allah upon thee, tell me
+what thou hast a mind to." "Bread and cheese." "O my poor fellow! bread and
+cheese besit thee not; wish for some thing good." "Just now everything is good
+to me." "Dost thou like nice browned chicken?" "Yes!" "Dost thou like rice and
+honey?" "Yes!" And the Moor went on to ask him if he liked this dish and that
+dish till he had named four and twenty kinds of meats; and Judar thought to
+himself, "He must be daft! Where are all these dainties to come from, seeing he
+hath neither cook nor kitchen? But I'll say to him, ''Tis enough!'" So he
+cried, "That will do: thou makest me long for all these meats, and I see
+nothing." Quoth the Moor, "Thou art welcome, O Judar!" and, putting his hand
+into the saddle bags, pulled out a golden dish containing two hot browned
+chickens. Then he thrust his hand a second time and drew out a golden dish,
+full of kabobs[FN#274]; nor did he stint taking out dishes from saddle bags,
+till he had brought forth the whole of the four and twenty kinds he had named,
+whilst Judar looked on. Then said the Moor, "Fall to poor fellow!", and Judar
+said to him, "O my lord, thou carriest in yonder saddle bags kitchen and
+kitcheners!" The Moor laughed and replied, "These are magical saddle bags and
+have a servant, who would bring us a thousand dishes an hour, if we called for
+them." Quoth Judar, "By Allah, a meat thing in saddle bags'" Then they ate
+their fill and threw away what was left; after which the Moor replaced the
+empty dishes in the saddle bags and putting in his hand, drew out an ewer. They
+drank and making the Wuzu ablution, prayed the mid afternoon prayer; after
+which Abd al-Samad replaced the ewer and the two caskets in the saddle bags and
+throwing them over the mule's back, mounted and cried "Up with thee and let us
+be off," presently adding, "O Judar, knowest thou how far we have come since we
+left Cairo?" "Not I, by Allah," replied he, and Abd al-Samad, "We have come a
+whole month's journey." Asked Judar, "And how is that?"; and the Moor answered,
+"Know, O Judar, that this mule under us is a Marid of the Jinn who every day
+performeth a year's journey; but, for thy sake, she hath gone an easier pace."
+Then they set out again and fared on westwards till nightfall, when they halted
+and the Maghribi brought out supper from the saddle bags, and in like manner,
+in the morning, he took forth wherewithal to break their fast. So they rode on
+four days, journeying till midnight and then alighting and sleeping until
+morning, when they fared on again; and all that Judar had a mind to, he sought
+of the Moor, who brought it out of the saddle bags. On the fifth day, they
+arrived at Fez and Mequinez and entered the city, where all who met the
+Maghribi saluted him and kissed his hands; and he continued riding through the
+streets, till he came to a certain door, at which he knocked, whereupon it
+opened and out came a girl like the moon, to whom said he, "O my daughter, O
+Rahmah,[FN#275] open us the upper chamber." "On my head and eyes, O my papa!"
+replied she and went in, swaying her hips to and fro with a graceful and
+swimming gait like a thirsting gazelle, movements that ravished Judar's reason,
+and he said, "This is none other than a King's daughter." So she opened the
+upper chamber, and the Moor, taking the saddle bags from the mule's back, said,
+"Go, and God bless thee!" when lo! the earth clove asunder and swallowing the
+mule, closed up again as before. And Judar said, "O Protector! praised be
+Allah, who hath kept us in safety on her back!" Quoth the Maghribi, "Marvel
+not, O Judar. I told thee that the mule was an Ifrit; but come with us into the
+upper chamber." So they went up into it, and Judar was amazed at the profusion
+of rich furniture and pendants of gold and silver and jewels and other rare and
+precious things which he saw there. As soon as they were seated, the Moor bade
+Rahmah bring him a certain bundle[FN#276] and opening it, drew out a dress
+worth a thousand diners, which he gave to Judar, saying, "Don this dress, O
+Judar, and welcome to thee!" So Judar put it on and became a fair en sample of
+the Kings of the West. Then the Maghribi laid the saddle bags before him, and,
+putting in his hand, pulled out dish after dish, till they had before them a
+tray of forty kinds of meat, when he said to Judar, "Come near, O my master!
+eat and excuse us"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
+her permitted say,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Thirteenth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Maghribi having
+served up in the pavilion a tray of forty kinds of meat, said to Judar, "Come
+near, O my master, and excuse us for that we know not what meats thou desirest;
+but tell us what thou hast a mind to, and we will set it before thee without
+delay." Replied Judar, "By Allah, O my lord the pilgrim, I love all kinds of
+meat and unlove none; so ask me not of aught, but bring all that cometh to thy
+thought, for save eating to do I have nought." After this he tarried twenty
+days with the Moor, who clad him in new clothes every day, and all this time
+they ate from the saddle bags; for the Maghribi bought neither meat nor bread
+nor aught else, nor cooked, but brought everything out of the bags, even to
+various sorts of fruit. On the twenty first day, he said, "O Judar up with
+thee; this is the day appointed for opening the hoard of Al-Shamardal." So he
+rose and they went afoot[FN#277] without the city, where they found two slaves,
+each holding a she mule. The Moor mounted one beast and Judar the other, and
+they ceased not riding till noon, when they came to a stream of running water,
+on whose banks Abd al-Samad alighted saying, "Dismount, O Judar!" Then he
+signed with his hand to the slaves and said, "To it!" So they took the mules
+and going each his own way, were absent awhile, after which they returned, one
+bearing a tent, which he pitched, and the other carpets, which he spread in the
+tent and laid mattresses, pillows and cushions there around. Then one of them
+brought the caskets containing the two fishes; and another fetched the saddle
+bags; whereupon the Maghribi arose and said, "Come, O Judar!" So Judar followed
+him into the tent and sat down beside him; and he brought out dishes of meat
+from the saddle bags and they ate the undurn meal. Then the Moor took the two
+caskets and conjured over them both, whereupon there came from within voices
+that said' "Adsumus, at thy service, O diviner of the world! Have mercy upon
+us!" and called aloud for aid. But he ceased not to repeat conjurations and
+they to call for help, till the two caskets flew in sunder, the fragments
+flying about, and there came forth two men, with pinioned hands saying,
+"Quarter, O diviner of the world! What wilt thou with us?" Quoth he, "My will
+is to burn you both with fire, except ye make a covenant with me, to open to me
+the treasure of Al-Shamardal." Quoth they, "We promise this to thee, and we
+will open the tree sure to thee, so thou produce to us Judar bin Omar, the
+fisherman, for the hoard may not be opened but by his means, nor can any enter
+therein save Judar." Cried the Maghribi "Him of whom ye speak, I have brought,
+and he is here, listening to you and looking at you." Thereupon they covenanted
+with him to open the treasure to him, and he released them. Then he brought out
+a hollow wand and tablets of red carnelian which he laid on the rod; and after
+this he took a chafing dish and setting charcoal thereon, blew one breath into
+it and it kindled forthwith. Presently he brought incense and said, "O Judar, I
+am now about to begin the necessary conjurations and fumigations, and when I
+have once begun, I may not speak, or the charm will be naught; so I will teach
+thee first what thou must do to win thy wish." "Teach me," quoth Judar. "Know,"
+quoth the Moor, "that when I have recited the spell and thrown on the incense,
+the water will dry up from the river's bed and discover to thee, a golden door,
+the bigness of the city gate, with two rings of metal thereon; whereupon do
+thou go down to the door and knock a light knock and wait awhile; then knock a
+second time a knock louder than the first and wait another while; after which
+give three knocks in rapid succession, and thou wilt hear a voice ask, 'Who
+knocketh at the door of the treasure, unknowing how to solve the secrets?' Do
+thou answer, 'I am Judar the fisherman son of Omar': and the door will open and
+there will come forth a figure with a brand in hand who will say to thee: 'If
+thou be that man, stretch forth thy neck, that I may strike off thy head.' Then
+do thou stretch forth thy neck and fear not; for, when he lifts his hand and
+smites thee with the sword, he will fall down before thee, and in a little thou
+wilt see him a body sans soul; and the stroke shall not hurt thee nor shall any
+harm befall thee; but, if thou gainsay him, he will slay thee. When thou hast
+undone his enchantment by obedience, enter and go on till thou see another
+door, at which do thou knock, and there will come forth to thee a horseman
+riding a mare with a lance on his shoulder and say to thee, 'What bringeth thee
+hither, where none may enter ne man ne Jinni?' And he will shake his lance at
+thee. Bare thy breast to him and he will smite thee and fall down forthright
+and thou shalt see him a body without a soul; but if thou cross him he will
+kill thee. Then go on to the third door, whence there will come forth to thee a
+man with a bow and arrows in his hand and take aim at thee. Bare thy breast to
+him and he will shoot at thee and fall down before thee, a body without a soul;
+but if thou oppose him, he will kill thee. Then go on to the fourth door"—And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her per misted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Fourteenth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Maghribi said to
+Judar, "Go on to the fourth door and knock and it shall be opened to thee, when
+there will come forth to thee a lion huge of bulk which will rush upon thee,
+opening his mouth and showing he hath a mind to devour thee. Have no fear of
+him, neither flee from him: but when he cometh to thee, give him thy hand and
+he will bite at it and fall down straightway, nor shall aught of hurt betide
+thee. Then enter the fifth door, where thou shalt find a black slave, who will
+say to thee, 'Who art thou?' Say, 'I am Judar!' and he will answer, 'If thou be
+that man, open the sixth door.' Then do thou go up to the door and say, 'O Isa,
+tell Musa to open the door'; whereupon the door will fly open and thou wilt see
+two dragons, one on the left hand and another on the right, which will open
+their mouths and fly at thee, both at once. Do thou put forth to them both
+hands and they will bite each a hand and fall down dead; but an thou resist
+them, they will slay thee. Then go on to the seventh door and knock, whereupon
+there will come forth to thee thy mother and say, 'Welcome, O my son! Come,
+that I may greet thee!' But do thou reply, 'Hold off from me and doff thy
+dress.' And she will make answer, 'O my son, I am thy mother and I have a claim
+upon thee for suckling thee and for rearing thee: how then wouldst thou strip
+me naked?' Then do thou say, 'Except thou put off thy clothes, I will kill
+thee!' and look to thy right where thou wilt see a sword hanging up. Take it
+and draw it upon her, saying, 'Strip!' where upon she will wheedle thee and
+humble herself to thee; but have thou no ruth on her nor be beguiled, and as
+often as she putteth off aught, say to her, 'Off with the rave'; nor do thou
+cease to threaten her with death, till she doff all that is upon her and fall
+down, whereupon the enchantment will be dissolved and the charms undone, and
+thou wilt be safe as to thy life. Then enter the hall of the treasure, where
+thou wilt see the gold lying in heaps; but pay no heed to aught thereof, but
+look to a closet at the upper end of the hall, where thou wilt see a curtain
+drawn. Draw back the curtain and thou wilt descry the enchanter, Al-Shamardal,
+lying upon a couch of gold, with something at his head round and shining like
+the moon, which is the celestial planisphere. He is baldrick'd with the
+sword[FN#278]; his finger is the ring and about his neck hangs a chain, to
+which hangs the Kohl phial. Bring me the four talismans, and beware lest thou
+forget aught of that which I have told thee, or thou wilt repent and there will
+be fear for thee." And he repeated his directions a second and a third and a
+fourth time, till Judar said, "I have them by heart: but who may face all these
+enchantments that thou namest and endure against these mighty terrors?" Replied
+the Moor, "O Judar, fear not, for they are semblances without life;" and he
+went on to hearten him, till he said, "I put my trust in Allah." Then Abd
+al-Samad threw perfumes on the chafing dish, and addressed himself to reciting
+conjurations for a time when, behold, the water disappeared and uncovered the
+river bed and discovered the door of the treasure, whereupon Judar went down to
+the door and knocked. Therewith he heard a voice saying, "Who knocketh at the
+door of the treasure, unknowing how to solve the secrets?" Quoth he, "I am
+Judar son of Omar;" whereupon the door opened and there came forth a figure
+with a drawn sword, who said to him, "Stretch forth thy neck." So he stretched
+forth his neck and the species smote him and fell down, lifeless. Then he went
+on to the second door and did the like, nor did he cease to do thus, till he
+had undone the enchantments of the first six doors and came to the seventh
+door, whence there issued forth to him his mother, saying, "I salute thee, O my
+son!" He asked, "What art thou?", and she answered, "O my son, I am thy mother
+who bare thee nine months and suckled thee and reared thee." Quoth he, "Put off
+thy clothes." Quoth she, "Thou art my son, how wouldst thou strip me naked?"
+But he said "Strip, or I will strike off thy head with this sword;" and he
+stretched out his hand to the brand and drew it upon her saying, "Except thou
+strip, I will slay thee." Then the strife became long between them and as often
+as he redoubled on her his threats, she put off somewhat of her clothes and he
+said to her, "Doff the rest," with many menaces; while she removed each article
+slowly and kept saying, "O my son, thou hast disappointed my fosterage of
+thee," till she had nothing left but her petticoat trousers Then said she, "O
+my son, is thy heart stone? Wilt thou dishonour me by discovering my shame?
+Indeed, this is unlawful, O my son!" And he answered, "Thou sayest sooth; put
+not off thy trousers." At once, as he uttered these words, she cried out, "He
+hath made default; beat him!" Whereupon there fell upon him blows like rain
+drops and the servants of the treasure flocked to him and dealt him a funding
+which he forgot not in all his days; after which they thrust him forth and
+threw him down without the treasure and the hoard doors closed of themselves,
+whilst the waters of the river returned to their bed.—And Shahrazad perceived
+the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Fifteenth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the servants of the
+treasure beat Judar and cast him out and the hoard doors closed of themselves,
+whilst the river waters returned to their bed, Abd al-Samad the Maghribi took
+Judar up in haste and repeated conjurations over him, till he came to his
+senses but still dazed as with drink, when he asked him, "What hast thou done,
+O wretch?" Answered Judar, "O my brother, I undid all the opposing
+enchantments, till I came to my mother and there befell between her and myself
+a long contention. But I made her doff her clothes, O my brother, till but her
+trousers remained upon her and she said to me, 'Do not dishonour me; for to
+discover one's shame is forbidden.' So I left her her trousers out of pity, and
+behold, she cried out and said, 'He hath made default; beat him!' Whereupon
+there came out upon me folk, whence I know not, and funding me with a
+belabouring which was a Sister of Death, thrust me forth; nor do I know what
+befell me after this." Quoth the Moor, "Did I not warn thee not to swerve from
+my directions? Verily, thou hast injured me and hast injured thyself: for if
+thou hadst made her take off her petticoat trousers, we had won to our wish;
+but now thou must abide with me till this day next year." Then he cried out to
+the two slaves, who struck the tent forthright and loaded it on the beasts;
+then they were absent awhile and presently returned with the two mules; and the
+twain mounted and rode back to the city of Fez, where Judar tarried with the
+Maghribi, eating well and drinking well and donning a grand dress every day,
+till the year was ended and the anniversary day dawned. Then the Moor said to
+him, "Come with me, for this is the appointed day." And Judar said, "'Tis
+well." So the Maghribi carried him without the city, where they found the two
+slaves with the mules, and rode on till they reached the river. Here the slaves
+pitched the tent and furnished it; and the Moor brought forth the tray of food
+and they ate the morning meal; after which Abd al-Samad brought out the wand
+and the tablets as before and, kindling the fire in the chafing dish, made
+ready the incense. Then said he, "O Judar, I wish to renew my charge to thee."
+"O my lord the pilgrim," replied he, "if I have forgotten the bastinado, I have
+forgotten the injunctions."[FN#279] Asked the Moor, "Dost thou indeed remember
+them?" and he answered, "Yes." Quoth the Moor, "Keep thy wits, and think not
+that the woman is thy very mother; nay, she is but an enchantment in her
+semblance, whose purpose is to find thee defaulting. Thou camest off alive the
+first time; but, an thou trip this time, they will slay thee." Quoth Judar, "If
+I slip this time, I deserve to be burnt of them." Then Abd al-Samad cast the
+perfumes into the fire and recited the conjurations, till the river dried up;
+whereupon Judar descended and knocked. The door opened and he entered and undid
+the several enchantments, till he came to the seventh door and the semblance of
+his mother appeared before him, saying, "Welcome,[FN#280] O my son!" But he
+said to her, "How am I thy son, O accursed? Strip!" And she began to wheedle
+him and put off garment after garment, till only her trousers remained; and he
+said to her, "Strip, O accursed!" So she put off her trousers and became a body
+without a soul. Then he entered the hall of the treasures, where he saw gold
+lying in heaps, but paid no heed to it and passed on to the closet at the upper
+end, where he saw the enchanter Al-Shamardal lying on a couch of gold,
+baldrick'd with the sword, with the ring on his finger, the Kohl phial on his
+breast and the celestial planisphere hanging over his head. So he loosed the
+sword and taking the ring, the Kohl phial and the planisphere, went forth, when
+behold, a band of music sounded for him and the servants of the treasure cried
+out, saying, "Mayest thou be assained with that thou hast gained, O Judar!" Nor
+did the music leave sounding, till he came forth of the treasure to the
+Maghribi, who gave up his conjurations and fumigations and rose up and embraced
+him and saluted him. Then Judar made over to him the four hoarded talismans,
+and he took them and cried out to the slaves, who carried away the tent and
+brought the mules. So they mounted and returned to Fez-city, where the Moor
+fetched the saddle bags and brought forth dish after dish of meat, till the
+tray was full, and said, "O my brother, O Judar, eat!" So he ate till he was
+satisfied, when the Moor emptied what remained of the meats and other dishes
+and returned the empty platters to the saddle bags. Then quoth he, "O Judar,
+thou hast left home and native land on our account and thou hast accomplished
+our dearest desire; wherefore thou hast a right to require a reward of us. Ask,
+therefore, what thou wilt, it is Almighty Allah who giveth unto thee by our
+means.[FN#281] Ask thy will and be not ashamed, for thou art deserving." "O my
+lord," quoth Judar, "I ask first of Allah the Most High and then of thee, that
+thou give me yonder saddle bags." So the Maghribi called for them and gave them
+to him, saying, "Take them, for they are thy due; and, if thou hadst asked of
+me aught else instead, I had given it to thee. Eat from them, thou and thy
+family; but, my poor fellow, these will not profit thee, save by way of
+provaunt, and thou hast wearied thyself with us and we promised to send thee
+home rejoicing. So we will join to these other saddle bags, full of gold and
+gems, and forward thee back to thy native land, where thou shalt become a
+gentleman and a merchant and clothe thyself and thy family; nor shalt thou want
+ready money for thine expenditure. And know that the manner of using our gift
+is on this wise. Put thy hand therein and say, 'O servant of these saddle bags,
+I conjure thee by the virtue of the Mighty Names which have power over thee,
+bring me such a dish!' And he will bring thee whatsoever thou askest, though
+thou shouldst call for a thousand different dishes a day." So saying, he filled
+him a second pair of saddle bags half with gold and half with gems and precious
+stones; and, sending for a slave and a mule, said to him, "Mount this mule, and
+the slave shall go before thee and show thee the way, till thou come to the
+door of thy house, where do thou take the two pair of saddle bags and give him
+the mule, that he may bring it back. But admit none into thy secret; and so we
+commend thee to Allah!" "May the Almighty increase thy good!" replied Judar
+and, laying the two pairs of saddle bags on the mule's back, mounted and set
+forth. The slave went on before him and the mule followed him all that day and
+night, and on the morrow he entered Cairo by the Gate of Victory,[FN#282] where
+he saw his mother seated, saying, "Alms, for the love of Allah!" At this sight
+he well nigh lost his wits and alighting, threw himself upon her: and when she
+saw him she wept. Then he mounted her on the mule and walked by her
+stirrup,[FN#283] till they came to the house, where he set her down and, taking
+the saddle bags, left the she mule to the slave, who led her away and returned
+with her to his master, for that both slave and mule were devils. As for Judar,
+it was grievous to him that his mother should beg; so, when they were in the
+house, he asked her, "O my mother, are my brothers well?"; and she answered,
+"They are both well." Quoth he, "Why dost thou beg by the wayside?" Quoth she,
+"Because I am hungry, O my son," and he, 'Before I went away, I gave thee an
+hundred diners one day, the like the next and a thousand on the day of my
+departure." "O my son, they cheated me and took the money from me, saying, 'We
+will buy goods with it.' Then they drove me away, and I fell to begging by the
+wayside, for stress of hunger." "O my mother, no harm shall befall thee, now I
+am come; so have no concern, for these saddle bags are full of gold and gems,
+and good aboundeth with me." "Verily, thou art blessed, O my son! Allah accept
+of thee and increase thee of His bounties! Go, O my son, fetch us some victual,
+for I slept not last night for excess of hunger, having gone to bed supperless.
+"Welcome to thee, O my mother! Call for what thou wilt to eat, and I will set
+it before thee this moment; for I have no occasion to buy from the market, nor
+need I any to cook. "O my son, I see naught with thee." "I have with me in
+these saddle bags all manner of meats." "O my son, whatever is ready will serve
+to stay hunger." "True, when there is no choice, men are content with the
+smallest thing; but where there is plenty, they like to eat what is good: and I
+have abundance; so call for what thou hast a mind to." "O my son, give me some
+hot bread and a slice of cheese." "O my mother, this befitteth not thy
+condition." "Then give me to eat of that which besitteth my case, for thou
+knowest it." "O my mother," rejoined he, "what suit thine estate are browned
+meat and roast chicken and peppered rice and it becometh thy rank to eat of
+sausages and stuffed cucumbers and stuffed lamb and stuffed ribs of mutton and
+vermicelli with broken almonds and nuts and honey and sugar and fritters and
+almond cakes." But she thought he was laughing at her and making mock of her;
+so she said to him, "Yauh! Yauh![FN#284] what is come to thee? Dost thou dream
+or art thou daft?" Asked he, "Why deemest thou that I am mad?" and she
+answered, "Because thou namest to me all manner rich dishes. Who can avail unto
+their price, and who knoweth how to dress them?" Quoth he, "By my life! thou
+shalt eat of all that I have named to thee, and that at once;" and quoth she,
+"I see nothing;" and he, "Bring me the saddle bags." So she fetched them and
+feeling them, found them empty. However, she laid them before him and he thrust
+in his hand and pulled out dish after dish, till he had set before her all he
+had named. Whereupon asked she, "O my son, the saddle bags are small and
+moreover they were empty; yet hast thou taken thereout all these dishes. Where
+then were they all?"; and he answered, "O my mother, know that these saddle
+bags, which the Moor gave me, are enchanted and they have a servant whom, if
+one desire aught, he hath but to adjure by the Names which command him, saying,
+'O servant of these saddle bags, bring me such a dish!' and he will bring it."
+Quoth his mother, "And may I put out my hand and ask of him?" Quoth he, "Do
+so." So she stretched out her hand and said, "O servant of the saddle bags, by
+the virtue of the Names which command thee, bring me stuffed ribs." Then she
+thrust in her hand and found a dish containing delicate stuffed ribs of lamb.
+So she took it out, and called for bread and what else she had a mind to: after
+which Judar said to her, "O my mother, when thou hast made an end of eating,
+empty what is left of the food into dishes other than these, and restore the
+empty platters to the saddle bags carefully." So she arose and laid them up in
+a safe place. "And look, O mother mine, that thou keep this secret," added he;
+"and whenever thou hast a mind to aught, take it forth of the saddle bags and
+give alms and feed my brothers, whether I be present or absent." Then he fell
+to eating with her and behold, while they were thus occupied, in came his two
+brothers, whom a son of the quarter[FN#285] had apprised of his return, saying,
+"Your brother is come back, riding on a she mule, with a slave before him, and
+wearing a dress that hath not its like." So they said to each other, "Would to
+Heaven we had not evilly entreated our mother! There is no hope but that she
+will surely tell him how we did by her, and then, oh our disgrace with him!"
+But one of the twain said, "Our mother is soft hearted, and if she tell him,
+our brother is yet tenderer over us than she; and, given we excuse ourselves to
+him, he will accept our excuse." So they went in to him and he rose to them and
+saluting them with the friendliest salutation, bade them sit down and eat. So
+they ate till they were satisfied, for they were weak with hunger; after which
+Judar said to them, "O my brothers, take what is left and distribute it to the
+poor and needy." "O brother," replied they, "let us keep it to sup withal." But
+he answered, "When supper time cometh, ye shall have more than this." So they
+took the rest of the victual and going out, gave it to every poor man who
+passed by them, saying, "Take and eat," till nothing was left. Then they
+brought back the dishes and Judar said to his mother, "Put them in the saddle
+bags."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted
+say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Sixteenth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Judar, when his
+brethren had finished their under meal, said to his mother, "Put back the
+platters in the saddle bags." And when it was eventide, he entered the saloon
+and took forth of the saddle bags a table of forty dishes; after which he went
+up to the upper room and, sitting down between his brothers, said to his
+mother, "Bring the supper."[FN#286] So she went down to the saloon and, finding
+there the dishes ready, laid the tray and brought up the forty dishes, one
+after other. Then they ate the evening meal, and when they had done, Judar said
+to his brothers, "Take and feed the poor and needy." So they took what was left
+and gave alms thereof, and presently he brought forth to them sweetmeats,
+whereof they ate, and what was left he bade them give to the neighbours. On the
+morrow, they brake their fast after the same fashion, and thus they fared ten
+days, at the end of which time quoth Sálim to Salím, "How cometh it that our
+brother setteth before us a banquet in the morning, a banquet at noon, and a
+banquet at sundown, besides sweetmeats late at night, and all that is left he
+giveth to the poor? Verily, this is the fashion of Sultans. Yet we never see
+him buy aught, and he hath neither kitchener nor kitchen, nor doth he light a
+fire. Whence hath he this great plenty? Hast thou not a mind to discover the
+cause of all this?" Quoth Salím, "By Allah, I know not: but knowest thou any
+who will tell us the truth of the case?" Quoth Sálim, "None will tell us save
+our mother." So they laid a plot and repairing to their mother one day, in
+their brother's absence, said to her, "O our mother, we are hungry." Replied
+she, "Rejoice, for ye shall presently be satisfied;" and going into the saloon,
+sought of the servant of the saddle bags hot meats, which she took out and set
+before her sons. "O our mother," cried they, "this meat is hot; yet hast thou
+not cooked, neither kindled a fire." Quoth she, "It cometh from the saddle
+bags;" and quoth they, "What manner of thing be these saddle bags?" She
+answered, "They are enchanted; and the required is produced by the charm:" she
+then told her sons their virtue, enjoining them to secrecy. Said they, "The
+secret shall be kept, O our mother, but teach us the manner of this." So she
+taught them the fashion thereof and they fell to putting their hands into the
+saddle bags and taking forth whatever they had a mind to. But Judar knew naught
+of this. Then quoth Sálim privily to Salím, "O my brother, how long shall we
+abide with Judar servant wise and eat of his alms? Shall we not contrive to get
+the saddle bags from him and make off with them?" "And how shall we make shift
+to do this?" "We will sell him to the galleys." "How shall we do that?" "We two
+will go to the Raís, the Chief Captain of the Sea of Suez and bid him to an
+entertainment, with two of his company. What I say to Judar do thou confirm,
+and at the end of the night I will show thee what I will do." So they agreed
+upon the sale of their brother and going to the Captain's quarters said to him,
+"O Rais, we have come to thee on an errand that will please thee." "Good,"
+answered he; and they continued, "We two are brethren, and we have a third
+brother, a lewd fellow and good for nothing. When our father died, he left us
+some money, which we shared amongst us, and he took his part of the inheritance
+and wasted it in frowardness and debauchery, till he was reduced to poverty,
+when he came upon us and cited us before the magistrates, avouching that we had
+taken his good and that of his father, and we disputed the matter before the
+judges and lost the money. Then he waited awhile and attacked us a second time,
+until he brought us to beggary; nor will he desist from us, and we are utterly
+weary of him; wherefore we would have thee buy him of us." Quoth the Captain,
+"Can ye cast about with him and bring him to me here? If so, I will pack him
+off to sea forthright." Quoth they "We cannot manage to bring him here; but be
+thou our guest this night and bring with thee two of thy men, not one more; and
+when he is asleep, we will aid one another to fall upon him, we five, and seize
+and gag him. Then shalt thou carry him forth the house, under cover of the
+night, and after do thou with him as thou wilt." Rejoined the Captain, "With
+all my heart! Will ye sell him for forty dinars?" and they, "Yes, come after
+nightfall to such a street, by such a mosque, and thou shalt find one of us
+awaiting thee." And he replied, "Now be off." Then they repaired to Judar and
+waited awhile, after which Sálim went up to him and kissed his hand. Quoth
+Judar, "What ails thee, O my brother?" And he made answer, saying, "Know that I
+have a friend, who hath many a time bidden me to his house in thine absence and
+hath ever hospitably entreated me, and I owe him a thousand kindnesses, as my
+brother here wotteth. I met him to day and he invited me to his house, but I
+said to him, 'I cannot leave my brother Judar.' Quoth he, 'Bring him with
+thee'; and quoth I, 'He will not consent to that; but if ye will be my guests,
+thou and thy brothers'[FN#287] * * * * * (for his brothers were sitting with
+him); and I invited them thinking that they would refuse. But he accepted my
+invitation for all of them, saying, 'Look for me at the gate of the little
+mosque,[FN#288] and I will come to thee, I and my brothers.' And now I fear
+they will come and am ashamed before thee. So wilt thou hearten my heart and
+entertain them this night, for thy good is abundant, O my brother? Or if thou
+consent not, give me leave to take them into the neighbours' houses." Replied
+Judar, "Why shouldst thou carry them into the neighbours' houses? Is our house
+then so strait or have we not wherewith to give them supper? Shame on thee to
+consult me! Thou hast but to call for what thou needest and have rich viands
+and sweetmeats and to spare. Whenever thou bringest home folk in my absence,
+ask thy mother, and she will set before thee victual more than enough. Go and
+fetch them; blessings have descended upon us through such guests." So Sálim
+kissed his hand and going forth, sat at the gate of the little mosque till
+after sundown, when the Captain and his men came up to him, and he carried them
+to the house. When Judar saw them he bade them welcome and seated them and made
+friends of them, knowing not what the future had in store for him at their
+hands. Then he called to his mother for supper, and she fell to taking dishes
+out of the saddlebags, whilst he said, "Bring such and such meats," till she
+had set forty different dishes before them. They ate their sufficiency and the
+tray was taken away, the sailors thinking the while that this liberal
+entertainment came from Sálim. When a third part of the night was past, Judar
+set sweetmeats before them and Sálim served them, whilst his two brothers sat
+with the guests, till they sought to sleep. Accordingly Judar lay down and the
+others with him, who waited till he was asleep, when they fell upon him
+together and gagging and pinioning him, before he was awake, carried him forth
+of the house,[FN#289] under cover of the night,—And Shahrazad perceived the
+dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Seventeenth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that they seized Judar and
+carrying him forth of the house under cover of the night, at once packed him
+off to Suez, where they shackled him and set him to work as a galley slave; and
+he ceased not to serve thus in silence a whole year.[FN#290] So far concerning
+Judar; but as for his brothers, they went in next morning to his mother and
+said to her, "O our mother, our brother Judar is not awake." Said she, "Do ye
+wake him." Asked they, "Where lieth he?" and she answered, "With the guests."
+They rejoined, "Haply he went away with them whilst we slept, O mother. It
+would seem that he had tasted of strangerhood and yearned to get at hidden
+hoards; for we heard him at talk with the Moors, and they said to him, 'We will
+take thee with us and open the treasure to thee.'" She enquired, "Hath he then
+been in company with Moors?;" and they replied, saying, "Were they not our
+guests yester night?" And she, "Most like he hath gone with them, but Allah
+will direct him on the right way; for there is a blessing upon him and he will
+surely come back with great good." But she wept, for it was grievous to her to
+be parted from her son. Then said they to her, "O accursed woman, dost thou
+love Judar with all this love, whilst as for us, whether we be absent or
+present, thou neither joyest in us nor sorrowest for us? Are we not thy sons,
+even as Judar is thy son?" She said, "Ye are indeed my sons: but ye are
+reprobates who deserve no favour of me, for since your father's death I have
+never seen any good in you; whilst as for Judar, I have had abundant good of
+him and he hath heartened my heart and entreated me with honour; wherefore it
+behoveth me to weep for him, because of his kindness to me and to you." When
+they heard this, they abused her and beat her; after which they sought for the
+saddle bags, till they found the two pairs and took the enchanted one and all
+the gold from one pouch and jewels from the other of the unenchanted, saying,
+"This was our father's good." Said their mother, "Not so, by Allah!, it
+belongeth to your brother Judar, who brought it from the land of the
+Magharibah." Said they, "Thou liest, it was our father's property; and we will
+dispose of it, as we please." Then they divided the gold and jewels between
+them; but a brabble arose between them concerning the enchanted saddle bags,
+Sálim saying, "I will have them;" and Salím, saying, "I will take them;" and
+they came to high words. Then said she, "O my sons, ye have divided the gold
+and the jewels, but this may not be divided, nor can its value be made up in
+money; and if it be cut in twain, its spell will be voided; so leave it with me
+and I will give you to eat from it at all times and be content to take a morsel
+with you. If ye allow me aught to clothe me, 'twill be of your bounty, and each
+of you shall traffic with the folk for himself. Ye are my sons and I am your
+mother; wherefore let us abide as we are, lest your brother come back and we be
+disgraced." But they accepted not her words and passed the night, wrangling
+with each other. Now it chanced that a Janissary[FN#291] of the King's guards
+was a guest in the house adjoining Judar's and heard them through the open
+window. So he looked out and listening, heard all the angry words that passed
+between them and saw the division of the spoil. Next morning he presented
+himself before the King of Egypt, whose name was Shams al-Daulah,[FN#292] and
+told him all he had heard, whereupon he sent for Judar's brothers and put them
+to the question, till they confessed; and he took the two pairs of Saddle bags
+from them and clapped them in prison, appointing a sufficient daily allowance
+to their mother. Now as regards Judar, he abode a whole year in service at
+Suez, till one day, being in a ship bound on a voyage over the sea, a wind
+arose against them and cast the vessel upon a rock projecting from a mountain,
+where she broke up and all on board were drowned and none get ashore save
+Judar. As soon as he landed he fared on inland, till he reached an encampment
+of Badawi, who questioned him of his case, and he told them he had been a
+sailor.[FN#293] Now there was in camp a merchant, a native of Jiddah, who took
+pity on him and said to him, "Wilt thou take service with me, O Egyptian, and I
+will clothe thee and carry thee with me to Jiddah?" So Judar took service with
+him and accompanied him to Jiddah, where he showed him much favour. After
+awhile, his master the merchant set out on a pilgrimage to Meccah, taking Judar
+with him, and when they reached the city, the Cairene repaired to the Haram
+temple, to circumambulate the Ka'abah. As he was making the prescribed
+circuits,[FN#294] he suddenly saw his friend Abd al-Samad the Moor doing the
+like;— And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted
+say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Eighteenth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Judar, as he was making
+the circuits, suddenly saw his friend Abd al-Samad also circumambulating; and
+when the Maghribi caught sight of him, he saluted him and asked him of his
+state; whereupon Judar wept and told him all that had befallen him. So the Moor
+carried him to his lodging and entreated him with honour, clothing him in a
+dress of which the like was not, and saying to him, "Thou hast seen the end of
+thine ills, O Judar." Then he drew out for him a geomantic figure, which showed
+what had befallen Sálim and Salím and said to Judar, "Such and such things have
+befallen thy brothers and they are now in the King of Egypt's prison; but thou
+art right welcome to abide with me and accomplish thine ordinances of
+pilgrimage and all shall be well." Replied Judar, "O my lord, let me go and
+take leave of the merchant with whom I am and after I will come back to thee."
+"Dost thou owe money?" asked the Moor, and he answered, "No." Said Abd
+al-Samad, "Go thou and take leave of him and come back forth right, for bread
+hath claims of its own from the ingenuous." So Judar returned to the merchant
+and farewelled him, saying, "I have fallen in with my brother."[FN#295] "Go
+bring him here," said the merchant, "and we will make him an entertainment."
+But Judar answered, saying, "He hath no need of that; for he is a man of wealth
+and hath many servants." Then the merchant gave Judar twenty dinars, saying,
+"Acquit me of responsibility";[FN#296] and he bade him adieu and went forth
+from him. Presently, he saw a poor man, so he gave him the twenty ducats and
+returned to the Moor, with whom he abode till they had accomplished the
+pilgrimage rites when Abd al-Samad gave him the seal ring, that he had taken
+from the treasure of Al-Shamardal, saying, "This ring will win thee thy wish,
+for it enchanteth and hath a servant, by name Al-Ra'ad al-Kásif; so whatever
+thou hast a mind to of the wants of this world, rub this ring and its servant
+will appear and do all thou biddest him." Then he rubbed the ring before him,
+whereupon the Jinni appeared, saying, "Adsum, O my lord! Ask what thou wilt and
+it shall be given thee. Hast thou a mind to people a ruined city or ruin a
+populous one? to slay a king or to rout a host?" "O Ra'ad," said Abd al-Samad,
+"this is become thy lord; do thou serve him faithfully." Then he dismissed him
+and said to Judar, "Rub the ring and the servant will appear and do thou
+command him to do whatever thou desirest, for he will not gainsay thee. Now go
+to thine own country and take care of the ring, for by means of it thou wilt
+baffle thine enemies; and be not ignorant of its puissance." "O my lord," quoth
+Judar, "with thy leave, I will set out homewards." Quoth the Maghribi, "Summon
+the Jinni and mount upon his back; and if thou say to him, 'Bring me to my
+native city this very day,' he will not disobey thy commandment." So he took
+leave of Moor Abd al-Samad and rubbed the ring, whereupon Al-Ra'ad presented
+himself, saying, "Adsum; ask and it shall be given to thee." Said Judar, "Carry
+me to Cairo this day;" and he replied, "Thy will be done;" and, taking him on
+his back, flew with him from noon till midnight, when he set him down in the
+courtyard of his mother's house and disappeared. Judar went in to his mother,
+who rose weeping, and greeted him fondly, and told him how the King had beaten
+his brothers and cast them into gaol and taken the two pairs of saddle bags;
+which when he heard, it was no light matter to him and he said to her, "Grieve
+not for the past; I will show thee what I can do and bring my brothers hither
+forth right." So he rubbed the ring, whereupon its servant appeared, saying,
+"Here am I! Ask and thou shalt have." Quoth Judar, "I bid thee bring me my two
+brothers from the prison of the King." So the Jinni sank into the earth and
+came not up but in the midst of the gaol where Sálim and Salím lay in piteous
+plight and sore sorrow for the plagues of prison,[FN#297] so that they wished
+for death, and one of them said to the other, "By Allah, O my brother,
+affliction is longsome upon us! How long shall we abide in this prison? Death
+would be relief." As he spoke, behold, the earth clove in sunder and out came
+Al-Ra'ad, who took both up and plunged with them into the earth. They swooned
+away for excess of fear, and when they recovered, they found themselves in
+their mother's house and saw Judar seated by her side. Quoth he, "I salute you,
+O my brothers! you have cheered me by your presence." And they bowed their
+heads and burst into tears. Then said he, "Weep not, for it was Satan and
+covetise that led you to do thus. How could you sell me? But I comfort myself
+with the thought of Joseph, whose brothers did with him even more than ye did
+with me, because they cast him into the pit."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
+of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Nineteenth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Judar said to his
+brothers, "How could you do with me thus? But repent unto Allah and crave
+pardon of Him, and He will forgive you both, for He is the Most Forgiving, the
+Merciful. As for me, I pardon you and welcome you: no harm shall befall you."
+Then he comforted them and set their hearts at ease and related to them all he
+had suffered, till he fell in with Shaykh Abd al-Samad, and told them also of
+the seal ring. They replied, "O our brother, forgive us this time; and, if we
+return to our old ways, do with us as thou wilt." Quoth he, "No harm shall
+befall you; but tell me what the King did with you." Quoth they, "He beat us
+and threatened us with death and took the two pairs of saddle bags from us."
+"Will he not care?"[FN#298] said Judar, and rubbed the ring, whereupon Al-Ra'ad
+appeared. When his brothers saw him, they were frighted and thought Judar would
+bid him slay them; so they fled to their mother, crying, "O our mother, we
+throw our selves on thy generosity; do thou intercede for us, O our mother!"
+And she said to them, "O my sons, fear nothing!" Then said Judar to the
+servant, "I command thee to bring me all that is in the King's treasury of
+goods and such; let nothing remain and fetch the two pairs of saddle bags he
+took from my brothers." "I hear and I obey," replied Al-Ra'ad; and,
+disappearing straight way gathered together all he found in the treasury and
+returned with the two pairs of saddle bags and the deposits therein and laid
+them before Judar, saying, "O my lord, I have left nothing in the treasury."
+Judar gave the treasure to his mother bidding her keep it and laying the
+enchanted saddle bags before him, said to the Jinni, "I command thee to build
+me this night a lofty palace and overlay it with liquid gold and furnish it
+with magnificent furniture: and let not the day dawn, ere thou be quit of the
+whole work." Replied he, "Thy bidding shall be obeyed;" and sank into the
+earth. Then Judar brought forth food and they ate and took their ease and lay
+down to sleep. Meanwhile, Al-Ra'ad summoned his attendant Jinn and bade them
+build the palace. So some of them fell to hewing stones and some to building,
+whilst others plastered and painted and furnished; nor did the day dawn ere the
+ordinance of the palace was complete; whereupon Al-Ra'ad came to Judar and said
+to him, "O my lord, the palace is finished and in best order, an it please thee
+to come and look on it." So Judar went forth with his mother and brothers and
+saw a palace, whose like there was not in the whole world; and it confounded
+all minds with the goodliness of its ordinance. Judar was delighted with it
+while he was passing along the highway and withal it had cost him nothing. Then
+he asked his mother, "Say me, wilt thou take up thine abode in this palace?"
+and she answered, "I will, O my son," and called down blessings upon him. Then
+he rubbed the ring and bade the Jinni fetch him forty handsome white hand maids
+and forty black damsels and as many Mamelukes and negro slaves. "Thy will be
+done," answered Al-Ra'ad and betaking himself, with forty of his attendant
+Genii to Hind and Sind and Persia, snatched up every beautiful girl and boy
+they saw, till they had made up the required number. Moreover, he sent other
+four score, who fetched comely black girls, and forty others brought male
+chattels and carried them all to Judar's house, which they filled. Then he
+showed them to Judar, who was pleased with them and said, "Bring for each a
+dress of the finest." "Ready!" replied the servant. Then quoth he, "Bring a
+dress for my mother and another for myself, and also for my brothers." So the
+Jinni fetched all that was needed and clad the female slaves, saying to them,
+"This is your mistress: kiss her hands and cross her not, but serve her, white
+and black." The Mamelukes also dressed them selves and kissed Judar's hands;
+and he and his brothers arrayed themselves in the robes the Jinni had brought
+them and Judar became like unto a King and his brothers as Wazirs. Now his
+house was spacious; so he lodged Sálim and his slave girls in one part thereof
+and Salím and his slave girls in another, whilst he and his mother took up
+their abode in the new palace; and each in his own place was like a Sultan. So
+far concerning them; but as regards the King's Treasurer, thinking to take
+something from the treasury, he went in and found it altogether empty, even as
+saith the poet,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+"'Twas as a hive of bees that greatly thrived; * But, when the bee swarm fled,
+'twas clean unhived."[FN#299]
+</p>
+
+<p>
+So he gave a great cry and fell down in a fit. When he came to himself, he left
+the door open and going in to King Shams al-Daulah, said to him, "O Commander
+of the Faithful,[FN#300] I have to inform thee that the treasury hath become
+empty during the night." Quoth the King, 'What hast thou done with my monies
+which were therein?" Quoth he, "By Allah, I have not done aught with them nor
+know I what is come of them! I visited the place yesterday and saw it full; but
+to day when I went in, I found it clean empty, albeit the doors were locked,
+the walls were unpierced[FN#301] and the bolts[FN#302] are unbroken; nor hath a
+thief entered it." Asked the King, "Are the two pairs of saddle bags gone?"
+"Yes," replied the Treasurer; whereupon the King's reason flew from his
+head,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted
+say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Twentieth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Treasurer
+informed the King that all in the treasury had been plundered, including the
+two pairs of saddlebags, the King's reason flew from his head and he rose to
+his feet, saying, "Go thou before me." Then he followed the Treasurer to the
+treasury and he found nothing there, whereat he was wroth with him; and he said
+to them, "O soldiers! know that my treasury hath been plundered during the
+night, and I know not who did this deed and dared thus to outrage me, without
+fear of me." Said they, "How so?"; and he replied, "Ask the Treasurer." So they
+questioned him, and he answered, saying, "Yesterday I visited the treasury and
+it was full, but this morning when I entered it I found it empty, though the
+walls were unpierced and the doors unbroken." They all marvelled at this and
+could make the King no answer, when in came the Janissary, who had denounced
+Sálim and Salím, and said to Shams al-Daulah, "O King of the age, all this
+night I have not slept for that which I saw." And the King asked, "And what
+didst thou see?" "Know, O King of the age," answered the Kawwás, "that all
+night long I have been amusing myself with watching builders at work; and, when
+it was day, I saw a palace ready edified, whose like is not in the world. So I
+asked about it and was told that Judar had come back with great wealth and
+Mamelukes and slaves and that he had freed his two brothers from prison, and
+built this palace, wherein he is as a Sultan." Quoth the King, "Go, look in the
+prison." So they went thither and not finding Sálim and Salím, returned and
+told the King, who said, "It is plain now who be the thief; he who took Sálim
+and Salím out of prison it is who hath stolen my monies." Quoth the Wazir, "O
+my lord, and who is he?"; and quoth the King, "Their brother Judar, and he hath
+taken the two pairs of saddle bags; but, O Wazir do thou send him an Emir with
+fifty men to seal up his goods and lay hands on him and his brothers and bring
+them to me, that I may hang them." And he was sore enraged and said, "Ho, off
+with the Emir at once, and fetch them, that I may put them to death." But the
+Wazir said to him, "Be thou merciful, for Allah is merciful and hasteth not to
+punish His servants, whenas they sin against Him. More over, he who can build a
+palace in a single night, as these say, none in the world can vie with him; and
+verily I fear lest the Emir fall into difficulty for Judar. Have patience,
+therefore, whilst I devise for thee some device of getting at the truth of the
+case, and so shalt thou win thy wish, O King of the age." Quoth the King,
+"Counsel me how I shall do, O Wazir." And the Minister said, "Send him an Emir
+with an invitation; and I will make much of him for thee and make a show of
+love for him and ask him of his estate; after which we will see. If we find him
+stout of heart, we will use sleight with him, and if weak of will, then do thou
+seize him and do with him thy desire." The King agreed to this and despatched
+one of his Emirs, Othman highs, to go and invite Judar and say to him, "The
+King biddeth thee to a banquet;" and the King said to him, "Return not, except
+with him." Now this Othman was a fool, proud and conceited; so he went forth
+upon his errand, and when he came to the gate of Judar's palace, he saw before
+the door an eunuch seated upon a chair of gold, who at his approach rose not,
+but sat as if none came near, though there were with the Emir fifty footmen.
+Now this eunuch was none other than Al-Ra'ad al-Kasif, the servant of the ring,
+whom Judar had commanded to put on the guise of an eunuch and sit at the palace
+gate. So the Emir rode up to him and asked him, ' O slave, where is thy lord?";
+whereto he answered, "In the palace;" but he stirred not from his leaning
+posture; whereupon the Emir Othman waxed wroth and said to him, 'O pestilent
+slave, art thou not ashamed, when I speak to thee, to answer me, sprawling at
+thy length, like a gallows bird?" Replied the eunuch "Off and multiply not
+words." Hardly had Othman heard this, when he was filled with rage and drawing
+his mace[FN#303] would have smitten the eunuch, knowing not that he was a
+devil; but Al-Ra'ad leapt upon him and taking the mace from him, dealt him four
+blows with it. Now when the fifty men saw their lord beaten, it was grievous to
+them; so they drew their swords and ran to slay the slave; but he said, "Do ye
+draw on us, O dogs?" and rose at them with the mace, and every one whom he
+smote, he broke his bones and drowned him in his blood. So they fell back
+before him and fled, whilst he followed them, beating them, till he had driven
+them far from the palace gate; after which he returned and sat down on his
+chair at the door, caring for none.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
+ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-first Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the eunuch having put to
+flight the Emir Othman, the King's officer, and his men, till they were driven
+far from Judar's gate, returned and sat down on his chair at the door, caring
+for none. But as for the Emir and his company, they returned, discomfited and
+funded, to King Shams al-Daulah, and Othman said, "O King of the age, when I
+came to the palace gate, I espied an eunuch seated there in a chair of gold and
+he was passing proud for, when he saw me approach, he stretched himself at full
+length albeit he had been sitting in his chair and entreated me contumeliously,
+neither offered to rise to me. So I began to speak to him and he answered
+without stirring, whereat wrath get hold of me and I drew the mace upon him,
+thinking to smite him. But he snatched it from me and beat me and my men
+therewith and overthrew us. So we fled from before him and could not prevail
+against him." At this, the King was wroth and said, "Let an hundred men go down
+to him." Accordingly, the hundred men went down to attack him; but he arose and
+fell upon them with the mace and ceased not smiting them till he had put them
+to the rout; when he regained his chair; upon which they returned to the King
+and told him what had passed, saying, "O King of the age, he beat us and we
+fled for fear of him." Then the King sent two hundred men against him, but
+these also he put to the rout, and Shams Al-Daulah said to his Minister, "I
+charge thee, O Wazir, take five hundred men and bring this eunuch in haste, and
+with him his master Judar and his brothers." Replied the Wazir, "O King of the
+age, I need no soldiers, but will go down to him alone and unarmed." "Go,"
+quoth the King, "and do as thou seest suitable." So the Wazir laid down his
+arms and donning a white habit,[FN#304] took a rosary in his hand and set out
+afoot alone and unattended. When he came to Judar's gate, he saw the slave
+sitting there; so he went up to him and seating himself by his side
+courteously, said to him, "Peace be with thee!"; whereto he replied, "And on
+thee be peace, O mortal! What wilt thou?" When the Wazir heard him say "O
+mortal," he knew him to be of the Jinn and quaked for fear; then he asked him,
+"O my lord, tell me, is thy master Judar here?" Answered the eunuch, "Yes, he
+is in the palace." Quoth the Minister, "O my lord, go thou to him and say to
+him, 'King Shams Al-Daulah saluteth thee and biddeth thee honour his dwelling
+with thy presence and eat of a banquet he hath made for thee;'" Quoth the
+eunuch, "Tarry thou here, whilst I consult him. So the Wazir stood in a
+respectful attitude, whilst the Marid went up to the palace and said to Judar,
+"Know, O my lord, that the King sent to thee an Emir and fifty men, and I beat
+them and drove them away. Then he sent an hundred men and I beat them also;
+then two hundred, and these also I put to the rout. And now he hath sent thee
+his Wazir unarmed, bidding thee visit him and eat of his banquet. What sayst
+thou?" Said Judar, "Go, bring the Wazir hither." So the Marid went down and
+said to him, "O Wazir, come speak with my lord." "On my head be it.", replied
+he and going in to Judar, found him seated, in greater state than the King,
+upon a carpet, whose like the King could not spread, and was dazed and amazed
+at the goodliness of the palace and its decoration and appointments, which made
+him seem as he were a beggar in comparison. So he kissed the ground before
+Judar and called down blessings on him; and Judar said to him, "What is thy
+business, O Wazir?" Replied he, "O my lord, thy friend King Shams Al-Daulah
+saluteth thee with the salaam and longeth to look upon thy face; wherefore he
+hath made thee an entertainment. So say, wilt thou heal his heart and eat of
+his banquet?" Quoth Judar, "If he be indeed my friend, salute him and bid him
+come to me." "On my head be it," quoth the Minister. Then Judar bringing out
+the ring rubbed it and bade the Jinni fetch him a dress of the best, which he
+gave to the Wazir saying, "Don this dress and go tell the King what I say." So
+the Wazir donned the dress, the like whereof he had never donned, and returning
+to the King told him what had passed and praised the palace and that which was
+therein, saying, "Judar biddeth thee to him." So the King called out, "Up, ye
+men; mount your horses and bring me my steed, that we may go to Judar!" Then he
+and his suite rode off for the Cairene palace. Meanwhile Judar summoned the
+Marid and said to him, "It is my will that thou bring me some of the Ifrits at
+thy command in the guise of guards and station them in the open square before
+the palace, that the King may see them and be awed by them; so shall his heart
+tremble and he shall know that my power and majesty be greater than his."
+Thereupon Al-Ra'ad brought him two hundred Ifrits of great stature and
+strength, in the guise of guards, magnificently armed and equipped, and when
+the King came and saw these tall burly fellows his heart feared them. Then he
+entered the palace, and found Judar sitting in such state as nor King nor
+Sultan could even. So he saluted him and made his obeisance to him, yet Judar
+rose not to him nor did him honour nor said "Be seated," but left him
+standing,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-second Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the King entered,
+Judar rose not to him, nor did him honour nor even said "Be seated!"; but left
+him standing,[FN#305] so that fear entered into him and he could neither sit
+nor go away and said to himself, "If he feared me, he would not leave me thus
+unheeded peradventure he will do me a mischief, because of that which I did
+with his brothers." Then said Judar, "O King of the age, it beseemeth not the
+like of thee to wrong the folk and take away their good." Replied the King, "O
+my lord, deign excuse me, for greed impelled me to this and fate was thereby
+fulfilled; and, were there no offending, there would be no forgiving." And he
+went on to excuse himself for the past and pray to him for pardon and
+indulgence till he recited amongst other things this poetry,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+"O thou of generous seed and true nobility, * Reproach me not for<br/>
+
+     that which came from me to thee<br/>
+
+We pardon thee if thou have wrought us any wrong * And if I<br/>
+
+     wrought the wrong I pray thee pardon me!"<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+And he ceased not to humble himself before him, till he said, "Allah pardon
+thee!" and bade him be seated. So he sat down and Judar invested him with
+garments of pardon and immunity and ordered his brothers spread the table. When
+they had eaten, he clad the whole of the King's company in robes of honour and
+gave them largesse; after which he bade the King depart. So he went forth and
+thereafter came every day to visit Judar and held not his Divan save in his
+house: wherefore friendship and familiarity waxed great between them, and they
+abode thus awhile, till one day the King, being alone with his Minister, said
+to him, "O Wazir, I fear lest Judar slay me and take the kingdom away from me."
+Replied the Wazir, "O King of the age, as for his taking the kingdom from thee,
+have no fear of that, for Judar's present estate is greater than that of the
+King, and to take the kingdom would be a lowering of his dignity; but, if thou
+fear that he kill thee, thou hast a daughter: give her to him to wife and thou
+and he will be of one condition." Quoth the King, "O Wazir, be thou
+intermediary between us and him"; and quoth the Minister, "Do thou invite him
+to an entertainment and pass the night with him in one of thy saloons. Then bid
+thy daughter don her richest dress and ornaments and pass by the door of the
+saloon. When he seeth her, he will assuredly fall in love with her, and when we
+know this, I will turn to him and tell him that she is thy daughter and engage
+him in converse and lead him on, so that thou shalt seem to know nothing of the
+matter, till he ask her to thee to wife. When thou hast married him to the
+Princess, thou and he will be as one thing and thou wilt be safe from him; and
+if he die, thou wilt inherit all he hath, both great and small." Replied the
+King, "Thou sayst sooth, O my Wazir," and made a banquet and invited thereto
+Judar who came to the Sultan's palace and they sat in the saloon in great good
+cheer till the end of the day. Now the King had commanded his wife to array the
+maiden in her richest raiment and ornaments and carry her by the door of the
+saloon. She did as he told her, and when Judar saw the Princess, who had not
+her match for beauty and grace, he looked fixedly at her and said, "Ah!"; and
+his limbs were loosened; for love and longing and passion and pine were sore
+upon him; desire and transport get hold upon him and he turned pale. Quoth the
+Wazir, "May no harm befall thee, O my lord! Why do I see thee change colour and
+in suffering?" Asked Judar, "O Wazir, whose daughter is this damsel? Verily she
+hath enthralled me and ravished my reason." Replied the Wazir, "She is the
+daughter of thy friend the King; and if she please thee, I will speak to him
+that he marry thee to her." Quoth Judar, "Do so, O Wazir, and as I live, I will
+bestow on thee what thou wilt and will give the King whatsoever he shall ask to
+her dowry; and we will become friends and kinsfolk." Quoth the Minister, "It
+shall go hard but thy desire be accomplished." Then he turned to the King and
+said in his ear, "O King of the age, thy friend Judar seeketh alliance with
+thee and will have me ask of thee for him the hand of thy daughter, the
+Princess Asiyah; so disappoint me not. but accept my intercession, and what
+dowry soever thou askest he will give thee." Said the King, "The dowry I have
+already received, and as for the girl, she is his handmaid; I give her to him
+to wife and he will do me honour by accepting her."—And Shahrazad perceived the
+dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-third Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Wazir whispered
+the King, "Judar seeketh alliance with thee by taking thy daughter to wife,"
+the other replied, "The dowry I have already received, and the girl is his
+handmaid: he will do me honour by accepting her." So they spent the rest of
+that night together and on the morrow the King held a court, to which he
+summoned great and small, together with the Shaykh al-Islam.[FN#306] Then Judar
+demanded the Princess in marriage and the King said, "The dowry I have
+received." Thereupon they drew up the marriage contract and Judar sent for the
+saddle bags containing the jewels and gave them to the King as settlement upon
+his daughter. The drums beat and the pipes sounded and they held high festival,
+whilst Judar went in unto the girl. Thenceforward he and the King were as one
+flesh and they abode thus for many days, till Shams al-Daulah died; whereupon
+the troops proclaimed Judar Sultan, and he refused; but they importuned him,
+till he consented and they made him King in his father in law's stead. Then he
+bade build a cathedral mosque over the late King's tomb in the
+Bundukániyah[FN#307] quarter and endowed it. Now the quarter of Judar's house
+was called Yamániyah; but, when he became Sultan he built therein a
+congregational mosque and other buildings, wherefore the quarter was named
+after him and was called the Judariyah[FN#308] quarter. Moreover, he made his
+brother Sálim his Wazir of the right and his brother Salím his Wazir of the
+left hand; and thus they abode a year and no more; for, at the end of that
+time, Sálim said to Salím, "O my brother, how long is this state to last? Shall
+we pass our whole lives in slavery to our brother Judar? We shall never enjoy
+luck or lordship whilst he lives," adding, "so how shall we do to kill him and
+take the ring and the saddle bags?" Replied Salím, "Thou art craftier than I;
+do thou devise, whereby we may kill him." "If I effect this," asked Sálim,
+"wilt thou agree that I be Sultan and keep the ring and that thou be my right
+hand Wazir and have the saddle bags?" Salím answered, "I consent to this;" and
+they agreed to slay Judar their brother for love of the world and of dominion.
+So they laid a snare for Judar and said to him, "O our brother, verily we have
+a mind to glory in thee and would fain have thee enter our houses and eat of
+our entertainment and solace our hearts." Replied Judar, "So be it, in whose
+house shall the banquet be?" "In mine," said Sálim "and after thou hast eaten
+of my victual, thou shalt be the guest of my brother." Said Judar, " 'Tis
+well," and went with him to his house, where he set before him poisoned food,
+of which when he had eaten, his flesh rotted from his bones and he
+died.[FN#309] Then Sálim came up to him and would have drawn the ring from his
+finger, but it resisted him; so he cut off the finger with a knife. Then he
+rubbed the ring and the Marid presented himself, saying, "Adsum! Ask what thou
+wilt." Quoth Sálim, "Take my brother Salím and put him to death and carry forth
+the two bodies, the poisoned and the slaughtered, and cast them down before the
+troops." So the Marid took Salím and slew him; then, carrying the two corpses
+forth, he cast them down before the chief officers of the army, who were
+sitting at table in the parlour of the house. When they saw Judar and Salím
+slain, they raised their hands from the food and fear get hold of them and they
+said to the Marid, "Who hath dealt thus with the Sultan and the Wazir Replied
+the Jinni, "Their brother Sálim." And behold, Sálim came up to them and said,
+"O soldiers, eat and make merry, for Judar is dead and I have taken to me the
+seal ring, whereof the Marid before you is the servant; and I bade him slay my
+brother Salím lest he dispute the kingdom with me, for he was a traitor and I
+feared lest he should betray me. So now I am become Sultan over you; will ye
+accept of me? If not, I will rub the ring and bid the Marid slay you all, great
+and small."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and  Twenty-fourth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Sálim said to
+the officers, "Will ye accept me as your Sultan, otherwise I will rub the ring
+and the Marid shall slay you all, great and small?"; they replied, "We accept
+thee to King and Sultan." Then he bade bury his brothers and summoned the
+Divan; and some of the folk followed the funeral, whilst others forewent him in
+state procession to the audience hall of the palace, where he sat down on the
+throne and they did homage to him as King; after which he said, "It is my will
+to marry my brother Judar's wife." Quoth they, "Wait till the days of widowhood
+are accomplished.[FN#310] Quoth he, "I know not days of widowhood nor aught
+else. As my head liveth, I needs must go in unto her this very night." So they
+drew up the marriage contract and sent to tell the Princess Asiyah, who
+replied, "Bid him enter." Accordingly, he went in to her and she received him
+with a show of joy and welcome; but by and by she gave him poison in water and
+made an end of him. Then she took the ring and broke it, that none might
+possess it thenceforward, and tore up the saddle bags; after which she sent to
+the Shaykh al-Islam and other great officers of state, telling them what had
+passed and saying to them, "Choose you out a King to rule over you." And this
+is all that hath come down to us of the Story of Judar and his
+Brethren.[FN#311] But I have also heard, O King, a tale called the
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<div class="chapter">
+
+<h3><a name="chap40"></a>HISTORY OF GHARIB AND HIS BROTHER AJIB.[FN#312]</h3>
+
+<p>
+There was once in olden time a King of might, Kundamir highs, who had been a
+brave and doughty man of war, a Kahramán,[FN#313] in his day, but was grown
+passing old and decrepit. Now it pleased Allah to vouchsafe him, in his extreme
+senility, a son, whom he named Ajíb[FN#314]—the Wonderful—because of his beauty
+and loveliness; so he committed the babe to the midwives and wet- nurses and
+handmaids and serving-women, and they reared him till he was full seven years
+old, when his father gave him in charge to a divine of his own folk and faith.
+The priest taught him the laws and tenets of their Misbelief and instructed him
+in philosophy and all manner of other knowledge, and it needed but three full
+told years ere he was proficient therein and his spirit waxed resolute and his
+judgment mature; and he became learned, eloquent and philosophic[FN#315];
+consorting with the wise and disputing with the doctors of the law. When his
+father saw this of him, it pleased him and he taught him to back the steed and
+stab with spear and smite with sword, till he grew to be an accomplished
+cavalier, versed in all martial exercises; and, by the end of his twentieth
+year, he surpassed in all things all the folk of his day. But his skill in
+weapons made him grow up a stubborn tyrant and a devil arrogant, using to ride
+forth a- hunting and a-chasing amongst a thousand horsemen and to make raids
+and razzias upon the neighbouring knights, cutting off caravans and carrying
+away the daughters of Kings and nobles; wherefore many brought complaints
+against him to his father, who cried out to five of his slaves and when they
+came said, "Seize this dog!" So they seized Prince Ajib and, pinioning his
+hands behind him, beat him by his father's command till he lost his senses;
+after which the King imprisoned him in a chamber so dark one might not know
+heaven from earth or length from breadth; and there he abode two days and a
+night. Then the Emirs went in to the King and, kissing the ground between his
+hands, interceded with him for the Prince, and he released him. So Ajib bore
+with his father for ten days, at the end of which he went in to him as he slept
+by night and smote his neck. When the day rose, he mounted the throne of his
+sire's estate and bade his men arm themselves cap-ŕ-pie in steel and stand with
+drawn swords in front of him and on his right hand and on his left. By and by,
+the Emirs and Captains entered and finding their King slain and his son Ajib
+seated on the throne were confounded in mind and knew not what to do. But Ajib
+said to them, "O folk, verily ye see what your King hath gained. Whoso obeyeth
+me, I will honour him, and whoso gainsayeth me I will do with him that which I
+did with my sire." When they heard these words they feared lest he do them a
+mischief; so they replied, "Thou art our King and the son of our King;" and
+kissed ground before him; whereupon he thanked them and rejoiced in them. Then
+he bade bring forth money and apparel and clad them in sumptuous robes of
+honour and showered largesse upon them, wherefore they all loved him and obeyed
+him. In like manner he honoured the governors of the Provinces and the Shaykhs
+of the Badawin, both tributary and independent, so that the whole kingdom
+submitted to him and the folk obeyed him and he reigned and bade and forbade in
+peace and quiet for a time of five months. One Night, however, he dreamed a
+dream as he lay slumbering; whereupon he awoke trembling, nor did sleep visit
+him again till the morning. As soon as it was dawn he mounted his throne and
+his officers stood before him, right and left. Then he called the oneiromants
+and the astrologers and said to them "Expound to me my dream!" "What was the
+dream?" asked they; and he answered, "As I slept last Night, I saw my father
+standing before me, with his yard uncovered, and there came forth of it a thing
+the bigness of a bee, which grew till it became as a mighty lion, with claws
+like hangers. As I lay wondering at this lo! it ran upon me and smiting me with
+its claws, rent my belly in sunder; whereupon I awoke startled and trembling.
+So expound ye to me the meaning of this dream." The interpreters looked one at
+other; and, after considering, said, "O mighty King, this dream pointeth to one
+born of thy sire, between whom and thee shall befal strife and enmity, wherein
+he shall get the better of thee: so be on thy guard against him, by reason of
+this thy vision." When Ajib heard their words, he said, "I have no brother whom
+I should fear; so this your speech is mere lying." They replied, "We tell thee
+naught save what we know;" but he was an angered with them and bastinadoed
+them. Then he rose and, going in to the paternal palace, examined his father's
+concubines and found one of them seven months gone with child; whereupon he
+gave an order to two of his slaves, saying, "Take this damsel, ye twain, and
+carry her to the sea-shore and drown her." So they took her forthright and,
+going to the sea-shore, designed to drown her, when they looked at her and
+seeing her to be of singular beauty and loveliness said to each other, "Why
+should we drown this damsel? Let us rather carry her to the forest and live
+with her there in rare love-liasse." Then they took her and fared on with her
+days and nights till they had borne her afar off and had brought her to a bushy
+forest, abounding in fruit-trees and streams, where they both thought at the
+same time to win their will of her; but each said, "I will have her first." So
+they fell out one with the other concerning this, and while so doing a company
+of blackamoors came down upon them, and they drew their swords and both sides
+fell to laying on load. The mellay waxed hot with cut and thrust; and the two
+slaves fought their best; but the blacks slew them both in less than the
+twinkling of an eye. So the damsel abode alone and wandered about the forest,
+eating of its fruits and drinking of its founts, till in due time she gave
+birth to a boy, brown but clean limbed and comely, whom she named Gharíb, the
+Stranger, by reason of her strangerhood. Then she cut his navel-string and
+wrapping him in some of her own clothes, gave him to suck, harrowed at heart,
+and with vitals sorrowing for the estate she had lost and its honour and
+solace. And Shahrazed perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted
+say,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-fifth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the damsel abode in the
+bush harrowed at heart and a-sorrowed; but she suckled her babe albeit she was
+full of grief and fear for her loneliness. Now behold, one day, there came
+horsemen and footmen into the forest with hawks and hounds and horses laden
+with partridges and cranes and wild geese and divers and other waterfowl; and
+young ostriches and hares and gazelles and wild oxen and lynxes and wolves and
+lions.[FN#316] Presently, these Arabs entered the thicket and came upon the
+damsel, sitting with her child on her breast a-suckling him: so they drew near
+and asked her, "Say art thou a mortal or a Jinniyah?" Answered she, "I am a
+mortal, O Chiefs of the Arabs." Thereupon they told their Emir, whose name was
+Mardás, Prince of the Banú Kahtán,[FN#317] and who had come forth that day to
+hunt with five hundred of his cousins and the nobles of his tribe, and who in
+the course of the chase had happened upon her. He bade them bring her before
+him, which they did and she related to him her past from first to last, whereat
+he marvelled. Then he cried to his kinsmen and escort to continue the chase,
+after which they took her and returned to their encampment, where the Emir
+appointed her a separate dwelling-place and five damsels to serve her; and he
+loved her with exceeding love and went in to her and lay with her. She
+conceived by him straightway, and, when her months were accomplished, she bare
+a man child and named him Sahím al- Layl.[FN#318] He grew up with his brother
+Gharib among the nurses and throve and waxed upon the lap of the Emir Mardas
+who, in due time committed the two boys to a Fakih for instruction in the
+things of their faith; after which he gave them in charge to valiant knights of
+the Arabs, for training them to smite with sword and lunge with lance and shoot
+with shaft; so by the time they reached the age of fifteen, they knew all they
+needed and surpassed each and every brave of their tribe; for Gharib would
+undertake a thousand horse and Sahim al-Layl no fewer. Now Mardas had many
+enemies, and the men of his tribe were the bravest of all the Arabs, being
+doughty cavaliers, none might warm himself at their fire.[FN#319] In his
+neighbourhood was an Emir of the Arabs, Hassan bin Sábit hight, who was his
+intimate friend; and he took to wife a noble lady of his tribe and bade all his
+friends to the wedding, amongst them Mardas lord of the Banu Kahtan, who
+accepted his invitation and set forth with three hundred riders of his tribe,
+leaving other four hundred to guard the women. Hassan met him with honour and
+seated him in the highest stead. Then came all the cavaliers to the bridal and
+he made them bride-feasts and held high festival by reason of the marriage,
+after which the Arabs departed to their dwelling- places. When Mardas came in
+sight of his camp, he saw slain men lying about and birds hovering over them
+right and left; and his heart sank within him at the sight. Then he entered the
+camp and was met by Gharib, clad in complete suit of ring-mail, who gave him
+joy of his safe return. Quoth Mardas, "What meaneth this case, O Gharib?"; and
+quoth Gharib, "Al-Hamal bin Májid attacked us with five hundred horsemen of his
+tribe." Now the reason of this was that the Emir Mardas had a daughter called
+Mahdíyah, seer never saw fairer than she, and Al-Hamal, lord of the Banu
+Nabhán,[FN#320] heard of her charms; whereupon he took horse with five hundred
+of his men and rode to Mardas to demand her hand; but he was not accepted and
+was sent away disappointed.[FN#321] So he awaited till Mardas was absent on his
+visit to Hassan, when he mounted with his champions and, falling upon the camp
+of the Banu Kahtan, slew a number of their knights and the rest fled to the
+mountains. Now Gharib and his brother had ridden forth a- hunting and chasing
+with an hundred horse and returned not till midday, when they found that
+Al-Hamal had seized the camp and all therein and had carried off the maidens,
+among whom was Mahdiyah, driving her away with the captives. When Gharib saw
+this, he lost his wits for rage and cried out to Sahim, saying, "O my brother,
+O son of an accursed dam,[FN#322] they have plundered our camp and carried off
+our women and children! Up and at the enemy, that we may deliver the captives!"
+So Gharib and Sahim and their hundred horse rushed upon the foe, and Gharib's
+wrath redoubled, and he reaped a harvest of heads slain, giving the champions
+death-cup to drain, till he won to Al-Hamal and saw Mahdiyah among the
+captives. Then he drave at the lord of the Banu Nabhan braves; with his lance
+lunged him and from his destrier hurled him; nor was the time of mid-afternoon
+prayer come before he had slain the most part of the foe and put to rout the
+rest and rescued the captives; whereupon he returned to the camp in triumph,
+bearing the head of Al-Hamal on the point of his lance and improvising these
+couplets,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+"I am he who is known on the day of fight, * And the Jinn of<br/>
+
+     earth at my shade take fright:<br/>
+
+And a sword have I when my right hand wields, * Death hastens<br/>
+
+     from left on mankind to alight;<br/>
+
+I have eke a lance and who look thereon * See a crescent head of<br/>
+
+     the liveliest light.[FN#323]<br/>
+
+And Gharib I'm highs of my tribe the brave * And if few my men I<br/>
+
+     feel naught affright."<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Hardly had Gharib made an end of these verses when up came Mardas who, seeing
+the slain and the vultures, was sore troubled and with fluttering heart asked
+the cause. The youth, after due greetings, related all that had befallen the
+tribe in his step- sire's absence. So Mardas thanked him and said, "Thou hast
+well requited our fosterage-pains in rearing thee, O Gharib!"; then he alighted
+and entered his pavilion, and the men stood about him, all the tribe praising
+Gharib and saying, "O our Emir, but for Gharib, not one of the tribe had been
+saved!" And Mardas again thanked him.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
+and ceased to say her permitted say,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-sixth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Mardas, hearing the
+tribesmen's praises of Gharib, again thanked him for his derring-do. But the
+youth, when he had delivered Mahdiyah from Al-Hamal whom he slew, was smitten
+by the shaft of her glances and fell into the nets of her allurements,
+wherefore his heart could not forget her and he became drowned in love and
+longing and the sweets of sleep forsook him and he had no joy of drink or meat.
+He would spur his horse up to the mountain tops, where he would spend the day
+in composing verses and return at nightfall; and indeed manifest upon him were
+the signs of affection and distraction. He discovered his secret to one of his
+companions and it became noised abroad in the camp, till it reached the ears of
+Mardas, who thundered and lightened and rose up and sat down and sparked and
+snorted and reviled the sun and the moon, saying, "This is the reward of him
+who reareth the sons of adultery! But except I kill Gharib, I shall be put to
+shame.''[FN#324] Then he consulted one of the wise men of his tribe and after
+telling his secret took counsel with him of killing the youth. Quoth the elder,
+"O Emir, 'twas but yesterday that he freed thy daughter from captivity. If
+there be no help for it but thou must slay him, let it be by the hand of
+another than thyself, so none of the folk may misdoubt of thee." Quoth Mardas,
+"Advise me how I may do him die, for I look to none but to thee for his death."
+"O Emir," answered the other, "wait till he go forth to hunt and chase, when do
+thou take an hundred horse and lie in wait for him in some cave till he pass;
+then fall upon him unawares and cut him in pieces, so shalt thou be quit of his
+reproach." Said Mardas, "This should serve me well;" and chose out an hundred
+and fifty of his furious knights and Amalekites[FN#325] whom he lessoned to his
+will. Then he watched Gharib till one day, he went forth to hunt and rode far
+away amongst the dells and hills; whereupon Mardas followed him with his men,
+ill-omened wights, and lay in wait for him by the way against he should return
+from the chase that they might sally forth and slay him. But as they lay in
+ambush among the trees behold, there fell upon them five hundred true
+Amalekites, who slew sixty of them and made fourscore and ten prisoners and
+trussed up Mardas with his arms behind his back. Now the reason of this was
+that when Gharib put Al-Hamal and his men to the sword, the rest fled and
+ceased not flying till they reached their lord's brother and told him what had
+happened, whereat his Doom-day rose and he gathered together his Amalekites and
+choosing out five hundred cavaliers, each fifty ells high,[FN#326] set out with
+them in quest of blood-revengement for his brother. By the way he fell in with
+Mardas and his companions and there happened between them what happened; after
+which he bade his men alight and rest, saying, "O folk, the idols have given us
+an easy brood-wreak; so guard ye Mardas and his tribesmen, till I carry them
+away and do them die with the foulest of deaths." When Mardas saw himself a
+prisoner, he repented of what he had done and said, "This is the reward of
+rebelling against the Lord!" Then the enemy passed the night rejoicing in their
+victory, whilst Mardas and his men despaired of life and made sure of doom. So
+far concerning them; but as regards Sahim al-Layl, who had been wounded in the
+fight with Al- Hamal, he went in to his sister Mahdiyah, and she rose to him
+and kissed his hands, saying, "May thy two hands ne'er wither nor thine enemies
+have occasion to be blither! But for thee and Gharib, we had not escaped
+captivity among our foes. Know, however, O my brother, that thy father hath
+ridden forth with an hundred and fifty horse, purposing to slaughter Gharib;
+and thou wottest it would be sore loss and foul wrong to slay him, for that it
+was he who saved your shame and rescued your good." When Sahim heard this, the
+light in his sight became Night, he donned his battle-harness; and, mounting
+steed, rode for the place where Gharib was a-hunting. He presently came up with
+him and found that he had taken great plenty of game; so he accosted him and
+saluted him and said, "O my brother, why didst thou go forth without telling
+me?" Replied Gharib, "By Allah, naught hindered me but that I saw thee wounded
+and thought to give thee rest." Then said Sahim, "O my brother, beware of my
+sire!" and told him how Mardas was abroad with an hundred and fifty men,
+seeking to slay him. Quoth Gharib, "Allah shall cause his treason to cut his
+own throat." Then the brothers set out campwards, but night overtook them by
+the way and they rode on in the darkness, till they drew near the Wady wherein
+the enemy lay and heard the neighing of steeds in the gloom; whereupon said
+Sahim, "O my brother, my father and his men are ambushed in yonder valley; let
+us flee from it." But Gharib dismounted and throwing his bridle to his brother,
+said to him, "Stay in this stead till I come back to thee." Then he went on
+till he drew in sight of the folk, when he saw that they were not of his tribe
+and heard them naming Mardas and saying, "We will not slay him, save in his own
+land." Wherefore he knew that nuncle Mardas was their prisoner, and said, "By
+the life of Mahdiyah, I will not depart hence till I have delivered her father,
+that she may not be troubled!" Then he sought and ceased not seeking till he
+hit upon Mardas and found him bound with cords; so he sat down by his side and
+said to him, "Heaven deliver thee, O uncle, from these bonds and this shame!"
+When Mardas saw Gharib his reason fled, and he said to him, "O my son, I am
+under thy protection: so deliver me in right of my fosterage of thee!" Quoth
+Gharib, "If I deliver thee, wilt thou give me Mahdiyah?" Quoth the Emir, "O my
+son, by whatso I hold sacred, she is thine to all time!" So he loosed him,
+saying, "Make for the horses, for thy son Sahim is there:" and Mardas crept
+along like a snake till he came to his son, who rejoiced in him and
+congratulated him on his escape. Meanwhile, Gharib unbound one after another of
+the prisoners, till he had freed the whole ninety and they were all far from
+the foe. Then he sent them their weapons and war horses, saying to them, "Mount
+ye and scatter yourselves round about the enemy and cry out, Ho, sons of
+Kahtan! And when they awake, do ye remove from them and encircle them in a thin
+ring.''[FN#327] So he waited till the last and third watch of the Night, when
+he cried out, "Ho, sons of Kahtan!" and his men answered in like guise, crying,
+"Ho, sons of Kahtan," as with one voice; and the mountains echoed their slogan,
+so that it seemed to the raiders as though the whole tribe of Banu Kahtan were
+assailing them; wherefore they all snatched up their arms and fell upon one
+another,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
+permitted say,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-seventh Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the raiders[FN#328]
+awoke from sleep and heard Gharib and his men crying out, "Ho, sons of
+Kahtan!"; they imagined that the whole tribe was assailing them; wherefore they
+snatched up their arms and fell one upon other with mighty slaughter. Gharib
+and his men held aloof, and they fought one another till daybreak, when Gharib
+and Mardas and their ninety warriors came down upon them and killed some of
+them and put the rest to flight. Then the Banu Kahtan took the horses of the
+fugitives and the weapons of the slain and returned to their tribal camp,
+whilst Mardas could hardly credit his deliverance from the foe. When they
+reached the encampment, the stay-at-home folk all came forth to meet them and
+rejoiced in their safe return. Then they alighted and betook them to their
+tents; and all the youths of the tribe flocked to Gharib's stead and great and
+small saluted him and did him honour. But when Mardas saw this and the youths
+encircling his stepson he waxed more jealous of Gharib than before and said to
+his kinsfolk, "Verily, hatred of Gharib groweth on my heart, and what irketh me
+most is that I see these flocking about him! And to-morrow he will demand
+Mahdiyah of me." Quoth his confidant, "O Emir, ask of him somewhat he cannot
+avail to do." This pleased Mardas who passed a pleasant night and on the
+morrow, as he sat on his stuffed carpet, with the Arabs about him, Gharib
+entered, followed by his men and surrounded by the youth of the tribe, and
+kissed the ground before Mardas who, making a show of joy, rose to do him
+honour and seated him beside himself. Then said Gharib, "O uncle, thou madest
+me a promise; do thou fulfil it." Replied the Emir, "O my son, she is thine to
+all time; but thou lackest wealth." Quoth Gharib, "O uncle, ask of me what thou
+wilt, and I will fall upon the Emirs of the Arabs in their houses and on the
+Kings in their towns and bring thee fee[FN#329] enough to fence the land from
+East to West." "O my son," quoth Mardas," I have sworn by all the Idols that I
+would not give Mabdiyah save to him who should take my blood-wite of mine enemy
+and do away my reproach." "O uncle," said Gharib, "tell me with which of the
+Kings thou hast a feud, that I may go to him and break his throne upon his
+pate." "O my son," replied Mardas, "I once had a son, a champion of champions,
+and he went forth one day to chase and hunt with an hundred horse. They fared
+on from valley to valley, till they had wandered far away amongst the mountains
+and came to the Wady of Blossoms and the Castle of Hám bin Shays bin Shaddád
+bin Khalad. Now in this place, O my son, dwelleth a black giant, seventy cubits
+high, who fights with trees from their roots uptorn; and when my son reached
+his Wady, the tyrant sallied out upon him and his men and slew them all, save
+three braves, who escaped and brought me the news. So I assembled my champions
+and fared forth to fight the giant, but could not prevail against him;
+wherefore I was baulked of my revenge and swore that I would not give my
+daughter in marriage save to him who should avenge me of my son." Said Gharib,
+"O uncle, I will go to this Amalekite and take the wreak of thy son on him with
+the help of Almighty Allah." And Mardas answered, saying, "O Gharib, if thou
+get the victory over him, thou wilt gain of him such booty of wealth and
+treasures as fires may not devour." Cried Gharib, "Swear to me before witnesses
+thou wilt give me her to wife, so that with heart at ease I may go forth to
+find my fortune." Accordingly, Mardas swore this to him and took the elders of
+the tribe to witness; whereupon Gharib fared forth, rejoicing in the attainment
+of his hopes, and went in to his mother, to whom he related what had passed. "O
+my son," said she, "know that Mardas hateth thee and doth but send thee to this
+mountain, to bereave me of thee; then take me with thee and let us depart the
+tents of this tyrant." But he answered, "O my mother, I will not depart hence
+till I win my wish and foil my foe." Thereupon he slept till morning arose with
+its sheen and shone, and hardly had he mounted his charger when his friends,
+the young men, came up to him; two hundred stalwart knights armed cap-ŕ-pie and
+cried out to him, saying, "Take us with thee; we will help thee and company
+thee by the way." And he rejoiced in them and cried, "Allah requite you for us
+with good!" adding, "Come, my friends, let us go." So they set out and fared on
+the first day and the second day till evening, when they halted at the foot of
+a towering mount and baited their horses. As for Gharib, he left the rest and
+walked on into that mountain, till he came to a cave whence issued a light. He
+entered and found, at the higher facing end of the cave a Shaykh, three hundred
+and forty years old, whose eyebrows overhung his eyes and whose moustachios hid
+his mouth. Gharib at this sight was filled with awe and veneration, and the
+hermit said to him, "Methinks thou art of the idolaters, O my son,
+stone-worshipping[FN#330] in the stead of the All-powerful King, the Creator of
+Night and Day and of the sphere rolling on her way." When Gharib heard his
+words, his side muscles quivered and he said, "O Shaykh, where is this Lord of
+whom thou speakest, that I may worship him and take my fill of his sight?"
+Replied the Shaykh, "O my son, this is the Supreme Lord, upon whom none may
+look in this world. He seeth and is not seen. He is the Most High of aspect and
+is present everywhere in His works. He it is who maketh all the made and
+ordereth time to vade and fade; He is the Creator of men and Jinn and sendeth
+the Prophets to guide His creatures into the way of right. Whoso obeyeth Him,
+He bringeth into Heaven, and whoso gainsayeth Him, He casteth into Hell." Asked
+Gharib, "And how, O uncle, saith whoso worshippeth this puissant Lord who over
+all hath power?" "O my son," answered the Shaykh, "I am of the tribe of Ad,
+which were transgressors in the land and believed not in Allah. So He sent unto
+them a Prophet named Húd, but they called him liar and he destroyed them by
+means of a deadly wind; but I believed together with some of my tribe, and we
+were saved from destruction.[FN#331] Moreover, I was present with the tribe of
+Thamúd and saw what befel them with their Prophet Sálih. After Salih, the
+Al-mighty sent a prophet, called Abraham the Friend,[FN#332] to Nimrod son of
+Canaan, and there befel what befel between them. Then my companions died in the
+Saving Faith and I continued in this cave to serve Allah the Most High, who
+provideth my daily bread without my taking thought." Quoth Gharib, "O uncle,
+what shall I say, that I may become of the troop of this mighty Lord?" "Say,"
+replied the old man, There is no god but the God and Abraham is the Friend of
+God.' " So Gharib embraced the Faith of Submission[FN#333] with heart and
+tongue and the Shaykh said to him, "May the sweetness of belief and devotion be
+stablished in thy heart!" Then he taught him somewhat of the biblical
+ordinances and scriptures of Al-Islam and said to him, "What is thy name?"; and
+he replied, "My name is Gharib." Asked the old man, "Whither art thou bound, O
+Gharib?" So he told him all his history, till he came to the mention of the
+Ghúl of the Mountain whom he sought,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
+and ceased to say her permitted say,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-eighth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib became a
+Moslem and told the Shaykh his past, from first to last, till he came to the
+mention of the Mountain-Ghul whom he sought, the old man asked him, "O Gharib,
+art thou mad that thou goest forth against the Ghul of the Mountain single
+handed?"; and he answered, "O my lord, I have with me two hundred horse." "O
+Gharib," rejoined the hermit, "hadst thou ten thousand riders yet shouldest
+thou not prevail against him, for his name is The-Ghul-
+who-eateth-men-we-pray-Allah-for-safety, and he is of the children of Ham. His
+father's name was Hindi who peopled Hind and named it, and he left this son
+after him, whom he called Sa'adan the Ghul. Now the same was, O my son, even in
+his sire's lifetime, a cruel tyrant and a rebellious devil and had no other
+food than flesh of the sons of Adam. His father when about to die forbade him
+from this, but he would not be forbidden and he redoubled in his forwardness,
+till Hindi banished him and drove him forth the Land of Hind, after battles and
+sore travail. Then he came to this country and fortifying himself herein,
+established his home in this place, whence he is wont to sally forth and cut
+the road of all that come and go, presently returning to the valley he
+haunteth. Moreover, he hath begotten five sons, warlike warlocks, each one of
+whom will do battle with a thousand braves, and he hath flocked the valley with
+his booty of treasure and goods besides horses and camels and cattle and sheep.
+Wherefore I fear for thee from him; so do thou implore Almighty Allah to
+further thee against him by the Tahlíl, the formula of Unity, and when thou
+drivest at the Infidels, cry, God is most Great!' for, saying, There is no god
+but the God' confoundeth those who misbelieve." Then the Shaykh gave him a
+steel mace, an hundred pounds in weight, with ten rings which clashed like
+thunder whenas the wielder brandished it, and a sword forged of a
+thunderbolt,[FN#334] three ells long and three spans broad, wherewith if one
+smote a rock, the stroke would cleave it in sunder. Moreover he gave him a
+hauberk and target and a book and said to him, "Return to thy tribe and expound
+unto them Al-Islam." So Gharib left him, rejoicing in his new Faith, and fared
+till he found his companions, who met him with salams, saying, "What made thee
+tarry thus?" Whereupon he related to them that which had befallen him and
+expounded to them Al-Islam, and they all islamised. Early next morning, Gharib
+mounted and rode to the hermit to farewell him, after which he set out to
+return to his camp when behold, on his way, there met him a horseman cap-ŕ-pie
+armed so that only his eyes appeared, who made at him, saying, "Doff what is on
+thee, O scum[FN#335] of the Arabs; or I will do thee die!" Therewith Gharib
+crave at him and there befel between them a battle such as would make a
+new-born child turn grey and melt the flinty rock with its sore affray; but
+presently the Badawi did off his face-veil, and lo! it was Gharib's half-
+brother Sahim al-Layl. Now the cause of his coming thither was that when Gharib
+set out in quest of the Mountain-Ghul, Sahim was absent and on his return, not
+seeing his brother, he went in to his mother, whom he found weeping. He asked
+the reason of her tears and she told him what had happened of his brother's
+journey, whereupon, without allowing himself aught of rest, he donned his
+war-gear and mounting rode after Gharib, till he overtook him and there befel
+between them what befel. When, therefore. Sahim discovered his face, Gharib
+knew him and saluted him, saying, "What moved thee to do this?" Quoth Sahim, "I
+had a mind to measure myself with thee in the field and make trial of my
+lustihood in cut and thrust." Then they rode together and on the way Gharib
+expounded Al-Islam to Sahim, who embraced the Faith; nor did they cease riding
+till they were hard upon the valley. Meanwhile, the Mountain-Ghul espied the
+dust of their horses' feet and said to his sons, "O my sons, mount and fetch me
+yonder loot." So the five took horse and made for the party. When Gharib saw
+the five Amalekites approaching, he plied shovel-iron upon his steed's flank
+and cried out, saying, "Who are ye, and what is your race and what do ye
+require?" Whereupon Falhún bin Sa'adan, the eldest of the five, came out and
+said, "Dismount ye and bind one another[FN#336] and we will drive you to our
+father, that he may roast various of you and boil various, for it is long since
+he has tasted the flesh of Adam-son." When Gharib heard these words he drove at
+Falhun, shaking his mace, so that the rings rang like the roaring thunder and
+the giant was confounded. Then he smote him a light blow with the mace between
+the shoulders, and he fell to the ground like a tall-trunked palm- tree;
+whereupon Sahim and some of his men fell upon him and pinioned him; then,
+putting a rope about his neck, they haled him along like a cow. Now when his
+brothers saw him a prisoner they charged home upon Gharib, who took
+three[FN#337] of them captive and the fifth fled back to his sire, who said to
+him, "What is behind thee and where are the brothers of thee?" Quoth he
+"Verily, a beardless youth, forty cubits high, hath taken them prisoner." Quoth
+Sa'adan, "May the sun pour no blessing on you!" and, going down from his hold,
+tore up a huge tree, with which he went in quest of Gharib and his folk; and he
+was on foot, for that no horse might carry him, because of the bigness of his
+body. His son followed him and the twain went on till they came up with Gharib
+and his company, when the Ghul fell upon them, without word said, and slew five
+men with his club. Then he made at Sahim and struck at him with his tree, but
+Sahim avoided the blow and it fell harmless; whereat Sa'adan was wroth and
+throwing down the weapon, sprang upon Sahim and caught him in his pounces as
+the sparrow hawk catcheth up the sparrow. Now when Gharib saw his brother in
+the Ghul's clutches, he cried out, saying, "Allaho Akbar God is most Great! Oh
+the favour of Abraham the Friend, the Muhammad,[FN#338] the Blessed One (whom
+Allah keep and assain!)"- -And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
+saying her permitted say,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-ninth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib saw his
+brother in the clutches of the Ghul, he cried out, saying "Oh the favour of
+Ibrahim, the Friend, the Blessed One (whom Allah keep and assain!) "; and crave
+his charger at Sa'adan, shaking his mace, till the rings loud rang. Then he
+cried out again, "God is most Great!" and smote the Ghul on the flat of the
+ribs with his mace, whereupon he fell to the ground, insensible, and loosed his
+grip on Sahim; nor did he come to himself ere he was pinioned and shackled.
+When his son saw this, he turned and fled; but Gharib drove steed after him and
+smiting him with his mace between the shoulders, threw him from his horse. So
+they bound him with his father and brethren and haltering them with ropes,
+haled them all six along like baggage- camels, till they reached the Ghul's
+castle, which they found full of goods and treasures and things of price; and
+there they also came upon twelve hundred Ajamis, men of Persia, bound and
+shackled. Gharib sat down on Sa'adan's chair, which had aforetime belonged to
+Sásá[FN#339] bin Shays bin Shaddad bin Ad causing Sahim to stand on his right
+and his companions on his either hand, and sending for the Ghul of the
+Mountain, said to him, "How findest thou thyself, O accursed?" Replied Sa'adan,
+"O my lord, in the sorriest of plights for abasement and mortification; my sons
+and I, we are bound with ropes like camels." Quoth Gharib, "It is my will that
+you enter my faith, the faith Al-Islam highs, and acknowledge the Unity of the
+All knowing King whose All-might created Light and Night and every thing, there
+is no God but He, the Requiting King! and confess the mission and prophethood
+of Abraham the Friend (on whom be peace!)." So the Ghul and his sons made the
+required profession after the goodliest fashion, and Gharib bade loose their
+bonds; whereupon Sa'adan wept and would have kissed his feet, he and his sons:
+but Gharib forbade them and they stood with the rest who stood before him. Then
+said Gharib, "Harkye, Sa'adan!"; and he replied, "At thy service, O my lord!"
+Quoth Gharib, "What are these captives?" "O my lord," quoth the Ghul, "these
+are my game from the land of the Persians and are not the only ones." Asked
+Gharib, "And who is with them?"; and Sa'adan answered, "O my lord, there is
+with them the Princess Fakhr Táj, daughter of King Sabúr of Persia,[FN#340] and
+an hundred damsels like moons." When Gharib heard this, he marvelled and said,
+"O Emir, how came ye by these?" Replied Sa'adan, "I went forth one night with
+my sons and five of my slaves in quest of booty, but finding no spoil in our
+way, we dispersed over wilds and words and fared on, hoping we might happen on
+somewhat of prey and not return emptyhanded, till we found ourselves in the
+land of the Persians. Presently, we espied a dust cloud and sent on to
+reconnoitre one of our slaves, who was absent a while and presently returned
+and said, O my lord, this is the Princess Fakhr Taj, daughter of Sabur, King of
+the Persians, Turcomans and Medes; and she is on a journey, attended by two
+thousand horse.' Quoth I, Thou hast gladdened us with good news! We could have
+no finer loot than this.' Then I and my sons fell upon the Persians and slew of
+them three hundred men and took the Princess and twelve hundred cavaliers
+prisoners, together with all that was with her of treasure and riches and
+brought them to this our castle." Quoth Gharib, "Hast thou offered any violence
+to the Princess Fakhr Taj?" Quoth Sa'adan, "Not I, as thy head liveth and by
+the virtue of the Faith I have but now embraced!" Gharib replied "It was well
+done of thee, O Sa'adan, for her father is King of the world and doubtless he
+will despatch troops in quest of her and lay waste the dwellings of those who
+took her. And whoso looketh not to issue and end hath not Fate to friend. But
+where is the damsel?" Said Sa'adan, "I have set apart a pavilion for her and
+her damsels;" and said Gharib, "Show me her lodging," whereto Sa'adan rejoined,
+"Hearkening and obedience!" So he carried him to the pavilion, and there he
+found the Princess mournful and cast down, weeping for her former condition of
+dignity and delight. When Gharib saw her, he thought the moon was near him and
+magnified Allah, the All-hearing, the All-seeing. The Princess also looked at
+him and saw him a princely cavalier, with velour shining from between his eyes
+and testifying for him and not against him; so she rose and kissed his hands,
+then fell at his feet, saying, "O hero of the age, I am under thy protection;
+guard me from this Ghul, for I fear lest he do away my maidenhead and after
+devour me. So take me to serve thine handmaidens." Quoth Gharib, "Thou art safe
+and thou shalt be restored to thy father and the seat of thy worship."
+Whereupon she prayed that he might live long and have advancement in rank and
+honour. Then he bade unbind the Persians and, turning to the Princess, said to
+her, "What brought thee forth of thy palace to the wilds and wastes, so that
+the highway- robbers made prize of thee?" She replied, "O my lord, my father
+and all the people of his realm, Turks and Daylamites, are Magians, worshipping
+fire, and not the All-powerful King. Now in our country is a monastery called
+the Monastery of the Fire, whither every year the daughters of the Magians and
+worshippers of the Fire resort at the time of their festival and abide there a
+month, after which they return to their houses. So I and my damsels set out, as
+of wont, attended by two thousand horse, whom my father sent with me to guard
+me; but by the way this Ghul came out against us and slew some of us and,
+taking the rest captive, imprisoned us in this hold. This, then, is what befel
+me, O valiant champion, whom Allah guard against the shifts of Time!" And
+Gharib said, "Fear not; for I will bring thee to thy palace and the seat of thy
+honours." Wherefore she blessed him and kissed his hands and feet. Then he went
+out from her, after having commanded to treat her with respect, and slept till
+morning, when he made the Wuzu-ablution and prayed a two-bow prayer, after the
+rite of our father Abraham the Friend (on whom be peace!), whilst the Ghul and
+his sons and Gharib's company all did the like after him. Then he turned to the
+Ghul and said to him, "O Sa'adan, wilt thou not show me the Wady of
+Blossoms?''[FN#341] "I will, O my lord," answered he. So Gharib and his company
+and Princess Fakhr Taj and her maidens all rose and went forth, whilst Sa'adan
+commanded his slaves and slave- girls to slaughter and cook and make ready the
+morning-meal and bring it to them among the trees. For the Giant had an hundred
+and fifty handmaids and a thousand chattels to pasture his camels and oxen and
+sheep. When they came to the valley, they found it beautiful exceedingly and
+passing all degree; and birds on tree sang joyously and the mocking-nightingale
+trilled out her melody, and the cushat filled with her moan the mansions made
+by the Deity,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Thirtieth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib and his merry
+men and the Giant and his tribe reached the Wady of Blossoms they found birds
+flying free; the cushat filling with her moan the mansions made by the Deity,
+the bulbul singing as if 'twere human harmony and the merle whom to describe
+tongue faileth utterly; the turtle, whose plaining maddens men for loveecstasy
+and the ringdove and the popinjay answering her with fluency. There also were
+trees laden with all manner of fruitery, of each two kinds,[FN#342] the
+pomegranate, sweet and sour upon branches growing luxuriantly, the
+almond-apricot,[FN#343] the camphor-apricot[FN#344] and the almond Khorasan
+highs; the plum, with whose branches the boughs of the myrobalan were entwined
+tight; the orange, as it were a cresses flaming light, the shaddock weighed
+down with heavy freight; the lemon, that cures lack of appetite, the citron
+against jaundice of sovereign might, and the date, red and yellow-bright, the
+especial handiwork of Allah the Most High. Of the like of this place saith the
+enamoured poet,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+"When its birds in the lake make melody, * The lorn lover<br/>
+
+     yearneth its sight to see:<br/>
+
+'Tis as Eden breathing a fragrant breeze, * With its shade and<br/>
+
+     fruits and rills flowing free."<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Gharib marvelled at the beauty of that Wady and bade them set up there the
+pavilion of Fakhr Taj the Chosroite; so they pitched it among the trees and
+spread it with rich tapestries. Then he sat down and the slaves brought food
+and they ate their sufficiency; after which quoth Gharib, "Harkye, Sa'adan!":
+and quoth he, "At thy service, O my lord." "Hast thou aught of wine?" asked
+Gharib, and Sa'adan answered, "Yes, I have a cistern full of old wine." Said
+Gharib, "Bring us some of it." So Sa'adan sent ten slaves, who returned with
+great plenty of wine, and they ate and drank and were mirthful and merry. And
+Gharib bethought him of Mahdiyah and improvised these couplets,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+"I mind our union days when ye were nigh, * And flames my heart<br/>
+
+     with love's consuming lowe.<br/>
+
+By Allah, Ne'er of will I quitted you: * But shifts of Time from<br/>
+
+     you com pelled me go:<br/>
+
+Peace and fair luck and greetings thousand-fold * To you, from<br/>
+
+     exiled lover's pining woe."<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+They abode eating and drinking and taking their pleasure in the valley for
+three days, after which they returned to the castle. Then Gharib called Sahim
+and said to him, "Take an hundred horse and go to thy father and mother and thy
+tribe, the Banu Kahtan, and bring them all to this place, here to pass the rest
+of their days, whilst I carry the Princess of Persia back to her father. As for
+thee, O Sa'adan, tarry thou here with thy sons, till I return to thee." Asked
+Sa'adan, "And why wilt thou not carry me with thee to the land of the
+Persians?"; and Gharib answered, "Because thou stolest away King Sabur's
+daughter and if his eye fall on thee, he will eat thy flesh and drink thy
+blood." When the Ghul heard this, he laughed a loud laugh, as it were the
+pealing thunder, and said, "O my lord, by the life of thy head, if the Persians
+and Medes united against me, I would make them quaff the cup of annihilation."
+Quoth Gharib, " 'Tis as thou sayest;[FN#345] but tarry thou here in fort till I
+return to thee;" and quoth the Ghul, "I hear and I obey." Then Sahim departed
+with his comrades of the Banu Kahtan for the dwelling places of their tribe,
+and Gharib set out with Princess Fakhr Taj and her company, intending for the
+cities of Sabur, King of the Persians. Thus far concerning them; but as regards
+King Sabur, he abode awaiting his daughter's return from the Monastery of the
+Fire, and when the appointed time passed by and she came not, flames raged in
+his heart. Now he had forty Wazirs, whereof the oldest, wisest and chiefest was
+highs Daydán: so he said to him, "O Minister, verily my daughter delayeth her
+return and I have no news of her though the appointed time is past; so do thou
+send a courier to the Monastery of the Fire to learn what is come of her."
+"Hearkening and obedience," replied Daydan; and, summoning the chief of the
+couriers, said to him, "Wend thou forthright to the Monastery." So he lost no
+time and when he reached it, he asked the monks of the King's daughter, but
+they said, "We have not seen her this year." So the courier returned to the
+city of Isbánír[FN#346] and told the Wazir, who went in to the King and
+acquainted him with the message. Now when Sabur heard this, he cast his crown
+on the ground, tore his beard and fell down in a trance. They sprinkled water
+upon him, and presently he came to himself, tearful-eyed and heavy-hearted, and
+repeated the words of the poet,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+"When I far-parted patience call and tears, * Tears came to call<br/>
+
+     but Patience never hears:<br/>
+
+What, then, if Fortune parted us so far? * Fortune and Perfidy<br/>
+
+     are peers<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Then he called ten of his captains and bade them mount with a thousand horse
+and ride in different directions, in quest of his daughter. So they mounted
+forthright and departed each with his thousand; whilst Fakhr Taj's mother clad
+herself and her women in black and strewed ashes on her head and sat weeping
+and lamenting. Such was their case;—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
+ceased saying her permitted say.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-first Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that King Sabur sent his
+troops in quest of his daughter, whose mother clad herself and her women in
+black. Such was their case; but as regards the strange adventures of Gharib and
+the Princess, they journeyed on ten days, and on the eleventh day, appeared a
+dust cloud which rose to the confines of the sky; whereupon Gharib called the
+Emir of the Persians and said to him, "Go learn the cause thereof." "I hear and
+obey," replied he and crave his charger, till he came under the cloud of dust,
+where he saw folk and enquired of them. Quoth one of them, "We are of the Banu
+Hattál and are questing for plunder; our Emir is Samsam bin Al- Jiráh and we
+are five thousand horse." The Persians returned in haste and told their saying
+to Gharib, who cried out to his men of the Banu Kahtan and to the Persians,
+saying, "Don your arms!" They did as he bade them and presently up came the
+Arabs who were shouting, "A plunder! a plunder!" Quoth Gharib, "Allah confound
+you, O dogs of Arabs!" Then he loosed his horse and drove at them with the
+career of a right valiant kNight, shouting, "Allaho Akbar! Ho for the faith of
+Abraham the Friend, on whom be peace!" And there befel between them great fight
+and sore fray and the sword went round in sway and there was much said and say;
+nor did they leave fighting till fled the day and gloom came, when they drew
+from one another away. Then Gharib numbered his tribesmen and found that five
+of the Banu Kahtan had fallen and three-and- seventy of the Persians; but of
+the Banu Hattal they had slain more than five hundred horse. As for Samsam, he
+alighted and sought nor meat nor sleep, but said, "In all my life I never saw
+such a fighter as this youth! Anon he fighteth with the sword and anon with the
+mace; but, to-morrow I will go forth on champion wise and defy him to combat of
+twain in battle plain where edge and point are fain and I will cut off these
+Arabs." Now, when Gharib returned to his camp, the Princess Fakhr Taj met him,
+weeping and affrighted for the terror of that which had befallen, and kissed
+his foot in the stirrup, saying, "May thy hands never wither nor thy foes be
+blither, O champion of the age! Alhamdolillah—Praise to God—who hath saved thee
+alive this day! Verily, I am in fear for thee from yonder Arabs." When Gharib
+heard this, he smiled in her face and heartened and comforted her, saying,
+"Fear not, O Princess! Did the enemy fill this wild and wold yet would I
+scatter them, by the might of Allah Almighty." She thanked him and prayed that
+he might be given the victory over his foes; after which she returned to her
+women and Gharib went to his tent, where he cleansed himself of the blood of
+the Infidels, and they lay on guard through the night. Next morning, the two
+hosts mounted and sought the plain where cut and thrust ruled sovereign. The
+first to prick into the open was Gharib, who crave his charger till he was near
+the Infidels and cried out, "Who is for jousting with me? Let no sluggard or
+weakling come out to me!" Whereupon there rushed forth a giant Amalekite of the
+lineage of the tribe of Ad, armed with an iron flail twenty pounds in weight,
+and drove at Gharib, saying, "O scum of the Arabs, take what cometh to thee and
+learn the glad tidings that thy last hour is at hand!" So saying, he aimed a
+blow at Gharib, but he avoided it and the flail sank a cubit into the ground.
+Now the badawi was bent double with the blow, so Gharib smote him with his mace
+and clove his forehead in sunder and he fell down dead and Allah hurried his
+soul to Hell-fire. Then Gharib charged and wheeled and called for champions; so
+there came out to him a second and a third and a fourth and so on, till ten had
+come forth to him and he slew them all. When the Infidels saw his form of fight
+and his smashing blows they hung back and forebore to fare forth to him,
+whereupon Samsam looked at them and said, "Allah never bless you! I will go
+forth to him." So he donned his battle-gear and driving his charger into
+mid-field where he fronted the foe and cried out to Gharib saying, "Fie on
+thee, O dog of the Arabs! hath thy strength waxed so great that thou shouldst
+defy me in the open field and slaughter my men?" And Gharib replied, "Up and
+take bloodrevenge for the slaughter of thy braves!" So Samsam ran at Gharib who
+awaited him with broadened breast and heart enheartened, and they smote each at
+other with maces, till the two hosts marvelled and every eye was fixed on them.
+Then they wheeled about in the field and struck at each other two strokes; but
+Gharib avoided Samsam's stroke which wreak had wroke and dealt with a buffet
+that beat in his breastbone and cast him to the ground—stone dead. Thereupon
+all his host ran at Gharib as one man, and he ran at them, crying, "God is most
+Great! Help and Victory for us and shame and defeat for those who misbelieve
+the faith of Abraham the Friend, on whom be peace!"—And Shahrazad perceived the
+dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-second Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Sam sam's tribesmen
+rushed upon Gharib as one man, he ran at them crying, "God is most Great! Help
+and Victory for us and shame and defeat for the Miscreant!" Now when the
+Infidels heard the name of the All-powerful King, the One, the All-conquering,
+whom the sight comprehendeth not, but He comprehendeth the sight,[FN#347] they
+looked at one another and said, "What is this say that maketh our side-muscles
+tremble and weakeneth our resolution and causeth the life to fail in us? Never
+in our lives heard we aught goodlier than this saying!" adding, "Let us leave
+fighting, that we may ask its meaning." So they held their hands from the
+battle and dismounted; and their elders assembled and held counsel together,
+seeking to go to Gharib and saying, "Let ten of us repair to him!" So they
+chose out ten of their best, who set out for Gharib's tents. Now he and his
+people had alighted and returned to their camp, marvelling at the withdrawal of
+the Infidels from the fight. But, presently, lo and behold! the ten came up and
+seeking speech of Gharib, kissed the earth before him and wished him glory and
+lasting life. Quoth he to them, "What made you leave fighting?"; and quoth
+they, "O, my lord, thou didst affright us with the words thou shoutest out at
+us." Then asked Gharib, "What calamity do ye worship?"; and they answered, "We
+worship Wadd and Suwá'a and Yaghús,[FN#348] lords of the tribe of Noah"; and
+Gharib, "We serve none but Allah Almighty, Maker of all things and Provider of
+all livings. He it is who created the heavens and the earth and stablished the
+mountains, who made water to well from the stones and the trees to grow and
+feedeth wild beasts in word; for He is Allah, the One, the All- powerful Lord."
+When they heard this, their bosoms broadened to the words of Unity-faith, and
+they said, "Verily, this be a Lord high and great, compassionating and
+compassionate!"; adding, "And what shall we say, to become of the Moslems, of
+those which submit themselves to Him?" Quoth Gharib, "Say, There is no god but
+the God and Abraham is the Friend of God.'" So the ten made veracious
+profession of the veritable religion and Gharib said to them, "An the sweet
+savour of Al-Islam be indeed stablished in your hearts, fare ye to your tribe
+and expound the faith to them; and if they profess, they shall be saved, but if
+they refuse we will burn them with fire." So the ten elders returned and
+expounded Al-Islam to their people and set forth to them the path of truth and
+creed, and they embraced the Faith of Submission with heart and tongue. Then
+they repaired on foot to Gharib's tent and kissing ground between his hands
+wished him honour and high rank, saying, "O our lord, we are become thy slaves;
+so command us what thou wilt, for we are to thee audient and obedient and we
+will never depart from thee, since Allah hath guided us into the right way at
+thy hands." Replied he, "Allah abundantly requite you! Return to your dwellings
+and march forth with your good and your children and forego me to the Wady of
+Blossoms and the castle of Sásá bin Shays,[FN#349] whilst I carry the Princess
+Fakhr Taj, daughter of Sabur, King of the Persians, back to her father and
+return to you." "Hearkening and obedience," said they and straightway returned
+to their encampment, rejoicing in Al-Islam, and expounded the True Faith to
+their wives and children, who became Believers. Then they struck their tents
+and set forth, with their good and cattle, for the Wady of Blossoms. When they
+came in sight of the castle of Shays, Sa'adan and his sons sallied forth to
+them, but Gharib had charged them, saying, "If the Ghul of the Mountain come
+out to you and offer to attack you, do ye call upon the name of Allah the
+All-creator, and he will leave his hostile intent and receive you hospitably."
+So when he would have fallen upon them they called aloud upon the name of
+Almighty Allah and straightway he received them kindly and asked them of their
+case. They told him all that had passed between Gharib and themselves,
+whereupon he rejoiced in them and lodged them with him and loaded them with
+favours. Such was their case; but as regards Gharib, he and his, escorting the
+Princess fared on five days' journey towards the City of Isbanir, and on the
+sixth day they saw a dust-cloud. So Gharib sent one of the Persians to learn
+the meaning of this and he went and returned, swiftlier than bird in flight,
+saying, "O my lord, these be a thousand horse of our comrades, whom the King
+hath sent in quest of his daughter Fakhr Taj." When Gharib heard this, he
+commanded his company to halt and pitch the tents. So they halted and waited
+till the new comers reached them, when they went to meet them and told Túmán,
+their captain, that the Princess was with them; whereupon he went in to Gharib
+and kissing the ground before him, enquired for her. Gharib sent him to her
+pavilion, and he entered and kissed her hands and feet and acquainted her with
+what had befallen her father and mother. She told him in return all that had
+betided her and how Gharib had delivered her from the Ghul of the Mountain,—And
+Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-third Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the King's daughter,
+Fakhr Taj, had told Tuman all that had befallen her from the Mountain-Ghul, and
+how he had imprisoned her and would have devoured her but for Gharib, adding,
+"And indeed, it behoveth my sire to give him the half of his reign," Tuman
+arose and returned to Gharib and kissed his hands and feet and thanked him for
+his good dealing, saying, "With thy leave, O my lord, I will return to Isbanir
+City and deliver to our King the good news of his daughter's approach." "Go,"
+replied Gharib, "and take of him the gift of glad tidings." So Tuman returned
+with all dillgence to Isbanir, the Cities, and entering the palace, kissed
+ground before the King, who said to him, "What is there of new, O bringer of
+good news?" Quoth Tuman, "I will not speak thee, till thou give me the gift of
+glad tidings." Quoth the King, "Tell me thy glad tidings and I will content
+thee." So Tuman said, "O King, I bring thee joyful intelligence of the return
+of Princess Fakhr Taj." When Sabur heard his daughter's name, he fell down
+fainting and they sprinkled rose-water on him, till he recovered and cried to
+Tuman, "Draw near to me and tell me all the good which hath befallen her." So
+he came forward and acquainted him with all that had betided the Princess; and
+Sabur beat hand upon hand, saying, "Unhappy thou, O Fakhr Taj!''[FN#350] And he
+bade give Tuman ten thousand gold pieces and conferred on him the government of
+Isfáhán City and its dependencies. Then he cried out to his Emirs, saying,
+"Mount, all of you, and fare we forth to meet the Princess Fakhr Taj!"; and the
+Chief Eunuch went in to the Queen-mother and told her and all the Harim the
+good news, whereat she rejoiced and gave him a robe of honour and a thousand
+dinars. Moreover, the people of the city heard of this and decorated the market
+streets and houses. Then the King and Tuman took horse and rode till they had
+sight of Gharib, when Sabur footed it and made some steps towards Gharib, who
+also dismounted and advanced to meet him; and they embraced and saluted each
+other, and Sabur bent over Gharib's hand and kissed it and thanked him for his
+favours.[FN#351] They pitched their pavilions in face of each other and Sabur
+went in to his daughter, who rose and embracing him told him, all that had
+befallen her and how Gharib had rescued her from the clutches of the Ghul of
+the Mountain. Quoth the King, "By thy life, O Princess of fair ones, I will
+overwhelm him with gifts!"; and quoth she, "O my papa, make him thy son-in-law,
+that he may be to thee a force against thy foes, for he is passing valiant."
+Her father replied, "O my daughter, knowst thou not that King Khirad Sháh
+seeketh thee in marriage and that he hath cast the brocade[FN#352] and hath
+given an hundred thousand dinars in settlement, and he is King of Shiraz and
+its dependencies and is lord of empire and horsemen and footmen?" But when the
+Princess heard these words she said, "O my papa! I desire not that whereof thou
+speakest, and if thou constrain me to that I have no mind to, I will slay
+myself." So Sabur left her and went in to Gharib, who rose to him; and they sat
+awhile together; but the King could not take his fill of looking upon him; and
+he said in his mind, "By Allah, my daughter is excusable if she love this
+Badawi!" Then he called for food and they ate and passed the night together. On
+the morrow, they took horse and rode till they arrived at the City of Isbanir
+and entered, stirrup to stirrup, and it was for them a great day. Fakhr Taj
+repaired to her palace and the abiding-place of her rank, where her mother and
+her women received her with cries of joy and loud lullilooings. As for King
+Sabur, he sat down on his throne and seated Gharib on his right hand, whilst
+the Princes and Chamberlains, the Emirs, Wazirs and Nabobs stood on either hand
+and gave him joy of the recovery of his daughter. Said Sabur, "Whoso loveth me
+let him bestow a robe of honour on Gharib," and there fell dresses of honour on
+him like drops of rain. Then Gharib abode the King's guest ten days, when he
+would have departed, but Sabur clad him in an honourable robe and swore him by
+his faith that he should not march for a whole month. Quoth Gharib, "O King, I
+am plighted to one of the girls of the Arabs and I desire to go in to her."
+Quoth the King, "Whether is the fairer, thy betrothed or Fakhr Taj?" "O King of
+the age," replied Gharib, "what is the slave beside the lord?" And Sabur said,
+"Fakhr Taj is become thy handmaid, for that thou didst rescue her from the
+pounces of the Ghul, and she shall have none other husband than thyself."
+Thereupon Gharib rose and kissed ground, saying, "O King of the age, thou art a
+sovereign and I am but a poor man, and belike thou wilt ask a heavy dowry."
+Replied the King, "O my son, know that Khirad Shah, lord of Shiraz and
+dependencies thereof, seeketh her in marriage and hath appointed an hundred
+thousand dinars to her dower; but I have chosen thee before all men, that I may
+make thee the sword of my kingship and my shield against vengeance.''[FN#353]
+Then he turned to his Chief Officers and said to them, "Bear witness[FN#354]
+against me, O Lords of mine Empire, that I marry my daughter Fakhr Taj to my
+son Gharib."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
+permitted say,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-fourth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sabur, King of
+Ajam-land said to his Chief Officers, "Bear ye witness against me that I marry
+my daughter Fakhr Taj, to my son Gharib!" With that he joined palms[FN#355]
+with him and she became his wife. Then said Gharib, "Appoint me a dower and I
+will bring it to thee, for I have in the Castle of Sasa wealth and treasures
+beyond count." Replied Sabur, "O my son, I want of thee neither treasure nor
+wealth and I will take nothing for her dower save the head of Jamrkán King of
+Dasht and the city of Ahwáz.[FN#356]" Quoth Gharib, "O King of the age, I will
+fetch my folk forthright and go to thy foe and spoil his realm." Quoth Sabur,
+"Allah requite thee with good!" and dismissed the lords and commons, thinking,
+"If Gharib go forth against Jamrkan, he will never more return." When morning
+morrowed the King mounted with Gharib and bidding all his troops take horse
+rode forth to the plain, where he said to his men, "Do ye tilt with spears and
+gladden my heart." So the champions of Persia land played one against other,
+and Gharib said, "O King of the age, I have a mind to tilt with the horsemen of
+Ajam-land, but on one condition." Asked the King, "What is that?"; and answered
+Gharib, "It is that I shall don a light tunic and take a headless lance, with a
+pennon dipped in saffron, whilst the Persian champions sally forth and tilt
+against me with sharp spears. If any conquer me, I will render myself to him:
+but, if I conquer him I will mark him on the breast and he shall leave the
+plain." Then the King cried to the commander of the troops to bring forward the
+champions of the Persians; so he chose out from amongst the Princes one
+thousand two hundred of his stoutest champions, and the King said to them, in
+the Persian tongue, "Whoso slayeth this Badawi may ask of me what he will." So
+they strove with one another for precedence and charged down upon Gharib and
+truth was distinguished from falsehood and jest from earnest. Quoth Gharib, "I
+put my trust in Allah, the God of Abraham the Friend, the Deity who hath power
+over all and from whom naught is hidden, the One, the Almighty, whom the sight
+comprehendeth not!" Then an Amalekite-like giant of the Persian champions
+rushed out to him, but Gharib let him not stand long before him ere he marked
+him and covered his breast with saffron and as he turned away, he smote him on
+the nape with the shaft of his lance, and he fell to the ground and his pages
+bore him from the lists.[FN#357] Then a second champion came forth against him
+and he overcame him and marked him on the breast; and thus did he with a third
+and a fourth and a fifth; and there came out against him champion after
+champion till he had overcome them all and marked them on the breast; for
+Almighty Allah gave him the victory over them and they fared forth vanquish
+from the plain. Then the servants set food and strong wine before them! and
+they ate and drank, till Gharib's wits were dazed by the drink. By and by, he
+went out to obey a call of Nature and would have returned, but lost his way and
+entered the palace of Fakhr Taj. When she saw him, her reason fled and she
+cried out to her women saying, "Go forth from me to your own places!" So they
+withdrew and she rose and kissed Gharib's hand, saying "Welcome to my lord, who
+delivered me from the Ghul! Indeed I am thine handmaid for ever and ever." Then
+she drew him to her bed and embraced him, whereupon desire was hot upon him and
+he broke her seal and lay with her till the morning. Meanwhile the King thought
+that he had departed; but on the morrow he went in to him and Sabur rose to him
+and made him sit by his side. Then entered the tributary kings and kissing the
+ground stood ranged in rows on the right and left and fell to talking of
+Gharib's velour and saying, "Extolled be He who gave him such prowess albeit he
+is so young in years!" As they were thus engaged, behold all espied from the
+palace-windows the dust of horse approaching and the King cried out to his
+scouts, saying, "Woe to you! Go and bring me news of yonder dust!" So a
+cavalier took horse and riding off, returned after a while, and said "O King,
+we found under that dust an hundred horse belonging to an Emir highs Sahim
+al-Layl." Gharib hearing these words, cried out, "O my lord, this is my
+brother, whom I had sent on an errand, and I will go forth to meet him." So
+saying, he mounted, with his hundred men of the Banu Kahtan and a thousand
+Persians, and rode to meet his brother in great state, but greatness belongeth
+to God alone.[FN#358] When the two came up with each other, they dismounted and
+embraced, and Gharib said to Sahim, "O my brother, hast thou brought our tribe
+to the Castle of Sasa and the Wady of Blossoms?" "O my brother," replied Sahim,
+"when the perfidious dog Mardas heard that thou hadst made thee master of the
+stronghold belonging to the Mountain-Ghul, he was sore chagrined and said,
+Except I march hence, Gharib will come and carry off my daughter Mahdiyah
+without dower.' So he took his daughter and his goods and set out with his
+tribe for the land of Irak, where he entered the city of Cufa and put himself
+under the protection of King Ajib, seeking to give him his daughter to wife."
+When Gharib heard his brother's story, he well-nigh gave up the ghost for rage
+and said, "By the virtue of the faith of Al-Islam, the faith of Abraham the
+Friend, and by the Supreme Lord, I will assuredly go to the land of Irak and
+fierce war upon it I will set on foot." Then they returned to the city and
+going in to the King, kissed ground before him. He rose to Gharib and saluted
+Sahim; after which the elder brother told him what had happened and he put ten
+captains at his commandment, under each one's hand ten thousand horse of the
+doughtiest of the Arabs and the Ajams, who equipped themselves and were ready
+to depart in three days. Then Gharib set out and journeyed till he reached the
+Castle of Sasa whence the Ghul and his sons came forth to meet him and
+dismounting, kissed his feet in the stirrups. He told them all that had passed
+and the giant said, "O my lord, do thou abide in this thy castle, whilst I with
+my sons and servants repair to Irak and lay waste the city Al-Rusták[FN#359]
+and bring to thy hand all its defenders bound in straitest bond." But Gharib
+thanked him and said, "O Sa'adan, we will all go." So he made him ready and the
+whole body set out for Irak, leaving a thousand horse to guard the Castle. Thus
+far concerning them; but as regards Mardas, he arrived with his tribe in the
+land of Irak bringing with him a handsome present and fared for Cufa-city which
+he entered. Then, he presented himself before Ajib and kissed ground between
+his hands and, after wishing him what is wished to kings, said, "O my lord, I
+come to place myself under thy protection."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
+day and ceased saying her permitted say,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-fifth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King that Mardas coming into the
+presence of Ajib, said to him, "I come to place myself under thy protection!"
+Quoth Ajib, "Tell me who hath wronged thee, that I may protect thee against
+him, though it were Sabur, King of the Persians and Turcomans and Daylamites."
+Quoth Mardas, "O King of the Age, he who hath wronged me is none other than a
+youth whom I reared in my bosom. I found him in his mother's lap in a certain
+valley and took her to wife She brought me a son, whom I named Sahim al-Layl,
+and her own son, Gharib highs, grew up on my knees and became a blasting
+thunderbolt and a lasting calamity,[FN#360] for he smote Al-Hamal,[FN#361]
+Prince of the Banu Nabhan, and slew footmen and threw horsemen. Now I have a
+daughter, who befitteth thee alone, and he sought her of me; so I required of
+him the head of the Ghul of the Mountain, wherefore he went to him and, after
+engaging him in singular combat, made the master his man and took the Castle of
+Sasa bin Shays bin Shaddad bin Ad, wherein are the treasures of the ancients
+and the hoards of the moderns. Moreover, I hear that, become a Moslem, he goeth
+about, summoning the folk to his faith. He is now gone to bear the Princess of
+Persia, whom he delivered from the Ghul, back to her father, King Sabur, and
+will not return but with the treasures of the Persians." When Ajib heard the
+story of Mardas he changed colour to yellow and was in ill case and made sure
+of his own destruction; then he said, O Mardas, is the youth's mother with thee
+or with him?"; and Mardas replied, "She is with me in my tents." Quoth Ajib,
+What is her name?"; quoth Mardas, "Her name is Nusrah." " 'Tis very she,"
+rejoined Ajib and sent for her to the presence. Now when she came before him,
+he looked on her and knew her and asked her, "O accursed, where are the two
+slaves I sent with thee?"; and she answered, "They slew each other on my
+account;" whereupon Ajib bared his blade and smote her and cut her in twain.
+Then they dragged her away and cast her out; but trouble and suspicion entered
+Ajib's heart and he cried, "O Mardas, give me thy daughter to wife." He
+rejoined, "She is one of thine handmaids: I give her to thee to wife, and I am
+thy slave." Said Ajib, "I desire to look upon this son of an adulteress,
+Gharib, that I may destroy him and cause him taste all manner of torments."
+Then he bade give Mardas, to his daughter's dowry, thirty thousand dinars and
+an hundred pieces of silk-brocaded and fringed with gold and an hundred pieces
+of silk bordered stuffs and kerchiefs and golden collars. So he went forth with
+this mighty fine dowry and set himself to equip Mahdiyah in all diligence. Such
+was their case; but as regards Gharib, he fared on till he came to Al- Jazírah,
+which is the first town of Al-Irak[FN#362] and is a walled and fortified city
+and he hard by it called a halt. When the townsfolk saw his army encamped
+before it, they bolted the gates and manned the walls, then went to the King of
+the city, who was called Al-Dámigh, the Brainer, for that he used to brain the
+champions in the open field of fight, and told him what was come upon them. So
+he looked forth from the battlements of the palace and seeing a conquering
+host, all of them Persians, encamped before the city, said to the citizens, "O
+folk, what do yonder Ajams want?"; and they replied, "We know not." Now Al-
+Damigh had among his officers a man called Saba' al-Kifár, the Desert-lion,
+keen of wit and penetrating as he were a flame of fire; so he called him and
+said to him, "Go to this stranger host and find out who they be and what they
+want and return quickly." Accordingly, he sped like the wind to the Persian
+tents, where a company of Arabs rose up and met him saying, "Who art thou and
+what dost thou require?" He replied, "I am a messenger and an envoy from the
+lord of the city to your chief." So they took him and carried him through the
+lines of tents, pavilions and standards, till they came to Gharib's Shahmiyánah
+and told him of the mission. He bade them bring him in and they did so,
+whereupon he kissed ground before Gharib and wished him honour and length of
+days. Quoth Gharib, "What is thine errand?" and quoth Saba' al-Kifar, "I am an
+envoy from the lord of the city of Al-Jazirah, Al-Damigh, brother of King
+Kundamir, lord of the city of Cufa and the land of Irak." When Gharib heard his
+father's name, the tears railed from his eyes in rills and he looked at the
+messenger and said, "What is thy name?"; and he replied, "My name is Saba' al-
+Kifar." Said Gharib, "Return to thy lord and tell him that the commander of
+this host is called Gharib, son of Kundamir, King of Cufa, whom his son Ajib
+slew, and he is come to take blood- revenge for his sire on Ajib the perfidious
+hound." So Saba' al- Kifar returned to the city and in great joy kissed the
+ground, when Al-Damigh said, "What is going on there, O Saba' al-Kifar?" He
+replied, "O my master, the leader of yon host is thy nephew, thy brother's
+son," and told him all. The King deemed himself in a dream and asked the
+messenger, "O Saba' al-Kifar, is this thou tellest me true?" and the
+Desert-lion answered, "As thy head liveth, it is sooth!" Then Al-Damigh bade
+his chief officers take horse forthright and all rode out to the camp, whence
+Gharib came forth and met him and they embraced and saluted each other; after
+which Gharib carried him to his tents and they sat down on beds of estate.
+Al-Damigh rejoiced in Gharib, his brother's son, and presently turning to him,
+said, "I also have yearned to take blood-revenge for thy father, but could not
+avail against the dog thy brother; for that his troops are many and my troops
+are few." Replied Gharib, "O uncle, here am I come to avenge my sire and blot
+out our shame and rid the realm of Ajib." Said Al-Damigh, "O son of my brother,
+thou hast two blood-wreaks to take, that of thy father and that of thy mother."
+Asked Gharib, "And what aileth my mother?" and Al-Damigh answered, "Thy brother
+Ajib hath slain her."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
+her permitted say,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+When it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-sixth Night,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib heard these
+words of his uncle Al-Damigh, "Verily thy brother Ajib hath slain her!", he
+asked what was the cause thereof and was told of all that had happened,
+especially how Mardas had married his daughter to Ajib who was about to go into
+her. Thereupon Gharib's reason fled from his head and he swooned away and was
+nigh upon death. No sooner did he come to himself than he cried out to the
+troops, saying, "To horse!" But Al-Damigh said to him, "O son of my brother,
+wait till I make ready mine affairs and mount among my men and fare with thee
+at thy stirrup." Replied Gharib "I have no patience to wait; do thou equip thy
+troops and join me at Cufa." Thereupon Gharib mounted with his troops and rode,
+till he came to the town of Babel,[FN#363] whose folk took fright at him. Now
+there was in this town a King called Jamak, under whose hand were twenty
+thousand horsemen, and there gathered themselves together to him from the
+villages other fifty thousand horse, who pitched their tents facing the city.
+Then Gharib wrote a letter and sent it to King Jamak by a messenger, who came
+up to the city-gate and cried out, saying, "I am an envoy;" whereupon the
+Warder of the Gate went in and told Jamak, who said, "Bring him to me." So he
+led in the messenger, who kissing the ground before the King, gave him the
+letter, and Jamak opened it and read its contents as follows: "Praise be to
+Allah, Lord of the Three Worlds, Lord of all things, who giveth to all
+creatures their daily bread and who over all things is Omnipotent! These from
+Gharib, son of King Kundamir, lord of Irak and Cufa, to Jamak. Immediately this
+letter reacheth thee, let not thy reply be other than to break thine idols and
+confess the unity of the All-knowing King, Creator of light and darkness,
+Creator of all things, the All-powerful; and except thou do as I bid thee, I
+will make this day the blackest of thy days. Peace be on those who follow in
+the way of Salvation, fearing the issues of fornication, and obey the hest of
+the Most High King, Lord of this world and the next, Him who saith to a thing,
+Be'; and it becometh!" Now when Jamak read this letter, his eyes paled and his
+colour failed and he cried out to the messenger, "Go to thy lord and say to
+him, To-morrow, at daybreak there shall be fight and conflict and it shall
+appear who is the conquering hero.'" So he returned and told Gharib, who bade
+his men make ready for battle, whilst Jamak commanded his tents to be pitched
+in face of Gharib's camp; and his troops poured forth like the surging sea and
+passed the night with intention of slaughter. As soon as dawned the day, the
+two hosts mounted and drew up in battle array and beat their drums amain and
+drave their steeds of swiftest strain; and they filled the whole earthly plain;
+and the champions to come out were fain. Now the first who sallied forth a
+championing to the field was the Ghul of the Mountain, bearing on shoulder a
+terrible tree, and he cried out between the two hosts, saying, "I am Sa'adan
+the Ghul! Who is for fighting, who is for jousting? Let no sluggard come forth
+to me nor weakling." And he called out to his sons, saying, "Woe to you! Bring
+me fuel and fire, for I am an-hungered." So they cried upon their slaves who
+brought firewood and kindled a fire in the heart of the plain. Then there came
+out to him a man of the Kafirs, an Amalekite of the unbelieving Amalekites,
+bearing on his shoulder a mace like the mast of a ship, and drove at Sa'adan
+the Ghul, saying, "Woe to thee, O Sa'adan!" When the giant heard this, he waxed
+furious beyond measure and raising his tree club, aimed at the Infidel a blow,
+that hummed through the air. The Amalekite met the stroke with his mace, but
+the tree beat down his guard and descending with its own weight, together with
+the weight of the mace upon his head, beat in his brain pan, and he fell like a
+long-stemmed palm-tree. Thereupon Sa'adan cried to his slaves, saying, "Take
+this fatted calf and roast him quickly." So they hastened to skin the Infidel
+and roasted him and brought him to the Ghul, who ate his flesh and crunched his
+bones.[FN#364] Now when the Kafirs saw how Sa'adan did with their fellow, their
+hair and pile stood on end; their skins quaked, their colour changed, their
+hearts died within them and they said to one another, "Whoso goeth out against
+this Ghul, he eateth him and cracketh his bones and causeth him to lack the
+zephyr-wind of the world." Wherefore they held their hands, quailing for fear
+of the Ghul and his sons and turned to fly, making for the town; but Gharib
+cried out to his troops, saying, "Up and after the runaways!" So the Persians
+and the Arabs crave after the King of Babel and his host and caused sword to
+smite them, till they slew of them twenty thousand or more. Then the fugitives
+crowded together in the city gate and they killed of them much people; and they
+could not avail to shut the gate. So the Arabs and the Persians entered with
+them, fighting, and Sa'adan, snatching a mace from one of the slain, wielded it
+in the enemy's face and gained the city race-course. Thence he fought his way
+through the foe and broke into the King's palace, where he met with Jamak and
+so smote him with the mace, that he toppled senseless to the ground. Then he
+fell upon those who were in the palace and pounded them into pieces, till all
+that were left cried out, "Quarter! Quarter!" and Sa'adan said to them, "Pinion
+your King."—And Shahrazad saw the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted
+say,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+End of Vol 6.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+                    Arabian Nights, Volume 6<br/>
+
+                           Footnotes<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#1] Lane (vol. iii. 1) calls our old friend "Es-Sindibád of the Sea," and
+Benfey derives the name from the Sanskrit "Siddhapati"=lord of sages. The
+etymology (in Heb. Sandabar and in Greek Syntipas) is still uncertain, although
+the term often occurs in Arab stories; and some look upon it as a mere
+corruption of "Bidpai" (Bidyápati). The derivation offered by Hole (Remarks on
+the Arabian Nights' Entertainments, by Richard Hole, LL.D. London, Cadell,
+1797) from the Persian ábád (a region) is impossible. It is, however, not a
+little curious that this purely Persian word (=a "habitation") should be found
+in Indian names as early as Alexanders' day, e.g. the "Dachina bades" of the
+Periplus is "Dakhsin-ábád," the Sanskr. being "Dakshinapatha."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#2] A porter like the famous Armenians of Constantinople. Some edits. call
+him "Al-Hindibád."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#3] Arab. "Karawán" (Charadrius dicnemus, Linn.): its shrill note is admired
+by Egyptians and hated by sportsmen.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#4] This ejaculation, still popular, averts the evil eye. In describing
+Sindbad the Seaman the Arab writer seems to repeat what one reads of Marco Polo
+returned to Venice.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#5] Our old friend must not be confounded with the eponym of the
+"Sindibád-námah;" the Persian book of Sindbad the Sage. See Night dlxxviii.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#6] The first and second are from Eccles. chapts. vii. 1, and ix. 4. The
+Bul. Edit. reads for the third, "The grave is better than the palace." None are
+from Solomon, but Easterns do not "verify quotations."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#7] Arab. "Kánún"; a furnace, a brasier before noticed (vol. v., p. 272);
+here a pot full of charcoal sunk in the ground, or a little hearth of clay
+shaped like a horseshoe and opening down wind.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#8] These fish-islands are common in the Classics, e.g. the Pristis of Pliny
+(xvii. 4), which Olaus Magnus transfers to the Baltic (xxi. 6) and makes timid
+as the whales of Nearchus. C. J. Solinus (Plinii Simia) says, "Indica maria
+balćnas habent ultra spatia quatuor jugerum." See also Bochart's Hierozoicon
+(i. 50) for Job's Leviathan (xli. 16-17). Hence deemed an island. A basking
+whale would readily suggest the Krakan and Cetus of Olaus Magnus (xxi. 25).
+Al-Kazwíni's famous treatise on the "Wonders of the World" (Ajáib al-Makhlúkát)
+tells the same tale of the "Sulahfah" tortoise, the colossochelys, for which
+see Night dl.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#9] Sindbad does not say that he was a shipwrecked man, being a model in the
+matter of "travellers' tales," i.e. he always tells the truth when an untruth
+would not serve him.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#10] Lane (iii. 83) would make this a corruption of the Hindu
+"Maharáj"=great Rajah: but it is the name of the great autumnal fęte of the
+Guebres; a term composed of two good old Persian words "Mihr" (the sun, whence
+"Mithras") and "ján"=life. As will presently appear, in the days of the Just
+King Anushirwán, the Persians possessed Southern Arabia and East Afica south of
+Cape Guardafui (Jird Háfún). On the other hand, supposing the word to be a
+corruption of Maharaj, Sindbad may allude to the famous Narsinga kingdom in
+Mid-south India whose capital was Vijaya- nagar; or to any great Indian Rajah
+even he of Kachch (Cutch), famous in Moslem story as the Balhará (Ballaba Rais,
+who founded the Ballabhi era; or the Zamorin of Camoens, the Samdry Rajah of
+Malabar). For Mahrage, or Mihrage, see Renaudot's "Two Mohammedan Travellers of
+the Ninth Century." In the account of Ceylon by Wolf (English Transl. p. 168)
+it adjoins the "Ilhas de Cavalos" (of wild horses) to which the Dutch merchants
+sent their brood- mares. Sir W. Jones (Description of Asia, chapt. ii.) makes
+the Arabian island Soborma or Mahráj=Borneo.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#11] Arab. "Sáis"; the well-known Anglo-Indian word for a groom or rather a
+"horse-keeper."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#12] Arab. "Darakah"; whence our word.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#13] The myth of mares being impregnated by the wind was known to the
+Classics of Europe; and the "sea-stallion" may have arisen from the Arab
+practice of picketing mare asses to be covered by the wild ass. Colonel J. D.
+Watson of the Bombay Army suggests to me that Sindbad was wrecked at the mouth
+of the Ran of Kachch (Cutch) and was carried in a boat to one of the Islands
+there formed during the rains and where the wild ass (Equus Onager, Khar-gadh,
+in Pers. Gor-khar) still breeds. This would explain the "stallions of the sea"
+and we find traces of the ass blood in the true Kathiawár horse, with his dun
+colour, barred legs and dorsal stripe.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#14] The second or warrior caste (Kshatriya), popularly supposed to have
+been annihilated by Battle-axe Ramá (Parashu Ráma); but several tribes of
+Rajputs and other races claim the honourable genealogy. Colonel Watson would
+explain the word by "Shakháyát" or noble Káthis (Kathiawar-men), or by
+"Shikári," the professional hunter here acting as stable-groom.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#15] In Bul. Edit. "Kábil." Lane (iii. 88) supposes it to be the "Bartail"
+of Al-Kazwini near Borneo and quotes the Spaniard B. L. de Argensola (History
+of the Moluccas), who places near Banda a desert island, Poelsatton, infamous
+for cries, whistlings, roarings and dreadful apparitions, suggesting that it
+was peopled by devils (Stevens, vol. i., p. 168).
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#16] Some texts substitute for this last phrase, "And the sailors say that
+Al-Dajjál is there." He is a manner of Moslem Antichrist, the Man of Sin per
+excellentiam, who will come in the latter days and lay waste the earth, leading
+70,000 Jews, till encountered and slain by Jesus at the gate of Lud. (Sale's
+Essay, sect. 4.)
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#17] Also from Al-Kazwini: it is an exaggerated description of the whale
+still common off the East African Coast. My crew was dreadfully frightened by
+one between Berberah and Aden. Nearchus scared away the whales in the Persian
+Gulf by trumpets (Strabo, lib. xv.). The owl-faced fish is unknown to me: it
+may perhaps be a seal or a manatee. Hole says that Father Martini, the Jesuit
+(seventeenth century), placed in the Canton Seas, an "animal with the head of a
+bird and the tail of a fish,"a parrot-beak?
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#18] The captain or master (not owner) of a ship.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#19] The kindly Moslem feeling, shown to a namesake, however humble.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#20] A popular phrase to express utter desolation.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#21] The literature of all peoples contains this physiological perversion.
+Birds do not sing hymns; the song of the male is simply to call the female and
+when the pairing-season ends all are dumb.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#22] The older "roc." The word is Persian, with many meanings, e.g. a cheek
+(Lalla "Rookh"); a "rook" (hero) at chess; a rhinoceros, etc. The fable
+world-wide of the wundervogel is, as usual, founded upon fact: man remembers
+and combines but does not create. The Egyptian Bennu (Ti-bennu=phoenix) may
+have been a reminiscence of gigantic pterodactyls and other winged monsters.
+From the Nile the legend fabled by these Oriental "putters out or five for one"
+overspread the world and gave birth to the Eorosh of the Zend, whence the Pers.
+"Símurgh" (=the "thirty-fowl- like"), the "Bar Yuchre" of the Rabbis, the
+"Garuda" of the Hindus; the "Anká" ("long-neck") of the Arabs; the "Hathilinga
+bird," of Buddhagosha's Parables, which had the strength of five elephants; the
+"Kerkes" of the Turks; the "Gryps" of the Greeks; the Russian "Norka"; the
+sacred dragon of the Chinese; the Japanese "Pheng" and "Kirni"; the "wise and
+ancient Bird" which sits upon the ash-tree yggdrasil, and the dragons,
+griffins, basilisks, etc. of the Middle Ages. A second basis wanting only a
+superstructure of exaggeration (M. Polo's Ruch had wing-feathers twelve paces
+long) would be the huge birds but lately killed out. Sindbad may allude to the
+Ćpyornus of Madagascar, a gigantic ostrich whose egg contains 2.35 gallons. The
+late Herr Hildebrand discovered on the African coast, facing Madagascar, traces
+of another huge bird. Bochart (Hierozoicon ii. 854) notices the Avium Avis Ruch
+and taking the pulli was followed by lapidation on the part of the parent bird.
+A Persian illustration in Lane (iii. 90) shows the Rukh carrying off three
+elephants in beak and pounces with the proportions of a hawk and field mice:
+and the Rukh hawking at an elephant is a favourite Persian subject. It is
+possible that the "Twelve Knights of the Round Table" were the twelve Rukhs of
+Persian story. We need not go, with Faber, to the Cherubim which guarded the
+Paradise-gate. The curious reader will consult Dr. H. H. Wilson's Essays,
+edited by my learned correspondent, Dr. Rost, Librarian of the India House
+(vol. i. pp. 192-3).
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#23] It is not easy to explain this passage unless it be a garbled allustion
+to the steel-plate of the diamond-cutter. Nor can we account for the wide
+diffusion of this tale of perils unless to enhance the value of the gem.
+Diamonds occur in alluvial lands mostly open and comparatively level, as in
+India, the Brazil and the Cape. Archbishop Epiphanius of Salamis (ob. A.D. 403)
+tells this story about the jacinth or ruby (Epiphanii Opera, a Petaio, Colonić
+1682); and it was transferred to the diamond by Marco Polo (iii. 29, "of Eagles
+bring up diamonds") and Nicolo de Conti, whose "mountain Albenigaras" must be
+Vijayanagar in the kingdom of Golconda. Major Rennel places the famous mines of
+Pauna or Purna in a mountain-tract of more than 200 miles square to the
+southwest of the Jumna. Al-Kazwini locates the "Chaos" in the "Valley of the
+Moon amongst the mountains of Serendib" (Ceylon); the Chinese tell the same
+tale in the campaigns of Hulaku; and it is known in Armenia. Col. Yule (M. P.
+ii. 349) suggests that all these are ramifications of the legend told by
+Herodotus concerning the Arabs and their cinnamon (iii. 3). But whence did
+Herodotus borrow the tale?
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#24] Sindbad correctly describes the primitive way of extracting camphor, a
+drug unknown to the Greeks and Romans, introduced by the Arabs and ruined in
+reputation by M. Raspail. The best Laurus Camphora grows in the Malay
+Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo: although Marsden (Marco Polo) declares that the
+tree is not found South of the Equator. In the Calc. Edit. of two hundred
+Nights the camphor-island (or peninsula) is called "Al- Ríhah" which is the
+Arab name for Jericho-town.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#25] In Bul. Edit. Kazkazan: Calc. Karkaddan and others Karkand and
+Karkadan; the word being Persian, Karg or Kargadan; the {Greek letters} of
+Ćlian (Hist. Anim. xvi. 21). The length of the horn (greatly exaggerated) shows
+that the white species is meant; and it supplies only walking-sticks. Cups are
+made of the black horn (a bundle of fibres) which, like Venetian glass, sweat
+at the touch of poison. A section of the horn is supposed to show white lines
+in the figure of a man, and sundry likenesses of birds; but these I never saw.
+The rhinoceros gives splendid sport and the African is perhaps the most
+dangerous of noble game. It has served to explain away and abolish the unicorn
+among the Scientists of Europe. But Central Africa with one voice assures us
+that a horse-like animal with a single erectile horn on the forehead exists.
+The late Dr. Baikic, of Niger fame, thoroughly believed in it and those curious
+on the subject will read about Abu Karn (Father of a Horn) in Preface (pp.
+xvi.-xviii.) of the Voyage au Darfour, by Mohammed ibn Oman al-Tounsy
+(Al-Tunisi), Paris, Duprat, 1845.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#26] Ibn al-Wardi mentions an "Isle of Apes" in the Sea of China and
+Al-Idrísi places it two days' sail from Sukutra (Dwipa Sukhatra, Socotra). It
+is a popular error to explain the Homeric and Herodotean legend of the Pygmies
+by anthropoid apes. The Pygmy fable (Pygmći Spithamai=1 cubit=3 spans) was, as
+usual, based upon fact, as the explorations of late years have proved: the
+dwarfs are homunculi of various tribes, the Akka, Doko, Tiki- Tiki, Wambilikimo
+("two-cubit men"), the stunted race that share the central regions of
+Intertropical Africa with the abnormally tall peoples who speak dialects of the
+Great South African tongue, miscalled the "Bantu." Hole makes the Pygmies
+"monkeys," a word we have borrowed from the Italians (monichio ŕ mono=ape) and
+quotes Ptolemy,                   (Ape-Islands) East of Sunda.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#27] A kind of barge (Arab. Bárijah, plur. Bawárij) used on the Nile of
+sub-pyriform shape when seen in bird's eye. Lane translates "ears like two
+mortars" from the Calc. Edit.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#28] This giant is distinctly Polyphemus; but the East had giants and
+cyclopes of her own (Hierozoicon ii. 845). The Ajáib al-Hind (chapt. cxxii.)
+makes Polyphemus copulate with the sheep. Sir John Mandeville (if such person
+ever existed) mentions men fifty feet high in the Indian Islands; and
+Al-Kazwini and Al- Idrisi transfer them to the Sea of China, a Botany Bay for
+monsters in general.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#29] Fire is forbidden as a punishment amongst Mosems, the idea being that
+it should be reserved for the next world. Hence the sailors fear the roasting
+more than the eating: with ours it would probably be the reverse. The Persian
+insult "Pidar- sokhtah"=(son of a) burnt father, is well known. I have noted
+the advisability of burning the Moslem's corpse under certain circumstances:
+otherwise the murderer may come to be canonised.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#30] Arab. "Mastabah"=the bench or form of masonry before noticed. In olden
+Europe benches were much more used than chairs, these being articles of luxury.
+So King Horne "sett him abenche;" and hence our "King's Bench" (Court).
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#31] This is from the Bresl. Edit. vol. iv. 32: the Calc. Edit gives only an
+abstract and in the Bul. Edit. the Ogre returned "accompanied by a female,
+greater than he and more hideous." We cannot accept Mistress Polyphemus.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#32] This is from Al-Kazwini, who makes the serpent "wind itself round a
+tree or a rock, and thus break to pieces the bones of the breast in its belly."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#33] "Like a closet," in the Calc. Edit. The serpent is an exaggeration of
+the python which grows to an enormous size. Monstrous Ophidia are mentioned in
+sober history, e.g. that which delayed the army of Regulus. Dr. de Lacerda, a
+sober and sensible Brazilian traveller, mentions his servants sitting down upon
+a tree-trunk in the Captaincy of San Paulo (Brasil), which began to move and
+proved to be a huge snake. F. M. Pinto (the Sindbad of Portugal though not so
+respectable) when in Sumatra takes refuge in a tree from "tigers, crocodiles,
+copped adders and serpents which slay men with their breath." Father Lobo in
+Tigre (chapt. x.) was nearly killed by the poison-breath of a huge snake, and
+healed himself with a bezoar carried ad hoc. Maffććus makes the breath of
+crocodiles suavissimus, but that of the Malabar serpents and vipers "adeo teter
+ac noxius ut afflatu ipso necare perhibeantur."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#34] Arab. "Aurat": the word has been borrowed by the<br/>
+
+Hindostani jargon, and means a woman, a wife.<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#35] So in Al-Idrísi and Langlčs: the Bres. Edit. has "Al- Kalásitah"; and
+Al-Kazwini "Al-Salámit." The latter notes in it a petrifying spring which
+Camoens (The Lus. x. 104), places in Sunda, i.e. Java-Minor of M. Polo. Some
+read Salabat-Timor, one of the Moluccas famed for sanders, cloves, cinnamon,
+etc. (Purchas ii. 1784.)
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#36] Evidently the hippopotamus (Pliny, viii. 25; ix. 3 and xxiii. 11). It
+can hardly be the Mulaccan Tapir, as shields are not made of the hide. Hole
+suggests the buffalo which found its way to Egypt from India viâ Persia; but
+this would not be a speciosum miraculum.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#37] The ass-headed fish is from Pliny (ix. cap. 3): all those tales are
+founded upon the manatee (whose dorsal protuberance may have suggested the
+camel), the seal and the dugong or sea calf. I have noticed (Zanzibar i. 205)
+legends of ichthyological marvels current on the East African seaboard; and
+even the monsters of the Scottish waters are not all known: witness the
+mysterious "brigdie." See Bochart De Cetis i. 7; and Purchas iii. 930.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#38] The colossal tortoise is noticed by Ćlian (De Nat. Animal. xvi. 17), by
+Strabo (Lib. xv.), by Pliny (ix. 10) and Diodorus Siculus (iv. 1) who had heard
+of a tribe of Chelonophagi. Ćlian makes them 16 cubits long near Taprobane and
+serving as house-roofs; and others turn the shell into boats and coracles. A
+colossochelys was first found on the Scwalik Hills by Dr. Falconer and Major
+(afterwards Sir Proby) Cantley. In 1867 M. Emile Blanchard exhibited to the
+Academie des Sciences a monster crab from Japan 1.20 metres long (or 2.50
+including legs); and other travellers have reported 4 metres. These crustaceć
+seem never to cease growing and attain great dimensions under favourable
+circumstances, i.e. when not troubled by man.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#39] Lane suggests (iii. 97), and with some probability, that the "bird" was
+a nautilus; but the wild traditions concerning the barnacle-goose may perhaps
+have been the base of the fable. The albatross also was long supposed never to
+touch land. Possible the barnacle, like the barometz of Tartarean lamb, may be
+a survivor of the day when the animal and vegetable kingdoms had not yet
+branched off into different directions.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#40] Arab. "Zahwah," also meaning a luncheon. The five daily prayers made
+all Moslems take strict account of time, and their nomenclature of its division
+is extensive.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#41] This is the "insane herb." Davis, who visited Sumatra in 1599 (Purchas
+i. 120) speaks "of a kind of seed, whereof a little being eaten, maketh a man
+to turn foole, all things seeming to him to be metamorphosed." Linschoten's
+"Dutroa" was a poppy-like bud containing small kernels like melons which
+stamped and administered as a drink make a man "as if he were foolish, or out
+of his wits." This is Father Lobo's "Vanguini" of the Cafres, called by the
+Portuguese dutro (Datura Stramonium) still used by dishonest confectioners. It
+may be Dampier's Ganga (Ganjah) or Bang (Bhang) which he justly describes as
+acting differently "according to different constitutions; for some it
+stupefies, others it makes sleepy, others merry and some quite mad." (Harris,
+Collect. ii. 900.) Dr. Fryer also mentions Duty, Bung and Post, the Poust of
+Bernier, an infusion of poppy-seed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#42] Arab. "Ghul," here an ogre, a cannibal. I cannot but regard the "Ghul
+of the waste" as an embodiment of the natural fear and horror which a man feels
+when he faces a really dangerous desert. As regards cannibalism, Al-Islam's
+religion of common sense freely allows it when necessary to save life, and
+unlike our mawkish modern sensibility, never blames those who
+</p>
+
+<p>
+     Alimentis talibus usi<br/>
+
+     Produxere animos.<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#43] For Cannibals, see the Massagetć of Herod (i.), the Padći of India
+(iii.), and the Essedones near Mćotis (iv.); Strabo (lib. iv.) of the Luci;
+Pomponious Mela (iii. 7) and St. Jerome (ad Jovinum) of Scoti. M. Polo locates
+them in Dragvia, a kingdom of Sumatra (iii. 17), and in Angaman (the Andamanian
+Isles?), possibly the ten Maniolai which Ptolemy (vii.), confusing with the
+Nicobars, places on the Eastern side of the Bay of Bengal; and thence derives
+the Heraklian stone (magnet) which attracts the iron of ships (See Serapion, De
+Magnete, fol. 6, Edit. of 1479, and Brown's Vulgar Errors, p. 74, 6th Edit.).
+Mandeville finds his cannibals in Lamaray (Sumatra) and Barthema in the "Isle
+of Gyava" (Java). Ibn Al-Wardi and Al-Kazwini notice them in the Isle Saksar,
+in the Sea of the Zanj (Zanzibar): the name is corrupted Persian "Sag-Sar"
+(Dogs'-heads) hence the dog- descended race of Camoens in Pegu (The Lus. x.
+122). The Bresl. Edit. (iv. 52) calls them "Khawárij"=certain sectarians in
+Eastern Arabia. Needless to say that cocoa-nut oil would have no stupefying
+effect unless mixed with opium or datura, hemp or henbane.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#44] Black pepper is produced in the Goanese but we must go south to find
+the "Bilád al-Filfil" (home of pepper) i.e. Malabar. The exorbitant prices
+demanded by Venice for this spice led directly to the discovery of The Cape
+route by the Portuguese; as the "Grains of Paradise" (Amomum Granum Paradisi)
+induced the English to explore the West African Coast.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#45] Arab. "Kazdír." Sansk. "Kastír." Gr. "Kassiteron." Lat. "Cassiteros,"
+evidently derived from one root. The Heb. is "Badih," a substitute, an alloy.
+"Tanakah" is the vulg. Arab. word, a congener of the Assyrian "Anaku," and
+"Kala-i" is the corrupt Arab. term used in India.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#46] Our Arabian Ulysses had probably left a Penelope or two at home and
+finds a Calypso in this Ogygia. His modesty at the mention of womankind is
+notable.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#47] These are the commonplaces of Moslem consolation on such occasions: the
+artistic part is their contrast with the unfortunate widower's prospect.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#48] Lit. "a margin of stone, like the curb-stone of a well."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#49] I am not aware that this vivisepulture of the widower is the custom of
+any race, but the fable would be readily suggested by the Sati (Suttee)-rite of
+the Hindus. Simple vivisepulture was and is practised by many people.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#50] Because she was weaker than a man. The Bresl. Edit. however, has "a
+gugglet of water and five scones."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#51] The confession is made with true Eastern sang-froid and probably none
+of the hearers "disapproved" of the murders which saved the speaker's life.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#52] This tale is evidently taken from the escape of Aristomenes the
+Messenian from the pit into which he had been thrown, a fox being his guide.
+The Arabs in an early day were eager students of Greek literature. Hole (p.
+140) noted the coincidence.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#53] Bresl. Edit. "Khwájah," our "Howajee," meaning a schoolmaster, a man of
+letters, a gentleman.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#54] And he does repeat at full length what the hearers must have known
+right well. I abridge.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#55] Island of the Bell (Arab. "Nákús"=a wooden gong used by<br/>
+
+Christians but forbidden to Moslems). "Kala" is written "Kela,"<br/>
+
+"Kullah" and a variety of ways. Baron Walckenaer places it at<br/>
+
+Keydah in the Malay peninsula opposite Sumatra. Renaudot<br/>
+
+identifies it with Calabar, "somewhere about the point of<br/>
+
+Malabar."<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#56] Islands, because Arab cosmographers love to place their speciosa
+miracula in such places.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#57] Like the companions of Ulysses who ate the sacred oxen<br/>
+
+(Od. xii.).<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#58] So the enormous kingfisher of Lucian's True History (lib. ii.).
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#59] This tale is borrowed from Ibn Al-Wardi, who adds that the greybeards
+awoke in the morning after eating the young Rukh with black hair which never
+turned white. The same legend is recounted by Al-Dimiri (ob. A.H. 808=1405-6)
+who was translated into Latin by Bochart (Hierozoicon ii. p. 854) and quoted by
+Hole and Lane (iii. 103). An excellent study of Marco Polo's Rukh was made by
+my learned friend the late Prof. G. G. Bianconi of Bologna, "Dell'Uccello Ruc,"
+Bologna, Gamberini, 1868. Prof. Bianconi predicted that other giant birds would
+be found in Madagascar on the East African Coast opposite; but he died before
+hearing of Hildebrand's discovery.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#60] Arab. "Izár," the earliest garb of Eastern man; and, as such preserved
+in the Meccan pilgrimage. The "waist-cloth" is either tucked in or kept in
+place by a girdle.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#61] Arab. "Líf," a succedaneum for the unclean sponge, not unknown in the
+"Turkish Baths" of London.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#62] The Persians have a Plinian monster called "Tasmeh- pá"=Strap-legs
+without bones. The "Old Man" is not an ourang- outang nor an Ifrít as in Sayf
+al-Mulúk, Night dcclxxi., but a jocose exaggeration of a custom prevailing in
+parts of Asia and especially in the African interior where the Tsetse-fly
+prevents the breeding of burden-beasts. Ibn Batútah tells us that in Malabar
+everything was borne upon men's backs. In Central Africa the kinglet rides a
+slave, and on ceremonious occasions mounts his Prime Minister. I have often
+been reduced to this style of conveyance and found man the worst imaginable
+riding: there is no hold and the sharpness of the shoulder-ridge soon makes the
+legs ache intolerably. The classicists of course find the Shaykh of the Sea in
+the Tritons and Nereus, and Bochart (Hiero. ii. 858, 880) notices the homo
+aquaticus, Senex Judćus and Senex Marinus. Hole (p. 151) suggests the
+inevitable ouran-outan (man o' wood), one of "our humiliating copyists," and
+quotes "Destiny" in Scarron's comical romance (Part ii. chapt. i) and
+"Jealousy" enfolding Rinaldo. (O.F. lib. 42).
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#63] More literally "The Chief of the Sea (-Coast)," Shaykh being here a
+chief rather than an elder (eoldermann, alderman). So the "Old Man of the
+Mountain," famous in crusading days, was the Chief who lived on the Nusayriyah
+or Ansári range, a northern prolongation of the Libanus. Our "old man" of the
+text may have been suggested by the Koranic commentators on chapt. vi. When an
+Infidel rises from the grave, a hideous figure meets him and says, "Why
+wonderest thou at my loathsomeness? I am thine Evil Deeds: thou didst ride upon
+me in the world and now I will ride upon thee." (Suiting the action to the
+words.)
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#64] In parts of West Africa and especially in Gorilla-land there are many
+stories of women and children being carried off by apes, and all believe that
+the former bear issue to them. It is certain that the anthropoid ape is
+lustfully excited by the presence of women and I have related how at Cairo
+(1856) a huge cynocephalus would have raped a girl had it not been bayonetted.
+Young ladies who visited the Demidoff Gardens and menagerie at Florence were
+often scandalised by the vicious exposure of the baboons' parti-coloured
+persons. The female monkey equally solicits the attentions of man and I heard
+in India from my late friend, Mirza Ali Akbar of Bombay, that to his knowledge
+connection had taken place. Whether there would be issue and whether such issue
+would be viable are still disputed points: the produce would add another
+difficulty to the pseudo-science called psychology, as such mule would have
+only half a soul and issue by a congener would have a quarter-soul. A traveller
+well known to me once proposed to breed pithecoid men who might be useful as
+hewers of wood and drawers of water: his idea was to put the highest races of
+apes to the lowest of humanity. I never heard what became of his "breeding
+stables."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#65] Arab. "Jauz al-Hindi": our word cocoa is from the Port. "Coco," meaning
+a "bug" (bugbear) in allusion to its caricature of the human face, hair, eyes
+and mouth. I may here note that a cocoa-tree is easily climbed with a bit of
+rope or a handkerchief.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#66] Tomb-pictures in Egypt show tame monkeys gathering fruits and Grossier
+(Description of China, quoted by Hole and Lane) mentions a similar mode of
+harvesting tea by irritating the monkeys of the Middle Kingdom.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#67] Bresl. Edit. Cloves and cinnamon in those days grew in widely distant
+places.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#68] In pepper-plantations it is usual to set bananas (Musa Paradisiaca) for
+shading the young shrubs which bear bunches like ivy-fruit, not pods.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#69] The Bresl. Edit. has "Al-Ma'arat." Langlčs calls it the<br/>
+
+Island of Al-Kamárí. See Lane, iii. 86.<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#70] Insula, pro. peninsula. "Comorin" is a corrupt. of "Kanyá" (=Virgo, the
+goddess Durgá) and "Kumári" (a maid, a princess); from a temple of Shiva's
+wife: hence Ptolemy's {Greek letters} and near it to the N. East {Greek
+letters}, "Promontorium Cori quod Comorini caput insulć vocant," says Maffćus
+(Hist. Indic. i. p. 16). In the text "Al'úd" refers to the eagle-wood
+(Aloekylon Agallochum) so called because spotted like the bird's plume. That of
+Champa (Cochin-China, mentioned in Camoens, The Lus. x. 129) is still famous.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#71] Arab. "Birkat"=tank, pool, reach, bight. Hence Birkat<br/>
+
+Far'aun in the Suez Gulf. (Pilgrimage i. 297.)<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#72] Probably Cape Comorin; to judge from the river, but the text names
+Sarandib (Ceylon Island) famous for gems. This was noticed by Marco Polo, iii.
+cap. 19; and ancient authors relate the same of "Taprobane."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#73] I need hardly trouble the reader with a note on pearl- fisheries: the
+descriptions of travellers are continuous from the days of Pliny (ix. 35),
+Solinus (cap. 56) and Marco Polo (iii. 23). Maximilian of Transylvania, in his
+narrative of Magellan's voyage (Novus Orbis, p. 532) says that the Celebes
+produce pearls big as turtle-doves' eggs; and the King of Porne (Borneo) had
+two unions as great as goose's eggs. Pigafetta (in Purchas) reduces this to
+hen's eggs and Sir Thomas Herbert to dove's eggs.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#74] Arab. "Anbar" pronounced "Ambar;" wherein I would derive "Ambrosia."
+Ambergris was long supposed to be a fossil, a vegetable which grew upon the
+sea-bottom or rose in springs; or a "substance produced in the water like
+naphtha or bitumen"(!): now it is known to be the egesta of a whale. It is
+found in lumps weighing several pounds upon the Zanzibar Coast and is sold at a
+high price, being held a potent aphrodisiac. A small hollow is drilled in the
+bottom of the cup and the coffee is poured upon the bit of ambergris it
+contains; when the oleaginous matter shows in dots amidst the "Kaymagh"
+(coffee-cream), the bubbly froth which floats upon the surface and which an
+expert "coffee servant" distributes equally among the guests. Argensola
+mentions in Ceylon, "springs of liquid bitumen thicker than our oil and some of
+pure balsam."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#75] The tale-teller forgets that Sindbad and his companions have just
+ascended it; but this inconséquence is a characteristic of the Eastern Saga. I
+may note that the description of ambergris in the text tells us admirably well
+what it is not.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#76] This custom is alluded to by Lane (Mod Egypt, ch. xv.): it is the rule
+of pilgrims to Meccah when too ill to walk or ride (Pilgrimage i. 180). Hence
+all men carry their shrouds: mine, after being dipped in the Holy Water of
+Zemzem, was stolen from me by the rascally Somal of Berberah.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#77] Arab. "Fulk;" some Edits. read "Kalak" and "Ramaz" (=a raft).
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#78] These lines occur in modified form in Night xi.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#79] These underground rivers (which Dr. Livingstone derided) are familiar
+to every geographer from Spenser's "Mole" to the Poika of Adelberg and the
+Timavo near Trieste. Hence "Peter Wilkins" borrowed his cavern which let him to
+Grandevolet. I have some experience of Sindbad's sorrows, having once attempted
+to descend the Poika on foot. The Classics had the Alpheus (Pliny v. 31; and
+Seneca, Nat. Quae. vi.), and the Tigris-Euphrates supposed to flow underground:
+and the Medićvals knew the Abana of Damascus and the Zenderúd of Isfahan.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#80] Abyssinians can hardly be called "blackamoors," but the arrogance of
+the white skin shows itself in Easterns (e.g. Turks and Brahmans) as much as,
+if not more than, amongst Europeans. Southern India at the time it was explored
+by Vasco da Gama was crowded with Abyssinian slaves imported by the Arabs.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#81] "Sarandib" and "Ceylon" (the Taprobane of Ptolemy and Diodorus Siculus)
+derive from the Pali "Sihalam" (not the Sansk. "Sinhala") shortened to Silam
+and Ilam in old Tamul. Van der Tunk would find it in the Malay "Pulo
+Selam"=Isle of Gems (the Ratna- dwípa or Jewel Isle of the Hindus and the
+Jazirat al-Yakút or Ruby-Island of the Arabs); and the learned Colonel Yule
+(Marco Polo ii 296) remarks that we have adopted many Malayan names, e.g. Pegu,
+China and Japan. Sarandib is clearly "Selan-dwípa," which Mandeville reduced to
+"Silha."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#82] This is the well-known Adam's Peak, the Jabal al-Ramun of the Arabs
+where Adam fell when cast out of Eden in the lowest or lunar sphere. Eve fell
+at Jeddah (a modern myth) and the unhappy pair met at Mount Arafat (i.e.
+recognition) near Meccah. Thus their fall was a fall indeed. (Pilgrimage iii.
+259.)
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#83] He is the Alcinous of our Arabian Odyssey.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#84] This word is not in the dictionaries; Hole (p. 192) and Lane understand
+it to mean the hog-deer; but why, one cannot imagine. The animal is neither
+"beautiful" nor "uncommon" and most men of my day have shot dozens in the
+Sind-Shikárgahs.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#85] M. Polo speaks of a ruby in Seilan (Ceylon) a palm long and three
+fingers thick: William of Tyre mentions a ruby weighing twelve Egyptian drams
+(Gibbon ii. 123), and Mandeville makes the King of Mammera wear about his neck
+a "rubye orient" one foot long by five fingers large.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#86] The fable is from Al-Kazwini and Ibn Al-Wardi who place the serpent (an
+animal sacred to Ćsculapius, Pliny, xxix. 4) "in the sea of Zanj" (i.e.
+Zanzibar). In the "garrow hills" of N. Eastern Bengal the skin of the snake
+Burrawar (?) is held to cure pain. (Asiat. Res. vol. iii.)
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#87] For "Emerald," Hole (p. 177) would read emery or adamantine spar.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#88] Evidently Maháráj=Great Rajah, Rajah in Chief, an Hindu title common to
+the three potentates before alluded to, the Narsinga, Balhara or Samiry.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#89] This is probably classical. So the page said to Philip of Macedon every
+morning, "Remember, Philip, thou art mortal"; also the slave in the Roman
+Triumph,
+</p>
+
+<p>
+"Respice poste te: hominem te esse memento!"
+</p>
+
+<p>
+And the dying Severus, "Urnlet, soon shalt thou enclose what hardly a whole
+world could contain." But the custom may also have been Indian: the contrast of
+external pomp with the real vanity of human life suggests itself to all.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#90] Arab. "Hút"; a term applied to Jonah's whale and to monsters of the
+deep, "Samak" being the common fishes.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#91] Usually a two-bow prayer.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#92] This is the recognised formula of Moslem sales.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#93] Arab. "Walímah"; like our wedding-breakfast but a much more ceremonious
+and important affair.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#94] i.e. his wife (euphemistically). I remember an Italian lady being much
+hurt when a Maltese said to her "Mia moglie  con rispetto parlando" (my wife,
+saving your presence). "What," she cried, "he speaks of his wife as he would of
+the sweepings!"
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#95] The serpent in Arabic is mostly feminine.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#96] i.e. in envying his wealth, with the risk of the evil eye.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#97] I subjoin a translation of the Seventh Voyage from the Calc. Edit. of
+the two hundred Nights which differs in essential points from the above. All
+respecting Sindbad the Seaman has an especial interest. In one point this
+world-famous tale is badly ordered. The most exciting adventures are the
+earliest and the falling off of the interest has a somewhat depressing effect.
+The Rukh, the Ogre and the Old Man o' the Sea should come last.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#98] Arab. "Al-Suways:" this successor of ancient Arsinoë was, according to
+local tradition, founded by a Santon from Al-Sús in Marocco who called it after
+his name "Little Sús" (the wormlet).
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#99] Arab. "Mann," a weight varying from two to six pounds: even this common
+term is not found in the tables of Lane's Mod. Egyptians, Appendix B. The
+"Maund" is a well-known Anglo-Indian weight.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#100] This article is not mentioned elsewhere in The Nights.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#101] Apparently a fancy title.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#102] The island is evidently Ceylon, long famed for elephants, and the tree
+is the well known "Banyan" (Ficus Indica). According to Linschoten and Wolf,
+the elephants of all lands do reverence and honour to those of Ceylon.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#103] "Tusks" not "teeth" which are not valued. As Hole remarks, the
+elephants of Pliny and Sindbad are equally conscious of the value of ivory.
+Pliny (viii. 3) quotes Herodotus about the buying of ivories and relates how
+elephants, when hunted, break their "cornua" (as Juba called them) against a
+tree trunk by way of ransom. Ćlian, Plutarch, and Philostratus speak of the
+linguistic intelligence and religious worship of the "half-reason with the
+hand," which the Hindus term "Háthí"=unimanus. Finally, Topsell's Gesner (p.
+152) makes elephants bury their tusks, "which commonly drop out every tenth
+year." In Arabian literature the elephant is always connected with India.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#104] This is a true "City of Brass." (Nuhás asfar=yellow copper), as we
+learn in Night dcclxxii. It is situated in the "Maghrib" (Mauritania), the
+region of magic and mystery; and the idea was probably suggested by the grand
+Roman ruins which rise abruptly from what has become a sandy waste. Compare
+with this tale "The City of Brass" (Night cclxxii.). In Egypt Nuhás is vulg.
+pronounced Nihás.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#105] The Bresl. Edit. adds that the seal-ring was of stamped stone and
+iron, copper and lead. I have borrowed copiously from its vol. vi. pp. 343, et
+seq.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#106] As this was a well-known pre-Islamitic bard, his appearance here is
+decidedly anachronistic, probably by intention.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#107] The first Moslem conqueror of Spain whose lieutenant,<br/>
+
+Tárik, the gallant and unfortunate, named Gibraltar (Jabal al-<br/>
+
+Tarik).<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#108] The colours of the Banú Umayyah (Ommiade) Caliphs were white, of the
+Banú Abbás (Abbasides) black, and of the Fatimites green. Carrying the royal
+flag denoted the generalissimo or plenipotentiary.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#109] i.e. Old Cairo, or Fustat: the present Cairo was then a Coptic village
+founded on an old Egyptian settlement called Lui- Tkeshroma, to which belonged
+the tanks on the hill and the great well, Bir Yusuf, absurdly attributed to
+Joseph the Patriarch. Lui is evidently the origin of Levi and means a high
+priest (Brugsh ii. 130) and his son's name was Roma.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#110] I cannot but suspect that this is a clerical error for "Al-Samanhúdi,"
+a native of Samanhúd (Wilkinson's "Semenood") in the Delta on the Damietta
+branch, the old Sebennytus (in Coptic Jem-nuti=Jem the God), a town which has
+produced many distinguished men in Moslem times. But there is also a Samhúd
+lying a few miles down stream from Denderah and, as its mounds prove, it is an
+ancient site.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#111] Egypt had not then been conquered from the Christians.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#112] Arab. "Kízán fukká'a," i.e. thin and slightly porous earthenware jars
+used for Fukká'a, a fermented drink, made of barley or raisins.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#113] I retain this venerable blunder: the right form is<br/>
+
+Samúm, from Samm, the poison-wind.<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#114] i.e. for worship and to prepare for futurity.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#115] The camel carries the Badawi's corpse to the cemetery which is often
+distant: hence to dream of a camel is an omen of death.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#116] Koran xxiv 39. The word "Saráb" (mirage) is found in Isaiah (xxxv. 7)
+where the passage should be rendered "And the mirage (sharab) shall become a
+lake" (not, "and the parched ground shall become a pool"). The Hindus prettily
+call it "Mrigatrishná" = the thirst of the deer.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#117] A name of Allah.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#118] Arab. "Kintár"=a hundredweight (i.e. 100 Ibs.), about 98 3/4 Ibs.
+avoir. Hence the French quintal and its congeners (Littré).
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#119] i.e. "from Shám (Syria) to (the land of) Adnan," ancestor of the
+Naturalized Arabs that is, to Arabia.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#120] Koran lii. 21. "Every man is given in pledge for that which he shall
+have wrought."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#121] There is a constant clerical confusion in the texts between "Arar"
+(Juniperus Oxycedrus used by the Breeks for the images of their gods) and
+"Marmar" marble or alabaster, in the Talmud "Marmora" = marble. evidently from
+{Greek letters} = brilliant, the brilliant stone.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#122] These Ifritical names are chosed for their bizarrerie. "Al-Dáhish" =
+the Amazed; and "Al-A'amash" = one with weak eyes always watering.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#123] The Arabs have no word for million; so Messer Marco Miglione could not
+have learned it from them. On the other hand the Hindus have more quadrillions
+than modern Europe.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#124] This formula, according to Moslems, would begin with the beginning
+"There is no iláh but Allah and Adam is the Apostle (rasúl = one sent, a
+messenger, not nabí = prophet) of Allah." And so on with Noah, Moses, David
+(not Solomon as a rule) and Jesus, to Mohammed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#125] This son of Barachia has been noticed before. The text embroiders the
+Koranic chapter No. xxvii.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#126] The Bresl. Edit. (vi. 371) reads "Samm-hu"=his poison, prob. a
+clerical error for "Sahmhu"=his shaft. It was a duel with the "Shiháb" or
+falling stars, the meteors which are popularly supposed, I have said, to be the
+arrows shot by the angels against devils and evil spirits when they approach
+too near Heaven in order to overhear divine secrets.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#127] A fancy sea from the Lat. "Carcer" ( ?).
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#128] Andalusian = Spanish, the Vandal-land, a term accepted by the Moslem
+invader.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#129] This fine description will remind the traveller of the old Haurani
+towns deserted since the sixth century, which a silly writer miscalled the
+"Giant Cities of Bashan." I have never seen anything weirder than a moonlight
+night in one of these strong places whose masonry is perfect as when first
+built, the snowy light pouring on the jet-black basalt and the breeze sighing
+and the jackal wailing in the desert around.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#130] "Zanj," I have said, is the Arab. form of the Persian "Zang-bar"
+(=Black-land), our Zanzibar. Those who would know more of the etymology will
+consult my "Zanzibar," etc., chaps. i.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#131] Arab. "Tanjah"=Strabo {Greek letters} (derivation uncertain),
+Tingitania, Tangiers. But why the terminal s ?
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#132] Or Amidah, by the Turks called "Kara (black) Amid" from the colour of
+the stones and the Arabs "Diyar-bakr" (Diarbekir), a name which they also give
+to the whole province—Mesopotamia.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#133] Mayyáfárikín, an episcopal city in Diyar-bakr: the natives are called
+Fárikí; hence the abbreviation in the text.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#134] Arab. "Ayát al-Naját," certain Koranic verses which act as talismans,
+such as, "And wherefore should we not put our trust in Allah ?" (xiv. 15); "Say
+thou, Naught shall befall us save what Allah hath decreed for us,' " (ix. 51),
+and sundry others.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#135] These were the "Brides of the Treasure," alluded to in the story of
+Hasan of Bassorah and elsewhere.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#136] Arab. "Ishárah," which may also mean beckoning. Easterns reverse our
+process: we wave hand or finger towards ourselves; they towards the object; and
+our fashion represents to them, Go away!
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#137] i.e. musing a long time and a longsome.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#138] Arab. "Dihlíz" from the Persian. This is the long dark passage which
+leads to the inner or main gate of an Eastern city, and which is built up
+before a siege. It is usually furnished with Mastabah-benches of wood and
+masonry, and forms a favourite lounge in hot weather. Hence Lot and Moses sat
+and stood in the gate, and here man speaks with his enemies.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#139] The names of colours are as loosely used by the Arabs as by the
+Classics of Europe; for instance, a light grey is called a "blue or a green
+horse." Much nonsense has been written upon the colours in Homer by men who
+imagine that the semi-civilised determine tints as we do. They see them but
+they do not name them, having no occasion for the words. As I have noticed,
+however, the Arabs have a complete terminology for the varieties of horse-hues.
+In our day we have witnessed the birth of colours, named by the dozen, because
+required by women's dress.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#140] For David's miracles of metallurgy see vol. i. 286.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#141] Arab. "Khwárazm," the land of the Chorasmioi, who are mentioned by
+Herodotus (iii. 93) and a host of classical geographers. They place it in
+Sogdiana (hod. Sughd) and it corresponds with the Khiva country.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#142] Arab. "Burka'," usually applied to a woman's face-veil and hence to
+the covering of the Ka'abah, which is the "Bride of Meccah."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#143] Alluding to the trick played upon Bilkís by Solomon who had heard that
+her legs were hairy like those of an ass: he laid down a pavement of glass over
+flowing water in which fish were swimming and thus she raised her skirts as she
+approached him and he saw that the report was true. Hence, as I have said, the
+depilatory.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#144] I understand the curiously carved windows cut in arabesque-work of
+marble. (India) or basalt (the Haurán) and provided with small panes of glass
+set in emeralds where tin would be used by the vulgar.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#145] Arab. "Bulád" from the Pers. "Pulád." Hence the name of the famous
+Druze family "Jumblat," a corruption of "Ján- pulád"=Life o' Steel.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#146] Pharaoh, so called in Koran (xxxviii. 11) because he tortured men by
+fastening them to four stakes driven into the ground. Sale translates "the
+contriver of the stakes" and adds, "Some understand the word figuratively, of
+the firm establishment of Pharaoh's kingdom, because the Arabs fix their tents
+with stakes; but they may possibly intend that prince's obstinacy and hardness
+of heart." I may note that in "Tasawwuf," or Moslem Gnosticism, Pharaoh
+represents, like Prometheus and Job, the typical creature who upholds his own
+dignity and rights in presence and despight of the Creator. Sáhib the Súfí
+declares that the secret of man's soul (i.e. its emanation) was first revealed
+when Pharaoh declared himself god; and Al-Ghazálí sees in his claim the most
+noble aspiration to the divine, innate in the human spirit. (Dabistan, vol.
+iii.)
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#147] In the Calc. Edit. "Tarmuz, son of the daughter," etc.<br/>
+
+According to the Arabs Tadmur (Palmyra) was built by Queen<br/>
+
+Tadmurah, daughter of Hassán bin Uzaynah.<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#148] It is only by some such drought that I can account for the survival of
+those marvellous Haurani cities in the great valley S. E. of Damascus.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#149] So Moses described his own death and burial.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#150] A man's "aurat" (shame) extends from the navel (included) to his
+knees, a woman's from the top of the head to the tips of her toes. I have
+before noticed the Hindostaní application of the word.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#151] Arab. "Jum'ah" ( = the assembly) so called because the General
+Resurrection will take place on that day and it witnessed the creation of Adam.
+Both these reasons are evidently after- thoughts; as the Jews received a divine
+order to keep Saturday, and the Christians, at their own sweet will,
+transferred the weekly rest-day to Sunday, wherefore the Moslem preferred
+Friday. Sabbatarianism, however, is unknown to Al-Islam and business is
+interrupted, by Koranic order ([xii. 9-10), only during congregational prayers
+in the Mosque. The most a Mohammedan does is not to work or travel till after
+public service. But the Moslem hardly wants a "day of rest;" whereas a
+Christian, especially in the desperately dull routine of daily life and toil,
+without a gleam of light to break the darkness of his civilised and most
+unhappy existence, disctinctly requires it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#152] Mankind, which sees itself everywhere and in everything, must create
+its own analogues in all the elements, air (Sylphs), fire (Jinns), water
+(Mermen and Mermaids) and earth (Kobolds), These merwomen were of course seals
+or manatees, as the wild women of Hanno were gorillas.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#153] Here begins the Sindibad-namah, the origin of Dolopathos (thirteenth
+century by the Trouvčre Harbers); of the "Seven Sages" (John Holland in 1575);
+the "Seven Wise Masters" and a host of minor romances. The Persian
+Sindibád-Námah assumed its present shape in A.D. 1375: Professor Falconer
+printed an abstract of it in the Orient. Journ. (xxxv. and xxxvi. 1841), and
+Mr. W. A. Clouston reissued the "Book of Sindibad," with useful notes in 1884.
+An abstract of the Persian work is found in all edits. of The Nights; but they
+differ greatly, especially that in the Bresl. Edit. xii. pp. 237-377, from
+which I borrow the introduction. According to Hamzah Isfahání (ch. xli.) the
+Reguli who succeeded to Alexander the Great and preceded Sapor caused some
+seventy books to be composed, amongst which were the Liber Maruc, Liber
+Barsínas, Liber Sindibad, Liber Shimás, etc., etc.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#154] Eusebius De Praep. Evang. iii. 4, quotes Prophesy concerning the
+Egyptian belief in the Lords of the Ascendant whose names are given {Greek
+letters}: in these "Almenichiaka" we have the first almanac, as the first
+newspaper in the Roman "Acta Diurna."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#155] "Al-Mas'údi," the "Herodotus of the Arabs," thus notices Sindibad the
+Sage (in his Murúj, etc., written about A.D. 934). "During the reign of Kurúsh
+(Cyrus) lived Al-Sindibad who wrote the Seven Wazirs, etc." Al-Ya'akúbi had
+also named him, circ. A.D. 880. For notes on the name Sindibad, see Sindbad the
+Seaman, Night dxxxvi. I need not enter into the history of the "Seven Sages," a
+book evidently older than The Nights in present form; but refer the reader to
+Mr. Clouston, of whom more in a future page.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#156] Evidently borrowed from the Christians, although the latter borrowed
+from writers of the most remote antiquity. Yet the saying is the basis of all
+morality and in few words contains the highest human wisdom.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#157] It is curious to compare the dry and business-like tone of the Arab
+style with the rhetorical luxuriance of the Persian: p.10 of Mr. Clouston's
+"Book of Sindibad."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#158] In the text "Isfídáj," the Pers. Isped (or Saféd) áb,<br/>
+
+lit. = white water, ceruse used for women's faces suggesting our<br/>
+
+"Age of Bismuth," Blanc Rosati, Cręme de l'Impératrice, Perline,<br/>
+
+Opaline, Milk of Beauty, etc., etc.<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#159] Commentators compare this incident with the biblical story of Joseph
+and Potiphar's wife and with the old Egyptian romance and fairy tale of the
+brothers Anapon and Saton dating from the fourteenth century, the days of
+Pharaoh Ramses Miamun (who built Pi-tum and Ramses) at whose court Moses or
+Osarsiph is supposed to have been reared (Cambridge Essays 1858). The incident
+would often occur, e.g. Phćdra-cum-Hippolytus; Fausta-cum-Crispus and Lucinian;
+Asoka's wife and Kunála, etc., etc. Such things happen in every-day life, and
+the situation has recommended itself to the folk lore of all peoples.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#160] Another version of this tale is given in the Bresl. Edit. (vol. viii.
+pp. 273-8: Night 675-6). It is the "Story of the King and the Virtuous Wife" in
+the Book of Sindibad. In the versions Arabic and Greek (Syntipas) the King
+forgets his ring; in the Hebrew Mishlé Sandabar, his staff, and his sandals in
+the old Spanish Libro de los Engannos et los Asayamientos de las Mugeres.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#161] One might fancy that this is Biblical, Bathsheba and Uriah. But such
+"villanies" must often have occurred in the East, at different times and
+places, without requiring direct derivation. The learned Prof. H. H. Wilson was
+mistaken in supposing that these fictions "originate in the feeling which has
+always pervaded the East unfavourable to the dignity of women." They belong to
+a certain stage of civilisation when the sexes are at war with each other; and
+they characterise chivalrous Europe as well as misogynous Asia; witness
+Jankins, clerk of Oxenforde; while Ćsop's fable of the Lion and the Man also
+explains their frequency.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#162] The European form of the tale is "Toujours perdrix," a sentence often
+quoted but seldom understood. It is the reproach of M. l'Abbé when the Count
+(proprietor of the pretty Countess) made him eat partridge every day for a
+month; on which the Abbé says, "Alway partridge is too much of a good thing!"
+Upon this text the Count speaks. A correspondent mentions that it was told by
+Horace Walpole concerning the Confessor of a French King who reproved him for
+conjugal infidelities. The degraded French (for "toujours de la perdrix" or
+"des perdrix") suggests a foreign origin. Another friend refers me to No. x. of
+the "Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles" (compiled in A.D. 1432 for the amusement of the
+Dauphin, afterwards Louis XI.) whose chief personage "un grand seigneur du
+Royaulme d'Angleterre," is lectured upon fidelity by the lord's mignon, a
+"jeune et gracieux gentil homme de son hostel." Here the partridge became
+pastés d'anguille. Possibly Scott refers to it in Redgauntlet (chapt. iv.);
+"One must be very fond of partridge to accept it when thrown in one's face."
+Did not Voltaire complain at Potsdam of "toujours perdrix" and make it one of
+his grievances? A similar story is that of the chaplain who, weary of the same
+diet, uttered "grace" as follows:—
+</p>
+
+<p>
+          Rabbits hot, rabbits cold,<br/>
+
+             Rabbits tender, and rabbits tough,<br/>
+
+          Rabbits young, and rabbits old<br/>
+
+             I thank the Lord I've had enough.<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+And I as cordially thank my kind correspondents.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#163] The great legal authority of the realm.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#164] In all editions the Wazir here tells the Tale of the Merchant's Wife
+and the Parrot which, following Lane, I have transferred to vol. i. p. 52. But
+not to break the tradition I here introduce the Persian version of the story
+from the "Book of Sindibad." In addition to the details given in the note to
+vol. i., 52 {Vol1, FN#90}; I may quote the two talking-birds left to watch over
+his young wife by Rajah Rasálú (son of Shaliváhana the great Indian monarch
+circ. A.D. 81), who is to the Punjab what Rustam is to Persia and Antar to
+Arabia. In the "Seven Wise Masters" the parrot becomes a magpie and Mr.
+Clouston, in some clever papers on "Popular Tales and Fictions" contributed to
+the Glasgow Evening Times (1884), compares it with the history, in the Gesta
+Romanorum, of the Adulteress, the Abigail, and the Three Cocks, two of which
+crowed during the congress of the lady and her lover. All these evidently
+belong to the Sindibad cycle.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#165] In the days of the Caliph Al-Mustakfí bi llah (A.H. 333=944) the youth
+of Baghdad studied swimming and it is said that they could swim holding
+chafing-dishes upon which were cooking-pots and keep afloat till the meat was
+dressed. The story is that of "The Washerman and his Son who were drowned in
+the Nile," of the Book of Sindibad.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#166] Her going to the bath suggested that she was fresh from coition..
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#167] Taken from the life of the Egyptian Mameluke Sultan (No. viii, regn.
+A.H, 825= A.D. 1421) who would not suffer his subjects to prostrate themselves
+or kiss the ground before him. See D'Herbelot for details.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#168] This nauseous Joe Miller has often been told in the hospitals of
+London and Paris. It is as old as the Hitopadesa.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#169] Koran iv. 81, "All is from Allah;" but the evil which befals mankind,
+though ordered by Allah, is yet the consequence of their own wickedness (I add,
+which wickedness was created by Allah).
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#170] The Bresl. Edit. (xii. 266) says "bathing."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#171] This tale is much like that told in the Fifth Night (vol. i. 54). It
+is the story of the Prince and the Lamia in the Book of Sindibad wherein it is
+given with Persian rhetoric and diffuseness.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#172] Arab. "Wa'ar"= rocky, hilly, tree-less ground unfit for riding. I have
+noted that the three Heb. words "Year" (e.g. Kiryath-Yearin=City of forest),
+"Choresh" (now Hirsh, a scrub), and "Pardes" ({Greek letters} a chase, a
+hunting-park opposed to {Greek letters}, an orchard) are preserved in Arabic
+and are intelligible in Palestine. (Unexplored Syria, i. 207.)
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#173] The privy and the bath are favourite haunts of the<br/>
+
+Jinns.<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#174] Arab history is full of petty wars caused by trifles. In Egypt the
+clans Sa'ad and Harám and in Syria the Kays and Yaman (which remain to the
+present day) were as pugnacious as Highland Caterans. The tale bears some
+likeness to the accumulative nursery rhymes in "The House that Jack Built," and
+"The Old Woman and the Crooked Sixpence;" which find their indirect original in
+an allegorical Talmudic hymn.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#175] This is "The Story of the Old Man who sent his Young Wife to the
+Market to buy Rice," told with Persian reflections in the "Book of Sindibad."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#176] Koran xii. 28. The words were spoken by Potiphar to<br/>
+
+Joseph.<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#177] Koran iv. 78. A mis-quotation, the words are, "Fight therefore against
+the friends of Satan, for the craft of Satan shall be weak."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#178] i.e. Koranic versets.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#179] In the Book of Sindibad this is the "Story of the Prince who went out
+to hunt and the stratagem which the Wazir practised on him."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#180] I have noted that it is a dire affront to an Arab if his first cousin
+marry any save himself without his formal leave.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#181] i.e. the flowery, the splendid; an epithet of Fatimah, the daughter of
+the Apostle "the bright blooming." Fátimah is an old Arab name of good omen,
+"the weaner:" in Egypt it becomes Fattúmah (an incrementative= "great weaner");
+and so Amínah, Khadíjah and Nafísah on the banks of the Nile are barbarised to
+Ammúnah, Khaddúgah and Naffúsah.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#182] i.e. his coming misfortune, the phrase being euphemistic.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#183] Arab. "Ráy:" in theology it means "private judgment" and "Ráyí" (act.
+partic.) is a Rationalist. The Hanafí School is called "Asháb al-Ráy" because
+it allows more liberty of thought than the other three orthodox.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#184] The angels in Al-Islam ride piebalds.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#185] In the Bresl. Edit. "Zájir" (xii. 286).
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#186] This is the "King's Son and the Merchant's Wife" of the<br/>
+
+Hitopadesa (chapt. i.) transferred to all the Prakrit versions of<br/>
+
+India. It is the Story of the Bath-keeper who conducted his Wife<br/>
+
+to the Son of the King of Kanuj in the Book of Sindibad.<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#187] The pious Caliph Al-Muktadi bi Amri llah (A.H. 467=A.D. 1075) was
+obliged to forbid men entering the baths of Baghdad without drawers.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#188] This peculiarity is not uncommon amongst the so-called Aryan and
+Semitic races, while to the African it is all but unknown. Women highly prize a
+conformation which (as the prostitute described it) is always "either in his
+belly or in mine."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#189] Easterns, I have said, are perfectly aware of the fact that women
+corrupt women much more than men do. The tale is the "Story of the Libertine
+Husband" in the Book of Sindibad; blended with the "Story of the Go-between and
+the Bitch" in the Book of Sindibad. It is related in the "Disciplina
+Clericalis" of Alphonsus (A.D. 1106); the fabliau of La vieille qui seduisit la
+jeune fille; the Gesta Romanorum (thirteenth century) and the "Cunning
+Siddhikari" in the Kathá-Sarit-Ságara.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#190] The Kashmir people, men and women, have a very bad name in Eastern
+tales, the former for treachery and the latter for unchastity. A Persian
+distich says:
+</p>
+
+<p>
+  If folk be scarce as food in dearth ne'er let three lots come<br/>
+
+near ye:<br/>
+
+  First Sindi, second Jat, and third a rascally Kashmeeree.<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The women have fair skins and handsome features but, like all living in that
+zone, Persians, Sindis, Afghans, etc., their bosoms fall after the first child
+and become like udders. This is not the case with Hindú women, Rajpúts,
+Maráthís, etc.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#191] By these words she appealed to his honour.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#192] These vehicles suggest derivation from European witchery. In the
+Bresl. Edit. (xii. 304) one of the women rides a "Miknasah" or broom.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#193] i.e. a recluse who avoids society.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#194] "Consecrated ground" is happily unknown to Moslems.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#195] This incident occurs in the "Third Kalandar's Tale." See vol. i. 157
+{Vol 1, FN#290}; and note to p. 145. {Vol 1, FN#264}
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#196] The Mac. Edit. has "Nahr"= river.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#197] i.e. marked with the Wasm or tribal sign to show their blood. The
+subject of Wasm is extensive and highly interesting, for many of these brands
+date doubtless from prehistoric ages. For instance, some of the great Anazah
+nation (not tribe) use a circlet, the initial of their name (an Ayn-letter),
+which thus shows the eye from which it was formed. I have given some specimens
+of Wasm in The Land of Midian (i. 320) where, as amongst the "Sinaitic"
+Badawin, various kinds of crosses are preserved long after the death and burial
+of Christianity.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#198] i.e. from the heights. The "Sayl" is a dangerous feature in Arabia as
+in Southern India, where many officers have lost their lives by trying to swim
+it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#199] Arab. "'Ujb" I use arrogance in the Spanish sense of "arrogante," gay
+and gallant.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#200] In this rechauffé Paul Pry escapes without losing an eye.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#201] Eastern tale-tellers always harp upon this theme, the cunning
+precautions taken by mankind and their utter confusion by "Fate and Fortune."
+In such matters the West remarks, "Ce que femme veut, Dieu veut."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#202] As favourite an occupation in Oriental lands as in Southern Europe and
+the Brazil, where the Quinta or country villa must be built by the road-side to
+please the mistress.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#203] The ink-case would contain the pens; hence called in India
+Kalamdán=reed (pen) box. I have advised travellers to prefer the strong
+Egyptian article of brass to the Persian, which is of wood or papier-mâché,
+prettily varnished, but not to wear it in the waist-belt, as this is a sign of
+being a scribe. (Pilgrimage i. 353.)
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#204] The vulgar Eastern idea is that women are quite knowing enough without
+learning to read and write; and at all events they should not be taught
+anything beyond reading the Koran, or some clearly-written book. The contrast
+with modern Europe is great; greater still in Anglo-America of our day, and
+greatest with the new sects which propose "biunes" and "bisexuals" and "women
+robed with the sun."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#205] In the Bresl. Edit. the Prince ties a key to a second arrow and shoots
+it into the pavilion.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#206] The "box-trick" has often been played with success, by Lord Byron
+amongst a host of others. The readiness with which the Wazir enters into the
+scheme is characteristic of oriental servility: an honest Moslem should at
+least put in a remonstrance.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#207] This story appears familiar, but I have not found it easy to trace. In
+"The Book of Sindibad" (p. 83) it is apparently represented by a lacuna. In the
+Squire's Tale of Chaucer Canace's ring enables the wearer to understand
+bird-language, not merely to pretend as does the slave-boy in the text.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#208] The crow is an ill-omened bird in Al-lslam and in Eastern Christendom.
+"The crow of cursed life and foul odour," says the Book of Kalilah and Dimna
+(p. 44). The Hindus are its only protectors, and in this matter they follow
+suit with the Guebres. I may note that the word belongs to the days before
+"Aryan" and "Semitic" speech had parted; we find it in Heb. Oreb; Arab. Ghurab;
+Lat. Corvus; Engl. Crow, etc.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#209] Again in the Hibernian sense of being "kilt."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#210] Quoted in Night dlxxxii.; said by Kitfír or Itfír (Potiphar) when his
+wife (Ráil or Zulaykha) charged Joseph with attempting her chastity and he saw
+that the youth's garment was whole in front and rent in rear. (Koran, chapt.
+xii.)
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#211] This witty tale, ending somewhat grossly here, has over-wandered the
+world. First we find it in the Kathá (S. S.) where Upakoshá, the merry wife of
+Vararuchi, disrobes her suitors, a family priest, a commander of the guard and
+the prince's tutor, under plea of the bath and stows them away in baskets which
+suggest Falstaff's "buck-basket." In Miss Stokes' "Indian Fairy Tales" the fair
+wife of an absent merchant plays a similar notable prank upon the Kotwal, the
+Wazir, the Kazi and the King; and akin to this is the exploit of Temal
+Rámákistnan, the Madrasi Tyl Eulenspiegel and Scogin who by means of a lady
+saves his life from the Rajah and the High Priest. Mr. G. H. Damant (pp.
+357-360 of the "Indian Antiquary" of 1873) relates the "Tale of the
+Touchstone," a legend of Dinahpur, wherein a woman "sells" her four admirers.
+In the Persian Tales ascribed to the Dervish "Mokles" (Mukhlis) of Isfahan, the
+lady Aruyá tricks and exposes a Kazi, a doctor and a governor. Boccaccio (viii.
+1) has the story of a lady who shut up her gallant in a chest with her
+husband's sanction; and a similar tale (ix. 1) of Rinuccio and Alexander with
+the corpse of Scannadeo (Throkh-god). Hence a Lydgate (circ. A.D. 1430) derived
+the plot of his metrical tale of "The Lady Prioress and her Three Sisters";
+which was modified in the Netherlandish version by the introduction of the Long
+Wapper, a Flemish Robin Goodfellow. Followed in English the metrical tale of
+"The Wright's Chaste Wife," by Adam of Cobham (edited by Mr. Furnivall from a
+MS. of circ. A.D. 1460) where the victims are a lord, a steward and a proctor.
+See also "The Master-Maid" in Dr. (now Sir George) Dasent's "Popular Tales from
+the Norse," Mr. Clouston, who gives these details more fully, mentions a
+similar Scottish story concerning a lascivious monk and the chaste wife of a
+miller.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#212]When Easterns sit down to a drinking bout, which means to get drunk as
+speedily and pleasantly as possible, they put off dresses of dull colours and
+robe themselves in clothes supplied by the host, of the brightest he may have,
+especially yellow, green and red of different shades. So the lady's proceeding
+was not likely to breed suspicion: al- though her tastes were somewhat
+fantastic and like Miss Julia's—peculiar.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#213] Arab. "Najásah," meaning anything unclean which requires ablution
+before prayer. Unfortunately mucus is not of the number, so the common Moslem
+is very offensive in the matter of nose.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#214] Here the word "la'an" is used which most Moslems express by some
+euphemism. The vulgar Egyptian says "Na'al" (Sapré and Sapristi for Sacré and
+Sacristie), the Hindostani express it "I send him the three letters"—lám, ayn
+and nún.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#215] The Mac. Edit. is here very concise; better the Bresi. Edit. (xii.
+326). Here we have the Eastern form of the Three Wishes which dates from the
+earliest ages and which amongst us has been degraded to a matter of "black
+pudding." It is the grossest and most brutal satire on the sex, suggesting that
+a woman would prefer an additional inch of penis to anything this world or the
+next can offer her. In the Book of Sindibad it is the story of the Peri and
+Religious Man; his learning the Great Name; and his consulting with his wife.
+See also La Fontaine's "Trois Souhaits," Prior's "Ladle," and "Les quatre
+Souhaits de Saint-Martin."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#216] Arab. "Laylat al-Kadr"= Night of Power or of Divine Decrees. It is
+"better than a thousand months" (Koran xcvii. 3), but unhappily the exact time
+is not known although all agree that it is one of the last ten in Ramazan. The
+latter when named by Kiláb ibn Murrah, ancestor of Mohammed, about two
+centuries before Al-lslam, corresponded with July-August and took its name from
+"Ramzá" or intense heat. But the Prophet, in the tenth Hijrah year, most
+unwisely forbade "Nasy"= triennial intercalation (Koran ix. 36) and thus the
+lunar month went round all the seasons. On the Night of Power the Koran was
+sent down from the Preserved Tablet by Allah's throne, to the first or lunar
+Heaven whence Gabriel brought it for opportunest revelation to the Apostle
+(Koran xcvii.). Also during this night all Divine Decrees for the ensuing year
+are taken from the Tablet and are given to the angels for execution whilst, the
+gates of Heaven being open, prayer (as in the text) is sure of success. This
+mass of absurdity has engendered a host of superstitions everywhere varying.
+Lane (Mod. Egypt, chapt. xxv.) describes how some of the Faithful keep tasting
+a cup of salt water which should become sweet in the Night of Nights. In
+(Moslem) India not only the sea becomes sweet, but all the vegetable creation
+bows down before Allah. The exact time is known only to Prophets; but the pious
+sit through the Night of Ramazan 27th (our 26th) praying and burning
+incense-pastilles. In Stambul this is officially held to be the Night of Power.
+So in medićval Europe on Christmas Eve the cattle worshipped God in their
+stalls and I have met peasants in France and Italy who firmly believed that
+brute beasts on that night not only speak but predict the events of the coming
+year.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#217] Hence the misfortune befel her; the pious especially avoid temporal
+palaces.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#218] This is our tale of "The Maid and the Magpie;" the Mac. Edit. does not
+specify the "Tayr" (any bird) but the Bresl. Edit. has Ak'ak, a pie. The true
+Magpie (C. Pica) called Buzarái (?) and Zaghzaghán Abú Mássah (=the Sweeper,
+from its tail) is found on the Libanus and Anti-Libanus (Unexplored Syria ii.
+77-143), but I never saw it in other parts of Syria or in Arabia. It is
+completely ignored by the Reverend Mr. Tristram in his painfully superficial
+book "The Natural History of the Bible," published by the Society for Promoting
+Christian Knowledge (or rather Ignorance), London, 1873.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#219] This is "The Story of the Two Partridges," told at great length in the
+Book of Sindibad. See De Sacy's text in the Kalilah wa Damnah, quoted in the
+"Book of Kalilah and Damnah" (p. 306).
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#220] This extremely wilful young person had rendered rape excusable. The
+same treat- ment is much called for by certain heroines of modern fiction—let
+me mention Princess Napraxine.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#221] The Story of the Hidden Robe, in the Book of Sindibad; where it is
+told with all manner of Persian embellishments.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#222] Now turned into Government offices for local administration; a
+"Tribunal of Commerce," etc.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#223] Arab. "Bawwáb," a personage as important as the old French concierge
+and a man of trust who has charge of the keys and with letting vacant rooms. In
+Egypt the Berber from the Upper Nile is the favourite suisse; being held more
+honest or rather less rascally than the usual Egyptian. These Berbers, however,
+are true barbarians, overfond of Búzah (the beer of Osiris) and not
+unfrequently dangerous. They are supposed by Moslems to descend from the old
+Syrians expelled by Joshua. For the favourite chaff against them, eating the
+dog (not the puppy-pie), see Pilgrimage i. 93. They are the "paddies', of Egypt
+to whom all kinds of bulls and blunders are attributed.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#224] Arab. "Juma'ah," which means either Friday or a week. In pre-Moslem
+times it was called Al-Arúbah (the other week-days being Shiyár or Saturday,
+Bawal, Bahan Jabar, Dabar and Fámunís or Thursday). Juma'ah, literally =
+"Meeting" or Congregation (-day), was made to represent the Jewish Sabbath and
+the Christian Sunday because on that day Allah ended the work of creation; it
+was also the date of Mohammed's entering Al-Medinah. According to Al-Bayzáwí,
+it was called Assembly day because Ka'ab ibn Lowa, one of the Prophet's
+ancestors, used to gather the people before him on Fridays. Moslems are not
+forbidden to do secular work after the congregational prayers at the hour when
+they must "hasten to the commemoration of Allah and leave merchandising."
+(Koran, chaps. Ixii. 9.)
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#225] This is done only by the very pious: if they see a bit of bread they
+kiss it, place it upon their heads and deposit it upon a wall or some place
+where it will not be trodden on. She also removed the stones lest haply they
+prove stumbling-blocks to some Moslem foot.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#226] Arab. "Ashjár," which may mean either the door-posts or the wooden
+bolts. Lane (iii. 174) translates it "among the trees" in a room!
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#227] Koran (ix. 51), when Mohammed reproaches the unbelievers for not
+accompanying him to victory or martyrdom.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#228] Arab. "Kiná," a true veil, not the "Burká " or "nose bag" with the
+peep-holes. It is opposed to the "Tarkah" or "head veil." Europeans inveigh
+against the veil which represents the loup of Louis Quatorze's day: it is on
+the contrary the most coquettish of contrivances, hiding coarse skins, fleshy
+noses, wide mouths and vanishing chins, and showing only lustrous and liquid
+black eyes. Moreover a pretty woman, when she wishes, will always let you see
+something under the veil. (Pilgrimage i. 337.)
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#229] A yellow-flowered artemisia or absinthe whose wood burns like
+holm-oak. (Unexplored Syria ii. 43.) See vol. ii. 24 for further details.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#230] The Farz or obligatory prayers, I have noted, must be recited (if
+necessary) in the most impure place; not so the other orisons. Hence the use of
+the "Sajjádah" or prayer-rug an article too well known to require description.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#231] Anglicč a stomach-ache, a colic.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#232] Arab. "Al-Háfizah" which has two meanings. Properly it signifies the
+third order of Traditionists out of a total of five or those who know 300,000
+traditions and their ascriptions. Popularly "one who can recite the Koran by
+rote." There are six great Traditionists whose words are held to be prime
+authorities; (1) Al-Bokhári, (2) Muslim, and these are entitled Al-Sahíhayn,
+The (two true) authorities. After them (3) Al-Tirmidi; and (4) Abu Daúd: these
+four being the authors of the "Four Sunan," the others are (5) Al- Nasái and
+(6) Ibn Májah (see Jarrett's Al-Siyuti pp. 2, 6; and, for modern Arab studies,
+Pilgrimage i. 154 et seq.).
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#233] Lane (iii. 176) marries the amorous couple, thus making the story
+highly proper and robbing it of all its point.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#234] Arab. "Sabbahat," i.e. Sabbah-ak' Allah bi'l khayr =<br/>
+
+Allah give thee good morning: still the popular phrase.<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#235] Arab. "Ta'rísak," with the implied hint of her being a "Mu'arrisah" or
+she pander. The Bresl. Edit. (xii. 356) bluntly says "Kivádatak" thy pimping.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#236] Arab. "Rafw": the "Rafu-gar" or fine-drawer in India, who does this
+artistic style of darning, is famed for skill.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#237] The question sounds strange to Europeans, but in the Moslem East a man
+knows nothing, except by hearsay, of the women who visit his wife.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#238] Arab. "Ahl al-bayt," so as not rudely to say "wife."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#239] This is a mere abstract of the tale told in the Introduction (vol. i.
+10-12). Here however, the rings are about eighty; there the number varies from
+ninety to five hundred and seventy.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#240] The father suspected the son of intriguing with one of his own women.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#241] Arab. and Heb. "Laban" (opp. to "laban-halíb," or simply "halíb" =
+fresh milk), milk artificially soured, the Dahin of India, the Kisainá of the
+Slavs and our Corstophine cream. But in The Nights, contrary to modern popular
+usage, "Laban" is also applied to Fresh milk. The soured form is universally in
+the East eaten with rice and enters into the Salátah or cucumber-salad. I have
+noted elsewhere that all the Galactophagi, the nomades who live on milk, use it
+in the soured never in the fresh form. The Badawi have curious prejudices about
+it: it is a disgrace to sell it (though not to exchange it), and "Labbán," or
+"milk-vendor," is an insult. The Bráhni and Beloch pomades have the same
+pundonor possibly learnt from the Arabs (Pilgrimage i. 363). For Igt (Akit),
+Mahir, Saribah, Jamídah and other lacteal preparations, see ibid. i. 362.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#242] I need hardly say that the poison would have been utterly harmless,
+unless there had been an abrasion of the skin. The slave- girl is blamed for
+carrying the jar uncovered because thus it would attract the evil eye. In the
+Book of Sindibad the tale appears as the Story of the Poisoned Guest; and the
+bird is a stork.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#243] The Prince expresses the pure and still popular Moslem feeling; and
+yet the learned and experienced Mr Redhouse would confuse this absolute
+Predestination with Providence. A friend tells me that the idea of absolute
+Fate in The Nights makes her feel as if the world were a jail.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#244] In the Book of Sindibad this is the Story of the<br/>
+
+Sandal-wood Merchant and the Advice of the Blind Old Man. Mr.<br/>
+
+Clouston (p. 163) quotes a Talmudic joke which is akin to the<br/>
+
+Shaykh's advice and a reply of Tyl Eulenspiegel, the arch-rogue,<br/>
+
+which has also a family resemblance.<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#245] Arab. "Sá'a," a measure of corn, etc., to be given in alms. The Kamus
+makes it = four mudds (each being 1/3 lbs.); the people understand by it four
+times the measure of a man's two open hands.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#246] i.e. till thou restore my eye to me. This style of prothesis without
+apodosis is very common in Arabic and should be preserved in translation, as it
+adds a naďveté to the style. We find it in Genesis iii. 2, "And now lest he put
+forth his hand," etc.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#247] They were playing at Muráhanah, like children amongst us. It is also
+called "Hukm wa Rizá" = order and consent. The penalty is usually something
+ridiculous, but here it was villainous.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#248] Every Moslem capital has a "Shaykh of the thieves" who holds a regular
+levées and who will return stolen articles for consideration; and this has
+lasted since the days of Diodorus Siculus (Pilgrimage i. 91).
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#249] This was not the condition; but I have left the text as it is
+characteristic of the writer's inconsequence.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#250] The idea would readily occur in Egypt where the pulex is still a
+plague although the Sultan is said to hold his court at Tiberias. "Male and
+female" says the rouge, otherwise it would be easy to fill a bushel with fleas.
+The insect was unknown to older India according to some and was introduced by
+strangers. This immigration is quite possible. In 1863 the jigger (P.
+penetrans) was not found in Western Africa; when I returned there in 1882 it
+had passed over from the Brazil and had become naturalised on the equatorial
+African seaboard. the Arabs call shrimps and prawns "sea-fleas" (bargúth
+al-bahr) showing an inland race. (See Pilgrimage i. 322.)
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#251] Submission to the Sultan and the tidings of his well-being should
+content every Eastern subject. But, as Oriental history shows, the form of
+government is a Despotism tempered by assassination. And under no rule is man
+socially freer and his condition contrasts strangely with the grinding social
+tyranny which characterises every mode of democracy or constitutionalism, i.e.
+political equality.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#252] Here the text has "Markúb" = a shoe; elsewhere "Na'al" = a sandal,
+especially with wooden sole. In classical Arabia, however, "Na'al" may be a
+shoe, a horse-shoe (iron-plate, not rim like ours). The Bresl. Edit. has
+"Watá," any foot-gear.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#253] Water-melons (batáyikh) says the Mac. Edit. a misprint for Aruz or
+rice. Water-melons are served up raw cut into square mouthfuls, to be eaten
+with rice and meat. They serve excellently well to keep the palate clean and
+cool.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#254] The text recounts the whole story over again - more than<br/>
+
+European patience can bear.<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#255] The usual formula when telling an improbable tale. But here it is
+hardly called for: the same story is told (on weak authority) of the Alewife,
+the Three Graziers and Attorney-General Nay (temp. James II. 1577-1634) when
+five years old (Journ. Asiat. Soc. N.S. xxx. 280). The same feat had been
+credited to Thomas Egerton, Lord Chancellor in A.D. 1540-1617 (Chalmers,
+Biographical Dictionary xxiii. 267-68). But the story had already found its way
+into the popular jest-books such as "Tales and Quick Answers, very Mery and
+Pleasant to Rede" (1530); "Jacke of Dover's Quest of Inquirie for the Foole of
+all Fooles" (1604) under the title "The Foole of Westchester", and in "Witty
+and Entertaining Exploits of George Buchanan, commonly called the King's Fool."
+The banker-bard Rogers (in Italy) was told a similar story concerning a widow
+of the Lambertini house (xivth centry). Thomas Wright (Introducition to the
+Seven Sages) says he had met the tale in Latin( xiiith-xivth centuries) and a
+variant in the "Nouveaux Contes ŕ rire (Amsterdam 1737), under the title
+"Jugement Subtil du Duc d'Ossone contre Deux Marchands." Its origin is
+evidently the old Sindibád-namah translated from Syriac into Greek ("Syntipas,"
+xith century); into Hebrew (Mishlé Sandabar, xiith century) and from the
+Arabian version into old Castilian, "Libro de los Engannos et los Asayamientos
+de las Mugeres" (A.D. 1255), whereof a translation is appended to Professor
+Comparetti's Socitey. The Persion metrical form (an elaboration of one much
+older) dates from 1375; and gave rise to a host of imitations such as the
+Turkish Tales of the Forty Wazirs and the Canarese "Kathá Manjari," where four
+persons contend about a purse. See also Gladwin's "Persian Moonshee," No. vi.
+of "Pleasing Stories;" and Mr. Clouston's paper, "The Lost Purse," in the
+Glasgow Evening Times. All are the Eastern form of Gavarni's "Enfants
+Terribles," showing the portentous precocity for which some children (infant
+phenomena, calculating boys, etc. etc.) have been famous.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#256] From the Bresl. Edit. xii. 381. The Sa'lab or Abu Hosayn (Father of
+the Fortlet) is the fox, in Marocco Akkáb: Talib Yusuf and Wa'wi are the
+jackal. Arabas have not preserved "Jakal" from the Heb. Shu'al and Persian
+Shaghal and Persian Shaghál (not Shagul) as the Rev. Mr. Tristram misinforms
+his readers. (Nat. Hist. p. 85)
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#257] The name is old and classical Arabic: in Antar the young Amazon Jaydá
+was called Judar in public (Story of Jaydá and Khálid). It is also, as will be
+seen, the name of a quarter in Cairo, and men are often called after such
+places, e.g. Al-Jubní from the Súk al Jubn in Damascus. The story is
+exceedingly Egyptian and the style abounds in Cairene vulgarisms, especially in
+the Bresl. Edit. ix. 311.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#258] Had the merchant left his property to be divided after his death and
+not made a will he widow would have had only one-eighth instead of a fourth.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#259] Lit. "from tyrant to tyrant," i.e. from official to official,
+Al-Zalamah, the "tyranny" of popular parlance.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#260] The coin is omitted in the text but it is evidently the "Nusf" or
+half-dirham. Lane (iii.235), noting that the dinar is worth 170 "nusfs" in this
+tale, thinks that it was written (or copied?) after the Osmanh Conquest of
+Egypt. Unfortunately he cannot tell the precise period when the value of the
+small change fell so low.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#261] Arab "Yaum mubárak!" still a popular exclamation.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#262] i.e. of the door of daily bread.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#263] Arab. "Sírah," a small fish differently described (De<br/>
+
+Sacy, "Relation de l'Egypte par Abd allatif," pp. 278-288: Lane,<br/>
+
+Nights iii. 234. It is not found in Sonnini's list.<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#264] A tank or lakelet in the southern parts of Cairo, long ago filled up;
+Von Hammer believes it inherited the name of the old Charon's Lake of Memphis,
+over which corpses were ferried.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#265] Thus making the agreement a kind of religious covenant, as Catholics
+would recite a Pater or an Ave Maria.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#266] Arab. "Yá miskím"=O poor devil; mesquin, meschino, words evidently
+derived from the East.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#267] Plur. of Maghribí a Western man, a Moor. I have already derived the
+word through the Lat. "Maurus" from Maghribiyún. Europeans being unable to
+pronounce the Ghayn (or gh like the modern Cairenes) would turn it into
+"Ma'ariyún." They are mostly of the Maliki school (for which see Sale) and are
+famous as magicians and treasure-finders. Amongst the suite of the late Amir
+Abd al-Kadir, who lived many years and died in Damascus, I found several men
+profoundly versed in Eastern spiritualism and occultism.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#268] The names are respectively, Slave of the Salvation, of the One (God),
+of the Eternal; of the Compassionate; and of the Loving.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#269] i.e. "the most profound"; the root is that of "Bátiní," a gnostic, a
+reprobate.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#270] i.e. the Tall One.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#271] The loud pealing or (ear-) breaking Thunder.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#272] Arab. "Fás and Miknás" which the writer evidently regards as one city.
+"Fás" means a hatchet, from the tradition of one having been found, says Ibn
+Sa'íd, when digging the base under the founder Idrís bin Idrís (A.D. 808). His
+sword was placed on the pinnacle of the minaret built by the Imám Abu Ahmad bin
+Abi Bakr enclosed in a golden étui studded with pearls and precious stones.
+From the local pronunciation "Fes" is derived the red cap of the nearer Moslem
+East (see Ibn Batutah p. 230).
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#273] Arab. "Al-Khurj," whence the Span. Las Alforjas.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#274] Arab. "Kebáb," mutton or lamb cut into small squares and grilled upon
+skewers: it is the roast meat of the nearer East where, as in the West, men
+have not learned to cook meat so as to preserve all its flavour. This is found
+in the "Asa'o" of the Argentine Gaucho who broils the flesh while still
+quivering and before the fibre has time to set. Hence it is perfectly tender,
+if the animal be young, and has a "meaty" taste half lost by keeping
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#275] Equivalent to our puritanical "Mercy."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#276] Arab. "Bukjah," from the Persian Bukcheh: a favourite way of keeping
+fine clothes in the East is to lay them folded in a piece of rough long-cloth
+with pepper and spices to drive away moths.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#277] This is always specified, for respectable men go out of town on
+horse-back, never on "foot-back," as our friends the Boers say. I have seen a
+Syrian put to sore shame when compelled by politeness to walk with me, and
+every acquaintance he met addressed him "Anta Zalamah!" What! afoot?
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#278] This tale, including the Enchanted Sword which slays whole armies, was
+adopted in Europe as we see in Straparola (iv. 3), and the "Water of Life"
+which the Grimms found in Hesse, etc., "Gammer Grethel's German Popular
+Stories," Edgar Taylor, Bells, 1878; and now published in fuller form as
+"Grimm's Household Tales," by Mrs. Hunt, with Introduction by A. Lang, 2 vols.
+8vo, 1884. It is curious that so biting and carping a critic, who will
+condescend to notice a misprint in another's book, should lay himself open to
+general animadversion by such a rambling farrago of half-digested knowledge as
+that which composes Mr. Andrew Lang's Introduction.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#279] These retorts of Judar are exactly what a sharp Egyptian<br/>
+
+Fellah would say on such occasions.<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#280] Arab. "Salámát," plur. of Salam, a favourite Egyptian welcome.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#281] This sentence expresses a Moslem idea which greatly puzzles strangers.
+Arabic has no equivalent of our "Thank you" (Kassara 'llah Khayr-ak being a
+mere blessing Allah increase thy weal!), nor can Al-lslam express gratitude
+save by a periphrase. The Moslem acknowledges a favour by blessing the donor
+and by wishing him increase of prosperity. "May thy shadow never be less! "
+means, Mayest thou always extend to me thy shelter and protection. I have
+noticed this before but it merits repetition. Strangers, and especially
+Englishmen, are very positive and very much mistaken upon a point, which all
+who have to do with Egyptians and Arabs ought thoroughly to understand. Old
+dwellers in the East know that the theory of ingratitude in no way interferes
+with the sense of gratitude innate in man (and beast) and that the "lively
+sense of favours to come," is as quick in Orient land as in Europe.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#282] Outside this noble gate, the Bab al-Nay, there is a great cemetery
+wherein, by the by, lies Burckhardt, my predecessor as a Hájj to Meccah and
+Al-Medinah. Hence many beggars are always found squatting in its neighbourhood.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#283] Friends sometimes walk alongside the rider holding the stirrup in sign
+of affection and respect, especially to the returning pilgrim.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#284] Equivalent to our Alas! It is woman's word never used by men; and
+foreigners must be most careful of this distinction under pain of incurring
+something worse than ridicule. I remember an officer in the Bombay Army who,
+having learned Hindostani from women, always spoke of himself in the feminine
+and hugely scandalised the Sepoys.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#285] i.e. a neighbour. The "quarters" of a town in the East are often on
+the worst of terms. See Pilgrimage.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#286] In the patriarchal stage of society the mother waits upon her adult
+sons. Even in Dalmatia I found, in many old-fashioned houses, the ladies of the
+family waiting upon the guests. Very pleasant, but somewhat startling at first.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#287] Here the apodosis would be "We can all sup together."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#288] Arab. "Záwiyah" (=oratory), which is to a Masjid what a chapel is to a
+church.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#289] Arab. "Kasr," prop. a palace: so the Tuscan peasant speaks of his
+"palazzo."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#290] This sale of a free-born Moslem was mere felony. But many centuries
+later Englishmen used to be sold and sent to the plantations in America.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#291] Arab. "Kawwás," lit. an archer, suggesting les archers de la Sainte
+Hermandade. In former days it denoted a sergeant, an apparitor, an officer who
+executed magisterial orders. In modern Egypt he became a policeman (Pilgrimage
+i. 29). As "Cavass" he appears in gorgeous uniform and sword, an orderly
+attached to public offices and Consulates.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#292] A purely imaginary King.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#293] The Bresl. Edit. (ix. 370) here and elsewhere uses the word
+"Nútiyá"=Nauta, for the common Bahríyah or Malláh.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#294] Arab. "Tawaf," the name given to the sets (Ashwat) of seven circuits
+with the left shoulder presented to the Holy House, that is walking
+"widdershins" or "against the sun" ("with the sun" being like the movement of a
+watch). For the requisites of this rite see Pilgrimage iii. 234.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#295] Arab. "Akh"; brother has a wide signification amongst<br/>
+
+Moslems and may be used to and of any of the Saving Faith.<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#296] Said by the master when dismissing a servant and meaning, "I have not
+failed in my duty to thee!" The answer is, "Allah acquit thee thereof!'
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#297] A Moslem prison is like those of Europe a century ago; to think of it
+gives gooseflesh. Easterns laugh at our idea of penitentiary and the Arabs of
+Bombay call it "Al-Bistán" (the Garden) because the court contains a few trees
+and shrubs. And with them a garden always suggests an idea of Paradise. There
+are indeed only two efficacious forms of punishment all the world over,
+corporal for the poor and fines for the rich, the latter being the severer
+form.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#298] i.e. he shall answer for this.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#299] A pun upon "Khalíyah" (bee hive) and "Khaliyah" (empty). Khalíyah is
+properly a hive of bees with a honey-comb in the hollow of a tree-trunk,
+opposed to Kawwárah, hive made of clay or earth (Al-Hariri; Ass. of Tiflis).
+There are many other terms, for Arabs are curious about honey. Pilgrimage iii.
+110.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#300] Lane (iii. 237) supposes by this title that the author referred his
+tale to the days of the Caliphate. "Commander of the Faithful" was, I have
+said, the style adopted by Omar in order to avoid the clumsiness of "Caliph"
+(successor) of the Caliph (Abu Bakr) of the Apostle of Allah.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#301] eastern thieves count four modes of housebreaking, (1)picking out
+burnt bricks; (2) cutting through unbaked bricks; (3) wetting a mud wall and
+(4) boring through a wooden wall (Vikram and the Vampire p. 172).
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#302] Arab. "Zabbat," lit. a lizard (fem.) also a wooden lock, the only one
+used throughout Egypt. An illustration of its curious mechanism is given in
+Lane (M. E. Introduction)
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#303] Arab. "Dabbús." The Eastern mace is well known to English collectors,
+it is always of metal, and mostly of steel, with a short handle like our
+facetiously called "life-preterver " The head is in various forms, the simplest
+a ball, smooth and round, or broken into sundry high and angular ridges like a
+melon, and in select weapons shaped like the head of some animal. bull, etc.
+See Night dcxlvi.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#304] The red habit is a sign of wrath and vengeance and the Persian Kings
+like Fath Al Shah, used to wear it when about to order some horrid punishment,
+such as the "Shakk"; in this a man was hung up by his heels and cut in two from
+the fork downwards to the neck, when a turn of the chopper left that untouched.
+White robes denoted peace and mercy as well as joy. The "white" hand and
+"black" hand have been explained. A "white death" is quiet and natural, with
+forgiveness of sins. A "black death" is violent and dreadful, as by
+strangulation; a "green death" is robing in rags and patches like a dervish,
+and a "red death" is by war or bloodshed (A. P. ii. 670). Among the mystics it
+is the resistance of man to his passions.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#305] This in the East is the way "pour se faire valoir"; whilst Europeans
+would hold it a mere "bit of impudence." aping dignity.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#306] The Chief Mufti or Doctor of the Law, an appointment first made by the
+Osmanli Mohammed II., when he captured Constantinople in A.D. 1453. Before that
+time the functions were discharged by the Kázi al-Kuzat (Kazi-in-Chief), the
+Chancellor.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#307] So called because here lived the makers of crossbows (Arab. Bunduk now
+meaning a fire piece, musket, etc.). It is the modern district about the
+well-known Khan al-Hamzawi.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#308] Pronounced "Goodareeyyah," and so called after one of the troops of
+the Fatimite Caliphs. The name "Yamániyah" is probably due to the
+story-teller's inventiveness.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#309] I have noted that as a rule in The Nights poetical justice is
+administered with much rigour and exactitude. Here, however, the tale-teller
+allows the good brother to be slain by the two wicked brothers as he permitted
+the adulterous queens to escape the sword of Kamar al-Zaman. Dr. Steingass
+brings to my notice that I have failed to do justice to the story of Sharrkán
+(vol. ii., p. 172), where I note that the interest is injured by the gratuitous
+incest But this has a deeper meaning and a grander artistic effect. Sharrkán
+begins with most unbrotherly feelings towards his father's children by a second
+wife. But Allah's decree forces him to love his half-sister despite himself,
+and awe and repentance convert the savage, who joys at the news of his
+brother's reported death, to a loyal and devoted subject of the same brother.
+But Judar with all his goodness proved himself an arrant softy and was no match
+for two atrocious villains. And there may be overmuch of forgiveness as of
+every other good thing.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#310] In such case the "'iddah" would be four months and ten days.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#311] Not quite true. Weil's German version, from a MS. in the Ducal Library
+of Gotha gives the "Story of Judar of Cairo and Mahmud of Tunis" in a very
+different form. It has been pleasantly "translated (from the German) and
+edited" by Mr. W. F. Kirby, of the British Museum, under the title of "The New
+Arabian Nights" (London: W. Swan Sonnenschein &amp; Co.), and the author kindly
+sent me a copy. "New Arabian Nights" seems now to have become a fashionable
+title applied without any signification: such at least is the pleasant
+collection of Nineteenth Century Novelettes, published under that designation
+by Mr. Robert Louis Stevenson, Chatto and Windus, Piccadilly, 1884.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#312] Von Hammer holds this story to be a satire on Arab superstition and
+the compulsory propagation, the compelle intrare, of Al-Islam. Lane (iii. 235)
+omits it altogether for reasons of his own. I differ with great diffidence from
+the learned Baron whose Oriental reading was extensive; but the tale does not
+seem to justify his explanations. It appears to me simply one of the wilder
+romances, full of purposeful anachronisms (e.g. dated between Abraham and
+Moses, yet quoting the Koran) and written by someone familiar with the history
+of Oman. The style too is peculiar, in many places so abrupt that much
+manipulation is required to make it presentable: it suits, however, the
+rollicking, violent brigand-like life which it depicts. There is only one
+incident about the end which justifies Von Hammer's suspicion.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#313] The Persian hero of romance who converses with the<br/>
+
+Simurgh or Griffin.<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#314] The word is as much used in Egypt as wunderbar in<br/>
+
+Germany. As an exclamation is equivalent to "mighty fine!"<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#315] In modern days used in a bad sense, as a freethinker, etc. So Dalilah
+the Wily is noted to be a philosopheress.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#316] The game is much mixed up after Arab fashion. The<br/>
+
+"Tufat" is the Siyáhgosh= Black-ears, of India (Felis caracal),<br/>
+
+the Persian lynx, which gives very good sport with Dachshunds.<br/>
+
+Lynxes still abound in the thickets near Cairo<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#317] The "Sons of Kahtán," especially the Ya'arubah tribe, made much
+history in Oman. Ya'arub (the eponymus) is written Ya'arab and Ya'arib; but
+Ya'arub (from Ya'arubu Aorist of 'Aruba) is best, because according to all
+authorities he was the first to cultivate primitive Arabian speech and Arabic
+poetry. (Caussin de Perceval's Hist. des Arabes i.50, etc.)
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#318] He who shooteth an arrow by night. See the death of Antar shot down in
+the dark by the archer Jazár, son of Jábír, who had been blinded by a red hot
+sabre passed before his eyes. I may note that it is a mere fiction of
+Al-Asma'i, as the real 'Antar (or 'Antarah) lived to a good old age, and
+probably died the "straw death."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#319] See vol. ii., p. 77, for a reminiscence of masterful<br/>
+
+King Kulayb and his Himá or domain. Here the phrase would mean,<br/>
+
+"None could approach them when they were wroth; none were safe<br/>
+
+from their rage."<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#320] The sons of Nabhán (whom Mr. Badger calls Nebhán) supplied the old
+Maliks or Kings of Oman. (History of the Imams and Sayyids of Oman, etc.,
+London, Hakluyt Soc. 1871.)
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#321] This is a sore insult in Arabia, where they have not dreamt of a
+"Jawab-club," like that of Calcutta in the old days, to which only men who had
+been half a dozen times "jawab'd" (= refused in Anglo-lndian jargon) could
+belong. "I am not a stallion to be struck on the nose," say the Arabs.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#322] Again "inverted speech": it is as if we said, "Now, you're a damned
+fine fellow, so," etc. "Allah curse thee! Thou hast guarded thy women alive and
+dead;" said the man of Sulaym in admiration after thrusting his spear into the
+eye of dead Rabi'ah.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#323] The Badawi use javelins or throw-spears of many kinds, especially the
+prettily worked Mizrák (Pilgrimage i. 349); spears for footmen (Shalfah, a
+bamboo or palm-stick with a head about a hand broad), and the knightly lance, a
+male bamboo some 12 feet long with iron heel and a long tapering point often of
+open work or damascened steel, under which are tufts of black ostrich feathers,
+one or two. I never saw a crescent-shaped head as the text suggests. It is a
+"Pundonor" not to sell these weapons: you say, "Give me that article and I will
+satisfy thee!" After which the Sons of the Sand will haggle over each copper as
+if you were cheapening a sheep. (Ibid. iii. 73.)
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#324] The shame was that Gharib had seen the girl and had fallen in love
+with her beauty instead of applying for her hand in recognised form. These
+punctilios of the Desert are peculiarly nice and tetchy; nor do strangers
+readily realise them.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#325] The Arabs derive these Noachidć from Imlik, great- grandson of Shem,
+who after the confusion of tongues settled at Sana'a, then moved North to
+Meccah and built the fifth Ka'abah. The dynastic name was Arkam, M. C. de
+Perceval's "Arcam," which he would identify with Rekem (Numbers xxxi. 8). The
+last Arkam fell before an army sent by Moses to purge the Holy Land (Al- Hijaz)
+of idolatry. Commentators on the Koran (chaps. vii.) call the Pharaoh of Moses
+Al-Walid and derive him from the Amalekites: we have lately ascertained that
+this Mene-Ptah was of the Shepherd-Kings and thus, according to the older
+Moslems, the Hyksos were of the seed of Imlik. (Pilgrimage ii. 116, and iii.
+190.) In Syria they fought with Joshua son of Nun. The tribe or rather
+nationality was famous and powerful: we know little about it and I may safely
+predict that when the Amalekite country shall have been well explored, it will
+produce monuments second in importance only to the Hittites. "A nomadic tribe
+which occupied the Peninsula of Sinai" (Smith's Dict. of the Bible) is
+peculiarly superficial, even for that most superficial of books.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#326] The Amalekites were giants and lived 500 years.<br/>
+
+(Pilgrimage, loc. cit.)<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#327] His men being ninety against five hundred.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#328] Arab. "Kaum" (pron. Gúm) here=a razzia, afterwards=a tribe. Relations
+between Badawi tribes are of three kinds; (1) Asháb, allies offensive and
+defensive, friends who intermarry; (2) Kímán (plur. of Kaum) when the
+blood-feud exists, and (3) Akhwan= brothers. The last is a complicated affair,
+"Akháwat" or brotherhood, denotes the tie between patron and client (a noble
+and an ignoble tribe) or between the stranger and the tribe which claims an
+immemorial and unalienable right to its own lands. Hence a small fee
+(Al-Rifkah) must be paid and the traveller and his beast become "dakhíl," or
+entitled to brother-help. The guardian is known in the West as Rafík; Rabí'a in
+Eastern Arabia; Ghafír in "Sinai ;" amongst the Somal, Abbán and the Gallas
+Mogásá. Further details are given in Pilgrimage iii. 85-87.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#329] Arab. "Mál," here=Badawi money, flocks and herds, our "fee" from feoh,
+vieh, cattle; as pecunia from pecus, etc., etc.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#330] The litholatry of the old Arabs is undisputed: Manát the goddess-idol
+was a large rude stone and when the Meccans sent out colonies these carried
+with them stones of the Holy Land to be set up and worshipped like the Ka'abah.
+I have suggested (Pilgrimage iii. 159) that the famous Black Stone of Meccah,
+which appears to me a large aerolite, is a remnant of this worship and that the
+tomb of Eve near Jeddah was the old "Sakhrah tawílah" or Long Stone (ibid. iii.
+388). Jeddah is now translated the grandmother, alluding to Eve, a myth of late
+growth: it is properly Juddah=a plain lacking water.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#331] The First Adites, I have said, did not all perish: a few believers
+retired with the prophet Hud (Heber ?) to Hazramaut. The Second Adites, who had
+Márib of the Dam for capital and Lukman for king, were dispersed by the Flood
+of Al-Yaman. Their dynasty lasted a thousand years, the exodus taking place
+according to De Sacy in A.D. 150-170 or shortly after A.D. 100 (C. de
+Perceval), and was overthrown by Ya'arub bin Kahtán, the first Arabist; see
+Night dcxxv.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#332] This title has been noticed: it suggests the "Saint Abraham" of our
+medaeval travellers. Every great prophet has his agnomen: Adam the Pure (or
+Elect) of Allah, Noah the Nájiy (or saved) of Allah; Moses (Kalím) the Speaker
+with Allah; Jesus the Rúh (Spirit breath) or Kalám (the word) of Allah. For
+Mohammed's see Al-Busiri's Mantle-poem vv. 31-58.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#333] Koran (chaps. iii. 17), "Verily the true religion in the<br/>
+
+sight of Allah is Islam" i.e. resigning or devoting myself to the<br/>
+
+Lord, with a suspicion of "Salvation" conveyed by the root<br/>
+
+Salima, he was safe.<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#334] Arab. "Sá'ikah," which is supposed to be a stone. The allusion is to
+Antar's sword, "Dhámi," made of a stone, black, brilliant and hard as a rock
+(an aerolite), which had struck a camel on the right side and had come out by
+the left. The blacksmith made it into a blade three feet long by two spans
+broad, a kind of falchion or chopper, cased it with gold and called it Dhámi
+(the "Trenchant") from its sharpness. But he said to the owner:—
+</p>
+
+<p>
+     The sword is trenchant, O son of the Ghalib clan,<br/>
+
+     Trenchant in sooth, but where is the sworder-man?<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+Whereupon the owner struck off the maker's head, a most satisfactory answer to
+all but one.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#335] Arab. "Kutá'ah": lit. a bit cut off, fragment, nail- paring, and here
+un diminutif. I have described this scene in Pilgrimage iii. 68. Latro often
+says, "Thy gear is wanted by the daughter of my paternal uncle" (wife), and
+thus parades his politeness by asking in a lady's name.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#336] As will appear the two brothers were joined by a party of horsemen.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#337] "Four" says the Mac. Edit. forgetting Falhun with characteristic
+inconsequence.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#338] Muhammad (the deserving great praise) is the name used by men; Ahmad
+(more laudable) by angels, and Mahmúd (praised) by devils. For a similar play
+upon the name, "Allah Allah Muhammad ast" (God is God the praisworthy) see
+Dabistan ii. 416.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#339] The Mac. Edit. here gives "Sás," but elsewhere "Sásá," which is the
+correct form
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#340] Sapor the Second (A.D. 310-330) was compelled to attack the powerful
+Arab hordes of Oman, most of whom, like the Tayy, Aus and Khazraj, the Banu
+Nabhán and the Hináwi left Al-Yaman A.D. 100-170, and settled in the north and
+north-east of Al-Najd This great exodus and dispersion of the tribes was
+caused, as has been said, by the bursting of the Dam of Márib originally built
+by Abd al-Shams Sabá, father of Himyar. These Yamanian races were plunged into
+poverty and roamed northwards, planting themselves amongst the Arabs of Ma'add
+son of Adnán. Hence the kingdom of Ghassan in Syria whose phylarchs under the
+Romans (i.e. Greek Emperors of Constantinople) controlled Palestine Tertia, the
+Arabs of Syria and Palestine, and the kingdom of Hárah, whose Lakhmite Princes,
+dependent upon Persia, managed the Arabs of the Euphrates, Oman and Al-Bahrayn.
+The Ma'addites still continued to occupy the central plateau of Arabia, a
+feature analogous with India "above the Ghauts."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#341] I have described (Pilgrimage i. 370) the grisly spot which a Badawi
+will dignify by the name of Wady al-Ward=Vale of Roses.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#342] Koran xiii. 3, "Of every fruit two different kinds " i.e. large and
+small, black and white, sweet and sour.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#343] A graft upon an almond tree, which makes its kernel s..veet and gives
+it an especial delicacy of favour. See Russell's (excellent) Natural History of
+Aleppo, p. 21.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#344] So called from the flavour of the kernel it is well- known at Damascus
+where a favourite fruit is the dried apricot with an almond by way of kernel.
+There are many preparations of apricots, especially the "Mare's skin" (Jild
+al-fares or Kamar al-din) a paste folded into sheets and exactly resembling the
+article from which it takes a name. When wanted it is dissolved in water and
+eaten as a relish with bread or biscuit (Pilgrimage i. 289).
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#345] "Ante Kamá takúl"=the vulgarest Cairene.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#346] This may be Ctesiphon, the ancient capital of the<br/>
+
+Chosroës, on the Tigris below Baghdad; and spoken of elsewhere in<br/>
+
+The Nights; especially as, in Night dclxvii., it is called<br/>
+
+Isbanir Al-Madáin; Madáin Kisrá (the cities of Chosroës) being<br/>
+
+the Arabic name of the old dual city.<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#347] Koran vi. 103. The translation is Sale's which I have generally
+preferred, despite many imperfections: Lane renders this sentence, "The eyes
+see not Him, but He seeth the eyes ;" and Mr. Rodwell, "No vision taketh in Him
+( ?), but He taketh in all vision ," and (better) "No eyesight reacheth to
+Him."
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#348] Sale (sect. 1.) tells us all that was then known of these three which
+with Yá'úk and Nasr and the three "daughters of God," Goddesses or Energies
+(the Hindu Saktis) Allát Al-Uzzá and Manát mentioned in the Koran were the
+chiefs of the pre-lslamitic Pantheon. I cannot but suspect that all will be
+connected with old Babylonian worship. Al-Baydáwi (in Kor. Ixxi. 22) says of
+Wadd, Suwá'a, Yaghus, Ya'úk and Nasr that they were names of pious men between
+Adam and Noah, afterwards deified: Yaghús was the giant idol of the Mazhaj
+tribe at Akamah of Al-Yaman and afterwards at Najrán Al-Uzzá was widely
+worshipped: her idol (of the tree Semurat) belonging to Ghatafán was destroyed
+after the Prophet's order by Khálid bin Walíd. Allát or Al-Lát is written by
+Pocock (spec. 110) "Ilahat" i.e. deities in general. But Herodotus evidently
+refers to one god when he makes the Arabs worship Dionysus as {Greek letters}
+and Urania as {Greek letters} and the "tashdid" in Allát would, to a Greek ear,
+introduce another syllable (Alilat). This was the goddess of the Kuraysh and
+Thakíf whose temple at Taíf was circuited like the Ka'abah before Mohammed
+destroyed it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#349] Shays (Shayth) is Ab Seth (Father Seth,) of the Hebrews, a name
+containing the initial and terminal letters of the Egypto- Phoenico-Hebrew
+Alphabet and the "Abjad" of the Arabs. Those curious about its connection with
+the name of Allah (El), the Zodiacal signs and with the constellations, visions
+but not wholly uninteresting, will consult "Unexplored Syria" (vol. i. 33).
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#350] The exclamation of an honest Fellah.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#351] This is Antar with the Chosroë who "kissed the Absian hero between the
+eyes and bade him adieu, giving him as a last token a rich robe." The coarser
+hand of the story-teller exaggerates everything till he makes it ridiculous.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#352] The context suggests thee this is a royal form of "throwing the
+handkerchief;" but it does not occur elsewhere. In face, the European idea
+seems to have arisen from the oriental practice of sending presents in napkins
+or kerchiefs.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#353] i.e. if the disappointed suitor attack me.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#354] i.e. if ever I he tempted to deny it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#355] Arab. "Musáfahah,¨' the Arab fashion of shaking hands. The right palms
+are applied flat to each other; then the fingers are squeezed and the hand is
+raised to the forehead (Pilgrimage ii. 332).
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#356] A city and province of Khuzistán the old Susiana. Dasht may be either
+the town in Khorasan or the "forests" (dasht) belonging to Ahwáz (Ahuaz in
+D'Herbelot).
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#357] This is the contest between "Antar and the Satrap Khosrewan at the
+Court of Monzer." but without its tragical finish.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#358] Elliptical "he rode out in great state, that is to say if greatness
+can truly be attributed to man," for, etc.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#359] According to D'Herbelot (s.v. Rostac) it is a name given to the
+villages of Khorasan as "Souad" (Sawád) to those of Irak and Makhlaf to those
+of Al-Yaman: there is, how ever, a well- known Al-Rustak (which like Al-Bahrayn
+always takes the article) in the Province of Oman West of Maskat, and as it
+rhymes with "Irak" it does well enough. Mr. Badger calls this ancient capital
+of the Ya'arubah Imams "er-Rasták" (Imams of Oman).
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#360] i.e. a furious knight.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#361] In the Mac. Edit. "Hassán," which may rhyme with Nabhán, but it is a
+mere blunder.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#362] In Classical Arabic Irak (like Yaman, Bahrayn and<br/>
+
+Rusták) always takes the article.<br/>
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#363] The story-teller goes back from Kufah founded in Omar's day to the
+times of Abraham.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+[FN#364] This manuvre has often been practiced; especially by the first
+Crusaders under Bohemond (Gibbon) and in late years by the Arab slavers in
+Eastern Intertropical Africa. After their skirmishes with the natives they
+quartered and "bristled" the dead like game, roasted and boiled the choice
+pieces and pretended to eat the flesh. The enemy, who was not afraid of death,
+was struck with terror by the idea of being devoured, and this seems
+instinctive to the undeveloped mind.
+</p>
+
+</div><!--end chapter-->
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 6, by Richard F. Burton
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+</pre>
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+</body>
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+
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