{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_54778/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_54778","id":"gutenberg_54778","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/54778","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Adventure","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Fairy tales -- Arab countries","Folklore -- Arab countries"],"text":"[Illustration]\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n[Illustration: \u2019\u0644\u0627]\n\n \u201cTO THE PURE ALL THINGS ARE PURE.\u201d\n (Puris omnia pura)\n\n \u2014_Arab Proverb._\n\n \u201cNiuna corrotta mente intese mai sanamente parole.\u201d\n\n \u2014\u201c_Decameron_\u201d\u2014_conclusion_.\n\n \u201cErubuit, posuitque meum Lucretia librum\n Sed coram Bruto. Brute! recede, leget.\u201d\n\n \u2014_Martial._\n\n \u201cMieulx est de ris que de larmes escripre,\n Pour ce que rire est le propre des hommes.\u201d\n\n \u2014RABELAIS.\n\n\u201cThe pleasure we derive from perusing the Thousand-and-One Stories makes\nus regret that we possess only a comparatively small part of these truly\nenchanting fictions.\u201d\n\n \u2014CRICHTON\u2019S \u201c_History of Arabia_.\u201d\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n[Illustration]\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n_A PLAIN AND LITERAL TRANSLATION OF THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS.\nNOW ENTITULED_\n\n\n\n\n _THE BOOK OF THE_\n Thousand Nights and a Night\n\n _WITH INTRODUCTION EXPLANATORY NOTES ON THE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF\n MOSLEM MEN AND A TERMINAL ESSAY UPON THE HISTORY OF THE NIGHTS_\n\n VOLUME VII.\n\n\n BY\n RICHARD F. BURTON\n\n[Illustration]\n\n PRINTED BY THE BURTON CLUB FOR PRIVATE SUBSCRIBERS ONLY\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n\n\n\n Shammar Edition\n\nLimited to one thousand numbered sets, of which this is\n\n Number _547_\n\n\n\n\n PRINTED IN U. S. A.\n\n\n\n\n I INSCRIBE THESE PAGES\n\n TO\n\n AN OLD AND VALUED FRIEND,\n\n JOHN W. LARKING\n\n (WHILOME OF ALEXANDRIA),\n\n IN WHOSE HOSPITABLE HOME (\u201cTHE SYCAMORES\u201d) I MADE MY FINAL\n\n PREPARATIONS FOR A PILGRIMAGE TO MECCAH\n\n AND EL-MEDINAH.\n\n R. F. BURTON.\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n\n\n\n CONTENTS OF THE SEVENTH VOLUME.\n\n\n PAGE\n\n CONTINUATION OF THE HISTORY OF GHARIB AND HIS BROTHER AJIB 1\n\n OTBAH AND RAYYA 91\n\n HIND DAUGHTER OF AL-NU\u2019MAN AND AL-HAJJAJ 96\n\n KHUZAYMAH BIN BISHR AND IKRIMAH AL-FAYYAZ 99\n\n YUNUS THE SCRIBE AND THE CALIPH WALID BIN SAHL 104\n\n HARUN AL-RASHID AND THE ARAB GIRL 108\n\n AL-ASMA\u2019I AND THE THREE GIRLS OF BASSORAH 110\n\n IBRAHIM OF MOSUL AND THE DEVIL 113\n\n (_Lane, Vol. I. page 223._)\n\n THE LOVERS OF THE BANU UZRAH 117\n\n THE BADAWI AND HIS WIFE 124\n\n (_Lane, Vol. I. 521._)\n\n THE LOVERS OF BASSORAH 130\n\n ISHAK OF MOSUL AND HIS MISTRESS AND THE DEVIL 136\n\n THE LOVERS OF AL-MEDINAH 139\n\n (_Lane, Another Anecdote of Two Lovers, III. 252._)\n\n AL-MALIK AL-NASIR AND HIS WAZIR 142\n\n THE ROGUERIES OF DALILAH THE CRAFTY AND HER DAUGHTER ZAYNAB THE\n CONEY-CATCHER 144\n\n (_Lane omits._)\n\n THE ADVENTURES OF MERCURY ALI OF CAIRO 172\n\n (_Lane omits._)\n\n ARDASHIR AND HAYAT AL-NUFUS 209\n\n (_Lane omits._)\n\n JULNAR THE SEA-BORN AND HER SON KING BADR BASIM OF PERSIA 264\n\n (_Lane, III. 255, The Story of Jullanar of the Sea._)\n\n KING MOHAMMED BIN SABAIK AND THE MERCHANT HASAN 308\n\n (_Lane, III. 373, Notes to Chapt. xxiv._)\n\n _a._ STORY OF PRINCE SAYF AL-MULUK AND THE PRINCESS BADI\u2019A\n AL-JAMAL 314\n\n (_Lane, III. 308, The Story of Seif El-Mulook and Badeea El-Jamal, with\n the Introduction transferred to a note, p. 372._)\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-seventh Night,\n\nShahrazad continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sa\u2019adan\nhaving broken into the palace of King Jamak and pounded to pieces those\ntherein, the survivors cried out, \u201cQuarter! Quarter!\u201d; and Sa\u2019adan said\nto them, \u201cPinion your King!\u201d So they bound Jamak and took him up, and\nSa\u2019adan drove them before him like sheep and brought them to Gharib\u2019s\npresence, after the most part of the citizens had perished by the\nenemy\u2019s swords. When the King of Babel came to himself, he found himself\nbound and heard Sa\u2019adan say, \u201cI will sup to-night off this King Jamak:\u201d\nwhereupon he turned to Gharib and cried to him, \u201cI throw myself on thy\nmercy.\u201d Replied Gharib, \u201cBecome a Moslem, and thou shalt be safe from\nthe Ghul and from the vengeance of the Living One who ceaseth not.\u201d So\nJamak professed Al-Islam with heart and tongue and Gharib bade loose his\nbonds. Then he expounded The Faith to his people and they all became\nTrue Believers; after which Jamak returned to the city and despatched\nthence provaunt and henchmen to Gharib; and wine to the camp before\nBabel where they passed the night. On the morrow, Gharib gave the signal\nfor the march and they fared on till they came to Mayy\u00e1f\u00e1rik\u00edn,[1] which\nthey found empty, for its people had heard what had befallen Babel and\nhad fled to Cufa-city and told Ajib. When he heard the news, his\nDoom-day appeared to him and he assembled his braves and informing them\nof the enemy\u2019s approach ordered them make ready to do battle with his\nbrother\u2019s host; after which he numbered them and found them thirty\nthousand horse and ten thousand foot.[2] So, needing more, he levied\nother fifty thousand men, cavalry and infantry, and taking horse amid a\nmighty host, rode forwards, till he came upon his brother\u2019s army\nencamped before Mosul and pitched his tents in face of their lines. Then\nGharib wrote a writ and said to his officers, \u201cWhich of you will carry\nthis letter to Ajib?\u201d Whereupon Sahim sprang to his feet and cried, \u201cO\nKing of the Age, I will bear thy missive and bring thee back an answer.\u201d\nSo Gharib gave him the epistle and he repaired to the pavilion of Ajib\nwho, when informed of his coming, said, \u201cAdmit him!\u201d and when he stood\nin the presence asked him, \u201cWhence comest thou?\u201d Answered Sahim, \u201cFrom\nthe King of the Arabs and the Persians, son-in-law of Chosro\u00eb, King of\nthe world, who sendeth thee a writ; so do thou return him a reply.\u201d\nQuoth Ajib, \u201cGive me the letter;\u201d accordingly Sahim gave it to him and\nhe tore it open and found therein:\u2014\u201cIn the name of Allah the\nCompassionating, the Compassionate! Peace on Abraham the Friend await!\nBut afterwards. As soon as this letter shall come to thy hand, do thou\nconfess the Unity of the Bountiful King, Causer of causes and Mover of\nthe clouds;[3] and leave worshipping idols. An thou do this thing, thou\nart my brother and ruler over us and I will pardon thee the deaths of my\nfather and mother, nor will I reproach thee with what thou hast done.\nBut an thou obey not my bidding, behold, I will hasten to thee and cut\noff thy head and lay waste thy dominions. Verily, I give thee good\ncounsel, and the Peace be on those who pace the path of salvation and\nobey the Most High King!\u201d When Ajib read these words and knew the threat\nthey contained, his eyes sank into the crown of his head and he gnashed\nhis teeth and flew into a furious rage. Then he tore the letter in\npieces and threw it away, which vexed Sahim and he cried out upon Ajib,\nsaying, \u201cAllah wither thy hand for the deed thou hast done!\u201d With this\nAjib cried out to his men, saying, \u201cSeize yonder hound and hew him in\npieces with your hangers.\u201d[4] So they ran at Sahim; but he bared blade\nand fell upon them and slew of them more than fifty braves; after which\nhe cut his way out, though bathed in blood, and won back to Gharib, who\nsaid, \u201cWhat is this case, O Sahim?\u201d And he told him what had passed,\nwhereat he grew livid for rage and crying \u201cAllaho Akbar\u2014God is most\ngreat!\u201d\u2014bade the battle-drums beat. So the fighting-men donned their\nhauberks and coats of strait-woven mail and baldrick\u2019d themselves with\ntheir swords; the footmen drew out in battle-array, whilst the horsemen\nmounted their prancing horses and dancing camels and levelled their long\nlances, and the champions rushed into the field. Ajib and his men also\ntook horse and host charged down upon host.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the\ndawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-eighth Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib and\nhis merry men took horse, Ajib and his troops also mounted and host\ncharged down upon host. Then ruled the Kazi of Battle, in whose\nordinance is no wrong, for a seal is on his lips and he speaketh not;\nand the blood railed in rills and purfled earth with curious embroidery;\nheads grew gray and hotter waxed battle and fiercer. Feet slipped and\nstood firm the valiant and pushed forwards, whilst turned the\nfaint-heart and fled, nor did they leave fighting till the day darkened\nand the night starkened. Then clashed the cymbals of retreat and the two\nhosts drew apart each from other, and returned to their tents, where\nthey nighted. Next morning, as soon as it was day, the cymbals beat to\nbattle and derring-do, and the warriors donned their harness of fight\nand baldrick\u2019d[5] their blades the brightest bright and with the brown\nlance bedight mounted doughty steed every knight and cried out, saying,\n\u201cThis day no flight!\u201d And the two hosts drew out in battle array, like\nthe surging sea. The first to open the chapter[6] of war was Sahim, who\ndrave his destrier between the two lines and played with swords and\nspears and turned over all the Capitula of combat till men of choicest\nwits were confounded. Then he cried out, saying, \u201cWho is for fighting?\nWho is for jousting? Let no sluggard come out or weakling!\u201d Whereupon\nthere rushed at him a horseman of the Kafirs, as he were a flame of\nfire; but Sahim let him not stand long before him ere he overthrew him\nwith a thrust. Then a second came forth and he slew him also, and a\nthird and he tare him in twain, and a fourth and he did him to death;\nnor did they cease sallying out to him and he left not slaying them,\ntill it was noon, by which time he had laid low two hundred braves. Then\nAjib cried to his men, \u201cCharge once more,\u201d and sturdy host on sturdy\nhost down bore and great was the clash of arms and battle-roar. The\nshining swords out rang; the blood in streams ran and footman rushed\nupon footman; Death showed in van and horse-hoof was shodden with skull\nof man; nor did they cease from sore smiting till waned the day and the\nnight came on in black array, when they drew apart and, returning to\ntheir tents, passed the night there. As soon as morning morrowed the two\nhosts mounted and sought the field of fight; and the Moslems looked for\nGharib to back steed and ride under the standards as was his wont, but\nhe came not. So Sahim sent to his brother\u2019s pavilion a slave who,\nfinding him not, asked the tent-pitchers,[7] but they answered, \u201cWe know\nnaught of him.\u201d Whereat he was greatly concerned and went forth and told\nthe troops, who refrained from battle, saying, \u201cAn Gharib be absent, his\nfoe will destroy us.\u201d Now there was for Gharib\u2019s absence a cause strange\nbut true which we will set out in order due. And it was thus. When Ajib\nreturned to his camp on the preceding night, he called one of his\nguardsmen by name Sayy\u00e1r and said to him, \u201cO Sayyar, I have not\ntreasured thee save for a day like this; and now I bid thee enter among\nGharib\u2019s host and, pushing into the marquee of their lord, bring him\nhither to me and prove how wily thy cunning be.\u201d And Sayyar said, \u201cI\nhear and I obey.\u201d So he repaired to the enemy\u2019s camp and stealing into\nGharib\u2019s pavilion, under the darkness of the night, when all the men had\ngone to their places of rest, stood up as though he were a slave to\nserve Gharib, who presently, being athirst, called to him for water. So\nhe brought him a pitcher of water, drugged with Bhang, and Gharib could\nnot fulfil his need ere he fell down with head distancing heels,\nwhereupon Sayyar wrapped him in his cloak and carrying him to Ajib\u2019s\ntent, threw him down at his feet. Quoth Ajib, \u201cO Sayyar, what is this?\u201d\nQuoth he, \u201cThis be thy brother Gharib;\u201d whereat Ajib rejoiced and said,\n\u201cThe blessings of the Idols light upon thee! Loose him and wake him.\u201d So\nthey made him sniff up vinegar and he came to himself and opened his\neyes; then, finding himself bound and in a tent other than his own,\nexclaimed, \u201cThere is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the\nGlorious, the Great!\u201d Thereupon Ajib cried out at him, saying, \u201cDost\nthou draw on me, O dog, and seek to slay me and take on me thy\nblood-wreak of thy father and thy mother? I will send thee this very day\nto them and rid the world of thee.\u201d Replied Gharib, \u201cKafir hound! soon\nshalt thou see against whom the wheels of fate shall revolve and who\nshall be overthrown by the wrath of the Almighty King, Who wotteth what\nis in hearts and Who shall leave thee in Gehenna tormented and\nconfounded! Have ruth on thyself and say with me:\u2014There is no god but\n_the_ God and Abraham is the Friend of God!\u201d When Ajib heard Gharib\u2019s\nwords, he snarked and snorted and railed at his god, the stone, and\ncalled for the sworder and the leather-rug of blood; but his Wazir, who\nwas at heart a Moslem though outwardly a Miscreant, rose and kissing\nground before him, said, \u201cPatience, O King, deal not hastily, but wait\ntill we know the conquered from the conqueror. If we prove the victors,\nwe shall have power to kill him and, if we be beaten, his being alive in\nour hands will be a strength to us.\u201d And the Emirs said, \u201cThe Minister\nspeaketh sooth!\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased\nsaying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-ninth Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Ajib\npurposed to slay Gharib, the Wazir rose and said, \u201cDeal not hastily, for\nwe have always power to kill him!\u201d So Ajib bade lay his brother Gharib\nin irons and chain him up in his own tent and set a thousand stout\nwarriors to guard him. Meanwhile Gharib\u2019s host, when they awoke that\nmorning and found not their King, were as sheep sans a shepherd; but\nSa\u2019adan the Ghul cried out at them, saying, \u201cO folk, don your war-gear\nand trust to your Lord to defend you!\u201d So Arabs and Ajams mounted horse,\nafter clothing themselves in hauberks of iron and shirting themselves in\nstraight-knit mail, and sallied forth to the field, the Chiefs and the\ncolours moving in van. Then dashed out the Ghul of the Mountain, with a\nclub on his shoulder, two hundred pounds in weight, and wheeled and\ncareered, saying, \u201cHo, worshippers of idols, come ye out and renown it\nthis day, for \u2019tis a day of onslaught! Whoso knoweth me hath enough of\nmy mischief and whoso knoweth me not, I will make myself known to him. I\nam Sa\u2019adan, servant of King Gharib. Who is for jousting? Who is for\nfighting? Let no faint-heart come forth to me to-day or weakling.\u201d And\nthere rushed upon him a Champion of the Infidels, as he were a flame of\nfire, and drove at him, but Sa\u2019adan charged home at him and dealt him\nwith his club a blow which broke his ribs and cast him lifeless to the\nearth. Then he called out to his sons and slaves, saying, \u201cLight the\nbonfire, and whoso falleth of the Kafirs do ye dress him and roast him\nwell in the flame, then bring him to me that I may break my fast on\nhim!\u201d So they kindled a fire midmost the plain and laid thereon the\nslain, till he was cooked, when they brought him to Sa\u2019adan, who gnawed\nhis flesh and crunched his bones. When the Miscreants saw the\nMountain-Ghul do this deed they were affrighted with sore affright, but\nAjib cried out to his men, saying, \u201cOut on you! Fall upon the Ogre and\nhew him in hunks with your scymitars!\u201d So twenty thousand men ran at\nSa\u2019adan, whilst the footmen circled round him and rained upon him darts\nand shafts so that he was wounded in four-and-twenty places, and his\nblood ran down upon the earth, and he was alone. Then the host of the\nMoslems drave at the heathenry, calling for help upon the Lord of the\nthree Worlds, and they ceased not from fight and fray till the day came\nto an end, when they drew apart. But the Infidels had captured Sa\u2019adan,\nas he were a drunken man for loss of blood; and they bound him fast and\nset him by Gharib who, seeing the Ghul a prisoner, said, \u201cThere is no\nMajesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! O\nSa\u2019adan, what case is this?\u201d \u201cO my lord,\u201d replied Sa\u2019adan, \u201cit is Allah\n(extolled and exalted be He!) who ordaineth joy and annoy and there is\nno help but this and that betide.\u201d And Gharib rejoined, \u201cThou speakest\nsooth, O Sa\u2019adan!\u201d But Ajib passed the night in joy and he said to his\nmen, \u201cMount ye on the morrow and fall upon the Moslems so shall not one\nof them be left alive.\u201d And they replied, \u201cHearkening and obedience!\u201d\nThis is how it fared with them; but as regards the Moslems, they passed\nthe night, dejected and weeping for their King and Sa\u2019adan; but Sahim\nsaid to them, \u201cO folk, be not concerned, for the aidance of Almighty\nAllah is nigh.\u201d Then he waited till midnight, when he assumed the garb\nof a tent-pitcher; and, repairing to Ajib\u2019s camp, made his way between\nthe tents and pavilions till he came to the King\u2019s marquee, where he saw\nhim seated on his throne surrounded by his Princes. So he entered and\ngoing up to the candles which burnt in the tent, snuffed them and\nsprinkled levigated henbane on the wicks; after which he withdrew and\nwaited without the marquee, till the smoke of the burning henbane\nreached Ajib and his Princes and they fell to the ground like dead men.\nThen he left them and went to the prison tent, where he found Gharib and\nSa\u2019adan, guarded by a thousand braves, who were overcome with sleep. So\nhe cried out at the guards, saying, \u201cWoe to you! Sleep not; but watch\nyour prisoners and light the cressets.\u201d Presently he filled a cresset\nwith firewood, on which he strewed henbane, and lighting it, went round\nabout the tent with it, till the smoke entered the nostrils of the\nguards, and they all fell asleep drowned by the drug; when he entered\nthe tent and finding Gharib and Sa\u2019adan also insensible he aroused them\nby making them smell and sniff at a sponge full of vinegar he had with\nhim. Thereupon he loosed their bonds and collars, and when they saw him,\nthey blessed him and rejoiced in him. After this they went forth and\ntook all the arms of the guards and Sahim said to them, \u201cGo to your own\ncamp;\u201d while he re-entered Ajib\u2019s pavilion and, wrapping him in his\ncloak, lifted him up and made for the Moslem encampment. And the Lord,\nthe Compassionate, protected him, so that he reached Gharib\u2019s tent in\nsafety and unrolled the cloak before him. Gharib looked at its contents\nand seeing his brother Ajib bound, cried out, \u201cAllaho Akbar\u2014God is Most\nGreat! Aidance! Victory!\u201d And he blessed Sahim and bade him arouse Ajib.\nSo he made him smell the vinegar mixed with incense, and he opened his\neyes and, finding himself bound and shackled, hung down his head\nearthwards.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say\nher permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Fortieth Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that after Sahim had\naroused Ajib, whom he had made insensible with henbane and had brought\nto his brother Gharib, the captive opened his eyes and, feeling himself\nbound and shackled, hung down his head earthwards. Thereupon cried\nSahim, \u201cO Accursed, lift thy head!\u201d So he raised his eyes and found\nhimself amongst Arabs and Ajams and saw his brother seated on the throne\nof his estate and the place of his power, wherefore he was silent and\nspake not. Then Gharib cried out and said, \u201cStrip me this hound!\u201d So\nthey stripped him and came down upon him with whips, till they weakened\nhis body and subdued his pride, after which Gharib set over him a guard\nof an hundred knights. And when this fraternal correction had been\nadministered they heard shouts of, \u201cThere is no God but _the_ God!\u201d and\n\u201cGod is Most Great!\u201d from the camp of the Kafirs. Now the cause of this\nwas that, ten days after his nephew King Al-Damigh, Gharib\u2019s uncle, had\nset out from Al-Jazirah, with twenty thousand horse, and on nearing the\nfield of battle, had despatched one of his scouts to get news. The man\nwas absent a whole day, at the end of which time he returned and told\nAl-Damigh all that had happened to Gharib with his brother. So he waited\ntill the night, when he fell upon the Infidels, crying out, \u201cAllaho\nAkbar!\u201d and put them to the edge of the biting scymitar. When Gharib\nheard the Takbir,[8] he said to Sahim, \u201cGo find out the cause of these\nshouts and war-cries.\u201d So Sahim repaired to the field of battle and\nquestioned the slaves and camp followers, who told him that King\nAl-Damigh had come up with twenty thousand men and had fallen upon the\nidolaters by night, saying, \u201cBy the virtue of Abraham the Friend, I will\nnot forsake my brother\u2019s son, but will play a brave man\u2019s part and beat\nback the host of Miscreants and please the Omnipotent King!\u201d So Sahim\nreturned and told his uncle\u2019s derring-do to Gharib, who cried out to his\nmen, saying. \u201cDon your arms and mount your steeds and let us succour my\nfather\u2019s brother!\u201d So they took horse and fell upon the Infidels and put\nthem to the edge of the sharp sword. By the morning they had killed nigh\nfifty thousand of the Kafirs and made other thirty thousand prisoners,\nand the rest of Ajib\u2019s army dispersed over the length and breadth of\nearth. Then the Moslems returned in victory and triumph, and Gharib rode\nout to meet his uncle, whom he saluted and thanked for his help. Quoth\nAl-Damigh, \u201cI wonder if that dog Ajib fell in this day\u2019s affair.\u201d Quoth\nGharib, \u201cO uncle, be of good cheer and keep thine eyes cool and clear:\nknow that he is with me in chains.\u201d When Al-Damigh heard this he\nrejoiced with exceeding joy and the two kings dismounted and entered the\npavilion, but found no Ajib there; whereupon Gharib exclaimed, \u201cO glory\nof Abraham, the Friend (with whom be peace!),\u201d adding, \u201cAlas, what an\nill end is this to a glorious day!\u201d and he cried out to the\ntent-pitchers, saying, \u201cWoe to you! Where is my enemy who oweth me so\nmuch?\u201d Quoth they, \u201cWhen thou mountedst and we went with thee, thou\ndidst not bid us guard him;\u201d and Gharib exclaimed, \u201cThere is no Majesty\nand there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!\u201d But\nAl-Damigh said to him, \u201cHasten not nor be concerned, for where can he\ngo, and we in pursuit of him?\u201d Now the manner of Ajib\u2019s escape was in\nthis wise. His page Sayyar had been ambushed in the camp and when he saw\nGharib mount and ride forth, leaving none to guard his enemy Ajib, he\ncould hardly credit his eyes. So he waited awhile and presently crept to\nthe tent and taking Ajib, who was senseless for the pain of the\nbastinado, on his back, made off with him into the open country and\nfared on at the top of his speed from early night to the next day, till\nhe came to a spring of water, under an apple tree. There he set down\nAjib from his back and washed his face, whereupon he opened his eyes and\nseeing Sayyar, said to him, \u201cO Sayyar, carry me to Cufa that I may\nrecover there and levy horsemen and soldiers wherewith to overthrow my\nfoe: and know, O Sayyar, that I am anhungered.\u201d So Sayyar sprang up and\ngoing out to the desert caught an ostrich-poult and brought it to his\nlord. Then he gathered fuel and deftly using the fire-sticks kindled a\nfire, by which he roasted the bird which he had hallal\u2019d[9] and fed Ajib\nwith its flesh and gave him to drink of the water of the spring, till\nhis strength returned to him, after which he went to one of the Badawi\ntribal encampments, and stealing thence a steed mounted Ajib upon it and\njourneyed on with him for many days till they drew near the city of\nCufa. The Viceroy of the capital came out to meet and salute the King,\nwhom he found weak with the beating his brother had inflicted upon him;\nand Ajib entered the city and called his physicians. When they answered\nhis summons, he bade them heal him in less than ten days\u2019 time: they\nsaid, \u201cWe hear and we obey,\u201d and they tended him till he became whole of\nthe sickness that was upon him and of the punishment. Then he commanded\nhis Wazirs to write letters to all his Nabobs and vassals, and he\nindited one-and-twenty writs and despatched them to the governors, who\nassembled their troops and set out for Cufa by forced marches.\u2014\u2014And\nShahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Forty-first Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Ajib sent\norders to assemble the troops, who marched forthright to Cufa.\nMeanwhile, Gharib, being troubled for Ajib\u2019s escape, despatched in quest\nof him a thousand braves, who dispersed on all sides and sought him a\nday and a night, but found no trace of him; so they returned and told\nGharib, who called for his brother Sahim, but found him not; whereat he\nwas sore concerned, fearing for him from the shifts of Fortune. And lo!\nSahim entered and kissed ground before Gharib, who rose, when he saw\nhim, and asked, \u201cWhere hast thou been, O Sahim?\u201d He answered, \u201cO King, I\nhave been to Cufa and there I find that the dog Ajib hath made his way\nto his capital and is healed of his hurts: eke, he hath written letters\nto his vassals and sent them to his Nabobs who have brought him troops.\u201d\nWhen Gharib heard this, he gave the command to march; so they struck\ntents and fared for Cufa. When they came in sight of the city, they\nfound it compassed about with a host like the surging main, having\nneither beginning nor end. So Gharib with his troops encamped in face of\nthe Kafirs and set up his standards, and darkness fell down upon the two\nhosts, whereupon they lighted camp-fires and kept watch till daybreak.\nThen King Gharib rose and making the Wuzu-ablution, prayed a two-bow\nprayer according to the rite of our father Abraham the Friend (on whom\nbe the Peace!); after which he commanded the battle-drums to sound the\npoint of war. Accordingly, the kettle-drums beat to combat and the\nstandards fluttered whilst the fighting men armour donned and their\nhorses mounted and themselves displayed and to plain fared. Now the\nfirst to open the gate of war was King Al-Damigh, who urged his charger\nbetween the two opposing armies and displayed himself and played with\nthe swords and the spears, till both hosts were confounded and at him\nmarvelled, after which he cried out, saying, \u201cWho is for jousting? Let\nno sluggard come out to me or weakling; for I am Al-Damigh, the King,\nbrother of Kundamir the King.\u201d Then there rushed forth a horseman of the\nKafirs, as he were a flame of fire, and drave at Al-Damigh, without word\nsaid; but the King received him with a lance-thrust in the breast so\ndour that the point issued from between his shoulders and Allah hurried\nhis soul to the fire, the abiding-place dire. Then came forth a second\nhe slew, and a third he slew likewise, and they ceased not to come out\nto him and he to slay them, till he had made an end of six-and-seventy\nfighting men. Hereupon the Miscreants and men of might hung back and\nwould not encounter him; but Ajib cried out to his men and said, \u201cFie on\nyou, O folk! if ye all go forth to him, one by one, he will not leave\nany of you, sitting or standing. Charge on him all at once and cleanse\nof them our earthly wone and strew their heads for your horses\u2019 hoofs\nlike a plain of stone!\u201d So they waved the awe-striking flag and host was\nheaped upon host; blood rained in streams upon earth and railed and the\nJudge of battle ruled, in whose ordinance is no unright. The fearless\nstood firm on feet in the stead of fight, whilst the faint-heart gave\nback and took to flight thinking the day would never come to an end nor\nthe curtains of gloom would be drawn by the hand of Night; and they\nceased not to battle with swords and to smite till light darkened and\nmurk starkened. Then the kettle-drums of the Infidels beat the retreat,\nbut Gharib, refusing to stay his arms, drave at the Paynimry, and the\nBelievers in Unity, the Moslems, followed him. How many heads and hands\nthey shore, how many necks and sinews they tore, how many knees and\nspines they mashed and how many grown men and youths they to death\nbashed! With the first gleam of morning grey the Infidels broke and fled\naway, in disorder and disarray; and the Moslems followed them till\nmiddle-day and took over twenty thousand of them, whom they brought to\ntheir tents in bonds to stay. Then Gharib sat down before the gate of\nCufa and commanded a herald to proclaim pardon and protection for every\nwight who should leave the worship to idols dight and profess the unity\nof His All-might the Creator of mankind and of light and night. So was\nmade proclamation as he bade in the streets of Cufa and all that were\ntherein embraced the True Faith, great and small; then they issued forth\nin a body and renewed their Islam before King Gharib, who rejoiced in\nthem with exceeding joy and his breast broadened and he threw off all\nannoy. Presently he enquired of Mardas and his daughter Mahdiyah, and,\nbeing told that he had taken up his abode behind the Red Mountain, he\ncalled Sahim and said to him, \u201cFind out for me what is become of thy\nfather.\u201d Sahim mounted steed without stay or delay and set his\nberry-brown spear in rest and fared on in quest till he reached the Red\nMountain, where he sought for his father, yet found no trace of him nor\nof his tribe; however, he saw in their stead an elder of the Arabs, a\nvery old man, broken with excess of years, and asked him of the folk and\nwhither they were gone. Replied he, \u201cO my son, when Mardas heard of\nGharib\u2019s descent upon Cufa he feared with great fear and, taking his\ndaughter and his folk, set out with his handmaids and negroes into the\nwild and wold, and I wot not whither he went.\u201d So Sahim, hearing the\nShaykh\u2019s words, returned to Gharib and told him thereof, whereat he was\ngreatly concerned. Then he sat down on his father\u2019s throne and, opening\nhis treasuries, distributed largesse to each and every of his braves.\nAnd he took up his abode in Cufa and sent out spies to get news of Ajib.\nHe also summoned the Grandees of the realm, who came and did him homage;\nas also did the citizens and he bestowed on them sumptuous robes of\nhonour and commended the Ryots to their care.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived\nthe dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Forty-second Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Gharib, after\ngiving robes of honour to the citizens of Cufa and commending the Ryots\nto their care, went out on a day of the days to hunt, with an hundred\nhorse, and fared on till he came to a Wady, abounding in trees and\nfruits and rich in rills and birds. It was a pasturing-place for roes\nand gazelles, to the spirit a delight whose scents reposed from the\nlanguor of fight. They encamped in the valley, for the day was clear and\nbright, and there passed the night. On the morrow, Gharib made the\nWuzu-ablution and prayed the two-bow dawn-prayer, offering up praise and\nthanks to Almighty Allah; when, lo and behold! there arose a clamour and\nconfusion in the meadows, and he bade Sahim go see what was to do. So\nSahim mounted forthright and rode till he espied goods being plundered\nand horses haltered and women carried off and children crying out.\nWhereupon he questioned one of the shepherds, saying, \u201cWhat be all\nthis?\u201d; and they replied, \u201cThis is the Harim of Mardas, Chief of the\nBanu Kahtan, and his good and that of his clan; for yesterday Jamrkan\nslew Mardas and made prize of his women and children and household stuff\nand all the belonging of his tribe. It is his wont to go a-raiding and\nto cut off highways and waylay wayfarers and he is a furious tyrant;\nneither Arabs nor Kings can prevail against him and he is the scourge\nand curse of the country.\u201d Now when Sahim heard these news of his sire\u2019s\nslaughter and the looting of his Harim and property, he returned to\nGharib and told him the case, wherefore fire was added to his fire and\nhis spirit chafed to wipe out his shame and his blood-wit to claim: so\nhe rode with his men after the robbers till he overtook them and fell\nupon them, crying out and saying, \u201cAlmighty Allah upon the rebel, the\ntraitor, the infidel!\u201d and he slew in a single charge one-and-twenty\nfighting-men. Then he halted in mid-field, with no coward\u2019s heart, and\ncried out, \u201cWhere is Jamrkan? Let him come out to me, that I may make\nhim quaff the cup of disgrace and rid of him earth\u2019s face!\u201d Hardly had\nhe made an end of speaking, when forth rushed Jamrkan, as he were a\ncalamity of calamities or a piece of a mountain, cased in steel. He was\na mighty huge[10] Amalekite; and he drave at Gharib without speech or\nsalute, like the fierce tyrant he was. And he was armed with a mace of\nChina steel, so heavy, so potent, that had he smitten a hill he had\nsmashed it. Now when he charged, Gharib met him like a hungry lion, and\nthe brigand aimed a blow at his head with his mace; but he evaded it and\nit smote the earth and sank therein half a cubit deep. Then Gharib took\nhis battle flail and smiting Jamrkan on the wrist, crushed his fingers\nand the mace dropped from his grasp; whereupon Gharib bent down from his\nseat in selle and snatching it up, swiftlier than the blinding leven,\nsmote him therewith full on the flat of the ribs, and he fell to the\nearth like a long-stemmed palm-tree. So Sahim took him and pinioning\nhim, haled him off with a rope, and Gharib\u2019s horsemen fell on those of\nJamrkan and slew fifty of them: the rest fled; nor did they cease flying\ntill they reached their tribal camp and raised their voices in clamour;\nwhereupon all who were in the Castle came out to meet them and asked the\nnews. They told the tribe what had passed; and, when they heard that\ntheir chief was a prisoner, they set out for the valley vying one with\nother in their haste to deliver him. Now when King Gharib had captured\nJamrkan and had seen his braves take flight, he dismounted and called\nfor Jamrkan, who humbled himself before him, saying, \u201cI am under thy\nprotection, O champion of the Age!\u201d Replied Gharib, \u201cO dog of the Arabs,\ndost thou cut the road for the servants of Almighty Allah, and fearest\nthou not the Lord of the Worlds?\u201d \u201cO my master,\u201d asked Jamrkan, \u201cand who\nis the Lord of the Worlds?\u201d \u201cO dog,\u201d answered Gharib, \u201cand what calamity\ndost thou worship?\u201d He said, \u201cO my lord, I worship a god made of\ndates[11] kneaded with butter and honey, and at times I eat him and make\nme another.\u201d When Gharib heard this, he laughed till he fell backwards\nand said, \u201cO miserable, there is none worship-worth save Almighty Allah,\nwho created thee and created all things and provideth all creatures with\ndaily bread, from whom nothing is hid and He over all things is\nOmnipotent.\u201d Quoth Jamrkan, \u201cAnd where is this great god, that I may\nworship him?\u201d Quoth Gharib, \u201cO fellow, know that this god\u2019s name is\nAllah\u2014_the_ God\u2014and it is He who fashioned the heavens and the earth and\ngarred the trees to grow and the waters to flow. He created wild beasts\nand birds and Paradise and Hell-fire and veileth Himself from all eyes\nseeing and of none being seen. He, and He only, is the Dweller on high.\nExtolled be His perfection! There is no god but He!\u201d When Jamrkan heard\nthese words, the ears of his heart were opened; his skin shuddered with\nhorripilation and he said, \u201cO my lord, what shall I say that I may\nbecome of you and that this mighty Lord may accept of me?\u201d Replied\nGharib, \u201cSay:\u2014There is no god but _the_ God and Abraham the Friend is\nthe Apostle of God!\u201d So he pronounced the profession of the Faith and\nwas written of the people of felicity. Then quoth Gharib, \u201cSay me, hast\nthou tasted the sweetness of Al-Islam?\u201d; and quoth the other, \u201cYes;\u201d\nwhereupon Gharib cried, \u201cLoose his bonds!\u201d So they unbound him and he\nkissed ground before Gharib and his feet. Now whilst this was going on,\nbehold, they espied a great cloud of dust that towered till it walled\nthe wold.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her\npermitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Forty-third Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Jamrkan\nislamised and kissed the ground between the hands of Gharib; and, as\nthey were thus, behold, a great cloud of dust towered till it walled the\nwold and Gharib said to Sahim, \u201cGo and see for us what it be.\u201d So he\nwent forth, like a bird in full flight, and presently returned, saying,\n\u201cO King of the Age, this dust is of the Banu Amir, the comrades of\nJamrkan.\u201d Whereupon quoth Gharib to the new Moslem, \u201cRide out to thy\npeople and offer to them Al-Islam: an they profess, they shall be saved;\nbut, an they refuse, we will put them to the sword.\u201d So Jamrkan mounted\nand driving steed towards his tribesmen, cried out to them; and they\nknew him and dismounting, came up to him on foot and said, \u201cWe rejoice\nin thy safety, O our lord!\u201d Said he, \u201cO folk, whoso obeyeth me shall be\nsaved; but whoso gainsayeth me, I will cut him in twain with this\nscymitar.\u201d And they made answer, saying, \u201cCommand us what thou wilt, for\nwe will not oppose thy commandment.\u201d Quoth he, \u201cThen say with me:\u2014There\nis no god but _the_ God and Abraham is the Friend of God!\u201d They asked,\n\u201cO our lord, whence haddest thou these words?\u201d And he told them what had\nbefallen him with Gharib, adding, \u201cO folk, know ye not that I am your\nchief in battle-plain and where men of cut and thrust are fain; and yet\na man single-handed me to prisoner hath ta\u2019en and made me the cup of\nshame and disgrace to drain?\u201d When they heard his speech, they spoke the\nword of Unity and Jamrkan led them to Gharib, at whose hands they\nrenewed their profession of Al-Islam and wished him glory and victory,\nafter they had kissed the earth before him. Gharib rejoiced in them and\nsaid to them, \u201cO folk, return to your people and expound Al-Islam to\nthem;\u201d but all replied, \u201cO our lord, we will never leave thee, whilst we\nlive; but we will go and fetch our families and return to thee.\u201d And\nGharib said, \u201cGo, and join me at the city of Cufa.\u201d So Jamrkan and his\ncomrades returned to their tribal camp and offered Al-Islam to their\nwomen and children, who all to a soul embraced the True Faith, after\nwhich they dismantled their abodes and struck their tents and set out\nfor Cufa driving before them their steeds, camels and sheep. During this\ntime Gharib returned to Cufa, where the horsemen met him in state. He\nentered his palace and sat down on his sire\u2019s throne with his champions\nranged on either hand. Then the spies came forwards, and informed him\nthat his brother Ajib had made his escape and had taken refuge with\nJaland[12] bin Karkar, lord of the city of Oman and land of Al-Yaman;\nwhereupon Gharib cried aloud to his host, \u201cO men, make you ready to\nmarch in three days.\u201d Then he expounded Al-Islam to the thirty thousand\nmen he had captured in the first affair and exhorted them to profess and\ntake service with him. Twenty thousand embraced the Faith, but the rest\nrefused and he slew them. Then came forward Jamrkan and his tribe and\nkissed the ground before Gharib, who bestowed on him a splendid robe of\nhonour and made him captain of his vanguard, saying, \u201cO Jamrkan, mount\nwith the Chiefs of thy kith and kin and twenty thousand horse and fare\non before us to the land of Jaland bin Karkar.\u201d \u201cHearkening and\nobedience,\u201d answered Jamrkan and, leaving the women and children of the\ntribe in Cufa, he set forward. Then Gharib passed in review the Harim of\nMardas and his eye lit upon Mahdiyah, who was among the women, wherewith\nhe fell down fainting. They sprinkled rose-water on his face, till he\ncame to himself, when he embraced Mahdiyah and carried her into a\nsitting-chamber, where he sat with her; and they twain lay together that\nnight without fornication. Next morning he went out and sitting down on\nthe throne of his kingship, robed his uncle Al-Damigh with a robe of\nhonour; and appointed him his viceroy over all Al-Irak, commending\nMahdiyah to his care, till he should return from his expedition against\nAjib; and, when the order was accepted, he set out for the land of\nAl-Yaman and the City of Oman with twenty thousand horse and ten\nthousand foot. Now, when Ajib and his defeated army drew in sight of\nOman, King Jaland saw the dust of their approach and sent to find out\nits meaning scouts who returned and said, \u201cVerily this is the dust of\none hight Ajib, lord of Al-Irak.\u201d And Jaland wondered at his coming to\nhis country and, when assured of the tidings, he said to his officers,\n\u201cFare ye forth and meet him.\u201d So they went out and met him and pitched\ntents for him at the city-gate; and Ajib entered in to Jaland,\nweeping-eyed and heavy-hearted. Now Jaland\u2019s wife was the daughter of\nAjib\u2019s paternal uncle and he had children by her; so, when he saw his\nkinsman in this plight, he asked for the truth of what ailed him and\nAjib told him all that had befallen him, first and last, from his\nbrother and said, \u201cO King, Gharib biddeth the folk worship the Lord of\nthe Heavens and forbiddeth them from the service of simulacres and other\nof the gods.\u201d When Jaland heard these words he raged and revolted and\nsaid, \u201cBy the virtue of the Sun, Lord of Life and Light, I will not\nleave one of thy brother\u2019s folk in existence! But where didst thou quit\nthem and how many men are they?\u201d Answered Ajib, \u201cI left them in Cufa and\nthey be fifty thousand horse.\u201d Whereupon Jaland called his Wazir\nJaw\u00e1mard,[13] saying, \u201cTake thee seventy thousand horse and fare to Cufa\nand bring me the Moslems alive, that I may torture them with all manner\nof tortures.\u201d So Jawamard departed with his host and fared through the\nfirst day and the second till the seventh day, when he came to a Wady\nabounding in trees and rills and fruits. Here he called a halt\u2014\u2014And\nShahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Forty-fourth Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Jaland\nsent Jawamard with his army to Cufa, they came upon a Wady abounding in\ntrees and rills where a halt was called and they rested till the middle\nof the night, when the Wazir gave the signal for departure and mounting,\nrode on before them till hard upon dawn, at which time he descended into\na well-wooded valley, whose flowers were fragrant and whose birds\nwarbled on boughs, as they swayed gracefully to and fro, and Satan blew\ninto his sides and puffed him up with pride and he improvised these\ncouplets and cried:\u2014\n\n I plunge with my braves in the seething sea; \u273f Seize the foe in my\n strength and my valiancy;\n And the doughtiest knights wot me well to be \u273f Friend to friend and\n fierce foe to mine enemy.\n I will load Gharib with the captive\u2019s chains \u273f Right soon, and return in\n all joy and glee;\n For I\u2019ve donned my mail and my weapons wield \u273f And on all sides charge\n at the chivalry.[14]\n\nHardly had Jawamard made an end of his verses when there came out upon\nhim from among the trees a horseman of terrible mien covered and clad in\nsteely sheen, who cried out to him, saying, \u201cStand, O riff-raff of the\nArabs! Doff thy dress and ground thine arms-gear and dismount thy\ndestrier and be off with thy life!\u201d When Jawamard heard this, the light\nin his eyes became darkest night and he drew his sabre and drove at\nJamrkan, for he it was, saying, \u201cO thief of the Arabs, wilt thou cut the\nroad for me, who am captain of the host of Jaland bin Karkar and am come\nto bring Gharib and his men in bond?\u201d When Jamrkan heard these words, he\nsaid, \u201cHow cooling is this to my heart and liver!\u201d And he made at\nJawamard versifying in these couplets:\u2014\n\n I\u2019m the noted knight in the field of fight, \u273f Whose sabre and spear\n every foe affright!\n Jamrkan am I, to my foes a fear, \u273f With a lance-lunge known unto every\n knight:\n Gharib is my lord, nay my pontiff, my prince, \u273f Where the two hosts dash\n very lion of might:\n An Imam of the Faith, pious, striking awe \u273f On the plain where his foes\n like the fawn take flight;\n Whose voice bids folk to the faith of the Friend, \u273f False, doubling\n idols and gods despite!\n\nNow Jamrkan had fared on with his tribesmen ten days\u2019 journey from\nCufa-city and called a halt on the eleventh day till midnight, when he\nordered a march and rode on devancing them till he descended into the\nvalley aforesaid and heard Jawamard reciting his verses. So he drave at\nhim as the driving of a ravening lion, and smiting him with his sword,\nclove him in twain and waited till his captains came up, when he told\nthem what had passed and said to them, \u201cTake each of you five thousand\nmen and disperse round about the Wady, whilst I and the Banu Amir fall\nupon the enemy\u2019s van, shouting, Allaho Akbar\u2014God is Most Great! When ye\nhear my slogan, do ye charge them, crying like me upon the Lord, and\nsmite them with the sword.\u201d \u201cWe hear and we obey,\u201d answered they and\nturning back to their braves did his bidding and spread themselves about\nthe sides of the valley in the twilight forerunning the dawn. Presently,\nlo and behold! up came the army of Al-Yaman, like a flock of sheep,\nfilling plain and steep, and Jamrkan and the Banu Amir fell upon them,\nshouting, \u201cAllaho Akbar!\u201d till all heard it, Moslems and Miscreants.\nWhereupon the True Believers ambushed in the valley answered from every\nside and the hills and mountains responsive cried and all things\nreplied, green and dried, saying, \u201cGod is Most Great! Aidance and\nVictory to us from on High! Shame to the Miscreants who His name deny!\u201d\nAnd the Kafirs were confounded and smote one another with sabres keen\nwhilst the True Believers and pious fell upon them like flames of fiery\nsheen and naught was seen but heads flying and blood jetting and\nfaint-hearts hieing. By the time they could see one another\u2019s faces,\ntwo-thirds of the Infidels had perished and Allah hastened their souls\nto the fire and abiding-place dire. The rest fled and to the deserts\nsped whilst the Moslems pursued them to slay and take captives till\nmiddle-day, when they returned in triumph with seven thousand prisoners;\nand but six-and-twenty thousand of the Infidels escaped and the most of\nthem wounded. Then the Moslems collected the horses and arms, the loads\nand tents of the enemy and despatched them to Cufa with an escort of a\nthousand horse;\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased\nsaying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Forty-fifth Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Jamrkan in his\nbattle with Jawamard slew him and slew his men; and, after taking many\nprisoners and much money and many horses and loads, sent them with an\nescort of a thousand riders, to Cufa city. Then he and the army of\nAl-Islam dismounted and expounded The saving Faith to the prisoners, who\nmade profession with heart and tongue; whereupon they released them from\nbonds and embraced them and rejoiced in them. Then Jamrkan made his\ntroops, who had swelled to a mighty many, rest a day and a night and\nmarched with the dawn, intending to attack Jaland bin Karkar in the city\nof Oman; whilst the thousand horse fared back to Cufa with the loot.\nWhen they reached the city, they went in to King Gharib and told him\nwhat had passed, whereat he rejoiced and gave them joy and, turning to\nthe Ghul of the Mountain, said, \u201cTake horse with twenty thousand and\nfollow Jamrkan.\u201d So Sa\u2019adan and his sons mounted and set out, amid\ntwenty thousand horse for Oman. Meanwhile, the fugitives of the defeated\nKafirs reached Oman and went in to Jaland, weeping and crying, \u201cWoe!\u201d\nand \u201cRuin!\u201d whereat he was confounded and said to them, \u201cWhat calamity\nhath befallen you?\u201d So they told him what had happened and he said, \u201cWoe\nto you! How many men were they?\u201d They replied, \u201cO King, there were\ntwenty standards, under each a thousand men.\u201d When Jaland heard these\nwords he said, \u201cMay the sun pour no blessing on you! Fie upon you! What,\nshall twenty thousand overcome you, and you seventy thousand horse and\nJawamard able to withstand three thousand in field of fight?\u201d Then, in\nthe excess of his rage and mortification, he bared his blade and cried\nout to those who were present, saying, \u201cFall on them!\u201d So the courtiers\ndrew their swords upon the fugitives and annihilated them to the last\nman and cast them to the dogs. Then Jaland cried aloud to his son,\nsaying, \u201cTake an hundred thousand horse and go to Al-Irak and lay it\nwaste altogether.\u201d Now this son\u2019s name was K\u00faraj\u00e1n and there was no\ndoughtier knight in all the force; for he could charge single-handed\nthree thousand riders. So he and his host made haste to equip themselves\nand marched in battle-array, rank following rank, with the Prince at\ntheir head, glorying in himself and improvising these couplets:\u2014\n\n I\u2019m Al-Kurajan, and my name is known \u273f To beat all who in wold or in\n city wone!\n How many a soldier my sword at will \u273f Struck down like a cow on the\n ground bestrown?\n How many a soldier I\u2019ve forced to fly \u273f And have rolled their heads as a\n ball is thrown?\n Now I\u2019ll drive and harry the land Irak[15] \u273f And like rain I\u2019ll shower\n the blood of fone;\n And lay hands on Gharib and his men, whose doom \u273f To the wise a warning\n shall soon be shown!\n\nThe host fared on twelve days\u2019 journey and, while they were still\nmarching, behold, a great dust cloud arose before them and walled the\nhorizon, and the whole region. So Kurajan sent out scouts, saying, \u201cGo\nforth and bring me tidings of what meaneth this dust.\u201d They went till\nthey passed under the enemy\u2019s standards and presently returning said, \u201cO\nKing, verily this is the dust of the Moslems.\u201d Whereat he was glad and\nsaid, \u201cDid ye count them?\u201d And they answered, \u201cWe counted the colours\nand they numbered twenty.\u201d Quoth he, \u201cBy my faith, I will not send one\nman-at-arms against them, but will go forth to them alone by myself and\nstrew their heads under the horses\u2019 hooves!\u201d Now this was the army of\nJamrkan who, espying the host of the Kafirs and seeing them as a surging\nsea, called a halt; so his troops pitched the tents and set up the\nstandards, calling upon the name of the All-wise One, the Creator of\nlight and gloom, Lord of all creatures, Who seeth while Him none see,\nthe High to infinity, extolled and exalted be He! There is no God but\nHe! The Miscreants also halted and pitched their tents, and Kurajan said\nto them, \u201cKeep on your arms, and in armour sleep, for during the last\nwatch of the night we will mount and trample yonder handful under feet!\u201d\nNow one of Jamrkan\u2019s spies was standing nigh and heard what Kurajan had\ncontrived; so he returned to the host and told his chief who said to\nthem, \u201cArm yourselves and as soon as it is night, bring me all the mules\nand camels and hang all the bells and clinkets and rattles ye have about\ntheir necks.\u201d Now they had with them more than twenty thousand camels\nand mules. So they waited till the Infidels fell asleep, when Jamrkan\ncommanded them to mount, and they arose to ride and on the Lord of the\nWorlds they relied. Then said Jamrkan, \u201cDrive the camels and mules to\nthe Miscreants\u2019 camp and push them with your spears for goads!\u201d They did\nas he bade and the beasts rushed upon the enemy\u2019s tents, whilst the\nbells and clinkets and rattles jangled[16] and the Moslems followed at\ntheir heels, shouting, \u201cGod is Most Great!\u201d till all the hills and\nmountains resounded with the name of the Highmost Deity, to whom belong\nglory and majesty! The cattle hearing this terrible din, took fright and\nrushed upon the tents and trampled the folk, as they lay asleep.\u2014\u2014And\nShahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Forty-sixth Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Jamrkan\nfell upon them with his men and steeds and camels, and the camp lay\nsleeping, the idolaters started up in confusion and, snatching up their\narms, fell upon one another with smiting, till the most part was\nslaughtered. And when the day broke, they looked and found no Moslem\nslain, but saw them all on horseback, armed and armoured; wherefore they\nknew that this was a sleight which had been played upon them, and\nKurajan cried out to the remnant of his folk, \u201cO sons of whores, what we\nhad a mind to do with them, that have they done with us and their craft\nhath gotten the better of our cunning.\u201d And they were about to charge\nwhen, lo and behold! a cloud of dust rose high and walled the\nhorizon-sky, when the wind smote it, so that it spired aloft and spread\npavilion-wise in the lift and there it hung; and presently appeared\nbeneath it the glint of helmet and gleam of hauberk and splendid\nwarriors, baldrick\u2019d with their tempered swords and holding in rest\ntheir supple spears. When the Kafirs saw this, they held back from the\nbattle and each army sent out, to know the meaning of this dust, scouts,\nwho returned with the news that it was an army of Moslems. Now this was\nthe host of the Mountain-Ghul whom Gharib had despatched to Jamrkan\u2019s\naid, and Sa\u2019adan himself rode in their van. So the two hosts of the True\nBelievers joined company and rushing upon the Paynimry like a flame of\nfire, plied them with keen sword and Rudaynian spear and quivering\nlance, what while day was darkened and eyes for the much dust starkened.\nThe valiant stood fast and the faint-hearted coward fled and to the\nwilds and the wolds swift sped, whilst the blood over earth was like\ntorrents shed; nor did they cease from fight till the day took flight\nand in gloom came the night. Then the Moslems drew apart from the\nMiscreants and returned to their tents, where they ate and slept, till\nthe darkness fled away and gave place to smiling day; when they prayed\nthe dawn-prayer and mounted to battle. Now Kurajan had said to his men\nas they drew off from fight (for indeed two-thirds of their number had\nperished by sword and spear), \u201cO folk, to-morrow, I will champion it in\nthe stead of war where cut and thrust jar, and where braves push and\nwheel I will take the field.\u201d So, as soon as light was seen and morn\nappeared with its shine and sheen, took horse the hosts twain and\nshouted their slogans amain and bared the brand and hent lance in hand\nand in ranks took stand. The first to open the door of war was Kurajan,\nwho cried out, saying, \u201cLet no coward come out to me this day nor\ncraven!\u201d Whereupon Jamrkan and Sa\u2019adan stood by the colours, but there\nran at him a captain of the Banu Amir and the two drave each at other\nawhile, like two rams butting. Presently Kurajan seized the Moslem by\nthe jerkin under his hauberk and, dragging him from his saddle, dashed\nhim to the ground where he left him; upon which the Kafirs laid hands on\nhim and bound him and bore him off to their tents; whilst Kurajan\nwheeled about and careered and offered battle, till another captain came\nout, whom also he took prisoner; nor did he leave to do thus till he had\nmade prize of seven captains before mid-day. Then Jamrkan cried out with\nso mighty a cry, that the whole field made reply and heard it the armies\ntwain, and ran at Kurajan with a heart in rageful pain, improvising\nthese couplets:\u2014\n\n Jamrkan am I! and a man of might, \u273f Whom the warriors fear with a sore\n affright:\n I waste the forts and I leave the walls \u273f To wail and weep for the\n wights I smite:\n Then, O Kurajan, tread the rightful road \u273f And quit the paths of thy\n foul unright:\n Own the One True God, who dispread the skies \u273f And made founts to flow\n and the hills pegged tight:\n An the slave embrace the True Faith, he\u2019ll \u2019scape \u273f Hell-pains and in\n Heaven be deckt and dight!\n\nWhen Kurajan heard these words, he snarked and snorted and foully abused\nthe sun and the moon and drave at Jamrkan, versifying with these\ncouplets:\u2014\n\n I\u2019m Kurajan, of this age the knight; \u273f And my shade to the lions of\n Shara\u2019[17] is blight:\n I storm the forts and snare kings of beasts \u273f And warriors fear me in\n field of fight;\n Then, Harkye Jamrkan, if thou doubt my word, \u273f Come forth to the combat\n and try my might!\n\nWhen Jamrkan heard these verses, he charged him with a stout heart and\nthey smote each at other with swords till the two hosts lamented for\nthem, and they lunged with lance and great was the clamour between them:\nnor did they leave fighting till the time of mid-afternoon prayer was\npassed and the day began to wane. Then Jamrkan drave at Kurajan and\nsmiting him on the breast with his mace,[18] cast him to the ground, as\nhe were the trunk of a palm-tree; and the Moslems pinioned him and\ndragged him off with ropes like a camel. Now when the Miscreants saw\ntheir Prince captive, a hot fever-fit of ignorance seized on them and\nthey bore down upon the True Believers thinking to rescue him; but the\nMoslem champions met them and left most of them prostrate on the earth,\nwhilst the rest turned and sought safety in flight, seeking surer site,\nwhile the clanking sabres their backsides smite. The Moslems ceased not\npursuing them till they had scattered them over mount and wold, when\nthey returned from them to the spoil; whereof was great store of horses\nand tents and so forth:\u2014good look to it for a spoil! Then Jamrkan went\nin to Kurajan and expounded to him Al-Islam, threatening him with death\nunless he embraced the Faith. But he refused; so they cut off his head\nand stuck it on a spear, after which they fared on towards Oman[19]\ncity. But as regards the Kafirs, the survivors returned to Jaland and\nmade known to him the slaying of his son and the slaughter of his host,\nhearing which he cast his crown to the ground and buffeting his face,\ntill the blood ran from his nostrils, fell fainting to the floor. They\nsprinkled rose-water on his head, till he came to himself and cried to\nhis Wazir, \u201cWrite letters to all my Governors and Nabobs, and bid them\nleave not a smiter with the sword nor a lunger with the lance nor a\nbender of the bow, but bring them all to me in one body.\u201d So he wrote\nletters and despatched them by runners to the Governors, who levied\ntheir power and joined the King with a prevailing host, whose number was\none hundred and eighty-thousand men. Then they made ready tents and\ncamels and noble steeds and were about to march when, behold, up came\nJamrkan and Sa\u2019adan the Ghul, with seventy thousand horse, as they were\nlions fierce-faced, all steel-encased. When Jaland saw the Moslems\ntrooping on he rejoiced and said, \u201cBy the virtue of the Sun, and her\nresplendent light, I will not leave alive one of my foes; no, not one to\ncarry the news, and I will lay waste the land of Al-Irak, that I may\ntake my wreak for my son, the havoc-making champion bold; nor shall my\nfire be quenched or cooled!\u201d Then he turned to Ajib and said to him, \u201cO\ndog of Al-Irak, \u2019twas thou broughtest this calamity on us! But by the\nvirtue of that which I worship, except I avenge me of mine enemy I will\ndo thee die after foulest fashion!\u201d When Ajib heard these words he was\ntroubled with sore trouble and blamed himself; but he waited till\nnightfall, when the Moslems had pitched their tents for rest. Now he had\nbeen degraded and expelled the royal camp together with those who were\nleft to him of his suite: so he said to them, \u201cO my kinsmen, know that\nJaland and I are dismayed with exceeding dismay at the coming of the\nMoslems, and I know that he will not avail to protect me from my brother\nnor from any other; so it is my counsel that we make our escape, whilst\nall eyes sleep, and flee to King Ya\u2019arub bin Kaht\u00e1n,[20] for that he\nhath more of men and is stronger of reign.\u201d They, hearing his advice\nexclaimed \u201cRight is thy rede,\u201d whereupon he bade them kindle fires at\ntheir tent-doors and march under cover of the night. They did his\nbidding and set out, so by daybreak they had already fared far away. As\nsoon as it was morning Jaland mounted with two hundred and sixty\nthousand fighting-men, clad cap-\u00e0-pie in hauberks and cuirasses and\nstrait-knit mail-coats, the kettle-drums beat a point of war and all\ndrew out for cut and thrust and fight and fray. Then Jamrkan and Sa\u2019adan\nrode out with forty-thousand stalwart fighting-men, under each standard\na thousand cavaliers, doughty champions, foremost in champaign. The two\nhosts drew out in battles and bared their blades and levelled their\nlimber lances, for the drinking of the cup of death. The first to open\nthe gate of strife was Sa\u2019adan, as he were a mountain of syenite or a\nMarid of the Jinn. Then dashed out to him a champion of the Infidels,\nand the Ghul slew him and casting him to the earth, cried out to his\nsons and slaves, saying, \u201cLight the fire and roast me this dead one.\u201d\nThey did as he bade and brought him the roast and he ate it and crunched\nthe bones, whilst the Kafirs stood looking on from afar; and they cried\nout, \u201cOh for aid from the light-giving Sun!\u201d and were affrighted at the\nthought of being slain by Sa\u2019adan. Then Jaland shouted to his men,\nsaying, \u201cSlay me yonder loathsome beast!\u201d Whereupon another captain of\nhis host drove at the Ghul; but he slew him, and he ceased not to slay\nhorseman after horseman, till he had made an end of thirty men. With\nthis the blamed Kafirs held back and feared to face him, crying, \u201cWho\nshall cope with Jinns and Ghuls?\u201d But Jaland raised his voice saying,\n\u201cLet an hundred horse charge him and bring him to me, bound or slain.\u201d\nSo an hundred horse set upon Sa\u2019adan with swords and spears, and he met\nthem with a heart firmer than flint, proclaiming the unity of the\nRequiting King, whom no one thing diverteth from other thing. Then he\ncried aloud, \u201cAllaho Akbar!\u201d and, smiting them with his sword, made\ntheir heads fly and in one onset he slew of them four-and-seventy\nwhereupon the rest took to flight. So Jaland shouted aloud to ten of his\ncaptains, each commanding a thousand men, and said to them, \u201cShoot his\nhorse with arrows till it fall under him, and then lay hands on him.\u201d\nTherewith ten thousand horse drove at Sa\u2019adan who met them with a stout\nheart; and Jamrkan, seeing this, bore down upon the Miscreants with his\nMoslems, crying out, \u201cGod is Most Great!\u201d Before they could reach the\nGhul, the enemy had slain his steed and taken him prisoner; but they\nceased not to charge the Infidels, till the day grew dark for dust and\neyes were blinded, and the sharp sword clanged while firm stood the\nvaliant cavalier and destruction overtook the faint-heart in his fear;\ntill the Moslems were amongst the Paynims like a white patch on a black\nbull.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her\npermitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Forty-seventh Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that battle raged\nbetween the Moslems and the Paynims till the True Believers were like a\nwhite patch on a black bull. Nor did they stint from the mellay till the\ndarkness fell down, when they drew apart, after there had been slain of\nthe Infidels men without compt. Then Jamrkan and his men returned to\ntheir tents; but they were in great grief for Sa\u2019adan, so that neither\nmeat nor sleep was sweet to them, and they counted their host and found\nthat less than a thousand had been slain. But Jamrkan said, \u201cO folk,\nto-morrow I will go forth into the battle-plain and place where cut and\nthrust obtain, and slay their champions and make prize of their families\nafter taking them captives and I will ransom Sa\u2019adan therewith, by the\nleave of the Requiting King, whom no one thing diverteth from other\nthing!\u201d Wherefore their hearts were heartened and they joyed as they\nseparated to their tents. Meanwhile Jaland entered his pavilion and\nsitting down on his sofa of estate, with his folk about him, called for\nSa\u2019adan and forthright on his coming, said to him, \u201cO dog run wood and\nleast of the Arab brood and carrier of firewood, who was it slew my son\nKurajan, the brave of the age, slayer of heroes and caster down of\nwarriors?\u201d Quoth the Ghul, \u201cJamrkan slew him, captain of the armies of\nKing Gharib, Prince of cavaliers, and I roasted and ate him, for I was\nanhungered.\u201d When Jaland heard these words, his eyes sank into his head\nfor rage and he bade his swordbearer smite Sa\u2019adan\u2019s neck. So he came\nforward in that intent, whereupon Sa\u2019adan stretched himself mightily and\nbursting his bonds, snatched the sword from the headsman and hewed off\nhis head. Then he made at Jaland who threw himself down from the throne\nand fled; whilst Sa\u2019adan fell on the bystanders and killed twenty of the\nKing\u2019s chief officers, and all the rest took to flight. Therewith loud\nrose the crying in the camp of the Infidels and the Ghul sallied forth\nof the pavilion and falling upon the troops smote them with the sword,\nright and left, till they opened and left a lane for him to pass; nor\ndid he cease to press forward, cutting at them on either side, till he\nwon free of the Miscreants\u2019 tents and made for the Moslem camp. Now\nthese had heard the uproar among their enemies and said, \u201cHaply some\ncalamity hath befallen them.\u201d But whilst they were in perplexity,\nbehold, Sa\u2019adan stood amongst them and they rejoiced at his coming with\nexceeding joy; more especially Jamrkan, who saluted him with the salam\nas did other True Believers and gave him joy of his escape. Such was the\ncase with the Moslems; but as regards the Miscreants, when, after the\nGhul\u2019s departure, they and their King returned to their tents, Jaland\nsaid to them, \u201cO folk, by the virtue of the Sun\u2019s light-giving ray and\nby the darkness of the Night and the light of the Day and the Stars that\nstray, I thought not this day to have escaped death in mellay; for, had\nI fallen into yonder fellow\u2019s hands, he had eaten me, as I were a kernel\nof wheat or a barley-corn or any other grain.\u201d They replied, \u201cO King,\nnever saw we any do the like of this Ghul.\u201d And he said, \u201cO folk,\nto-morrow do ye all don arms and mount steed and trample them under your\nhorses\u2019 hooves.\u201d Meanwhile the Moslems had ended their rejoicings at\nSa\u2019adan\u2019s return and Jamrkan said to them, \u201cTo-morrow, I will show you\nmy derring-do and what behoveth the like of me, for by the virtue of\nAbraham the Friend, I will slay them with the foulest of slaughters and\nsmite them with the bite of the sword, till all who have understanding\nconfounded at them shall stand. But I mean to attack both right and left\nwings; so, when ye see me drive at the King under the standards, do ye\ncharge behind me with a resolute charge, and Allah\u2019s it is to decree\nwhat thing shall be!\u201d Accordingly the two sides lay upon their arms till\nthe day broke through night and the sun appeared to sight. Then they\nmounted swiftlier than the twinkling of the eyelid; the raven of the\nwold croaked and the two hosts, looking each at other with the eye of\nfascination, formed in line-array and prepared for fight and fray. The\nfirst to open the chapter of war was Jamrkan who wheeled and careered\nand offered fight in field; and Jaland and his men were about to charge\nwhen, behold, a cloud of dust up-rolled till it walled the wold and\noverlaid the day. Then the four winds smote it and away it floated torn\nto rags, and there appeared beneath it cavaliers, with helms black and\ngarb white and many a princely knight and lances that bite and swords\nthat smite and footmen who lion-like knew no affright. Seeing this both\narmies left fighting and sent out scouts to reconnoitre and report who\nthus had come in main and might. So they went and within the dust-cloud\ndisappeared from sight, and returned after awhile with the news aright\nthat the approaching host was one of Moslems, under the command of King\nGharib. When the True Believers heard from the scouts of the coming of\ntheir King, they rejoiced and driving out to meet him, dismounted and\nkissed the earth between his hands\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of\nday and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Forty-eighth Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the\nMoslems saw the presence of their King Gharib, they joyed with exceeding\njoy; and, kissing the earth between his hands, saluted him and gat\naround him whilst he welcomed them and rejoiced in their safety. Then\nthey escorted him to their camp and pitched pavilions for him and set up\nstandards; and Gharib sat down on his couch of estate, with his Grandees\nabout him; and they related to him all that had befallen, especially to\nSa\u2019adan. Meanwhile the Kafirs sought for Ajib and finding him not among\nthem nor in their tents, told Jaland of his flight, whereat his Doomsday\nrose and he bit his fingers, saying, \u201cBy the Sun\u2019s light-giving round,\nhe is a perfidious hound and hath fled with his rascal rout to\ndesert-ground. But naught save force of hard fighting will serve us to\nrepel these foes; so fortify your resolves and hearten your hearts and\nbeware of the Moslems.\u201d And Gharib also said to the True Believers,\n\u201cStrengthen your courage and fortify your hearts and seek aid of your\nLord, beseeching him to vouchsafe you the victory over your enemies.\u201d\nThey replied, \u201cO King, soon thou shalt see what we will do in\nbattle-plain where men cut and thrust amain.\u201d So the two hosts slept\ntill the day arose with its sheen and shone and the rising sun rained\nlight upon hill and down, when Gharib prayed the two-bow prayer, after\nthe rite of Abraham the Friend (on whom be the Peace!) and wrote a\nletter, which he despatched by his brother Sahim to the King of the\nKafirs. When Sahim reached the enemies\u2019 camp, the guards asked him what\nhe wanted, and he answered them, \u201cI want your ruler.\u201d[21] Quoth they,\n\u201cWait till we consult him anent thee;\u201d and he waited, whilst they went\nin to their Sovran and told him of the coming of a messenger, and he\ncried, \u201cHither with him to me!\u201d So they brought Sahim before Jaland, who\nsaid to him, \u201cWho hath sent thee?\u201d Quoth he, \u201cKing Gharib sends me, whom\nAllah hath made ruler over Arab and Ajam; receive his letter and return\nits reply.\u201d Jaland took the writ and opening it, read as follows:\u2014\u201cIn\nthe name of Allah, the Compassionating, the Compassionate \u273f the One, the\nAll-knowing, the supremely Great \u273f the Immemorial, the Lord of Noah and\nS\u00e1lih and H\u00fad and Abraham and of all things He made! \u273f The Peace be on\nhim who followeth in the way of righteousness and who feareth the issues\nof frowardness \u273f who obeyeth the Almighty King and followeth the Faith\nsaving and preferreth the next world to any present thing! \u273f But\nafterwards: O Jaland, none is worthy of worship save Allah alone, the\nVictorious, the One, Creator of night and day and the sphere revolving\nalway \u273f Who sendeth the holy Prophets and garreth the streams to flow\nand the trees to grow, who vaulted the heavens and spread out the earth\nlike a carpet below \u273f Who feedeth the birds in their nests and the wild\nbeasts in the deserts \u273f for He is Allah the All-powerful, the Forgiving,\nthe Long-suffering, the Protector, whom eye comprehendeth on no wise and\nwho maketh night on day arise \u273f He who sent down the Apostles and their\nHoly Writ. Know, O Jaland, that there is no faith but the Faith of\nAbraham the Friend; so cleave to the Creed of Salvation and be saved\nfrom the biting glaive and the Fire which followeth the grave \u273f But, an\nthou refuse Al-Islam look for ruin to haste and thy reign to be waste\nand thy traces untraced \u273f And, lastly, send me the dog Ajib hight that I\nmay take from him my father\u2019s and mother\u2019s blood-wit.\u201d When Jaland had\nread this letter, he said to Sahim, \u201cTell thy lord that Ajib hath fled,\nhe and his folk, and I know not whither he is gone; but, as for Jaland,\nhe will not forswear his faith, and to-morrow, there shall be battle\nbetween us and the Sun shall give us the victory.\u201d So Sahim returned to\nhis brother with this reply, and when the morning morrowed, the Moslems\ndonned their arms and armour and bestrode their stout steeds, calling\naloud on the name of the All-conquering King, Creator of bodies and\nsouls, and magnifying Him with \u201cAllaho Akbar.\u201d Then the kettle-drums of\nbattle beat until earth trembled, and sought the field all the lordly\nwarriors and doughty champions. The first to open the gate of battle was\nJamrkan, who drave his charger into mid-plain and played with sword and\njavelin, till the understanding was amazed; after which he cried out,\nsaying, \u201cHo! who is for tilting? Ho! who is for fighting? Let no\nsluggard come out to me to-day nor weakling! I am the slayer of Kurajan\nbin Jaland; who will come forth to avenge him?\u201d When Jaland heard the\nname of his son, he cried out to his men, \u201cO whore-sons, bring me yonder\nhorseman who slew my son, that I may eat his flesh and drink his blood.\u201d\nSo an hundred fighting men charged at Jamrkan, but he slew the most part\nof them and put their chief to flight; which feat when Jaland saw, he\ncried out to his folk, \u201cAt him all at once and assault him with one\nassault.\u201d Accordingly they waved the awe-striking banners and host was\nheaped on host; Gharib rushed on with his men and Jamrkan did the same\nand the two sides met like two seas together clashing. The Yam\u00e1ni sword\nand spear wrought havoc and breasts and bellies were rent, whilst both\narmies saw the Angel of Death face to face and the dust of the battle\nrose to the skirts of the sky. Ears went deaf and tongues went dumb and\ndoom from every side came on whilst valiant stood fast and faint-heart\nfled: and they ceased not from fight and fray till ended the day, when\nthe drums beat the retreat and the two hosts drew apart and returned,\neach to its tents.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased\nsaying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Forty-ninth Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when King Gharib\nended the battle and the two hosts drew apart and each had returned to\nhis own tents, he sat down on the throne of his realm and the place of\nhis reign, whilst his chief officers ranged themselves about him, and he\nsaid, \u201cI am sore concerned for the flight of the cur Ajib and I know not\nwhither he has gone. Except I overtake him and take my wreak of him, I\nshall die of despite.\u201d Whereupon Sahim came forward and kissing the\nearth before him, said, \u201cO King, I will go to the army of the Kafirs and\nfind out what is come of the perfidious dog Ajib.\u201d Quoth Gharib, \u201cGo,\nand learn the truth anent the dog.\u201d So Sahim disguised himself in the\nhabit of the Infidels and became as he were of them; then, making for\nthe enemy\u2019s camp, he found them all asleep, drunken with war and battle,\nand none were on wake save only the guards. He passed on and presently\ncame to the King\u2019s pavilion where he found King Jaland asleep\nunattended; so he crept up and made him smell and sniff up levigated\nBhang and he became as one dead. Then Sahim went out and took a male\nmule, and wrapping the King in the coverlet of his bed, laid him on its\nback; after which he threw a mat over him and led the beast to the\nMoslem camp. Now when he came to Gharib\u2019s pavilion and would have\nentered, the guards knew him not and prevented him, saying, \u201cWho art\nthou?\u201d He laughed and uncovered his face, and they knew him and admitted\nhim. When Gharib saw him he said, \u201cWhat bearest thou there, O Sahim?\u201d;\nand he replied, \u201cO King, this is Jaland bin Karkar.\u201d Then he uncovered\nhim, and Gharib knew him and said, \u201cArouse him, O Sahim,\u201d So he made him\nsmell vinegar[22] and frankincense; and he cast the Bhang from his\nnostrils and, opening his eyes, found himself among the Moslems;\nwhereupon quoth he, \u201cWhat is this foul dream?\u201d and closing his eyelids\nagain, would have slept; but Sahim dealt him a kick, saying, \u201cOpen thine\neyes, O accursed!\u201d So he opened them and asked, \u201cWhere am I?\u201d; and Sahim\nanswered, \u201cThou art in the presence of King Gharib bin Kundamir, King of\nIrak.\u201d When Jaland heard this, he said, \u201cO King, I am under thy\nprotection! Know that I am not at fault, but that who led us forth to\nfight thee was thy brother, and the same cast enmity between us and then\nfled.\u201d Quoth Gharib, \u201cKnowest thou whither he is gone?\u201d; and quoth\nJaland, \u201cNo, by the light-giving sun, I know not whither.\u201d Then Gharib\nbade lay him in bonds and set guards over him, whilst each captain\nreturned to his own tent, and Jamrkan while wending said to his men, \u201cO\nsons of my uncle, I purpose this night to do a deed wherewith I may\nwhiten my face with King Gharib.\u201d Quoth they, \u201cDo as thou wilt, we\nhearken to thy commandment and obey it.\u201d Quoth he, \u201cArm yourselves and,\nmuffling your steps while I go with you, let us fare softly and disperse\nabout the Infidels\u2019 camp, so that the very ants shall not be ware of\nyou; and, when you hear me cry Allaho Akbar, do ye the like and cry out,\nsaying, God is Most Great! and hold back and make for the city gate; and\nwe seek aid from the Most High.\u201d So the folk armed themselves cap-\u00e0-pie\nand waited till the noon of night, when they dispersed about the enemy\u2019s\ncamp and tarried awhile when, lo and behold! Jamrkan smote shield with\nsword and shouted, \u201cAllaho Akbar!\u201d Thereupon they all cried out the\nlike, till rang again valley and mountain, hills, sands and ruins. The\nMiscreants awoke in dismay and fell one upon other, and the sword went\nround amongst them; the Moslems drew back and made for the city gates,\nwhere they slew the warders and entering, made themselves masters of the\ntown, with all that was therein of treasure and women. Thus it befel\nwith Jamrkan; but as regards King Gharib, hearing the noise and clamour\nof \u201cGod is Most Great,\u201d he mounted with his troops to the last man and\nsent on in advance Sahim who, when he came near the field of fight, saw\nthat Jamrkan had fallen upon the Kafirs with the Banu Amir by night and\nmade them drink the cup of death. So he returned and told all to his\nbrother, who called down blessings on Jamrkan. And the Infidels ceased\nnot to smite one another with the biting sword and expending their\nstrength till the day rose and lighted up the land, when Gharib cried\nout to his men, \u201cCharge, O ye noble, and do a deed to please the\nAll-knowing King!\u201d So the True Believers fell upon the idolaters and\nplied upon every false hypocritical breast the keen sword and the\nquivering spear. They sought to take refuge in the city; but Jamrkan\ncame forth upon them with his kinsmen, who hemmed them in between two\nmountain-ranges, and slew an innumerable host of them, and the rest fled\ninto the wastes and wolds.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and\nceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Fiftieth Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the\nMoslem host charged upon the Miscreants they hewed them in pieces with\nthe biting scymitar and the rest fled to the wastes and wolds; nor did\nthe Moslems cease pursuing them with the sword, till they had scattered\nthem abroad in the plains and stony places. Then they returned to Oman\ncity, and King Gharib entered the palace of the King and, sitting down\non the throne of his kingship, with his Grandees and Officers ranged\nright and left, sent for Jaland. They brought him in haste and Gharib\nexpounded to him Al-Islam; but he rejected it; wherefore Gharib bade\ncrucify him on the gate of the city, and they shot at him with shafts\ntill he was like unto a porcupine. Then Gharib honourably robed Jamrkan\nand said to him, \u201cThou shalt be lord of this city and ruler thereof with\npower to loose and to bind therein, for it was thou didst open it with\nthy sword and thy folk.\u201d And Jamrkan kissed the King\u2019s feet, thanked him\nand wished him abiding victory and glory and every blessing. Moreover\nGharib opened Jaland\u2019s treasuries and saw what was therein of coin,\nwhereof he gave largesse to his captains and standard-bearers and\nfighting-men, yea, even to the girls and children; and thus he lavished\nhis gifts ten days long. After this, one night he dreamt a terrible\ndream and awoke, troubled and trembling. So he aroused his brother Sahim\nand said to him, \u201cI saw in my vision that we were in a wide valley, when\nthere pounced down on us two ravening birds of prey, never in my life\nsaw I greater than they; their legs were like lances, and as they\nswooped we were in sore fear of them.\u201d Replied Sahim, \u201cO King, this be\nsome great enemy; so stand on thy guard against him.\u201d Gharib slept not\nthe rest of the night and, when the day broke, he called for his courser\nand mounted. Quoth Sahim, \u201cWhither goest thou, my brother?\u201d and quoth\nGharib, \u201cI awoke heavy at heart; so I mean to ride abroad ten days and\nbroaden my breast.\u201d Said Sahim, \u201cTake with thee a thousand braves;\u201d but\nGharib replied, \u201cI will not go forth but with thee and only thee.\u201d So\nthe two brothers mounted and, seeking the dales and leasows, fared on\nfrom Wady to Wady and from meadow to meadow, till they came to a valley\nabounding in streams and sweet-smelling flowers and trees laden with all\nmanner eatable fruits, two of each kind. Birds warbled on the branches\ntheir various strains; the mocking-bird trilled out her sweet notes fain\nand the turtle filled with her voice the plain. There sang the\nnightingale, whose chant arouses the sleeper, and the merle with his\nnote like the voice of man and the cushat and the ring-dove, whilst the\nparrot with its eloquent tongue answered the twain. The valley pleased\nthem and they ate of its fruits and drank of its waters, after which\nthey sat under the shadow of its trees till drowsiness overcame them and\nthey slept,\u2014glory be to Him who sleepeth not! As they lay asleep, lo!\ntwo fierce Marids swooped down on them and, taking each one on his\nshoulders, towered with them high in air, till they were above the\nclouds. So Gharib and Sahim awoke and found themselves betwixt heaven\nand earth; whereupon they looked at those who bore them and saw that\nthey were two Marids, the head of the one being as that of a dog and the\nhead of the other as that of an ape[23] with hair like horses\u2019 tails and\nclaws like lions\u2019 claws, and both were big as great palm-trees. When\nthey espied this case, they exclaimed, \u201cThere is no Majesty and there is\nno Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!\u201d Now the cause of this\nwas that a certain King of the Kings of the Jinn, hight Mura\u2019ash, had a\nson called S\u00e1\u2019ik, who loved a damsel of the Jinn, named Najmah;[24] and\nthe twain used to foregather in that Wady under the semblance of two\nbirds. Gharib and Sahim saw them thus and deeming them birds, shot at\nthem with shafts but wounding only Sa\u2019ik whose blood flowed. Najmah\nmourned over him; then, fearing lest the like calamity befal herself,\nsnatched up her lover and flew with him to his father\u2019s palace, where\nshe cast him down at the gate. The warders bore him in and laid him\nbefore his sire who, seeing the pile sticking in his rib exclaimed,\n\u201cAlas, my son! Who hath done with thee this thing, that I may lay waste\nhis abiding-place and hurry on his destruction, though he were the\ngreatest of the Kings of the Jann?\u201d Thereupon Sa\u2019ik opened his eyes and\nsaid, \u201cO my father, none slew me save a mortal in the Valley of\nSprings.\u201d Hardly had he made an end of these words, when his soul\ndeparted; whereupon his father buffeted his face, till the blood\nstreamed from his mouth, and cried out to two Marids, saying, \u201cHie ye to\nthe Valley of Springs and bring me all who are therein.\u201d So they betook\nthemselves to the Wady in question, where they found Gharib and Sahim\nasleep, and, snatching them up, carried them to King Mura\u2019ash.[25]\u2014\u2014And\nShahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Fifty-first Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the two\nMarids, after snatching up Gharib and Sahim in their sleep, carried them\nto Mura\u2019ash, king of the Jann, whom they saw seated on the throne of his\nkingship, as he were a huge mountain, with four heads on his body,[26]\nthe first that of a lion, the second that of an elephant, the third that\nof a panther, and the fourth that of a lynx. The Marids set them down\nbefore Mura\u2019ash and said to him, \u201cO King, these twain be they we found\nin the Valley of Springs.\u201d Thereupon he looked at them with wrathful\neyes and snarked and snorted and shot sparks from his nostrils, so that\nall who stood by feared him. Then said he, \u201cO dogs of mankind, ye have\nslain my son and lighted fire in my liver.\u201d Quoth Gharib, \u201cWho is thy\nson, and who hath seen him?\u201d Quoth Mura\u2019ash, \u201cWere ye not in the Valley\nof Springs and did ye not see my son there, in the guise of a bird, and\ndid ye not shoot at him with wooden bolts that he died?\u201d Replied Gharib,\n\u201cI know not who slew him; and, by the virtue of the Great God, the One,\nthe Immemorial who knoweth things all, and of Abraham the Friend, we saw\nno bird, neither slew we bird or beast!\u201d Now when Mura\u2019ash heard Gharib\nswear by Allah and His greatness and by Abraham the Friend, he knew him\nfor a Moslem (he himself being a worshipper of Fire, not of the\nAll-powerful Sire), so he cried out to his folk, \u201cBring me my\nGoddess.[27]\u201d Accordingly they brought a brazier of gold and, setting it\nbefore him, kindled therein fire and cast on drugs, whereupon there\narose therefrom green and blue and yellow flames and the King and all\nwho were present prostrated themselves before the brazier, whilst Gharib\nand Sahim ceased not to attest the Unity of Allah Almighty, to cry out\n\u201cGod is Most Great\u201d and to bear witness to His Omnipotence. Presently,\nMura\u2019ash raised his head and, seeing the two Princes standing in lieu of\nfalling down to worship, said to them, \u201cO dogs, why do ye not prostrate\nyourselves?\u201d Replied Gharib, \u201cOut on you, O ye accursed! Prostration\nbefitteth not man save to the Worshipful King, who bringeth forth all\ncreatures into beingness from nothingness and maketh water to well from\nthe barren rock-well, Him who inclineth heart of sire unto new-born\nscion and who may not be described as sitting or standing; the God of\nNoah and Salih and Hud and Abraham the Friend, Who created Heaven and\nHell and trees and fruit as well,[28] for He is Allah, the One, the\nAll-powerful.\u201d When Mura\u2019ash heard this, his eyes sank into his head[29]\nand he cried out to his guards, saying, \u201cPinion me these two dogs and\nsacrifice them to my Goddess.\u201d So they bound them and were about to cast\nthem into the fire when, behold, one of the crenelles of the\npalace-parapet fell down upon the brazier and brake it and put out the\nfire, which became ashes flying in air. Then quoth Gharib, \u201cGod is Most\nGreat! He giveth aid and victory and He forsaketh those who deny Him,\nFire worshipping and not the Almighty King!\u201d Presently quoth Mura\u2019ash,\n\u201cThou art a sorcerer and hast bewitched my Goddess, so that this thing\nhath befallen her.\u201d Gharib replied, \u201cO madman, an the fire had soul or\nsense it would have warded off from self all that hurteth it.\u201d When\nMura\u2019ash heard these words, he roared and bellowed and reviled the Fire,\nsaying, \u201cBy my faith, I will not kill you save by the fire!\u201d Then he\nbade cast them into gaol; and, calling an hundred Marids, made them\nbring much fuel and set fire thereto. So they brought great plenty of\nwood and made a huge blaze, which flamed up mightily till the morning,\nwhen Mura\u2019ash mounted an elephant, bearing on its back a throne of gold\ndubbed with jewels, and the tribes of the Jinn gathered about him in\ntheir various kinds. Presently they brought in Gharib and Sahim who,\nseeing the flaming of the fire, sought help of the One, the\nAll-conquering Creator of night and day, Him of All-might, whom no sight\ncomprehendeth, but who comprehendeth all sights, for He is the Subtle,\nthe All-knowing. And they ceased not humbly beseeching Him till, behold,\na cloud arose from West to East and, pouring down showers of rain, like\nthe swollen sea, quenched the fire. When the King saw this, he was\naffrighted, he and his troops, and entered the palace, where he turned\nto the Wazirs and Grandees and said to them, \u201cHow say ye of these two\nmen?\u201d They replied, \u201cO King, had they not been in the right, this thing\nhad not befallen the fire; wherefore we say that they be true men which\nspeak sooth.\u201d Rejoined Mura\u2019ash, \u201cVerily the Truth hath been displayed\nto me, ay, and the manifest way, and I am certified that the worship of\nthe fire is false; for, were it goddess, it had warded off from itself\nthe rain which quenched it and the stone which broke its brasier and\nbeat it into ashes. Wherefore I believe in Him Who created the fire and\nthe light and the shade and the heat. And ye, what say ye?\u201d They\nanswered, \u201cO King, we also hear and follow and obey.\u201d So the King called\nfor Gharib and embraced him and kissed him between the eyes and then\nsummoned Sahim; whereupon the bystanders all crowded to kiss their hands\nand heads.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say\nher permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Fifty-second Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Mura\u2019ash\nand his men found salvation in the Saving Faith, Al-Islam, he called for\nGharib and Sahim and kissed them between the eyes and so did all the\nGrandees who crowded to buss their hands and heads. Then Mura\u2019ash sat\ndown on the throne of his kingship and, seating Gharib on his right and\nSahim on his left hand, said to them, \u201cO mortals, what shall we say,\nthat we may become Moslems?\u201d Replied Gharib, \u201cSay:\u2014There is no god but\n_the_ God, and Abraham is the Friend of God!\u201d So the King and his folk\nprofessed Al-Islam with heart and tongue, and Gharib abode with them\nawhile, teaching them the ritual of prayer. But presently he called to\nmind his people and sighed, whereupon quoth Mura\u2019ash, \u201cVerily, trouble\nis gone and joy and gladness are come.\u201d Quoth Gharib, \u201cO King, I have\nmany foes and I fear for my folk from them.\u201d Then he related to him his\nhistory with his brother Ajib from first to last, and the King of the\nJinns said, \u201cO King of men, I will send one who shall bring thee news of\nthy people, for I will not let thee go till I have had my fill of thy\nface.\u201d Then he called two doughty Marids, by name Kaylaj\u00e1n and K\u00faraj\u00e1n,\nand after they had done him homage, he bade them repair to Al-Yaman and\nbring him news of Gharib\u2019s army. They replied, \u201cTo hear is to obey,\u201d and\ndeparted. Thus far concerning the brothers; but as regards the Moslems,\nthey arose in the morning and led by their captains rode to King\nGharib\u2019s palace, to do their service to him; but the eunuchs told them\nthat the King had mounted with his brother and had ridden forth at peep\no\u2019 day. So they made for the valleys and mountains and followed the\ntrack of the Princes, till they came to the Valley of Springs, where\nthey found their arms cast down and their two gallant steeds grazing and\nsaid, \u201cThe King is missing from this place, by the glory of Abraham the\nFriend!\u201d Then they mounted and sought in the valley and the mountains\nthree days, but found no trace of them; whereupon they began the\nmourning ceremonies and, sending for couriers, said to them, \u201cDo ye\ndisperse yourselves about the cities and sconces and castles, and seek\nye news of our King.\u201d \u201cHearkening and obedience!\u201d cried the couriers,\nwho dispersed hither and thither each over one of the Seven Climes and\nsought everywhere for Gharib, but found no trace of him. Now when the\ntidings came to Ajib by his spies that his brother was lost and there\nwas no news of the missing, he rejoiced and going in to King Ya\u2019arub bin\nKahtan, sought of him aid which he granted and gave him two hundred\nthousand Amalekites, wherewith he set out for Al-Yaman and sat down\nbefore the city of Oman. Jamrkan and Sa\u2019adan sallied forth and offered\nhim battle, and there were slain of the Moslems much folk, so the True\nBelievers retired into the city and shut the gates and manned the walls.\nAt this moment came up the two Marids Kaylajan and Kurajan and, seeing\nthe Moslem beleaguered waited till nightfall, when they fell upon the\nmiscreants and plied them with sharp swords of the swords of the Jinn,\neach twelve cubits long, if a man smote therewith a rock, verily he\nwould cleave it in sunder. They charged the Idolators, shouting, \u201cAllaho\nAkbar! God is Most Great! He giveth aid and victory and forsaketh those\nwho deny the Faith of Abraham the Friend!\u201d and whilst they raged amongst\nthe foes, fire issued from their mouths and nostrils, and they made\ngreat slaughter amongst them. Thereupon the Infidels ran out of their\ntents offering battle but, seeing these strange things, were confounded\nand their hair stood on end and their reason fled. So they snatched up\ntheir arms and fell one upon other, whilst the Marids shore off their\nheads, as a reaper eareth grain, crying, \u201cGod is Most Great! We are the\nlads of King Gharib, the friend of Mura\u2019ash, King of the Jinn!\u201d The\nsword ceased not to go round amongst them till the night was half spent,\nwhen the Misbelievers, imagining that the mountains were all Ifrits,\nloaded their tents and treasure and baggage upon camels and made off;\nand the first to fly was Ajib.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day\nand ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Fifty-third Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the\nMisbelievers made off and the first to fly was Ajib. Thereupon the\nMoslems gathered together, marvelling at this that had betided the\nInfidels and fearing the tribesmen of the Jinn. But the Marids ceased\nnot from pursuit, till they had driven them far away into the hills and\nwolds; and but fifty thousand Rebels[30] of two hundred thousand escaped\nwith their lives and made for their own land, wounded and sore\ndiscomfited. Then the two Jinns returned and said to them, \u201cO host of\nthe Moslems, your lord King Gharib and his brother Sahim salute you;\nthey are the guests of Mura\u2019ash, King of the Jann, and will be with you\nanon.\u201d When Gharib\u2019s men heard that he was safe and well, they joyed\nwith exceeding joy and said to the Marids, \u201cAllah gladden you twain with\ngood news, O noble spirits!\u201d So Kurajan and Kaylajan returned to\nMura\u2019ash and Gharib; and acquainted them with that which had happened,\nwhereat Gharib finding the two sitting together felt heart at ease and\nsaid, \u201cAllah abundantly requite you!\u201d Then quoth King Mura\u2019ash, \u201cO my\nbrother, I am minded to show thee our country and the city of Japhet[31]\nson of Noah (on whom be peace!)\u201d Quoth Gharib, \u201cO King, do what seemeth\ngood to thee.\u201d So he called for three noble steeds and mounting, he and\nGharib and Sahim, set out with a thousand Marids, as they were a piece\nof a mountain cloven lengthwise. They fared on, solacing themselves with\nthe sight of valleys and mountains, till they came to Jabars\u00e1,[32] the\ncity of Japhet son of Noah (on whom be peace!) where the townsfolk all,\ngreat and small, came forth to meet King Mura\u2019ash and brought them into\nthe city in great state. Then Mura\u2019ash went up to the palace of Japhet\nson of Noah and sat down on the throne of his kingship, which was of\nalabaster, ten stages high and latticed with wands of gold wherefrom\nhung all manner coloured silks. The people of the city stood before him\nand he said to them, \u201cO seed of Yafis bin Nuh, what did your fathers and\ngrandfathers worship?\u201d They replied, \u201cWe found them worshipping Fire and\nfollowed their example, as thou well knowest.\u201d \u201cO folk,\u201d rejoined\nMura\u2019ash, \u201cwe have been shown that the fire is but one of the creatures\nof Almighty Allah, Creator of all things; and when we knew this, we\nsubmitted ourselves to God, the One, the All-powerful, Maker of night\nand day and the sphere revolving alway, Whom comprehendeth no sight, but\nWho comprehendeth all sights, for He is the Subtle, the All-wise. So\nseek ye Salvation and ye shall be saved from the wrath of the Almighty\nOne and from the fiery doom in the world to come.\u201d And they embraced\nAl-Islam with heart and tongue. Then Mura\u2019ash took Gharib by the hand\nand showed him the palace and its ordinance and all the marvels it\ncontained, till they came to the armoury, wherein were the arms of\nJaphet son of Noah. Here Gharib saw a sword hanging to a pin of gold and\nasked, \u201cO King, whose is that?\u201d Mura\u2019ash answered, \u201c\u2019Tis the sword of\nYafis bin Nuh, wherewith he was wont to do battle against men and Jinn.\nThe sage Jard\u00fam forged it and graved on its back names of might.[33] It\nis named Al-M\u00e1hik\u2014the Annihilator\u2014for that it never descendeth upon a\nman, but it annihilateth him, nor upon a Jinni, but it crusheth him; and\nif one smote therewith a mountain \u2019twould overthrow it.\u201d When Gharib\nheard tell of the virtues of the sword, he said, \u201cI desire to look on\nthis blade;\u201d and Mura\u2019ash said, \u201cDo as thou wilt.\u201d So Gharib put out his\nhand, and, hending the sword, drew it from its sheath; whereupon it\nflashed and Death crept on its edge and glittered; and it was twelve\nspans long and three broad. Now Gharib wished to become owner of it, and\nKing Mura\u2019ash said, \u201cAn thou canst smite with it, take it.\u201d \u201c\u2019Tis well,\u201d\nGharib replied, and took it up, and it was in his hand as a staff;\nwherefore all who were present, men and Jinn, marvelled and said, \u201cWell\ndone, O Prince of Knights!\u201d Then said Mura\u2019ash, \u201cLay thy hand on this\nhoard for which the Kings of the earth sigh in vain, and mount, that I\nmay show thee the city.\u201d Then they took horse and rode forth the palace,\nwith men and Jinns attending them on foot,\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the\ndawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Fifty-fourth Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib and\nKing Mura\u2019ash rode forth the palace of Japhet, with men and Jinns\nattending them on foot, they passed through the streets and\nthoroughfares of the town, by palaces and deserted mansions and gilded\ndoorways, till they issued from the gates and entered gardens full of\ntrees fruit-bearing and waters welling and birds speaking and\ncelebrating the praises of Him to whom belong Majesty and Eternity; nor\ndid they cease to solace themselves in the land till nightfall, when\nthey returned to the palace of Japhet son of Noah and they brought them\nthe table of food. So they ate and Gharib turned to the King of the Jann\nand said to him, \u201cO King, I would fain return to my folk and my force;\nfor I know not their plight after me.\u201d Replied Mura\u2019ash, \u201cBy Allah, O my\nbrother, I will not part with thee for a full month, till I have had my\nfill of thy sight.\u201d Now Gharib could not say nay, so he abode with him\nin the city of Japhet, eating and drinking and making merry, till the\nmonth ended, when Mura\u2019ash gave him great store of gems and precious\nores, emeralds and balass-rubies, diamonds and other jewels, ingots of\ngold and silver and likewise ambergris and musk and brocaded silks and\nelse of rarities and things of price. Moreover he clad him and Sahim in\nsilken robes of honour gold-inwoven and set on Gharib\u2019s head a crown\njewelled with pearls and diamonds of inestimable value. All these\ntreasures he made up into even loads for him and, calling five hundred\nMarids, said to them, \u201cGet ye ready to travel on the morrow, that we may\nbring King Gharib and Sahim back to their own country.\u201d And they\nanswered, \u201cWe hear and we obey.\u201d So they passed the night in the city,\npurposing to depart on the morrow, but, next morning, as they were about\nto set forth behold, they espied a great host advancing upon the city,\nwith horses neighing and kettle-drums beating and trumpets braying and\nriders filling the earth for they numbered threescore and ten thousand\nMarids, flying and diving, under a King called Bark\u00e1n. Now this Barkan\nwas lord of the City of Carnelian and the Castle of Gold and under his\nrule were five hill-strongholds, in each five hundred thousand Marids;\nand he and his tribe worshipped the Fire, not the Omnipotent Sire. He\nwas a cousin of Mura\u2019ash, the son of his father\u2019s brother, and the cause\nof his coming was that there had been among the subjects of King\nMura\u2019ash a misbelieving Marid, who professed Al-Islam hypocritically,\nand he stole away from his people and made for the Valley of Carnelian,\nwhere he went in to King Barkan and, kissing the earth before him,\nwished him abiding glory and prosperity. Then he told him of Mura\u2019ash\nbeing converted to Al-Islam, and Barkan said, \u201cHow came he to tear\nhimself away from his faith[34]?\u201d So the rebel told him what had passed\nand, when Barkan heard it, he snorted and snarked and railed at Sun and\nMoon and sparkling Fire, saying, \u201cBy the virtue of my faith, I will\nsurely slay mine uncle\u2019s son and his people and this mortal, nor will I\nleave one of them alive!\u201d Then he cried out to the legions of the Jinn\nand choosing of them seventy thousand Marids, set out and fared on till\nhe came to Jabars\u00e1[35] the city of Japhet and encamped before its gates.\nWhen Mura\u2019ash saw this, he despatched a Marid, saying, \u201cGo to this host\nand learn all that it wanteth and return hither in haste.\u201d So the\nmessenger rushed away to Barkan\u2019s camp, where the Marids flocked to meet\nhim and said to him, \u201cWho art thou?\u201d Replied he, \u201cAn envoy from King\nMura\u2019ash;\u201d whereupon they carried him in to Barkan, before whom he\nprostrated himself, saying, \u201cO my lord, my master hath sent me to thee,\nto learn tidings of thee.\u201d Quoth Barkan, \u201cReturn to thy lord and say to\nhim:\u2014This is thy cousin Barkan, who is come to salute thee.\u201d\u2014\u2014And\nShahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Fifty-fifth Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the\nMarid-envoy of Mura\u2019ash was borne before Barkan and said to him, \u201cO my\nlord, my master hath sent me to thee to learn tidings of thee,\u201d Barkan\nreplied, \u201cReturn to thy lord and say to him:\u2014This is thy cousin Barkan\nwho is come to salute thee!\u201d So the messenger went back and told\nMura\u2019ash, who said to Gharib, \u201cSit thou on thy throne whilst I go and\nsalute my cousin and return to thee.\u201d Then he mounted and rode to the\ncamp of his uncle\u2019s son. Now this was a trick[36] of Barkan, to bring\nMura\u2019ash out and seize upon him, and he said to his Marids, whom he had\nstationed about him, \u201cWhen ye see me embrace him,[37] lay hold of him\nand pinion him.\u201d And they replied, \u201cTo hear is to obey.\u201d So, when King\nMura\u2019ash came up and entered Barkan\u2019s pavilion, the owner rose to him\nand threw his arms round his neck; whereat the Jann fell upon Mura\u2019ash\nand pinioned him and chained him. Mura\u2019ash looked at Barkan and said,\n\u201cWhat manner of thing is this?\u201d Quoth Barkan, \u201cO dog of the Jann, wilt\nthou leave the faith of thy fathers and grandfathers and enter a faith\nthou knowest not?\u201d Rejoined Mura\u2019ash, \u201cO son of my uncle, indeed I have\nfound the faith of Abraham the Friend to be the True Faith and all other\nthan it vain.\u201d Asked Barkan, \u201cAnd who told thee of this?\u201d; and Mura\u2019ash\nanswered, \u201cGharib, King of Irak, whom I hold in the highest honour.\u201d \u201cBy\nthe right of the Fire and the Light and the Shade and the Heat,\u201d cried\nBarkan, \u201cI will assuredly slay both thee and him!\u201d And he cast him into\ngaol. Now when Mura\u2019ash\u2019s henchman saw what had befallen his lord, he\nfled back to the city and told the King\u2019s legionaries who cried out and\nmounted. Quoth Gharib, \u201cWhat is the matter?\u201d And they told him all that\nhad passed, whereupon he cried out to Sahim, \u201cSaddle me one of the\nchargers that King Mura\u2019ash gave me.\u201d Said Sahim, \u201cO my brother, wilt\nthou do battle with the Jinn?\u201d Gharib replied, \u201cYes, I will fight them\nwith the sword of Japhet son of Noah, seeking help of the Lord of\nAbraham the Friend (on whom be the Peace!); for He is the Lord of all\nthings and sole Creator!\u201d So Sahim saddled him a sorrel horse of the\nhorses of the Jinn, as he were a castle strong among castles, and he\narmed and mounting, rode out with the legions of the Jinn, hauberk\u2019d\ncap-\u00e0-pie. Then Barkan and his host mounted also and the two hosts drew\nout in lines facing each other. The first to open the gate of war was\nGharib, who drave his steed into the mid-field and bared the enchanted\nblade, whence issued a glittering light that dazzled the eyes of all the\nJinn and struck terror to their hearts. Then he played[38] with the\nsword till their wits were wildered, and cried out, saying, \u201cAllaho\nAkbar! I am Gharib, King of Irak. There is no Faith save the Faith of\nAbraham the Friend!\u201d Now when Barkan heard Gharib\u2019s words, he said,\n\u201cThis is he who seduced my cousin from his religion; so, by the virtue\nof my faith, I will not sit down on my throne till I have decapitated\nthis Gharib and suppressed his breath of life and forced my cousin and\nhis people back to their belief: and whoso baulketh me, him will I\ndestroy.\u201d Then he mounted an elephant paper-white as he were a tower\nplastered with gypsum, and goaded him with a spike of steel which ran\ndeep into his flesh, whereupon the elephant trumpeted and made for the\nbattle-plain where cut and thrust obtain; and, when he drew near Gharib,\nhe cried out to him, saying, \u201cO dog of mankind, what made thee come into\nour land, to debauch my cousin and his folk and pervert them from one\nfaith to other faith. Know that this day is the last of thy worldly\ndays.\u201d Gharib replied, \u201cAvaunt,[39] O vilest of the Jann!\u201d Therewith\nBarkan drew a javelin and making it quiver[40] in his hand, cast it at\nGharib; but it missed him. So he hurled a second javelin at him; but\nGharib caught it in mid-air and after poising it launched it at the\nelephant. It smote him on the flank and came out on the other side,\nwhereupon the beast fell to the earth dead and Barkan was thrown to the\nground, like a great palm-tree. Before he could stir, Gharib smote him\nwith the flat of Japhet\u2019s blade on the nape of the neck, and he fell\nupon the earth in a fainting-fit; whereupon the Marids swooped down on\nhim and surrounding him pinioned his elbows. When Barkan\u2019s people saw\ntheir king a prisoner, they drove at the others, seeking to rescue him,\nbut Gharib and the Islamised Jinn fell upon them and gloriously done for\nGharib! indeed that day he pleased the Lord who answereth prayer and\nslaked his vengeance with the talisman-sword! Whomsoever he smote, he\nclove him in sunder and before his soul could depart he became a heap of\nashes in the fire; whilst the two hosts of the Jinn shot each other with\nflamy meteors till the battle-field was wrapped in smoke. And Gharib\ntourneyed right and left among the Kafirs who gave way before him, till\nhe came to King Barkan\u2019s pavilion, with Kaylajan and Kurajan on his\neither hand, and cried out to them, \u201cLoose your lord!\u201d So they unbound\nMura\u2019ash and broke his fetters and\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of\nday and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Fifty-sixth Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when King\nGharib cried out to Kaylajan and Kurajan, saying, \u201cLoose your lord!\u201d,\nthey unbound Mura\u2019ash and broke his fetters, and he said to them, \u201cBring\nme my arms and my winged horse.\u201d Now he had two flying steeds, one of\nwhich he had given to Gharib and the other he had kept for himself; and\nthis he mounted after he had donned his battle-harness. Then he and\nGharib fell upon the enemy, flying through the air on their winged\nhorses, and the true believing Jinn followed them, shouting \u201cAllaho\nAkbar\u2014God is Most Great!\u201d\u2014till plains and hills, valleys and mountains\nre-worded the cry. The Infidels fled before them and they returned,\nafter having slain more than thirty thousand Marids and Satans, to the\ncity of Japhet, where the two Kings sat down on their couches of estate\nand sought Barkan, but found him not; for after capturing him they were\ndiverted from him by stress of battle, where an Ifrit of his servants\nmade his way to him and loosing him, carried him to his folk, of whom he\nfound part slain and the rest in full flight. So he flew up with the\nKing high in air and sat him down in the City of Carnelian and Castle of\nGold, where Barkan seated himself on the throne of his kingship.\nPresently, those of his people who had survived the affair came in to\nhim and gave him joy of his safety; and he said, \u201cO folk, where is\nsafety? My army is slain and they took me prisoner and have rent in\npieces mine honour among the tribes of the Jann.\u201d Quoth they, \u201cO King,\n\u2019tis ever thus that kings still afflict and are afflicted.\u201d Quoth he,\n\u201cThere is no help but I take my wreak and wipe out my shame, else shall\nI be for ever disgraced among the tribes of the Jann.\u201d Then he wrote\nletters to the Governors of his fortresses, who came to him right\nloyally and, when he reviewed them, he found three hundred and twenty\nthousand fierce Marids and Satans; who said to him, \u201cWhat is thy need?\u201d\nAnd he replied, \u201cGet ye ready to set out in three days\u2019 time;\u201d whereto\nthey rejoined \u201cHarkening and obedience!\u201d On this wise it befel King\nBarkan; but as regards Mura\u2019ash, when he discovered his prisoner\u2019s\nescape, it was grievous to him and he said, \u201cHad we set an hundred\nMarids to guard him, he had not fled; but whither shall he go from us?\u201d\nThen said he to Gharib, \u201cKnow, O my brother, that Barkan is perfidious\nand will never rest from wreaking blood-revenge on us, but will\nassuredly assemble his legions and return to attack us; wherefore I am\nminded to forestall him and follow the trail of his defeat, whilst he is\nyet weakened thereby.\u201d Replied Gharib, \u201cThis is the right rede, and will\nbest serve our need;\u201d and Mura\u2019ash said, \u201cOh my brother, let the Marids\nbear thee back to thine own country and leave me to fight the battles of\nthe Faith against the Infidels, that I may be lightened of my sin-load.\u201d\nBut Gharib rejoined, \u201cBy the virtue of the Clement, the Bountiful, the\nVeiler, I will not go hence till I do to death all the misbelieving\nJinn; and Allah hasten their souls to the fire and dwelling-place dire;\nand none shall be saved but those who worship Allah the One, the\nVictorious! But do thou send Sahim back to the city of Oman, so haply he\nmay be healed of his ailment.\u201d For Sahim was sick. So Mura\u2019ash cried to\nthe Marids, saying, \u201cTake ye up Sahim and these treasures and bear them\nto Oman city.\u201d And after replying, \u201cWe hear and we obey,\u201d they took them\nand made for the land of men. Then Mura\u2019ash wrote letters to all his\nGovernors and Captains of fortresses and they came to him with an\nhundred and sixty thousand warriors. So they made them ready and\ndeparted for the City of Carnelian and the Castle of Gold, covering in\none day a year\u2019s journey and halted in a valley, where they encamped and\npassed the night. Next morning as they were about to set forth, behold,\nthe vanguard of Barkan\u2019s army appeared, whereupon the Jinn cried out and\nthe two hosts met and fell each upon other in that valley. Then the\nengagement was dight and there befel a sore fight as though an\nearthquake shook the site and fair plight waxed foul plight. Earnest\ncame and jest took flight, and parley ceased \u2019twixt wight and wight,[41]\nwhilst long lives were cut short in a trice and the Unbelievers fell\ninto disgrace and despite; for Gharib charged them, proclaiming the\nUnity of the Worshipful, the All-might and shore through necks and left\nheads rolling in the dust; nor did night betide before nigh seventy\nthousand of the Miscreants were slain, and of the Moslemised over ten\nthousand Marids had fallen. Then the kettle-drums beat the retreat, and\nthe two hosts drew apart,\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and\nceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Fifty-seventh Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the two\nhosts drew apart, Gharib and Mura\u2019ash returned to their tents, after\nwiping their weapons, and supper being set before them, they ate and\ngave each other joy of their safety, and the loss of their Marids being\nso small. As for Barkan, he returned to his tent, grieving for the\nslaughter of his champions, and said to his officers, \u201cO folk, an we\ntarry here and do battle with them on this wise in three days\u2019 time we\nshall be cut off to the last wight.\u201d Quoth they, \u201cAnd how shall we do, O\nKing?\u201d Quoth Barkan, \u201cWe will fall upon them under cover of night whilst\nthey are deep in sleep, and not one of them shall be left to tell the\ntale. So take your arms and when I give the word of command, attack and\nfall on your enemies as one.\u201d Now there was amongst them a Marid named\nJandal whose heart inclined to Al-Islam; so, when he heard the Kafirs\u2019\nplot, he stole away from them and going in to King Mura\u2019ash and King\nGharib, told the twain what Barkan had devised; whereupon Mura\u2019ash\nturned to Gharib and said to him, \u201cO my brother, what shall we do?\u201d\nGharib replied, \u201cTo-night we will fall upon the Miscreants and chase\nthem into the wilds and the wolds if it be the will of the Omnipotent\nKing.\u201d Then he summoned the Captains of the Jann and said to them, \u201cArm\nyourselves, you and yours; and, as soon as \u2019tis dark, steal out of your\ntents on foot, hundreds after hundreds, and lie in ambush among the\nmountains; and when ye see the enemy engaged among the tents, do ye fall\nupon them from all quarters. Hearten your hearts and rely on your Lord,\nand ye shall certainly conquer; and behold, I am with you!\u201d So, as soon\nas it was dark night, the Infidels attacked the camp, invoking aid of\nthe fire and light; but when they came among the tents, the Moslems fell\nupon them, calling for help on the Lord of the Worlds and saying, \u201cO\nMost Merciful of Mercifuls, O Creator of all createds!\u201d till they left\nthem like mown grass, cut down and dead. Nor did morning dawn before the\nmost part of the unbelievers were species without souls and the rest\nmade for the wastes and marshes, whilst Gharib and Mura\u2019ash returned\ntriumphant and victorious; and, making prize of the enemy\u2019s baggage,\nthey rested till the morrow, when they set out for the City of Carnelian\nand Castle of Gold. As for Barkan, when the battle had turned against\nhim and most of his lieges were slain, he fled through the dark with the\nremnant of his power to his capital where he entered his palace and\nassembling his legionaries said to them, \u201cO folk, whoso hath aught of\nprice, let him take it and follow me to the Mountain K\u00e1f, to the Blue\nKing, lord of the Pied Palace; for he it is who shall avenge us.\u201d So\nthey took their women and children and goods and made for the\nCaucasus-mountain. Presently Mura\u2019ash and Gharib arrived at the City of\nCarnelian and Castle of Gold to find the gates open and none left to\ngive them news; whereupon they entered and Mura\u2019ash led Gharib that he\nmight show him the city, whose walls were builded of emeralds and its\ngates of red carnelian, with studs of silver, and the terrace-roofs of\nits houses and mansions reposed upon beams of lign-aloes and\nsandal-wood. So they took their pleasure in its streets and alleys, till\nthey came to the Palace of Gold and entering passed through seven\nvestibules, when they drew near to a building, whose walls were of royal\nbalass-rubies and its pavement of emerald and jacinth. The two Kings\nwere astounded at the goodliness of the place and fared on from\nvestibule to vestibule, till they had passed through the seventh and\nhappened upon the inner court of the palace wherein they saw four\nda\u00efses, each different from the others, and in the midst a jetting fount\nof red gold, compassed about with golden lions,[42] from whose mouths\nissued water. These were things to daze man\u2019s wit. The estrade at the\nupper end was hung and carpeted with brocaded silks of various colours\nand thereon stood two thrones of red gold, inlaid with pearls and\njewels. So Mura\u2019ash and Gharib sat down on Barkan\u2019s thrones and held\nhigh state in the Palace of Gold.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of\nday and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Fifty-eighth Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Mura\u2019ash and\nGharib took seat on Barkan\u2019s thrones and held high state. Then said\nGharib to Mura\u2019ash, \u201cWhat thinkest thou to do?\u201d And Mura\u2019ash replied, \u201cO\nKing of mankind, I have despatched an hundred horse to learn where\nBarkan is, that we may pursue him.\u201d Then they abode three days in the\npalace, till the scouting Marids returned with the news that Barkan had\nfled to the Mountain Kaf and craved protection of the Blue King who\ngranted it; whereupon quoth Mura\u2019ash to Gharib, \u201cWhat sayest thou, O my\nbrother?\u201d and quoth Gharib, \u201cExcept we attack them they will attack us.\u201d\nSo they bade the host make ready for departure and after three days,\nthey were about to set out with their troops, when the Marids, who had\ncarried Sahim and the presents back to Oman, returned and kissed ground\nbefore Gharib. He questioned them of his people and they replied, \u201cAfter\nthe last affair, thy brother Ajib, leaving Ya\u2019arub bin Kahtan, fled to\nthe King of Hind and, submitting his case, sought his protection. The\nKing granted his prayer and writing letters to all his governors, levied\nan army as it were the surging sea, having neither beginning nor end,\nwherewith he purposeth to invade Al-Irak and lay it waste.\u201d When Gharib\nheard this, he said, \u201cPerish the Misbelievers! Verily, Allah Almighty\nshall give the victory to Al-Islam and I will soon show them hew and\nfoin.\u201d Said Mura\u2019ash, \u201cO King of humans, by the virtue of the Mighty\nName, I must needs go with thee to thy kingdom and destroy thy foes and\nbring thee to thy wish.\u201d Gharib thanked him and they rested on this\nresolve till the morrow, when they set out, intending for Mount Caucasus\nand marched many days till they reached the City of Alabaster and the\nPied Palace. Now this city was fashioned of alabaster and precious\nstones by B\u00e1rik bin F\u00e1ki\u2019, father of the Jinn, and he also founded the\nPied Palace, which was so named because edified with one brick of gold\nalternating with one of silver, nor was there builded aught like it in\nall the world. When they came within half a day\u2019s journey of the city,\nthey halted to take their rest, and Mura\u2019ash sent out to reconnoitre a\nscout who returned and said, \u201cO King, within the City of Alabaster are\nlegions of the Jinn, for number as the leaves of the trees or as the\ndrops of rain.\u201d So Mura\u2019ash said to Gharib, \u201cHow shall we do, O King of\nMankind?\u201d He replied, \u201cO King, divide your men into four bodies and\nencompass with them the camp of the Infidels; then, in the middle of the\nnight, let them cry out, saying;\u2014God is Most Great! and withdraw and\nwatch what happeneth among the tribes of the Jinn.\u201d So Mura\u2019ash did as\nGharib counselled and the troops waited till midnight, when they\nencircled the foe and shouted, \u201cAllaho Akbar! Ho for the Faith of\nAbraham the Friend, on whom be the Peace!\u201d The Misbelievers at this cry\nawoke in affright and snatching up their arms, fell one upon other till\nthe morning, when most part of them were dead bodies and but few\nremained. Then Gharib cried out to the True Believers, saying, \u201cUp and\nat the remnant of the Kafirs! Behold I am with you, and Allah is your\nhelper!\u201d So the Moslems drave at the enemy and Gharib bared his magical\nblade Al-Mahik and fell upon the foe, lopping off noses and making heads\nwax hoary and whole ranks turn tail. At last he came up with Barkan and\nsmote him and bereft him of life and he fell down, drenched in his\nblood. On like wise he did with the Blue King, and by undurn-hour not\none of the Kafirs was left alive to tell the tale. Then Gharib and\nMura\u2019ash entered the Pied Palace and found its walls builded of\nalternate courses of gold and silver, with door-sills of crystal and\nkeystones of greenest emerald. In its midst was a fountain adorned with\nbells and pendants and figures of birds and beasts spouting forth water,\nand thereby a da\u00efs[43] furnished with gold-brocaded silk, bordered or\nembroidered with jewels: and they found the treasures of the palace past\ncount or description. Then they entered the women\u2019s court, where they\ncame upon a magnificent serraglio and Gharib saw, among the Blue King\u2019s\nwoman-folk a girl clad in a dress worth a thousand dinars, never had he\nbeheld a goodlier. About her were an hundred slave-girls, upholding her\ntrain with golden hooks, and she was in their midst as the moon among\nstars. When he saw her, his reason was confounded and he said to one of\nthe waiting-women, \u201cWho may be yonder maid?\u201d Quoth they, \u201cThis is the\nBlue King\u2019s daughter, Star o\u2019 Morn.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn\nof day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Fifty-ninth Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib asked\nthe slave-women saying, \u201cWho may be yonder maid,\u201d they replied, \u201cThis is\nStar o\u2019 Morn, daughter to the Blue King.\u201d Then Gharib turned to Mura\u2019ash\nand said to him, \u201cO King of the Jinn, I have a mind to take yonder\ndamsel to wife.\u201d Replied Mura\u2019ash, \u201cThe palace and all that therein is,\nlive stock and dead, are the prize of thy right hand; for, hadst thou\nnot devised a stratagem to destroy the Blue King and Barkan, they had\ncut us off to the last one: wherefore the treasure is thy treasure and\nthe folk thy thralls.\u201d Gharib thanked him for his fair speech and going\nup to the girl, gazed steadfastly upon her and loved her with exceeding\nlove, forgetting Fakhr Taj the Princess and even Mahdiyah. Now her\nmother was the Chinese King\u2019s daughter whom the Blue King had carried\noff from her palace and perforce deflowered, and she conceived by him\nand bare this girl, whom he named Star o\u2019 Morn, by reason of her beauty\nand loveliness; for she was the very Princess of the Fair. Her mother\ndied when she was a babe of forty days, and the nurses and eunuchs\nreared her, till she reached the age of seventeen; but she hated her\nsire and rejoiced in his slaughter. So Gharib put his palm to hers[44]\nand went in unto her that night and found her a virgin. Then he bade\npull down the Pied Palace and divided the spoil with the true-believing\nJinn, and there fell to his share one-and-twenty thousand bricks of gold\nand silver and money and treasure beyond speech and count. Then Mura\u2019ash\ntook Gharib and showed him the Mountain Kaf and all its marvels; after\nwhich they returned to Barkan\u2019s fortress and dismantled it and shared\nthe spoil thereof. Then they repaired to Mura\u2019ash\u2019s capital, where they\ntarried five days, when Gharib sought to revisit his native country and\nMura\u2019ash said, \u201cO King of mankind, I will ride at thy stirrup and bring\nthee to thine own land.\u201d Replied Gharib, \u201cNo, by the virtue of Abraham\nthe Friend, I will not suffer thee to weary thyself thus, nor will I\ntake any of the Jinn save Kaylajan and Kurajan.\u201d Quoth the King, \u201cTake\nwith thee ten thousand horsemen of the Jinn, to serve thee;\u201d but quoth\nGharib, \u201cI will take only as I said to thee.\u201d So Mura\u2019ash bade a\nthousand Marids carry him to his native land, with his share of the\nspoil; and he commanded Kaylajan and Kurajan to follow him and obey him;\nand they answered, \u201cHearkening and obedience.\u201d Then said Gharib to the\nMarids, \u201cDo ye carry the treasure and Star o\u2019 Morn;\u201d for he himself\nthought to ride his flying steed. But Mura\u2019ash said to him, \u201cThis horse,\nO my brother, will live only in our region, and, if it come upon man\u2019s\nearth, \u2019twill die: but I have in my stables a sea-horse, whose fellow is\nnot found in Al-Irak, no, nor in all the world is its like.\u201d So he\ncaused bring forth the horse, and when Gharib saw it, it interposed\nbetween him and his wits.[45] Then they bound it and Kaylajan bore it on\nhis shoulders and Kurajan took what he could carry. And Mura\u2019ash\nembraced Gharib and wept for parting from him, saying, \u201cO my brother, if\naught befal thee wherein thou art powerless, send for me and I will come\nto thine aid with an army able to lay waste the whole earth and what is\nthereon.\u201d Gharib thanked him for his kindness and zeal for the True\nFaith and took leave of him; whereupon the Marids set out with Gharib\nand his goods; and, after traversing fifty years\u2019 journey in two days\nand a night, alighted near the city of Oman and halted to take rest.\nThen Gharib sent out Kaylajan, to learn news of his people, and he\nreturned and said, \u201cO King, the city is beleaguered by a host of\nInfidels, as they were the surging sea, and thy people are fighting\nthem. The drums beat to battle and Jamrkan goeth forth as champion in\nthe field.\u201d When Gharib heard this, he cried aloud, \u201cGod is Most Great!\u201d\nand said to Kaylajan, \u201cSaddle me the steed and bring me my arms and\nspear; for to-day the valiant shall be known from the coward in the\nplace of war and battle-stead.\u201d So Kaylajan brought him all he sought\nand Gharib armed and belting in baldrick Al-Mahik, mounted the sea-horse\nand made toward the hosts. Quoth Kaylajan and Kurajan to him, \u201cSet thy\nheart at rest and let us go to the Kafirs and scatter them abroad in the\nwastes and wilds till, by the help of Allah, the All-powerful, we leave\nnot a soul alive, no, not a blower of the fire.\u201d But Gharib said, \u201cBy\nthe virtue of Abraham the Friend, I will not let you fight them without\nme and behold, I mount!\u201d Now the cause of the coming of that great host\nwas right marvellous.[46]\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and\nceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Sixtieth Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib\nhad bidden Kaylajan go and learn news of his people, the Jinn fared\nforth and presently returning said, \u201cVerily around thy city is a mighty\nhost!\u201d Now the cause of its coming was that Ajib, having fled the field\nafter Ya\u2019arub\u2019s army had been put to the rout, said to his people, \u201cO\nfolk, if we return to Ya\u2019arub bin Kahtan, he will say to us:\u2014But for\nyou, my son and my people had not been slain; and he will put us to\ndeath, even to the last man. Wherefore, methinks we were better go to\nTarkan\u00e1n, King of Hind, and beseech him to avenge us.\u201d Replied they,\n\u201cCome, let us go thither; and the blessing of the Fire be upon thee!\u201d So\nthey fared days and nights till they reached King Tarkanan\u2019s capital\ncity and, after asking and obtaining permission to present himself, Ajib\nwent in to him and kissed ground before him. Then he wished him what men\nuse to wish to monarchy and said to him, \u201cO King, protect me, so may\nprotect thee the sparkling Fire and the Night with its thick darkness!\u201d\nTarkanan looked at Ajib and asked, \u201cWho art thou and what dost thou\nwant?\u201d; to which the other answered, \u201cI am Ajib King of Al-Irak; my\nbrother hath wronged me and gotten the mastery of the land and the\nsubjects have submitted themselves to him. Moreover, he hath embraced\nthe faith of Al-Islam and he ceaseth not to chase me from country to\ncountry; and behold, I am come to seek protection of thee and thy\npower.\u201d When Tarkanan heard Ajib\u2019s words, he rose and sat down and\ncried, \u201cBy the virtue of the Fire, I will assuredly avenge thee and will\nlet none serve other than my goddess the Fire!\u201d And he called aloud to\nhis son, saying, \u201cO my son, make ready to go to Al-Irak and lay it waste\nand bind all who serve aught but the Fire and torment them and make\nexample of them; yet slay them not, but bring them to me, that I may ply\nthem with various tortures and make them taste the bitterness of\nhumiliation and leave them a warning to whoso will be warned in this our\nwhile.\u201d Then he chose out to accompany him eighty thousand fighting men\non horseback and the like number on giraffes,[47] besides ten thousand\nelephants, bearing on their backs seats[48] of sandal-wood, latticed\nwith golden rods, plated and studded with gold and silver and shielded\nwith pavises of gold and emerald; moreover he sent good store of\nwar-chariots, in each eight men fighting with all kinds of weapons. Now\nthe Prince\u2019s name was Ra\u2019ad Sh\u00e1h,[49] and he was the champion of his\ntime, for prowess having no peer. So he and his army equipped them in\nten day\u2019s time, then set out, as they were a bank of clouds, and fared\non two months\u2019 journey, till they came upon Oman city and encompassed\nit, to the joy of Ajib, who thought himself assured of victory. Jamrkan\nand Sa\u2019adan and all their fighting-men sallied forth into the field of\nfight whilst the kettle-drums beat to battle and the horses neighed. At\nthis moment up came King Gharib, who, as we have said, had been warned\nby Kaylajan; and he urged on his destrier and entered among the Infidels\nwaiting to see who should come forth and open the chapter of war. Then\nout rushed Sa\u2019adan the Ghul and offered combat, whereupon there issued\nforth to him one of the champions of Hind; but Sa\u2019adan scarce let him\ntake stand in front ere he smote him with his mace and crushed his bones\nand stretched him on the ground; and so did he with a second and a\nthird, till he had slain thirty fighting men. Then there dashed out at\nhim an Indian cavalier, by name Batt\u00e1sh al-Akr\u00e1n,[50] uncle to King\nTarkanan and of his day the doughtiest man, reckoned worth five thousand\nhorse in battle-plain and cried out to Sa\u2019adan, saying, \u201cO thief of the\nArabs, hath thy daring reached that degree that thou shouldst slay the\nKings of Hind and their champions and capture their horsemen? But this\nday is the last of thy worldly days.\u201d When Sa\u2019adan heard these words,\nhis eyes waxed blood-red and he drave at Battash and aimed a stroke at\nhim with his club; but he evaded it and the force of the blow bore\nSa\u2019adan to the ground; and before he could recover himself, the Indians\npinioned him and haled him off to their tents. Now when Jamrkan saw his\ncomrade a prisoner, he cried out, saying, \u201cHo for the Faith of Abraham\nthe Friend!\u201d and clapping heel to his horse, ran at Battash. They\nwheeled about awhile, till Battash charged Jamrkan and catching him by\nhis jerkin[51] tare him from his saddle and cast him to the ground;\nwhereupon the Indians bound him and dragged him away to their tents. And\nBattash ceased not to overcome all who came out to him, Captain after\nCaptain till he had made prisoners of four-and-twenty Chiefs of the\nMoslems, whereat the True Believers were sore dismayed. When Gharib saw\nwhat had befallen his braves, he drew from beneath his knee[52] a mace\nof gold weighing six-score pounds which had belonged to Barkan King of\nthe Jann\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her\npermitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Sixty-first Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib beheld\nwhat had befallen his braves he drew forth a golden mace which had\nbelonged to Barkan King of the Jann and clapped heel to his sea-horse,\nwhich bore him like the wind-gust into mid-field. Then he let drive at\nBattash, crying out, \u201cGod is Most Great! He giveth aid and victory and\nHe abaseth whoso reject the Faith of Abraham the Friend!\u201d and smote him\nwith the mace, whereupon he fell to the ground and Gharib, turning to\nthe Moslems, saw his brother Sahim and said to him, \u201cPinion me this\nhound.\u201d When Sahim heard his brother\u2019s words, he ran to Battash and\nbound him hard and fast and bore him off, whilst the Moslem braves\nwondered who this knight could be and the Indians said one to other,\n\u201cWho is this horseman which came out from among them and hath taken our\nChief prisoner?\u201d Meanwhile Gharib continued to offer battle and there\nissued forth to him a captain of the Hind\u00eds whom he felled to earth with\nhis mace, and Kaylajan and Kurajan pinioned him and delivered him over\nto Sahim; nor did Gharib leave to do thus, till he had taken prisoner\ntwo-and-fifty of the doughtiest Captains of the army of Hind. Then the\nday came to an end and the kettle-drums beat the retreat; whereupon\nGharib left the field and rode towards the Moslem camp. The first to\nmeet him was Sahim, who kissed his feet in the stirrups and said, \u201cMay\nthy hand never wither, O champion of the age! Tell us who thou art among\nthe braves.\u201d So Gharib raised his vizor of mail and Sahim knew him and\ncried out, saying, \u201cThis is your King and your lord Gharib, who is come\nback from the land of the Jann!\u201d When the Moslems heard Gharib\u2019s name,\nthey threw themselves off their horses\u2019 backs, and, crowding about him,\nkissed his feet in the stirrups and saluted him, rejoicing in his safe\nreturn. Then they carried him into the city of Oman, where he entered\nhis palace and sat down on the throne of his kingship, whilst his\nofficers stood around him in the utmost joy. Food was set on and they\nate, after which Gharib related to them all that had betided him with\nthe Jinn in Mount Kaf, and they marvelled thereat with exceeding marvel\nand praised Allah for his safety. Then he dismissed them to their\nsleeping-places; so they withdrew to their several lodgings, and when\nnone abode with him but Kaylajan and Kurajan, who never left him, he\nsaid to them, \u201cCan ye carry me to Cufa that I may take my pleasure in my\nHarim, and bring me back before the end of the night?\u201d They replied, \u201cO\nour lord, this thou askest is easy.\u201d Now the distance between Cufa and\nOman is sixty days\u2019 journey for a diligent horseman, and Kaylajan said\nto Kurajan, \u201cI will carry him going and thou coming back.\u201d So he took up\nGharib and flew off with him, in company with Kurajan; nor was an hour\npast before they set him down at the gate of his palace, in Cufa. He\nwent in to his uncle Al-Damigh, who rose to him and saluted him; after\nwhich quoth Gharib, \u201cHow is it with my wives Fakhr Taj[53] and\nMahdiyah?\u201d Al-Damigh answered, \u201cThey are both well and in good case.\u201d\nThen the eunuch went in and acquainted the women of the Harim with\nGharib\u2019s coming, whereat they rejoiced and raised the trill of joy and\ngave him the reward for good news. Presently in came King Gharib, and\nthey rose and saluting him, conversed with him, till Al-Damigh entered,\nwhen Gharib related to them all that had befallen him in the land of the\nJinn, whereat they all marvelled. Then he lay with Fakhr Taj till near\ndaybreak, when he took leave of his wives and his uncle and mounted\nKurajan\u2019s back, nor was the darkness dispelled before the two Marids set\nhim down in the city of Oman. Then he and his men armed and he bade open\nthe gates when, behold, up came a horseman from the host of the Indians,\nwith Jamrkan and Sa\u2019adan and the rest of the captive captains whom he\nhad delivered, and committed them to Gharib. The Moslems, rejoicing in\ntheir safety, donned their mails and took horse, while the kettle drums\nbeat a point of war; and the Miscreants also drew up in line.\u2014\u2014And\nShahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Sixty-second Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the\nMoslem host mounted and rode to the plain of cut and thrust, the first\nto open the door of war was King Gharib who, drawing his sword Al-Mahik,\ndrove his charger between the two ranks and cried out, saying, \u201cWhoso\nknoweth me hath enough of my mischief and whoso unknoweth me, to him I\nwill make myself known. I am Gharib, King of Al-Irak and Al-Yaman,\nbrother of Ajib.\u201d When Ra\u2019ad Shah, son of the King of Hind, heard this,\nhe shouted to his captains, \u201cBring me Ajib.\u201d So they brought him and\nRa\u2019ad Shah said to him, \u201cThou wottest that this quarrel is thy quarrel\nand thou art the cause of all this slaughter. Now yonder standeth thy\nbrother Gharib middle-most the fight-field and stead where sword and\nspear we shall wield; go thou to him and bring him to me a prisoner,\nthat I may set him on a camel arsy-versy, and make a show of him and\ncarry him to the land of Hind.\u201d Answered Ajib, \u201cO King, send out to him\nother than I, for I am in ill-health this morning.\u201d But Ra\u2019ad Shah\nsnarked and snorted and cried, \u201cBy the virtue of the sparkling Fire and\nthe light and the shade and the heat, unless thou fare forth to thy\nbrother and bring him to me in haste, I will cut off thy head and make\nan end of thee.\u201d So Ajib took heart and urging his horse up to his\nbrother in mid-field, said to him, \u201cO dog of the Arabs and vilest of all\nwho hammer down tent-pegs, wilt thou contend with Kings? Take what to\nthee cometh and receive the glad tidings of thy death.\u201d When Gharib\nheard this, he said to him, \u201cWho art thou among the Kings?\u201d And Ajib\nanswered, saying, \u201cI am thy brother, and this day is the last of thy\nworldly days.\u201d Now when Gharib was assured that he was indeed his\nbrother Ajib, he cried out and said, \u201cHo, to avenge my father and\nmother!\u201d Then giving his sword to Kaylajan,[54] he drave at Ajib and\nsmote him with his mace a smashing blow and a swashing, that went nigh\nto beat in his ribs, and seizing him by the mail-gorget tore him from\nthe saddle and cast him to the ground; whereupon the two Marids pounced\nupon him and binding him fast, dragged him off dejected and abject;\nwhilst Gharib rejoiced in the capture of his enemy and repeated these\ncouplets of the poet:\u2014\n\n I have won my wish and my need have scored \u273f Unto Thee be the praise and\n the thanks, O our Lord!\n I grew up dejected and abject; poor, \u273f But Allah vouchsafed me all boons\n implored:\n I have conquered countries and mastered men \u273f But for Thee were I\n naught, O thou Lord adored!\n\nWhen Ra\u2019ad Shah saw how evilly Ajib fared with his brother, he called\nfor his charger and donning his harness and habergeon, mounted and\ndashed out a-field. As soon as he drew near King Gharib, he cried out at\nhim, saying, \u201cO basest of Arabs and bearer of scrubs,[55] who art thou,\nthat thou shouldest capture Kings and braves? Down from thy horse and\nput elbows behind back and kiss my feet and set my warriors free and go\nwith me in bond of chains to my reign that I may pardon thee and make\nthee a Shaykh in our own land, so mayst thou eat there a bittock of\nbread.\u201d When Gharib heard these words he laughed till he fell backwards\nand answered, saying, \u201cO mad hound and mangy wolf, soon shalt thou see\nagainst whom the shifts of Fortune will turn!\u201d Then he cried out to\nSahim, saying, \u201cBring me the prisoners;\u201d so he brought them, and Gharib\nsmote off their heads; whereupon Ra\u2019ad Shah drave at him, with the\ndriving of a lordly champion and the onslaught of a fierce slaughterer\nand they falsed and feinted and fought till nightfall, when the\nkettle-drums beat the retreat.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day\nand ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Sixty-third Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the\nkettle-drums beat the retreat, the two Kings parted and returned, each\nto his own place where his people gave him joy of his safety. And the\nMoslems said to Gharib, \u201c\u2019Tis not thy wont, O King, to prolong a fight;\u201d\nand he replied, \u201cO folk, I have done battle with many royalties[56] and\nchampions; but never saw I a harder hitter than this one. Had I chosen\nto draw Al-Mahik upon him, I had mashed his bones and made an end of his\ndays: but I delayed with him, thinking to take him prisoner and give him\npart enjoyment in Al-Islam.\u201d Thus far concerning Gharib; but as regards\nRa\u2019ad Shah, he returned to his marquee and sat upon his throne, when his\nChiefs came in to him and asked him of his adversary, and he answered,\n\u201cBy the truth of the sparkling Fire, never in my life saw I the like of\nyonder brave! But to-morrow I will take him prisoner and lead him away\ndejected and abject.\u201d Then they slept till daybreak, when the\nbattle-drums beat to fight and the swords in baldric were dight; and\nwar-cries were cried amain and all mounted their horses of generous\nstrain and drew out into the field, filling every wide place and hill\nand plain. The first to open the door of war was the rider outrageous\nand the lion rageous, King Gharib, who drave his steed between the two\nhosts and wheeled and careered over the field, crying, \u201cWho is for fray,\nwho is for fight? Let no sluggard come out to me this day nor dullard!\u201d\nBefore he had made an end of speaking, out rushed Ra\u2019ad Shah, riding on\nan elephant, as he were a vast tower, in a seat girthed with silken\nbands; and between the elephant\u2019s ears sat the driver, bearing in hand a\nhook, wherewith he goaded the beast and directed him right and left.\nWhen the elephant drew near Gharib\u2019s horse, and the steed saw a creature\nit had never before set eyes on, it took fright;[57] wherefore Gharib\ndismounted and gave the horse to Kaylajan. Then he drew Al-Mahik and\nadvanced to meet Ra\u2019ad Shah afoot, walking on till he faced the\nelephant. Now it was Ra\u2019ad Shah\u2019s wont, when he found himself\novermatched by any brave, to mount an elephant, taking with him an\nimplement called the lasso,[58] which was in the shape of a net, wide at\nbase and narrow at top with a running cord of silk passed through rings\nalong its edges. With this he would attack horsemen and casting the\nmeshes over them, draw the running noose and drag the rider off his\nhorse and make him prisoner; and thus had he conquered many cavaliers.\nSo, as Gharib came up to him, he raised his hand and, bespreading the\nnet over him, pulled him on to the back of the elephant and cried out to\nthe beast to return to the Indian camp. But Kaylajan and Kurajan had not\nleft Gharib and, when they beheld what had befallen their lord, they\nlaid hold of the elephant, whilst Gharib strove with the net, till he\nrent it in sunder. Upon this the two Marids seized Ra\u2019ad Shah and bound\nhim with a cord of palm-fibre. Then the two armies drove each at other\nand met with a shock like two seas crashing or two mountains together\ndashing, whilst the dust rose to the confines of the sky and blinded was\nevery eye. The battle waxed fierce and fell, the blood ran in rills, nor\ndid they cease to wage war with lunge of lance and sway of sword in\nlustiest way, till the day darkened and the night starkened, when the\ndrums beat the retreat and the two hosts drew asunder.[59] Now the\nMoslems were evilly entreated that day by reason of the riders on\nelephants and giraffes,[60] and many of them were killed and most of the\nrest were wounded. This was grievous to Gharib, who commanded the hurt\nto be medicined and turning to his Chief Officers, asked them what they\ncounselled. Answered they, \u201cO King, \u2019tis only the elephants and giraffes\nthat irk us; were we but quit of them, we should overcome the enemy.\u201d\nQuoth Kaylajan and Kurajan, \u201cWe twain will unsheath our swords and fall\non them and slay the most part of them.\u201d But there came forward a man of\nOman, who had been privy counsellor to Jaland, and said, \u201cO King, I will\nbe surety for the host, an thou wilt but hearken to me and follow my\ncounsel.\u201d Gharib turned to his Captains and said to them, \u201cWhatsoever\nthis wise man shall say to you that do.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the\ndawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Sixty-fourth Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib\nsaid to his Captains, \u201cWhatsoever this wise man shall say to you, that\ndo\u201d; they replied, \u201cHearing and obeying!\u201d So the Omani chose out ten\ncaptains and asked them, \u201cHow many braves have ye under your hands?\u201d;\nand they answered, \u201cTen thousand fighting-men.\u201d Then he carried them\ninto the armoury and armed five thousand of them with harquebuses and\nother five thousand with cross-bows and taught them to shoot with these\nnew weapons.[61] Now as soon as it was day, the Indians came out to the\nfield, armed cap-\u00e0-pie, with the elephants, giraffes and champions in\ntheir van; whereupon Gharib and his men mounted and both hosts drew out\nand the big drums beat to battle. Then the man of Oman cried out to the\narchers and harquebusiers to shoot, and they plied the elephants and\ngiraffes with shafts and leaden bullets, which entered the beasts\u2019\nflanks, whereat they roared out and turning upon their own ranks, trod\nthem down with their hoofs. Presently the Moslems charged the\nMisbelievers and outflanked them right and left, whilst the elephants\nand giraffes trampled them and drove them into the hills and wolds,\nwhither the Moslems followed hard upon them with the keen-edged sword\nand but few of the giraffes and elephants escaped. Then King Gharib and\nhis folk returned, rejoicing in their victory; and on the morrow they\ndivided the loot and rested five days; after which King Gharib sat down\non the throne of his kingship and sending for his brother Ajib, said to\nhim, \u201cO dog, why hast thou assembled the Kings against us? But He who\nhath power over all things hath given us the victory over thee. So\nembrace the Saving Faith and thou shalt be saved, and I will forbear to\navenge my father and mother on thee therefor, and I will make thee King\nagain as thou wast, placing myself under thy hand.\u201d But Ajib said, \u201cI\nwill not leave my faith.\u201d So Gharib bade lay him in irons and appointed\nan hundred stalwart slaves to guard him; after which he turned to Ra\u2019ad\nShah and said to him, \u201cHow sayst thou of the faith of Al-Islam?\u201d Replied\nhe, \u201cO my lord, I will enter thy faith; for, were it not a true Faith\nand a goodly, thou hadst not conquered us. Put forth thy hand and I will\ntestify that there is no god but _the_ God and that Abraham the Friend\nis the Apostle of God.\u201d At this Gharib rejoiced and said to him, \u201cIs thy\nheart indeed stablished in the sweetness of this Belief?\u201d And he\nanswered, saying, \u201cYes, O my lord!\u201d Then quoth Gharib, \u201cO, Ra\u2019ad Shah,\nwilt thou go to thy country and thy kingdom?\u201d; and quoth he, \u201cO, my\nlord, my father will put me to death, for that I have left his faith.\u201d\nGharib rejoined, \u201cI will go with thee and make thee king of the country\nand constrain the folk to obey thee, by the help of Allah the Bountiful,\nthe Beneficent.\u201d And Ra\u2019ad Shah kissed his hands and feet. Then Gharib\nrewarded the counsellor who had caused the rout of the foe and gave him\ngreat wealth; after which he turned to Kaylajan and Kurajan, and said to\nthem, \u201cHarkye, Chiefs of the Jinn, \u2019tis my will that ye carry me,\ntogether with Ra\u2019ad Shah and Jamrkan and Sa\u2019adan to the land of Hind.\u201d\n\u201cWe hear and we obey,\u201d answered they. So Kurajan took up Jamrkan and\nSa\u2019adan, whilst Kaylajan took Gharib and Ra\u2019ad Shah and made for the\nland of Hind.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying\nher permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Sixty-fifth Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the two\nMarids had taken up Gharib and Jamrkan, Sa\u2019adan the Ghul and Ra\u2019ad Shah,\nthey flew on with them from sundown till the last of the night, when\nthey set them down on the terrace of King Tarkanan\u2019s palace at Cashmere.\nNow news was brought to Tarkanan by the remnants of his host of what had\nbefallen his son, whereat he slept not neither took delight in aught,\nand he was troubled with sore trouble. As he sat in his Harim, pondering\nhis case, behold, Gharib and his company descended the stairways of the\npalace and came in to him; and when he saw his son and those who were\nwith him, he was confused and fear took him of the Marids. Then Ra\u2019ad\nShah turned to him and said, \u201cHow long wilt thou persist in thy\nfrowardness, O traitor and worshipper of the Fire? Woe to thee! Leave\nworshipping the Fire and serve the Magnanimous Sire, Creator of day and\nnight, whom attaineth no sight.\u201d When Tarkanan heard his son\u2019s speech,\nhe cast at him an iron club he had by him; but it missed him and fell\nupon a buttress of the palace and smote out three stones. Then cried the\nKing, \u201cO dog, thou hast destroyed mine army and hast forsaken thy faith\nand comest now to make me do likewise!\u201d With this Gharib went up to him\nand dealt him a cuff on the neck which knocked him down; whereupon the\nMarids bound him fast and all the Harim-women fled. Then Gharib sat down\non the throne of kingship and said to Ra\u2019ad Shah, \u201cDo thou justice upon\nthy father.\u201d So Ra\u2019ad Shah turned to him and said, \u201cO perverse old man,\nbecome one of the saved and thou shalt be saved from the fire and the\nwrath of the All-powerful.\u201d But Tarkanan cried, \u201cI will not die save in\nmy own faith.\u201d Whereupon Gharib drew Al-Mahik and smote him therewith,\nand he fell to the earth in two pieces, and Allah hurried his soul to\nthe fire and abiding-place dire.[62] Then Gharib bade hang his body over\nthe palace gate and they hung one-half on the right hand and the other\non the left and waited till day, when Gharib caused Ra\u2019ad Shah don the\nroyal habit and sit down on his father\u2019s throne, with himself on his\ndexter hand and Jamrkan and Sa\u2019adan and the Marids standing right and\nleft; and he said to Kaylajan and Kurajan, \u201cWhoso entereth of the\nPrinces and Officers, seize him and bind him, and let not a single\nCaptain escape you.\u201d And they answered, \u201cHearkening and obedience!\u201d\nPresently, the Officers made for the palace, to do their service to the\nKing, and the first to appear was the Chief Captain who, seeing King\nTarkanan\u2019s dead body cut in half and hanging on either side of the gate,\nwas seized with terror and amazement. Then Kaylajan laid hold of him by\nthe collar and threw him and pinioned him; after which he dragged him\ninto the palace and before sunrise they had bound three hundred and\nfifty Captains and set them before Gharib, who said to them, \u201cO folk,\nhave you seen your King hanging at the palace-gate?\u201d Asked they, \u201cWho\nhath done this deed?\u201d; and he answered, \u201cI did it, by the help of Allah\nAlmighty; and whoso opposeth me, I will do with him likewise.\u201d Then\nquoth they, \u201cWhat is thy will with us?\u201d; and quoth he, \u201cI am Gharib,\nKing of Al-Irak, he who slew your warriors; and now Ra\u2019ad Shah hath\nembraced the Faith of Salvation and is become a mighty King and ruler\nover you. So do ye become True Believers and all shall be well with you;\nbut, if ye refuse, you shall repent it.\u201d So they pronounced the\nprofession of the Faith and were enrolled among the people of felicity.\nThen said Gharib, \u201cAre your hearts indeed stablished in the sweetness of\nthe Belief?\u201d; and they replied, \u201cYes\u201d; whereupon he bade release them\nand clad them in robes of honour, saying, \u201cGo to your people and expound\nAl-Islam to them. Whoso accepteth the Faith, spare him; but if he refuse\nslay him.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say\nher permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Sixty-sixth Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that King Gharib\nsaid to the troops of Ra\u2019ad Shah, \u201cGo to your people and offer Al-Islam\nto them. Whoso accepteth the Faith spare him; but if he refuse, slay\nhim.\u201d So they went out and, assembling the men under their command,\nexplained what had taken place and expounded Al-Islam to them, and they\nall professed, except a few, whom they put to death; after which they\nreturned and told Gharib, who blessed Allah and glorified Him, saying,\n\u201cPraised be the Almighty who hath made this thing easy to us without\nstrife!\u201d Then he abode in Cashmere of India forty days, till he had\nordered the affairs of the country and cast down the shrines and temples\nof the Fire and built in their stead mosques and cathedrals, whilst\nRa\u2019ad Shah made ready for him rarities and treasures beyond count and\ndespatched them to Al-Irak in ships. Then Gharib mounted on Kaylajan\u2019s\nback and Jamrkan and Sa\u2019adan on that of Kurajan, after they had taken\nleave of Ra\u2019ad Shah; and journeyed through the night till break of day,\nwhen they reached Oman city where their troops met them and saluted them\nand rejoiced in them. Then they set out for Cufa where Gharib called for\nhis brother Ajib and commanded to hang him. So Sahim brought hooks of\niron and driving them into the tendons of Ajib\u2019s heels, hung him over\nthe gate; and Gharib bade them shoot him; so they riddled him with\narrows, till he was like unto a porcupine. Then Gharib entered his\npalace and sitting down on the throne of his kingship, passed the day in\nordering the affairs of the state. At nightfall he went in to his Harim,\nwhere Star o\u2019 Morn came to meet him and embraced him and gave him joy,\nshe and her women, of his safety. He spent that day and lay that night\nwith her and on the morrow, after he had made the Ghusl-ablution and\nprayed the dawn-prayer, he sat down on his throne and commanded\npreparation to be made for his marriage with Mahdiyah. Accordingly they\nslaughtered three thousand head of sheep and two thousand oxen and a\nthousand he-goats and five hundred camels and the like number of horses,\nbeside four thousand fowls and great store of geese; never was such\nwedding in Al-Islam to that day. Then he went in to Mahdiyah and took\nher maidenhead and abode with her ten days; after which he committed the\nkingdom to his uncle Al-Damigh, charging him to rule the lieges justly,\nand journeyed with his women and warriors, till he came to the ships\nladen with the treasures and rarities which Ra\u2019ad Shah had sent him, and\ndivided the monies among his men who from poor became rich. Then they\nfared on till they reached the city of Babel, where he bestowed on Sahim\nAl-Layl a robe of honour and appointed him Sultan of the city.\u2014\u2014And\nShahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Sixty-seventh Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Gharib, after\nrobing his brother Sahim and appointing him Sultan, abode with him ten\ndays, after which he set out again and journeyed nor stinted travel till\nhe reached the castle of Sa\u2019adan the Ghul, where they rested five days.\nThen quoth Gharib to Kaylajan and Kurajan, \u201cPass over to Isb\u00e1n\u00edr\nal-Mad\u00e1in, to the palace of the Chosroe, and find what is come of Fakhr\nTaj and bring me one of the King\u2019s kinsmen, who shall acquaint me with\nwhat hath passed.\u201d Quoth they, \u201cWe hear and we obey,\u201d and set out\nforthright for Isbanir. As they flew between heaven and earth, behold,\nthey caught sight of a mighty army, as it were the surging sea, and\nKaylajan said to Kurajan, \u201cLet us descend and determine what be this\nhost.\u201d So they alighted and walking among the troops, found them\nPersians and questioned the soldiers whose men they were and whither\nthey were bound; whereto they made answer, \u201cWe are _en route_ for\nAl-Irak, to slay Gharib and all who company him.\u201d When the Marids heard\nthese words, they repaired to the pavilion of the Persian general, whose\nname was Rustam, and waited till the soldiers slept, when they took up\nRustam, bed and all, and made for the castle where Gharib lay. They\narrived there by midnight and going to the door of the King\u2019s pavilion,\ncried, \u201cPermission!\u201d which when he heard, he sat up and said, \u201cCome in.\u201d\nSo they entered and set down the couch with Rustam asleep thereon.\nGharib asked, \u201cWho be this?\u201d and they answered, \u201cThis be a Persian\nPrince, whom we met coming with a great host, thinking to slay thee and\nthine, and we have brought him to thee, that he may tell thee what thou\nhast a mind to know.\u201d \u201cFetch me an hundred braves!\u201d cried Gharib, and\nthey fetched them; whereupon he bade them, \u201cDraw your swords and stand\nat the head of this Persian carle!\u201d Then they awoke him and he opened\nhis eyes; and, finding an arch of steel over his head, shut them again,\ncrying, \u201cWhat be this foul dream?\u201d But Kaylajan pricked him with his\nsword-point and he sat up and said, \u201cWhere am I?\u201d Quoth Sahim, \u201cThou art\nin the presence of King Gharib, son-in-law of the King of the Persians.\nWhat is thy name and whither goest thou?\u201d When Rustam heard Gharib\u2019s\nname, he bethought himself and said in his mind, \u201cAm I asleep or awake?\u201d\nWhereupon Sahim dealt him a buffet, saying, \u201cWhy dost thou not answer?\u201d\nAnd he raised his head and asked, \u201cWho brought me from my tent out of\nthe midst of my men?\u201d Gharib answered, \u201cThese two Marids brought thee.\u201d\nSo he looked at Kaylajan and Kurajan and skited in his bag-trousers.\nThen the Marids fell upon him, baring their tusks and brandishing their\nblades, and said to him, \u201cWilt thou not rise and kiss ground before King\nGharib?\u201d And he trembled at them and was assured that he was not asleep;\nso he stood up and kissed the ground between the hands of Gharib,\nsaying, \u201cThe blessing of the Fire be on thee, and long life be thy life,\nO King!\u201d Gharib cried, \u201cO dog of the Persians, fire is not worshipful,\nfor that it is harmful and profiteth not save in cooking food.\u201d Asked\nRustam, \u201cWho then is worshipful?\u201d; and Gharib answered, \u201cAlone\nworship-worth is God, who formed thee and fashioned thee and created the\nheavens and the earth.\u201d Quoth the Ajami, \u201cWhat shall I say that I may\nbecome of the party of this Lord and enter thy Faith?\u201d; and quoth\nGharib, \u201cSay:\u2014There is no god but _the_ God, and Abraham is the Friend\nof God.\u201d So Rustam pronounced the profession of the Faith and was\nenrolled among the people of felicity. Then said he to Gharib, \u201cKnow, O\nmy lord, that thy father-in-law, King Sab\u00far, seeketh to slay thee; and\nindeed he hath sent me with an hundred thousand men, charging me to\nspare none of you.\u201d Gharib rejoined, \u201cIs this my reward for having\ndelivered his daughter from death and dishonour? Allah will requite him\nhis ill intent. But what is thy name?\u201d The Persian answered, \u201cMy name is\nRustam, general of Sabur;\u201d and Gharib, \u201cThou shalt have the like rank in\nmy army,\u201d adding, \u201cBut tell me, O Rustam, how is it with the Princess\nFakhr Taj?\u201d \u201cMay thy head live, O King of the age!\u201d \u201cWhat was the cause\nof her death?\u201d Rustam replied, \u201cO my lord, no sooner hadst thou left us\nthan one of the Princess\u2019s women went in to King Sabur and said to\nhim:\u2014O my master, didst thou give Gharib leave to lie with the Princess\nmy mistress? whereto he answered:\u2014No, by the virtue of the fire! and\ndrawing his sword, went in to his daughter and said to her:\u2014O foul\nbaggage, why didst thou suffer yonder Badawi to sleep with thee, without\ndower or even wedding? She replied:\u2014O my papa, \u2019twas thou gavest him\nleave to sleep with me. Then he asked:\u2014Did the fellow have thee? but she\nwas silent and hung down her head. Hereupon he cried out to the midwives\nand slave-girls, saying:\u2014Pinion me this harlot\u2019s elbows behind her and\nlook at her privy parts. So they did as he bade them and after\ninspecting her slit said to him:\u2014O King, she hath lost her maidenhead.\nWhereupon he ran at her and would have slain her, but her mother rose up\nand threw herself between them crying:\u2014O King, slay her not, lest thou\nbe for ever dishonoured; but shut her in a cell till she die. So he cast\nher into prison till nightfall, when he called two of his courtiers and\nsaid to them:\u2014Carry her afar off and throw her into the river Jayhun and\ntell none. They did his commandment, and indeed her memory is forgotten\nand her time is past.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and\nceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Sixty-eighth Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib\nasked news of Fakhr Taj, Rustam informed him that she had been drowned\nin the river by her sire\u2019s command. And when Gharib heard this, the\nworld waxed wan before his eyes and he cried, \u201cBy the virtue of Abraham\nthe Friend, I will assuredly go to yonder dog and overwhelm him and lay\nwaste his realm!\u201d Then he sent letters to Jamrkan and to the governors\nof Mosul and Mayy\u00e1f\u00e1rik\u00edn; and, turning to Rustam, said to him, \u201cHow\nmany men hadst thou in thine army?\u201d He replied, \u201cAn hundred thousand\nPersian horse;\u201d and Gharib rejoined, \u201cTake ten thousand horse and go to\nthy people and occupy them with war; I will follow on thy trail.\u201d So\nRustam mounted and taking ten thousand Arab horse made for his tribe,\nsaying in himself, \u201cI will do a deed shall whiten my face with King\nGharib.\u201d So he fared on seven days, till there remained but half a day\u2019s\njourney between him and the Persian camp; when, dividing his host into\nfour divisions he said to his men, \u201cSurround the Persians on all sides\nand fall upon them with the sword.\u201d They rode on from eventide till\nmidnight, when they had compassed the camp of the Ajamis, who were\nasleep in security, and fell upon them, shouting, \u201cGod is Most Great!\u201d\nWhereupon the Persians started up from sleep and their feet slipped and\nthe sabre went round amongst them; for the All-knowing King was wroth\nwith them, and Rustam wrought amongst them as fire in dry fuel; till, by\nthe end of the night, the whole of the Persian host was slain or wounded\nor fled, and the Moslems made prize of their tents and baggage, horses,\ncamels and treasure-chests. Then they alighted and rested in the tents\nof the Ajamis till King Gharib came up and, seeing what Rustam had done\nand how he had gained by stratagem a great and complete victory, he\ninvested him with a robe of honour and said to him, \u201cO Rustam, it was\nthou didst put the Persians to the rout; wherefore all the spoil is\nthine.\u201d So he kissed Gharib\u2019s hand and thanked him, and they rested till\nthe end of the day, when they set out for King Sabur\u2019s capital.\nMeanwhile, the fugitives of the defeated force reached Isbanir and went\nin to Sabur, crying out and saying, \u201cAlas!\u201d and \u201cWell-away!\u201d and \u201cWoe\nworth the day!\u201d Quoth he, \u201cWhat hath befallen you and who with his\nmischief hath smitten you?\u201d So they told him all that had passed and\nsaid, \u201cNaught befel us except that thy general Rustam fell upon us in\nthe darkness of the night because he had turned Moslem; nor did Gharib\ncome near us.\u201d When the King heard this, he cast his crown to the ground\nand said, \u201cThere is no worth left us!\u201d Then he turned to his son Ward\nShah[63] and said to him, \u201cO my son, there is none for this affair save\nthou.\u201d Answered Ward Shah, \u201cBy thy life, O my father, I will assuredly\nbring Gharib and his chiefs of the people in chains and slay all who are\nwith him.\u201d Then he numbered his army and found it two hundred and twenty\nthousand men. So they slept, intending to set forth on the morrow; but,\nnext morning, as they were about to march, behold, a cloud of dust arose\nand spread till it walled the world and baffled the sight of the\nfarthest-seeing wight. Now Sabur had mounted to farewell his son, and\nwhen he saw this mighty great dust, he let call a runner and said to\nhim, \u201cGo find me out the cause of this dust-cloud.\u201d The scout went and\nreturned, saying, \u201cO my lord, Gharib and his braves are upon you;\u201d\nwhereupon they unloaded their b\u00e2t-beasts and drew out in line of battle.\nWhen Gharib came up and saw the Persians ranged in row, he cried out to\nhis men, saying, \u201cCharge with the blessing of Allah!\u201d So they waved the\nflags, and the Arabs and the Ajamis drave one at other and folk were\nheaped upon folk. Blood ran like water and all souls saw death face to\nface; the brave advanced and pressed forward to assail and the coward\nhung back and turned tail and they ceased not from fight and fray till\nended day, when the kettle-drums beat the retreat and the two hosts drew\napart. Then Sabur commanded to pitch his camp hard over the city-gate,\nand Gharib set up his pavilions in front of theirs; and every one went\nto his tent.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying\nher permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Sixty-ninth Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the two hosts\ndrew apart, every one went to his tent until the morning. As soon as it\nwas day, the two hosts mounted their strong steeds and levelled their\nlances and wore their harness of war; then they raised their\nslogan-cries and drew out in battle-array, whilst came forth all the\nlordly knights and the lions of fights. Now the first to open the gate\nof battle was Rustam, who urged his charger into mid-field and cried\nout, \u201cGod is most Great! I am Rustam champion-in-chief of the Arabs and\nAjams. Who is for tilting, who is for fighting? Let no sluggard come out\nto me this day or weakling!\u201d Then there rushed forth to him a champion\nof the Persians; the two charged each other and there befel between them\na sore fight, till Rustam sprang upon his adversary and smote him with a\nmace he had with him, seventy pounds in weight, and beat his head down\nupon his breast, and he fell to the earth, dead and in his blood\ndrowned. This was no light matter to Sabur and he commanded his men to\ncharge; so they drave at the Moslems, invoking the aid of the\nlight-giving Sun, whilst the True Believers called for help upon the\nMagnanimous King. But the Ajams, the Miscreants, outnumbered the Arabs,\nthe Moslems, and made them drain the cup of death; which when Gharib saw\nhe drew his sword Al-Mahik and crying out his war-cry, fell upon the\nPersians, with Kaylajan and Kurajan at either stirrup; nor did he leave\nplaying upon them with blade till he hewed his way to the\nstandard-bearer and smote him on the head with the flat of his sword,\nwhereupon he fell down in a fainting-fit and the two Marids bore him off\nto their camp. When the Persians saw the standard fall, they turned and\nfled and for the city-gates made; but the Moslems followed them with the\nblade and they crowded together to enter the city, so that they could\nnot shut the gates and there died of them much people. Then Rustam and\nSa\u2019adan, Jamrkan and Sahim, Al-Damigh, Kaylajan and Kurajan and all the\nbraves Mohammedan and the champions of Faith Unitarian fell upon the\nmisbelieving Persians in the gates, and the blood of the Kafirs ran in\nthe streets like a torrent till they threw down their arms and harness\nand called out for quarter; whereupon the Moslems stayed their swords\nfrom the slaughter and drove them to their tents, as one driveth a flock\nof sheep. Meanwhile Gharib returned to his pavilion, where he doffed his\ngear and washed himself of the blood of the Infidels; after which he\ndonned his royal robes and sat down on his chair of estate. Then he\ncalled for the King of the Persians and said to him, \u201cO dog of the\nAjams, what moved thee to deal thus with thy daughter? How seest thou me\nunworthy to be her baron?\u201d And Sabur answered, saying, \u201cO King, punish\nme not because of that deed which I did; for I repent me and confronted\nthee not in fight but in my fear of thee.\u201d[64] When Gharib heard these\nwords he bade throw him flat and beat him. So they bastinadoed him, till\nhe could no longer groan, and cast him among the prisoners. Then Gharib\nexpounded Al-Islam to the Persians and one hundred and twenty thousand\nof them embraced The Faith, and the rest he put to the sword. Moreover\nall the citizens professed Al-Islam and Gharib mounted and entered in\ngreat state the city Isbanir al-Madain. Then he went into the King\u2019s\npalace and sitting down on Sabur\u2019s throne, gave robes and largesse and\ndistributed the booty and treasure among the Arabs and Persians,\nwherefore they loved him and wished him victory and honour and endurance\nof days. But Fakhr Taj\u2019s mother remembered her daughter and raised the\nvoice of mourning for her, and the palace was filled with wails and\ncries. Gharib heard this and entering the Harim, asked the women what\nailed them, whereupon the Princess\u2019s mother came forward and said, \u201cO my\nlord, thy presence put me in mind of my daughter and how she would have\njoyed in thy coming, had she been alive and well.\u201d Gharib wept for her\nand sitting down on his throne, called for Sabur, and they brought him\nstumbling in his shackles. Quoth Gharib to him, \u201cO dog of the Persians,\nwhat didst thou do with thy daughter?\u201d \u201cI gave her to such an one and\nsuch an one,\u201d quoth the King, \u201csaying:\u2014Drown her in the river Jayh\u00fan.\u201d\nSo Gharib sent for the two men and asked them, \u201cIs what he saith true?\u201d\nAnswered they, \u201cYes; but, O King, we did not drown her, nay we took pity\non her and left her on the banks of the Jayhun, saying:\u2014Save thyself and\nreturn not to the city, lest the King slay thee and slay us with thee.\nThis is all we know of her.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day\nand ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Seventieth Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the two men\nended the tale of Fakhr Taj with these words, \u201cAnd we left her upon the\nbank of the river Jayhun!\u201d Now, when Gharib heard this he bade bring the\nastrologers and said to them, \u201cStrike me a board of geomancy and find\nout what is come of Fakhr Taj, and whether she is still in the bonds of\nlife or dead.\u201d They did so and said, \u201cO King of the age, it is manifest\nto us that the Princess is alive and hath borne a male child; but she is\nwith a tribe of the Jinn, and will be parted from thee twenty years;\ncount, therefore, how many years thou hast been absent in travel.\u201d So he\nreckoned up the years of his absence and found them eight years and\nsaid, \u201cThere is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the\nGlorious, the Great!\u201d[65] Then he sent for all Sabur\u2019s Governors of\ntowns and strongholds and they came and did him homage. Now one day\nafter this, as he sat in his palace, behold, a cloud of dust appeared in\nthe distance and spread till it walled the whole land and darkened the\nhorizon. So he summoned the two Marids and bade them reconnoitre, and\nthey went forth under the dust cloud and snatching up a horseman of the\nadvancing host, returned and set him down before Gharib, saying, \u201cAsk\nthis fellow, for he is of the army.\u201d Quoth Gharib, \u201cWhose power is\nthis?\u201d and the man answered, \u201cO King, \u2019tis the army of Khirad Shah,[66]\nKing of Shiras, who is come forth to fight thee.\u201d Now the cause of\nKhirad Shah\u2019s coming was this. When Gharib defeated Sabur\u2019s army, as\nhath been related, and took him prisoner, the King\u2019s son fled, with a\nhandful of his father\u2019s force and ceased not flying till he reached the\ncity of Shiras, where he went into King Khirad Shah and kissed ground\nbefore him, whilst the tears ran down his cheeks. When the King saw him\nin this case, he said to him, \u201cLift thy head, O youth, and tell me what\nmaketh thee weep.\u201d He replied, \u201cO King, a King of the Arabs, by name\nGharib, hath fallen on us and captured the King my sire and slain the\nPersians making them drain the cup of death.\u201d And he told him all that\nhad passed from first to last. Quoth Khirad Shah, \u201cIs my wife[67] well?\u201d\nand quoth the Prince, \u201cGharib hath taken her.\u201d Cried the King \u201cAs my\nhead liveth, I will not leave a Badawi or a Moslem on the face of the\nearth!\u201d So he wrote letters to his Viceroys, who levied their troops and\njoined him with an army which when reviewed numbered eighty-five\nthousand men. Then he opened his armouries and distributed arms and\narmour to the troops, after which he set out with them and journeyed\ntill he came to Isbanir, and all encamped before the city-gate. Hereupon\nKaylajan and Kurajan came in to Gharib and kissing his knee, said to\nhim, \u201cO our Lord, heal our hearts and give us this host to our share.\u201d\nAnd he said, \u201cUp and at them!\u201d So the two Marids flew aloft high in the\nlift and lighting down in the pavilion of the King of Shiras, found him\nseated on his chair of estate, with the Prince of Persia, Ward Shah son\nof Sabur, sitting on his right hand, and about him his Captains, with\nwhom he was taking counsel for the slaughter of the Moslems. Kaylajan\ncame forward and caught up the Prince and Kurajan snatched up the King\nand the twain flew back with them to Gharib, who caused beat them till\nthey fainted. Then the Marids returned to the Shirazian camp and,\ndrawing their swords, which no mortal man had strength to wield, fell\nupon the Misbelievers and Allah hurried their souls to the Fire and\nabiding-place dire, whilst they saw no one and nothing save two swords\nflashing and reaping men, as a husbandman reaps corn. So they left their\ntents and mounting their horses bare-backed, fled; and the Marids\npursued them two days and slew of them much people; after which they\nreturned and kissed Gharib\u2019s hand. He thanked them for the deed they had\ndone and said to them, \u201cThe spoil of the Infidels is yours alone: none\nshall share with you therein.\u201d So they called down blessings on him and\ngoing forth, gathered the booty together and abode in their own homes.\nOn this wise it fared with them; but as regards Gharib and his\nlieges,\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her\npermitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Seventy-first Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that after Gharib\nhad put to flight the host of Khirad Shah, he bade Kaylajan and Kurajan\ntake the spoil to their own possession nor share it with any; so they\ngathered the booty and abode in their own homes. Meanwhile the remains\nof the beaten force ceased not flying till they reached the city of\nShiras and there lifted up the voice of weeping and began the ceremonial\nlamentations for those of them that had been slain. Now King Khirad Shah\nhad a brother S\u00edr\u00e1n the Sorcerer hight, than whom there was no greater\nwizard in his day, and he lived apart from his brother in a certain\nstronghold, called the Fortalice of Fruits,[68] in a place abounding in\ntrees and streams and birds and blooms, half a day\u2019s journey from\nShiras. So the fugitives betook them thither and went in to Siran the\nSorcerer, weeping and wailing aloud. Quoth he, \u201cO folk, what garreth you\nweep?\u201d and they told him all that had happened, especially how the two\nMarids had carried off his brother Khirad Shah; whereupon the light of\nhis eyes became night and he said, \u201cBy the virtue of my faith, I will\ncertainly slay Gharib and all his men and leave not one alive to tell\nthe tale!\u201d Then he pronounced certain magical words and summoned the Red\nKing, who appeared and Siran said to him, \u201cFare for Isbanir and fall on\nGharib, as he sitteth upon his throne.\u201d Replied he, \u201cHearkening and\nobedience!\u201d and, gathering his troops, repaired to Isbanir and assailed\nGharib, who seeing him, drew his sword Al-Mahik and he and Kaylajan and\nKurajan fell upon the army of the Red King and slew of them five hundred\nand thirty and wounded the King himself with a grievous wound; whereupon\nhe and his people fled and stayed not in their flight, till they reached\nthe Fortalice of Fruits and went into Siran, crying out and exclaiming,\n\u201cWoe!\u201d and \u201cRuin!\u201d And the Red King said to Siran, \u201cO sage, Gharib hath\nwith him the enchanted sword of Japhet son of Noah, and whomsoever he\nsmiteth therewith he severeth him in sunder, and with him also are two\nMarids from Mount Caucasus, given to him by King Mura\u2019ash. He it is who\nslew the blue King and Barkan Lord of the Carnelian City, and did to\ndeath much people of the Jinn.\u201d When the Enchanter heard this, he said\nto the Red King, \u201cGo,\u201d and he went his ways; whereupon he resumed his\nconjurations, and calling up a Marid, by name Zu\u2019\u00e1zi\u2019a gave him a drachm\nof levigated Bhang and said to him, \u201cGo thou at Isbanir, and enter King\nGharib\u2019s palace and assume the form of a sparrow. Wait till he fall and\nthere be none with him; then put the Bhang up his nostrils and bring him\nto me.\u201d \u201cTo hear is to obey,\u201d replied the Marid and flew to Isbanir,\nwhere, changing himself into a sparrow, he perched on the window of the\npalace and waited till all Gharib\u2019s attendants retired to their rooms\nand the King himself slept. Then he flew down and going up to Gharib,\nblew the powdered Bhang into his nostrils, till he lost his senses,\nwhereupon he wrapped him in the bed-coverlet and flew off with him, like\nthe storm-wind, to the Fortalice of Fruits; where he arrived at midnight\nand laid his prize before Siran. The Sorcerer thanked him and would have\nput Gharib to death, as he lay senseless under Bhang; but a man of his\npeople withheld him saying, \u201cO Sage, an thou slay him, his friend King\nMura\u2019ash will fall on us with all his Ifrits and lay waste our realm.\u201d\n\u201cHow then shall we do with him?\u201d asked Siran, and the other answered,\n\u201cCast him into the Jayhun while he is still in Bhang and he shall be\ndrowned and none will know who threw him in.\u201d And Siran bade the Marid\ntake Gharib and cast him into Jayhun river.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the\ndawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Seventy-second Night,\n\n[Illustration]\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Marid took\nGharib and carried him to the Jayhun purposing to cast him therein, but\nit was grievous to him to drown him, wherefore he made a raft of wood\nand binding it with cords, pushed it out (and Gharib thereon) into the\ncurrent, which carried it away. Thus fared it with Gharib; but as\nregards his people, when they awoke in the morning and went in to do\ntheir service to their King, they found him not and seeing his rosary on\nthe throne, awaited him awhile, but he came not. So they sought out the\nhead Chamberlain and said to him, \u201cGo into the Harim and look for the\nKing: for it is not his habit to tarry till this time.\u201d Accordingly, the\nChamberlain entered the Serraglio and enquired for the King, but the\nwomen said, \u201cSince yesterday we have not seen him.\u201d Thereupon he\nreturned and told the Officers, who were confounded and said, \u201cLet us\nsee if he have gone to take his pleasure in the gardens.\u201d Then they went\nout and questioned the gardeners if they had seen the King, and they\nanswered, \u201cNo;\u201d whereat they were sore concerned and searched all the\ngarths till the end of the day, when they returned in tears. Moreover,\nthe two Marids sought for him all round the city, but came back after\nthree days, without having happened on any tidings of him. So the people\ndonned black and made their complaint to the Lord of all worshipping men\nwho doth as he is fain. Meanwhile, the current bore the raft along for\nfive days till it brought it to the salt sea, where the waves disported\nwith Gharib and his stomach, being troubled, threw up the Bhang. Then he\nopened his eyes and finding himself in the midst of the main, a\nplaything of the billows, said, \u201cThere is no Majesty and there is no\nMight save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! Would to Heaven I wot who\nhath done this deed by me!\u201d Presently as he lay, perplexed concerning\nhis case, lo! he caught sight of a ship sailing by and signalled with\nhis sleeve to the sailors, who came to him and took him up, saying, \u201cWho\nart thou and whence comest thou?\u201d He replied, \u201cDo ye feed me and give me\nto drink, till I recover myself, and after I will tell you who I am.\u201d So\nthey brought him water and victual, and he ate and drank and Allah\nrestored to him his reason. Then he asked them, \u201cO folk, what countrymen\nare ye and what is your Faith?;\u201d and they answered, \u201cWe are from\nKaraj[69] and we worship an idol called Mink\u00e1sh.\u201d Cried Gharib,\n\u201cPerdition to you and your idol! O dogs, none is worthy of worship save\nAllah who created all things, who saith to a thing Be! and it becometh.\u201d\nWhen they heard this, they rose up and fell upon him in great wrath and\nwould have seized him. Now he was without weapons, but whomsoever he\nstruck, he smote down and deprived of life, till he had felled forty\nmen, after which they overcame him by force of numbers and bound him\nfast, saying, \u201cWe will not slay him save in our own land, that we may\nfirst show him to our King.\u201d Then they sailed on till they came to the\ncity of Karaj.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased\nsaying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Seventy-third Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the ship\u2019s\ncrew seized Gharib and bound him fast they said, \u201cWe will not slay him\nsave in our own land.\u201d Then they sailed on till they came to the city of\nKaraj, the builder whereof was an Amalekite, fierce and furious; and he\nhad set up at each gate of the city a magical figure of copper which,\nwhenever a stranger entered, blew a blast on a trumpet, that all in the\ncity heard it and fell upon the stranger and slew him, except they\nembraced their creed. When Gharib entered the city, the figure stationed\nat the gate blew such a horrible blast that the King was affrighted and\ngoing into his idol, found fire and smoke issuing from its mouth, nose\nand eyes. Now a Satan had entered the belly of the idol and speaking as\nwith its tongue, said, \u201cO King, there is come to thy city one hight\nGharib, King of Al-Irak, who biddeth the folk quit their belief and\nworship his Lord; wherefore, when they bring him before thee, look thou\nspare him not.\u201d So the King went out and sat down on his throne; and\npresently, the sailors brought in Gharib and set him before the\npresence, saying, \u201cO King, we found this youth shipwrecked in the midst\nof the sea, and he is a Kafir and believeth not in our gods.\u201d Then they\ntold him all that had passed and the King said, \u201cCarry him to the house\nof the Great Idol and cut his throat before him, so haply our god may\nlook lovingly upon us.\u201d But the Wazir said, \u201cO King, it befitteth not to\nslaughter him thus, for he would die in a moment: better we imprison him\nand build a pyre of fuel and burn him with fire.\u201d Thereupon the King\ncommanded to cast Gharib into gaol and caused wood to be brought, and\nthey made a mighty pyre and set fire to it, and it burnt till the\nmorning. Then the King and the people of the city came forth and the\nRuler sent to fetch Gharib; but his lieges found him not; so they\nreturned and told their King who said, \u201cAnd how made he his escape?\u201d\nQuoth they, \u201cWe found the chains and shackles cast down and the doors\nfast locked.\u201d Whereat the King marvelled and asked, \u201cHath this fellow to\nHeaven up flown or into the earth gone down?;\u201d and they answered, \u201cWe\nknow not.\u201d Then said the King, \u201cI will go and question my God, and he\nwill inform me whither he is gone.\u201d So he rose and went in, to prostrate\nhimself to his idol, but found it not and began to rub his eyes and say,\n\u201cAm I in sleep or on wake?\u201d Then he turned to his Wazir and said to him,\n\u201cWhere is my God and where is my prisoner? By my faith, O dog of Wazirs,\nhaddest thou not counselled me to burn him, I had slaughtered him; for\nit is he who hath stolen my god and fled; and there is no help but I\ntake blood-wreak of him!\u201d Then he drew his sword and struck off the\nWazir\u2019s head. Now there was for Gharib\u2019s escape with the idol a strange\ncause and it was on this wise. When they had shut him up in a cell\nadjoining the doomed shrine under which stood the idol, he rose to pray,\ncalling upon the name of Almighty Allah and seeking deliverance of Him,\nto whom be honour and glory! The Marid who had charge of the idol and\nspoke in its name, heard him and fear got hold upon his heart and he\nsaid, \u201cO shame upon me! Who is this seeth me while I see him not?\u201d So he\nwent in to Gharib and throwing himself at his feet, said to him, \u201cO my\nLord, what must I say that I may become of thy company and enter thy\nreligion?\u201d Replied Gharib, \u201cSay:\u2014There is no god but _the_ God and\nAbraham is the Friend of God.\u201d So the Marid pronounced the profession of\nFaith and was enrolled among the people of felicity. Now his name was\nZalz\u00e1l, son of Al-Muzalzil,[70] one of the Chiefs of the Kings of the\nJinn. Then he unbound Gharib and taking him and the idol, made for the\nhigher air.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say\nher permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Seventy-fourth Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Marid took up\nGharib and the idol and made for the higher air. Such was his case; but\nas regards the King, when his soldiers saw what had befallen and the\nslaughter of the Wazir they renounced the worship of the idol and\ndrawing their swords, slew the King; after which they fell on one\nanother, and the sword went round amongst them three days, till there\nabode alive but two men, one of whom prevailed over the other and killed\nhim. Then the boys attacked the survivor and slew him and fell to\nfighting amongst themselves, till they were all killed; and the women\nand girls fled to the hamlets and forted villages; wherefore the city\nbecame desert and none dwelt therein but the owl. Meanwhile, the Marid\nZalzal flew with Gharib towards his own country, the Island of Camphor\nand the Castle of Crystal and the Land of the Enchanted Calf, so called\nbecause its King Al-Muzalzil, had a pied calf, which he had clad in\nhousings brocaded with red gold, and worshipped as a god. One day the\nKing and his people went in to the calf and found him trembling; so the\nKing said, \u201cO my God, what hath troubled thee?\u201d whereupon the Satan in\nthe calf\u2019s belly cried out and said, \u201cO Muzalzil, verily thy son hath\ndeserted to the Faith of Abraham the Friend, at the hands of Gharib Lord\nof Al-Irak;\u201d and went on to tell him all that had passed from first to\nlast. When the King heard the words of his calf he was confounded and\ngoing forth, sat down upon his throne. Then he summoned his Grandees who\ncame in a body, and he told them what he had heard from the idol,\nwhereat they marvelled and said, \u201cWhat shall we do, O King?\u201d Quoth he,\n\u201cWhen my son cometh and ye see him embrace him, do ye lay hold of him.\u201d\nAnd they said, \u201cHearkening and obedience!\u201d After two days came Zalzal\nand Gharib, with the King\u2019s idol of Karaj, but no sooner had they\nentered the palace-gate than the Jinn seized on them and carried them\nbefore Al-Muzalzil, who looked at his son with eyes of ire and said to\nhim, \u201cO dog of the Jann, hast thou left thy Faith and that of thy\nfathers and grandfathers?\u201d Quoth Zalzal, \u201cI have embraced the True\nFaith, and on like wise do thou (Woe be to thee!) seek salvation and\nthou shalt be saved from the wrath of the King Almighty in sway, Creator\nof Night and Day.\u201d Therewith his father waxed wroth and said, \u201cO son of\nadultery, dost confront me with these words?\u201d Then he bade clap him in\nprison and turning to Gharib, said to him, \u201cO wretch of a mortal, how\nhast thou abused my son\u2019s wit and seduced him from his Faith?\u201d Quoth\nGharib, \u201cIndeed, I have brought him out of wrongousness into the way of\nrighteousness, out of Hell into Heaven and out of unfaith to the True\nFaith.\u201d Whereupon the King cried out to a Marid called Sayy\u00e1r, saying,\n\u201cTake this dog and cast him into the Wady of Fire, that he may perish.\u201d\nNow this valley was in the \u201cWaste Quarter[71]\u201d and was thus named from\nthe excess of its heat and the flaming of its fire, which was so fierce\nthat none who went down therein could live an hour, but was destroyed;\nand it was compassed about by mountains high and slippery wherein was no\nopening. So Sayyar took up Gharib and flew with him towards the Valley\nof Fire, till he came within an hour\u2019s journey thereof, when being\nweary, he alighted in a valley full of trees and streams and fruits, and\nsetting down from his back Gharib chained as he was, fell asleep for\nfatigue. When Gharib heard him snore, he strove with his bonds till he\nburst them; then, taking up a heavy stone, he cast it down on the\nMarid\u2019s head and crushed his bones, so that he died on the spot. Then he\nfared on into the valley.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and\nceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Seventy-fifth Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Gharib after\nkilling the Marid fared on into the valley and found himself in a great\nisland in mid-ocean, full of all fruits that lips and tongue could\ndesire. So he abode alone on the island, drinking of its waters and\neating of its fruits and of fish that he caught, and days and years\npassed over him, till he had sojourned there in his solitude seven\nyears. One day, as he sat, behold, there came down on him from the air\ntwo Marids, each carrying a man; and seeing him they said, \u201cWho art\nthou, O fellow, and of which of the tribes art thou?\u201d Now they took him\nfor a Jinni, because his hair was grown long; and he replied, saying, \u201cI\nam not of the Jann,\u201d whereupon they questioned him, and he told them all\nthat had befallen him. They grieved for him and one of the Ifrits said,\n\u201cAbide thou here till we bear these two lambs to our King, that he may\nbreak his fast on the one and sup on the other, and after we will come\nback and carry thee to thine own country.\u201d He thanked them and said,\n\u201cWhere be the lambs?\u201d Quoth they, \u201cThese two mortals are the lambs.\u201d And\nGharib said, \u201cI take refuge with Allah the God of Abraham the Friend,\nthe Lord of all creatures, who hath power over everything!\u201d Then the\nMarids flew away and Gharib abode awaiting them two days, when one of\nthem returned, bringing with him a suit of clothes wherewith he clad\nhim. Then he took him up and flew with him sky-high out of sight of\nearth, till Gharib heard the angels glorifying God in heaven, and a\nflaming shaft issued from amongst them and made for the Marid, who fled\nfrom it towards the earth. The meteor pursued him, till he came within a\nspear\u2019s cast of the ground, when Gharib leaped from his shoulders and\nthe fiery shaft overtook the Marid, who became a heap of ashes. As for\nGharib, he fell into the sea and sank two fathoms deep, after which he\nrose to the surface and swam for two days and two nights, till his\nstrength failed him and he made certain of death. But, on the third day\nas he was despairing he caught sight of an island steep and mountainous;\nso he swam for it and landing, walked on inland, where he rested a day\nand a night, feeding on the growth of the ground. Then he climbed to the\nmountain top, and, descending the opposite slope, fared on two days till\nhe came in sight of a walled and bulwarked city, abounding in trees and\nrills. He walked up to it; but, when he reached the gate, the warders\nseized on him, and carried him to their Queen, whose name was J\u00e1n\nSh\u00e1h.[72] Now she was five hundred years old, and every man who entered\nthe city, they brought to her and she made him sleep with her, and when\nhe had done his work, she slew him and so had she slain many men. When\nshe saw Gharib, he pleased her mightily; so she asked him, \u201cWhat be thy\nname and Faith and whence comest thou?\u201d and he answered, \u201cMy name is\nGharib King of Irak, and I am a Moslem.\u201d Said she, \u201cLeave this Creed and\nenter mine and I will marry thee and make thee King.\u201d But he looked at\nher with eyes of ire and cried, \u201cPerish thou and thy faith!\u201d Cried she,\n\u201cDost thou blaspheme my idol, which is of red carnelian, set with pearls\nand gems?\u201d And she called out to her men, saying, \u201cImprison him in the\nhouse of the idol; haply it will soften his heart.\u201d So they shut him up\nin the domed shrine and locking the doors upon him, went their way.\u2014\u2014And\nShahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Seventy-sixth Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when they took\nGharib, they jailed him in the idol\u2019s domed shrine; and locking the\ndoors upon him, went their way. As soon as they were gone, Gharib gazed\nat the idol, which was of red carnelian, with collars of pearls and\nprecious stones about its neck, and presently he went close to it and\nlifting it up, dashed it on the ground and brake it in bits; after which\nhe lay down and slept till daybreak. When morning morrowed, the Queen\ntook seat on her throne and said, \u201cO men, bring me the prisoner.\u201d So\nthey opened the temple doors and entering, found the idol broken in\npieces, whereupon they buffeted their faces till the blood ran from the\ncorners of their eyes. Then they made at Gharib to seize him; but he\nsmote one of them with his fist and slew him, and so did he with another\nand yet another, till he had slain five-and-twenty of them and the rest\nfled and went in to Queen Jan Shah, shrieking loudly. Quoth she, \u201cWhat\nis the matter?\u201d and quoth they, \u201cThe prisoner hath broken thine idol and\nslain thy men,\u201d and told her all that had passed. When she heard this,\nshe cast her crown to the ground and said, \u201cThere is no worth left in\nidols!\u201d Then she mounted amid a thousand fighting-men and rode to the\ntemple, where she found Gharib had gotten him a sword and come forth and\nwas slaying men and overthrowing warriors. When she saw his prowess, her\nheart was drowned in the love of him and she said to herself, \u201cI have no\nneed of the idol and care for naught save this Gharib, that he may lie\nin my bosom the rest of my life.\u201d Then she cried to her men, \u201cHold aloof\nfrom him and leave him to himself!\u201d; then, going up to him she muttered\ncertain magical words, whereupon his arm became benumbed, his forearm\nrelaxed and the sword dropped from his hand. So they seized him and\npinioned him, as he stood confounded, stupefied. Then the Queen returned\nto her palace, and seating herself on her seat of estate, bade her\npeople withdraw and leave Gharib with her. When they were alone, she\nsaid to him, \u201cO dog of the Arabs, wilt thou shiver my idol and slay my\npeople?\u201d He replied, \u201cO accursed woman, had he been a god he had\ndefended himself?\u201d Quoth she, \u201cStroke me and I will forgive thee all\nthou hast done.\u201d But he replied, saying, \u201cI will do nought of this.\u201d And\nshe said, \u201cBy the virtue of my faith, I will torture thee with grievous\ntorture!\u201d So she took water and conjuring over it, sprinkled it upon him\nand he became an ape. And she used to feed and water and keep him in a\ncloset, appointing one to care for him; and in this plight he abode two\nyears. Then she called him to her one day and said to him, \u201cWilt thou\nhearken to me?\u201d And he signed to her with his head, \u201cYes.\u201d So she\nrejoiced and freed him from the enchantment. Then she brought him food\nand he ate and toyed with her and kissed her, so that she trusted in\nhim. When it was night she lay down and said to him, \u201cCome, do thy\nbusiness.\u201d He replied, \u201c\u2019Tis well;\u201d and, mounting on her breast, seized\nher by the neck and brake it, nor did he arise from her till life had\nleft her. Then, seeing an open cabinet, he went in and found there a\nsword of damascened[73] steel and a targe of Chinese iron; so he armed\nhimself cap-\u00e0-pie and waited till the day. As soon as it was morning, he\nwent forth and stood at the gate of the palace. When the Emirs came and\nwould have gone in to do their service to the Queen, they found Gharib\nstanding at the gate, clad in complete war-gear; and he said to them, \u201cO\nfolk, leave the service of idols and worship the All-wise King, Creator\nof Night and Day, the Lord of men, the Quickener of dry bones, for He\nmade all things and hath dominion over all.\u201d When the Kafirs heard this,\nthey ran at him, but he fell on them like a rending lion and charged\nthrough them again and again, slaying of them much people;\u2014\u2014And\nShahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Seventy-seventh Night,\n\n[Illustration]\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Kafirs\nfell upon Gharib, he slew of them much people; but, when the night came,\nthey overcame him by dint of numbers and would have taken him by\nstrenuous effort, when behold, there descended upon the Infidels a\nthousand Marids, under the command of Zalzal, who plied them with the\nkeen sabre and made them drink the cup of destruction, whilst Allah\nhurried their souls to Hell-fire, till but few were left of the people\nof Jan Shah to tell the tale and the rest cried out, \u201cQuarter! Quarter!\u201d\nand believed in the Requiting King, whom no one thing diverteth from\nother thing, the Destroyer of the Jab\u00e1birah[74] and Exterminator of the\nAk\u00e1sirah, Lord of this world and of the next. Then Zalzal saluted Gharib\nand gave him joy of his safety; and Gharib said to him, \u201cHow knowest\nthou of my case?\u201d and he replied, \u201cO my lord, my father kept me in\nprison two years, after sending thee to the Valley of Fire; then he\nreleased me, and I abode with him another year, till I was restored to\nfavour with him, when I slew him and his troops submitted to me. I ruled\nthem for a year\u2019s space till, one night, I lay down to sleep, having\nthee in thought, and saw thee in a dream, fighting against the people of\nJan Shah; wherefore I took these thousand Marids and came to thee.\u201d And\nGharib marvelled at this happy conjuncture. Then he seized upon Jan\nShah\u2019s treasures and those of the slain and appointed a ruler over the\ncity; after which the Marids took up Gharib and the monies and he lay\nthe same night in the Castle of Crystal. He abode Zalzal\u2019s guest six\nmonths, when he desired to depart; so Zalzal gave him rich presents and\ndespatched three thousand Marids, who brought the spoils of Karaj-city\nand added them to those of Jan Shah. Then Zalzal loaded forty thousand\nMarids with the treasure and himself taking up Gharib, flew with his\nhost towards the city of Isbanir al-Madain where they arrived at\nmidnight. But as Gharib glanced around he saw the walls invested on all\nsides by a conquering army,[75] as it were the surging sea, so he said\nto Zalzal, \u201cO my brother, what is the cause of this siege and whence\ncame this army?\u201d Then he alighted on the terrace-roof of his palace and\ncried out, saying, \u201cHo, Star o\u2019 Morn! Ho, Mahdiyah!\u201d Whereupon the twain\nstarted up from sleep in amazement and said, \u201cWho calleth us at this\nhour?\u201d Quoth he, \u201c\u2019Tis I, your lord, Gharib, the Marvellous One of the\ndeeds wondrous.\u201d When the Princesses heard their lord\u2019s voice, they\nrejoiced and so did the women and the eunuchs. Then Gharib went down to\nthem and they threw themselves upon him and lullilooed with cries of\njoy, so that all the palace rang again and the Captains of the army\nawoke and said, \u201cWhat is to do?\u201d So they made for the palace and asked\nthe eunuchs, \u201cHath one of the King\u2019s women given birth to a child?\u201d; and\nthey answered, \u201cNo; but rejoice ye, for King Gharib hath returned to\nyou.\u201d So they rejoiced, and Gharib, after salams to the women came forth\namongst his comrades, who threw themselves upon him and kissed his hands\nand feet, returning thanks to Almighty Allah and praising Him. Then he\nsat down on his throne, with his officers sitting about him, and\nquestioned them of the beleaguering army. They replied, \u201cO King, these\ntroops sat down before the city three days ago and there are amongst\nthem Jinns as well as men; but we know not what they want, for we have\nhad with them neither battle nor speech.\u201d And presently they added, \u201cThe\nname of the commander of the besieging army is Murad Shah and he hath\nwith him an hundred thousand horse and three thousand foot, besides two\nhundred tribesmen of the Jinn.\u201d Now the manner of his coming was\nwondrous.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her\npermitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Seventy-eighth Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the cause of this\narmy coming upon Isbanir city was wondrous. When the two men, whom Sabur\nhad charged to drown his daughter Fakhr Taj, let her go, bidding her\nflee for her life, she went forth distracted, unknowing whither to turn\nand saying, \u201cWhere is thine eye, O Gharib, that thou mayst see my case\nand the misery I am in?\u201d; and wandered on from country to country, and\nvalley to valley, till she came to a Wady abounding in trees and\nstreams, in whose midst stood a strong-based castle and a lofty-builded\nas it were one of the pavilions of Paradise. So she betook herself\nthither and entering the fortalice, found it hung and carpeted with\nstuffs of silk and great plenty of gold and silver vessels; and therein\nwere an hundred beautiful damsels. When the maidens saw Fakhr Taj, they\ncame up to her and saluted her, deeming her of the virgins of the Jinn,\nand asked her of her case. Quoth she, \u201cI am daughter to the Persians\u2019\nKing;\u201d and told them all that had befallen her; which when they heard,\nthey wept over her and condoled with her and comforted her, saying, \u201cBe\nof good cheer and keep thine eyes cool and clear, for here shalt thou\nhave meat and drink and raiment, and we all are thy handmaids.\u201d She\ncalled down blessings on them and they brought her food, of which she\nate till she was satisfied. Then quoth she to them, \u201cWho is the owner of\nthis palace and lord over you girls?\u201d and quoth they, \u201cKing Sals\u00e1l, son\nof D\u00e1l, is our master; he passeth a night here once in every month and\nfareth in the morning to rule over the tribes of the Jann.\u201d So Fakhr Taj\ntook up her abode with them and after five days she gave birth to a male\nchild, as he were the moon. They cut his navel cord and kohl\u2019d his eyes\nthen they named him Murad Shah, and he grew up in his mother\u2019s lap.\nAfter a while came King Salsal, riding on a paper-white elephant, as he\nwere a tower plastered with lime and attended by the troops of the Jinn.\nHe entered the palace, where the hundred damsels met him and kissed\nground before him, and amongst them Fakhr Taj. When the King saw her, he\nlooked at her and said to the others, \u201cWho is yonder damsel?\u201d; and they\nreplied, \u201cShe is the daughter of Sabur, King of the Persians and Turks\nand Daylamites.\u201d Quoth he, \u201cWho brought her hither?\u201d So they repeated to\nhim her story; whereat he was moved to pity for her and said to her,\n\u201cGrieve not, but take patience till thy son be grown a man, when I will\ngo to the land of the Ajams and strike off thy father\u2019s head from\nbetween his shoulders and seat thy son on the throne in his stead.\u201d So\nshe rose and kissed his hands and blessed him. Then she abode in the\ncastle and her son grew up and was reared with the children of the King.\nThey used to ride forth together a-hunting and birding and he became\nskilled in the chase of wild beasts and ravening lions and ate of their\nflesh, till his heart became harder than the rock. When he reached the\nage of fifteen, his spirit waxed big in him and he said to Fakhr Taj, \u201cO\nmy mamma, who is my papa?\u201d She replied, \u201cO my son, Gharib, King of Irak,\nis thy father and I am the King\u2019s daughter, of the Persians,\u201d and she\ntold him her story. Quoth he, \u201cDid my grandfather indeed give orders to\nslay thee and my father Gharib?\u201d; and quoth she, \u201cYes.\u201d Whereupon he,\n\u201cBy the claim thou hast on me for rearing me, I will assuredly go to thy\nfather\u2019s city and cut off his head and bring it into thy presence!\u201d\u2014\u2014And\nShahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Seventy-ninth Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Murad Shah\nson of Fakhr Taj thus bespake his mother, she rejoiced in his speech.\nNow he used to go a-riding with two hundred Marids till he grew to man\u2019s\nestate, when he and they fell to making raids and cutting off the roads\nand they pushed their razzias ever farther till one day he attacked the\ncity of Shiraz and took it. Then he proceeded to the palace and cut off\nthe King\u2019s head, as he sat on his throne, and slew many of his troops,\nwhereupon the rest cried \u201cQuarter! Quarter!\u201d and kissed his stirrups.\nFinding that they numbered ten thousand horse, he led them to Balkh,\nwhere he slew the King of the city and put his men to the rout and made\nhimself master of the riches of the place. Thence he passed to\nN\u00farayn,[76] at the head of an army of thirty thousand horse, and the\nLord of Nurayn came out to him, with treasure and tribute, and did him\nhomage. Then he went on to Samarcand of the Persians and took the city,\nand after that to Akhl\u00e1t[77] and took that town also; nor was there any\ncity he came to but he captured it. Thus Murad Shah became the head of a\nmighty host, and all the booty he made and spoils in the sundry cities\nhe divided among his soldiery, who loved him for his valour and\nmunificence. At last he came to Isbanir al-Madain and sat down before\nit, saying, \u201cLet us wait till the rest of my army come up, when I will\nseize on my grandfather and solace my mother\u2019s heart by smiting his neck\nin her presence.\u201d So he sent for her, and by reason of this, there was\nno battle for three days, when Gharib and Zalzal arrived with the forty\nthousand Marids, laden with treasure and presents. They asked concerning\nthe besiegers, but none could enlighten them beyond saying that the host\nhad been there encamped for three days without a fight taking place.\nPresently came Fakhr Taj, and her son Murad Shah embraced her saying,\n\u201cSit in thy tent till I bring thy father to thee.\u201d And she sought\nsuccour for him of the Lord of the Worlds, the Lord of the heavens and\nthe Lord of the earths. Next morning, as soon as it was day, Murad Shah\nmounted and rode forth, with the two hundred Marids on his right hand\nand the Kings of men on his left, whilst the kettle-drums beat to\nbattle. When Gharib heard this, he also took to horse and, calling his\npeople to the combat, rode out, with the Jinn on his dexter hand and the\nmen on his sinistral. Then came forth Murad Shah, armed cap-\u00e0-pie and\ndrave his charger right and left, crying, \u201cO folk, let none come forth\nto me but your King. If he conquer me, he shall be lord of both armies,\nand if I conquer him, I will slay him, as I have slain others.\u201d When\nGharib heard his speech, he said, \u201cAvaunt, O dog of the Arabs!\u201d And they\ncharged at each other and lunged with lances, till they broke, then\nhewed at each other with swords, till the blades were notched; nor did\nthey cease to advance and retire and wheel and career, till the day was\nhalf spent and their horses fell down under them, when they dismounted\nand gripped each other. Then Murad Shah seizing Gharib lifted him up and\nstrove to dash him to the ground; but Gharib caught him by the ears and\npulled him with his might, till it seemed to the youth as if the heavens\nwere falling on the earth[78] and he cried out, with his heart in his\nmouth, saying, \u201cI yield myself to thy mercy, O Knight of the Age!\u201d So\nGharib bound him,\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to\nsay her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Eightieth Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib\ncaught Murad Shah by the ears and well nigh tore them off he cried, \u201cI\nyield myself to thy mercy, O Knight of the Age!\u201d So Gharib bound him,\nand the Marids his comrades would have charged and rescued him, but\nGharib fell on them with a thousand Marids and was about to smite them\ndown, when they cried out, \u201cQuarter! Quarter!\u201d and threw away their\narms. Then Gharib returned to his Shahmiy\u00e1nah which was of green silk,\nembroidered with red gold and set with pearls and gems; and, seating\nhimself on his throne, called for Murad Shah. So they brought him,\nshuffling in his manacles and shackles. When the prisoner saw him, he\nhung down his head for shame; and Gharib said to him, \u201cO dog of the\nArabs, who art thou that thou shouldst ride forth and measure thyself\nagainst kings?\u201d Replied Murad Shah, \u201cO my lord, reproach me not, for\nindeed I have excuse.\u201d Quoth Gharib, \u201cWhat manner of excuse hast thou?\u201d;\nAnd quoth he, \u201cKnow, O my lord, that I came out to avenge my mother and\nmy father on Sabur, King of the Persians; for he would have slain them;\nbut my mother escaped and I know not whether he killed my father or\nnot.\u201d When Gharib heard these words, he replied, \u201cBy Allah, thou art\nindeed excusable! But who were thy father and mother and what are their\nnames?\u201d Murad Shah said, \u201cMy sire was Gharib, King of Al-Irak, and my\nmother Fakhr Taj, daughter of King Sabur of Persia.\u201d When Gharib heard\nthis, he gave a great cry and fell down fainting. They sprinkled\nrose-water on him, till he came to himself, when he said to Murad Shah,\n\u201cArt thou indeed Gharib\u2019s son by Fakhr Taj?\u201d; and he replied, \u201cYes.\u201d\nCried Gharib, \u201cThou art a champion, the son of a champion. Loose my\nchild!\u201d And Sahim and Kaylajan went up to Murad Shah and set him free.\nThen Gharib embraced his son and, seating him beside himself, said to\nhim, \u201cWhere is thy mother?\u201d \u201cShe is with me in my tent,\u201d answered Murad\nShah; and Gharib said, \u201cBring her to me.\u201d So Murad Shah mounted and\nrepaired to his camp, where his comrades met him, rejoicing in his\nsafety, and asked him of his case; but he answered, \u201cThis is no time for\nquestions.\u201d Then he went in to his mother and told her what had passed;\nwhereat she was gladdened with exceeding gladness: so he carried her to\nGharib, and they two embraced and rejoiced in each other. Then Fakhr Taj\nand Murad Shah islamised and expounded The Faith to their troops, who\nall made profession with heart and tongue. After this, Gharib sent for\nSabur and his son Ward Shah, and upbraided them for their evil dealing\nand expounded Al-Islam to them; but they refused to profess; wherefore\nhe crucified them on the gate of the city and the people decorated the\ntown and held high festival. Then Gharib crowned Murad Shah with the\ncrown of the Chosroes and made him King of the Persians and Turks and\nMedes; moreover, he made his uncle Al-Damigh, King over Al-Irak, and all\nthe peoples and lands submitted themselves to Gharib. Then he abode in\nhis kingship, doing justice among his lieges, wherefore all the people\nloved him, and he and his wives and comrades ceased not from all solace\nof life, till there came to them the Destroyer of Delights and Sunderer\nof Societies, and extolled be the perfection of Him whose glory endureth\nfor ever and aye and whose boons embrace all His creatures! This is\nevery thing that hath come down to us of the history of Gharib and\nAjib.\u2014\u2014And Abdullah bin Ma\u2019amar al-Kaysi hath thus related the tale of\n\n-----\n\nFootnote 1:\n\n Mayy\u00e1f\u00e1rik\u00edn, whose adjective for shortness is \u201cF\u00e1rik\u00ed\u201d: the place is\n often mentioned in the Nights as the then capital of Diy\u00e1r Bakr,\n thirty parasangs from N\u00e1sib\u00edn, the classical Nisibis, between the\n upper Euphrates and Tigris.\n\nFootnote 2:\n\n This proportion is singular to moderns but characterised Arab and more\n especially Turcoman armies.\n\nFootnote 3:\n\n Such is the bathos caused by the Saja\u2019-assonance: in the music of the\n Arabic it contrasts strangely with the baldness of translation. The\n same is the case with the Koran, beautiful in the original and\n miserably dull in European languages; it is like the glorious style of\n the \u201cAnglican Version\u201d by the side of its bastard brothers in\n Hindostani or Marathi; one of these marvels of stupidity translating\n the \u201cLamb of God\u201d by \u201cGod\u2019s little goat.\u201d\n\nFootnote 4:\n\n This incident is taken from the Life of Mohammed who, in the \u201cYear of\n Missions\u201d (A.H. 7) sent letters to foreign potentates bidding them\n embrace Al-Islam; and, his seal being in three lines, Mohammed |\n Apostle | of Allah, Khusrau Parw\u00edz (= the Charming) was offended\n because his name was placed below Mohammed\u2019s. So he tore the letter in\n pieces adding, says Firdausi, these words:\u2014\n\n Hath the Arab\u2019s daring performed such feat,\n Fed on camel\u2019s milk and the lizard\u2019s meat,\n That he cast on Kay\u00e1nian crown his eye?\n Fie, O whirling world! on thy faith and fie!\n\n Hearing of this insult Mohammed exclaimed, \u201cAllah shall tear his\n kingdom!\u201d a prophecy which was of course fulfilled, or we should not\n have heard of it. These lines are horribly mutilated in the Dabistan\n iii. 99.\n\nFootnote 5:\n\n This \u201cTakl\u00edd\u201d must not be translated \u201cgirt on the sword.\u201d The Arab\n carries his weapon by a baldrick or bandoleer passed over his right\n shoulder. In modern days the \u201cMajdal\u201d over the left shoulder supports\n on the right hip a line of Tat\u00e1rif or brass cylinders for cartridges:\n the other cross-belt (Al-Masdar) bears on the left side the Khar\u00edzah\n or bullet-pouch of hide; and the Hiz\u00e1m or waist-belt holds the dagger\n and extra cartridges. (Pilgrimage iii. 90.)\n\nFootnote 6:\n\n Arab. \u201cBab,\u201d which may mean door or gate. The plural form (Abw\u00e1b)\n occurs in the next line, meaning that he displayed all manner of\n martial prowess.\n\nFootnote 7:\n\n Arab. \u201cFarr\u00e1sh\u201d (also used in Persian), a man of general utility who\n pitches tents, sweeps the floors, administers floggings, etc. etc.\n (Pilgrimage iii. 90).\n\nFootnote 8:\n\n _i.e._ the slogan-cry of \u201cAllaho Akbar,\u201d which M. C. Barbier de\n Meynard compares with the Christian \u201cTe Deum.\u201d\n\nFootnote 9:\n\n The Anglo-Indian term for the Moslem rite of killing animals for food.\n (Pilgrimage i. 377.)\n\nFootnote 10:\n\n Arab \u201ctaw\u00edlan jiddan\u201d\u2014a hideous Cairenism in these days; but formerly\n used by Al-mas\u2019\u00fad\u00ed and other good writers.\n\nFootnote 11:\n\n Arab \u201c\u2019Ajwah,\u201d enucleated dates pressed together into a solid mass so\n as to be sliced with a knife like cold pudding. The allusion is to the\n dough-idols of the Han\u00edfah tribe, whose eating their gods made the\n saturnine Caliph Omar laugh.\n\nFootnote 12:\n\n Mr. Payne writes \u201cJulned.\u201d In a fancy name we must not look for\n grammar; but a quiescent l\u00e1m (_l_) followed by n\u00fan (_n_) is unknown to\n Arabic while we find sundry cases of \u201clan\u201d (fath\u2019d l\u00e1m and n\u00fan), and\n Jalandah means noxious or injurious. In Oman also there was a dynasty\n called Jul\u00e1ndah, for which see Mr. Badger xiii:. and _passim_.\n\nFootnote 13:\n\n Doubtless for Jaw\u00e1n-mard\u2014un giovane, a brave. (See vol. iv., p. 208).\n\nFootnote 14:\n\n Mr. Payne transposes the distichs, making the last first. I have\n followed the Arabic order finding it in the Mac. and Bul. Edits. (ii.\n 129).\n\nFootnote 15:\n\n Al-Irak like Al-Yaman may lose the article in verse.\n\nFootnote 16:\n\n Arab. \u201cKa\u2019ka\u2019at\u201d: hence Jabal Ka\u2019ka\u2019\u00e1n, the higher levels in Meccah,\n of old inhabited by the Jurhamites and so called from their clashing\n and jangling arms; whilst the Amalekites dwelt in the lower grounds\n called Jiy\u00e1d from their generous steeds (Pilgrimage iii. 191).\n\nFootnote 17:\n\n Al-Shara\u2019, a mountain in Arabia.\n\nFootnote 18:\n\n See vol. vi., 249. \u201cThis (mace) is a dangerous weapon when struck on\n the shoulders or unguarded arm: I am convinced that a blow with it on\n a head armoured with a salade (cassis c\u00e6lata, a light iron helmet)\n would stun a man\u201d (says La Brocqui\u00e8re).\n\nFootnote 19:\n\n Oman, which the natives pronounce \u201cAm\u00e1n,\u201d is the region best known by\n its capital, Maskat. These are the Omana Moscha and Omanum Emporium of\n Ptolemy and the Periplus. Ibn Batutah writes Amm\u00e1n, but the best\n dictionaries give \u201cOman.\u201d (N.B.\u2014Mr. Badger, p. 1, wrongly derives\n Sachalitis from \u201cSaw\u00e1h\u00edly\u201d: it is evidently \u201cS\u00e1hili.\u201d) The people bear\n by no means the best character: Ibn Batutah (fourteenth century) says,\n \u201ctheir wives are most base; yet, without denying this, their husbands\n express nothing like jealousy on the subject.\u201d (Lee, p. 62.)\n\nFootnote 20:\n\n The name I have said of a quasi historical personage, son of Joktan,\n the first Arabist and the founder of the Tobb\u00e1 (\u201csuccessor\u201d) dynasty\n in Al-Yaman; while Jurham, his brother, established that of Al-Hijaz.\n The name is probably chosen because well-known.\n\nFootnote 21:\n\n Arab \u201cH\u00e1kim\u201d: lit. one who orders; often confounded by the\n unscientific with Hak\u00edm, a doctor, a philosopher. The latter\n re-appears in the Heb. Kh\u00e1kh\u00e1m applied in modern days to the Jewish\n scribe who takes the place of the Rabbi.\n\nFootnote 22:\n\n As has been seen, acids have ever been and are still administered as\n counter-inebriants, while hot spices and sweets greatly increase the\n effect of Bhang, opium, henbane, datura, &c. The Persians have a most\n unpleasant form of treating men when dead-drunk with wine or spirits.\n They hang them up by the heels, as we used to do with the drowned, and\n stuff their mouths with human ordure which is sure to produce emesis.\n\nFootnote 23:\n\n Compare the description of the elephant-faced Vet\u00e1la (Kath\u00e1 S.S. Fasc.\n xi. p. 388).\n\nFootnote 24:\n\n The lover\u2019s name S\u00e1\u2019ik = the Striker (with lightning); Najmah, the\n beloved = the star.\n\nFootnote 25:\n\n I have modified the last three lines of the Mac. Edit. which contain a\n repetition evidently introduced by the carelessness of the copyist.\n\nFootnote 26:\n\n The Hindu Charvakas explain the Triad, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, by\n the sexual organs and upon Vishnu\u2019s having four arms they gloss, \u201cAt\n the time of sexual intercourse, each man and woman has as many.\u201d\n (Dabistan ii. 202). This is the Eastern view of Rabelais\u2019 \u201cbeast with\n two backs.\u201d\n\nFootnote 27:\n\n Arab. \u201cRabbat-i,\u201d my she Lord, fire (n\u00e1r) being feminine.\n\nFootnote 28:\n\n The prose-rhyme is answerable for this galimatias.\n\nFootnote 29:\n\n A common phrase equivalent to our \u201cstarted from his head.\u201d\n\nFootnote 30:\n\n Arab. \u201cM\u00e1rid\u00fana\u201d = rebels (against Allah and his orders).\n\nFootnote 31:\n\n Arab. Y\u00e1fis or Y\u00e1fat. He had eleven sons and was entitled Ab\u00fa al-Turk\n because this one engendered the Turcomans as others did the Chinese,\n Scythians, Slaves (Saklab), Gog, Magog, and the Muscovites or\n Russians. According to the Moslems there was a rapid falling off in\n size amongst this family. Noah\u2019s grave at Karak (the Ruin) a suburb of\n Zahlah, in La Brocqui\u00e8re\u2019s \u201cValley of Noah, where the Ark was built,\u201d\n is 104 ft. 10 in. long by 8 ft. 8 in. broad. (N.B.\u2014It is a bit of the\n old aqueduct which Mr. Porter, the learned author of the \u201cGiant Cities\n of Bashan,\u201d quotes as a \u201ctraditional memorial of primeval\n giants\u201d\u2014talibus carduis pascuntur asini!). Nabi Ham measures only 9\n ft. 6 in. between headstone and tombstone, being in fact about as long\n as his father was broad.\n\nFootnote 32:\n\n See Night dcliv., vol. vii., p. 43, _infra_.\n\nFootnote 33:\n\n According to Turcoman legends (evidently post-Mohammedan) Noah gave\n his son Japhet a stone inscribed with the Greatest Name, and it had\n the virtue of bringing on or driving off rain. The Moghuls long\n preserved the tradition and hence probably the sword.\n\nFootnote 34:\n\n This expresses Moslem sentiment; the convert to Al-Islam being\n theoretically respected and practically despised. The Turks call him a\n \u201cBurm\u00e1\u201d = twister, a turncoat, and no one either trusts him or\n believes in his sincerity.\n\nFootnote 35:\n\n The name of the city first appears here: it is found also in the Bul.\n Edit., vol. ii, p. 132.\n\nFootnote 36:\n\n Arab. \u201c\u2019Amala h\u00edlah,\u201d a Syro-Egyptian vulgarism.\n\nFootnote 37:\n\n _i.e._ his cousin, but he will not use the word.\n\nFootnote 38:\n\n Arab. \u201cLa\u2019ab,\u201d meaning very serious use of the sword: we still\n preserve the old \u201csword-play.\u201d\n\nFootnote 39:\n\n Arab. \u201cIkhsa,\u201d from a root meaning to drive away a dog.\n\nFootnote 40:\n\n Arab. \u201cHazza-hu,\u201d the quivering motion given to the \u201cHarbak\u201d (a light\n throw-spear or javelin) before it leaves the hand.\n\nFootnote 41:\n\n Here the translator must either order the sequence of the sentences or\n follow the rhyme.\n\nFootnote 42:\n\n Possibly taken from the Lions\u2019 Court in the Alhambra = (D\u00e1r) Al-hamr\u00e1,\n the Red House.\n\nFootnote 43:\n\n Arab. \u201cSh\u00e1zarw\u00e1n\u201d from Pers. Shadurw\u00e1n, a palace, cornice, etc. That\n of the Mecca\u0144 Ka\u2019abah is a projection of about a foot broad in pent\n house shape sloping downwards and two feet above the granite pavement:\n its only use appears in the large brass rings welded into it to hold\n down the covering. There are two breaks in it, one under the doorway\n and the other opposite Ishmael\u2019s tomb; and pilgrims are directed\n during circuit to keep the whole body outside it.\n\nFootnote 44:\n\n The \u201cMus\u00e1fahah\u201d before noticed, (vol. vi., p. 287).\n\nFootnote 45:\n\n _i.e._ He was confounded at its beauty.\n\nFootnote 46:\n\n Arab. \u201c\u2019Aj\u00edb,\u201d punning upon the name.\n\nFootnote 47:\n\n Arab. \u201cZarr\u00e1f\u201d (whence our word) from \u201cZarf\u201d = walking hastily: the\n old \u201ccamelopard\u201d which originated the nursery idea of its origin. It\n is one of the most timid of the antelope tribe and unfit for riding.\n\nFootnote 48:\n\n Arab. \u201cTakht,\u201d a useful word, meaning even a saddle. The usual term is\n \u201cHaudaj\u201d = the Anglo-Indian \u201chowdah.\u201d\n\nFootnote 49:\n\n \u201cThunder-King,\u201d Arab. and Persian.\n\nFootnote 50:\n\n _i.e._ \u201cHe who violently assaults his peers\u201d (the best men of the\n age). Batshat al-Kubr\u00e1 = the Great Disaster, is applied to the unhappy\n \u201cBattle of Bedr\u201d (Badr) on Ramazan 17, A.H. 2 (= Jan. 13, 624) when\n Mohammed was so nearly defeated that the Angels were obliged to assist\n him (Koran, chapts. iii. 11; i. 42; viii. 9). Mohammed is soundly\n rated by Christian writers for beheading two prisoners Utbah ibn\n Rab\u00ed\u2019a who had once spat on his face and Nazir ibn H\u00e1ris who recited\n Persian romances and preferred them to the \u201cfoolish fables of the\n Koran.\u201d What would our forefathers have done to a man who spat in the\n face of John Knox and openly preferred a French play to the\n Pentateuch?\n\nFootnote 51:\n\n Arab. \u201cJilb\u00e1b\u201d either habergeon (mail-coat) or the buff-jacket worn\n under it.\n\nFootnote 52:\n\n A favourite way, rough and ready, of carrying light weapons; often\n alluded to in The Nights. So Khusraw\u00e1n in Antar carried \u201cunder his\n thighs four small darts, each like a blazing flame.\u201d\n\nFootnote 53:\n\n Mr. Payne very reasonably supplants here and below Fakhr Taj (who in\n Night dcxxxiv. is left in her father\u2019s palace and who is reported to\n be dead in Night dclxvii.) by Star o\u2019 Morn. But the former is also\n given in the Bul. Edit. (ii. 148), so the story-teller must have\n forgotten all about her. I leave it as a model specimen of Eastern\n incuriousness.\n\nFootnote 54:\n\n There is some chivalry in his unwillingness to use the magical blade.\n As a rule the Knights of Romance utterly ignore fair play and take\n every dirty advantage in the magic line that comes to hand.\n\nFootnote 55:\n\n Arab. \u201cHamm\u00e1l al-Hatabi\u201d = one who carries to market the fuel-sticks\n which he picks up in the waste. In the Koran (chapt. cxi.) it is\n applied to Umm Jam\u00edl, wife of Mohammed\u2019s hostile cousin, Abd al-Uzza,\n there termed Ab\u00fa Lahab (Father of smokeless Flame) with the implied\n meaning that she will bear fuel to feed Hell-fire.\n\nFootnote 56:\n\n Arab. \u201cAky\u00e1l,\u201d lit. whose word (Kaul) is obeyed, a title of the\n Himyarite Kings, of whom Al-Bergendi relates that one of them left an\n inscription at Samarcand, which many centuries ago no man could read.\n This evidently alludes to the dynasty which preceded the \u201cTobba\u201d and\n to No. xxiv. Shamar Yar\u2019ash (Shamar the Palsied). Some make him son of\n Malik surnamed N\u00e1shir al-Ni\u2019am (Scatterer of Blessings) others of\n Afr\u00edk\u00fas (No. xviii.), who, according to Al-Jannabi, Ahmad bin Yusuf\n and Ibn Ibdun (Pocock, Spec. Hist. Arab.) founded the Berber (Barbar)\n race, the remnants of the Causanites expelled by the \u201crobber, Joshua\n son of N\u00fan,\u201d and became the eponymous of \u201cAfrica.\u201d This word which,\n under the Romans, denoted a small province on the Northern Sea-board,\n is, I would suggest, A\u2019far-K\u00e1hi (Afar-land), the Afar being now the\n Dankali race, the country of Osiris whom my learned friend, the late\n Mariette Pasha, derived from the Egyptian \u201cPunt\u201d identified by him\n with the Somali country. This would make \u201cAfrica,\u201d as it ought to be,\n an Egyptian (Coptic) term.\n\nFootnote 57:\n\n Herodotus (i. 80) notes this concerning the camel. Elephants are not\n allowed to walk the streets in Anglo-Indian cities, where they have\n caused many accidents.\n\nFootnote 58:\n\n Arab. Wahk or Wahak, suggesting the Roman retiarius. But the lasso\n pure and simple, the favourite weapon of shepherd and herdsmen was\n well-known to the old Egyptians and in ancient India. It forms one of\n the T-letters in the hieroglyphs.\n\nFootnote 59:\n\n Compare with this and other Arab battle-pieces the Pandit\u2019s\n description in the Kath\u00e1 Sarit Sagara, _e.g._ \u201cThen a confused battle\n arose with dint of arrow, javelin, lance, mace and axe, costing the\n lives of countless soldiers (N.B.\u2014Millions are nothing to him); rivers\n of blood flowed with the bodies of elephants and horses for\n alligators, with the pearls from the heads of elephants for sands and\n with the heads of heroes for stones. That feast of battle delighted\n the flesh-loving demons who, drunk with blood instead of wine, were\n dancing with the palpitating trunks,\u201d etc., etc. Fasc. xii. 526.\n\nFootnote 60:\n\n The giraffe is here mal-plac\u00e9: it is, I repeat, one of the most timid\n of the antelope tribe. Nothing can be more graceful than this huge\n game as it stands under a tree extending its long and slender neck to\n the foliage above it; but when in flight all the limbs seem loose and\n the head is carried almost on a level with the back.\n\nFootnote 61:\n\n The fire-arms may have been inserted by the copier; the cross-bow\n (Arcubalista) is of unknown antiquity. I have remarked in my book of\n the Sword (p. 19) that the bow is the first crucial evidence of the\n distinction between the human weapon and the bestial arm, and like the\n hymen or membrane of virginity proves a difference of degree if not of\n kind between man and the so-called lower animals. I note from Yule\u2019s\n Marco Polo (ii., 143) \u201cthat the cross-bow was re-introduced into\n European warfare during the twelfth century\u201d; but the arbalest was\n well known to the _bon roi_ Charlemagne (Regnier Sat. X).\n\nFootnote 62:\n\n In Al-Islam this was unjustifiable homicide, excused only because the\n Kafir had tried to slay his own son. He should have been summoned to\n become a tributary and then, on express refusal, he might legally have\n been put to death.\n\nFootnote 63:\n\n _i.e._ \u201cRose King,\u201d like the Sikh name \u201cGulab Singh\u201d = Rosewater Lion,\n sounding in translation almost too absurd to be true.\n\nFootnote 64:\n\n \u201cRepentance acquits the penitent\u201d is a favourite and noble saying\n popular in Al-Islam. It is first found in Seneca; and is probably as\n old as the dawn of literature.\n\nFootnote 65:\n\n Here an ejaculation of impatience.\n\nFootnote 66:\n\n _i.e._ \u201cKing Intelligence\u201d: it has a ludicrous sound suggesting only\n \u201cDandanha-i-Khirad\u201d = wisdom-teeth. The Mac. Edit. persistently keeps\n \u201cWard Shah,\u201d copyist-error.\n\nFootnote 67:\n\n _i.e._ Fakhr Taj, who had been promised him in marriage. See Night\n dcxxxiii. _supra_, vol. vi.\n\nFootnote 68:\n\n The name does not appear till further on, after vague Eastern fashion\n which, here and elsewhere I have not had the heart to adopt. The same\n may be found in Ariosto, _passim_.\n\nFootnote 69:\n\n A town in Persian Irak, unhappily far from the \u201cSalt sea.\u201d\n\nFootnote 70:\n\n \u201cEarthquake son of Ennosigaius\u201d (the Earthquake-maker).\n\nFootnote 71:\n\n Arab. \u201cRuba\u2019al-Khar\u00e1b\u201d or Ruba\u2019al-Kh\u00e1l\u00ed (empty quarter), the great\n central wilderness of Arabia covering some 50,000 square miles and\n still left white on our maps (Pilgrimage, i. 14).\n\nFootnote 72:\n\n Pers. \u201cLife King,\u201d women also assume the title of Shah.\n\nFootnote 73:\n\n Arab. \u201cMujauhar\u201d: the watery or wavy mark upon Eastern blades is\n called the \u201cjauhar,\u201d lit. = jewel. The peculiarity is also called\n water and grain, which gives rise to a host of _double-entendres_,\n puns, paronomasias and conceits more or less frigid.\n\nFootnote 74:\n\n Etymologically meaning tyrants or giants; and applied to great heathen\n conquerors like Nimrod and the mighty rulers of Syria, the Anakim,\n Giants and other peoples of Hebrew fable. The Ak\u00e1sirah are the\n Chosro\u00ebs before noticed.\n\nFootnote 75:\n\n Arab. \u201cAskar jarr\u00e1r\u201d lit. \u201cdrawing\u201d: so in Egyptian slang \u201cN\u00e1s jarr\u00e1r\u201d\n = folk who wish to draw your money out of your pocket, greedy cheats.\n\nFootnote 76:\n\n In Turkestan: the name means \u201cTwo lights.\u201d\n\nFootnote 77:\n\n In Armenia, mentioned by Sadik Isfah\u00e1ni (Transl. p. 62).\n\nFootnote 78:\n\n This is the only ludicrous incident in the tale which justifies Von\n Hammer\u2019s suspicion. Compare it with the combat between Rustam and his\n son Sohr\u00e1b.\n\n\n\n\n OTBAH[79] AND RAYYA.\n\n\nI went one year on the pilgrimage to the Holy House of Allah, and when I\nhad accomplished my pilgrimage, I turned back for visitation of the tomb\nof the Prophet, whom Allah bless and keep! One night, as I sat in the\ngarden,[80] between the tomb and the pulpit, I heard a low moaning in a\nsoft voice; so I listened to it and it said:\u2014\n\n Have the doves that moan in the lotus-tree \u273f Woke grief in thy heart and\n bred misery?\n Or doth memory of maiden in beauty deckt \u273f Cause this doubt in thee,\n this despondency?\n O night, thou art longsome for love-sick sprite \u273f Complaining of Love\n and its ecstacy:\n Thou makest him wakeful, who burns with fire \u273f Of a love, like the live\n coal\u2019s ardency.\n The moon is witness my heart is held \u273f By a moonlight brow of the\n brightest blee:\n I reckt not to see me by Love ensnared \u273f Till ensnared before I could\n reck or see.\n\nThen the voice ceased and not knowing whence it came to me I abode\nperplexed; but lo! it again took up its lament and recited:\u2014\n\n Came Rayya\u2019s phantom to grieve thy sight \u273f In the thickest gloom of the\n black-haired Night!\n And hath love of slumber deprived those eyes \u273f And the phantom-vision\n vexed thy sprite?\n I cried to the Night, whose glooms were like \u273f Seas that surge and\n billow with might, with might:\n \u201cO Night, thou art longsome to lover who \u273f Hath no aid nor help save the\n morning-light!\u201d\n She replied, \u201cComplain not that I am long: \u273f \u2019Tis love is the cause of\n thy longsome plight!\u201d\n\nNow, at the first of the couplets, I sprang up and made for the quarter\nwhence the sound came, nor had the voice ended repeating them, ere I was\nwith the speaker and saw a youth of the utmost beauty, the hair of whose\nside face had not sprouted and in whose cheeks tears had worn twin\ntrenches.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her\npermitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Eighty-first Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Abdullah ibn\nMa\u2019amar al-Kaysi thus continued:\u2014So I sprang up and made for the quarter\nwhence the sound came, nor had the voice ended repeating the verses, ere\nI was with the speaker and saw a youth on whose side face the hair had\nnot sprouted and in whose cheeks tears had worn twin trenches. Quoth I\nto him, \u201cFair befal thee for a youth!\u201d; and quoth he, \u201cAnd thee also!\nWho art thou?\u201d I replied, \u201cAbdullah bin Ma\u2019amar al-Kaysi;\u201d and he said,\n\u201cDost thou want aught?\u201d I rejoined, \u201cI was sitting in the garden and\nnaught hath troubled me this night but thy voice. With my life would I\nransom thee! What aileth thee?\u201d He said, \u201cSit thee down.\u201d So I sat down\nand he continued, \u201cI am Otbah bin al-Hub\u00e1b bin al-Mundhir bin al-Jam\u00fah\nthe Ans\u00e1r\u00ed.[81] I went out in the morning to the Mosque Al-Ahz\u00e1b[82] and\noccupied myself there awhile with prayer-bows and prostrations, after\nwhich I withdrew apart, to worship privily. But lo! up came women, as\nthey were moons, walking with a swaying gait, and surrounding a damsel\nof passing loveliness, perfect in beauty and grace, who stopped before\nme and said:\u2014O Otbah, what sayst thou of union with one who seeketh\nunion with thee? Then she left me and went away; and since that time I\nhave had no tidings of her nor come upon any trace of her; and behold, I\nam distracted and do naught but remove from place to place.\u201d Then he\ncried out and fell to the ground fainting. When he came to himself, it\nwas as if the damask of his cheeks were dyed with safflower,[83] and he\nrecited these couplets:\u2014\n\n I see you with my heart from far countrie \u273f Would Heaven you also me\n from far could see\n My heart and eyes for you are sorrowing; \u273f My soul with you abides and\n you with me.\n I take no joy in life when you\u2019re unseen \u273f Or Heaven or Garden of\n Eternity.\n\nSaid I, \u201cO Otbah, O son of my uncle, repent to thy Lord and crave pardon\nfor thy sin; for before thee is the terror of standing up to Judgment.\u201d\nHe replied, \u201cFar be it from me so to do. I shall never leave to love\ntill the two mimosa-gatherers return.\u201d[84] I abode with him till\ndaybreak, when I said to him, \u201cCome let us go to the Mosque Al-Ahzab.\u201d\nSo we went thither and sat there, till we had prayed the midday prayers,\nwhen lo! up came the women; but the damsel was not among them. Quoth\nthey to him, \u201cO Otbah, what thinkest thou of her who seeketh union with\nthee?\u201d He said, \u201cAnd what of her?\u201d; and they replied, \u201cHer father hath\ntaken her and departed to Al-Samawah.\u201d[85] I asked them the name of the\ndamsel and they said, \u201cShe is called Rayy\u00e1, daughter of Al-Ghitr\u00edf\nal-Sulami.\u201d[86] Whereupon Otbah raised his head and recited these\nverses:\u2014\n\n My friends, Rayy\u00e1 hath mounted soon as morning shone, \u273f And to Sam\u00e1wah\u2019s\n wilds her caravan is gone.\n My friends, I\u2019ve wept till I can weep no more, Oh, say, \u273f Hath any one a\n tear that I can take on loan.\n\nThen said I to him, \u201cO Otbah, I have brought with me great wealth,\nwherewith I desire to succour generous men; and by Allah, I will lavish\nit before thee,[87] so thou mayst attain thy desire and more than thy\ndesire! Come with me to the assembly of the Ansaris.\u201d So we rose and\nwent, till we entered their assembly, when I salam\u2019d to them and they\nreturned my greeting civilly. Then quoth I, \u201cO assembly, what say ye of\nOtbah and his father?\u201d: and they replied, \u201cThey are of the princes of\nthe Arabs.\u201d I continued, \u201cKnow that he is smitten with the calamity of\nlove and I desire your furtherance to Al-Samawah.\u201d And they said, \u201cTo\nhear is to obey.\u201d So they mounted with us, the whole party, and we rode\ntill we drew near the place of the Banu Sulaym. Now when Ghitrif heard\nof our being near, he hastened forth to meet us, saying, \u201cLong life to\nyou, O nobles!\u201d; whereto we replied, \u201cAnd to thee also! Behold we are\nthy guests.\u201d Quoth he, \u201cYe have lighted down at a most hospitable abode\nand ample;\u201d and alighting he cried out, \u201cHo, all ye slaves, come down!\u201d\nSo they came down and spread skin-rugs and cushions and slaughtered\nsheep and cattle; but we said, \u201cWe will not taste of thy food, till thou\nhave accomplished our need.\u201d He asked, \u201cAnd what is your need?\u201d; and we\nanswered, \u201cWe demand thy noble daughter in marriage for Otbah bin Hubab\nbin Mundhir the illustrious and well-born.\u201d \u201cO my brethren,\u201d said he,\n\u201cshe whom you demand is owner of herself, and I will go in to her and\ntell her.\u201d So he rose in wrath[88] and went in to Rayya, who said to\nhim, \u201cO my papa, why do I see thee show anger?\u201d And he replied, saying,\n\u201cCertain of the Ansaris have come upon me to demand thy hand of me in\nmarriage.\u201d Quoth she, \u201cThey are noble chiefs; the Prophet, on whom be\nthe choicest blessings and peace, intercedeth for them with Allah. For\nwhom among them do they ask me?\u201d Quoth he, \u201cFor a youth known as Otbah\nbin al-Hubab;\u201d and she said, \u201cI have heard of Otbah that he performeth\nwhat he promiseth and findeth what he seeketh.\u201d Ghitrif cried, \u201cI swear\nthat I will never marry thee to him; no, never, for there hath been\nreported to me somewhat of thy converse with him.\u201d Said she, \u201cWhat was\nthat? But in any case, I swear that the Ansaris shall not be uncivilly\nrejected; wherefore do thou offer them a fair excuse.\u201d \u201cHow so?\u201d \u201cMake\nthe dowry heavy to them and they will desist.\u201d \u201cThou sayst well,\u201d said\nhe, and going out in haste, told the Ansaris, \u201cThe damsel of the\ntribe[89] consenteth; but she requireth a dowry worthy herself. Who\nengageth for this?\u201d \u201cI,\u201d answered I. Then said he, \u201cI require for her a\nthousand bracelets of red gold and five thousand dirhams of the coinage\nof Hajar[90] and a hundred pieces of woollen cloth and striped\nstuffs[91] of Al-Yaman and five bladders of ambergris.\u201d Said I, \u201cThou\nshalt have that much; dost thou consent?\u201d; and he said, \u201cI do consent.\u201d\nSo I despatched to Al-Medinah the Illumined[92] a party of the Ansaris,\nwho brought all for which I had become surety; whereupon they\nslaughtered sheep and cattle and the folk assembled to eat of the food.\nWe abode thus forty days when Ghitrif said to us, \u201cTake your bride.\u201d So\nwe sat her in a dromedary-litter and her father equipped her with thirty\ncamel-loads of things of price; after which we farewelled him and\njourneyed till we came within a day\u2019s journey of Al-Medinah the\nIllumined, when there fell upon us horsemen, with intent to plunder, and\nmethinks they were of the Banu Sulaym. Otbah drove at them and slew of\nthem much people, but fell back, wounded by a lance-thrust, and\npresently dropped to the earth. Then there came to us succour of the\ncountry people, who drove away the highwaymen; but Otbah\u2019s days were\nended. So we said, \u201cAlas for Otbah, oh!;\u201d and the damsel hearing it cast\nherself down from the camel and throwing herself upon him, cried out\ngrievously and repeated these couplets:\u2014\n\n Patient I seemed, yet Patience shown by me \u273f Was but self-guiling till\n thy sight I see:\n Had my soul done as due my life had gone, \u273f Had fled before mankind\n forestalling thee:\n Then, after me and thee none shall to friend \u273f Be just, nor any soul\n with soul agree.\n\nThen she sobbed a single sob and gave up the ghost. We dug one grave for\nthem and laid them in the earth, and I returned to the dwellings of my\npeople, where I abode seven years. Then I betook me again to Al-Hijaz\nand entering Al-Medinah the Illumined for pious visitation said in my\nmind, \u201cBy Allah, I will go again to Otbah\u2019s tomb!\u201d So I repaired\nthither, and, behold, over the grave was a tall tree, on which hung\nfillets of red and green and yellow stuffs.[93] So I asked the people of\nthe place, \u201cHow be this tree called?\u201d; and they answered, \u201cThe tree of\nthe Bride and the Bridegroom.\u201d I abode by the tomb a day and a night,\nthen went my way; and this is all I know of Otbah. Almighty Allah have\nmercy upon him! And they also tell this tale of\n\n-----\n\nFootnote 79:\n\n I cannot understand why Tr\u00e9butien, iii., 457, writes this word Afba.\n He remarks that it is the \u201cOina and Riya\u201d of J\u00e1m\u00ed, elegantly\n translated by M. de Chezy in the Journal Asiatique, vol. 1, 144.\n\nFootnote 80:\n\n I have described this part of the Medinah Mosque in Pilgrimage ii,\n 62\u201369. The name derives from a saying of Mohammed (of which there are\n many variants), \u201cBetween my tomb and my pulpit is a garden of the\n Gardens of Paradise\u201d (Burckhardt, Arabia, p. 337). The whole Southern\n portico (not only a part) now enjoys that honoured name and the tawdry\n decorations are intended to suggest a parterre.\n\nFootnote 81:\n\n Mohammed\u2019s companions (Ash\u00e1b), numbering some five hundred, were\n divided into two orders, the Muh\u00e1jirin (fugitives) or Meccans who\n accompanied the Apostle to Al-Medinah (Pilgrimage ii. 138) and the\n Ans\u00e1r (Auxiliaries) or Medinites who invited him to their city and\n lent him zealous aid (Ibid ii. 130). The terms constantly occur in\n Arab history.\n\nFootnote 82:\n\n The \u201cMosque of the Troops,\u201d also called Al-Fath (victory), the largest\n of the \u201cFour Mosques:\u201d it is still a place of pious visitation where\n prayer is granted. Koran, chapt. xxxiii., and Pilgrimage ii. 325.\n\nFootnote 83:\n\n Arab. \u201cAl-Wars,\u201d with two meanings. The Alf\u00e1z Adwiyah gives it =\n Kurkum, curcuma, turmeric, safran d\u2019Inde; but popular usage assigns it\n to Usfur, Kurtum or safflower (_carthamus tinctorius_). I saw the\n shrub growing all about Harar which exports it, and it is plentiful in\n Al-Yaman (Niebuhr, p. 133), where women affect it to stain the skin a\n light yellow and remove freckles: it is also an internal remedy in\n leprosy. But the main use is that of a dye, and the Tob stained with\n Wars is almost universal in some parts of Arabia. Sonnini (p. 510)\n describes it at length and says that Europeans in Egypt call it\n \u201cParrot-seeds\u201d because the bird loves it, and the Levant trader\n \u201cSaffrenum.\u201d\n\nFootnote 84:\n\n Two men of the great \u2019Anazah race went forth to gather Karaz, the\n fruit of the Sant (_Mimosa Nilotica_) both used for tanning, and never\n returned. Hence the proverb which is obsolete in conversation. See\n Burckhardt, Prov. 659: where it takes the place of \u201c_ad Graecas\n Kalendas_.\u201d\n\nFootnote 85:\n\n Name of a desert (Maf\u00e1zah) and a settlement on the Euphrates\u2019 bank\n between Basrah and the site of old Kufah near Kerbela; the well known\n visitation place in Babylonian Irak.\n\nFootnote 86:\n\n Of the Banu Sulaym tribe; the adjective is Sulami not Sulaymi.\n\nFootnote 87:\n\n Arab. \u201cAm\u00e1m-ak\u201d = before thee (in space); from the same root as Im\u00e1m =\n antistes, leader of prayer; and conducing to perpetual puns, _e.g._\n \u201cYou are Im\u00e1m-i (my leader) and therefore should be Am\u00e1m-i\u201d (in\n advance of me).\n\nFootnote 88:\n\n He was angry, as presently appears, because he had heard of certain\n love passages between the two and this in Arabia is a dishonour to the\n family.\n\nFootnote 89:\n\n Euphemy for \u201cmy daughter.\u201d\n\nFootnote 90:\n\n The Badawin call a sound dollar \u201cKirsh hajar\u201d or \u201cRiyal hajar\u201d (a\n stone dollar; but the word is spelt with the greater _h_).\n\nFootnote 91:\n\n Arab. Burdah and Hab\u00e1rah. The former often translated mantle is a\n thick woollen stuff, brown or gray, woven oblong and used like a plaid\n by day and by night. Mohammed\u2019s Burdah woven in his Harem and given to\n the poet, Ka\u2019ab, was 7\u00bd ft. long by 4\u00bd: it is still in the upper\n Serraglio of Stambul. In early days the stuff was mostly striped; now\n it is either plain or with lines so narrow that it looks like one\n colour. The Habarah is a Burd made in Al-Yaman and not to be\n confounded with the Egyptian mantilla of like name (Lane, M. E. chapt.\n iii).\n\nFootnote 92:\n\n Every Eastern city has its special title. Al-Medinah is entitled\n \u201cAl-Munawwarah\u201d (the Illumined) from the blinding light which\n surrounds the Prophet\u2019s tomb and which does not show to eyes profane\n (Pilgrimage ii. 3). I presume that the idea arose from the huge lamps\n of \u201cThe Garden.\u201d I have noted that Mohammed\u2019s coffin suspended by\n magnets is an idea unknown to Moslems, but we find the fancy in\n Al-Harawi related of St. Peter, \u201cSimon Cephas (the rock) is in the\n City of Great Rome, in its largest church within a silver ark hanging\n by chains from the ceiling.\u201d (Lee, Ibn Batutah, p. 161).\n\nFootnote 93:\n\n Here the fillets are hung instead of the normal rag-strips to denote\n an honoured tomb. Lane (iii. 242) and many others are puzzled about\n the use of these articles. In many cases they are suspended to trees\n in order to transfer sickness from the body to the tree and whoever\n shall touch it. The Saw\u00e1h\u00edl\u00ed people term such articles a Keti (seat or\n vehicle) for the mysterious haunter of the tree who prefers occupying\n it to the patient\u2019s person. Briefly the custom still popular\n throughout Arabia, is African and Fetish.\n\n\n\n\n HIND DAUGHTER OF AL-NU\u2019MAN AND AL-HAJJAJ.[94]\n\n\nIt is related that Hind daughter of Al-Nu\u2019man was the fairest woman of\nher day, and her beauty and loveliness were reported to Al-Hajjaj, who\nsought her in marriage and lavished much treasure on her. So he took her\nto wife, engaging to give her a dowry of two hundred thousand dirhams in\ncase of divorce, and when he went into her, he abode with her a long\ntime. One day after this, he went in to her and found her looking at her\nface in the mirror and saying:\u2014\n\n Hind is an Arab filly purest bred, \u273f Which hath been covered by a\n mongrel mule;\n An colt of horse she throw by Allah! well; \u273f If mule, it but results\n from mulish rule.[95]\n\nWhen Al-Hajjaj heard this, he turned back and went his way, unseen of\nHind; and, being minded to put her away, he sent Abdullah bin T\u00e1hir to\nher, to divorce her. So Abdullah went in to her and said to her,\n\u201cAl-Hajjaj Abu Mohammed saith to thee: Here be the two hundred thousand\ndirhams of thy contingent dowry he oweth thee; and he hath deputed me to\ndivorce thee.\u201d Replied she, \u201cO Ibn Tahir, I gladly agree to this; for\nknow that I never for one day took pleasure in him; so, if we separate,\nby Allah, I shall never regret him, and these two hundred thousand\ndirhams I give to thee as a reward for the glad tidings thou bringest me\nof my release from yonder dog of the Thakafites.\u201d[96] After this, the\nCommander of the Faithful, Abd al-Malik bin Marw\u00e1n, heard of her beauty\nand loveliness, her stature and symmetry, her sweet speech and the\namorous grace of her glances and sent to her, to ask her in\nmarriage;\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her\npermitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Eighty-second Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Prince of\nTrue Believers, Abd al-Malik bin Marwan, hearing of the lady\u2019s beauty\nand loveliness, sent to ask her in marriage; and she wrote him in reply\na letter, in which, after the glorification of Allah and benediction of\nHis Prophet, she said, \u201cBut afterwards. Know, O Commander of the\nFaithful, that the dog hath lapped in the vase.\u201d When the Caliph read\nher answer, he laughed and wrote to her, citing his saying (whom may\nAllah bless and keep!) \u201cIf a dog lap in the vessel of one of you, let\nhim wash seven times, once thereof with earth,\u201d and adding, \u201cWash the\naffront from the place of use.\u201d[97] With this she could not gainsay him;\nso she replied to him, saying (after praise and blessing), \u201cO Commander\nof the Faithful I will not consent save on one condition, and if thou\nask me what it is, I reply that Al-Hajjaj lead my camel to the town\nwhere thou tarriest barefoot and clad as he is.\u201d[98] When the Caliph\nread her letter, he laughed long and loudly and sent to Al-Hajjaj,\nbidding him do as she wished. He dared not disobey the order, so he\nsubmitted to the Caliph\u2019s commandment and sent to Hind, telling her to\nmake ready for the journey. So she made ready and mounted her litter,\nwhen Al-Hajjaj with his suite came up to Hind\u2019s door and as she mounted\nand her damsels and eunuchs rode around her, he dismounted and took the\nhalter of her camel and led it along, barefooted, whilst she and her\ndamsels and tirewomen laughed and jeered at him and made mock of him.\nThen she said to her tirewoman, \u201cDraw back the curtain of the litter;\u201d\nand she drew back the curtain, till Hind was face to face with\nAl-Hajjaj, whereupon she laughed at him and he improvised this couplet:\u2014\n\n Though now thou jeer, O Hind, how many a night \u273f I\u2019ve left thee wakeful\n sighing for the light.\n\nAnd she answered him with these two:\u2014\n\n We reck not, an our life escape from bane, \u273f For waste of wealth and\n gear that went in vain:\n Money may be regained and rank re-won \u273f When one is cured of malady and\n pain.\n\nAnd she ceased not to laugh at him and make sport of him, till they drew\nnear the city of the Caliph, when she threw down a dinar with her own\nhand and said to Al-Hajjaj, \u201cO camel-driver, I have dropped a dirham;\nlook for it and give it to me.\u201d So he looked and seeing naught but the\ndinar, said, \u201cThis is a dinar.\u201d She replied, \u201cNay, \u2019tis a dirham.\u201d But\nhe said, \u201cThis is a dinar.\u201d Then quoth she, \u201cPraised be Allah who hath\ngiven us in exchange for a paltry dirham a dinar! Give it us.\u201d And\nAl-Hajjaj was abashed at this. Then he carried her to the palace of the\nCommander of the Faithful, and she went in to him and became his\nfavourite.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying\nher permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Eighty-third Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that men also tell a\ntale anent\n\n-----\n\nFootnote 94:\n\n Al-Mas\u2019\u00fad\u00ed (chapt. xcv.), mentions a Hind bint Asm\u00e1 and tells a\n facetious story of her and the \u201cenemy of Allah,\u201d the poet Jar\u00edr.\n\nFootnote 95:\n\n Here the old Shiah hatred of the energetic conqueror of Oman crops out\n again. Hind\u2019s song is that of Maysum concerning her husband Mu\u2019\u00e1wiyah\n which Mrs. Godfrey Clark (\u2019Il\u00e2m-en-N\u00e2s, p. 108) thus translates:\u2014\n\n A hut that the winds make tremble\n Is dearer to me than a noble palace;\n And a dish of crumbs on the floor of my home\n Is dearer to me than a varied feast;\n And the soughing of the breeze through every crevice\n Is dearer to me than the beating of drums.\n\n Compare with Dr. Carlyle\u2019s No. X.:\u2014\n\n The russet suit of camel\u2019s hair\n With spirits light and eye serene\n Is dearer to my bosom far\n Than all the trappings of a queen, etc. etc.\n\n And with mine (Pilgrimage iii. 262):\u2014\n\n O take these purple robes away,\n Give back my cloak of camel\u2019s hair\n And bear me from this towering pile\n To where the black tents flap i\u2019 the air, etc. etc.\n\nFootnote 96:\n\n Al-Hajjaj\u2019s tribal name was Al-Thakifi or descendant of Thak\u00edf.\n According to Al-Mas\u2019udi, he was son of Far\u00edghah (the tall Beauty) by\n Y\u00fasuf bin Ukayl the Thakafite and vint au monde tout difforme avec\n l\u2019anus obstru\u00e9. As he refused the breast, Satan, in human form,\n advised suckling him with the blood of two black kids, a black\n buck-goat and a black snake; which had the desired effect.\n\nFootnote 97:\n\n Tr\u00e9butien, iii. 465, translates these sayings into Italian.\n\nFootnote 98:\n\n Making him a \u201cKaww\u00e1d\u201d = leader, _i.e._ pimp; a true piece of feminine\n spite. But the Caliph prized Al-Hajjaj too highly to treat him as in\n the text.\n\n\n\n\n KHUZAYMAH BIN BISHR AND IKRIMAH AL-FAYYAZ.[99]\n\n\nThere lived once, in the days of the Caliph Sulayman bin Abd\nal-Malik[100] a man of the Banu Asad, by name Khuzaymah bin Bishr, who\nwas famed for bounty and abundant wealth and excellence and righteous\ndealing with his brethren. He continued thus till times grew strait with\nhim and he became in need of the aid of those Moslem brethren on whom he\nhad lavished favour and kindness. So they succoured him a while and then\ngrew weary of him, which when he saw, he went in to his wife who was the\ndaughter of his father\u2019s brother, and said to her, \u201cO my cousin, I find\na change in my brethren; wherefore I am resolved to keep my house till\ndeath come to me.\u201d So he shut his door and abode in his home, living on\nthat which he had by him, till it was spent and he knew not what to do.\nNow Ikrimah al-Raba\u2019\u00ed, surnamed Al-Fayy\u00e1z, governor of Mesopotamia,[101]\nhad known him, and one day, as he sat in his audience-chamber, mention\nwas made of Khuzaymah, whereupon quoth Ikrimah, \u201cHow is it with him?\u201d\nAnd quoth they, \u201cHe is in a plight past telling, and hath shut his door\nand keepeth the house.\u201d Ikrimah rejoined, \u201cThis cometh but of his\nexcessive generosity: but how is it that Khuzaymah bin Bishr findeth nor\ncomforter nor requiter?\u201d And they replied, \u201cHe hath found naught of\nthis.\u201d So when it was night, Ikrimah took four thousand dinars and laid\nthem in one purse; then, bidding saddle his beast, he mounted and rode\nprivily to Khuzaymah\u2019s house, attended only by one of his pages,\ncarrying the money. When he came to the door, he alighted and taking the\npurse from the page made him withdraw afar off; after which he went up\nto the door and knocked. Khuzaymah came out to him, and he gave him the\npurse, saying, \u201cBetter thy case herewith.\u201d He took it and finding it\nheavy put it from his hand and laying hold of the bridle of Ikrimah\u2019s\nhorse, asked, \u201cWho art thou? My soul be thy ransom!\u201d Answered Ikrimah,\n\u201cO man I come not to thee at a time like this desiring that thou\nshouldst know me.\u201d Khuzaymah rejoined, \u201cI will not let thee go till thou\nmake thyself known to me,\u201d whereupon Ikrimah said \u201cI am hight J\u00e1bir\nAthar\u00e1t al-Kir\u00e1m.\u201d[102] Quoth Khuzaymah, \u201cTell me more.\u201d But Ikrimah\ncried, \u201cNo,\u201d and fared forth, whilst Khuzaymah went in to his cousin and\nsaid to her, \u201cRejoice for Allah hath sent us speedy relief and wealth;\nif these be but dirhams, yet are they many. Arise and light the lamp.\u201d\nShe said, \u201cI have not wherewithal to light it.\u201d So he spent the night\nhandling the coins and felt by their roughness that they were dinars,\nbut could not credit it. Meanwhile Ikrimah returned to his own house and\nfound that his wife had missed him and asked for him, and when they told\nher of his riding forth, she misdoubted of him, and said to him, \u201cVerily\nthe Wali of Al-Jazirah rideth not abroad after such an hour of the\nnight, unattended and secretly, save to a wife or a mistress.\u201d He\nanswered, \u201cAllah knoweth that I went not forth to either of these.\u201d\n\u201cTell me then wherefore thou wentest forth?\u201d \u201cI went not forth at this\nhour save that none should know it.\u201d \u201cI must needs be told.\u201d \u201cWilt thou\nkeep the matter secret, if I tell thee?\u201d \u201cYes!\u201d So he told her the state\nof the case, adding, \u201cWilt thou have me swear to thee?\u201d Answered she,\n\u201cNo, no, my heart is set at ease and trusteth in that which thou hast\ntold me.\u201d As for Khuzaymah, soon as it was day he made his peace with\nhis creditors and set his affairs in order; after which he got him ready\nand set out for the Court of Sulayman bin Abd al-Malik, who was then\nsojourning in Palestine.[103] When he came to the royal gate, he sought\nadmission of the chamberlain, who went in and told the Caliph of his\npresence. Now he was renowned for his beneficence and Sulayman knew of\nhim; so he bade admit him. When he entered, he saluted the Caliph after\nthe usual fashion of saluting[104] and the King asked, \u201cO Khuzaymah,\nwhat hath kept thee so long from us?\u201d Answered he, \u201cEvil case,\u201d and\nquoth the Caliph, \u201cWhat hindered thee from having recourse to us?\u201d Quoth\nhe, \u201cMy infirmity, O Commander of the Faithful!\u201d \u201cAnd why,\u201d said\nSulayman, \u201ccomest thou to us now?\u201d Khuzaymah replied, \u201cKnow, O Commander\nof the Faithful, that I was sitting one night late in my house, when a\nman knocked at the door and did thus and thus;\u201d and he went on to tell\nhim of all that had passed between Ikrimah and himself from first to\nlast. Sulayman asked, \u201cKnowest thou the man?\u201d and Khuzaymah answered,\n\u201cNo, O Commander of the Faithful, he was reserved[105] and would say\nnaught save:\u2014I am hight Jabir Atharat al-Kiram.\u201d When Sulayman heard\nthis, his heart burned within him for anxiety to discover the man, and\nhe said, \u201cIf we knew him, truly we would requite him for his\ngenerosity.\u201d Then he bound for Khuzaymah a banner[106] and made him\nGovernor of Mesopotamia, in the stead of Ikrimah al-Fayyaz; and he set\nout for Al-Jazirah. When he drew near the city, Ikrimah and the people\nof the place came forth to meet him and they saluted each other and went\non into the town, where Khuzaymah took up his lodging in the\nGovernment-house and bade take security for Ikrimah and that he should\nbe called to account.[107] So an account was taken against him and he\nwas found to be in default for much money; whereupon Khuzaymah required\nof him payment, but he said, \u201cI have no means of paying aught.\u201d Quoth\nKhuzaymah, \u201cIt must be paid;\u201d and quoth Ikrimah, \u201cI have it not; do what\nthou hast to do.\u201d So Khuzaymah ordered him to gaol.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad\nperceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Eighty-fourth Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Khuzaymah, having\nordered the imprisonment of Ikrimah al-Fayyaz, sent to him again to\ndemand payment of the debt; but he replied, \u201cI am not of those who\npreserve their wealth at the expense of their honour; do what thou\nwilt.\u201d Then Khuzaymah bade load him with irons and kept him in prison a\nmonth or more, till confinement began to tell upon him and he became\nwasted. After this, tidings of his plight travelled to the daughter of\nhis uncle who was troubled with sore concern thereat and, sending for a\nfreedwoman of hers, a woman of abundant judgment, and experience, said\nto her, \u201cGo forthwith to the Emir Khuzaymah\u2019s gate and say:\u2014I have a\ncounsel for the Emir. If they ask what it is, add:\u2014I will not tell it\nsave to himself; and when thou enterest to him, beg to see him in\nprivate and when private ask him:\u2014What be this deed thou hast done? Hath\nJabir Atharat al-Kiram deserved of thee no better reward than to be cast\ninto strait prison and hard bond of irons?\u201d The woman did as she was\nbid, and when Khuzaymah heard her words, he cried out at the top of his\nvoice, saying, \u201cAlas, the baseness of it! Was it indeed he?\u201d And she\nanswered, \u201cYes.\u201d Then he bade saddle his beast forthwith and, summoning\nthe honourable men of the city, repaired with them to the prison and\nopening the door, went in with them to Ikrimah, whom they found sitting\nin evil case, worn out and wasted with blows and misery. When he looked\nat Khuzaymah, he was abashed and hung his head; but the other bent down\nto him and kissed his face; whereupon he raised his head and asked,\n\u201cWhat maketh thee do this?\u201d Answered Khuzaymah, \u201cThe generosity of thy\ndealing and the vileness of my requital.\u201d And Ikrimah said, \u201cAllah\npardon us and thee!\u201d Then Khuzaymah commanded the jailor to strike off\nIkrimah\u2019s fetters and clap them on his own feet; but Ikrimah said, \u201cWhat\nis this thou wilt do?\u201d Quoth the other, \u201cI have a mind to suffer what\nthou hast suffered.\u201d Quoth Ikrimah, \u201cI conjure thee by Allah, do not\nso!\u201d Then they went out together and returned to Khuzaymah\u2019s house,\nwhere Ikrimah would have farewelled him and wended his way; but he\nforbade him and Ikrimah said, \u201cWhat is thy will of me?\u201d Replied\nKhuzaymah, \u201cI wish to change thy case, for my shame before the daughter\nof thine uncle is yet greater than my shame before thee.\u201d So he bade\nclear the bath and entering with Ikrimah, served him there in person and\nwhen they went forth he bestowed on him a splendid robe of honour and\nmounted him and gave him much money. Then he carried him to his house\nand asked his leave to make his excuses to his wife and obtained her\npardon. After this he besought him to accompany him to the Caliph, who\nwas then abiding at Ramlah[108] and he agreed. So they journeyed\nthither, and when they reached the royal quarters the chamberlain went\nin and acquainted the Caliph Sulayman bin Abd al-Malik with Khuzaymah\u2019s\narrival, whereat he was troubled and said, \u201cWhat! is the Governor of\nMesopotamia come without our command? This can be only on some grave\noccasion.\u201d Then he bade admit him and said, before saluting him, \u201cWhat\nis behind thee, O Khuzaymah?\u201d Replied he, \u201cGood, O Commander of the\nFaithful.\u201d Asked Sulayman, \u201cWhat bringeth thee?\u201d; and he answered,\nsaying, \u201cI have discovered Jabir Atharat al-Kiram and thought to gladden\nthee with him, knowing thine excessive desire to know him and thy\nlonging to see him.\u201d \u201cWho is he?\u201d quoth the Caliph and quoth Khuzaymah,\n\u201cHe is Ikrimah al-Fayyaz.\u201d So Sulayman called for Ikrimah, who\napproached and saluted him as Caliph; and the King welcomed him and\nmaking him draw near his sitting-place, said to him, \u201cO Ikrimah, thy\ngood deed to him hath brought thee naught but evil,\u201d adding, \u201cNow write\ndown in a note thy needs each and every, and that which thou desirest.\u201d\nHe did so and the Caliph commanded to do all that he required and that\nforthwith. Moreover he gave him ten thousand dinars more than he asked\nfor and twenty chests of clothes over and above that he sought, and\ncalling for a spear, bound him a banner and made him Governor over\nArmenia and Azarbij\u00e1n[109] and Mesopotamia, saying, \u201cKhuzaymah\u2019s case is\nin thy hands, an thou wilt, continue him in his office, and if thou\nwilt, degrade him.\u201d And Ikrimah said, \u201cNay, but I restore him to his\noffice, O Commander of the Faithful.\u201d Then they went out from him and\nceased not to be Governors under Sulayman bin Abd al-Malik all the days\nof his Caliphate. And they also tell a tale of\n\n-----\n\nFootnote 99:\n\n _i.e._ \u201cThe overflowing,\u201d with benefits; on account of his generosity.\n\nFootnote 100:\n\n The seventh Ommiade A. H. 96\u201399 (715\u2013719). He died of his fine\n appetite after eating at a sitting a lamb, six fowls, seventy\n pomegranates, and 11\u00bc lbs. of currants. He was also proud of his youth\n and beauty and was wont to say, \u201cMohammed was the Apostle and Abu Bakr\n witness to the Truth; Omar the Discriminator and Othman the Bashful,\n Mu\u2019awiyah the Mild and Yazid the Patient; Abd al-Malik the\n Administrator and Walid the Tyrant; but I am the Young King!\u201d\n\nFootnote 101:\n\n Arab. Al-Jaz\u00edrah, \u201cthe Island;\u201d name of the region and the capital.\n\nFootnote 102:\n\n _i.e._ \u201cRepairer of the Slips of the Generous,\u201d an evasive reply,\n which of course did not deceive the questioner.\n\nFootnote 103:\n\n Arab. \u201cFalast\u00edn,\u201d now obselete. The word has echoed far west and the\n name of the noble race has been degraded to \u201cPhilister,\u201d a bourgeois,\n a greasy burgher.\n\nFootnote 104:\n\n Saying, \u201cThe Peace be with thee, O Prince of True Believers!\u201d\n\nFootnote 105:\n\n Arab. \u201cMutanakkir,\u201d which may also mean proud or in disguise.\n\nFootnote 106:\n\n On appointment as viceroy. See vol. iii., 307.\n\nFootnote 107:\n\n The custom with outgoing Governors. It was adopted by the Spaniards\n and Portuguese especially in America. The generosity of Ikrimah\n without the slightest regard to justice or common honesty is\n characteristic of the Arab in story-books.\n\nFootnote 108:\n\n The celebrated half-way house between Jaffa and Jerusalem.\n\nFootnote 109:\n\n Alias the Kohistan or mountain region, Susiana (Khuzistan) whose\n capital was Susa; and the head quarters of fire-worship. Azar (fire)\n was the name of Abraham\u2019s father whom Eusebius calls \u201cAthar\u201d\n (Pilgrimage iii. 336).\n\n\n\n\n YUNUS THE SCRIBE AND THE CALIPH WALID BIN SAHL.\n\n\nThere lived in the reign of the Caliph Hish\u00e1m,[110] son of Abd al-Malik,\na man called Y\u00fanus the Scribe well-known to the general, and he set out\none day on a journey to Damascus, having with him a slave-girl of\nsurpassing beauty and loveliness, whom he had taught all that was\nneedful to her and whose price was an hundred thousand dirhams. When\nthey drew near to Damascus, the caravan halted by the side of a lake and\nYunus went down to a quiet place with his damsel and took out some\nvictual he had with him and a leather bottle of wine. As he sat at meat,\nbehold, came up a young man of goodly favour and dignified presence,\nmounted on a sorrel horse and followed by two eunuchs, and said to him,\n\u201cWilt thou accept me to guest?\u201d \u201cYes,\u201d replied Yunus. So the stranger\nalighted and said, \u201cGive me to drink of thy wine.\u201d Yunus gave him to\ndrink and he said, \u201cIf it please thee, sing us a song.\u201d So Yunus sang\nthis couplet extempore:\u2014\n\n She joineth charms were never seen conjoined in mortal dress: \u273f And for\n her love she makes me love my tears and wakefulness.\n\nAt which the stranger rejoiced with exceeding joy and Yunus gave him to\ndrink again and again, till the wine got the better of him and he said,\n\u201cBid thy slave-girl sing.\u201d So she improvised this couplet:\u2014\n\n A houri, by whose charms my heart is moved to sore distress: \u273f Nor wand\n of tree nor sun nor moon her rivals I confess!\n\nThe stranger was overjoyed with this and they sat drinking till\nnightfall, when they prayed the evening-prayer and the youth said to\nYunus, \u201cWhat bringeth thee to our city?\u201d He replied, \u201cQuest of\nwherewithal to pay my debts and better my case.\u201d Quoth the other, \u201cWilt\nthou sell me this slave-girl for thirty thousand dirhams?\u201d Whereto quoth\nYunus, \u201cI must have more than that.\u201d He asked, \u201cWill forty thousand\ncontent thee?\u201d; but Yunus answered, \u201cThat would only settle my debts,\nand I should remain empty-handed.\u201d Rejoined the stranger, \u201cWe will take\nher of thee at fifty thousand dirhams[111] and give thee a suit of\nclothes to boot and the expenses of thy journey and make thee a sharer\nin my condition as long as thou livest.\u201d Cried Yunus, \u201cI sell her to\nthee on these terms.\u201d Then said the young man, \u201cWilt thou trust me to\nbring thee the money to-morrow and let me take her with me, or shall she\nabide with thee till I pay thee down her price?\u201d Whereto wine and shame\nand awe of the stranger led Yunus to reply, \u201cI will trust thee; take her\nand Allah bless thee in her!\u201d Whereupon the visitor bade one of his\npages sit her before him on his beast, and mounting his own horse,\nfarewelled of Yunus and rode away out of sight. Hardly had he left him,\nwhen the seller bethought himself and knew that he had erred in selling\nher and said to himself, \u201cWhat have I done? I have delivered my\nslave-girl to a man with whom I am unacquainted, neither know I who he\nis; and grant that I were acquainted with him, how am I to get at him?\u201d\nSo he abode in thought till the morning, when he prayed the dawn-prayers\nand his companions entered Damascus, whilst he sat, perplexed and\nwotting not what to do, till the sun scorched him and it irked him to\nabide there. He thought to enter the city, but said in his mind, \u201cIf I\nenter Damascus, I cannot be sure but that the messenger will come and\nfind me not, in which case I shall have sinned against myself a second\nsin.\u201d Accordingly he sat down in the shade of a wall that was there, and\ntowards the wane of day, up came one of the eunuchs whom he had seen\nwith the young man, whereat great joy possessed Yunus and he said in\nhimself, \u201cI know not that aught hath ever given me more delight than the\nsight of this castrato.\u201d When the eunuch reached him, he said to him, \u201cO\nmy lord, we have kept thee long waiting\u201d; but Yunus disclosed nothing to\nhim of the torments of anxiety he had suffered. Then quoth the castrato,\n\u201cKnowest thou the man who bought the girl of thee?\u201d; and quoth Yunus,\n\u201cNo,\u201d to which the other rejoined, \u201c\u2019Twas Walid bin Sahl,[112] the Heir\nApparent.\u201d And Yunus was silent. Then said the eunuch, \u201cRide,\u201d and made\nhim mount a horse he had with him and they rode till they came to a\nmansion, where they dismounted and entered. Here Yunus found the damsel,\nwho sprang up at his sight and saluted him. He asked her how she had\nfared with him who had bought her and she answered, \u201cHe lodged me in\nthis apartment and ordered me all I needed.\u201d Then he sat with her\nawhile, till suddenly one of the servants of the house-owner came in and\nbade him rise and follow him. So he followed the man into the presence\nof his master and found him yesternight\u2019s guest, whom he saw seated on\nhis couch and who said to him, \u201cWho art thou?\u201d \u201cI am Yunus the Scribe.\u201d\n\u201cWelcome to thee, O Yunus! by Allah, I have long wished to look on thee;\nfor I have heard of thy report. How didst thou pass the night?\u201d \u201cWell,\nmay Almighty Allah advance thee.\u201d \u201cPeradventure thou repentedest thee of\nthat thou didst yesterday and saidst to thyself: I have delivered my\nslave-girl to a man with whom I am not acquainted, neither know I his\nname nor whence he cometh?\u201d \u201cAllah forbid, O Emir, that I should repent\nover her! Had I made gift of her to the Prince, she were the least of\nthe gifts that are given unto him,\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of\nday and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Eighty-fifth Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Yunus\nthe Scribe said to Walid, \u201cAllah forbid I should repent over her! Had I\nmade gift of her to the Prince, she were the least of gifts that are\ngiven to him, nor indeed is she worthy of his rank,\u201d Walid rejoined, \u201cBy\nAllah, but I repented me of having carried her away from thee and said\nto myself:\u2014This man is a stranger and knoweth me not, and I have taken\nhim by surprise and acted inconsiderately by him, in my haste to take\nthe damsel! Dost thou recall what passed between us?\u201d Quoth Yunus,\n\u201cYes!\u201d and quoth Walid, \u201cDost thou sell this damsel to me for fifty\nthousand dirhams?\u201d And Yunus said, \u201cI do.\u201d Then the Prince called to one\nof his servants to bring him fifty thousand dirhams and a thousand and\nfive hundred dinars to boot, and gave them all to Yunus, saying, \u201cTake\nthe slave\u2019s price: the thousand dinars are for thy fair opinion of us\nand the five hundred are for thy viaticum and for what present thou\nshalt buy for thy people. Art thou content?\u201d \u201cI am content,\u201d answered\nYunus and kissed his hands, saying, \u201cBy Allah, thou hast filled my eyes\nand my hands and my heart!\u201d Quoth Walid, \u201cBy Allah, I have as yet had no\nprivacy of her nor have I taken my fill of her singing. Bring her to\nme!\u201d So she came and he bade her sit, then said to her, \u201cSing.\u201d And she\nsang these verses:\u2014\n\n O thou who dost comprise all Beauty\u2019s boons! \u273f O sweet of nature, fain\n of coquetry!\n In Turks and Arabs many beauties dwell; \u273f But, O my fawn, in none thy\n charms I see.\n Turn to thy lover, O my fair, and keep \u273f Thy word, though but in\n visioned phantasy:\n Shame and disgrace are lawful for thy sake \u273f And wakeful nights full\n fill with joy and glee:\n I\u2019m not the first for thee who fared distraught; \u273f Slain by thy love how\n many a many be!\n I am content with thee for worldly share \u273f Dearer than life and good art\n thou to me!\n\nWhen he heard this, he was delighted exceedingly and praised Yunus for\nhis excellent teaching of her and her fair education. Then he bade his\nservants bring him a roadster with saddle and housings for his riding,\nand a mule to carry his gear, and said to him, \u201cO Yunus, when it shall\nreach thee that command hath come to me, do thou join me; and, by Allah,\nI will fill thy hands with good and advance thee to honour and make thee\nrich as long as thou livest!\u201d So Yunus said, \u201cI took his goods and went\nmy ways; and when Walid succeeded to the Caliphate, I repaired to him;\nand by Allah, he kept his promise and entreated me with high honour and\nmunificence. Then I abode with him in all content of case and rise of\nrank and mine affairs prospered and my wealth increased and goods and\nfarms became mine, such as sufficed me and will suffice my heirs after\nme; nor did I cease to abide with Walid, till he was slain, the mercy of\nAlmighty Allah be on him!\u201d And men tell a tale concerning\n\n-----\n\nFootnote 110:\n\n Tenth Ommiade A.H. 105\u2013125 (= 724\u2013743), a wise and discreet ruler with\n an inclination to avarice and asceticism. According to some, the\n Ommiades produced only three statesmen, Mu\u2019awiyah, Abd al-Malik and\n Hisham; and the reign of the latter was the end of sage government and\n wise administration.\n\nFootnote 111:\n\n About \u00a31,250, which seems a long price; but in those days Damascus had\n been enriched with the spoils of the world adjacent.\n\nFootnote 112:\n\n Eleventh Ommiade dynasty, A.H. 125\u2013126 (= 743\u2013744). Ibn Sahl (son of\n ease, _i.e._ free and easy) was a nickname; he was the son of Yaz\u00edd\n II. and brother of Hish\u00e1m. He scandalised the lieges by his\n profligacy, wishing to make the pilgrimage in order to drink upon the\n Ka\u2019abah-roof; so they attacked the palace and lynched him. His death\n is supposed to have been brought about (27th of Jam\u00e1da al-Akhirah =\n April 16, 744) by his cousin and successor Yaz\u00edd (No. iii.) surnamed\n the Retrencher. The tale in the text speaks well for him; but\n generosity amongst the Arabs covers a multitude of sins, and people\n say, \u201cBetter a liberal sinner than a stingy saint.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n HARUN AL-RASHID AND THE ARAB GIRL.\n\n\nThe Caliph Harun al-Rashid was walking one day with Ja\u2019afar the\nBarmecide, when he espied a company of girls drawing water and went up\nto them, having a mind to drink. As he drew near, one of them turned to\nher fellows and improvised these lines:\u2014\n\n Thy phantom bid thou fleet, and fly \u273f Far from the couch whereon I lie;\n So I may rest and quench the fire, \u273f Bonfire in bones aye flaming high;\n My love-sick form Love\u2019s restless palm \u273f Rolls o\u2019er the rug whereon I\n sigh:\n How \u2019tis with me thou wottest well \u273f How long, then, union wilt deny?\n\nThe Caliph marvelled at her elegance and eloquence.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad\nperceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Eighty-sixth Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Caliph,\nhearing the girl\u2019s verses, marvelled at her elegance and eloquence, and\nsaid to her, \u201cO daughter of nobles, are these thine own or a quotation?\u201d\nReplied she, \u201cThey are my very own,\u201d and he rejoined, \u201cAn thou say sooth\nkeep the sense and change the rhyme.\u201d So she said:\u2014\n\n Bid thou thy phantom distance keep \u273f And quit this couch the while I\n sleep;\n So I may rest and quench the flames \u273f Through all my body rageful creep,\n In love-sick one, whom passion\u2019s palms \u273f Roll o\u2019er the bed where grief I\n weep.\n How \u2019tis with me thou wottest well; \u273f All but thy union hold I cheap!\n\nQuoth the Caliph, \u201cThis also is stolen\u201d; and quoth she, \u201cNay, \u2019tis my\nvery own.\u201d He said, \u201cIf it be indeed thine own, change the rhyme again\nand keep the sense.\u201d So she recited the following:\u2014\n\n Unto thy phantom deal behest \u273f To shun my couch the while I rest,\n So I repose and quench the fire \u273f That burns what lieth in my breast,\n My weary form Love\u2019s restless palm \u273f Rolls o\u2019er with boon of sleep\n unblest.\n How \u2019tis with me thou wottest well \u273f When union\u2019s bought \u2019tis haply\n best!\n\nQuoth Al-Rashid, \u201cThis too is stolen\u201d; and quoth she, \u201cNot so, \u2019tis\nmine.\u201d He said, \u201cIf thy words be true change the rhyme once more.\u201d And\nshe recited:\u2014\n\n Drive off the ghost that ever shows \u273f Beside my couch when I\u2019d repose,\n So I may rest and quench the fire \u273f Beneath my ribs e\u2019er flames and\n glows,\n In love-sick one, whom passion\u2019s palms \u273f Roll o\u2019er the couch where\n weeping flows,\n How \u2019tis with me thou wottest well \u273f Will union come as union goes?\n\nThen said the Caliph, \u201cOf what part of this camp art thou?\u201d; and she\nreplied, \u201cOf its middle in dwelling and of its highest in\ntent-poles.\u201d[113] Wherefore he knew that she was the daughter of the\ntribal chief. \u201cAnd thou,\u201d quoth she, \u201cof what art thou among the\nguardians of the horses?\u201d; and quoth he, \u201cOf the highest in tree and of\nthe ripest in fruit.\u201d \u201cAllah protect thee, O Commander of the Faithful!\u201d\nsaid she, and kissing ground called down blessings on him. Then she went\naway with the maidens of the Arabs, and the Caliph said to Ja\u2019afar,\n\u201cThere is no help for it but I take her to wife.\u201d So Ja\u2019afar repaired to\nher father and said to him, \u201cThe Commander of the Faithful hath a mind\nto thy daughter.\u201d He replied, \u201cWith love and goodwill, she is a gift as\na handmaid to His Highness our Lord the Commander of the Faithful.\u201d So\nhe equipped her and carried her to the Caliph, who took her to wife and\nwent in to her, and she became of the dearest of his women to him.\nFurthermore, he bestowed on her father largesse such as succoured him\namong Arabs, till he was transported to the mercy of Almighty Allah. The\nCaliph, hearing of his death, went in to her greatly troubled; and, when\nshe saw him looking afflicted, she entered her chamber and doffing all\nthat was upon her of rich raiment, donned mourning apparel and raised\nlament for her father. It was said to her, \u201cWhat is the reason of\nthis?\u201d; and she replied, \u201cMy father is dead.\u201d So they repaired to the\nCaliph and told him and he rose and going in to her, asked her who had\ninformed her of her father\u2019s death; and she answered \u201cIt was thy face, O\nCommander of the Faithful!\u201d Said he, \u201cHow so?\u201d; and she said, \u201cSince I\nhave been with thee, I never saw thee on such wise till this time, and\nthere was none for whom I feared save my father, by reason of his great\nage; but may thy head live, O Commander of the Faithful!\u201d The Caliph\u2019s\neyes filled with tears and he condoled with her; but she ceased not to\nmourn for her father, till she followed him\u2014Allah have mercy on the\ntwain! And a tale is also told of\n\n-----\n\nFootnote 113:\n\n The tents of black wool woven by the Badawi women are generally\n supported by three parallel rows of poles lengthways and crossways\n (the highest line being the central) and the covering is pegged down.\n Thus the outline of the roofs forms two or more hanging curves, and\n these characterise the architecture of the Tartars and Chinese; they\n are still preserved in the Turkish (and sometimes in the European)\n \u201cKiosque,\u201d and they have extended to the Brazil where the upturned\n eaves, often painted vermilion below, at once attract the traveller\u2019s\n notice.\n\n\n\n\n AL-ASMA\u2019I AND THE THREE GIRLS OF BASSORAH.\n\n\nThe Commander of the Faithful Harun Al-Rashid was exceeding restless one\nnight and rising from his bed, paced from chamber to chamber, but could\nnot compose himself to sleep. As soon as it was day, he said, \u201cFetch me\nAl-Asma\u2019i!\u201d[114] So the eunuch went out and told the doorkeepers; these\nsent for the poet and when he came, informed the Caliph who bade admit\nhim and said to him, \u201cO Asma\u2019i, I wish thee to tell me the best thou\nhast heard of stories of women and their verses.\u201d Answered Al-Asma\u2019i,\n\u201cHearkening and obedience! I have heard great store of women\u2019s verses;\nbut none pleased me save three sets of couplets I once heard from three\ngirls.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her\npermitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Eighty-seventh Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Al-Asma\u2019i said\nto the Prince of True Believers, \u201cVerily I have heard much, but nothing\npleased me save three sets of couplets improvised by as many girls.\u201d\nQuoth the Caliph, \u201cTell me of them,\u201d and quoth he, \u201cKnow then, O\nCommander of the Faithful, that I once abode in Bassorah, and one day,\nas I was walking, the heat was sore upon me and I sought for a\nsiesta-place but found none. However by looking right and left I came\nupon a porch swept and sprinkled, at the upper end whereof was a wooden\nbench under an open lattice-window, whence exhaled a scent of musk. I\nentered the porch and sitting down on the bench, would have stretcht me\nat full length when I heard from within a girl\u2019s sweet voice talking and\nsaying:\u2014O my sisters, we are here seated to spend our day in friendly\nconverse; so come, let us each put down an hundred dinars and recite a\nline of verse; and whoso extemporiseth the goodliest and sweetest line,\nthe three hundred dinars shall be hers.\u201d \u201cWith love and gladness,\u201d said\nthe others; and the eldest recited the first couplet which is this:\u2014\n\n Would he come to my bed during sleep \u2019twere delight \u273f But a visit on\n wake were delightsomer sight!\n\nQuoth the second:\u2014\n\n Naught came to salute me in sleep save his shade \u273f But \u201cwelcome, fair\n welcome,\u201d I cried to the spright!\n\nThen said the youngest:\u2014\n\n\n My soul and my folk I engage for the youth \u273f Musk-scented I see in my\n bed every night!\n\nQuoth I, \u201cAn she be fair as her verse hath grace, the thing is complete\nin every case.\u201d Then I came down from my bench[115] and was about to go\naway, when behold, the door opened and out came a slave-girl, who said\nto me, \u201cSit, O Shaykh!\u201d So I climbed up and sat down again when she gave\nme a scroll, wherein was written, in characters of the utmost beauty,\nwith straight Alifs,[116] big-bellied H\u00e1s and rounded Waws, the\nfollowing:\u2014We would have the Shaykh (Allah lengthen his days!) to know\nthat we are three maidens, sisters, sitting in friendly converse, who\nhave laid down each an hundred dinars, conditioning that whoso recite\nthe goodliest and sweetest couplet shall have the whole three hundred\ndinars; and we appoint thee umpire between us: so decide as thou seest\nbest, and the Peace be on thee! Quoth I to the girl, Here to me inkcase\nand paper. So she went in and, returning after a little, brought me a\nsilvered inkcase and gilded pens[117] with which I wrote these\ncouplets:\u2014\n\n They talked of three beauties whose converse was quite \u273f Like the talk\n of a man with experience dight:\n Three maidens who borrowed the bloom of the dawn \u273f Making hearts of\n their lovers in sorriest plight.\n They were hidden from eyes of the prier and spy \u273f Who slept and their\n modesty mote not affright;\n So they opened whatever lay hid in their hearts \u273f And in frolicsome fun\n began verse to indite.\n Quoth one fair coquette with her amorous grace \u273f Whose teeth for the\n sweet of her speech flash\u00e8d bright:\u2014\n Would he come to my bed during sleep \u2019twere delight \u273f But a visit on\n wake were delightsomer sight!\n When she ended, her verse by her smiling was gilt: \u273f Then the second\n \u2019gan singing as nightingale might:\u2014\n Naught came to salute me in sleep save his shade \u273f But welcome, fair\n welcome, I cried to the spright!\n But the third I preferred for she said in reply, \u273f With expression most\n apposite, exquisite:\u2014\n My soul and my folk I engage for the youth \u273f Musk-scented I see in my\n bed every night!\n So when I considered their words to decide, \u273f And not make me the mock\n of the cynical wight;\n I pronounced for the youngest, declaring her verse \u273f Of all verses be\n that which is nearest the right.\n\nThen I gave the scroll to the slave-girl, who went upstairs with it, and\nbehold, I heard a noise of dancing and clapping of hands and Doomsday\nastir. Quoth I to myself, \u201c\u2019Tis no time for me to stay here.\u201d So I came\ndown from the platform and was about to go away, when the damsel cried\nout to me, \u201cSit down, O Asma\u2019i!\u201d Asked I, \u201cWho gave thee to know that I\nwas Al-Asma\u2019i?\u201d and she answered, \u201cO Shaykh, an thy name be unknown to\nus, thy poetry is not!\u201d So I sat down again and suddenly the door opened\nand out came the first damsel, with a dish of fruits and another of\nsweetmeats. I ate of both and praised their fashion and would have\nganged my gait; but she cried out, \u201cSit down, O Asma\u2019i!\u201d Wherewith I\nraised my eyes to her and saw a rosy palm in a saffron sleeve, meseemed\nit was the full moon rising splendid in the cloudy East. Then she threw\nme a purse containing three hundred dinars and said to me, \u201cThis is mine\nand I give it to thee by way of douceur in requital of thy judgment.\u201d\nQuoth the Caliph, \u201cWhy didst thou decide for the youngest?\u201d and quoth\nAl-Asma\u2019i, \u201cO Commander of the Faithful, whose life Allah prolong! the\neldest said:\u2014I should delight in him, if he visited my couch in sleep.\nNow this is restricted and dependent upon a condition which may befal or\nmay not befal; whilst, for the second, an image of dreams came to her in\nsleep, and she saluted it; but the youngest\u2019s couplet said that she\nactually lay with her lover and smelt his breath sweeter than musk and\nshe engaged her soul and her folk for him, which she had not done, were\nhe not dearer to her than her sprite.\u201d Said the Caliph, \u201cThou didst\nwell, O Asma\u2019i,\u201d and gave him other three hundred ducats in payment of\nhis story. And I have heard a tale concerning\n\n-----\n\nFootnote 114:\n\n See vol. iv., 159. The author of \u201cAntar,\u201d known to Englishmen by the\n old translation of Mr. Terrick Hamilton, secretary of Legation at\n Constantinople. There is an abridgement of the forty-five volumes of\n Al-Asma\u2019i\u2019s \u201cAntar\u201d which mostly supplies or rather supplied the\n \u201cAntariyyah\u201d or professional tale-tellers; whose theme was the heroic\n Mulatto lover.\n\nFootnote 115:\n\n The \u201cDakkah\u201d or long wooden sofa, as opposed to the \u201cmastabah\u201d or\n stone bench, is often a tall platform and in mosques is a kind of ambo\n railed round and supported by columns. Here readers recite the Koran:\n Lane (M.E. chapt. iii.) sketches it in the \u201cInterior of a Mosque.\u201d\n\nFootnote 116:\n\n Alif (\u0627) Ha (\u0647) and Waw (\u0648\u200e), the first, twenty-seventh and\n twenty-sixth letters of the Arabic alphabet: No. 1 is the most simple\n and difficult to write calligraphically.\n\nFootnote 117:\n\n Reeds washed with gold and used for love-letters, &c.\n\n\n\n\n IBRAHIM OF MOSUL AND THE DEVIL.[118]\n\n\nQuoth Abu Ishak Ibrahim al-Mausili:\u2014I asked Al-Rashid once to give me a\nday\u2019s leave that I might be private with the people of my household and\nmy brethren, and he gave me leave for Saturday the Sabbath. So I went\nhome and betook myself to making ready meat and drink and other\nnecessaries and bade the doorkeepers shut the doors and let none come in\nto me. However, presently, as I sat in my sitting-chamber, with my women\nwho were looking after my wants, behold, there appeared an old man of\ncomely and reverend aspect,[119] clad in white clothes and a shirt of\nfine stuff with a doctor\u2019s turband on his head and a silver-handled\nstaff in his hand, and the house and porch were full of the perfumes\nwherewith he was scented. I was greatly vexed at his coming in to me and\nthought to turn away the doorkeepers; but he saluted me after the\ngoodliest fashion and I returned his greeting and bade him be seated. So\nhe sat down and began entertaining me with stories of the Arabs and\ntheir verses, till my anger left me and methought my servants had sought\nto pleasure me by admitting a man of such good breeding and fine\nculture. Then I asked him, \u201cArt thou for meat?\u201d; and he answered, \u201cI\nhave no need of it.\u201d \u201cAnd for drink?\u201d quoth I, and quoth he, \u201cThat is as\nthou wilt.\u201d So I drank off a pint of wine and poured him out the like.\nThen said he, \u201cO Abu Ishak, wilt thou sing us somewhat, so we may hear\nof thine art that wherein thou excellest high and low?\u201d His words\nangered me; but I swallowed my anger and taking the lute played and\nsang. \u201cWell done, O Abu Ishak!\u201d[120] said he; whereat my wrath redoubled\nand I said to myself, \u201cIs it not enough that he should intrude upon me,\nwithout my leave, and importune me thus, but he must call me by name, as\nthough he knew not the right way to address me?\u201d Quoth he, \u201cAn thou wilt\nsing something more we will requite thee.\u201d I dissembled my annoyance and\ntook the lute and sang again, taking pains with what I sang and rising\nthereto altogether, in consideration of his saying, \u201cWe will requite\nthee.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her\npermitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Eighty-eighth Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the\nShaykh said to Abu Ishak, \u201cIf thou wilt sing something more we will\nrequite thee,\u201d I dissembled my annoyance (continued Ibrahim) and, taking\nthe lute, sang again with great attention to my singing and rising\naltogether thereto, in consideration of his saying, \u201cWe will requite\nthee.\u201d He was delighted, and cried, \u201cWell done, O my lord!\u201d; presently\nadding, \u201cDost thou give me leave to sing?\u201d \u201cAs thou wilt,\u201d answered I,\ndeeming him weak of wit, in that he should think to sing in my presence,\nafter that which he had heard from me. So he took the lute and swept the\nstrings, and by Allah, I fancied they spoke in Arabic tongue, with a\nsweet and liquid and murmurous voice; then he began and sang these\ncouplets:\u2014\n\n I bear a hurt heart, who will sell me for this \u273f A heart whole and free\n from all canker and smart?\n Nay, none will consent or to barter or buy \u273f Such loss, ne\u2019er from\n sorrow and sickness to part:\n I groan wi\u2019 the groaning of wine-wounded men \u273f And pine for the pining\n ne\u2019er freeth my heart.\n\nAnd by Allah, meseemed the doors and the walls and all that was in the\nhouse answered and sang with him, for the beauty of his voice, so that I\nfancied my very limbs and clothes replied to him, and I abode amazed and\nunable to speak or move, for the trouble of my heart. Then he sang these\ncouplets:\u2014\n\n Culvers of Liwa![121] to your nests return; \u273f Your mournful voices\n thrill this heart of mine.\n Then back a-copse they flew, and well-nigh took \u273f My life and made me\n tell my secret pine.\n With cooing call they one who\u2019s gone, as though \u273f Their breasts were\n maddened with the rage of wine:\n Ne\u2019er did mine eyes their like for culvers see \u273f Who weep yet tear-drops\n never dye their eyne.\n\nAnd also these couplets:\u2014\n\n O Zephyr of Najd, when from Najd thou blow, \u273f Thy breathings heap only\n new woe on woe!\n The turtle bespake me in bloom of morn \u273f From the cassia-twig and the\n willow-bough\n She moaned with the moaning of love-sick youth \u273f And exposed love-secret\n I ne\u2019er would show:\n They say lover wearies of love when near \u273f And is cured of love an afar\n he go:\n\n I tried either cure which ne\u2019er cured my love; \u273f But that nearness is\n better than farness I know:[122]\n Yet,\u2014the nearness of love shall no \u2019vantage prove \u273f An whoso thou lovest\n deny thee of love.\n\nThen said he, \u201cO Ibrahim, sing this song after me, and preserving the\nmode thereof in thy singing, teach it to thy slave-girls.\u201d Quoth I,\n\u201cRepeat it to me.\u201d But he answered, \u201cThere needs no repetition; thou\nhast it by heart nor is there more to learn.\u201d Then he suddenly vanished\nfrom my sight. At this I was amazed and running to my sword drew it and\nmade for the door of the Harim, but found it closed and said to the\nwomen, \u201cWhat have ye heard?\u201d Quoth they, \u201cWe have heard the sweetest of\nsinging and the goodliest.\u201d Then I went forth amazed, to the house-door\nand, finding it locked, questioned the doorkeepers of the old man. They\nreplied, \u201cWhat old man? By Allah, no one hath gone in to thee this day!\u201d\nSo I returned pondering the matter, when, behold, there arose from one\nof the corners of the house, a Vox et pr\u00e6terea nihil, saying, \u201cO Abu\nIshak, no harm shall befal thee. \u2019Tis I, Ab\u00fa Murrah,[123] who have been\nthy cup-companion this day, so fear nothing!\u201d Then I mounted and rode to\nthe palace, where I told Al-Rashid what had passed, and he said, \u201cRepeat\nto me the airs thou heardest from him.\u201d So I took the lute and played\nand sang them to him; for, behold, they were rooted in my heart. The\nCaliph was charmed with them and drank thereto, albeit he was no\nconfirmed wine-bibber, saying, \u201cWould he would some day pleasure us with\nhis company, as he hath pleasured thee!\u201d[124] Then he ordered me a\npresent and I took it and went away. And men relate this story anent\n\n-----\n\nFootnote 118:\n\n Lane introduced this tale into vol. i., p. 223, notes on chapt. iii.,\n apparently not knowing that it was in The Nights. He gives a mere\n abstract, omitting all the verse, and he borrowed it either from the\n Halbat Al-Kumayt (chapt. xiv.) or from Al-Mas\u2019\u00fad\u00ed (chapt. cxi.). (See\n the French translation, vol. vi. p. 340). I am at pains to understand\n why M. C. Barbier de Maynard writes \u201cR\u00e9chid\u201d with an accented vowel;\n although French delicacy made him render, by \u201cfils de courtisane,\u201d the\n expression in the text, \u201cO biter of thy mother\u2019s enlarged (or\n uncircumcised) clitoris\u201d (Bazar).\n\nFootnote 119:\n\n In Al-Mas\u2019\u00fad\u00ed the Devil is \u201ca young man fair of favour and formous of\n figure,\u201d which is more appropriate to a \u201cTempter.\u201d He also wears light\n stuffs of dyed silks.\n\nFootnote 120:\n\n It would have been more courteous in an utter stranger to say, O my\n lord.\n\nFootnote 121:\n\n The Arab Tempe (of fiction, not of grisly fact).\n\nFootnote 122:\n\n These four lines are in Al-Mas\u2019\u00fadi, chapt. cxviii. Fr. trans. vii.\n 313, but that author does not tell us who wrote them.\n\nFootnote 123:\n\n _i.e._ Father of Bitterness = the Devil. This legend of the Foul Fiend\n appearing to Ibrahim of Mosul (and also to Isam, N. dcxcv.) seems to\n have been accepted by contemporaries and reminds us of similar\n visitations in Europe\u2014notably to Dr. Faust. One can only exclaim,\n \u201cLor, papa, what nonsense you are talking!\u201d the words of a small girl\n whose father thought proper to indoctrinate her into certain Biblical\n stories. I once began to write a biography of the Devil; but I found\n that European folk-lore had made such an unmitigated fool of the grand\n old Typhon-Ahriman as to take away from him all human interest.\n\nFootnote 124:\n\n In Al-Mas\u2019\u00fadi the Caliph exclaims, \u201cVerily thou hast received a visit\n from Satan!\u201d\n\n\n\n\n THE LOVERS OF THE BANU UZRAH.[125]\n\n\nQuoth Masrur the Eunuch:\u2014The Caliph Harun Al-Rashid was very wakeful one\nnight and said to me, \u201cSee which of the poets is at the door to-night.\u201d\nSo I went out and finding Jam\u00edl bin Ma\u2019amar al-Uzr\u00ed[126] in the\nantechamber, said to him, \u201cAnswer the Commander of the Faithful.\u201d Quoth\nhe, \u201cI hear and I obey,\u201d and going in with me, saluted the Caliph, who\nreturned his greeting and bade him sit down. Then he said to him, \u201cO\nJamil, hast thou any of thy wonderful new stories to tell us?\u201d He\nreplied, \u201cYes, O Commander of the Faithful: wouldst thou fainer hear\nthat which I have seen with mine eyes or that which I have only heard?\u201d\nQuoth the Caliph, \u201cTell me something thou hast actually beheld.\u201d Quoth\nJamil, \u201c\u2019Tis well, O Prince of True Believers; incline thy heart to me\nand lend me thine ears.\u201d The Caliph took a bolster of red brocade,\npurfled with gold and stuffed with ostrich-feathers and, laying it under\nhis thighs, propped up both elbows thereon; then he said to Jamil,\n\u201cNow[127] for thy tale, O Jamil!\u201d Thereupon he begun:\u2014Know, O Commander\nof the Faithful, that I was once desperately enamoured of a certain girl\nand used to pay her frequent visits.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn\nof day and ceased saving her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Eighty-ninth Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Caliph\nhad propped his elbows upon the brocaded cushion, he said, \u201cOut with thy\ntale, O Jamil!\u201d and the poet begun:\u2014Know, O Commander of the Faithful, I\nwas desperately in love with a girl and used often to visit her, because\nshe was my desire and delight of all the things of this world. After a\nwhile, her people removed with her, by reason of scarcity of pasture,\nand I abode some time without seeing her, till I grew restless for\ndesire and longed for her sight and the flesh[128] urged me to journey\nto her. One night, I could hold out no longer; so I rose and saddling my\nshe-camel, bound on my turban and donned my oldest dress.[129] Then I\nbaldricked myself with my sword and slinging my spear behind me, mounted\nand rode forth in quest of her. I fared on fast till, one night, it was\npitch dark and exceeding black, yet I persisted in the hard task of\nclimbing down Wadys and up hills, hearing on all sides the roaring of\nlions and howling of wolves and the cries of the wild beasts. My reason\nwas troubled thereat and my heart sank within me; but for all that my\ntongue ceased not to call on the name of Almighty Allah. As I went along\nthus, sleep overtook me and the camel carried me aside out of my road,\ntill, presently, something[130] smote me on the head, and I woke,\nstartled and alarmed, and found myself in a pasturage full of trees and\nstreams and birds on the branches, warbling their various speech and\nnotes. As the trees were tangled I alighted and, taking my camel\u2019s\nhalter in hand, fared on softly with her, till I got clear of the thick\ngrowth and came out into the open country, where I adjusted her saddle\nand mounted again, knowing not where to go nor whither the Fates should\nlead me; but, presently, peering afar into the desert, I espied a fire\nin its middle depth. So I smote my camel and made for the fire. When I\ndrew near, I saw a tent pitched, and fronted by a spear stuck in the\nground, with a pennon flying[131] and horses tethered and camels\nfeeding, and said in myself, \u201cDoubtless there hangeth some grave matter\nby this tent, for I see none other than it in the desert.\u201d So I went up\nthereto and said, \u201cPeace be with you, O people of the tent, and the\nmercy of Allah and His blessing!\u201d Whereupon there came forth to me a\nyoung man as youths are when nineteen years old, who was like the full\nmoon shining in the East, with valour written between his eyes, and\nanswered, saying, \u201cAnd with thee be the Peace, and Allah\u2019s mercy and His\nblessing! O brother of the Arabs, methinks thou hast lost thy way?\u201d\nReplied I, \u201cEven so, direct me right, Allah have mercy on thee!\u201d He\nrejoined, \u201cO brother of the Arabs, of a truth this our land is infested\nwith lions and the night is exceeding dark and dreary, beyond measure\ncold and gloomy, and I fear lest the wild beasts rend thee in pieces;\nwherefore do thou alight and abide with me this night in ease and\ncomfort, and to-morrow I will put thee in the right way.\u201d Accordingly, I\ndismounted and hobbled my she-camel with the end of her halter;[132]\nthen I put off my heavy upper clothes and sat down. Presently the young\nman took a sheep and slaughtered it and kindled a brisk fire; after\nwhich he went into the tent and bringing out finely powdered salt and\nspices, fell to cutting off pieces of mutton and roasting them over the\nfire and feeding me therewith, weeping at one while and sighing at\nanother. Then he groaned heavily and wept sore and improvised these\ncouplets:\u2014\n\n There remains to him naught save a flitting breath \u273f And an eye whose\n babe ever wandereth.\n There remains not a joint in his limbs, but what \u273f Disease firm fixt\n ever tortureth.\n His tears are flowing, his vitals burning; \u273f Yet for all his tongue\n still he silenceth.\n All foemen in pity beweep his woes; \u273f Ah for freke whom the foeman\n pitieth!\n\nBy this I knew, O Commander of the Faithful, that the youth was a\ndistracted lover (for none knoweth passion save he who hath tasted the\npassion-savour), and quoth I to myself, \u201cShall I ask him?\u201d But I\nconsulted my judgment and said, \u201cHow shall I assail him with\nquestioning, and I in his abode?\u201d So I restrained myself and ate my\nsufficiency of the meat. When we had made an end of eating, the young\nman arose and entering the tent, brought out a handsome basin and ewer\nand a silken napkin, whose ends were purfled with red gold and a\nsprinkling-bottle full of rose-water mingled with musk. I marvelled at\nhis dainty delicate ways and said in my mind, \u201cNever wot I of delicacy\nin the desert.\u201d Then we washed our hands and talked a while, after which\nhe went into the tent and making a partition between himself and me with\na piece of red brocade, said to me, \u201cEnter, O Chief of the Arabs, and\ntake thy rest; for thou hast suffered more of toil and travel than\nsufficeth this night and in this thy journey.\u201d So I entered and finding\na bed of green brocade, doffed my dress and passed a night such as I had\nnever passed in my life.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and\nceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Ninetieth Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Jamil spoke,\nsaying:\u2014Never in my life passed I a night like that. I pondered the\nyoung man\u2019s case, till the world was dark and all eyes slept, when I was\naroused by the sound of a low voice, never heard I a softer or sweeter.\nI raised the curtain which hung between us and saw a damsel (never\nbeheld I a fairer of face), by the young man\u2019s side and they were both\nweeping and complaining, one to other of the pangs of passion and desire\nand of the excess of their longing for union.[133] Quoth I, \u201cBy Allah, I\nwonder who may be this second one! When I entered this tent, there was\nnone therein save this young man.\u201d And after reflection I added,\n\u201cDoubtless this damsel is of the daughters of the Jinn and is enamoured\nof this youth; so they have secluded themselves with each other in this\nsolitary place.\u201d Then I considered her closely and behold, she was a\nmortal and an Arab girl, whose face, when she unveiled, shamed the\nshining sun, and the tent was lit up by the light of her countenance.\nWhen I was assured that she was his beloved, I bethought me of\nlover-jealousy; so I let drop the curtain and covering my face, fell\nasleep. As soon as it was dawn I arose and donning my clothes, made the\nWuzu-ablution and prayed such prayers as are obligatory and which I had\ndeferred. Then I said, \u201cO brother of the Arabs, wilt thou direct me into\nthe right road and thus add to thy favours?\u201d He replied, \u201cAt thy\nleisure, O chief of the Arabs, the term of the guest-rite is three\ndays,[134] and I am not one to let thee go before that time.\u201d So I abode\nwith him three days, and on the fourth day as we sat talking, I asked\nhim of his name and lineage. Quoth he \u201cAs for my lineage, I am of the\nBan\u00fa Odhrah; my name is such an one, son of such an one and my father\u2019s\nbrother is called such an one.\u201d And behold, O Commander of the Faithful,\nhe was the son of my paternal uncle and of the noblest house of the Banu\nUzrah. Said I, \u201cO my cousin, what moved thee to act on this wise,\nsecluding thyself in the waste and leaving thy fair estate and that of\nthy father and thy slaves and handmaids?\u201d When he heard my words, his\neyes filled with tears and he replied, \u201cKnow, O my cousin, that I fell\nmadly in love of the daughter of my father\u2019s brother, fascinated by her,\ndistracted for her, passion-possessed as by a Jinn, wholly unable to let\nher out of my sight. So I sought her in marriage of her sire, but he\nrefused and married her to a man of the Banu Odhrah, who went in to her\nand carried her to his abiding-place this last year. When she was thus\nfar removed from me and I was prevented from looking on her, the fiery\npangs of passion and excess of love-longing and desire drove me to\nforsake my clan[135] and friends and fortune and take up my abode in\nthis desert, where I have grown used to my solitude.\u201d I asked, \u201cWhere\nare their dwellings?\u201d and he answered, \u201cThey are hard by, on the crest\nof yonder hill; and every night, at the dead time, when all eyes sleep,\nshe stealeth secretly out of the camp, unseen of any one, and I satisfy\nmy desire of her converse and she of mine.[136] So I abide thus,\nsolacing myself with her a part of the night, till Allah work out that\nwhich is to be wrought; either I shall compass my desire, in spite[137]\nof the envious, or Allah will determine for me and He is the best of\ndeterminators.\u201d Now when the youth told me his case, O Commander of the\nFaithful, I was concerned for him and perplexed by reason of my jealousy\nfor his honour; so I said to him, \u201cO son of my uncle, wilt thou that I\npoint out to thee a plan and suggest to thee a project, whereby (please\nAllah) thou shalt find perfect welfare and the way of right and\nsuccessful issue whereby the Almighty shall do away from thee that thou\ndreadest?\u201d He replied, \u201cSay on, O my cousin\u201d; and quoth I, \u201cWhen it is\nnight and the girl cometh, set her on my she-camel which is swift of\npace, and mount thou thy steed, whilst I bestride one of these\ndromedaries. So will we fare on all night and when the morrow morns, we\nshall have traversed wolds and wastes, and thou wilt have attained thy\ndesire and won the beloved of thy heart. The Almighty\u2019s earth is wide,\nand by Allah, I will back thee with heart and wealth and sword.\u201d\u2014\u2014And\nShahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Ninety-first Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Jamil advised\nthe elopement and night journey, promising his aid as long as he lived,\nthe youth accepted and said, \u201cO cousin, wait till I take counsel with\nher, for she is quick-witted and prudent and hath insight into affairs.\u201d\nSo (continued Jamil) when the night darkened and the hour of her coming\narrived, and he awaiting her at the appointed tide, she delayed beyond\nher usual time, and I saw him go forth the door of the tent and opening\nhis mouth, inhale the wafts of breeze that blew from her quarter, as if\nto snuff her perfume, and he repeated these two couplets:\u2014\n\n Breeze of East who bringest me gentle air \u273f From the place of sojourn\n where dwells my fair:\n O Breeze, of the lover thou bearest sign, \u273f Canst not of her coming some\n signal bear?\n\nThen he entered the tent and sat weeping awhile; after which he said to\nme, \u201cO my cousin, some mischance must have betided the daughter of mine\nuncle, or some accident must have hindered her from coming to me this\nnight,\u201d presently adding, \u201cBut abide where thou art, till I bring thee\nthe news.\u201d And he took sword and shield and was absent a while of the\nnight, after which he returned, carrying something in hand and called\naloud to me. So I hastened to him and he said, \u201cO my cousin, knowest\nthou what hath happened?\u201d I replied, \u201cNo, by Allah!\u201d Quoth he, \u201cVerily,\nI am distraught concerning my cousin this night; for, as she was coming\nto me, a lion met her in the way and devoured her, and there remaineth\nof her but what thou seest.\u201d So saying, he threw down what he had in his\nhand, and behold, it was the damsel\u2019s turband and what was left of her\nbones. Then he wept sore and casting down his bow,[138] took a bag and\nwent forth again saying, \u201cStir not hence till I return to thee, if it\nplease Almighty Allah.\u201d He was absent a while and presently returned,\nbearing in his hand a lion\u2019s head, which he threw on the ground and\ncalled for water. So I brought him water, with which he washed the\nlion\u2019s mouth and fell to kissing it and weeping; and he mourned for her\nexceedingly and recited these couplets:\u2014\n\n Ho thou lion who broughtest thyself to woe, \u273f Thou art slain and worse\n sorrows my bosom rend!\n Thou hast reft me of fairest companionship, \u273f Made her home Earth\u2019s womb\n till the world shall end.\n To Time, who hath wrought me such grief, I say, \u273f \u201cAllah grant in her\n stead never show a friend!\u201d\n\nThen said he to me, \u201cO cousin, I conjure thee by Allah and the claims of\nkindred and consanguinity[139] between us, keep thou my charge. Thou\nwilt presently see me dead before thee; whereupon do thou wash me and\nshroud me and these that remain of my cousin\u2019s bones in this robe and\nbury us both in one grave and write thereon these two couplets:\u201d\u2014\n\n On Earth surface we lived in rare ease and joy \u273f By fellowship joined in\n one house and home.\n But Fate with her changes departed us, \u273f And the shroud conjoins us in\n Earth\u2019s cold womb.\n\nThen he wept with sore weeping and, entering the tent, was absent\nawhile, after which he came forth, groaning and crying out. Then he gave\none sob and departed this world. When I saw that he was indeed dead, it\nwas grievous to me and so sore was my sorrow for him that I had\nwell-nigh followed him for excess of mourning over him. Then I laid him\nout and did as he had enjoined me, shrouding his cousin\u2019s remains with\nhim in one robe and laying the twain in one grave. I abode by their tomb\nthree days, after which I departed and continued to pay frequent pious\nvisits[140] to the place for two years. This then is their story, O\nCommander of the Faithful! Al-Rashid was pleased with Jamil\u2019s story and\nrewarded him with a robe of honour and a handsome present. And men also\ntell a tale concerning\n\n-----\n\nFootnote 125:\n\n Al-Mas\u2019udi, chapt. cxix. (Fr. transl. vii., 351) mentions the Banu\n Odhrah as famed for lovers and tells the pathetic tale of \u2019Orwah and\n \u2019Afr\u00e1.\n\nFootnote 126:\n\n Jamil bin Ma\u2019amar the poet has been noticed in Vol. ii. 102; and he\n has no business here as he died years before Al-Rashid was born. The\n tale begins like that of Ibn Mans\u00far and the Lady Bud\u00far (Night\n cccxxvii.), except that Mansur does not offer his advice.\n\nFootnote 127:\n\n Arab \u201cHalumma,\u201d an interjection = bring! a congener of the Heb.\n \u201cHal\u00fam,\u201d the grammarians of Kufah and Bassorah are divided concerning\n its origin.\n\nFootnote 128:\n\n Arab. \u201cNafs-\u00ed\u201d which here corresponds with our canting \u201cthe flesh,\u201d\n the \u201cOld Adam,\u201d &c.\n\nFootnote 129:\n\n Arab. \u201cAtm\u00e1r\u00ed\u201d used for travel. The Anglo-Americans are the only\n people who have the common sense to travel (where they are not known)\n in their \u201cstore clothes\u201d and reserve the worst for where they are\n known.\n\nFootnote 130:\n\n _e.g._, a branch or bough.\n\nFootnote 131:\n\n Arab. \u201cR\u00e1yah k\u00e1imah,\u201d which Lane translates a \u201cbeast standing\u201d!\n\nFootnote 132:\n\n Tying up the near foreleg just above the knee; and even with this a\n camel can hop over sundry miles of ground in the course of a night.\n The hobbling is shown in Lane (Nights vol. ii., p. 46).\n\nFootnote 133:\n\n As opposed to \u201cSeverance\u201d in the old knightly language of love, which\n is now apparently lost to the world. I tried it in the Lyrics of\n Camoens and found that I was speaking a forgotten tongue, which\n mightily amused the common sort of critic and reviewer.\n\nFootnote 134:\n\n More exactly three days and eight hours, after which the guest becomes\n a friend, and as in the Argentine prairies is expected to do friend\u2019s\n duty. The popular saying is, \u201cThe entertainment of a guest is three\n days; the viaticum (j\u00e1izah) is a day and a night, and whatso exceedeth\n this is alms.\u201d\n\nFootnote 135:\n\n Arab. \u201c\u2019Ash\u00edrah.\u201d Books tell us there are seven degrees of connection\n among the Badawin: Sha\u2019ab, tribe or rather race, nation (as the\n Anazah) descended from a common ancestor; Kab\u00edlah the tribe proper\n (whence _les Kabyles_); Fas\u00edlah (sept), Im\u00e1rah, Ashirah (all a man\u2019s\n connections); Fakhiz (lit. the thigh, _i.e._, his blood relations) and\n Batn (belly) his kith and kin. Practically Kab\u00edlah is the tribe,\n Ash\u00edrah the clan, and Bayt the household; while Hayy may be anything\n between tribe and kith and kin.\n\nFootnote 136:\n\n This is the true platonic love of noble Arabs, the Ishk \u2019uzr\u00ed, noted\n in vol. ii., 104.\n\nFootnote 137:\n\n Arab. \u201c\u2019Al\u00e0 raghm,\u201d a favourite term. It occurs in theology; for\n instance, when the Shi\u2019ahs are asked the cause of such and such a\n ritual distinction they will reply, \u201cAla raghmi \u2019l-Tasannun\u201d: lit. =\n to spite the Sunnis.\n\nFootnote 138:\n\n In the text \u201cAl-Kaus\u201d for which Lane and Payne substitute a shield.\n The bow had not been mentioned but\u2014_n\u2019importe_, the Arab reader would\n say. In the text it is left at home because it is a cowardly,\n far-killing weapon compared with sword and lance. Hence the Spaniard\n calls and justly calls the knife the \u201cbravest of arms\u201d as it wants a\n man behind it.\n\nFootnote 139:\n\n Arab. \u201cRahim\u201d or \u201cRihm\u201d = womb, uterine relations, pity or sympathy,\n which may here be meant.\n\nFootnote 140:\n\n Reciting F\u00e1tihahs and so forth, as I have described in the Cemetery of\n Al-Medinah (ii. 300). Moslems do not pay for prayers to benefit the\n dead like the majority of Christendom and, according to Calvinistic\n Wahh\u00e1bi-ism, their prayers and blessings are of no avail. But the\n mourner\u2019s heart loathes reason and he prays for his dead instinctively\n like the so-termed \u201cProtestant.\u201d Amongst the latter, by the bye, I\n find four great _Sommit\u00e9s_, (1) Paul of Tarsus who protested against\n the Hebraism of Peter; (2) Mohammed who protested against the\n perversions of Christianity; (3) Luther who protested against Italian\n rule in Germany, and lastly (4) one (who shall be nameless) that\n protests against the whole business.\n\n\n\n\n THE BADAWI AND HIS WIFE.[141]\n\n\nCaliph Mu\u2019\u00e1wiyah was sitting one day in his palace[142] at Damascus, in\na room whose windows were open on all four sides, that the breeze might\nenter from every quarter. Now it was a day of excessive heat, with no\nbreeze from the hills stirring, and the middle of the day, when the heat\nwas at its height, and the Caliph saw a man coming along, scorched by\nthe heat of the ground and limping, as he fared on barefoot. Mu\u2019awiyah\nconsidered him awhile and said to his courtiers, \u201cHath Allah (may He be\nextolled and exalted!) created any miserabler than he who need must hie\nabroad at such an hour and in such sultry tide as this?\u201d Quoth one of\nthem, \u201cHaply he seeketh the Commander of the Faithful;\u201d and quoth the\nCaliph, \u201cBy Allah, if he seek me, I will assuredly give to him, and if\nhe be wronged, I will certainly succour him. Ho, boy! Stand at the door,\nand if yonder wild Arab seek to come in to me, forbid him not\ntherefrom.\u201d So the page went out and presently the Arab came up to him\nand he said, \u201cWhat dost thou want?\u201d Answered the other, \u201cI want the\nCommander of the Faithful,\u201d and the page said, \u201cEnter.\u201d So he entered\nand saluted the Caliph,\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and\nceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Ninety-second Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the page\nallowed him to enter, the Badawi saluted the Caliph, who said to him,\n\u201cWho art thou?\u201d Replied the Arab, \u201cI am a man of the Ban\u00fa Tam\u00edm.\u201d[143]\n\u201cAnd what bringeth thee here at this season?\u201d asked Mu\u2019awiyah; and the\nArab answered, \u201cI come to thee, complaining and thy protection\nimploring.\u201d \u201cAgainst whom?\u201d \u201cAgainst Marwan bin al-Hakam,[144] thy\ndeputy,\u201d replied he, and began reciting:\u2014\n\n Mu\u2019\u00e1wiyah,[145] thou gen\u2019rous lord, and best of men that be; \u273f And oh,\n thou lord of learning, grace and fair humanity,\n Thee-wards I come because my way of life is strait to me: \u273f O help! and\n let me not despair thine equity to see.\n Deign thou redress the wrong that dealt the tyrant whim of him \u273f Who\n better had my life destroyed than made such wrong to dree.\n\n He robbed me of my wife Su\u2019\u00e1d and proved him worst of foes, \u273f Stealing\n mine honour \u2019mid my folk with foul iniquity;\n And went about to take my life before th\u2019 appointed day \u273f Hath dawned\n which Allah made my lot by destiny\u2019s decree.\n\nNow when Mu\u2019awiyah heard him recite these verses, with the fire flashing\nfrom his mouth, he said to him, \u201cWelcome and fair welcome, O brother of\nthe Arabs! Tell me thy tale and acquaint me with thy case.\u201d Replied the\nArab, \u201cO Commander of the Faithful, I had a wife whom I loved passing\ndear with love none came near; and she was the coolth of mine eyes and\nthe joy of my heart; and I had a herd of camels, whose produce enabled\nme to maintain my condition; but there came upon us a bad year which\nkilled off hoof and horn and left me naught. When what was in my hand\nfailed me and wealth fell from me and I lapsed into evil case, I at once\nbecame abject and a burden to those who erewhile wished to visit me; and\nwhen her father knew it, he took her from me and abjured me and drove me\nforth without ruth. So I repaired to thy deputy, Marwan bin al-Hakam,\nand asked his aid. He summoned her sire and questioned him of my case,\nwhen he denied any knowledge of me.\u201d Quoth I, \u201cAllah assain the Emir! An\nit please him to send for the woman and question her of her father\u2019s\nsaying, the truth will appear.\u201d So he sent for her and brought her; but\nno sooner had he set eyes on her than he fell in love with her; so,\nbecoming my rival, he denied me succour and was wroth with me, and sent\nme to prison, where I became as I had fallen from heaven and the wind\nhad cast me down in a far land. Then said Marwan to her father, \u201cWilt\nthou give her to me to wife, on a present settlement of a thousand\ndinars and a contingent dowry of ten thousand dirhams,[146] and I will\nengage to free her from yonder wild Arab!\u201d Her father was seduced by the\nbribe and agreed to the bargain; whereupon Marwan sent for me and\nlooking at me like an angry lion, said to me, \u201cO Arab, divorce Su\u2019ad.\u201d I\nreplied, \u201cI will not put her away; but he set on me a company of his\nservants, who tortured me with all manner of tortures, till I found no\nhelp for it but to divorce her. I did so and he sent me back to prison,\nwhere I abode till the days of her purification were accomplished, when\nhe married her and let me go. So now I come hither in thee hoping and\nthy succour imploring and myself on thy protection throwing.\u201d And he\nspoke these couplets:\u2014\n\n Within my heart is fire \u273f Whichever flameth higher;\n Within my frame are pains \u273f For skill of leach too dire.\n Live coals in vitals burn \u273f And sparks from coal up spire:\n Tears flood mine eyes and down \u273f Coursing my cheek ne\u2019er tire:\n Only God\u2019s aid and thine \u273f I crave for my desire!\n\nThen he was convulsed,[147] and his teeth chattered and he fell down in\na fit, squirming like a scotched snake. When Mu\u2019awiyah heard his story\nand his verse, he said, \u201cMarwan bin al-Hakam hath transgressed against\nthe laws of the Faith and hath violated the Harim of True\nBelievers!\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying\nher permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Ninety-third Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the\nCaliph Mu\u2019awiyah heard the wild Arab\u2019s words, he said, \u201cThe son of\nal-Hakam hath indeed transgressed against the laws of the Faith and hath\nviolated the Harim of True Believers,\u201d presently adding, \u201cO Arab, thou\ncomest to me with a story, the like whereof I never heard!\u201d Then he\ncalled for inkcase and paper and wrote to Marwan as follows:\u2014Verily it\nhath reached me that thou transgresseth the laws of the Faith with\nregard to thy lieges. Now it behoveth the Wali who governeth the folk to\nkeep his eyes from their lusts and stay his flesh from its delights. And\nafter he wrote many words, which (quoth he who told me the tale) I omit,\nfor brevity\u2019s sake, and amongst them these couplets:\u2014\n\n Thou wast invested (woe to thee!)[148] with rule for thee unfit; \u273f Crave\n thou of Allah pardon for thy foul adultery.\n Th\u2019 unhappy youth to us is come complaining \u2019mid his groans \u273f And asks\n redress for parting-grief and saddened me through thee.\n\n An oath have I to Allah sworn shall never be forsworn; \u273f Nay, for I\u2019ll\n do what Faith and Creed command me to decree.\n An thou dare cross me in whate\u2019er to thee I now indite \u273f I of thy flesh\n assuredly will make the vulture free.\n Divorce Su\u2019ad, equip her well, and in the hottest haste \u273f With Al-Kumayt\n and Z\u00edb\u00e1n\u2019s son, hight Nasr, send to me.\n\nThen he folded the letter and, sealing it with his seal, delivered it to\nAl-Kumayt[149] and Nasr bin Z\u00edb\u00e1n (whom he was wont to employ on weighty\nmatters, because of their trustiness) who took the missive and carried\nit to Al-Medinah, where they went in to Marwan and saluting him\ndelivered to him the writ and told him how the case stood. He read the\nletter and fell a-weeping; but he went in to Su\u2019ad (as \u2019twas not in his\npower to refuse obedience to the Caliph) and, acquainting her with the\ncase, divorced her in the presence of Al-Kumayt and Nasr; after which he\nequipped her and delivered her to them, together with a letter to the\nCaliph wherein he versified as follows:\u2014\n\n Hurry not, Prince of Faithful Men! with best of grace thy vow \u273f I will\n accomplish as \u2019twas vowed and with the gladdest gree.\n I sinned not adulterous sin when loved her I, then how \u273f Canst charge me\n with advowtrous deed or any villainy?\n Soon comes to thee that splendid sun which hath no living peer \u273f On\n earth, nor aught in mortal men or Jinns her like shalt see.\n\nThis he sealed with his own signet and gave to the messengers who\nreturned with Su\u2019ad to Damascus and delivered to Mu\u2019awiyah the letter,\nand when he had read it he cried, \u201cVerily, he hath obeyed handsomely,\nbut he exceedeth in his praise of the woman.\u201d Then he called for her and\nsaw beauty such as he had never seen, for comeliness and loveliness,\nstature and symmetrical grace; moreover, he talked with her and found\nher fluent of speech and choice in words. Quoth he, \u201cBring me the Arab.\u201d\nSo they fetched the man, who came, sore disordered for shifts and\nchanges of fortune, and Mu\u2019awiyah said to him, \u201cO Arab, an thou wilt\nfreely give her up to me, I will bestow upon thee in her stead three\nslave girls, high-bosomed maids like moons, with each a thousand dinars;\nand I will assign thee on the Treasury such an annual sum as shall\ncontent thee and enrich thee.\u201d When the Arab heard this, he groaned one\ngroan and swooned away, so that Mu\u2019awiyah thought he was dead; and, as\nsoon as he revived, the Caliph said to him, \u201cWhat aileth thee?\u201d The Arab\nanswered, \u201cWith heavy heart and in sore need have I appealed to thee\nfrom the injustice of Marwan bin al-Hakam; but to whom shall I appeal\nfrom thine injustice?\u201d And he versified in these couplets:\u2014\n\n Make me not (Allah save the Caliph!) one of the betrayed \u273f Who from the\n fiery sands to fire must sue for help and aid:\n Deign thou restore Su\u2019\u00e1d to this afflicted heart distraught, \u273f Which\n every morn and eve by sorest sorrow is waylaid:\n Loose thou my bonds and grudge me not and give her back to me; \u273f And if\n thou do so ne\u2019er thou shalt for lack of thanks upbraid!\n\nThen said he, \u201cBy Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, wert thou to give\nme all the riches contained in the Caliphate, yet would I not take them\nwithout Su\u2019ad.\u201d And he recited this couplet:\u2014\n\n I love Su\u2019\u00e1d and unto all but hers my love is dead, \u273f Each morn I feel\n her love to me is drink and daily bread.\n\nQuoth the Caliph, \u201cThou confessest to having divorced her and Marwan\nowned the like; so now we will give her free choice. An she choose other\nthan thee, we will marry her to him, and if she choose thee, we will\nrestore her to thee.\u201d Replied the Arab, \u201cDo so.\u201d So Mu\u2019awiyah said to\nher, \u201cWhat sayest thou, O Su\u2019ad? Which dost thou choose; the Commander\nof the Faithful, with his honour and glory and dominion and palaces and\ntreasures and all else thou seest at his command, or Marwan bin al-Hakam\nwith his violence and tyranny, or this Arab, with his hunger and\npoverty?\u201d So she improvised these couplets:\u2014\n\n This one, whom hunger plagues, and rags enfold, \u273f Dearer than tribe and\n kith and kin I hold;\n Than crown\u00e8d head, or deputy Marw\u00e1n, \u273f Or all who boast of silver coins\n and gold.\n\nThen said she, \u201cBy Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, I will not\nforsake him for the shifts of Fortune or the perfidies of Fate, there\nbeing between us old companionship we may not forget, and love beyond\nstay and let; and indeed \u2019tis but just that I bear with him in his\nadversity, even as I shared with him in prosperity.\u201d The Caliph\nmarvelled at her wit and love and constancy and, ordering her ten\nthousand dirhams, delivered her to the Arab, who took his wife and went\naway.[150] And they likewise tell a tale of\n\n-----\n\nFootnote 141:\n\n Lane transfers this to vol. i. 520 (notes to chapt. vii.); and gives a\n mere abstract as of that preceding.\n\nFootnote 142:\n\n We learn from Ibn Batutah that it stood South of the Great Mosque and\n afterwards became the Coppersmiths\u2019 Bazar. The site was known as\n Al-Khazr\u00e1 (the Green) and the building was destroyed by the Abbasides.\n See Defr\u00e9mery and Sanguinetti, i. 206.\n\nFootnote 143:\n\n This great tribe or rather nation has been noticed before (vol. ii.\n 170). The name means \u201cStrong,\u201d and derives from one Tamim bin Murr of\n the race of Adnan, nat. circ. A.D. 121. They hold the North-Eastern\n uplands of Najd, comprising the great desert Al-Dahn\u00e1 and extend to\n Al-Bahrayn. They are split up into a multitude of clans and septs; and\n they can boast of producing two famous sectarians. One was Abdullah\n bin Suff\u00e1r, head of the Suffriyah; and the other Abdullah bin Ib\u00e1z\n (Ibadh) whence the Ib\u00e1z\u00edyah heretics of Oman who long included her\n princes. Mr. Palgrave wrongly writes Abadeeyah and Biadeeyah and my\n \u201cBay\u00e1zi\u201d was an Arab vulgarism used by the Zanzibarians. Dr. Badger\n rightly prefers Ib\u00e1ziyah which he writes Ib\u00e2dhiyah (Hist. of the\n Imams, etc.)\n\nFootnote 144:\n\n Governor of Al-Medinah under Mu\u2019awiyah and afterwards (A.H. 64\u201365 =\n 683\u20134) fourth Ommiade. Al-Siy\u00fati (p. 216) will not account him amongst\n the princes of the Faithful, holding him a rebel against Al-Zubayr.\n Ockley makes Ibn al-Zubayr ninth and Marw\u00e1n tenth Caliph.\n\nFootnote 145:\n\n The address, without the vocative particle, is more emphatic; and the\n P.N. Mu\u2019awiyah seems to court the omission.\n\nFootnote 146:\n\n This may also mean that the \u00a3500 were the woman\u2019s \u201cmahr\u201d or marriage\n dowry and the \u00a3250 a present to buy the father\u2019s consent.\n\nFootnote 147:\n\n Quite true to nature. See an account of the quasi-epileptic fits to\n which Syrians are subject and by them called Al-Wahtah in \u201cThe Inner\n Life of Syria,\u201d i. 233.\n\nFootnote 148:\n\n Arab \u201cWayha-k\u201d here equivalent to Wayla-k. M. C. Barbier de Meynard\n renders the first \u201cmon ami\u201d and the second \u201cmis\u00e9rable.\u201d\n\nFootnote 149:\n\n This is an instance when the article (Al) is correctly used with one\n proper name and not with another. Al-Kumayt (P. N. of poet) lit. means\n a bay horse with black points: Nasr is victory.\n\nFootnote 150:\n\n This anecdote, which reads like truth, is ample set off for a\n cart-load of abuse of women. But even the Hindus, determined\n misogynists in books, sometimes relent. Says the Katha Sarit Sagara:\n \u201cSo you see, King, honourable matrons are devoted to their husbands,\n and it is not the case that all women are always bad\u201d (ii. 624). Let\n me hope that after all this Mistress Su\u2019ad did not lead her husband a\n hardish life.\n\n\n\n\n THE LOVERS OF BASSORAH.\n\n\nThe Caliph Harun al-Rashid was sleepless one night; so he sent for\nAl-Asma\u2019i and Husayn al-Khal\u00ed\u2019a[151] and said to them, \u201cTell me a story\nyou twain and do thou begin, O Husayn.\u201d He said, \u201c\u2019Tis well, O Commander\nof the Faithful;\u201d and thus began:\u2014Some years ago, I dropped down stream\nto Bassorah, to present to Mohammed bin Sulayman al-Rab\u00ed\u2019\u00ed[152] a\nKasidah or elegy I had composed in his praise; and he accepted it and\nbade me abide with him. One day, I went out to Al-Mirbad,[153] by way of\nAl-Muh\u00e1liyah;[154] and, being oppressed by the excessive heat, went up\nto a great door, to ask for drink, when I was suddenly aware of a\ndamsel, as she were a branch swaying, with eyes languishing, eyebrows\narched and finely pencilled and smooth cheeks rounded, clad in a shift\nthe colour of a pomegranate-flower, and a mantilla of Sana\u2019\u00e1[155] work;\nbut the perfect whiteness of her body overcame the redness of her shift,\nthrough which glittered two breasts like twin granadoes and a waist, as\nit were a roll of fine Coptic linen, with creases like scrolls of pure\nwhite paper stuffed with musk.[156] Moreover, O Prince of True\nBelievers, round her neck was slung an amulet of red gold that fell down\nbetween her breasts, and on the plain of her forehead were brow-locks\nlike jet.[157] Her eyebrows joined and her eyes were like lakes; she had\nan aquiline nose and thereunder shell-like lips showing teeth like\npearls. Pleasantness prevailed in every part of her; but she seemed\ndejected, disturbed, distracted and in the vestibule came and went,\nwalking upon the hearts of her lovers, whilst her legs[158] made mute\nthe voices of their ankle-rings; and indeed she was as saith the poet:\u2014\n\n Each portion of her charms we see \u273f Seems of the whole a simile.\n\nI was overawed by her, O Commander of the Faithful, and drew near her to\ngreet her, and behold, the house and vestibule and highways breathed\nfragrant with musk. So I saluted her and she returned my salam with a\nvoice dejected and heart depressed and with the ardour of passion\nconsumed. Then said I to her, \u201cO my lady, I am an old man and a stranger\nand sore troubled by thirst. Wilt thou order me a draught of water, and\nwin reward in heaven?\u201d She cried, \u201cAway, O Shaykh, from me! I am\ndistracted from all thought of meat and drink.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived\nthe dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Ninety-fourth Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the damsel\nsaid, \u201cO Shaykh, I am distracted from all thought of meat and drink.\u201d\nQuoth I (continued Husayn), \u201cBy what ailment, O my lady?\u201d and quoth she,\n\u201cI love one who dealeth not justly by me and I desire one who of me will\nnone. Wherefore I am afflicted with the wakefulness of those who wake\nstar-gazing.\u201d I asked, \u201cO my lady, is there on the wide expanse of earth\none to whom thou hast a mind and who to thee hath no mind?\u201d Answered\nshe, \u201cYes; and this for the perfection of beauty and loveliness and\ngoodliness wherewith he is endowed.\u201d \u201cAnd why standeth thou in this\nporch?\u201d enquired I. \u201cThis is his road,\u201d replied she, \u201cand the hour of\nhis passing by.\u201d I said, \u201cO my lady, have ye ever foregathered and had\nsuch commerce and converse as might cause this passion?\u201d At this she\nheaved a deep sigh; the tears rained down her cheeks, as they were dew\nfalling upon roses, and she versified with these couplets:\u2014\n\n We were like willow-boughs in garden shining \u273f And scented joys in\n happiest life combining;\n Whenas one bough from other self would rend \u273f And oh! thou seest this\n for that repining!\n\nQuoth I, \u201cO maid, and what betideth thee of thy love for this man?\u201d; and\nquot. she, \u201cI see the sun upon the walls of his folk and I think the sun\nis he; or haply I catch sight of him unexpectedly and am confounded and\nthe blood and the life fly my body and I abide in unreasoning plight a\nweek or e\u2019en a se\u2019nnight.\u201d Said I, \u201cExcuse me, for I also have suffered\nthat which is upon thee of love-longing and distraction of soul and\nwasting of frame and loss of strength; and I see in thee pallor of\ncomplexion and emaciation, such as testify of the fever-fits of desire.\nBut how shouldst thou be unsmitten of passion and thou a sojourner in\nthe land of Bassorah?\u201d Said she, \u201cBy Allah, before I fell in love of\nthis youth, I was perfect in beauty and loveliness and amorous grace\nwhich ravished all the Princes of Bassorah, till he fell in love with\nme.\u201d I asked, \u201cO maid, and who parted you?\u201d; and she answered, \u201cThe\nvicissitudes of fortune,\u201d but the manner of our separation was strange;\nand \u2019twas on this wise. One New Year\u2019s day I had invited the damsels of\nBassorah and amongst them a girl belonging to S\u00edr\u00e1n, who had bought her\nout of Oman for fourscore thousand dirhams. She loved me and loved me to\nmadness and when she entered she threw herself upon me and well-nigh\ntore me in pieces with bites and pinches.[159] Then we withdrew apart,\nto drink wine at our ease, till our meat was ready[160] and our delight\nwas complete, and she toyed with me and I with her, and now I was upon\nher and now she was upon me. Presently, the fumes of the wine moved her\nto strike her hand on the inkle of my petticoat-trousers, whereby it\nbecame loosed, unknown of either of us, and my trousers fell down in our\nplay. At this moment he came in unobserved and, seeing me thus, was\nwroth at the sight and made off, as the Arab filly hearing the tinkle of\nher bridle.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying\nher permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Ninety-fifth Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the maiden said\nto Husayn al-Khali\u2019a, \u201cWhen my lover saw me playing, as I described to\nthee, with Siran\u2019s girl, he went forth in anger. And \u2019tis now, O Shaykh,\nthree years ago, and since then I have never ceased to excuse myself to\nhim and coax him and crave his indulgence, but he will neither cast a\nlook at me from the corner of his eye, nor write me a word nor speak to\nme by messenger nor hear from me aught.\u201d Quoth I, \u201cHarkye maid, is he an\nArab or an Ajam?\u201d; and quoth she, \u201cOut on thee! He is of the Princes of\nBassorah.\u201d \u201cIs he old or young?\u201d asked I; and she looked at me\nlaughingly and answered, \u201cThou art certainly a simpleton! He is like the\nmoon on the night of its full, smooth-cheeked and beardless, nor is\nthere any defect in him except his aversion to me.\u201d Then I put the\nquestion, \u201cWhat is his name?\u201d and she replied, \u201cWhat wilt thou do with\nhim?\u201d I rejoined, \u201cI will do my best to come at him, that I may bring\nabout reunion between you.\u201d Said she, \u201cI will tell thee on condition\nthat thou carry him a note;\u201d and I said, \u201cI have no objection to that.\u201d\nThen quoth she, \u201cHis name is Zamrah bin al-Mughayrah, hight Ab\u00fa\nal-Sakh\u00e1,[161] and his palace is in the Mirbad.\u201d Therewith she called to\nthose within for inkcase and paper and tucking up[162] her sleeves,\nshowed two wrists like broad rings of silver. She then wrote after the\nBasmalah as follows, \u201cMy lord, the omission of blessings[163] at the\nhead of this my letter shows mine insufficiency, and know that had my\nprayer been answered, thou hadst never left me; for how often have I\nprayed that thou shouldest not leave me, and yet thou didst leave me!\nWere it not that distress with me exceedeth the bounds of restraint,\nthat which thy servant hath forced herself to do in writing this writ\nwere an aidance to her, despite her despair of thee, because of her\nknowledge of thee that thou wilt fail to answer. Do thou fulfil her\ndesire, my lord, of a sight of thee from the porch, as thou passest in\nthe street, wherewith thou wilt quicken the dead soul in her. Or, far\nbetter for her still than this, do thou write her a letter with thine\nown hand (Allah endow it with all excellence!), and appoint it in\nrequital of the intimacy that was between us in the nights of time past,\nwhereof thou must preserve the memory. My lord, was I not to thee a\nlover sick with passion? An thou answer my prayer, I will give to thee\nthanks and to Allah praise; and so\u2014The Peace!\u201d[164] Then she gave me the\nletter and I went away. Next morning I repaired to the door of the\nViceroy Mohammed bin Sulayman, where I found an assembly of the notables\nof Bassorah, and amongst them a youth who adorned the gathering and\nsurpassed in beauty and brightness all who were there; and indeed the\nEmir Mohammed set him above himself. I asked who he was and behold, it\nwas Zamrah himself: so I said in my mind, \u201cVerily, there hath befallen\nyonder unhappy one that which hath befallen her[165]!\u201d Then I betook\nmyself to the Mirbad and stood waiting at the door of his house, till he\ncame riding up in state, when I accosted him and invoking more than\nusual blessings on him, handed him the missive. When he read it and\nunderstood it he said to me, \u201cO Shaykh, we have taken other in her\nstead. Say me, wilt thou see the substitute?\u201d I answered, \u201cYes.\u201d\nWhereupon he called out a woman\u2019s name, and there came forth a damsel\nwho shamed the two greater lights; swelling-breasted, walking the gait\nof one who hasteneth without fear, to whom he gave the note, saying, \u201cDo\nthou answer it.\u201d When she read it, she turned pale at the contents and\nsaid to me, \u201cO old man, crave pardon of Allah for this that thou hast\nbrought.\u201d So I went out, O Commander of the Faithful, dragging my feet\nand returning to her asked leave to enter. When she saw me, she asked,\n\u201cWhat is behind thee?\u201d; and I answered, \u201cEvil and despair.\u201d Quoth she,\n\u201cHave thou no concern of him. Where are Allah and His power?\u201d[166] Then\nshe ordered me five hundred dinars and I took them and went away. Some\ndays after I passed by the place and saw there horsemen and footmen. So\nI went in and lo! these were the companions of Zamrah, who were begging\nher to return to him; but she said, \u201cNo, by Allah, I will not look him\nin the face!\u201d And she prostrated herself in gratitude to Allah and\nexultation over Zamrah\u2019s defeat. Then I drew near her, and she pulled\nout to me a letter, wherein was written, after the Bismillah, \u201cMy lady,\nbut for my forbearance towards thee (whose life Allah lengthen!) I would\nrelate somewhat of what betided from thee and set out my excuse, in that\nthou trans-gressedst against me, whenas thou wast manifestly a sinner\nagainst thyself and myself in breach of vows and lack of constancy and\npreference of another over us; for, by Allah, on whom we call for help\nagainst that which was of thy free-will, thou didst transgress against\nthe love of me; and so\u2014The Peace!\u201d Then she showed me the presents and\nrarities he had sent her, which were of the value of thirty thousand\ndinars. I saw her again after this, and Zamrah had married her. Quoth\nAl-Rashid, \u201cHad not Zamrah been beforehand with us, I should certainly\nhave had to do with her myself.\u201d[167] And men tell the tale of\n\n-----\n\nFootnote 151:\n\n Al-Khal\u00ed\u2019a has been explained in vol. i. 311: the translation of\n Al-Mas\u2019udi (vi. 10) renders it \u201csc\u00e9l\u00e9rat.\u201d Ab\u00fa Al\u00ed al-Husayn the Wag\n was a Bassorite and a worthy companion of Abu Nowas the Debauchee; but\n he adorned the Court of Al-Amin the son, not of Al-Rashid the father.\n\nFootnote 152:\n\n Governor of Bassorah, but not in Al-Husayn\u2019s day.\n\nFootnote 153:\n\n The famous market-place where poems were recited; mentioned by\n Al-Hariri\n\nFootnote 154:\n\n A quarter of Bassorah.\n\nFootnote 155:\n\n Capital of Al-Yaman, and then famed for its leather and other work\n (vol. v. 16).\n\nFootnote 156:\n\n The creases in the stomach like the large navel are always insisted\n upon. Says the Kath\u00e1 (ii. 525) \u201cAnd he looked on that torrent river of\n the elixir of beauty, adorned with a waist made charming by those\n wave-like wrinkles,\u201d etc.\n\nFootnote 157:\n\n Arab. Sabaj (not Sabah, as the Mac. Edit. misprints it): I am not sure\n of its meaning.\n\nFootnote 158:\n\n A truly Arab conceit, suggesting\u2014\n\n The mind, the music breathing from her face;\n\n her calves moved rhythmically, suggesting the movement and consequent\n sound of a musical instrument.\n\nFootnote 159:\n\n The _morosa voluptas_ of the Catholic divines. The Sapphist described\n in the text would procure an orgasm (_in gloria_, as the Italians call\n it) by biting and rolling over the girl she loved; but by loosening\n the trouser-string she evidently aims at a closer tribadism\u2014the Arab\n \u201cMus\u00e1hikah.\u201d\n\nFootnote 160:\n\n We drink (or drank) after dinner; Easterns before the meal and\n half-Easterns (like the Russians) before and after. We talk of liquor\n being unwholesome on an empty stomach; but the truth is that all is\n purely habit. And as the Russian accompanies his Vodki with caviare,\n etc., so the Oriental drinks his Raki or Mahay\u00e1 (Ma al-hay\u00e1t\u2014aqua\n vit\u00e6) alternately with a Sal\u00e1tah, for whose composition see Pilgrimage\n i. 198. The Eastern practice has its advantages: it awakens the\n appetite, stimulates digestion and, what Easterns greatly regard, it\n is economical; half a bottle doing the work of a whole. Bhang and\n Kusumb\u00e1 (opium dissolved and strained through a pledget of cotton) are\n always drunk before dinner and thus the \u201cjolly\u201d time is the\n preprandial, not the postprandial.\n\nFootnote 161:\n\n \u201cAbu al-Sakh\u00e1\u201d (pronounced Abussakh\u00e1) = Father of munificence.\n\nFootnote 162:\n\n Arab. \u201cShammara,\u201d also used for gathering up the gown, so as to run\n the faster.\n\nFootnote 163:\n\n _i.e._, blessing the Prophet and all True Believers (herself\n included).\n\nFootnote 164:\n\n The style of this letter is that of a public scribe in a Cairo\n market-place thirty years ago.\n\nFootnote 165:\n\n _i.e._ she could not help falling in love with this beauty man.\n\nFootnote 166:\n\n \u201cKudrat,\u201d used somewhat in the sense of our vague \u201cProvidence.\u201d The\n sentence means, leave Omnipotence to manage him. Mr. Redhouse, who\n forces a likeness between Moslem and Christian theology, tells us that\n \u201cQader is unjustly translated by Fate and Destiny, an old pagan idea\n abhorrent to Al-Islam which reposes on God\u2019s providence.\u201d He makes\n Kaz\u00e1 and Kismet quasi synonyms of \u201cQaz\u00e1\u201d and \u201cQader,\u201d the former\n signifying God\u2019s decree, the latter our allotted portion; and he would\n render both by dispensation. Of course it is convenient to forget the\n Guarded Tablet of the learned and the Night of Power and\n skull-lectures of the vulgar. The eminent Turkish scholar would also\n translate Sal\u00e1t by worship (du\u2019\u00e1 being prayer) because it signifies a\n simple act of adoration without entreaty. If he will read the Opener\n of the Koran, recited in every set of prayers, he will find an\n especial request to be \u201cled to the path which is straight.\u201d These\n vagaries are seriously adopted by Mr. E. J. W. Gibb in his Ottoman\n Poems (p. 245, etc.) London: Tr\u00fcbner and Co., 1882; and they deserve,\n I think, reprehension, because they serve only to mislead; and the\n high authority of the source whence they come necessarily recommends\n them to many.\n\nFootnote 167:\n\n The reader will have noticed the likeness of this tale to that of Ibn\n Mans\u00far and the Lady Bud\u00far (vol. iv., 228 _et seq._) For this reason\n Lane leaves it untranslated (iii. 252).\n\n\n\n\n ISHAK OF MOSUL AND HIS MISTRESS AND THE DEVIL.[168]\n\n\nQuoth Ishak bin Ibrahim al-Mausili:\u2014I was in my house one night in the\nwinter-time, when the clouds had dispread themselves and the rains\npoured down in torrents, as from the mouths of water-skins, and the folk\nforbore to come and go about the ways for that which was therein of rain\nand slough. Now I was straitened in breast because none of my brethren\ncame to me nor could I go to them, by reason of the mud and mire; so I\nsaid to my servant, \u201cBring me wherewithal I may divert myself.\u201d\nAccordingly he brought me meat and drink, but I had no heart to eat,\nwithout someone to keep me company, and I ceased not to look out of\nwindow and watch the ways till nightfall, when I bethought myself of a\ndamsel belonging to one of the sons of Al-Mahdi,[169] whom I loved and\nwho was skilled in singing and playing upon instruments of music, and\nsaid to myself, \u201cWere she here with us to-night, my joy would be\ncomplete and my night would be abridged of the melancholy and\nrestlessness which are upon me.\u201d At this moment one knocked at the door,\nsaying, \u201cShall a beloved enter in who standeth at the door?\u201d Quoth I to\nmyself, \u201cMeseems the plant of my desire hath fruited.\u201d So I went to the\ndoor and found my mistress, with a long green skirt[170] wrapped about\nher and a kerchief of brocade on her head, to fend her from the rain.\nShe was covered with mud to her knees and all that was upon her was\ndrenched with water from gargoyles[171] and house-sprouts; in short, she\nwas in sorry plight. So I said to her, \u201cO my mistress, what bringeth\nthee hither through all this mud?\u201d Replied she, \u201cThy messenger came and\nset forth to me that which was with thee of love and longing, so that I\ncould not choose but yield and hasten to thee.\u201d I marvelled at this\u2014\u2014And\nShahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Ninety-sixth Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the damsel\ncame and knocked at Ishak\u2019s door, he went forth to her and cried, \u201cO my\nlady, what bringeth thee hither through all this mud?\u201d; and she replied,\n\u201cThy messenger came and set forth to me that which was with thee of love\nand longing, so that I could not choose but yield and hasten to thee.\u201d I\nmarvelled at this, but did not like to tell her that I had sent no\nmessenger; wherefore I said, \u201cPraised be Allah for that He hath brought\nus together, after all I have suffered by the mortification of patience!\nVerily, hadst thou delayed an hour longer, I must have run to thee,\nbecause of my much love for thee and longing for thy presence.\u201d Then I\ncalled to my boy for water, that I might better her plight, and he\nbrought a kettle full of hot water such as she wanted. I bade pour it\nover her feet, whilst I set to work to wash them myself; after which I\ncalled for one of my richest dresses and clad her therein after she had\ndoffed the muddy clothes. Then, as soon as we were comfortably seated, I\nwould have called for food, but she refused and I said to her, \u201cArt thou\nfor wine?\u201d; and she replied, \u201cYes.\u201d So I fetched cups and she asked me,\n\u201cWho shall sing?\u201d \u201cI, O my princess!\u201d \u201cI care not for that;\u201d \u201cOne of my\ndamsels?\u201d \u201cI have no mind to that either!\u201d \u201cThen sing thyself.\u201d \u201cNot I!\u201d\n\u201cWho then shall sing for thee?\u201d I enquired, and she rejoined, \u201cGo out\nand seek some one to sing for me.\u201d So I went out, in obedience to her,\nthough I despaired of finding any one in such weather and fared on till\nI came to the main street, where I suddenly saw a blind man striking the\nearth with his staff and saying, \u201cMay Allah not requite with weal those\nwith whom I was! When I sang, they listened not, and when I was silent,\nthey made light of me.\u201d So I said to him, \u201cArt thou a singer?\u201d and he\nreplied, \u201cYes.\u201d Quoth I, \u201cWilt thou finish thy night with us and cheer\nus with thy company?\u201d; and quoth he, \u201cIf it be thy will, take my hand.\u201d\nSo I took his hand and, leading him to my house, said to the damsel, \u201cO\nmy mistress, I have brought a blind singer, with whom we may take our\npleasure and he will not see us.\u201d She said, \u201cBring him to me.\u201d So I\nbrought him in and invited him to eat. He ate but a very little and\nwashed his hands, after which I brought him wine and he drank three\ncupsful. Then he said to me, \u201cWho art thou?\u201d; and I replied, \u201cI am Ishak\nbin Ibrahim al-Mausili.\u201d Quoth he, \u201cI have heard of thee and now I\nrejoice in thy company;\u201d and I, \u201cO my lord, I am glad in thy gladness.\u201d\nHe said, \u201cO Ishak, sing to me.\u201d So I took the lute, by way of jest, and\ncried, \u201cI hear and I obey.\u201d When I had made an end of my song, he said\nto me, \u201cO Ishak, thou comest nigh to be a singer!\u201d His words belittled\nme in mine own eyes and I threw the lute from my hand; whereupon he\nsaid, \u201cHast thou not with thee some one who is skilled in singing?\u201d\nQuoth I, \u201cI have a damsel with me;\u201d and quoth he, \u201cBid her sing.\u201d I\nasked him, \u201cWilt thou sing, when thou hast had enough of her singing?\u201d;\nand he answered \u201cYes.\u201d So she sang and he said, \u201cNay, thou hast shown no\nart.\u201d Whereupon she flung the lute from her hand in wrath and cried, \u201cWe\nhave done our best: if thou have aught, favour us with it by way of an\nalms.\u201d Quoth he, \u201cBring me a lute hand hath not touched.\u201d So I bade the\nservant bring him a new lute and he tuned it and preluding in a mode I\nknew not began to sing, improvising these couplets:\u2014\n\n Clove through the shades and came to me in night so dark and sore \u273f The\n lover weeting of herself \u2019twas trysting-tide once more:\n Naught startled us but her sal\u00e1m and first of words she said \u273f \u201cMay a\n belov\u00e8d enter in who standeth at the door!\u201d\n\nWhen the girl heard this, she looked at me askance and said, \u201cWhat\nsecret was between us could not thy breast hold for one hour, but thou\nmust discover it to this man?\u201d However, I swore to her that I had not\ntold him and excused myself to her and fell to kissing her hands and\ntickling her breasts and biting her cheeks, till she laughed and,\nturning to the blind man, said to him, \u201cSing, O my lord!\u201d So he took the\nlute and sang these two couplets:\u2014\n\n Ah, often have I sought the fair; how often lief and fain \u273f My palming\n felt the finger ends that bear the varied stain!\n And tickled pouting breasts that stand firm as pomegranates twain \u273f And\n bit the apple of her cheek kissed o\u2019er and o\u2019er again.\n\nSo I said to her, \u201cO my princess, who can have told him what we were\nabout?\u201d Replied she, \u201cTrue,\u201d and we moved away from him. Presently quoth\nhe, \u201cI must make water;\u201d and quoth I, \u201cO boy, take the candle and go\nbefore him.\u201d Then he went out and tarried a long while. So we went in\nsearch of him, but could not find him; and behold, the doors were locked\nand the keys in the closet, and we knew not whether to heaven he had\nflown or into earth had sunk. Wherefore I knew that he was Ibl\u00eds and\nthat he had done me pimp\u2019s duty, and I returned, recalling to myself the\nwords of Abu Nowas in these couplets:\u2014\n\nI marvel in Iblis such pride to see \u273f Beside his low intent and\nvilleiny: He sinned to Adam who to bow refused, \u273f Yet pimps for all of\nAdam\u2019s progeny.\n\nAnd they tell a tale concerning\n\n-----\n\nFootnote 168:\n\n Lane also omits this tale (iii. 252). See Night dclxxxviii., vol. vii.\n p. 113 _et seq._, for a variant of the story.\n\nFootnote 169:\n\n Third Abbaside, A. H. 158\u2013169 (= 775\u2013785), and father of Harun\n Al-Rashid. He is known chiefly for his eccentricities, such as cutting\n the throats of all his carrier-pigeons, making a man dine off marrow\n and sugar and having snow sent to him at Meccah, a distance of 700\n miles.\n\nFootnote 170:\n\n Arab. Mirt; the dictionaries give a short shift, cloak or breeches of\n wool or coarse silk.\n\nFootnote 171:\n\n Arab. \u201cMay\u00e1z\u00edb\u201d plur. of the Pers. M\u00edz\u00e1b (orig. M\u00edz-i-\u00e1b = channel of\n water) a spout for roof-rain. That which drains the Ka\u2019abah on the N.\n W. side is called Miz\u00e1b al-Rahmah (Gargoyle of Mercy) and pilgrims\n stand under it for a douche of holy water. It is supposed to be of\n gold, but really of silver gold-plated and is described of Burckhardt\n and myself (Pilgrimage iii. 164). The length is 4 feet 10 in.; width 9\n in.; height of sides 8 in.; and slope at mouth 1 foot 6 in. long.\n\n\n\n\n THE LOVERS OF AL-MEDINAH.\n\n\nQuoth Ibrahim the father of Ishak,[172] I was ever a devoted friend to\nthe Barmecide family. And it so happened to me one day, as I sat at home\nquite alone, a knock was heard at the door; so my servant went out and\nreturned, saying, \u201cA comely youth is at the door, asking admission.\u201d I\nbade admit him and there came in to me a young man, on whom were signs\nof sickness, and he said, \u201cI have long wished to meet thee, for I have\nneed of thine aid.\u201d \u201cWhat is it thou requirest?\u201d asked I. Whereupon he\npulled out three hundred dinars and laying them before me, said, \u201cI\nbeseech thee to accept these and compose me an air to two couplets I\nhave made.\u201d Said I, \u201cRepeat them to me;\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the\ndawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Ninety-seventh Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the\nyouth came in to Ibrahim and placed the gold in his hands, saying,\n\u201cPrithee accept it and compose me an air to two couplets.\u201d He replied,\n\u201cRecite them to me,\u201d whereupon he recited:\u2014\n\n By Allah, glance of mine! thou hast opprest \u273f My heart, so quench the\n fire that burns my breast.\n Blames me the world because in him[173] I live \u273f Yet cannot see him till\n in shroud I rest.\n\nAccordingly, quoth Ibrahim, I set the verses to an air plaintive as a\ndirge and sang it to him; whereupon he swooned away and I thought that\nhe was dead. However, after a while, he came to himself, and said to me,\n\u201cRepeat the air.\u201d But I conjured him by Allah to excuse me, saying, \u201cI\nfear lest thou die.\u201d \u201cWould Heaven it were so!\u201d replied he and ceased\nnot humbly to importune me, till I had pity on him and repeated it;\nwhereupon he cried out with a grievous cry and fell into a fit worse\nthan before and I doubted not but that he was dead; but I sprinkled\nrose-water on him till he revived and sat up. I praised Allah for his\nrecovery and laying the ducats before him, said, \u201cTake thy money and\ndepart from me.\u201d Quoth he, \u201cI have no need of the money and thou shalt\nhave the like of it, if thou wilt repeat the air.\u201d My breast broadened\nat the mention of the money and I said, \u201cI will repeat it, but on three\nconditions: the first, that thou tarry with me and eat of my victual,\ntill thou regain strength; the second, that thou drink wine enough to\nhearten thy heart; and the third, that thou tell me thy tale.\u201d He agreed\nto this and ate and drank; after which he said:\u2014\u201cI am of the citizens of\nAl-Medinah and I went forth one day a-pleasuring with my friends; and,\nfollowing the road to Al-Ak\u00edk,[174] saw a company of girls and amongst\nthem a damsel as she were a branch pearled with dew, with eyes whose\nsidelong glances were never withdrawn till they had stolen away his soul\nwho looked on them. The maidens rested in the shade till the end of the\nday, when they went away, leaving in my heart wounds slow to heal. I\nreturned next morning to scent out news of her, but found none who could\ntell me of her; so I sought her in the streets and markets, but could\ncome on no trace of her; wherefore I fell ill of grief and told my case\nto one of my kinsmen, who said to me, No harm shall befal thee: the days\nof spring are not yet past and the skies show sign of rain,[175]\nwhereupon she will go forth, and I will go out with thee, and do thou\nthy will. His words comforted my heart and I waited till Al-Akik ran\nwith water, when I went forth with my friends and kinsmen and sat in the\nvery same place where I first saw her.\u201d We had not been seated long\nbefore up came the women, like horses running for a wager; and I\nwhispered to a girl of my kindred, \u201cSay to yonder damsel\u2014Quoth this man\nto thee, He did well who spoke this couplet:\u2014\n\n She shot my heart with shaft, then turned on heel \u273f And flying dealt\n fresh wound and scarring wheal.\u201d\n\nSo she went to her and repeated my words, to which she replied saying,\n\u201cTell him that he said well who answered in this couplet:\u2014\n\n The like of whatso feelest thou we feel; \u273f Patience! perchance swift\n cure our hearts shall heal.\u201d\n\nI refrained from further speech for fear of scandal and rose to go away.\nShe rose at my rising, and I followed and she looked back at me, till\nshe saw I had noted her abode. Then she began to come to me and I to go\nto her, so that we foregathered and met often, till the case was noised\nabroad and grew notorious and her sire came to know of it. However, I\nceased not to meet her most assiduously and complained of my condition\nto my father, who assembled our kindred and repaired to ask her in\nmarriage for me, of her sire, who cried, \u201cHad this been proposed to me\nbefore he gave her a bad name by his assignations, I would have\nconsented; but now the thing is notorious and I am loath to verify the\nsaying of the folk.\u201d Then (continued Ibrahim) I repeated the air to him\nand he went away, after having acquainted me with his abode, and we\nbecame friends. Now I was devoted to the Barmecides; so next time\nJa\u2019afar bin Yahya sat to give audience, I attended, as was my wont, and\nsang to him the young man\u2019s verses. They pleased him and he drank some\ncups of wine and said, \u201cFie upon thee! whose song is this?\u201d So I told\nhim the young man\u2019s tale and he bade me ride over to him and give him\nassurances of the winning of his wish. Accordingly I fetched him to\nJa\u2019afar who asked him to repeat his story. He did so and Ja\u2019afar said,\n\u201cThou art now under my protection: trust me to marry thee to her.\u201d So\nhis heart was comforted and he abode with us. When the morning morrowed\nJa\u2019afar mounted and went in to Al-Rashid, to whom he related the story.\nThe Caliph was pleased with it and sending for the young man and myself,\ncommanded me to repeat the air and drank thereto. Then he wrote to the\nGovernor of Al-Hijaz, bidding him despatch the girl\u2019s father and his\nhousehold in honourable fashion to his presence and spare no expense for\ntheir outfit. So, in a little while, they came and the Caliph, sending\nfor the man, commanded him to marry his daughter to her lover; after\nwhich he gave him an hundred thousand dinars, and the father went back\nto his folk. As for the young man, he abode one of Ja\u2019afar\u2019s\ncup-companions till there happened what happened;[176] whereupon he\nreturned with his household to Al-Medinah; may Almighty Allah have mercy\nupon their souls one and all! And they also tell, O auspicious King, a\ntale of\n\n-----\n\nFootnote 172:\n\n The Mac. and Bul. Edits. have by mistake \u201cSon of Ishak.\u201d Lane has\n \u201cIs-hak the son of Ibrahim\u201d following Tr\u00e9butien (iii. 483) but\n suggests in a note the right reading as above.\n\nFootnote 173:\n\n Again masculine for feminine.\n\nFootnote 174:\n\n There are two of this name. The Upper Al-Akik contains the whole site\n of Al-Medinah; the Lower is on the Meccan road about four miles S.W.\n of the city. The Prophet called it \u201cblessed\u201d because ordered by an\n angel to pray therein. The poets have said pretty things about it,\n _e.g._\n\n O friend, this is the vale Ak\u00edk; here stand and strive in thought:\n If not a very lover, strive to be by love distraught!\n\n for whose esoteric meaning see Pilgrimage ii. 24. I passed through\n Al-Ak\u00edk in July when it was dry as summer dust and its \u201cbeautiful\n trees\u201d were mere vegetable mummies.\n\nFootnote 175:\n\n Those who live in the wet climates of the Northern temperates can\n hardly understand the delight of a shower in rainless lands, like\n Arabia and Nubia. In Sind we used to strip and stand in the downfall\n and raise faces sky-wards to get the full benefit of the douche. In\n Southern Persia food is hastily cooked at such times, wine strained,\n Kaliuns made ready and horses saddled for a ride to the nearest\n gardens and a happy drinking-bout under the cypresses. If a man\n refused, his friends would say of him, \u201cSee how he turns his back upon\n the blessing of Allah!\u201d (like an ass which presents its tail to the\n weather).\n\nFootnote 176:\n\n _i.e._ the destruction of the Barmecides.\n\n\n\n\n AL-MALIK AL-NASIR AND HIS WAZIR.\n\n\nThere was given to Ab\u00fa \u00c1mir bin Marw\u00e1n,[177] a boy of the Christians,\nthan whom never fell eyes on a handsomer. Al-Nasir the conquering Soldan\nsaw him and said to Abu Amir, who was his Wazir, \u201cWhence cometh this\nboy?\u201d Replied he, \u201cFrom Allah;\u201d whereupon the other, \u201cWilt thou terrify\nus with stars and make us prisoner with moons?\u201d Abu Amir excused himself\nto him and preparing a present, sent it to him with the boy, to whom he\nsaid, \u201cBe thou part of the gift: were it not of necessity, my soul had\nnot consented to give thee away.\u201d And he wrote with him these two\ncouplets:\u2014\n\n My lord, this full moon takes in Heaven of thee new birth; \u273f Nor can\n deny we Heaven excelleth humble earth:\n Thee with my soul I please and\u2014oh! the pleasant case! \u273f No man e\u2019er saw\n I who to give his soul prefer\u2019th.\n\nThe thing pleased Al-Nasir and he requited him with much treasure and\nthe Minister became high in favour with him. After this, there was\npresented to the Wazir a slave-girl, one of the loveliest women in the\nworld, and he feared lest this should come to the King\u2019s ears and he\ndesire her, and the like should happen as with the boy. So he made up a\npresent still costlier than the first and sent it with her to the\nKing,\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her\npermitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Ninety-eighth Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wazir Abu\nAmir, when presented with the beautiful slave-girl, feared lest it come\nto the Conquering King\u2019s ears and that the like should happen as with\nthe boy, so he made up a present still costlier than the first and sent\nit with her to his master, accompanying it with these couplets:\u2014\n\n My lord, this be the Sun, the Moon thou hadst before; \u273f So the two\n greater lights now in thy Heaven unite:\n Conjunction promising to me prosperity, \u273f And Kausar-draught to thee and\n Eden\u2019s long delight.\n Earth shows no charms, by Allah, ranking as their third, \u273f Nor King who\n secondeth our Conquering King in might.\n\nWherefore his credit redoubled with Al-Nasir; but, after a while, one of\nhis enemies maligned him to the King, alleging that there still lurked\nin him a hot lust for the boy and that he ceased not to desire him,\nwhenever the cool northern breezes moved him, and to gnash his teeth for\nhaving given him away. Cried the King, \u201cWag not thou thy tongue at him,\nor I will shear off thy head.\u201d However, he wrote Abu Amir a letter, as\nfrom the boy, to the following effect: \u201cO my lord, thou knowest that\nthou wast all and one to me and that I never ceased from delight with\nthee. Albeit I am with the Sultan, yet would I choose rather solitude\nwith thee, but that I fear the King\u2019s majesty: wherefore devise thou to\ndemand me of him.\u201d This letter he sent to Abu Amir by a little\nfoot-page, whom he enjoined to say, \u201cThis is from such an one: the King\nnever speaketh to him.\u201d When the Wazir read the letter and heard the\ncheating message, he noted the poison-draught[178] and wrote on the back\nof the note these couplets:\u2014\n\n Shall man experience-lectured ever care \u273f Fool-like to thrust his head\n in lion\u2019s lair?\n I\u2019m none of those whose wits to love succumb \u273f Nor witless of the snares\n my foes prepare:\n Wert thou my sprite, I\u2019d give thee loyally; \u273f Shall sprite, from body\n sundered, backwards fare?\n\nWhen Al-Nasir knew of this answer, he marvelled at the Wazir\u2019s quickness\nof wit and would never again lend ear to aught of insinuations against\nhim. Then said he to him, \u201cHow didst thou escape falling into the net?\u201d\nAnd he replied, \u201cBecause my reason is unentangled in the toils of\npassion.\u201d And they also tell a tale of\n\n-----\n\nFootnote 177:\n\n He was Wazir to the Great \u201cSaladin\u201d (Sal\u00e1h al-Din = one conforming\n with the Faith): see vol. iv. 271, where Saladin is also entitled\n al-Malik al-Nasir = the Conquering King. He was a Kurd and therefore\n fond of boys (like Virgil, Horace, etc.), but that perversion did not\n prevent his being one of the noblest of men. He lies in the Great\n Amawi Mosque of Damascus and I never visited a tomb with more\n reverence.\n\nFootnote 178:\n\n Arab. \u201cAhassa bi\u2019l-Shurbah;\u201d in our idiom \u201che smelt a rat.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n THE ROGUERIES OF DALILAH THE CRAFTY AND HER DAUGHTER ZAYNAB THE\n CONEY-CATCHER.[179]\n\n\nThere lived in the time of Harun al-Rashid a man named Ahmad al-Danaf\nand another Hasan Sh\u00fam\u00e1n[180] hight, the twain past masters in fraud and\nfeints, who had done rare things in their day; wherefore the Caliph\ninvested them with caftans of honour and made them Captains of the watch\nfor Baghdad (Ahmad of the right hand and Hasan of the left hand); and\nappointed to each of them a stipend of a thousand dinars a month and\nforty stalwart men to be at their bidding. Moreover to Calamity Ahmad\nwas committed the watch of the district outside the walls. So Ahmad and\nHasan went forth in company of the Emir Khalid, the Wali or Chief of\nPolice, attended each by his forty followers on horseback, and preceded\nby the Crier, crying aloud and saying, \u201cBy command of the Caliph! None\nis captain of the watch of the right hand but Ahmad al-Danaf and none is\ncaptain of the watch of the left hand but Hasan Shuman, and both are to\nbe obeyed when they bid and are to be held in all honour and worship.\u201d\nNow there was in the city an old woman called Dal\u00edlah the Wily, who had\na daughter by name Zaynab the Coney-catcher. They heard the proclamation\nmade and Zaynab said to Dalilah, \u201cSee, O my mother, this fellow, Ahmad\nal-Danaf! He came hither from Cairo, a fugitive, and played the\ndouble-dealer in Baghdad, till he got into the Caliph\u2019s company and is\nnow become captain of the right hand, whilst that mangy chap Hasan\nShuman is captain of the left hand, and each hath a table spread morning\nand evening and a monthly wage of a thousand dinars; whereas we abide\nunemployed and neglected in this house, without estate and without\nhonour, and have none to ask of us.\u201d Now Dalilah\u2019s husband had been\ntown-captain of Baghdad with a monthly wage of one thousand dinars; but\nhe died leaving two daughters, one married and with a son by name Ahmad\nal-Lak\u00edt[181] or Ahmad the Abortion; and the other called Zaynab, a\nspinster. And this Dalilah was a past mistress in all manner of craft\nand trickery and double dealing; she could wile the very dragon out of\nhis den and Iblis himself might have learnt deceit of her. Her\nfather[182] had also been governor of the carrier-pigeons to the Caliph\nwith a solde of one thousand dinars a month. He used to rear the birds\nto carry letters and messages, wherefore in time of need each was dearer\nto the Caliph than one of his own sons. So Zaynab said to her mother,\n\u201cUp and play off some feint and fraud that may haply make us\nnotorious\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying\nher permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Six Hundred and Ninety-ninth Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Zaynab thus\naddressed her dam, \u201cUp and play off some feint and fraud which may haply\nmake us notorious in Baghdad, so perchance we shall win our father\u2019s\nstipend for ourselves.\u201d Replied the old trot, \u201cAs thy head liveth, O my\ndaughter, I will play off higher-class rogueries in Baghdad than ever\nplayed Calamity Ahmad or Hasan the Pestilent.\u201d So saying, she rose and\nthrew over her face the Lis\u00e1m-veil and donned clothes such as the poorer\nSufis wear, petticoat-trousers falling over her heels, and a gown of\nwhite wool with a broad girdle. She also took a pitcher[183] and filled\nit with water to the neck; after which she set three dinars in the mouth\nand stopped it up with a plug of palm-fibre. Then she threw round her\nshoulder, baldrick-wise, a rosary as big as a load of firewood, and\ntaking in her hand a flag, made of parti-coloured rags, red and yellow\nand green, went out, crying, \u201cAllah! Allah!\u201d with tongue celebrating the\npraises of the Lord, whilst her heart galloped in the Devil\u2019s\nrace-course, seeking how she might play some sharping trick upon town.\nShe walked from street to street, till she came to an alley swept and\nwatered and marble-paved, where she saw a vaulted gateway, with a\nthreshold of alabaster, and a Moorish porter standing at the door, which\nwas of sandal-wood plated with brass and furnished with a ring of silver\nfor knocker. Now this house belonged to the Chief of the Caliph\u2019s\nSerjeant-ushers, a man of great wealth in fields, houses and allowances,\ncalled the Emir Hasan Sharr al-Tar\u00edk, or Evil of the Way, and therefor\ncalled because his blow forewent his word. He was married to a fair\ndamsel, Kh\u00e1t\u00fan[184] hight, whom he loved and who had made him swear, on\nthe night of his going in unto her, that he would take none other to\nwife over her nor lie abroad for a single night. And so things went on\ntill one day, he went to the Diyan and saw that each Emir had with him a\nson or two. Then he entered the Hammam-bath and looking at his face in\nthe mirror, noted that the white hairs in his beard overlay its black,\nand he said in himself, \u201cWill not He who took thy sire bless thee with a\nson?\u201d So he went in to his wife, in angry mood, and she said to him,\n\u201cGood evening to thee\u201d; but he replied, \u201cGet thee out of my sight: from\nthe day I saw thee I have seen naught of good.\u201d \u201cHow so?\u201d quoth she.\nQuoth he, \u201cOn the night of my going in unto thee, thou madest me swear\nto take no other wife over thee, and this very day I have seen each Emir\nwith a son and some with two. So I minded me of death[185]; and also\nthat to me hath been vouchsafed neither son nor daughter and that whoso\nleaveth no male hath no memory. This, then, is the reason of my anger,\nfor thou art barren; and knowing thee is like planing a rock.\u201d Cried\nshe, \u201cAllah\u2019s name upon thee. Indeed, I have worn out the mortars with\nbeating wool and pounding drugs,[186] and I am not to blame; the\nbarrenness is with thee, for that thou art a snub-nosed mule and thy\nsperm is weak and watery and impregnateth not neither getteth children.\u201d\nSaid he, \u201cWhen I return from my journey, I will take another wife;\u201d and\nshe, \u201cMy luck is with Allah!\u201d Then he went out from her and both\nrepented of the sharp words spoken each to other. Now as the Emir\u2019s wife\nlooked forth of her lattice, as she were a Bride of the Hoards[187] for\nthe jewellery upon her, behold, there stood Dalilah espying her and\nseeing her clad in costly clothes and ornaments, said to herself,\n\u201c\u2019Twould be a rare trick, O Dalilah, to entice yonder young lady from\nher husband\u2019s house and strip her of all her jewels and clothes and make\noff with the whole lot.\u201d So she took up her stand under the windows of\nthe Emir\u2019s house, and fell to calling aloud upon Allah\u2019s name and\nsaying, \u201cBe present, O ye Walis, ye friends of the Lord!\u201d Whereupon\nevery woman in the street looked from her lattice and, seeing a matron\nclad, after Sufi fashion, in clothes of white wool, as she were a\npavilion of light, said, \u201cAllah bring us a blessing by the aidance of\nthis pious old person, from whose face issueth light!\u201d And Khatun, the\nwife of the Emir Hasan, burst into tears and said to her handmaid, \u201cGet\nthee down, O Makb\u00falah, and kiss the hand of Shaykh Ab\u00fa Al\u00ed, the porter,\nand say to him:\u2014Let yonder Religious enter to my lady, so haply she may\nget a blessing of her.\u201d So she went down to the porter and kissing his\nhand, said to him, \u201cMy mistress telleth thee:\u2014Let yonder pious old woman\ncome in to me, so may I get a blessing of her; and belike her\nbenediction may extend to us likewise.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the\ndawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundredth Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the handmaid\nwent down and said to the porter, \u201cSuffer yonder Religious enter to my\nlady so haply she may get a blessing of her, and we too may be blessed,\none and all,\u201d the gate-keeper went up to Dalilah and kissed her hand,\nbut she forbade him, saying, \u201cAway from me, lest my ablution be made\nnull and void.[188] Thou, also, art of the attracted God-wards and\nkindly looked upon by Allah\u2019s Saints and under His especial\nguardianship. May He deliver thee from this servitude, O Abu Ali!\u201d Now\nthe Emir owed three months\u2019 wage to the porter who was straitened\nthereby, but knew not how to recover his due from his lord; so he said\nto the old woman, \u201cO my mother, give me to drink from thy pitcher, so I\nmay win a blessing through thee.\u201d She took the ewer from her shoulder\nand whirled it about in air, so that the plug flew out of its mouth and\nthe three dinars fell to the ground. The porter saw them and picked them\nup, saying in his mind, \u201cGlory to God! This old woman is one of the\nSaints that have hoards at their command! It hath been revealed to her\nof me that I am in want of money for daily expenses; so she hath\nconjured me these three dinars out of the air.\u201d Then said he to her,\n\u201cTake, O my aunt, these three dinars which fell from thy pitcher;\u201d and\nshe replied, \u201cAway with them from me! I am of the folk who occupy not\nthemselves with the things of the world, no never! Take them and use\nthem for thine own benefit, in lieu of those the Emir oweth thee.\u201d Quoth\nhe, \u201cThanks to Allah for succour! This is of the chapter of revelation!\u201d\nThereupon the maid accosted her and kissing her hand, carried her up to\nher mistress. She found the lady as she were a treasure, whose guardian\ntalisman had been loosed; and Khatun bade her welcome and kissed her\nhand. Quoth she, \u201cO my daughter, I come not to thee save for thy weal\nand by Allah\u2019s will.\u201d Then Khatun set food before her; but she said, \u201cO\nmy daughter, I eat naught except of the food of Paradise and I keep\ncontinual fast breaking it but five days in the year. But, O my child, I\nsee thee chagrined and desire that thou tell me the cause of thy\nconcern.\u201d \u201cO my mother,\u201d replied Khatun, \u201cI made my husband swear, on my\nwedding-night, that he would wive none but me, and he saw others with\nchildren and longed for them and said to me:\u2014Thou art a barren thing! I\nanswered:\u2014Thou art a mule which begetteth not; so he left me in anger,\nsaying, When I come back from my journey, I will take another wife, for\nhe hath villages and lands and large allowances, and if he begat\nchildren by another, they will possess the money and take the estates\nfrom me.\u201d Said Dalilah, \u201cO my daughter, knowest thou not of my master,\nthe Shaykh Ab\u00fa al-Haml\u00e1t,[189] whom if any debtor visit, Allah quitteth\nhim his debt, and if a barren woman, she conceiveth?\u201d Khatun replied, \u201cO\nmy mother, since the day of my wedding I have not gone forth the house,\nno, not even to pay visits of condolence or congratulation.\u201d The old\nwoman rejoined, \u201cO my child, I will carry thee to him and do thou cast\nthy burden on him and make a vow to him: haply when thy husband shall\nreturn from his journey and lie with thee thou shalt conceive by him and\nbear a girl or a boy: but, be it female or male, it shall be a dervish\nof the Shaykh Abu al-Hamlat.\u201d Thereupon Khatun rose and arrayed herself\nin her richest raiment, and donning all her jewellery said, \u201cKeep thou\nan eye on the house,\u201d to her maid, who replied, \u201cI hear and obey, O my\nlady.\u201d Then she went down and the porter Abu Ali met her and asked her,\n\u201cWhither away, O my lady?\u201d \u201cI go to visit the Shaykh Abu al-Hamlat;\u201d\nanswered she; and he, \u201cBe a year\u2019s fast incumbent on me! Verily yon\nReligious is of Allah\u2019s saints and full of holiness, O my lady, and she\nhath hidden treasure at her command, for she gave me three dinars of red\ngold and divined my case, without my asking her, and knew that I was in\nwant.\u201d Then the old woman went out with the young lady Khatun, saying to\nher, \u201cInshallah, O my daughter, when thou hast visited the Shaykh Abu\nal-Hamlat, there shall betide thee solace of soul and by leave of\nAlmighty Allah thou shalt conceive, and thy husband the Emir shall love\nthee by the blessing of the Shaykh and shall never again let thee hear a\ndespiteful word.\u201d Quoth Khatun, \u201cI will go with thee to visit him, O my\nmother!\u201d But Dalilah said to herself, \u201cWhere shall I strip her and take\nher clothes and jewellery, with the folk coming and going?\u201d Then she\nsaid to her, \u201cO my daughter, walk thou behind me, within sight of me,\nfor this thy mother is a woman sorely burdened; everyone who hath a\nburden casteth it on me and all who have pious offerings[190] to make\ngive them to me and kiss my hand.\u201d So the young lady followed her at a\ndistance, whilst her anklets tinkled and her hair-coins[191] clinked as\nshe went, till they reached the bazar of the merchants. Presently, they\ncame to the shop of a young merchant, by name S\u00edd\u00ed Hasan who was very\nhandsome[192] and had no hair on his face. He saw the lady approaching\nand fell to casting stolen glances at her, which when the old woman saw,\nshe beckoned to her and said, \u201cSit down in this shop, till I return to\nthee.\u201d Khatun obeyed her and sat down in the shop-front of the young\nmerchant, who cast at her one glance of eyes that cost him a thousand\nsighs. Then the old woman accosted him and saluted him, saying, \u201cTell\nme, is not thy name Sidi Hasan, son of the merchant Mohsin?\u201d He replied,\n\u201cYes, who told thee my name?\u201d Quoth she, \u201cFolk of good repute direct me\nto thee. Know that this young lady is my daughter and her father was a\nmerchant, who died and left her much money. She is come of marriageable\nage and the wise say:\u2014Offer thy daughter in marriage and not thy son;\nand all her life she hath not come forth the house till this day. Now a\ndivine warning and a command given in secret bid me wed her to thee; so,\nif thou art poor, I will give thee capital and will open for thee\ninstead of one shop two shops.\u201d Thereupon quoth the young merchant to\nhimself, \u201cI asked Allah for a bride, and He hath given me three things,\nto wit, coin, clothing, and coynte.\u201d Then he continued to the old trot,\n\u201cO my mother, that whereto thou directest me is well; but this long\nwhile my mother saith to me:\u2014I wish to marry thee, but I object\nreplying, I will not marry except on the sight of my own eyes.\u201d Said\nDalilah, \u201cRise and follow my steps, and I will show her to thee,\nnaked.\u201d[193] So he rose and took a thousand dinars, saying in himself,\n\u201cHaply we may need to buy somewhat\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of\nday and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and First Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the old woman\nsaid to Hasan, son of Mohsin the merchant, \u201cRise up and follow me, and I\nwill show her naked to thee.\u201d So he rose and took with him a thousand\ndinars, saying in himself, \u201cHaply we may need to buy somewhat or pay the\nfees for drawing up the marriage contract.\u201d The old woman bade him walk\nbehind the young lady at a distance but within shot of sight and said to\nherself, \u201cWhere wilt thou carry the young lady and the merchant that\nthou mayest strip them both whilst his shop is still shut?\u201d Then she\nwalked on and Khatun after her, followed by the young merchant, till she\ncame to a dyery, kept by a master dyer, by name Hajj Mohammed, a man of\nill-repute; like the colocasia[194] seller\u2019s knife cutting male and\nfemale, and loving to eat both figs and pomegranates.[195] He heard the\ntinkle of the ankle rings and, raising his head, saw the lady and the\nyoung man. Presently the old woman came up to him and, after salaaming\nto him and sitting down opposite him, asked him, \u201cArt thou not Hajj\nMohammed the dyer?\u201d He answered, \u201cYes, I am he: what dost thou want?\u201d\nQuoth she, \u201cVerily, folks of fair repute have directed me to thee. Look\nat yonder handsome girl, my daughter, and that comely beardless youth,\nmy son; I brought them both up and spent much money on both of them.\nNow, thou must know that I have a big old ruinous house which I have\nshored up with wood, and the builder saith to me:\u2014Go and live in some\nother place, lest belike it fall upon thee; and when this is repaired\nreturn hither. So I went forth to seek me a lodging, and people of worth\ndirected me to thee, and I wish to lodge my son and daughter with thee.\u201d\nQuoth the dyer in his mind, \u201cVerily, here is fresh butter upon cake come\nto thee.\u201d But he said to the old woman, \u201c\u2019Tis true I have a house and\nsaloon and upper floor; but I cannot spare any part thereof, for I want\nit all for guests and for the indigo-growers my clients.\u201d She replied,\n\u201cO my son, \u2019twill be only for a month or two at the most, till our house\nbe repaired, and we are strange folk. Let the guest-chamber be shared\nbetween us and thee, and by thy life, O my son, an thou desire that thy\nguests be ours, we will welcome them and eat with them and sleep with\nthem.\u201d Then he gave her the keys, one big and one small and one crooked,\nsaying to her, \u201cThe big key is that of the house, the crooked one that\nof the saloon and the little one that of the upper floor.\u201d So Dalilah\ntook the keys and fared on, followed by the lady who forwent the young\nmerchant, till she came to the lane wherein was the house. She opened\nthe door and entered, introducing the damsel to whom said she, \u201cO my\ndaughter, this (pointing to the saloon) is the lodging of the Shaykh Abu\nal-Hamlat; but go thou into the upper floor and loose thy outer veil and\nwait till I come to thee.\u201d So she went up and sat down. Presently\nappeared the young merchant, whom Dalilah carried into the saloon,\nsaying, \u201cSit down, whilst I fetch my daughter and show her to thee.\u201d So\nhe sat down and the old trot went up to Khatun who said to her, \u201cI wish\nto visit the Shaykh, before the folk come.\u201d Replied the beldame, \u201cO my\ndaughter, we fear for thee.\u201d Asked Khatun, \u201cWhy so?\u201d and Dalilah\nanswered, \u201cBecause here is a son of mine, a natural who knoweth not\nsummer from winter, but goeth ever naked. He is the Shaykh\u2019s deputy and,\nif he saw a girl like thee come to visit his chief, he would snatch her\nearrings and tear her ears and rend her silken robes.[196] So do thou\ndoff thy jewellery and clothes and I will keep them for thee, till thou\nhast made thy pious visitation.\u201d Accordingly the damsel did off her\nouter dress and jewels and gave them to the old woman, who said, \u201cI will\nlay them for thee on the Shaykh\u2019s curtain, that a blessing may betide\nthee.\u201d Then she went out, leaving the lady in her shift and\npetticoat-trousers, and hid the clothes and jewels in a place on the\nstaircase; after which she betook herself to the young merchant, whom\nshe found impatiently awaiting the girl, and he cried, \u201cWhere is thy\ndaughter, that I may see her?\u201d But she smote palm on breast and he said,\n\u201cWhat aileth thee?\u201d Quoth she, \u201cWould there were no such thing as the\nill neighbour and the envious! They saw thee enter the house with me and\nasked me of thee; and I said:\u2014This is a bridegroom I have found for my\ndaughter. So they envied me on thine account and said to my girl, Is thy\nmother tired of keeping thee, that she marrieth thee to a leper?\nThereupon I swore to her that she should not see thee save naked.\u201d Quoth\nhe, \u201cI take refuge with Allah from the envious,\u201d and baring his forearm,\nshowed her that it was like silver. Said she, \u201cHave no fear; thou shalt\nsee her naked, even as she shall see thee naked;\u201d and he said, \u201cLet her\ncome and look at me.\u201d Then he put off his pelisse and sables and his\ngirdle and dagger and the rest of his raiment, except his shirt and\nbag-trousers, and would have laid the purse of a thousand dinars with\nthem, but Dalilah cried, \u201cGive them to me, that I may take care of\nthem.\u201d So she took them and fetching the girl\u2019s clothes and jewellery\nshouldered the whole and locking the door upon them went her ways.\u2014\u2014And\nShahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Second Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the old\nwoman had taken the property of the young merchant and the damsel and\nwended her ways, having locked the door upon them, she deposited her\nspoils with a druggist of her acquaintance and returned to the dyer,\nwhom she found sitting, awaiting her. Quoth he, \u201cInshallah, the house\npleaseth thee?\u201d; and quoth she, \u201cThere is a blessing in it; and I go now\nto fetch porters to carry hither our goods and furniture. But my\nchildren would have me bring them a _panade_ with meat; so do thou take\nthis dinar and buy the dish and go and eat the morning meal with them.\u201d\nAsked the dyer, \u201cWho shall guard the dyery meanwhile and the people\u2019s\ngoods that be therein?\u201d; and the old woman answered, \u201cThy lad!\u201d \u201cSo be\nit,\u201d rejoined he, and taking a dish and cover, went out to do her\nbidding. So far concerning the dyer who will again be mentioned in the\ntale; but as regards the old woman, she fetched the clothes and jewels\nshe had left with the druggist and going back to the dyery, said to the\nlad, \u201cRun after thy master, and I will not stir hence till you both\nreturn.\u201d \u201cTo hear is to obey,\u201d answered he and went away, while she\nbegan to collect all the customers\u2019 goods. Presently, there came up an\nass-driver, a scavenger, who had been out of work for a week and who was\nan Hash\u00edsh-eater to boot; and she called him, saying, \u201cHither, O\ndonkey-boy!\u201d So he came to her and she asked, \u201cKnowest thou my son the\ndyer?\u201d; whereto he answered, \u201cYes, I know him.\u201d Then she said, \u201cThe poor\nfellow is insolvent and loaded with debts, and as often as he is put in\nprison, I set him free. Now we wish to see him declared bankrupt and I\nam going to return the goods to their owners; so do thou lend me thine\nass to carry the load and receive this dinar to its hire. When I am\ngone, take the handsaw and empty out the vats and jars and break them,\nso that if there come an officer from the K\u00e1z\u00ed\u2019s court, he may find\nnothing in the dyery.\u201d Quoth he, \u201cI owe the Hajj a kindness and will do\nsomething for Allah\u2019s love.\u201d So she laid the things on the ass and, the\nProtector protecting her, made for her own house; so that she arrived\nthere in safety and went in to her daughter Zaynab, who said to her, \u201cO\nmy mother, my heart hath been with thee! What hast thou done by way of\nroguery?\u201d Dalilah replied, \u201cI have played off four tricks on four\nwights; the wife of the Serjeant-usher, a young merchant, a dyer and an\nass-driver, and have brought thee all their spoil on the donkey-boy\u2019s\nbeast.\u201d Cried Zaynab, \u201cO my mother, thou wilt never more be able to go\nabout the town, for fear of the Serjeant-usher, whose wife\u2019s raiment and\njewellery thou hast taken, and the merchant whom thou hast stripped\nnaked, and the dyer whose customers\u2019 goods thou hast stolen and the\nowner of the ass.\u201d Rejoined the old woman, \u201cPooh, my girl! I reck not of\nthem, save the donkey-boy, who knoweth me.\u201d Meanwhile the dyer bought\nthe meat-panade and set out for the house, followed by his servant with\nthe food on head. On his way thither, he passed his shop, where he found\nthe donkey-boy breaking the vats and jars and saw that there was neither\nstuff nor liquor left in them and that the dyery was in ruins. So he\nsaid to him, \u201cHold thy hand, O ass-driver;\u201d and the donkey-boy desisted\nand cried, \u201cPraised be Allah for thy safety, O master! Verily my heart\nwas with thee.\u201d \u201cWhy so?\u201d \u201cThou art become bankrupt and they have filed\na docket of thine insolvency.\u201d \u201cWho told thee this?\u201d \u201cThy mother told\nme, and bade me break the jars and empty the vats, that the Kazi\u2019s\nofficers might find nothing in the shop, if they should come.\u201d \u201cAllah\nconfound the far One!\u201d[197] cried the dyer; \u201cMy mother died long ago.\u201d\nAnd he beat his breast, exclaiming, \u201cAlas, for the loss of my goods and\nthose of the folk!\u201d The donkey-boy also wept and ejaculated, \u201cAlas, for\nthe loss of my ass!\u201d; and he said to the dyer, \u201cGive me back my beast\nwhich thy mother stole from me.\u201d The dyer laid hold of him by the throat\nand fell to buffeting him, saying, \u201cBring me the old woman;\u201d whilst the\nother buffeted him in return saying, \u201cGive me back my beast.\u201d So they\nbeat and cursed each other, till the folk collected around them\u2014\u2014And\nShahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Third Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the dyer caught\nhold of the donkey-boy and the donkey-boy caught hold of the dyer and\nthey beat and cursed each other till the folk collected round them and\none of them asked, \u201cWhat is the matter, O Master Mohammed?\u201d The\nass-driver answered, \u201cI will tell thee the tale,\u201d and related to them\nhis story, saying, \u201cI deemed I was doing the dyer a good turn; but, when\nhe saw me he beat his breast and said, My mother is dead. And now, I for\none require my ass of him, it being he who hath put this trick on me,\nthat he might make me lose my beast.\u201d Then said the folk to the dyer, \u201cO\nMaster Mohammed, dost thou know this matron, that thou didst entrust her\nwith the dyery and all therein?\u201d And he replied, \u201cI know her not; but\nshe took lodgings with me to-day, she and her son and daughter.\u201d Quoth\none, \u201cIn my judgment, the dyer is bound to indemnify the ass-driver.\u201d\nQuoth another, \u201cWhy so?\u201d \u201cBecause,\u201d replied the first, \u201che trusted not\nthe old woman nor gave her his ass save only because he saw that the\ndyer had entrusted her with the dyery and its contents.\u201d And a third\nsaid, \u201cO master, since thou hast lodged her with thee, it behoveth thee\nto get the man back his ass.\u201d Then they made for the house, and the tale\nwill come round to them again. Meanwhile, the young merchant remained\nawaiting the old woman\u2019s coming with her daughter, but she came not nor\ndid her daughter; whilst the young lady in like manner sat expecting her\nreturn with leave from her son, the God-attended one, the Shaykh\u2019s\ndeputy, to go in to the holy presence. So weary of waiting, she rose to\nvisit the Shaykh by herself and went down into the saloon, where she\nfound the young merchant, who said to her, \u201cCome hither! where is thy\nmother, who brought me to marry thee?\u201d She replied, \u201cMy mother is dead,\nart thou the old woman\u2019s son, the ecstatic, the deputy of the Shaykh Abu\nal-Hamlat?\u201d Quoth he, \u201cThe swindling old trot is no mother of mine; she\nhath cheated me and taken my clothes and a thousand dinars.\u201d Quoth\nKhatun, \u201cAnd me also hath she swindled for she brought me to see the\nShaykh Abu al-Hamlat and in lieu of so doing she hath stripped me.\u201d\nThereupon he, \u201cI look to thee to make good my clothes and my thousand\ndinars;\u201d and she, \u201cI look to thee to make good my clothes and\njewellery.\u201d And, behold, at this moment in came the dyer and seeing them\nboth stripped of their raiment, said to them, \u201cTell me where your mother\nis.\u201d So the young lady related all that had befallen her and the young\nmerchant related all that had betided him, and the Master-dyer\nexclaimed, \u201cAlas, for the loss of my goods and those of the folk!\u201d; and\nthe ass-driver ejaculated, \u201cAlas, for my ass! Give me, O dyer, my ass!\u201d\nThen said the dyer, \u201cThis old woman is a sharper. Come forth, that I may\nlock the door.\u201d Quoth the young merchant, \u201c\u2019Twere a disgrace to thee\nthat we should enter thy house dressed and go forth from it undressed.\u201d\nSo the dyer clad him and the damsel and sent her back to her house where\nwe shall find her after the return of her husband. Then he shut the\ndyery and said to the young merchant, \u201cCome, let us go and search for\nthe old woman and hand her over to the Wali,[198] the Chief of Police.\u201d\nSo they and the ass-man repaired to the house of the master of police\nand made their complaint to him. Quoth he, \u201cO folk, what want ye?\u201d and\nwhen they told him he rejoined, \u201cHow many old women are there not in the\ntown! Go ye and seek for her and lay hands on her and bring her to me,\nand I will torture her for you and make her confess.\u201d So they sought for\nher all round the town; and an account of them will presently be\ngiven.[199] As for old Dalilah the Wily, she said, \u201cI have a mind to\nplay off another trick,\u201d to her daughter who answered, \u201cO my mother, I\nfear for thee;\u201d but the beldam cried, \u201cI am like the bean husks which\nfall, proof against fire and water.\u201d So she rose, and donning a\nslave-girl\u2019s dress of such as serve people of condition, went out to\nlook for some one to defraud. Presently she came to a by-street, spread\nwith carpets and lighted with hanging lamps, and heard a noise of\nsinging-women and drumming of tambourines. Here she saw a handmaid\nbearing on her shoulder a boy, clad in trousers laced with silver and a\nlittle Ab\u00e1-cloak of velvet, with a pearl embroidered Tarbush-cap on his\nhead, and about his neck a collar of gold set with jewels. Now the house\nbelonged to the Provost of the Merchants of Baghdad, and the boy was his\nson. He had a virgin daughter, to boot, who was promised in marriage,\nand it was her betrothal they were celebrating that day. There was with\nher mother a company of noble dames and singing-women, and whenever she\nwent upstairs or down, the boy clung to her. So she called the\nslave-girl and said to her, \u201cTake thy young master and play with him,\ntill the company break up.\u201d Seeing this, Dalilah asked the handmaid,\n\u201cWhat festivities are these in your mistress\u2019s house;\u201d and was answered,\n\u201cShe celebrates her daughter\u2019s betrothal this day, and she hath\nsinging-women with her.\u201d Quoth the old woman to herself, \u201cO Dalilah, the\nthing to do is to spirit away this boy from the maid,\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad\nperceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Fourth Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the old trot\nsaid to herself, \u201cO Dalilah, the thing to do is to spirit away this boy\nfrom the maid!\u201d she began crying out, \u201cO disgrace! O ill luck!\u201d Then\npulling out a brass token, resembling a dinar, she said to the maid, who\nwas a simpleton, \u201cTake this ducat and go in to thy mistress and say to\nher:\u2014Umm al-Khayr rejoiceth with thee and is beholden to thee for thy\nfavours, and on the day of assembly she and her daughters will visit\nthee and handsel the tiring-women with the usual gifts.\u201d Said the girl,\n\u201cO my mother, my young master here catcheth hold of his mamma, whenever\nhe seeth her;\u201d and she replied \u201cGive him to me, whilst thou goest in and\ncomest back.\u201d So she gave her the child and taking the token, went in;\nwhereupon Dalilah made off with the boy to a by-lane, where she stripped\nhim of his clothes and jewels, saying to herself, \u201cO Dalilah, \u2019twould\nindeed be the finest of tricks, even as thou hast cheated the maid and\ntaken the boy from her, so now to carry on the game and pawn him for a\nthousand dinars.\u201d So she repaired to the jewel-bazar, where she saw a\nJew goldsmith seated with a cage full of jewellery before him, and said\nto herself, \u201c\u2019Twould be a rare trick to chouse this Jew fellow and get a\nthousand gold pieces worth of jewellery from him and leave the boy in\npledge for it.\u201d Presently the Jew looked at them and seeing the boy with\nthe old woman, knew him for the son of the Provost of the Merchants. Now\nthe Israelite was a man of great wealth, but would envy his neighbour if\nhe sold and himself did not sell; so espying Dalilah, he said to her,\n\u201cWhat seekest thou, O my mistress?\u201d She asked, \u201cArt thou Master\nAzariah[200] the Jew?\u201d having first enquired his name of others; and he\nanswered, \u201cYes.\u201d Quoth she, \u201cThis boy\u2019s sister, daughter of the\nShahbandar of the Merchants, is a promised bride, and to-day they\ncelebrate her betrothal; and she hath need of jewellery. So give me two\npair of gold ankle-rings, a brace of gold bracelets, and pearl\near-drops, with a girdle, a poignard and a seal-ring.\u201d He brought them\nout and she took of him a thousand dinars\u2019 worth of jewellery, saying,\n\u201cI will take these ornaments on approval; and whatso pleaseth them, they\nwill keep and I will bring thee the price and leave this boy with thee\ntill then.\u201d He said, \u201cBe it as thou wilt!\u201d So she took the jewellery and\nmade off to her own house, where her daughter asked her how the trick\nhad sped. She told her how she had taken and stripped the Shahbandar\u2019s\nboy, and Zaynab said, \u201cThou wilt never be able to walk abroad again in\nthe town.\u201d Meanwhile, the maid went in to her mistress and said to her,\n\u201cO my lady, Umm al-Khayr saluteth thee and rejoiceth with thee and on\nassembly-day she will come, she and her daughters, and give the\ncustomary presents.\u201d Quoth her mistress, \u201cWhere is thy young master?\u201d\nQuoth the slave-girl, \u201cI left him with her lest he cling to thee, and\nshe gave me this, as largesse for the singing-women.\u201d So the lady said\nto the chief of the singers, \u201cTake thy money;\u201d and she took it and found\nit a brass counter; whereupon the lady cried to the maid, \u201cGet thee\ndown, O whore, and look to thy young master.\u201d Accordingly, she went down\nand finding neither boy nor old woman, shrieked aloud and fell on her\nface. Their joy was changed into annoy, and behold, the Provost came in,\nwhen his wife told him all that had befallen and he went out in quest of\nthe child, whilst the other merchants also fared forth and each sought\nhis own road. Presently, the Shahbandar, who had looked everywhere,\nespied his son seated, naked, in the Jew\u2019s shop and said to the owner,\n\u201cThis is my son.\u201d \u201c\u2019Tis well,\u201d answered the Jew. So he took him up,\nwithout asking for his clothes, of the excess of his joy at finding him;\nbut the Jew laid hold of him, saying, \u201cAllah succour the Caliph against\nthee!\u201d[201] The Provost asked, \u201cWhat aileth thee, O Jew?\u201d; and he\nanswered, \u201cVerily the old woman took of me a thousand dinars\u2019 worth of\njewellery for thy daughter, and left this lad in pledge for the price;\nand I had not trusted her, but that she offered to leave the child whom\nI knew for thy son.\u201d Said the Provost, \u201cMy daughter needeth no\njewellery, give me the boy\u2019s clothes.\u201d Thereupon the Jew shrieked out,\n\u201cCome to my aid, O Moslems!\u201d but at that moment up came the dyer and the\nass-man and the young merchant, who were going about, seeking the old\nwoman, and enquired the cause of their jangle. So they told them the\ncase and they said, \u201cThis old woman is a cheat, who hath cheated us\nbefore you.\u201d Then they recounted to them how she had dealt with them,\nand the Provost said, \u201cSince I have found my son, be his clothes his\nransom! If I come upon the old woman, I will require them of her.\u201d And\nhe carried the child home to his mother, who rejoiced in his safety.\nThen the Jew said to the three others, \u201cWhither go ye?\u201d; and they\nanswered, \u201cWe go to look for her.\u201d Quoth the Jew, \u201cTake me with you,\u201d\npresently adding, \u201cIs there any one of you knoweth her?\u201d The donkey-boy\ncried, \u201cI know her;\u201d and the Jew said, \u201cIf we all go forth together, we\nshall never catch her; for she will flee from us. Let each take a\ndifferent road, and be our rendezvous at the shop of Hajj Mas\u2019\u00fad, the\nMoorish barber.\u201d They agreed to this and set off, each in a different\ndirection. Presently, Dalilah sallied forth again to play her tricks and\nthe ass-driver met her and knew her. So he caught hold of her and said\nto her, \u201cWoe to thee! Hast thou been long at this trade?\u201d She asked,\n\u201cWhat aileth thee?\u201d; and he answered, \u201cGive me back my ass.\u201d Quoth she,\n\u201cCover what Allah covereth, O my son! Dost thou seek thine ass and the\npeople\u2019s things?\u201d Quoth he, \u201cI want my ass; that\u2019s all;\u201d and quoth she,\n\u201cI saw that thou wast poor: so I deposited thine ass for thee with the\nMoorish barber. Stand off, whilst I speak him fair, that he may give\nthee the beast.\u201d So she went up to the Maghrabi and kissed his hand and\nshed tears. He asked her what ailed her and she said, \u201cO my son, look at\nmy boy who standeth yonder. He was ill and exposed himself to the air,\nwhich injured his intellect. He used to buy asses and now, if he stand\nhe saith nothing but, My ass! if he sit he crieth, My ass! and if he\nwalk he crieth, My ass! Now I have been told by a certain physician that\nhis mind is disordered and that nothing will cure him but drawing two of\nhis grinders and cauterising him twice on either temple. So do thou take\nthis dinar and call him to thee, saying:\u2014Thine ass is with me.\u201d Said the\nbarber, \u201cMay I fast for a year, if I do not give him his ass in his\nfist!\u201d Now he had with him two journeymen, so he said to one of them,\n\u201cGo, heat the irons.\u201d Then the old woman went her way and the barber\ncalled to the donkey-boy,[202] saying, \u201cThine ass is with me, good\nfellow! come and take him, and as thou livest, I will give him into thy\npalm.\u201d So he came to him and the barber carried him into a dark room,\nwhere he knocked him down and the journeymen bound him hand and foot.\nThen the Maghrabi arose and pulled out two of his grinders and fired him\non either temple; after which he let him go, and he rose and said, \u201cO\nMoor, why hast thou used me with this usage?\u201d Quoth the barber, \u201cThy\nmother told me that thou hadst taken cold whilst ill, and hadst lost thy\nreason, so that, whether sitting or standing or walking, thou wouldst\nsay nothing but My ass! So here is thine ass in thy fist.\u201d Said the\nother, \u201cAllah requite thee for pulling out my teeth.\u201d Then the barber\ntold him all that the old woman had related and he exclaimed, \u201cAllah\ntorment her!\u201d; and the twain left the shop and went out, disputing. When\nthe barber returned, he found his booth empty, for, whilst he was\nabsent, the old woman had taken all that was therein and made off with\nit to her daughter, whom she acquainted with all that had befallen and\nall she had done. The barber, seeing his place plundered, caught hold of\nthe donkey-boy and said to him, \u201cBring me thy mother.\u201d But he answered,\nsaying, \u201cShe is not my mother; she is a sharper who hath cozened much\npeople and stolen my ass.\u201d And lo! at this moment up came the dyer and\nthe Jew and the young merchant, and seeing the Moorish barber holding on\nto the ass-driver who was fired on both temples, they said to him, \u201cWhat\nhath befallen thee, O donkey-boy?\u201d So he told them all that had betided\nhim and the barber did the like; and the others in turn related to the\nMoor the tricks the old woman had played them. Then he shut up his shop\nand went with them to the office of the Police-master to whom they said,\n\u201cWe look to thee for our case and our coin.\u201d[203] Quoth the Wali, \u201cAnd\nhow many old women are there not in Baghdad! Say me, doth any of you\nknow her?\u201d Quoth the ass-man, \u201cI do; so give me ten of thine officers.\u201d\nHe gave them half a score archers and they all five went out, followed\nby the sergeants, and patrolled the city, till they met the old woman,\nwhen they laid hands on her and carrying her to the house of the Chief\nof Police, stood waiting under his office windows till he should come\nforth. Presently, the warders fell asleep, for excess of watching with\ntheir chief, and old Dalilah feigned to follow their example, till the\nass-man and his fellows slept likewise, when she stole away from them\nand, going in to the Wali\u2019s Harim, kissed the hand of the mistress of\nthe house and asked her, \u201cWhere is the Chief of Police?\u201d The lady\nanswered, \u201cHe is asleep; what wouldst thou with him?\u201d Quoth Dalilah, \u201cMy\nhusband is a merchant of chattels and gave me five Mamelukes to sell,\nwhilst he went on a journey. The Master of Police met me and bought them\nof me for a thousand dinars and two hundred for myself, saying:\u2014Bring\nthem to my house. So I have brought them.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the\ndawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Fifth Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the old\nwoman, entering the Harim of the Police-Master, said to his wife,\n\u201cVerily the Wali bought of me five slaves for one thousand ducats and\ntwo hundred for myself, saying:\u2014Bring them to my quarters. So I have\nbrought them.\u201d Hearing the old woman\u2019s story she believed it and asked\nher, \u201cWhere are the slaves?\u201d Dalilah replied, \u201cO my lady, they are\nasleep under the palace window\u201d; whereupon the dame looked out and\nseeing the Moorish barber clad in a Mameluke habit and the young\nmerchant as he were a drunken Mameluke[204] and the Jew and the dyer and\nthe ass-driver as they were shaven Mamelukes, said in herself, \u201cEach of\nthese white slaves is worth more than a thousand dinars.\u201d So she opened\nher chest and gave the old woman the thousand ducats, saying, \u201cFare thee\nforth now and come back anon; when my husband waketh, I will get thee\nthe other two hundred dinars from him.\u201d Answered the old woman, \u201cO my\nlady, an hundred of them are thine, under the sherbet-gugglet whereof\nthou drinkest,[205] and the other hundred do thou keep for me against I\ncome back,\u201d presently adding, \u201cNow let me out by the private door.\u201d So\nshe let her out, and the Protector protected her and she made her way\nhome to her daughter, to whom she related how she had gotten a thousand\ngold pieces and sold her five pursuers into slavery, ending with, \u201cO my\ndaughter, the one who troubleth me most is the ass-driver, for he\nknoweth me.\u201d Said Zaynab, \u201cO my mother, abide quiet awhile and let what\nthou hast done suffice thee, for the crock shall not always escape the\nshock.\u201d When the Chief of Police awoke, his wife said to him, \u201cI give\nthee joy of the five slaves thou hast bought of the old woman.\u201d Asked\nhe, \u201cWhat slaves?\u201d And she answered, \u201cWhy dost thou deny it to me? Allah\nwilling, they shall become like thee people of condition.\u201d Quoth he, \u201cAs\nmy head liveth, I have bought no slaves! Who saith this?\u201d Quoth she,\n\u201cThe old woman, the brokeress, from whom thou boughtest them; and thou\ndidst promise her a thousand dinars for them and two hundred for\nherself.\u201d Cried he, \u201cDidst thou give her the money?\u201d And she replied,\n\u201cYes; for I saw the slaves with my own eyes, and on each is a suit of\nclothes worth a thousand dinars; so I sent out to bid the sergeants have\nan eye to them.\u201d The Wali went out and, seeing the five plaintiffs, said\nto the officers, \u201cWhere are the five slaves we bought for a thousand\ndinars of the old woman?\u201d Said they, \u201cThere are no slaves here; only\nthese five men, who found the old woman, and seized her and brought her\nhither. We fell asleep, whilst waiting for thee, and she stole away and\nentered the Harim. Presently out came a maid and asked us:\u2014Are the five\nwith you with whom the old woman came?\u201d; and we answered, \u201cYes.\u201d Cried\nthe Master of Police, \u201cBy Allah, this is the biggest of swindles!\u201d; and\nthe five men said, \u201cWe look to thee for our goods.\u201d Quoth the Wali, \u201cThe\nold woman, your mistress, sold you to me for a thousand gold pieces.\u201d\nQuoth they, \u201cThat were not allowed of Allah; we are free-born men and\nmay not be sold, and we appeal from thee to the Caliph.\u201d Rejoined the\nMaster of Police, \u201cNone showed her the way to the house save you, and I\nwill sell you to the galleys for two hundred dinars apiece.\u201d Just then,\nbehold, up came the Emir Hasan Sharr al-Tarik who, on his return from\nhis journey had found his wife stripped of her clothes and jewellery and\nheard from her all that had passed; whereupon quoth he, \u201cThe Master of\nPolice shall answer me this\u201d and repairing to him, said, \u201cDost thou\nsuffer old women to go round about the town and cozen folk of their\ngoods? This is thy duty and I look to thee for my wife\u2019s property.\u201d Then\nsaid he to the five men, \u201cWhat is the case with you?\u201d So they told him\ntheir stories and he said, \u201cYe are wronged men,\u201d and turning to the\nMaster of Police, asked him, \u201cWhy dost thou arrest them?\u201d Answered he,\n\u201cNone brought the old wretch to my house save these five, so that she\ntook a thousand dinars of my money and sold them to my women.\u201d Whereupon\nthe five cried, \u201cO Emir Hasan, be thou our advocate in this cause.\u201d Then\nsaid the Master of Police to the Emir, \u201cThy wife\u2019s goods are at my\ncharge and I will be surety for the old woman. But which of you knoweth\nher?\u201d They cried, \u201cWe all know her: send ten apparitors with us, and we\nwill take her.\u201d So he gave them ten men, and the ass-driver said to\nthem, \u201cFollow me, for I should know her with blue eyes.\u201d[206] Then they\nfared forth and lo! they meet old Dalilah coming out of a by-street: so\nthey at once laid hands on her and brought her to the office of the Wali\nwho asked her, \u201cWhere are the people\u2019s goods?\u201d But she answered, saying,\n\u201cI have neither gotten them nor seen them.\u201d Then he cried to the gaoler,\n\u201cTake her with thee and clap her in gaol till the morning;\u201d but he\nreplied, \u201cI will not take her nor will I imprison her lest she play a\ntrick on me and I be answerable for her.\u201d So the Master of Police\nmounted and rode out with Dalilah and the rest to the bank of the\nTigris, where he bade the lamp-lighter crucify her by her hair. He drew\nher up by the pulley and bound her on the cross; after which the Master\nof Police set ten men to guard her and went home. Presently, the night\nfell down and sleep overcame the watchmen. Now a certain Badawi had\nheard one man say to a friend, \u201cPraise be to Allah for thy safe return!\nWhere hast thou been all this time?\u201d Replied the other, \u201cIn Baghdad\nwhere I broke my fast on honey-fritters.\u201d[207] Quoth the Badawi to\nhimself, \u201cNeeds must I go to Baghdad and eat honey-fritters therein\u201d;\nfor in all his life he had never entered Baghdad nor seen fritters of\nthe sort. So he mounted his stallion and rode on towards Baghdad, saying\nin his mind, \u201c\u2019Tis a fine thing to eat honey-fritters! On the honour of\nan Arab, I will break my fast with honey-fritters and naught else!\u201d\u2014\u2014And\nShahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Sixth Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the wild Arab\nmounted horse and made for Baghdad saying in his mind, \u201c\u2019Tis a fine\nthing to eat honey-fritters! On the honour of an Arab I will break my\nfast with honey-fritters and naught else;\u201d and he rode on till he came\nto the place where Dalilah was crucified and she heard him mutter these\nwords. So he went up to her and said to her, \u201cWhat art thou?\u201d Quoth she,\n\u201cI throw myself on thy protection, O Shaykh of the Arabs!\u201d and quoth he,\n\u201cAllah indeed protect thee! But what is the cause of thy crucifixion?\u201d\nSaid she, \u201cI have an enemy, an oilman, who frieth fritters, and I\nstopped to buy some of him, when I chanced to spit and my spittle fell\non the fritters. So he complained of me to the Governor, who commanded\nto crucify me, saying:\u2014I adjudge that ye take ten pounds of\nhoney-fritters and feed her therewith upon the cross. If she eat them,\nlet her go, but if not, leave her hanging. And my stomach will not brook\nsweet things.\u201d Cried the Badawi, \u201cBy the honour of the Arabs, I departed\nnot the camp but that I might taste of honey-fritters! I will eat them\nfor thee.\u201d Quoth she, \u201cNone may eat them, except he be hung up in my\nplace.\u201d So he fell into the trap and unbound her; whereupon she bound\nhim in her stead, after she had stripped him of his clothes and turband\nand put them on; then covering herself with his burnous and mounting his\nhorse, she rode to her house, where Zaynab asked her, \u201cWhat meaneth this\nplight?\u201d; and she answered, \u201cThey crucified me;\u201d and told her all that\nhad befallen her with the Badawi. This is how it fared with her; but as\nregards the watchmen, the first who woke roused his companions and they\nsaw that the day had broken. So one of them raised his eyes and cried,\n\u201cDalilah.\u201d Replied the Badawi, \u201cBy Allah! I have not eaten all night.\nHave ye brought the honey-fritters?\u201d All exclaimed, \u201cThis is a man and a\nBadawi,\u201d and one of them asked him, \u201cO Badawi, where is Dalilah and who\nloosed her?\u201d He answered, \u201c\u2019Twas I; she shall not eat the honey-fritters\nagainst her will; for her soul abhorreth them.\u201d So they knew that the\nArab was ignorant of her case, whom she had cozened, and said to one\nanother, \u201cShall we flee or abide the accomplishment of that which Allah\nhath written for us?\u201d As they were talking, up came the Chief of Police,\nwith all the folk whom the old woman had cheated, and said to the\nguards, \u201cArise, loose Dalilah.\u201d Quoth the Badawi, \u201cWe have not eaten\nto-night. Hast thou brought the honey-fritters?\u201d Whereupon the Wali\nraised his eyes to the cross and seeing the Badawi hung up in the stead\nof the old woman, said to the watchmen, \u201cWhat is this?\u201d \u201cPardon, O our\nlord!\u201d \u201cTell me what hath happened.\u201d \u201cWe were weary with watching with\nthee on guard and said:\u2014Dalilah is crucified. So we fell asleep, and\nwhen we awoke, we found the Badawi hung up in her room; and we are at\nthy mercy.\u201d \u201cO folk, Allah\u2019s pardon be upon you! She is indeed a clever\ncheat!\u201d Then they unbound the Badawi, who laid hold of the Master of\nPolice, saying, \u201cAllah succour the Caliph against thee! I look to none\nbut thee for my horse and clothes!\u201d So the Wali questioned him and he\ntold him what had passed between Dalilah and himself. The magistrate\nmarvelled and asked him, \u201cWhy didst thou release her?\u201d; and the Badawi\nanswered, \u201cI knew not that she was a felon.\u201d Then said the others, \u201cO\nChief of Police, we look to thee in the matter of our goods; for we\ndelivered the old woman into thy hands and she was in thy guard; and we\ncite thee before the Divan of the Caliph.\u201d Now the Emir Hasan had gone\nup to the Divan, when in came the Wali with the Badawi and the five\nothers, saying, \u201cVerily, we are wronged men!\u201d \u201cWho hath wronged you?\u201d\nasked the Caliph; so each came forward in turn and told his story, after\nwhich said the Master of Police, \u201cO Commander of the Faithful, the old\nwoman cheated me also and sold me these five men as slaves for a\nthousand dinars, albeit they are free-born.\u201d Quoth the Prince of True\nBelievers, \u201cI take upon myself all that you have lost\u201d; adding to the\nMaster of Police, \u201cI charge thee with the old woman.\u201d But he shook his\ncollar, saying, \u201cO Commander of the Faithful, I will not answer for her;\nfor, after I had hung her on the cross, she tricked this Badawi and,\nwhen he loosed her, she tied him up in her room and made off with his\nclothes and horse.\u201d Quoth the Caliph, \u201cWhom but thee shall I charge with\nher?\u201d; and quoth the Wali, \u201cCharge Ahmad al-Danaf, for he hath a\nthousand dinars a month and one-and-forty followers, at a monthly wage\nof an hundred dinars each.\u201d So the Caliph said, \u201cHarkye, Captain Ahmad!\u201d\n\u201cAt thy service, O Commander of the Faithful,\u201d said he; and the Caliph\ncried, \u201cI charge thee to bring the old woman before us.\u201d Replied Ahmad,\n\u201cI will answer for her.\u201d Then the Caliph kept the Badawi and the five\nwith him,\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her\npermitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Seventh Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Caliph\nsaid to Calamity Ahmad, \u201cI charge thee to bring the old woman before\nus,\u201d he said, \u201cI will answer for her, O Commander of the Faithful!\u201d Then\nthe Caliph kept the Badawi and the five with him, whilst Ahmad and his\nmen went down to their hall,[208] saying to one another, \u201cHow shall we\nlay hands on her, seeing that there are many old women in the town?\u201d And\nquoth Ahmad to Hasan Shuman, \u201cWhat counsellest thou?\u201d Whereupon quoth\none of them, by name Ali Kitf al-Jamal,[209] to al-Danaf, \u201cOf what dost\nthou take counsel with Hasan Shuman? Is the Pestilent one any great\nshakes?\u201d Said Hasan, \u201cO Ali, why dost thou disparage me? By the Most\nGreat Name, I will not company with thee at this time!\u201d; and he rose and\nwent out in wrath. Then said Ahmad, \u201cO my braves, let every sergeant\ntake ten men, each to his own quarter and search for Dalilah.\u201d All did\nhis bidding, Ali included, and they said, \u201cEre we disperse let us agree\nto rendezvous in the quarter Al-Kalkh.\u201d It was noised abroad in the city\nthat Calamity Ahmad had undertaken to lay hands on Dalilah the Wily, and\nZaynab said to her, \u201cO my mother, an thou be indeed a trickstress, do\nthou befool Ahmad al-Danaf and his company.\u201d Answered Dalilah, \u201cI fear\nnone save Hasan Shuman;\u201d and Zaynab said, \u201cBy the life of my brow-lock,\nI will assuredly get thee the clothes of all the one-and-forty.\u201d Then\nshe dressed and veiled herself and going to a certain druggist, who had\na saloon with two doors, salamed to him and gave him an ashrafi and said\nto him, \u201cTake this gold piece as a douceur for thy saloon and let it to\nme till the end of the day.\u201d So he gave her the keys and she fetched\ncarpets and so forth on the stolen ass and furnishing the place, set on\neach raised pavement a tray of meat and wine. Then she went out and\nstood at the door, with her face unveiled and behold, up came Ali Kitf\nal-Jamal and his men. She kissed his hand; and he fell in love with her,\nseeing her to be a handsome girl, and said to her, \u201cWhat dost thou\nwant?\u201d Quoth she, \u201cArt thou Captain Ahmad al-Danaf?\u201d; and quoth he, \u201cNo,\nbut I am of his company and my name is Ali Camel-shoulder.\u201d Asked she,\n\u201cWhither fare you?\u201d; and he answered, \u201cWe go about in quest of a\nsharkish old woman, who hath stolen folk\u2019s good, and we mean to lay\nhands on her. But who art thou and what is thy business?\u201d She replied,\n\u201cMy father was a taverner at Mosul and he died and left me much money.\nSo I came hither, for fear of the Dignities, and asked the people who\nwould protect me, to which they replied:\u2014None but Ahmad al-Danaf.\u201d Said\nthe men, \u201cFrom this day forth, thou art under his protection\u201d; and she\nreplied, \u201cHearten me by eating a bit and drinking a sup of water.\u201d[210]\nThey consented and entering, ate and drank till they were drunken, when\nshe drugged them with Bhang and stripped them of their clothes and arms;\nand on like wise she did with the three other companions. Presently,\nCalamity Ahmad went out to look for Dalilah, but found her not, neither\nset eyes on any of his followers, and went on till he came to the door\nwhere Zaynab was standing. She kissed his hand and he looked on her and\nfell in love with her. Quoth she, \u201cArt thou Captain Ahmad al-Danaf?\u201d;\nand quoth he, \u201cYes: who art thou?\u201d She replied, \u201cI am a stranger from\nMosul. My father was a vintner at that place and he died and left me\nmuch money wherewith I came to this city, for fear of the powers that\nbe, and opened this tavern. The Master of Police hath imposed a tax on\nme, but it is my desire to put myself under thy protection and pay thee\nwhat the police would take of me, for thou hast the better right to it.\u201d\nQuoth he, \u201cDo not pay him aught: thou shalt have my protection and\nwelcome.\u201d Then quoth she, \u201cPlease to heal my heart and eat of my\nvictual.\u201d So he entered and ate and drank wine, till he could not sit\nupright, when she drugged him and took his clothes and arms. Then she\nloaded her purchase on the Badawi\u2019s horse and the donkey-boy\u2019s ass and\nmade off with it, after she had aroused Ali Kitf al-Jamal.\nCamel-shoulder awoke and found himself naked and saw Ahmad and his men\ndrugged and stripped: so he revived them with the counter-drug and they\nawoke and found themselves naked. Quoth Calamity Ahmad, \u201cO lads, what is\nthis? We were going to catch her, and lo! this strumpet hath caught us!\nHow Hasan Shuman will rejoice over us! But we will wait till it is dark\nand then go away.\u201d Meanwhile Pestilence Hasan said to the hall-keeper,\n\u201cWhere are the men?\u201d; and as he asked, up they came naked; and he\nrecited these two couplets[211]:\u2014\n\n Men in their purposes are much alike, \u273f But in their issues difference\n comes to light:\n Of men some wise are, others simple souls; \u273f As of the stars some dull,\n some pearly bright.\n\nThen he looked at them and asked, \u201cWho hath played you this trick and\nmade you naked?\u201d; and they answered, \u201cWe went in quest of an old woman,\nand a pretty girl stripped us.\u201d Quoth Hasan, \u201cShe hath done right well.\u201d\nThey asked, \u201cDost thou know her?\u201d; and he answered, \u201cYes, I know her and\nthe old trot too.\u201d Quoth they, \u201cWhat shall we say to the Caliph?\u201d; and\nquoth he, \u201cO Danaf, do thou shake thy collar before him, and he will\nsay:\u2014Who is answerable for her; and if he ask why thou hast not caught\nher; say thou:\u2014We know her not; but charge Hasan Shuman with her. And if\nhe give her into my charge, I will lay hands on her.\u201d So they slept that\nnight and on the morrow they went up to the Caliph\u2019s Divan and kissed\nground before him. Quoth he, \u201cWhere is the old woman, O Captain Ahmad?\u201d\nBut he shook his collar. The Caliph asked him why he did so, and he\nanswered, \u201cI know her not; but do thou charge Hasan Shuman to lay hands\non her, for he knoweth her and her daughter also.\u201d Then Hasan interceded\nfor her with the Caliph, saying, \u201cIndeed, she hath not played off these\ntricks, because she coveted the folk\u2019s stuff, but to show her cleverness\nand that of her daughter, to the intent that thou shouldst continue her\nhusband\u2019s stipend to her and that of her father to her daughter. So an\nthou wilt spare her life I will fetch her to thee.\u201d Cried the Caliph,\n\u201cBy the life of my ancestors, if she restore the people\u2019s goods, I will\npardon her on thine intercession!\u201d And said the Pestilence, \u201cGive me a\npledge, O Prince of True Believers!\u201d Whereupon Al-Rashid gave him the\nkerchief of pardon. So Hasan repaired to Dalilah\u2019s house and called to\nher. Her daughter Zaynab answered him and he asked her, \u201cWhere is thy\nmother?\u201d \u201cUpstairs,\u201d she answered; and he said, \u201cBid her take the\npeople\u2019s goods and come with me to the presence of the Caliph; for I\nhave brought her the kerchief of pardon, and if she will not come with a\ngood grace, let her blame only herself.\u201d So Dalilah came down and tying\nthe kerchief about her neck gave him the people\u2019s goods on the\ndonkey-boy\u2019s ass and the Badawi\u2019s horse. Quoth he, \u201cThere remain the\nclothes of my Chief and his men\u201d; and quoth she, \u201cBy the Most Great\nName, \u2019twas not I who stripped them!\u201d Rejoined Hasan, \u201cThou sayst sooth,\nit was thy daughter Zaynab\u2019s doing, and this was a good turn she did\nthee.\u201d Then he carried her to the Divan and laying the people\u2019s goods\nand stuff before the Caliph, set the old trot in his presence. As soon\nas he saw her, he bade throw her down on the carpet of blood, whereat\nshe cried, \u201cI cast myself on thy protection, O Shuman!\u201d So he rose and\nkissing the Caliph\u2019s hands, said, \u201cPardon, O Commander of the Faithful!\nIndeed, thou gavest me the kerchief of pardon.\u201d Said the Prince of True\nBelievers, \u201cI pardon her for thy sake: come hither, O old woman; what is\nthy name?\u201d \u201cMy name is Wily Dalilah,\u201d answered she, and the Caliph said,\n\u201cThou art indeed crafty and full of guile.\u201d Whence she was dubbed\nDalilah the Wily One. Then quoth he, \u201cWhy hast thou played all these\ntricks on the folk and wearied our hearts?\u201d and quoth she, \u201cI did it not\nof lust for their goods, but because I had heard of the tricks which\nAhmad al-Danaf and Hasan Shuman played in Baghdad and said to myself:\u2014I\ntoo will do the like. And now I have returned the folk their goods.\u201d But\nthe ass-driver rose and said, \u201cI invoke Allah\u2019s law[212] between me and\nher; for it sufficed her not to take my ass, but she must needs egg on\nthe Moorish barber to tear out my eye-teeth and fire me on both\ntemples.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her\npermitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Eighth Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the\ndonkey-boy rose and cried out, \u201cI invoke Allah\u2019s law between me and her;\nfor it sufficed her not to take my ass, but she must needs egg on the\nbarber to tear out my eye-teeth and fire me on both temples;\u201d thereupon\nthe Caliph bade give him an hundred dinars and ordered the dyer the\nlike, saying, \u201cGo; set up thy dyery again.\u201d So they called down\nblessings on his head and went away. The Badawi also took his clothes\nand horse and departed, saying, \u201c\u2019Tis henceforth unlawful and forbidden\nme to enter Baghdad and eat honey-fritters.\u201d And the others took their\ngoods and went away. Then said the Caliph, \u201cAsk a boon of me, O\nDalilah!\u201d; and she said, \u201cVerily, my father was governor of the\ncarrier-pigeons to thee and I know how to rear the birds; and my husband\nwas town-captain of Baghdad. Now I wish to have the reversion of my\nhusband and my daughter wisheth to have that of her father.\u201d The Caliph\ngranted both their requests and she said, \u201cI ask of thee that I may be\nportress of thy Khan.\u201d Now he had built a Khan of three stories, for the\nmerchants to lodge in, and had assigned to its service forty slaves and\nalso forty dogs he had brought from the King of the Sulaym\u00e1niyah,[213]\nwhen he deposed him; and there was in the Khan a cook-slave, who cooked\nfor the chattels and fed the hounds for which he let make collars. Said\nthe Caliph, \u201cO Dalilah, I will write thee a patent of guardianship of\nthe Khan, and if aught be lost therefrom, thou shalt be answerable for\nit.\u201d \u201c\u2019Tis well,\u201d replied she; \u201cbut do thou lodge my daughter in the\npavilion over the door of the Khan, for it hath terraced roofs, and\ncarrier-pigeons may not be reared to advantage save in an open space.\u201d\nThe Caliph granted her this also and she and her daughter removed to the\npavilion in question, where Zaynab hung up the one-and-forty dresses of\nCalamity Ahmad and his company. Moreover, they delivered to Dalilah the\nforty pigeons which carried the royal messages, and the Caliph appointed\nthe Wily One mistress over the forty slaves and charged them to obey\nher. She made the place of her sitting behind the door of the Khan, and\nevery day she used to go up to the Caliph\u2019s Divan, lest he should need\nto send a message by pigeon-post and stay there till eventide whilst the\nforty slaves stood on guard at the Khan; and when darkness came on they\nloosed the forty dogs that they might keep watch over the place by\nnight. Such were the doings of Dalilah the Wily One in Baghdad and much\nlike them were\n\n-----\n\nFootnote 179:\n\n This and the next tale are omitted by Lane (iii. 254) on \u201caccount of\n its vulgarity, rendered more objectionable by indecent incidents.\u201d It\n has been honoured with a lithographed reprint at Cairo A.H. 1278 and\n the Bresl. Edit. ix. 193 calls it the \u201cTale of Ahmad al-Danaf with\n Dal\u00edlah.\u201d\n\nFootnote 180:\n\n \u201cAhmad, the Distressing Sickness,\u201d or \u201cCalamity\u201d; Hasan the Pestilent\n and Dal\u00edlah the bawd. See vol. ii. 329, and vol. iv. 75.\n\nFootnote 181:\n\n A f\u0153tus, a foundling, a contemptible fellow.\n\nFootnote 182:\n\n In the Mac. Edit. \u201cher husband\u201d: the end of the tale shows the error,\n _infra_, p. 171. The Bresl. Edit., x. 195, informs us that Dalilah was\n a \u201cFaylas\u00faf\u00edyah\u201d = philosopheress.\n\nFootnote 183:\n\n Arab. \u201cIbr\u00edk\u201d usually a ewer, a spout-pot, from the Pers. Ab-r\u00edz =\n water-pourer; the old woman thus vaunted her ceremonial purity. The\n basin and ewer are called in poetry \u201cthe two rumourers,\u201d because they\n rattle when borne about.\n\nFootnote 184:\n\n Kh\u00e1t\u00fan in Turk. is = a lady, a dame of high degree; at times, as here\n and elsewhere, it becomes a P. N.\n\nFootnote 185:\n\n Arab. \u201cMaut,\u201d a word mostly avoided in the Koran and by the Founder of\n Christianity.\n\nFootnote 186:\n\n Arab. \u201cAk\u00e1k\u00edr,\u201d drugs, spices, simples which cannot be distinguished\n without study and practice. Hence the proverb (Burckhardt, 703), Is\n this an art of drugs?\u2014difficult as the druggist\u2019s craft?\n\nFootnote 187:\n\n _i.e._ Beautiful as the fairy damsels who guard enchanted treasures,\n such as that of Al-Shamardal (vol. vi. 221).\n\nFootnote 188:\n\n _i.e._ by contact with a person in a state of ceremonial impurity;\n servants are not particular upon this point and \u201cSal\u00e1t maml\u00fak\u00edyah\u201d\n (Mameluke\u2019s prayers) means praying without ablution.\n\nFootnote 189:\n\n _i.e._ Father of assaults, burdens or pregnancies; the last being here\n the meaning.\n\nFootnote 190:\n\n Ex votos and so forth.\n\nFootnote 191:\n\n Arab. \u201cIksah,\u201d plaits, braids, also the little gold coins and other\n ornaments worn in the hair, now mostly by the middle and lower\n classes. Low Europeans sometimes take advantage of the native\n prostitutes by detaching these valuables, a form of \u201cbilking\u201d peculiar\n to the Nile-Valley.\n\nFootnote 192:\n\n In Bresl. Edit. Mal\u00edh Kaw\u00ed (pron. \u2019Awi), a Cairene vulgarism.\n\nFootnote 193:\n\n Meaning without veil or upper clothing.\n\nFootnote 194:\n\n Arab. \u201cKallak\u00e1s\u201d the edible African arum before explained. This\n Colocasia is supposed to bear, unlike the palm, male and female\n flowers in one spathe.\n\nFootnote 195:\n\n See vol. iii. 302. The figs refer to the anus and the pomegranates,\n like the sycomore, to the female parts. Me nec f\u00e6mina nec puer, &c.,\n says Horace in pensive mood.\n\nFootnote 196:\n\n It is in accordance to custom that the Shaykh be attended by a\n half-witted fanatic who would be made furious by seeing gold and silks\n in the reverend presence so coyly curtained.\n\nFootnote 197:\n\n In English, \u201cGod damn everything an inch high!\u201d\n\nFootnote 198:\n\n Burckhardt notes that the Wali, or chief police officer at Cairo, was\n exclusively termed Al-Agha and quotes the proverb (No. 156) \u201cOne night\n the whore repented and cried:\u2014What! no Wali (Al-Agh\u00e1) to lay whores by\n the heels?\u201d Some of these Egyptian by-words are most amusing and\n characteristic; but they require literal translation, not the timid\n touch of the last generation. I am preparing, for the use of my\n friend, Bernard Quaritch, a bon\u00e2 fide version which awaits only the\n promised volume of Herr Landberg.\n\nFootnote 199:\n\n Lit. for \u201cwe leave them for the present\u201d; the formula is much used in\n this tale, showing another hand, author or copyist.\n\nFootnote 200:\n\n Arab. \u201cUzrah.\u201d\n\nFootnote 201:\n\n _i.e._ \u201cThou art unjust and violent enough to wrong even the Caliph!\u201d\n\nFootnote 202:\n\n I may note that a \u201cdonkey-boy\u201d like our \u201cpost-boy\u201d can be of any age\n in Egypt.\n\nFootnote 203:\n\n They could legally demand to be recouped but the chief would have\n found some pretext to put off payment. Such at least is the legal\n process of these days.\n\nFootnote 204:\n\n _i.e._ drunk with the excess of his beauty.\n\nFootnote 205:\n\n A delicate way of offering a fee. When officers commanding regiments\n in India contracted for clothing the men, they found these douceurs\n under their dinner-napkins. All that is now changed; but I doubt the\n change being an improvement: the public is plundered by a \u201cBoard\u201d\n instead of an individual.\n\nFootnote 206:\n\n This may mean, I should know her even were my eyes blue (or blind)\n with cataract and the Bresl. Edit. ix., 231, reads \u201cAyn\u00ed\u201d = my eye; or\n it may be, I should know her by her staring, glittering, hungry eyes,\n as opposed to the \u201cHawar\u201d soft-black and languishing (Arab. Prov. i.\n 115, and ii. 848). The Prophet said \u201cblue-eyed (women) are of good\n omen.\u201d And when one man reproached another saying \u201cThou art Azrak\u201d\n (blue-eyed!) he retorted, \u201cSo is the falcon!\u201d \u201cZurk-an\u201d in Kor. xx.\n 102, is translated by Mr. Rod well \u201cleaden eyes.\u201d It ought to be\n blue-eyed, dim-sighted, purblind.\n\nFootnote 207:\n\n Arab. \u201cZal\u00e1biyah bi-\u2019Asal.\u201d\n\nFootnote 208:\n\n Arab. \u201cK\u00e1\u2019ah,\u201d their mess-room, barracks.\n\nFootnote 209:\n\n _i.e._ Camel shoulder-blade.\n\nFootnote 210:\n\n So in the Brazil you are invited to drink a _copa d\u2019agua_ and find a\n splendid banquet. There is a smack of Chinese ceremony in this\n practice which lingers throughout southern Europe; but the less\n advanced society is, the more it is fettered by ceremony and\n \u201cetiquette.\u201d\n\nFootnote 211:\n\n The Bresl. Edit. (ix. 239) prefers these lines:\u2014\n\n Some of us be hawks and some sparrow-hawks, \u273f And vultures some which\n at carrion pike;\n And maidens deem all alike we be \u273f But, save in our turbands, we\u2019re\n not alike.\n\nFootnote 212:\n\n Arab. Shar\u2019a = holy law; here it especially applies to Al-Kis\u00e1s = _lex\n talionis_, which would order her eye-tooth to be torn out.\n\nFootnote 213:\n\n _i.e._, of the Afghans. Sulaym\u00e1ni is the Egypt and Hijazi term for an\n Afghan and the proverb says \u201cSulaym\u00e1ni har\u00e1mi\u201d\u2014the Afghan is a\n villainous man. See Pilgrimage i. 59, which gives them a better\n character. The Bresl. Edit. simply says, \u201cKing Sulaym\u00e1n.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n THE ADVENTURES OF MERCURY ALI OF CAIRO.[214]\n\n\nNow as regards the works of Mercury \u2019Al\u00ed; there lived once at\nCairo,[215] in the days of Sal\u00e1h the Egyptian, who was Chief of the\nCairo Police and had forty men under him, a sharper named Ali, for whom\nthe Master of Police used to set snares and think that he had fallen\ntherein; but, when they sought for him, they found that he had fled like\nzaybak, or quicksilver, wherefore they dubbed him Ali Zaybak or Mercury\nAli of Cairo. Now one day, as he sat with his men in his hall, his heart\nbecame heavy within him and his breast was straitened. The hall-keeper\nsaw him sitting with frowning face and said to him, \u201cWhat aileth thee, O\nmy Chief? If thy breast be straitened take a turn in the streets of\nCairo, for assuredly walking in her markets will do away with thy irk.\u201d\nSo he rose up and went out and threaded the streets awhile, but only\nincreased in cark and care. Presently, he came to a wine-shop and said\nto himself, \u201cI will go in and drink myself drunken.\u201d So he entered and\nseeing seven rows of people in the shop, said, \u201cHarkye, taverner! I will\nnot sit except by myself.\u201d Accordingly, the vintner placed him in a\nchamber alone and set strong pure wine before him whereof he drank till\nhe lost his senses. Then he sallied forth again and walked till he came\nto the road called Red, whilst the people left the street clear before\nhim, out of fear of him. Presently, he turned and saw a water-carrier\ntrudging along, with his skin and gugglet, crying out and saying, \u201cO\nexchange! There is no drink but what raisins make, there is no\nlove-delight but what of the lover we take and none sitteth in the place\nof honour save the sensible freke[216]!\u201d So he said to him, \u201cHere, give\nme to drink!\u201d The water-carrier looked at him and gave him the gugglet\nwhich he took and gazing into it, shook it up and lastly poured it out\non the ground. Asked the water-carrier, \u201cWhy dost thou not drink?\u201d; and\nhe answered, saying, \u201cGive me to drink.\u201d So the man filled the cup a\nsecond time and he took it and shook it and emptied it on the ground;\nand thus he did a third time. Quoth the water-carrier, \u201cAn thou wilt not\ndrink, I will be off.\u201d And Ali said, \u201cGive me to drink.\u201d So he filled\nthe cup a fourth time and gave it to him; and he drank and gave the man\na dinar. The water-carrier looked at him with disdain and said,\nbelittling him, \u201cGood luck to thee! Good luck to thee, my lad! Little\nfolk are one thing and great folk another!\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the\ndawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Ninth Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the\nwater-carrier receiving the dinar, looked at the giver with disdain and\nsaid, \u201cGood luck to thee! Good luck to thee! Little folk are one thing\nand great folk another.\u201d Now when Mercury Ali heard this, he caught hold\nof the man\u2019s gaberdine and drawing on him a poignard of price, such an\none as that whereof the poet speaketh in these two couplets:\u2014\n\n Watered steel-blade, the world perfection calls, \u273f Drunk with the viper\n poison foes appals,\n Cuts lively, burns the blood whene\u2019er it falls; \u273f And picks up gems from\n pave of marble halls;[217]\n\ncried to him, \u201cO Shaykh, speak reasonably to me! Thy water-skin is worth\nif dear three dirhams, and the gugglets I emptied on the ground held a\npint or so of water.\u201d Replied the water-carrier \u201c\u2019Tis well,\u201d and Ali\nrejoined, \u201cI gave thee a golden ducat: why, then dost thou belittle me?\nSay me, hast thou ever seen any more valiant than I or more generous\nthan I?\u201d Answered the water-carrier; \u201cI have indeed, seen one more\nvaliant than thou and eke more generous than thou; for, never, since\nwomen bare children, was there on earth\u2019s face a brave man who was not\ngenerous.\u201d Quoth Ali, \u201cand who is he thou deemest braver and more\ngenerous than I?\u201d Quoth the other, \u201cThou must know that I have had a\nstrange adventure. My father was a Shaykh of the Water-carriers who give\ndrink in Cairo and, when he died, he left me five male camels, a\nhe-mule, a shop and a house; but the poor man is never satisfied; or, if\nhe be satisfied he dieth. So I said to myself:\u2014I will go up to Al-Hijaz;\nand, taking a string of camels, bought goods on tick, till I had run in\ndebt for five hundred ducats, all of which I lost in the pilgrimage.\nThen I said in my mind:\u2014If I return to Cairo the folk will clap me in\njail for their goods. So I fared with the pilgrims-caravan of Damascus\nto Aleppo and thence I went on to Baghdad, where I sought out the Shaykh\nof the Water-carriers of the city and finding his house I went in and\nrepeated the opening chapter of the Koran to him. He questioned me of my\ncase and I told him all that had betided me, whereupon he assigned me a\nshop and gave me a water-skin and gear. So I sallied forth a-morn\ntrusting in Allah to provide, and went round about the city. I offered\nthe gugglet to one, that he might drink; but he cried, I have eaten\nnaught whereon to drink; for a niggard invited me this day and set two\ngugglets before me; so I said to him:\u2014O son of the sordid, hast thou\ngiven me aught to eat that thou offerest me drink after it? Wherefore\nwend thy ways, O water-carrier, till I have eaten somewhat: then come\nand give me to drink.\u201d Thereupon I accosted another and he said:\u2014Allah\nprovide thee! And so I went on till noon, without taking hansel, and I\nsaid to myself, Would Heaven I had never come to Baghdad! Presently, I\nsaw the folk running as fast as they could; so I followed them and\nbehold, a long file of men riding two and two and clad in steel, with\ndouble neck-rings and felt bonnets and burnouses and swords and\nbucklers. I asked one of the folk whose suite this was, and he answered,\nThat of Captain Ahmad al-Danaf. Quoth I, And what is he? and quoth the\nother, He is town-captain of Baghdad and her Divan, and to him is\ncommitted the care of the suburbs. He getteth a thousand dinars a month\nfrom the Caliph and Hasan Shuman hath the like. Moreover, each of his\nmen draweth an hundred dinars a month; and they are now returning to\ntheir barrack from the Divan. And lo! Calamity Ahmad saw me and cried\nout, Come give me drink. So I filled the cup and gave it him, and he\nshook it and emptied it out, like unto thee; and thus he did a second\ntime. Then I filled the cup a third time and he took a draught as thou\ndiddest; after which he asked me, O water-carrier, whence comest thou?\nAnd I answered, From Cairo, and he, Allah keep Cairo and her citizens!\nWhat may bring thee thither? So I told him my story and gave him to\nunderstand that I was a debtor fleeing from debt and distress. He cried,\nThou art welcome to Baghdad; then he gave me five dinars and said to his\nmen, For the love of Allah be generous to him. So each of them gave me a\ndinar and Ahmad said to me, O Shaykh, what while thou abidest in Baghdad\nthou shalt have of us the like every time thou givest us to drink.\nAccordingly, I paid them frequent visits and good ceased not to come to\nme from the folk till, one day, reckoning up the profit I had made of\nthem, I found it a thousand dinars and said to myself, The best thing\nthou canst do is to return to Egypt. So I went to Ahmad\u2019s house and\nkissed his hand, and he said, What seekest thou? Quoth I, I have a mind\nto depart; and I repeated these two couplets:\u2014\n\n Sojourn of stranger, in whatever land, \u273f Is like the castle based upon\n the wind:\n The breaths of breezes level all he raised. \u273f And so on homeward-way\u2019s\n the stranger\u2019s mind.\n\nI added, The caravan is about to start for Cairo and I wish to return to\nmy people. So he gave me a she-mule and an hundred dinars and said to\nme, I desire to send somewhat by thee, O Shaykh! Dost thou know the\npeople of Cairo? Yes, answered I;\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of\nday and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Tenth Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Ahmad\nal-Danaf had given the water-carrier a she-mule and an hundred dinars\nand said to him, \u201cI desire to send a trust by thee. Dost thou know the\npeople of Cairo?\u201d I answered (quoth the water-carrier), \u201cYes; and he\nsaid, Take this letter and carry it to Ali Zaybak of Cairo and say to\nhim, Thy Captain saluteth thee and he is now with the Caliph. So I took\nthe letter and journeyed back to Cairo, where I paid my debts and plied\nmy water-carrying trade; but I have not delivered the letter, because I\nknow not the abode of Mercury Ali.\u201d Quoth Ali, \u201cO elder, be of good\ncheer and keep thine eyes cool and clear: I am that Ali, the first of\nthe lads of Captain Ahmad: here with the letter!\u201d So he gave him the\nmissive and he opened it and read these two couplets:\u2014\n\n \u201cO adornment of beauties to thee write I \u273f On a paper that flies as the\n winds go by:\n Could I fly, I had flown to their arms in desire, \u273f But a bird with cut\n wings; how shall ever he fly?\u201d\n\n\u201cBut after salutation from Captain Ahmad al-Danaf to the eldest of his\nsons, Mercury Ali of Cairo. Thou knowest that I tormented Salah al-Din\nthe Cairene and befooled him till I buried him alive and reduced his\nlads to obey me, and amongst them Ali Kitf al-Jamal; and I am now become\ntown-captain of Baghdad in the Divan of the Caliph who hath made me\noverseer of the suburbs. An thou be still mindful of our covenant, come\nto me; haply thou shalt play some trick in Baghdad which may promote\nthee to the Caliph\u2019s service, so he may appoint thee stipends and\nallowances and assign thee a lodging, which is what thou wouldst see and\nso peace be on thee.\u201d When Ali read this letter, he kissed it and laying\nit on his head, gave the water-carrier ten dinars; after which he\nreturned to his barracks and told his comrades and said to them, \u201cI\ncommend you one to other.\u201d Then he changed all his clothes and, donning\na travelling cloak and a tarboosh, took a case, containing a spear of\nbamboo-cane, four-and-twenty cubits long, made in several pieces, to fit\ninto one another. Quoth his lieutenant, \u201cWilt thou go a journey when the\ntreasury is empty?\u201d; and quoth Ali, \u201cWhen I reach Damascus I will send\nyou what shall suffice you.\u201d Then he set out and fared on, till he\novertook a caravan about to start, whereof were the Shahbandar, or\nProvost of the Merchants, and forty other traders. They had all loaded\ntheir beasts, except the Provost, whose loads lay upon the ground, and\nAli heard his caravan-leader, who was a Syrian, say to the muleteers,\n\u201cBear a hand, one of you!\u201d But they reviled him and abused him. Quoth\nAli in himself, \u201cNone will suit me so well to travel withal as this\nleader.\u201d Now Ali was beardless and well-favoured; so he went up to and\nsaluted the leader who welcomed him and said, \u201cWhat seekest thou?\u201d\nReplied Ali, \u201cO my uncle, I see thee alone with forty mule-loads of\ngoods; but why hast thou not brought hands to help thee?\u201d Rejoined the\nother, \u201cO my son, I hired two lads and clothed them and put in each\none\u2019s pocket two hundred dinars; and they helped me till we came to the\nDervishes\u2019 Convent,[218] when they ran away.\u201d Quoth Ali, \u201cWhither are\nyou bound?\u201d and quoth the Syrian, \u201cto Aleppo,\u201d when Ali said, \u201cI will\nlend thee a hand.\u201d Accordingly they loaded the beasts and the Provost\nmounted his she-mule and they set out he rejoicing in Ali; and presently\nhe loved him and made much of him and on this wise they fared on till\nnightfall, when they dismounted and ate and drank. Then came the time of\nsleep and Ali lay down on his side and made as if he slept; whereupon\nthe Syrian stretched himself near him and Ali rose from his stead and\nsat down at the door of the merchant\u2019s pavilion. Presently, the Syrian\nturned over and would have taken Ali in his arms, but found him not and\nsaid to himself, \u201cHaply he hath promised another and he hath taken him;\nbut I have the first right and another night I will keep him.\u201d Now Ali\ncontinued sitting at the door of the tent till nigh upon daybreak, when\nhe returned and lay down near the Syrian, who found him by his side,\nwhen he awoke, and said to himself, \u201cIf I ask him where he hath been, he\nwill leave me and go away.\u201d So he dissembled with him and they went on\ntill they came to a forest, in which was a cave, where dwelt a rending\nlion. Now whenever a caravan passed, they would draw lots among\nthemselves and him on whom the lot fell they would throw to the beast.\nSo they drew lots and the lot fell not save upon the Provost of the\nMerchants. And lo! the lion cut off their way awaiting his pray,\nwherefore the Provost was sore distressed and said to the leader, \u201cAllah\ndisappoint the fortunes[219] of the far one and bring his journey to\nnaught! I charge thee, after my death, give my loads to my children.\u201d\nQuoth Ali the Clever One, \u201cWhat meaneth all this?\u201d So they told him the\ncase and he said, \u201cWhy do ye run from the tom-cat of the desert? I\nwarrant you I will kill him.\u201d So the Syrian went to the Provost and told\nhim of this and he said, \u201cIf he slay him, I will give him a thousand\ndinars,\u201d and said the other merchants, \u201cWe will reward him likewise one\nand all.\u201d With this Ali put off his mantle and there appeared upon him a\nsuit of steel; then he took a chopper of steel[220] and opening it\nturned the screw; after which he went forth alone and standing in the\nroad before the lion, cried out to him. The lion ran at him, but Ali of\nCairo smote him between the eyes with his chopper and cut him in sunder,\nwhilst the caravan-leader and the merchants looked on. Then said he to\nthe leader, \u201cHave no fear, O nuncle!\u201d and the Syrian answered, saying,\n\u201cO my son, I am thy servant for all future time.\u201d Then the Provost\nembraced him and kissed him between the eyes and gave him the thousand\ndinars, and each of the other merchants gave him twenty dinars. He\ndeposited all the coin with the Provost and they slept that night till\nthe morning, when they set out again, intending for Baghdad, and fared\non till they came to the Lion\u2019s Clump and the Wady of Dogs, where lay a\nvillain Badawi, a brigand and his tribe, who sallied forth on them. The\nfolk fled from the highwaymen, and the Provost said, \u201cMy monies are\nlost!\u201d; when, lo! up came Ali in a buff coat hung with bells, and\nbringing out his long lance, fitted the pieces together. Then he seized\none of the Arab\u2019s horses and mounting it cried out to the Badawi Chief,\nsaying, \u201cCome out to fight me with spears!\u201d Moreover he shook his bells\nand the Arab\u2019s mare took fright at the noise and Ali struck the chief\u2019s\nspear and broke it. Then he smote him on the neck and cut off his\nhead.[221] When the Badawin saw their chief fall, they ran at Ali, but\nhe cried out, saying, \u201cAllaho Akbar\u2014God is Most Great!\u201d\u2014and, falling on\nthem broke them and put them to flight. Then he raised the Chief\u2019s head\non his spear-point and returned to the merchants, who rewarded him\nliberally and continued their journey, till they reached Baghdad.\nThereupon Ali took his money from the Provost and committed it to the\nSyrian caravan-leader, saying, \u201cWhen thou returnest to Cairo, ask for my\nbarracks and give these monies to my deputy.\u201d Then he slept that night\nand on the morrow he entered the city and threading the streets enquired\nfor Calamity Ahmad\u2019s quarters; but none would direct him thereto.[222]\nSo he walked on, till he came to the square Al-Nafz, where he saw\nchildren at play, and amongst them a lad called Ahmad al-Lak\u00edt,[223] and\nsaid to himself, \u201cO my Ali, thou shalt not get news of them but from\ntheir little ones.\u201d Then he turned and seeing a sweetmeat-seller bought\nHalw\u00e1 of him and called to the children; but Ahmad al-Lakit drove the\nrest away and coming up to him, said, \u201cWhat seekest thou?\u201d Quoth Ali, \u201cI\nhad a son and he died and I saw him in a dream asking for sweetmeats:\nwherefore I have bought them and wish to give each child a bit.\u201d So\nsaying, he gave Ahmad a slice, and he looked at it and seeing a dinar\nsticking to it, said, \u201cBegone! I am no catamite: seek another than I.\u201d\nQuoth Ali, \u201cO my son, none but a sharp fellow taketh the hire, even as\nhe is a sharp one who giveth it. I have sought all day for Ahmad\nal-Danaf\u2019s barrack, but none would direct me thereto; so this dinar is\nthine an thou wilt guide me thither.\u201d Quoth the lad, \u201cI will run before\nthee and do thou keep up with me, till I come to the place, when I will\ncatch up a pebble with my foot[224] and kick it against the door; and so\nshalt thou know it.\u201d Accordingly he ran on and Ali after him, till they\ncame to the place, when the boy caught up a pebble between his toes and\nkicked it against the door so as to make the place known.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad\nperceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Eleventh Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Ahmad the\nAbortion had made known the place, Ali laid hold of him and would have\ntaken the dinar from him, but could not; so he said to him, \u201cGo: thou\ndeservest largesse for thou art a sharp fellow, whole of wit and stout\nof heart. Inshallah, if I become a captain to the Caliph, I will make\nthee one of my lads.\u201d Then the boy made off and Ali Zaybak went up to\nthe door and knocked; whereupon quoth Ahmad al-Danaf, \u201cO doorkeeper,\nopen the door; that is the knock of Quicksilver Ali the Cairene.\u201d So he\nopened the door and Ali entered and saluted with the salam Ahmad who\nembraced him, and the Forty greeted him. Then Calamity Ahmad gave him a\nsuit of clothes, saying, \u201cWhen the Caliph made me captain, he clothed my\nlads and I kept this suit[225] for thee.\u201d Then they seated him in the\nplace of honour and setting on meat they ate well and drink they drank\nhard and made merry till the morning, when Ahmad said to Ali, \u201cBeware\nthou walk not about the streets of Baghdad, but sit thee still in this\nbarrack.\u201d Asked Ali, \u201cWhy so? Have I come hither to be shut up? No, I\ncame to look about me and divert myself.\u201d Replied Ahmad, \u201cO my son,\nthink not that Baghdad be like Cairo. Baghdad is the seat of the\nCaliphate; sharpers abound therein and rogueries spring therefrom as\nworts spring out of earth.\u201d So Ali abode in the barrack three days when\nAhmad said to him, \u201cI wish to present thee to the Caliph, that he may\nassign thee an allowance.\u201d But he replied, \u201cWhen the time cometh.\u201d So he\nlet him go his own way. One day, as Ali sat in the barrack, his breast\nbecame straitened and his soul troubled and he said in himself, \u201cCome,\nlet us up and thread the ways of Baghdad and broaden my bosom.\u201d So he\nwent out and walked from street to street, till he came to the middle\nbazar, where he entered a cook-shop and dined;[226] after which he went\nout to wash his hands. Presently he saw forty slaves, with felt bonnets\nand steel cutlasses, come walking, two by two; and last of all came\nDalilah the Wily, mounted on a she-mule, with a gilded helmet which bore\na ball of polished steel, and clad in a coat of mail, and such like. Now\nshe was returning from the Divan to the Khan of which she was portress;\nand when she espied Ali, she looked at him fixedly and saw that he\nresembled Calamity Ahmad in height and breadth. Moreover, he was clad in\na striped Ab\u00e1-cloak and a burnous, with a steel cutlass by his side and\nsimilar gear, while valour shone from his eyes, testifying in favour of\nhim and not in disfavour of him. So she returned to the Khan and going\nin to her daughter, fetched a table of sand, and struck a geomantic\nfigure, whereby she discovered that the stranger\u2019s name was Ali of Cairo\nand that his fortune overcame her fortune and that of her daughter.\nAsked Zaynab, \u201cO my mother, what hath befallen thee that thou hast\nrecourse to the sand-table?\u201d Answered Dalilah, \u201cO my daughter, I have\nseen this day a young man who resembleth Calamity Ahmad, and I fear lest\nhe come to hear how thou didst strip Ahmad and his men and enter the\nKhan and play us a trick, in revenge for what we did with his chief and\nthe forty; for methinks he has taken up his lodging in al-Danaf\u2019s\nbarrack.\u201d Zaynab rejoined, \u201cWhat is this? Methinks thou hast taken his\nmeasure.\u201d Then she donned her fine clothes and went out into the\nstreets. When the people saw her, they all made love to her and she\npromised and sware and listened and coquetted and passed from market to\nmarket, till she saw Ali the Cairene coming, when she went up to him and\nrubbed her shoulder against him. Then she turned and said, \u201cAllah give\nlong life to folk of discrimination!\u201d Quoth he, \u201cHow goodly is thy form!\nTo whom dost thou belong?\u201d; and quoth she, \u201cTo the gallant[227] like\nthee;\u201d and he said, \u201cArt thou wife or spinster?\u201d \u201cMarried,\u201d said she.\nAsked Ali, \u201cShall it be in my lodging or thine?\u201d[228] and she answered,\n\u201cI am a merchant\u2019s daughter and a merchant\u2019s wife and in all my life I\nhave never been out of doors till to-day, and my only reason was that\nwhen I made ready food and thought to eat, I had no mind thereto without\ncompany. When I saw thee, love of thee entered my heart: so wilt thou\ndeign solace my soul and eat a mouthful with me?\u201d Quoth he, \u201cWhoso is\ninvited, let him accept.\u201d Thereupon she went on and he followed her from\nstreet to street, but presently he bethought himself and said, \u201cWhat\nwilt thou do and thou a stranger? Verily \u2019tis said:\u2014Whoso doth whoredom\nin his strangerhood, Allah will send him back disappointed. But I will\nput her off from thee with fair words.\u201d So he said to her, \u201cTake this\ndinar and appoint me a day other than this;\u201d and she said, \u201cBy the\nMighty Name, it may not be but thou shalt go home with me as my guest\nthis very day and I will take thee to fast friend.\u201d So he followed her\ntill she came to a house with a lofty porch and a wooden bolt on the\ndoor and said to him, \u201cOpen this lock.\u201d[229] Asked he \u201cWhere is the\nkey?\u201d; and she answered, \u201c\u2019Tis lost.\u201d Quoth he, \u201cWhoso openeth a lock\nwithout a key is a knave whom it behoveth the ruler to punish, and I\nknow not how to open doors without keys?[230]\u201d With this she raised her\nveil and showed him her face, whereat he took one glance of eyes that\ncost him a thousand sighs. Then she let fall her veil on the lock and\nrepeating over it the names of the mother of Moses, opened it without a\nkey and entered. He followed her and saw swords and steel-weapons\nhanging up; and she put off her veil and sat down with him. Quoth he to\nhimself, \u201cAccomplish what Allah hath decreed to thee,\u201d and bent over\nher, to take a kiss of her cheek; but she caught the kiss upon her palm,\nsaying, \u201cThis beseemeth not but by night.\u201d Then she brought a tray of\nfood and wine, and they ate and drank; after which she rose and drawing\nwater from the well, poured it from the ewer over his hands, whilst he\nwashed them. Now whilst they were on this wise, she cried out and beat\nupon her breast, saying, \u201cMy husband had a signet-ring of ruby, which\nwas pledged to him for five hundred dinars, and I put it on; but \u2019twas\ntoo large for me, so I straitened it with wax, and when I let down the\nbucket,[231] that ring must have dropped into the well. So turn thy face\nto the door, the while I doff my dress and go down into the well and\nfetch it.\u201d Quoth Ali, \u201c\u2019Twere shame on me that thou shouldst go down\nthere I being present; none shall do it save I.\u201d So he put off his\nclothes and tied the rope about himself and she let him down into the\nwell. Now there was much water therein and she said to him, \u201cThe rope is\ntoo short; loose thyself and drop down.\u201d So he did himself loose from\nthe rope and dropped into the water, in which he sank fathoms deep\nwithout touching bottom; whilst she donned her mantilla and taking his\nclothes, returned to her mother\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day\nand ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Twelfth Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Ali of Cairo\nwas in the well, Zaynab donned her mantilla and, taking his clothes,\nreturned to her mother and said, \u201cI have stripped Ali the Egyptian and\ncast him into the Emir Hasan\u2019s well, whence alas for his chance of\nescaping!\u201d[232] Presently, the Emir Hasan, the master of the house, who\nhad been absent at the Divan, came home and, finding the door open, said\nto his Syce, \u201cWhy didst thou not draw the bolt?\u201d \u201cO my lord,\u201d replied\nthe groom, \u201cindeed I locked it with my own hand.\u201d The Emir cried, \u201cAs my\nhead liveth, some robber hath entered my house!\u201d Then he went in and\nsearched, but found none and said to the groom, \u201cFill the ewer, that I\nmay make the Wuzu-ablution.\u201d So the man lowered the bucket into the well\nbut, when he drew it up, he found it heavy and looking down, saw\nsomething therein sitting; whereupon he let it fall into the water and\ncried out, saying, \u201cO my lord, an Ifrit came up to me out of the well!\u201d\nReplied the Emir, \u201cGo and fetch four doctors of the law, that they may\nread the Koran over him, till he go away.\u201d So he fetched the doctors and\nthe Emir said to them, \u201cSit round this well and exorcise me this Ifrit.\u201d\nThey did as he bade them; after which the groom and another servant\nlowered the bucket again and Ali clung to it and hid himself under it\npatiently till he came near the top, when he sprang out and landed among\nthe doctors, who fell a-cuffing one another and crying out, \u201cIfrit!\nIfrit!\u201d The Emir looked at Ali and seeing him a young man, said to him,\n\u201cArt thou a thief?\u201d \u201cNo,\u201d replied Ali; \u201cThen what dost thou in the\nwell?\u201d asked the Emir; and Ali answered, \u201cI was asleep and dreamt a wet\ndream;[233] so I went down to the Tigris to wash myself and dived,\nwhereupon the current carried me under the earth and I came up in this\nwell.\u201d Quoth the other, \u201cTell the truth.\u201d[234] So Ali told him all that\nhad befallen him, and the Emir gave him an old gown and let him go. He\nreturned to Calamity Ahmad\u2019s lodging and related to him all that had\npassed. Quoth Ahmad, \u201cDid I not warn thee that Baghdad is full of women\nwho play tricks upon men?\u201d And quoth Ali Kitf al-Jamal, \u201cI conjure thee\nby the Mighty Name, tell me how it is that thou art the chief of the\nlads of Cairo and yet hast been stripped by a girl?\u201d This was grievous\nto Ali and he repented him of not having followed Ahmad\u2019s advice. Then\nthe Calamity gave him another suit of clothes and Hasan Shuman said to\nhim, \u201cDost thou know the young person?\u201d \u201cNo,\u201d replied Ali; and Hasan\nrejoined, \u201c\u2019Twas Zaynab, the daughter of Dalilah the Wily, the portress\nof the Caliph\u2019s Khan; and hast thou fallen into her toils, O Ali?\u201d Quoth\nhe, \u201cYes,\u201d and quoth Hasan, \u201cO Ali, \u2019twas she who took thy Chief\u2019s\nclothes and those of all his men.\u201d \u201cThis is a disgrace to you all!\u201d \u201cAnd\nwhat thinkest thou to do?\u201d \u201cI purpose to marry her.\u201d \u201cPut away that\nthought far from thee, and console thy heart of her.\u201d \u201cO Hasan, do thou\ncounsel me how I shall do to marry her.\u201d \u201cWith all my heart: if thou\nwilt drink from my hand and march under my banner, I will bring thee to\nthy will of her.\u201d \u201cI will well.\u201d So Hasan made Ali put off his clothes;\nand, taking a cauldron heated therein somewhat as it were pitch,\nwherewith he anointed him and he became like unto a blackamoor slave.\nMoreover, he smeared his lips and cheeks and pencilled his eyes with red\nKohl.[235] Then he clad him in a slave\u2019s habit and giving him a tray of\nkabobs and wine, said to him, \u201cThere is a black cook in the Khan who\nrequires from the bazar only meat; and thou art now become his like; so\ngo thou to him civilly and accost him in friendly fashion and speak to\nhim in the blacks\u2019 lingo, and salute him, saying, \u2019Tis long since we met\nin the beer-ken. He will answer thee, I have been too busy: on my hands\nbe forty slaves, for whom I cook dinner and supper, besides making ready\na tray for Dalilah and the like for her daughter Zaynab and the dogs\u2019\nfood. And do thou say to him, Come, let us eat kabobs and lush\nswipes.[236] Then go with him into the saloon and make him drunken and\nquestion him of his service, how many dishes and what dishes he hath to\ncook, and ask him of the dogs\u2019 food and the keys of the kitchen and the\nlarder; and he will tell thee; for a man, when he is drunken, telleth\nall he would conceal were he sober. When thou hast done this drug him\nand don his clothes and sticking the two knives in thy girdle, take the\nvegetable-basket and go to the market and buy meat and greens, with\nwhich do thou return to the Khan and enter the kitchen and the larder\nand cook the food. Dish it up and put Bhang in it, so as to drug the\ndogs and the slaves and Dalilah and Zaynab and lastly serve up. When all\nare asleep, hie thee to the upper chamber and bring away every suit of\nclothes thou wilt find hanging there. And if thou have a mind to marry\nZaynab, bring with thee also the forty carrier-pigeons.\u201d So Ali went to\nthe Khan and going in to the cook, saluted him and said, \u201c\u2019Tis long\nsince I have met thee in the beer-ken.\u201d The slave replied, \u201cI have been\nbusy cooking for the slaves and the dogs.\u201d Then he took him and making\nhim drunken, questioned him of his work. Quoth the kitchener, \u201cEvery day\nI cook five dishes for dinner and the like for supper; and yesterday\nthey sought of me a sixth dish,[237] yellow rice,[238] and a seventh, a\nmess of cooked pomegranate seed.\u201d Ali asked, \u201cAnd what is the order of\nthy service?\u201d and the slave answered, \u201cFirst I serve up Zaynab\u2019s tray,\nnext Dalilah\u2019s; then I feed the slaves and give the dogs their\nsufficiency of meat, and the least that satisfies them is a pound each.\u201d\nBut, as fate would have it, he forgot to ask him of the keys. Then he\ndrugged him and donned his clothes; after which he took the basket and\nwent to the market. There he bought meat and greens.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad\nperceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Thirteenth Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Ali of Cairo,\nafter drugging the cook-slave with Bhang, took the two knives which he\nstuck in his belt and, carrying the vegetable-basket, went to the market\nwhere he bought meat and greens; and, presently returning to the Khan,\nhe saw Dalilah seated at the gate, watching those who went in and came\nout, and the forty slaves with her, armed. So he heartened his heart and\nentered; but Dalilah knew him and said to him, \u201cBack, O captain of\nthieves! Wilt thou play a trick on me in the Khan?\u201d Thereupon he\n(dressed as a slave) turned and said to her, \u201cWhat sayest thou, O\nportress?\u201d She asked, \u201cWhat hast thou done with the slave, our cook?;\nsay me if thou hast killed or drugged him?\u201d He answered, \u201cWhat cook? Is\nthere here another slave-cook than I?\u201d She rejoined, \u201cThou liest, thou\nart Mercury Ali the Cairene.\u201d And he said to her, in slaves\u2019 patois, \u201cO\nportress, are the Cairenes black or white? I will slave for you no\nlonger.\u201d Then said the slaves to him, \u201cWhat is the matter with thee, O\nour cousin?\u201d Cried Dalilah, \u201cThis is none of your uncle\u2019s children, but\nAli Zaybak the Egyptian; and meseems he hath either drugged your cousin\nor killed him.\u201d But they said, \u201cIndeed this is our cousin Sa\u2019adu\u2019llah\nthe cook;\u201d and she, \u201cNot so, \u2019tis Mercury Ali, and he hath dyed his\nskin.\u201d Quoth the sharper, \u201cAnd who is Ali? I am Sa\u2019adu\u2019llah.\u201d Then she\nfetched unguent of proof, with which she anointed Ali\u2019s forearm and\nrubbed it; but the black did not come off; whereupon quoth the slaves,\n\u201cLet him go and dress us our dinner.\u201d Quoth Dalilah, \u201cIf he be indeed\nyour cousin, he knoweth what you sought of him yesternight[239] and how\nmany dishes he cooketh every day.\u201d So they asked him of this and he\nsaid, \u201cEvery day I cook you five dishes for the morning and the like for\nthe evening meal, lentils and rice and broth and stew[240] and sherbet\nof roses; and yesternight ye sought of me a sixth dish and a seventh, to\nwit yellow rice and cooked pomegranate seed.\u201d And the slaves said\n\u201cRight!\u201d Then quoth Dalilah, \u201cIn with him and if he know the kitchen and\nthe larder, he is indeed your cousin; but, if not, kill him.\u201d Now the\ncook had a cat which he had brought up, and whenever he entered the\nkitchen it would stand at the door and spring to his back, as soon as he\nwent in. So, when Ali entered, the cat saw him and jumped on his\nshoulders; but he threw it off and it ran before him to the door of the\nkitchen and stopped there. He guessed that this was the kitchen door; so\nhe took the keys and seeing one with traces of feathers thereon, knew it\nfor the kitchen key and therewith opened the door. Then he entered and\nsetting down the greens, went out again, led by the cat, which ran\nbefore him and stopped at another door. He guessed that this was the\nlarder and seeing one of the keys marked with grease, knew it for the\nkey and opened the door therewith; whereupon quoth the slaves, \u201cO\nDalilah, were he a stranger, he had not known the kitchen and the\nlarder, nor had he been able to distinguish the keys thereof from the\nrest; verily, he is our cousin Sa\u2019adu\u2019llah.\u201d Quoth she, \u201cHe learned the\nplaces from the cat and distinguished the keys one from the other by the\nappearance: but this cleverness imposeth not upon _me_.\u201d Then he\nreturned to the kitchen where he cooked the dinner and, carrying\nZaynab\u2019s tray up to her room, saw all the stolen clothes hanging up;\nafter which he went down and took Dalilah her tray and gave the slaves\nand the dogs their rations. The like he did at sundown and drugged\nDalilah\u2019s food and that of Zaynab and the slaves. Now the doors of the\nKhan were opened and shut with the sun. So Ali went forth and cried out,\nsaying, \u201cO dwellers in the Khan, the watch is set and we have loosed the\ndogs; whoso stirreth out after this can blame none save himself.\u201d But he\nhad delayed the dogs\u2019 supper and put poison therein; consequently when\nhe set it before them, they ate of it and died while the slaves and\nDalilah and Zaynab still slept under Bhang. Then he went up and took all\nthe clothes and the carrier-pigeons and, opening the gate, made off to\nthe barrack of the Forty, where he found Hasan Shuman the Pestilence who\nsaid to him, \u201cHow hast thou fared?\u201d Thereupon he told him what had\npassed and he praised him. Then he caused him put off his clothes and\nboiled a decoction of herbs wherewith he washed him, and his skin became\nwhite as it was; after which he donned his own dress and going back to\nthe Khan, clad the cook in the habit he had taken from him and made him\nsmell to the counter-drug; upon which the slave awoke and going forth to\nthe greengrocer\u2019s, bought vegetables and returned to the Khan. Such was\nthe case with Al-Zaybak of Cairo; but as regards Dalilah the Wily, when\nthe day broke, one of the lodgers in the Khan came out of his chamber\nand, seeing the gate open and the slaves drugged and the dogs dead, he\nwent in to her and found her lying drugged, with a scroll on her neck\nand at her head a sponge steeped in the counter-drug. He set the sponge\nto her nostrils and she awoke and asked, \u201cWhere am I?\u201d The merchant\nanswered, \u201cWhen I came down from my chamber I saw the gate of the Khan\nopen and the dogs dead and found the slaves and thee drugged.\u201d So she\ntook up the paper and read therein these words, \u201cNone did this deed save\nAli the Egyptian.\u201d Then she awoke the slaves and Zaynab by making them\nsmell the counter-Bhang and said to them, \u201cDid I not tell you that this\nwas Ali of Cairo?\u201d; presently adding to the slaves, \u201cBut do ye conceal\nthe matter.\u201d Then she said to her daughter, \u201cHow often have I warned\nthee that Ali would not forego his revenge? He hath done this deed in\nrequital of that which thou diddest with him and he had it in his power\nto do with thee other than this thing; but he refrained therefrom out of\ncourtesy and a desire that there should be love and friendship between\nus.\u201d So saying, she doffed her man\u2019s gear and donned woman\u2019s attire[241]\nand, tying the kerchief of peace about her neck, repaired to Ahmad\nal-Danaf\u2019s barrack. Now when Ali entered with the clothes and the\ncarrier-pigeons, Hasan Shuman gave the hall-keeper the price of forty\npigeons and he bought them and cooked them amongst the men. Presently\nthere came a knock at the door and Ahmad said, \u201cThat is Dalilah\u2019s knock:\nrise and open to her, O hall-keeper.\u201d So he admitted her and\u2014\u2014And\nShahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Fourteenth Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Dalilah\nwas admitted, Hasan asked her, \u201cWhat bringeth thee hither, O ill-omened\nold woman? Verily, thou and thy brother Zurayk the fishmonger are of a\npiece!\u201d; and she answered, \u201cO captain I am in the wrong and this my neck\nis at thy mercy; but tell me which of you it was that played me this\ntrick?\u201d Quoth Calamity Ahmad, \u201c\u2019Twas the first of my lads.\u201d Rejoined\nDalilah, \u201cFor the sake of Allah intercede with him to give me back the\ncarrier-pigeons and what not, and thou wilt lay me under great\nobligation.\u201d When Hasan heard this he said, \u201cAllah requite thee, O Ali!\nWhy didst thou cook the pigeons?\u201d; and Ali answered, \u201cI knew not that\nthey were carrier-pigeons.\u201d Then said Ahmad, \u201cO hall-keeper bring us the\ncooked pigeons.\u201d So he brought them and Dalilah took a piece and tasting\nit, said, \u201cThis is none of the carrier-pigeons\u2019 flesh, for I fed them on\ngrains of musk and their meat is become even as musk.\u201d Quoth Shuman, \u201cAn\nthou desire to have the carrier-pigeons, comply with Ali\u2019s will.\u201d Asked\nshe \u201cWhat is that?\u201d And Hasan answered, \u201cHe would have thee marry him to\nthy daughter Zaynab.\u201d She said, \u201cI have not command over her except of\naffection\u201d; and Hasan said to Ali the Cairene \u201cGive her the pigeons.\u201d So\nhe gave them to her, and she took them and rejoiced in them. Then quoth\nHasan to her, \u201cThere is no help but thou return us a sufficient reply\u201d;\nand Dalilah rejoined, \u201cIf it be indeed his wish to marry her, it availed\nnothing to play this clever trick upon us: it behoveth him rather to\ndemand her in marriage of her mother\u2019s brother and her guardian, Captain\nZurayk, him who crieth out, saying:\u2014Ho! a pound of fish for two\nfarthings! and who hangeth up in his shop a purse containing two\nthousand dinars.\u201d When the Forty heard this, they all rose and cried\nout, saying, \u201cWhat manner of blather is this, O harlot? Dost thou wish\nto bereave us of our brother Ali of Cairo?\u201d Then she returned to the\nKhan and said to her daughter, \u201cAli the Egyptian seeketh thee in\nmarriage.\u201d Whereat Zaynab rejoiced, for she loved him because of his\nchaste forbearance towards her,[242] and asked her mother what had\npassed. So she told her, adding, \u201cI made it a condition that he should\ndemand thy hand of thine uncle, so I might make him fall into\ndestruction.\u201d Meanwhile Ali turned to his fellows and asked them, \u201cWhat\nmanner of man is this Zurayk?\u201d; and they answered, \u201cHe was chief of the\nsharpers of Al-Irak land and could all but pierce mountains and lay hold\nupon the stars. He would steal the Kohl from the eye and, in brief, he\nhad not his match for roguery; but he hath repented his sins and\nforsworn his old way of life and opened him a fishmonger\u2019s shop. And now\nhe hath amassed two thousand dinars by the sale of fish and laid them in\na purse with strings of silk, to which he hath tied bells and rings and\nrattles of brass, hung on a peg within the doorway. Every time he\nopeneth his shop he suspendeth the said purse and crieth out,\nsaying:\u2014Where are ye, O sharpers of Egypt, O prigs of Al-Irak, O\ntricksters of Ajam-land? Behold, Zurayk the fishmonger hath hung up a\npurse in front of his shop, and whoso pretendeth to craft and cunning,\nand can take it by sleight, it is his. So the long fingered and\ngreedy-minded come and try to take the purse, but cannot; for, whilst he\nfrieth his fish and tendeth the fire, he layeth at his feet scone-like\ncircles of lead; and whenever a thief thinketh to take him unawares and\nmaketh a snatch at the purse he casteth at him a load of lead and\nslayeth him or doeth him a damage. So O Ali, wert thou to tackle him,\nthou wouldst be as one who jostleth a funeral cort\u00e8ge, unknowing who is\ndead;[243] for thou art no match for him, and we fear his mischief for\nthee. Indeed, thou hast no call to marry Zaynab, and he who leaveth a\nthing alone liveth without it.\u201d Cried Ali, \u201cThis were shame, O comrades;\nneeds must I take the purse: but bring me a young lady\u2019s habit.\u201d So they\nbrought him women\u2019s clothes and he clad himself therein and stained his\nhands with Henna, and modestly hung down his veil. Then he took a lamb\nand killing it, cut out the long intestine[244] which he cleaned and\ntied up below; moreover he filled it with the blood and bound it between\nhis thighs; after which he donned petticoat-trousers and walking boots.\nHe also made himself a pair of false breasts with birds\u2019 crops and\nfilled them with thickened milk and tied round his hips and over his\nbelly a piece of linen, which he stuffed with cotton, girding himself\nover all with a kerchief of silk well starched. Then he went out, whilst\nall who saw him exclaimed, \u201cWhat a fine pair of hind cheeks!\u201d Presently\nhe saw an ass-driver coming, so he gave him a dinar and mounting, rode\ntill he came to Zurayk\u2019s shop, where he saw the purse hung up and the\ngold glittering through it. Now Zurayk was frying fish, and Ali said, \u201cO\nass-man, what is that smell?\u201d Replied he, \u201cIt\u2019s the smell of Zurayk\u2019s\nfish.\u201d Quoth Ali, \u201cI am a woman with child and the smell harmeth me; go,\nfetch me a slice of the fish.\u201d So the donkey-boy said to Zurayk, \u201cWhat\naileth thee to fry fish so early and annoy pregnant women with the\nsmell? I have here the wife of the Emir Hasan Sharr al-Tarik, and she is\nwith child; so give her a bit of fish, for the babe stirreth in her\nwomb. O Protector, O my God, avert from us the mischief of this day!\u201d\nThereupon Zurayk took a piece of fish and would have fried it, but the\nfire had gone out and he went in to rekindle it. Meanwhile Ali\ndismounted and sitting down, pressed upon the lamb\u2019s intestine till it\nburst and the blood ran out from between his legs. Then he cried aloud,\nsaying, \u201cO my back! O my side!\u201d Whereupon the driver turned and seeing\nthe blood running, said, \u201cWhat aileth thee, O my lady?\u201d Replied Ali, \u201cI\nhave miscarried\u201d; whereupon Zurayk looked out and seeing the blood fled\naffrighted into the inner shop. Quoth the donkey-driver, \u201cAllah torment\nthee, O Zurayk! The lady hath miscarried and thou art no match for her\nhusband. Why must thou make a stench so early in the morning? I said to\nthee:\u2014Bring her a slice, but thou wouldst not.\u201d Thereupon, he took his\nass and went his way and, as Zurayk still did not appear, Ali put out\nhis hand to the purse; but no sooner had he touched it than the bells\nand rattles and rings began to jingle and the gold to chink. Quoth\nZurayk, who returned at the sound, \u201cThy perfidy hath come to light, O\ngallows-bird! Wilt thou put a cheat on me and thou in a woman\u2019s habit?\nNow take what cometh to thee!\u201d And he threw a cake of lead at him, but\nit went agley and lighted on another; whereupon the people rose against\nZurayk and said to him, \u201cArt thou a tradesman, or a swashbuckler? An\nthou be a tradesman, take down thy purse and spare the folk thy\nmischief.\u201d He replied, \u201cBismillah, in the name of Allah! On my head be\nit.\u201d As for Ali, he made off to the barrack and told Hasan Shuman what\nhad happened, after which he put off his woman\u2019s gear and donning a\ngroom\u2019s habit which was brought to him by his chief took a dish and five\ndirhams. Then he returned to Zurayk\u2019s shop and the fishmonger said to\nhim, \u201cWhat dost thou want, O my master?\u201d[245] He showed him the dirhams\nand Zurayk would have given him of the fish in the tray, but he said, \u201cI\nwill have none save hot fish.\u201d So he set fish in the earthen pan and\nfinding the fire dead, went in to relight it; whereupon Ali put out his\nhand to the purse and caught hold of the end of it. The rattles and\nrings and bells jingled and Zurayk said, \u201cThy trick hath not deceived\nme. I knew thee for all thou art disguised as a groom by the grip of thy\nhand on the dish and the dirhams.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of\nday and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Fifteenth Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Ali of\nEgypt put out his hand to the purse, the bells and rings jingled and\nZurayk said, \u201cThy trick hath not deceived me; for all thou comest\ndisguised as a groom I knew thee by the grip of thy hand on the dish and\nthe dirhams!\u201d So saying, he threw the lead at him, but he avoided it and\nit fell into the pan full of hot fish and broke it and overturned it,\nfat and all, upon the breast and shoulders of the Kazi, who was passing.\nThe oil ran down inside his clothes to his privy parts and he cried out,\n\u201cO my privities! What a sad pickle you are in! Alas, unhappy I! Who hath\nplayed me this trick?\u201d Answered the people, \u201cO our lord, it was some\nsmall boy that threw a stone into the pan: but for Allah\u2019s ward, it had\nbeen worse.\u201d Then they turned and seeing the loaf of lead and that it\nwas Zurayk who had thrown it, rose against him and said to him, \u201cO\nZurayk, this is not allowed of Allah! Take down the purse or it shall go\nill for thee.\u201d Answered he, \u201cI will take it down, Inshallah!\u201d Meanwhile\nAli returned to the barrack and told his comrades who cried, \u201cWhere is\nthe purse?\u201d, all that had passed and they said, \u201cThou hast exhausted\ntwo-thirds of his cunning.\u201d Then he changed his groom\u2019s dress for the\ngarb of a merchant and going out, met a snake-charmer, with a bag of\nserpents and a wallet containing his kit to whom said he, \u201cO charmer,\ncome and amuse my lads, and thou shalt have largesse.\u201d So he accompanied\nhim to the barrack, where he fed him and drugging him with Bhang, doffed\nhis clothes and put them on. Then he took the bags and repairing to\nZurayk\u2019s shop began to play the reed-pipe. Quoth Zurayk, \u201cAllah provide\nthee!\u201d But Ali pulled out the serpents and cast them down before him;\nwhereat the fish-seller, who was afraid of snakes, fled from them into\nthe inner shop. Thereupon Ali picked up the reptiles and, thrusting them\nback into the bag, stretched out his hand and caught hold of the end of\nthe purse. The rings again rang and the bells and rattles jangled, and\nZurayk cried, \u201cWilt thou never cease to play me tricks? Now thou\nfeignest thyself a serpent-charmer!\u201d So saying, he took up a piece of\nlead, and hurled it at Ali; but it missed him and fell on the head of a\ngroom, who was passing by, following his master, a trooper, and knocked\nhim down. Quoth the soldier, \u201cWho felled him?\u201d; and the folk said,\n\u201c\u2019Twas a stone fell from the roof.\u201d So the soldier passed on and the\npeople, seeing the piece of lead, went up to Zurayk and cried to him,\n\u201cTake down the purse!\u201d; and he said, \u201cInshallah, I will take it down\nthis very night!\u201d Ali ceased not to practice upon Zurayk till he had\nmade seven different attempts but without taking the purse. Then he\nreturned the snake-charmer his clothes and kit and gave him due\nbenevolence; after which he went back to Zurayk\u2019s shop and heard him\nsay, \u201cIf I leave the purse here to-night, he will dig through the\nshop-wall and take it; I will carry it home with me.\u201d So he arose and\nshut the shop; then he took down the purse and putting it in his bosom\nset out home, till he came near his house, when he saw a wedding in a\nneighbour\u2019s lodging and said to himself, \u201cI will hie me home and give my\nwife the purse and don my fine clothes and return to the marriage.\u201d And\nAli followed him. Now Zurayk had married a black girl, one of the freed\nwomen of the Wazir Ja\u2019afar and she had borne him a son, whom he named\nAbdallah, and he had promised her to spend the money in the purse on the\noccasion of the boy\u2019s circumcision and of his marriage-procession. So he\nwent into his house and, as he entered, his wife saw that his face was\novercast and asked him, \u201cWhat hath caused thy sadness?\u201d Quoth he, \u201cAllah\nhath afflicted me this day with a rascal who made seven attempts to get\nthe purse, but without avail;\u201d and quoth she, \u201cGive it to me, that I may\nlay it up against the boy\u2019s festival-day.\u201d (Now Ali, who had followed\nhim lay hidden in a closet whence he could see and hear all.) So he gave\nher the purse and changed his clothes, saying, \u201cKeep the purse safely, O\nUmm Abdallah, for I am going to the wedding.\u201d But she said, \u201cTake thy\nsleep awhile.\u201d So he lay down and fell asleep. Presently, Ali rose and\ngoing on tiptoe to the purse, took it and went to the house of the\nwedding and stood there, looking on at the fun. Now meanwhile, Zurayk\ndreamt that he saw a bird fly away with the purse and awaking in\naffright, said to his wife, \u201cRise; look for the purse.\u201d So she looked\nand finding it gone, buffeted her face and said, \u201cAlas the blackness of\nthy fortune, O Umm Abdallah! A sharper hath taken the purse.\u201d Quoth\nZurayk, \u201cBy Allah it can be none other than rascal Ali who hath plagued\nme all day! He hath followed me home and seized the purse; and there is\nno help but that I go and get it back.\u201d Quoth she, \u201cExcept thou bring\nit, I will lock on thee the door and leave thee to pass the night in the\nstreet.\u201d So he went up to the house of the wedding, and seeing Ali\nlooking on, said to himself, \u201cThis is he who took the purse; but he\nlodgeth with Ahmad al-Danaf.\u201d So he forewent him to the barrack and,\nclimbing up at the back, dropped down into the saloon, where he found\nevery one asleep. Presently there came a rap at the door and Zurayk\nasked, \u201cWho is there?\u201d \u201cAli of Cairo,\u201d answered the knocker; and Zurayk\nsaid, \u201cHast thou brought the purse?\u201d So Ali thought it was Hasan Shuman\nand replied, \u201cI have brought it;[246] open the door.\u201d Quoth Zurayk,\n\u201cImpossible that I open to thee till I see the purse; for thy chief and\nI have laid a wager about it.\u201d Said Ali, \u201cPut out thy hand.\u201d So he put\nout his hand through the hole in the side-door and Ali laid the purse in\nit; whereupon Zurayk took it and going forth, as he had come in,\nreturned to the wedding. Ali stood for a long while at the door, but\nnone opened to him; and at last he gave a thundering knock that awoke\nall the men and they said, \u201cThat is Ali of Cairo\u2019s peculiar rap.\u201d So the\nhall-keeper opened to him and Hasan Shuman said to him, \u201cHast thou\nbrought the purse?\u201d Replied Ali, \u201cEnough of jesting, O Shuman: didst\nthou not swear that thou wouldest not open to me till I showed thee the\npurse, and did I not give it thee through the hole in the side door? And\ndidst thou not say to me, I am sworn never to open the door till thou\nshow me the purse?\u201d Quoth Hasan, \u201cBy Allah, \u2019twas not I who took it, but\nZurayk!\u201d Quoth Ali, \u201cNeeds must I get it again,\u201d and repaired to the\nhouse of the wedding, where he heard the buffoon[247] say, \u201cBravo,[248]\nO Abu Abdallah! Good luck to thee with thy son!\u201d Said Ali, \u201cMy luck is\nin the ascendant,\u201d and going to the fishmonger\u2019s lodging, climbed over\nthe back wall of the house and found his wife asleep. So he drugged her\nwith Bhang and clad himself in her clothes. Then he took the child in\nhis arms and went round, searching, till he found a palm-leaf basket\ncontaining buns,[249] which Zurayk of his niggardliness, had kept from\nthe Greater Feast. Presently, the fishmonger returned and knocked at the\ndoor, whereupon Ali imitated his wife\u2019s voice and asked, \u201cWho is at the\ndoor?\u201d \u201cAbu Abdallah,\u201d answered Zurayk and Ali said, \u201cI swore that I\nwould not open the door to thee, except thou broughtest back the purse.\u201d\nQuoth the fishmonger, \u201cI have brought it.\u201d Cried Ali, \u201cHere with it into\nmy hand before I open the door;\u201d and Zurayk answered, saying, \u201cLet down\nthe basket and take it therein.\u201d So Sharper Ali let down the basket and\nthe other put the purse therein, whereupon Ali took it and drugged the\nchild. Then he aroused the woman and making off by the back way as he\nhad entered, returned with the child and the purse and the basket of\ncakes to the barrack and showed them all to the Forty, who praised his\ndexterity. Thereupon he gave them cakes, which they ate, and made over\nthe boy to Hasan Shuman, saying, \u201cThis is Zurayk\u2019s child; hide it by\nthee.\u201d So he hid it and fetching a lamb, gave it to the hall-keeper who\ncooked it whole, wrapped in a cloth, and laid it out shrouded as it were\na dead body. Meanwhile Zurayk stood awhile, waiting at the door, then\ngave a knock like thunder and his wife said to him, \u201cHast thou brought\nthe purse?\u201d He replied, \u201cDidst thou not take it up in the basket thou\ndiddest let down but now?\u201d; and she rejoined, \u201cI let no basket down to\nthee, nor have I set eyes on the purse.\u201d Quoth he, \u201cBy Allah the sharper\nhath been beforehand with me and hath taken the purse again!\u201d Then he\nsearched the house and found the basket of cakes gone and the child\nmissing and cried out, saying, \u201cAlas, my child!\u201d Whereupon the woman\nbeat her breast and said, \u201cI and thee to the Wazir, for none hath killed\nmy son save this sharper, and all because of thee.\u201d Cried Zurayk, \u201cI\nwill answer for him.\u201d So he tied the kerchief of truce about his neck\nand going to Ahmad al-Danaf\u2019s lodging, knocked at the door. The\nhall-keeper admitted him and as he entered Hasan Shuman asked him, \u201cWhat\nbringeth thee here?\u201d He answered, \u201cDo ye intercede with Ali the Cairene\nto restore me my child and I will yield to him the purse of gold.\u201d Quoth\nHasan, \u201cAllah requite thee, O Ali! Why didst thou not tell me it was his\nchild?\u201d \u201cWhat hath befallen him?\u201d cried Zurayk, and Hasan replied, \u201cWe\ngave him raisins to eat, and he choked and died; and this is he.\u201d Quoth\nZurayk \u201cAlas, my son! What shall I say to his mother?\u201d Then he rose and\nopening the shroud, saw it was a lamb barbecued and said, \u201cThou makest\nsport of me, O Ali!\u201d Then they gave him the child and Calamity Ahmad\nsaid to him, \u201cThou didst hang up the purse, proclaiming that it should\nbe the property of any sharper who should be able to take it, and Ali\nhath taken it; so \u2019tis the very property of our Cairene.\u201d Zurayk\nanswered, \u201cI make him a present of it;\u201d but Ali said to him, \u201cDo thou\naccept it on account of thy niece Zaynab.\u201d And Zurayk replied, \u201cI accept\nit.\u201d Then quoth the Forty, \u201cWe demand of thee Zaynab in marriage for Ali\nof Cairo;\u201d but quoth he, \u201cI have no control over her save of kindness.\u201d\nHasan asked, \u201cDost thou grant our suit?\u201d; and he answered, \u201cYes, I will\ngrant her in marriage to him who can avail to her mahr or\nmarriage-settlement.\u201d \u201cAnd what is her dowry?\u201d enquired Hasan; and\nZurayk replied, \u201cShe hath sworn that none shall mount her breast save\nthe man who bringeth her the robe of Kamar, daughter of Azariah the Jew\nand the rest of her gear.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and\nceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Sixteenth Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Zurayk\nreplied to Shuman, \u201cShe hath sworn that none shall ride astraddle upon\nher breast save the man who bringeth her the clothes of Kamar, daughter\nof Azariah the Jew and her crown and girdle and pantoufle[250] of gold,\u201d\nAli cried, \u201cIf I do not bring her the clothes this very night, I\nrenounce my claim to her.\u201d Rejoined Zurayk, \u201cO Ali, thou art a dead man\nif thou play any of thy pranks on Kamar.\u201d \u201cWhy so?\u201d asked Ali and the\nother answered, \u201cHer father, Jew Azariah, is a skilful, wily, perfidious\nmagician who hath the Jinn at his service. He owneth without the city a\ncastle, whose walls are one brick of gold and one of silver and which is\nvisible to the folk only whilst he is therein: when he goeth forth, it\ndisappeareth. He brought his daughter this dress I speak of from an\nenchanted treasure, and every day he layeth it in a charger of gold and,\nopening the windows of the palace, crieth out:\u2014Where are the sharpers of\nCairo, the prigs of Al-Irak, the master-thieves of Ajam-land? Whoso\nprevaileth to take this dress, \u2019tis his. So all the long fingered ones\nessayed the adventure, but failed to take it, and he turned them by his\nmagic into apes and asses.\u201d But Ali said, \u201cI will assuredly take it, and\nZaynab shall be displayed therein.\u201d[251] So he went to the shop of the\nJew and found him a man of stern and forbidding aspect, seated with\nscales and stone-weights and gold and silver and nests of drawers and so\nforth before him, and a she-mule tethered hard by. Presently he rose and\nshutting his shop, laid the gold and silver in two purses, which he\nplaced in a pair of saddle-bags and set on the she-mule\u2019s back. Then he\nmounted and rode till he reached the city-outskirts followed, without\nhis knowledge, by Ali, when he took out some dust from a pocket-purse\nand, muttering over it, sprinkled it upon the air. No sooner had he done\nthis than sharper Ali saw a castle which had not its like, and the Jew\nmounted the steps upon his beast which was a subject Jinni; after which\nhe dismounted and taking the saddle-bags off her back, dismissed the\nshe-mule and she vanished. Then he entered the castle and sat down.\nPresently, he arose and opening the lattices, took a wand of gold, which\nhe set up in the open window and, hanging thereto a golden charger by\nchains of the same metal, laid in it the dress, whilst Ali watched him\nfrom behind the door, and presently he cried out, saying, \u201cWhere are the\nsharpers of Cairo? Where are the prigs of Al-Irak, the master-thieves of\nthe Ajam-land? Whoso can take this dress by his sleight, \u2019tis his!\u201d Then\nhe pronounced certain magical words and a tray of food spread itself\nbefore him. He ate and conjured a second time, whereupon the tray\ndisappeared; and yet a third time, when a table of wine was placed\nbetween his hands and he drank. Quoth Ali, \u201cI know not how I am to take\nthe dress except if he be drunken.\u201d Then he stole up behind the Jew\nwhinger in grip; but the other turned and conjured, saying to his hand,\n\u201cHold with the sword;\u201d whereupon Ali\u2019s right arm was held and abode\nhalf-way in the air hending the hanger. He put out his left hand to the\nweapon, but it also stood fixed in the air, and so with his right foot,\nleaving him standing on one foot. Then the Jew dispelled the charm from\nhim and Ali became as before. Presently Azariah struck a table of sand\nand found that the thief\u2019s name was Mercury Ali of Cairo; so he turned\nto him and said, \u201cCome nearer! Who art thou and what dost thou here?\u201d He\nreplied, \u201cI am Ali of Cairo, of the band of Ahmad al-Danaf. I sought the\nhand of Zaynab, daughter of Dalilah the Wily, and she demanded thy\ndaughter\u2019s dress to her dowry; so do thou give it to me and become a\nMoslem, an thou wouldst save thy life.\u201d Rejoined the Jew, \u201cAfter thy\ndeath! Many have gone about to steal the dress, but failed to take it\nfrom me; wherefore an thou deign be advised, thou wilt begone and save\nthyself; for they only seek the dress of thee, that thou mayst fall into\ndestruction; and indeed, had I not seen by geomancy that thy fortune\noverrideth my fortunes I had smitten thy neck.\u201d Ali rejoiced to hear\nthat his luck overcame that of the Jew and said to him, \u201cThere is no\nhelp for it but I must have the dress and thou must become a True\nBeliever.\u201d Asked the Jew, \u201cIs this thy will and last word,\u201d and Ali\nanswered, \u201cYes.\u201d So the Jew took a cup and filling it with water,\nconjured over it and said to Ali, \u201cCome forth from this shape of a man\ninto the form of an ass.\u201d Then he sprinkled him with the water and\nstraightway he became a donkey, with hoofs and long ears, and fell to\nbraying after the manner of asinines. The Jew drew round him a circle\nwhich became a wall over against him, and drank on till the morning,\nwhen he said to Ali, \u201cI will ride thee to-day and give the she-mule a\nrest.\u201d So he locked up the dress, the charger, the rod and the charms in\na cupboard[252] and conjured over Ali, who followed him. Then he set the\nsaddle-bags on his back and mounting, fared forth of the Castle,\nwhereupon it disappeared from sight and he rode into Baghdad, till he\ncame to his shop, where he alighted and emptied the bags of gold and\nsilver into the trays before him. As for Ali, he was tied up by the\nshop-door, where he stood in his asinine form hearing and understanding\nall that passed, without being able to speak. And behold, up came a\nyoung merchant with whom fortune had played the tyrant and who could\nfind no easier way of earning his livelihood than water-carrying. So he\nbrought his wife\u2019s bracelets to the Jew and said to him, \u201cGive me the\nprice of these bracelets, that I may buy me an ass.\u201d Asked the Jew,\n\u201cWhat wilt thou do with him?\u201d; and the other answered, \u201cO master, I mean\nto fetch water from the river on his back, and earn my living thereby.\u201d\nQuoth the Jew, \u201cTake this ass of mine.\u201d So he sold him the bracelets and\nreceived the ass-shaped Ali of Cairo in part payment and carried him\nhome. Quoth Ali to himself, \u201cIf the Ass-man clap the pannel on thee and\nload thee with water-skins and go with thee half a score journeys a day\nhe will ruin thy health and thou wilt die.\u201d So, when the water-carrier\u2019s\nwife came to bring him his fodder, he butted her with his head and she\nfell on her back; whereupon he sprang on her and smiting her brow with\nhis mouth, put out and displayed that which his begetter left him. She\ncried aloud and the neighbours came to her assistance and beat him and\nraised him off her breast. When her husband the intended water-carrier\ncame home, she said to him, \u201cNow either divorce me or return the ass to\nhis owner.\u201d He asked, \u201cWhat hath happened?\u201d; and she answered, \u201cThis is\na devil in the guise of a donkey. He sprang upon me, and had not the\nneighbours beaten him off my bosom he had done with me a foul thing.\u201d So\nhe carried the ass back to the Jew, who said to him, \u201cWherefore hast\nthou brought him back?\u201d and he replied, \u201cHe did a foul thing with my\nwife.\u201d So the Jew gave him his money again and he went away; and Azariah\nsaid to Ali, \u201cHast thou recourse to knavery, unlucky wretch that thou\nart, in order that\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased\nsaying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Seventeenth Night,\n\n[Illustration]\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the\nwater-carrier brought back the ass, its Jew owner returned to him the\nmonies and turning to Ali of Cairo said, \u201cHast thou recourse to knavery,\nunlucky wretch that thou art, in order that he may return thee to me?\nBut since it pleaseth thee to be an ass, I will make thee a spectacle\nand a laughing stock to great and small.\u201d Then he mounted him and rode\ntill he came without the city, when he brought out the ashes in powder\nand conjuring over it sprinkled it upon the air and immediately the\nCastle appeared. He entered and taking the saddle-bags off the ass\u2019s\nback set up the rod and hung to it the charger wherein were the clothes\nproclaiming aloud, \u201cWhere be the clever ones of all quarters who may\navail to take this dress?\u201d Then he conjured as before and meat was set\nbefore him and he ate and then wine when he drank; after which he took a\ncup of water and muttering certain words thereover, sprinkled it on the\nass Ali, saying, \u201cQuit this form and return to thy former shape.\u201d Ali\nstraightway became a man once more and Azariah said to him, \u201cO Ali, take\ngood advice and be content with my mischief. Thou hast no call to marry\nZaynab nor to take my daughter\u2019s dress, for \u2019tis no easy matter for\nthee: so leave greed and \u2019twill be better for thee; else will I turn\nthee into a bear or an ape or set on thee an Ifrit, who will cast thee\nbehind the Mountain Kaf.\u201d He replied, \u201cI have engaged to take the dress\nand needs must I have it and thou must Islamize or I will slay thee.\u201d\nRejoined the Jew, \u201cO Ali, thou art like a walnut; unless it be broken it\ncannot be eaten.\u201d Then he took a cup of water and conjuring over it,\nsprinkled Ali with somewhat thereof, saying, \u201cTake thou shape of bear;\u201d\nwhereupon he instantly became a bear and the Jew put a collar about his\nneck, muzzled him and chained him to a picket of iron. Then he sat down\nand ate and drank, now and then throwing him a morsel of his orts and\nemptying the dregs of the cup over him, till the morning, when he rose\nand laid by the tray and the dress and conjured over the bear, which\nfollowed him to the shop. There the Jew sat down and emptied the gold\nand silver into the trays before Ali, after binding him by the chain;\nand the bear there abode seeing and comprehending but not able to speak.\nPresently up came a man and a merchant, who accosted the Jew and said to\nhim, \u201cO Master, wilt thou sell me yonder bear? I have a wife who is my\ncousin and is sick; and they have prescribed for her to eat bears\u2019 flesh\nand anoint herself with bears\u2019 grease.\u201d At this the Jew rejoiced and\nsaid to himself, \u201cI will sell him to this merchant, so he may slaughter\nhim and we be at peace from him.\u201d And Ali also said in his mind, \u201cBy\nAllah, this fellow meaneth to slaughter me; but deliverance is with the\nAlmighty.\u201d Then said the Jew, \u201cHe is a present from me to thee.\u201d So the\nmerchant took him and carried him to the butcher, to whom he said,\n\u201cBring thy tools and company me.\u201d The butcher took his knives and\nfollowed the merchant to his house, where he bound the beast and fell to\nsharpening his blade: but, when he went up to him to slaughter him, the\nbear escaped from his hands and rising into the air, disappeared from\nsight between heaven and earth; nor did he cease flying till he alighted\nat the Jew\u2019s castle. Now the reason thereof was on this wise. When the\nJew returned home, his daughter questioned him of Ali and he told her\nwhat had happened; whereupon she said, \u201cSummon a Jinni and ask him of\nthe youth, whether he be indeed Mercury Ali or another who seeketh to\nput a cheat on thee.\u201d So Azariah called a Jinni by conjurations and\nquestioned him of Ali; and he replied, \u201c\u2019Tis Ali of Cairo himself. The\nbutcher hath pinioned him and whetted his knife to slaughter him.\u201d Quoth\nthe Jew, \u201cGo, snatch him up and bring him hither, ere the butcher cut\nhis throat.\u201d So the Jinni flew off and, snatching Ali out of the\nbutcher\u2019s hands, bore him to the palace and set him down before the Jew,\nwho took a cup of water and conjuring over it, sprinkled him therewith,\nsaying, \u201cReturn to thine own shape.\u201d And he straightway became a man\nagain as before. The Jew\u2019s daughter Kamar,[253] seeing him to be a\nhandsome young man, fell in love with him and he fell in love with her;\nand she said to him, \u201cO unlucky one, why dost thou go about to take my\ndress, enforcing my father to deal thus with thee?\u201d Quoth he, \u201cI have\nengaged to get it for Zaynab the Coney-catcher, that I may wed her\ntherewith.\u201d And she said, \u201cOthers than thou have played pranks with my\nfather to get my dress, but could not win to it,\u201d presently adding, \u201cSo\nput away this thought from thee.\u201d But he answered, \u201cNeeds must I have\nit, and thy father must become a Moslem, else I will slay him.\u201d Then\nsaid the Jew, \u201cSee, O my daughter, how this unlucky fellow seeketh his\nown destruction,\u201d adding, \u201cNow I will turn thee into a dog.\u201d So he took\na cup graven with characters and full of water and conjuring over it,\nsprinkled some of it upon Ali, saying, \u201cTake thou form of dog.\u201d\nWhereupon he straightway became a dog, and the Jew and his daughter\ndrank together till the morning, when the father laid up the dress and\ncharger and mounted his mule. Then he conjured over the dog, which\nfollowed him, as he rode towards the town, and all dogs barked at\nAli[254] as he passed, till he came to the shop of a broker, a seller of\nsecond-hand goods, who rose and drove away the dogs, and Ali lay down\nbefore him. The Jew turned and looked for him, but finding him not,\npassed onwards. Presently, the broker shut up his shop and went home,\nfollowed by the dog, which, when his daughter saw enter the house, she\nveiled her face and said, \u201cO my papa, dost thou bring a strange man in\nto me?\u201d He replied, \u201cO my daughter, this is a dog.\u201d Quoth she, \u201cNot so,\n\u2019tis Ali the Cairene, whom the Jew Azariah hath enchanted;\u201d and she\nturned to the dog and said to him, \u201cArt not Ali of Cairo?\u201d And he signed\nto her with his head, \u201cYes.\u201d Then her father asked her, \u201cWhy did the Jew\nenchant him?\u201d; and she answered, \u201cBecause of his daughter Kamar\u2019s dress;\nbut I can release him.\u201d Said the broker, \u201cAn thou canst indeed do him\nthis good office, now is the time,\u201d and she, \u201cIf he will marry me, I\nwill release him.\u201d And he signed to her with his head, \u201cYes.\u201d So she\ntook a cup of water, graven with certain signs and conjuring over it,\nwas about to sprinkle Ali therewith, when lo and behold! she heard a\ngreat cry and the cup fell from her hand. She turned and found that it\nwas her father\u2019s handmaid, who had cried out; and she said to her, \u201cO my\nmistress, is\u2019t thus thou keepest the covenant between me and thee? None\ntaught thee this art save I, and thou didst agree with me that thou\nwouldst do naught without consulting me and that whoso married thee\nshould marry me also, and that one night should be mine and one night\nthine.\u201d And the broker\u2019s daughter said, \u201c\u2019Tis well.\u201d When the broker\nheard the maid\u2019s words, he asked his daughter, \u201cWho taught the maid?\u201d;\nand she answered, \u201cO my papa, enquire of herself.\u201d So he put the\nquestion and she replied, \u201cKnow, O my lord, that, when I was with\nAzariah the Jew, I used to spy upon him and listen to him, when he\nperformed his gramarye; and when he went forth to his shop in Baghdad, I\nopened his books and read in them, till I became skilled in the\nCabbala-science. One day, he was warm with wine and would have me lie\nwith him, but I objected, saying, I may not grant thee this except thou\nbecome a Moslem. He refused and I said to him, Now for the Sultan\u2019s\nmarket.[255] So he sold me to thee and I taught my young mistress,\nmaking it a condition with her that she should do naught without my\ncounsel, and that whoso might wed her should wed me also, one night for\nme and one night for her.\u201d Then she took a cup of water and conjuring\nover it, sprinkled the dog therewith; saying, \u201cReturn thou to form of\nman.\u201d And he straightway was restored to his former shape; whereupon the\nbroker saluted him with the salam and asked him the reason of his\nenchantment. So Ali told him all that had passed\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad\nperceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Eighteenth Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the broker,\nhaving saluted Ali of Cairo with the salam, asked him the reason of his\nenchantment and what had befallen him; and he answered by telling him\nall that had passed, when the broker said to him, \u201cWill not my daughter\nand the handmaid suffice thee?\u201d but he answered, \u201cNeeds must I have\nZaynab also.\u201d Now suddenly there came a rap at the door and the maid\nsaid, \u201cWho is at the door?\u201d The knocker replied, \u201cKamar, daughter of\nAzariah the Jew; say me, is Ali of Cairo with you?\u201d Replied the broker\u2019s\ndaughter, \u201cO thou daughter of a dog! If he be with us, what wilt thou\nwith him? Go down, O maid, and open to her.\u201d So the maid let her in, and\nwhen she looked upon Ali and he upon her, he said, \u201cWhat bringeth thee\nhither O dog\u2019s daughter?\u201d Quoth she, \u201cI testify that there is no god but\n_the_ God and I testify that Mohammed is the Apostle of God.\u201d And,\nhaving thus Islamised, she asked him, \u201cDo men in the Faith of Al-Islam\ngive marriage portions to women or do women dower men?\u201d Quoth he, \u201cMen\nendow women.\u201d \u201cThen,\u201d said she, \u201cI come and dower myself for thee,\nbringing thee, as my marriage-portion, my dress together with the rod\nand charger and chains and the head of my father, the enemy of thee and\nthe foeman of Allah.\u201d And she threw down the Jew\u2019s head before him. Now\nthe cause of her slaying her sire was as follows. On the night of his\nturning Ali into a dog, she saw, in a dream, a speaker who said to her,\n\u201cBecome a Moslemah.\u201d She did so; and as soon as she awoke next morning\nshe expounded Al-Islam to her father who refused to embrace the Faith;\nso she drugged him with Bhang and killed him. As for Ali, he took the\ngear and said to the broker, \u201cMeet we to-morrow at the Caliph\u2019s Divan,\nthat I may take thy daughter and the handmaid to wife.\u201d Then he set out\nrejoicing, to return to the barrack of the Forty. On his way he met a\nsweetmeat seller, who was beating hand upon hand and saying, \u201cThere is\nno Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!\nFolk\u2019s labour hath waxed sinful and man is active only in fraud!\u201d Then\nsaid he to Ali, \u201cI conjure thee, by Allah, taste of this confection!\u201d So\nAli took a piece and ate it and fell down senseless, for there was Bhang\ntherein; whereupon the sweetmeat-seller seized the dress and the charger\nand the rest of the gear and thrusting them into the box where he kept\nhis sweetmeats hoisted it up and made off. Presently he met a Kazi, who\ncalled to him, saying, \u201cCome hither, O sweetmeat seller!\u201d So he went up\nto him and setting down his sack laid the tray of sweetmeats upon it and\nasked, \u201cWhat dost thou want?\u201d \u201cHalw\u00e1 and drag\u00e9es,[256]\u201d answered the\nKazi and, taking some in his hand, said, \u201cBoth of these are\nadulterated.\u201d Then he brought out sweetmeats from his breast-pocket[257]\nand gave them to the sweetmeat-seller, saying, \u201cLook at this fashion;\nhow excellent it is! Eat of it and make the like of it.\u201d So he ate and\nfell down senseless, for the sweetmeats were drugged with Bhang,\nwhereupon the Kazi bundled him into the sack and made off with him,\ncharger and chest and all, to the barrack of the Forty. Now the Judge in\nquestion was Hasan Shuman and the reason of this was as follows. When\nAli had been gone some days in quest of the dress and they heard no news\nof him, Calamity Ahmad said to his men, \u201cO lads, go and seek for your\nbrother Ali of Cairo.\u201d So they sallied forth in quest of him and among\nthe rest Hasan Shuman the Pestilence, disguised in a Kazi\u2019s gear. He\ncame upon the sweetmeat-seller and, knowing him for Ahmad al-Lakit[258]\nsuspected him of having played some trick upon Ali; so he drugged him\nand did as we have seen. Meanwhile, the other Forty fared about the\nstreets and highways making search in different directions, and amongst\nthem Ali Kitf al-Jamal, who espying a crowd, made towards the people and\nfound the Cairene Ali lying drugged and senseless in their midst. So he\nrevived him and he came to himself and seeing the folk flocking around\nhim asked, \u201cWhere am I?\u201d Answered Ali Camel-shoulder and his comrades,\n\u201cWe found thee lying here drugged but know not who drugged thee.\u201d Quoth\nAli, \u201c\u2019Twas a certain sweetmeat-seller who drugged me and took the gear\nfrom me; but where is he gone?\u201d Quoth his comrades, \u201cWe have seen\nnothing of him; but come, rise and go home with us.\u201d So they returned to\nthe barrack, where they found Ahmad al-Danaf, who greeted Ali and\nenquired if he had brought the dress. He replied, \u201cI was coming hither\nwith it and other matters, including the Jew\u2019s head, when a\nsweetmeat-seller met me and drugged me with Bhang and took them from\nme.\u201d Then he told him the whole tale ending with, \u201cIf I come across that\nman of goodies again, I will requite him.\u201d Presently Hasan Shuman came\nout of a closet and said to him, \u201cHast thou gotten the gear, O Ali?\u201d So\nhe told him what had befallen him and added, \u201cIf I know whither the\nrascal is gone and where to find the knave, I would pay him out. Knowest\nthou whither he went?\u201d Answered Hasan, \u201cI know where he is,\u201d and opening\nthe door of the closet, showed him the sweetmeat-seller within, drugged\nand senseless. Then he aroused him and he opened his eyes and finding\nhimself in presence of Mercury Ali and Calamity Ahmad and the Forty,\nstarted up and said, \u201cWhere am I and who hath laid hands on me?\u201d Replied\nShuman, \u201c\u2019Twas I laid hands on thee;\u201d and Ali cried, \u201cO perfidious\nwretch, wilt thou play thy pranks on me?\u201d And he would have slain him:\nbut Hasan said to him, \u201cHold thy hand for this fellow is become thy\nkinsman.\u201d \u201cHow my kinsman?\u201d quoth Ali; and quoth Hasan, \u201cThis is Ahmad\nal-Lakit son of Zaynab\u2019s sister.\u201d Then said Ali to the prisoner, \u201cWhy\ndidst thou thus, O Lakit?\u201d and he replied, \u201cMy grandmother, Dalilah the\nWily, bade me do it; only because Zurayk the fishmonger foregathered\nwith the old woman and said:\u2014Mercury Ali of Cairo is a sharper and a\npast master in knavery, and he will certainly slay the Jew and bring\nhither the dress. So she sent for me and said to me, O Ahmad, dost thou\nknow Ali of Cairo? Answered I:\u2014Indeed I do and \u2019twas I directed him to\nAhmad al-Danaf\u2019s lodging when he first came to Baghdad. Quoth she:\u2014Go\nand set thy nets for him, and if he have brought back the gear, put a\ncheat on him and take it from him. So I went round about the highways of\nthe city, till I met a sweetmeat-seller and buying his clothes and\nstock-in-trade and gear for ten dinars, did what was done.\u201d Thereupon\nquoth Ali, \u201cGo back to thy grandmother and Zurayk, and tell them that I\nhave brought the gear and the Jew\u2019s head and say to them:\u2014Meet me\nto-morrow at the Caliph\u2019s Divan, there to receive Zaynab\u2019s dowry.\u201d And\nCalamity Ahmad rejoiced in this and said, \u201cWe have not wasted our pains\nin rearing thee, O Ali!\u201d Next morning Ali took the dress, the charger,\nthe rod and the chains of gold, together with the head of Azariah the\nJew mounted on a pike, and went up, accompanied by Ahmad al-Danaf and\nthe Forty, to the Divan, where they kissed ground before the Caliph\u2014\u2014And\nShahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Nineteenth Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Ali the\nCairene went up to the Caliph\u2019s Divan, accompanied by his uncle Ahmad\nal-Danaf and his lads they kissed ground before the Caliph who turned\nand seeing a youth of the most valiant aspect, enquired of Calamity\nAhmad concerning him and he replied, \u201cO Commander of the Faithful, this\nis Mercury Ali the Egyptian captain of the brave boys of Cairo, and he\nis the first of my lads.\u201d And the Caliph loved him for the valour that\nshone from between his eyes, testifying for him and not against him.\nThen Ali rose; and, casting the Jew\u2019s head down before him, said, \u201cMay\nthine every enemy be like this one, O Prince of True Believers!\u201d Quoth\nAl-Rashid, \u201cWhose head is this?\u201d; and quoth Ali, \u201c\u2019Tis the head of\nAzariah the Jew.\u201d \u201cWho slew him?\u201d asked the Caliph. So Ali related to\nhim all that had passed, from first to last, and the Caliph said, \u201cI had\nnot thought thou wouldst kill him, for that he was a sorcerer.\u201d Ali\nreplied, \u201cO Commander of the Faithful, my Lord made me prevail to his\nslaughter.\u201d Then the Caliph sent the Chief of Police to the Jew\u2019s\npalace, where he found him lying headless; so he laid the body on a\nbier,[259] and carried it to Al-Rashid, who commanded to burn it.\nWhereat, behold, up came Kamar and kissing the ground before the Caliph,\ninformed him that she was the daughter of Jew Azariah and that she had\nbecome a Moslemah. Then she renewed her profession of Faith before the\nCommander of the Faithful and said to him \u201cBe thou my intercessor with\nSharper Ali that he take me to wife.\u201d She also appointed him her\nguardian to consent to her marriage with the Cairene, to whom he gave\nthe Jew\u2019s palace and all its contents, saying, \u201cAsk a boon of me.\u201d Quoth\nAli, \u201cI beg of thee to let me stand on thy carpet and eat of thy table;\u201d\nand quoth the Caliph, \u201cO Ali, hast thou any lads?\u201d He replied, \u201cI have\nforty lads; but they are in Cairo.\u201d Rejoined the Caliph, \u201cSend to Cairo\nand fetch them hither,\u201d presently adding, \u201cBut, O Ali, hast thou a\nbarrack for them?\u201d \u201cNo,\u201d answered Ali; and Hasan Shuman said, \u201cI make\nhim a present of my barrack with all that is therein, O Commander of the\nFaithful.\u201d However, the Caliph retorted, saying, \u201cThy lodging is thine\nown, O Hasan;\u201d and he bade his treasurer give the court architect ten\nthousand dinars, that he might build Ali a hall with four da\u00efses and\nforty sleeping-closets for his lads. Then said he, \u201cO Ali, hast thou any\nfurther wish, that we may command its fulfilment?\u201d; and said Ali, \u201cO\nKing of the age, be thou my intercessor with Dalilah the Wily that she\ngive me her daughter Zaynab to wife and take the dress and gear of\nAzariah\u2019s girl in lieu of dower.\u201d Dalilah accepted the Caliph\u2019s\nintercession and accepted the charger and dress and what not, and they\ndrew up the marriage contracts between Ali and Zaynab and Kamar, the\nJew\u2019s daughter and the broker\u2019s daughter and the handmaid. Moreover, the\nCaliph assigned him a solde with a table morning and evening, and\nstipends and allowances for fodder; all of the most liberal. Then Ali\nthe Cairene fell to making ready for the wedding festivities and, after\nthirty days, he sent a letter to his comrades in Cairo, wherein he gave\nthem to know of the favours and honours which the Caliph had bestowed\nupon him and said, \u201cI have married four maidens and needs must ye come\nto the wedding.\u201d So, after a reasonable time the forty lads arrived and\nthey held high festival; he homed them in his barrack and entreated them\nwith the utmost regard and presented them to the Caliph, who bestowed on\nthem robes of honour and largesse. Then the tiring-women displayed\nZaynab before Ali in the dress of the Jew\u2019s daughter, and he went in\nunto her and found her a pearl unthridden and a filly by all save\nhimself unridden. Then he went in unto the three other maidens and found\nthem accomplished in beauty and loveliness. After this it befel that Ali\nof Cairo was one night on guard by the Caliph who said to him, \u201cI wish\nthee O Ali, to tell me all that hath befallen thee from first to last\nwith Dalilah the Wily and Zaynab the Coney-catcher and Zurayk the\nFishmonger.\u201d So Ali related to him all his adventures and the Commander\nof the Faithful bade record them and lay them up in the royal\nmuniment-rooms. So they wrote down all that had befallen him and kept it\nin store with other histories for the people of Mohammed the Best of\nMen. And Ali and his wives and comrades abode in all solace of life, and\nits joyance, till there came to them the Destroyer of Delights and\nSunderer of Societies; and Allah (be He extolled and exalted!) is\nAll-knowing![260] And also men relate the tale of\n\n-----\n\nFootnote 214:\n\n This is a sequel to the Story of Dalilah and both are highly relished\n by Arabs. The Bresl. Edit. ix. 245, runs both into one.\n\nFootnote 215:\n\n Arab. Misr, Masr, the Capital, says Savary, applied alternately to\n Memphis, Fostat and Grand Cairo each of which had a J\u00edzah (pron.\n G\u00edzah), skirt, angle outlying suburb.\n\nFootnote 216:\n\n For the curious street-cries of old Cairo see Lane (M. E. chapt. xiv.)\n and my Pilgrimage (i. 120): here the rhymes are of Zab\u00edb (raisins),\n hab\u00edb (lover) and lab\u00edb (man of sense).\n\nFootnote 217:\n\n The Mac. and Bul. Edits. give two silly couplets of moral advice:\u2014\n\n Strike with thy stubborn steel, and never fear \u273f Aught save the\n Godhead of Almighty Might;\n And shun ill practices and never show \u273f Through life but generous\n gifts to human sight.\n\n The above is from the Bresl. Edit. ix. 247.\n\nFootnote 218:\n\n Arab. \u201cAl-Khanakah\u201d now more usually termed a Tak\u00edyah (Pilgrim. i.\n 124).\n\nFootnote 219:\n\n Arab. \u201cKa\u2019b al-ba\u2019\u00edd\u201d (Bresl. Edit. ix. 255) = heel or ankle, metaph.\n for fortune, reputation: so the Arabs say the \u201cKa\u2019b of the tribe is\n gone!\u201d Here \u201cthe far one\u201d = the caravan-leader.\n\nFootnote 220:\n\n Arab. \u201cShar\u00edt,\u201d from Sharata = he Scarified; \u201cMishrat\u201d = a lancet and\n \u201cShar\u00edtah\u201d = a mason\u2019s rule. Mr. Payne renders \u201cShar\u00edt\u201d by whinyard:\n it must be a chopper-like weapon, with a pin or screw (laulab) to keep\n the blade open like the snap of the Spaniard\u2019s cuchillo. Dozy explains\n it = ep\u00e9e, synonyme de Sayf.\n\nFootnote 221:\n\n Text \u201cDim\u00e1gh,\u201d a Persianism when used for the head: the word properly\n means brain or meninx.\n\nFootnote 222:\n\n They were afraid even to stand and answer this remarkable ruffian.\n\nFootnote 223:\n\n Ahmad the Abortion, or the Foundling, nephew (sister\u2019s son) of Zaynab\n the Coney-catcher. See _supra_, p. 145.\n\nFootnote 224:\n\n Here the sharp lad discovers the direction without pointing it out. I\n need hardly enlarge upon the prehensile powers of the Eastern foot:\n the tailor will hold his cloth between his toes and pick up his needle\n with it, whilst the woman can knead every muscle and at times catch a\n mosquito between the toes. I knew an officer in India whose mistress\n hurt his feelings by so doing at a critical time when he attributed\n her movement to pleasure.\n\nFootnote 225:\n\n Arab. \u201cHullah\u201d = dress. In old days it was composed of the Burd or\n Rid\u00e1, the shoulder-cloth from 6 to 9 or 10 feet long, and the Iz\u00e1r or\n waistcloth which was either tied or tucked into a girdle of leather or\n metal. The woman\u2019s waistcloth was called Nit\u00e1h and descended to the\n feet while the upper part was doubled and provided with a Tikkah or\n string over which it fell to the knees overhanging the lower folds.\n This doubling of the \u201cHujrah,\u201d or part round the waist, was called the\n \u201cHubkah.\u201d\n\nFootnote 226:\n\n Arab. \u201cTaghadd\u00e1,\u201d the dinner being at eleven a.m. or noon.\n\nFootnote 227:\n\n Arab. Ghand\u00far for which the Dictionaries give only \u201cfat, thick.\u201d It\n applies in Arabia especially to a Har\u00e1mi, brigand or freebooter, most\n honourable of professions, slain in foray or fray, opposed to \u201cFat\u00eds\u201d\n or carrion (the _corps cr\u00e9v\u00e9_ of the Klephts), the man who dies the\n straw-death. Pilgrimage iii. 66.\n\nFootnote 228:\n\n My fair readers will note with surprise how such matters are hurried\n in the East. The picture is, however, true to life in lands where\n \u201cflirtation\u201d is utterly unknown and, indeed, impossible.\n\nFootnote 229:\n\n Arab. \u201cZabbah,\u201d the wooden bolt (before noticed) which forms the lock\n and is opened by a slider and pins. It is illustrated by Lane (M. E.\n Introduction).\n\nFootnote 230:\n\n _i.e._ I am not a petty thief.\n\nFootnote 231:\n\n Arab. \u201cSatl\u201d = kettle, bucket. Lat. Situla (?)\n\nFootnote 232:\n\n _i.e._ \u201cthere is no chance of his escaping.\u201d It may also mean, \u201cAnd\n far from him (Hayh\u00e1t) is escape.\u201d\n\nFootnote 233:\n\n Arab. \u201cIhtil\u00e1m,\u201d the sign of puberty in boy or girl; this, like all\n emissions of semen, voluntary or involuntary, requires the Ghuzl or\n total ablution before prayers can be said, etc. See vol. v. 199, in\n the Tale of Tawaddud.\n\nFootnote 234:\n\n This is the way to take an Eastern when he tells a deliberate lie; and\n it often surprises him into speaking the truth.\n\nFootnote 235:\n\n The conjunctiva in Africans is seldom white; often it is red and more\n frequently yellow.\n\nFootnote 236:\n\n So in the texts, possibly a clerical error for the wine which he had\n brought with the kabobs. But beer is the especial tipple of African\n slaves in Egypt.\n\nFootnote 237:\n\n Arab. Laun, prop. = color, hue; but applied to species and genus, our\n \u201ckind\u201d; and especially to dishes which differ in appearance; whilst in\n Egypt it means any dish.\n\nFootnote 238:\n\n Arab. \u201cZardah\u201d = rice dressed with honey and saffron. Vol. ii. 313.\n The word is still common in Turkey.\n\nFootnote 239:\n\n Arab. \u201cLaylat Ams,\u201d the night of yesterday (Al-b\u00e1rihah) not our \u201clast\n night\u201d which would be the night of the day spoken of.\n\nFootnote 240:\n\n Arab. \u201cYakhn\u00ed,\u201d a word much used in Persia and India and properly\n applied to the complicated broth prepared for the rice and meat. For a\n good recipe see Herklots, Appendix xxix.\n\nFootnote 241:\n\n In token of defeat and in acknowledgment that she was no match for\n men.\n\nFootnote 242:\n\n This is a neat touch of nature. Many a woman, even of the world, has\n fallen in love with a man before indifferent to her because he did not\n take advantage of her when he had the opportunity.\n\nFootnote 243:\n\n The slightest movement causes a fight at a funeral or a\n wedding-procession in the East; even amongst the \u201cmild Hindus.\u201d\n\nFootnote 244:\n\n Arab. \u201cAl-Musr\u00e1n\u201d (plur. of \u201cMas\u00edr\u201d) properly the intestines which\n contain the chyle. The bag made by Ali was, in fact, a \u201cCundum\u201d (so\n called from the inventor, Colonel Cundum of the Guards in the days of\n Charles Second) or \u201cFrench letter\u201d; une capote anglaise, a \u201ccheck upon\n child.\u201d Captain Grose says (Class. Dict. etc. s.v. Cundum) \u201cThe dried\n gut of a sheep worn by a man in the act of coition to prevent venereal\n infection. These machines were long prepared and sold by a matron of\n the name of Philips at the Green Canister in Half Moon Street in the\n Strand * * * Also a false scabbard over a sword and the oilskin case\n for the colours of a regiment.\u201d Another account is given in the Guide\n Pratique des Maladies Secr\u00e8tes, Dr. G. Harris, Bruxelles. Librairie\n Populaire. He calls these petits sachets de baudruche \u201cCandoms, from\n the doctor who invented them.\u201d (Littr\u00e9 ignores the word) and declares\n that the famous Ricord compared them with a bad umbrella which a storm\n can break or burst, while others term them cuirasses against pleasure\n and cobwebs against infection. They were much used in the last\n century. \u201cThose pretended stolen goods were Mr. Wilkes\u2019s Papers, many\n of which tended to prove his authorship of the North Briton, No. 45,\n April 23, 1763, and some _Cundums_ enclosed in an envelope\u201d (Records\n of C. of King\u2019s Bench, London, 1763). \u201cPour finir l\u2019inventaire de ces\n curiosit\u00e9s du cabinet de Madame Gourdan, il ne faut pas omettre une\n multitude de _redingottes_ appel\u00e9es _d\u2019Angleterre_, je ne sais\n pourquois. Vous connoissez, au surplus, ces esp\u00e8ces de boucliers qu\u2019on\n oppose aux traits empoisonn\u00e9s de l\u2019amour; et qui n\u2019emoussent que ceux\n du plaisir.\u201d (L\u2019Observateur Anglois, Londres 1778, iii. 69). Again we\n read:\u2014\n\n \u201cLes capotes m\u00e9lancoliques\n Qui pendent chez les gros Millan (?)\n S\u2019enflent d\u2019elles-m\u00eames, lubriques,\n Et dechargent en se gonflant.\u201d\n\n Passage Satyrique.\n\n Also in Louis Prolat:\u2014\n\n \u201cIl fuyait, me laissant une capote au cul.\u201d\n\n The articles are now of two kinds mostly of baudruche (sheep\u2019s gut)\n and a few of caoutchouc. They are made almost exclusively in the\n faubourgs of Paris, giving employment to many women and young girls;\n Grenelle turns out the baudruche and Grenelle and Lilas the\n India-rubber article; and of the three or four makers M. Deschamps is\n best known. The sheep\u2019s gut is not joined in any way but of single\n piece as it comes from the animal after, of course, much manipulation\n to make it thin and supple; the inferior qualities are stuck together\n at the sides. Prices vary from 4\u00bd to 36 francs per gross. Those of\n India-rubber are always joined at the side with a solution especially\n prepared for the purpose. I have also heard of fish-bladders but can\n give no details on the subject. The Cundum was unknown to the ancients\n of Europe although syphilis was not: even prehistoric skeletons show\n traces of its ravages.\n\nFootnote 245:\n\n Arab. \u201cY\u00e1 Ust\u00e1\u201d (for \u201cUst\u00e1z.\u201d) The Pers. term is Ust\u00e1d = a\n craft-master, an artisan and especially a barber. Here it is merely a\n polite address.\n\nFootnote 246:\n\n In common parlance Arabs answer a question (like the classics of\n Europe who rarely used Yes and No, Yea and Nay), by repeating its last\n words. They have, however, many affirmative particles _e.g._ Ni\u2019am\n which answers a negative \u201cDost thou not go?\u201d\u2014Ni\u2019am (Yes!); and Ajal, a\n stronger form following a command, _e.g._ Sir (go)\u2014Ajal, Yes verily.\n The popular form is Ayw\u00e1 (\u2019ll\u00e1hi) = Yes, by Allah. The chief negatives\n are M\u00e1 and L\u00e1, both often used in the sense of \u201cThere is not.\u201d\n\nFootnote 247:\n\n Arab. \u201cKhalb\u00fas,\u201d prop. the servant of the Almah-girls who acts buffoon\n as well as pimp. The \u201cMaskharah\u201d (whence our \u201cmask\u201d) corresponds with\n the fool or jester of medi\u00e6val Europe: amongst the Arnauts he is\n called \u201cSuttari\u201d and is known by his fox\u2019s tails: he mounts a mare,\n tom-toms on the kettle-drum and is generally one of the bravest of the\n corps. These buffoons are noted for extreme indecency: they generally\n appear in the ring provided with an enormous phallus of whip-cord and\n with this they charge man, woman and child, to the infinite delight of\n the public.\n\nFootnote 248:\n\n Arab. \u201cSh\u00fabash\u201d pronounced in Egypt Shobash: it is the Persian\n Sh\u00e1h-b\u00e1sh lit. = be a King, equivalent to our bravo. Here, however,\n the allusion is to the buffoon\u2019s cry at an Egyptian feast, \u201cShohbash\n \u2019alayk, y\u00e1 S\u00e1hib al-faraj,\u201d = a present is due from thee, \u201cO giver of\n the f\u00eate!\u201d See Lane M. E. xxvii.\n\nFootnote 249:\n\n Arab. \u201cKa\u2019ak al-I\u2019d:\u201d the former is the Arab form of the Persian\n \u201cKahk\u201d (still retained in Egypt) whence I would derive our word\n \u201ccake.\u201d It alludes to the sweet cakes which are served up with dates,\n the quatre mendiants and sherbets during visits of the Lesser (not the\n greater) Festival, at the end of the Ramazan fast. (Lane M.E. xxv).\n\nFootnote 250:\n\n Arab. \u201cT\u00e1s\u00famah,\u201d a rare word for a peculiar slipper. Dozy (s.v.) says\n only, esp\u00e8ce de chaussure, sandale, pantoufle, soulier.\n\nFootnote 251:\n\n Arab. \u201cIjtil\u00e1\u201d = the displaying of the bride on her wedding night so\n often alluded to in The Nights.\n\nFootnote 252:\n\n Arab. Khiskh\u00e1nah; a mixed word from Khaysh = canvass or stuffs\n generally and Pers. Kh\u00e1nah = house room. Dozy (s.v.) says _armoire_,\n _buffet_.\n\nFootnote 253:\n\n The Bresl. Edit. \u201cKamar\u00edyah\u201d = Moon-like (fem.) for Moon.\n\nFootnote 254:\n\n Every traveller describes the manners and customs of dogs in Eastern\n cities where they furiously attack all canine intruders. I have\n noticed the subject in writing of Al-Medinah where the beasts are\n confined to the suburbs (Pilgrimage ii. 52\u201354).\n\nFootnote 255:\n\n She could legally compel him to sell her; because, being an Infidel,\n he had attempted to debauch a Moslemah.\n\nFootnote 256:\n\n Arab. \u201cHal\u00e1wat wa Mulabbas\u201d; the latter etymologically means one\n dressed or clothed. Here it alludes to almonds, etc., clothed or\n coated with sugar. See Dozy s.v. \u201clabas.\u201d\n\nFootnote 257:\n\n Arab. \u201c\u2019Ubb\u201d from a root = being long: Dozy (s.v.), says poche au\n sein; Habb al-\u2019ubb is a woman\u2019s ornament.\n\nFootnote 258:\n\n Who, it will be remembered, was Dalilah\u2019s grandson.\n\nFootnote 259:\n\n Arab. \u201cT\u00e1b\u00fat,\u201d a term applied to the Ark of the Covenant (Koran ii.\n 349), which contained Moses\u2019 rod and shoes, Aaron\u2019s mitre, the\n manna-pot, the broken Tables of the Law, and the portraits of all the\n prophets which are to appear till the end of time\u2014an extensive list\n for a box measuring 3 by cubits. Europeans often translate it coffin,\n but it is properly the wooden case placed over an honoured grave.\n \u201cIr\u00e1n\u201d is the Ark of Moses\u2019 exposure, also the large hearse on which\n tribal chiefs were carried to earth.\n\nFootnote 260:\n\n _i.e._ What we have related is not \u201cGospel Truth.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n ARDASHIR AND HAYAT AL-NUFUS.[261]\n\n\nThere was once in the city of Sh\u00edr\u00e1z a mighty King called Sayf al-A\u2019azam\nShah, who had grown old, without being blessed with a son. So he\nsummoned the physicists and physicians and said to them, \u201cI am now in\nyears and ye know my case and the state of the kingdom and its\nordinance; and I fear for my subjects after me; for that up to this\npresent I have not been vouchsafed a son.\u201d Thereupon they replied, \u201cWe\nwill compound thee a somewhat of drugs wherein shall be efficacy, if it\nplease Almighty Allah!\u201d So they mixed him drugs, which he used and knew\nhis wife carnally, and she conceived by leave of the Most High Lord, who\nsaith to a thing, \u201cBe,\u201d and it becometh. When her months were\naccomplished, she gave birth to a male child like the moon, whom his\nfather named Ardashir,[262] and he grew up and throve and applied\nhimself to the study of learning and letters, till he attained the age\nof fifteen. Now there was in Al-Irak a King called Abd al-K\u00e1dir who had\na daughter, by name Hay\u00e1t al-Nuf\u00fas, and she was like the rising full\nmoon; but she had an hatred for men and the folk very hardly dared name\nmankind in her presence. The Kings of the Chosro\u00ebs had sought her in\nmarriage of her sire; but, when he spoke with her thereof, she said,\n\u201cNever will I do this; and if thou force me thereto, I will slay\nmyself.\u201d Now Prince Ardashir heard of her fame and fell in love with her\nand told his father who, seeing his case, took pity on him and promised\nhim day by day that he should marry her. So he despatched his Wazir to\ndemand her in wedlock, but King Abd al-Kadir refused, and when the\nMinister returned to King Sayf al-A\u2019azam and acquainted him with what\nhad befallen his mission and the failure thereof, he was wroth with\nexceeding wrath and cried, \u201cShall the like of me send to one of the\nKings on a requisition and he accomplish it not?\u201d Then he bade a herald\nmake proclamation to his troops, bidding them bring out the tents and\nequip them for war with all diligence, though they should borrow money\nfor the necessary expenses; and he said, \u201cI will on no wise turn back,\ntill I have laid waste King Abd al-Kadir\u2019s dominions and slain his men\nand plundered his treasures and blotted out his traces!\u201d When the report\nof this reached Ardashir he rose from his carpet-bed, and going in to\nhis father, kissed ground[263] between his hands and said, \u201cO mighty\nKing, trouble not thyself with aught of this thing\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad\nperceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Twentieth Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when report\nof this reached the Prince he went in to his sire the King and, kissing\nground between his hands, said, \u201cO mighty King, trouble not thy soul\nwith aught of this thing and levy not thy champions and armies neither\nspend thy monies. Thou art stronger than he, and if thou loose upon him\nthis thy host, thou wilt lay waste his cities and dominions and spoil\nhis good and slay his strong men and himself; but when his daughter\nshall come to know what hath befallen her father and his people by\nreason of her, she will slay herself, and I shall die on her account;\nfor I can never live after her; no, never.\u201d Asked the King, \u201cAnd what\nthen thinkest thou to do, O my son?\u201d and the Prince answered, \u201cI will\ndon a merchant\u2019s habit and cast about how I may win to the Princess and\ncompass my desire of her.\u201d Quoth Sayf al-A\u2019azam, \u201cArt thou determined\nupon this?\u201d; and quoth the Prince, \u201cYes, O my sire;\u201d whereupon the King\ncalled to his Wazir, and said to him, \u201cDo thou journey with my son, the\ncore of my heart, and help him to win his will and watch over him and\nguide him with thy sound judgment, for thou standest to him even in my\nstead.\u201d \u201cI hear and obey,\u201d answered the Minister; and the King gave his\nson three hundred thousand dinars in gold and great store of jewels and\nprecious stones and goldsmiths\u2019 ware and stuffs and other things of\nprice. Then Prince Ardashir went in to his mother and kissed her hands\nand asked her blessing. She blessed him and, forthright opening her\ntreasures, brought out to him necklaces and trinkets and apparel and all\nmanner of other costly objects hoarded up from the time of the bygone\nKings, whose price might not be evened with coin. Moreover, he took with\nhim of his Mamelukes and negro-slaves and cattle all that he needed for\nthe road and clad himself and the Wazir and their company in traders\u2019\ngear. Then he farewelled his parents and kinsfolk and friends; and,\nsetting out, fared on over wolds and wastes all hours of the day and\nwatches of the night; and whenas the way was longsome upon him he\nimprovised these couplets:\u2014\n\n My longing bred of love with mine unease for ever grows; \u273f Nor against\n all the wrongs of time one succourer arose:\n When Pleiads and the Fishes show in sky the rise I watch, \u273f As\n worshipper within whose breast a pious burning glows:\n For Star o\u2019 Morn I speer until at last when it is seen, \u273f I\u2019m madded\n with my passion and my fancy\u2019s woes and throes:\n I swear by you that never from your love have I been loosed; \u273f Naught am\n I save a watcher who of slumber nothing knows!\n Though hard appear my hope to win, though languor aye increase, \u273f And\n after thee my patience fails and ne\u2019er a helper shows;\n Yet will I wait till Allah shall be pleased to join our loves; \u273f I\u2019ll\n mortify the jealous and I\u2019ll mock me of my foes.\n\nWhen he ended his verse he swooned away and the Wazir sprinkled\nrose-water on him, till the Prince came to himself, when the Minister\nsaid to him, \u201cO King\u2019s son, possess thy soul in patience; for the\nconsequence of patience is consolation, and behold, thou art on the way\nto whatso thou wishest.\u201d And he ceased not to bespeak him fair and\ncomfort him till his trouble subsided; and they continued their journey\nwith all diligence. Presently, the Prince again became impatient of the\nlength of the way and bethought him of his beloved and recited these\ncouplets:\u2014\n\n Longsome is absence, restlessness increaseth and despite; \u273f And burn my\n vitals in the blaze my love and longings light:\n Grows my hair gray from pains and pangs which I am doom\u00e8d bear \u273f For\n pine, while tear-floods stream from eyes and sore offend my sight:\n I swear, O Hope of me, O End of every wish and will, \u273f By Him who made\n mankind and every branch with leafage dight,\n A passion-load for thee, O my Desire, I must endure, \u273f And boast I that\n to bear such load no lover hath the might.\n Question the Night of me and Night thy soul shall satisfy \u273f Mine eyelids\n never close in sleep throughout the livelong night.\n\nThen he wept with sore weeping and \u2019plained of that he suffered for\nstress of love-longing; but the Wazir comforted him and spoke him fair,\npromising him the winning of his wish; after which they fared on again\nfor a few days, when they drew near to the White City, the capital of\nKing Abd al-Kadir, soon after sunrise. Then said the Minister to the\nPrince, \u201cRejoice, O King\u2019s son, in all good; for see, yonder is the\nWhite City, that which thou seekest.\u201d Whereat the Prince rejoiced with\nexceeding joy and recited these couplets:\u2014\n\n My friends, I yearn in heart distraught for him; \u273f Longing abides and\n with sore pains I brim:\n I mourn like childless mother, nor can find \u273f One to console me when the\n light grows dim;\n Yet when the breezes blow from off thy land, \u273f I feel their freshness\n shed on heart and limb;\n And rail mine eyes like water-laden clouds, \u273f While in a tear-sea shed\n by heart I swim.\n\nNow when they entered the White City they asked for the Merchants\u2019 Khan,\na place of moneyed men; and when shown the hostelry they hired three\nmagazines and on receiving the keys[264] they laid up therein all their\ngoods and gear. They abode in the Khan till they were rested, when the\nWazir applied himself to devise a device for the Prince,\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad\nperceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Twenty-first Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Prince and\nthe Minister alighted at the Khan and lodged their goods in the\nground-floor magazines and there settled their servants. Then they\ntarried awhile till they had rested when the Wazir arose and applied\nhimself to devise a device for the Prince, and said to him, \u201cI have\nbethought me of somewhat wherein, methinks, will be success for thee, so\nit please Almighty Allah.\u201d Quoth Ardashir, \u201cO thou Wazir of good\ncounsel, do what cometh to thy mind, and may the Lord direct thy rede\naright!\u201d Quoth the Minister, \u201cI purpose to hire thee a shop in the\nmarket-street of the stuff-sellers and set thee therein; for that all,\ngreat and small, have recourse to the bazar and, meseems, when the folk\nsee thee with their own eyes sitting in the shop their hearts will\nincline to thee and thou wilt thus be enabled to attain thy desire, for\nthou art fair of favour and souls incline to thee and sight rejoiceth in\nthee.\u201d The other replied, \u201cDo what seemeth good to thee.\u201d So the Wazir\nforthright began to robe the Prince and himself in their richest raiment\nand, putting a purse of a thousand dinars in his breast-pocket, went\nforth and walked about the city, whilst all who looked upon them\nmarvelled at the beauty of the King\u2019s son, saying, \u201cGlory be to Him who\ncreated this youth \u2019of vile water\u2019[265]! Blessed be Allah excellentest\nof Creators!\u201d Great was the talk anent him and some said, \u201cThis is no\nmortal, \u2019this is naught save a noble angel\u2019\u201d;[266] and others, \u201cHath\nRizw\u00e1n, the doorkeeper of the Eden-garden, left the gate of Paradise\nunguarded, that this youth hath come forth?\u201d The people followed them to\nthe stuff-market, where they entered and stood, till there came up to\nthem an old man of dignified presence and venerable appearance, who\nsaluted them, and they returned his salam. Then the Shaykh said to them,\n\u201cO my lords, have ye any need, that we may have the honour of\naccomplishing?\u201d; and the Wazir asked him, \u201cWho art thou, O elder?\u201d He\nanswered, \u201cI am the Overseer of the market.\u201d Quoth the Wazir, \u201cKnow\nthen, O Shaykh, that this youth is my son and I wish to hire him a shop\nin the bazar, that he may sit therein and learn to sell and buy and take\nand give, and come to ken merchants\u2019 ways and habits.\u201d \u201cI hear and I\nobey,\u201d replied the Overseer and brought them without stay or delay the\nkey of a shop, which he caused the brokers sweep and clean. And they did\nhis bidding. Then the Wazir sent for a high mattress, stuffed with\nostrich-down, and set it up in the shop, spreading upon it a small\nprayer-carpet, and a cushion fringed with broidery of red gold. Moreover\nhe brought pillows and transported thither so much of the goods and\nstuffs that he had brought with him as filled the shop. Next morning the\nyoung Prince came and opening the shop, seated himself on the divan, and\nstationed two Mamelukes, clad in the richest of raiment before him and\ntwo black slaves of the goodliest of the Abyssinians in the lower part\nof the shop. The Wazir enjoined him to keep his secret from the folk, so\nthereby he might find aid in the winning of his wishes; then he left him\nand charging him to acquaint him with what befel him in the shop, day by\nday returned to the Khan. The Prince sat in the shop till night as he\nwere the moon at its fullest, whilst the folk, hearing tell of his\ncomeliness, flocked to the place, without errand, to gaze on his beauty\nand loveliness and symmetry and perfect grace and glorify the Almighty\nwho created and shaped him, till none could pass through that bazar for\nthe excessive crowding of the folk about him. The King\u2019s son turned\nright and left, abashed at the throng of people that stared at him,\nhoping to make acquaintance with some one about the court, of whom he\nmight get news of the Princess; but he found no way to this, wherefore\nhis breast was straitened. Meanwhile, the Wazir daily promised him the\nattainment of his desire and the case so continued for a time till, one\nmorning, as the youth sat in the shop, there came up an old woman of\nrespectable semblance and dignified presence clad in raiment of\ndevotees[267] and followed by two slave-girls like moons. She stopped\nbefore the shop and, having considered the Prince awhile, cried, \u201cGlory\nbe to God who fashioned that face and perfected that figure!\u201d Then she\nsaluted him and he returned her salam and seated her by his side. Quoth\nshe, \u201cWhence cometh thou, O fair of favour?\u201d; and quoth he, \u201cFrom the\nparts of Hind, O my mother; and I have come to this city to see the\nworld and look about me.\u201d \u201cHonour to thee for a visitor! What goods and\nstuffs hast thou? Show me something handsome, fit for Kings.\u201d \u201cIf thou\nwish for handsome stuffs, I will show them to thee; for I have wares\nthat beseem persons of every condition.\u201d \u201cO my son, I want somewhat\ncostly of price and seemly to sight; brief, the best thou hast.\u201d \u201cThou\nmust needs tell me for whom thou seekest it, that I may show thee goods\naccording to the rank of the requirer.\u201d \u201cThou speakest sooth, O my son,\u201d\nsaid she, \u201cI want somewhat for my mistress Hayat al-Nufus, daughter of\nAbd al-Kadir, lord of this land and King of this country.\u201d Now when\nArdashir heard his mistress\u2019s name, his reason flew for joy and his\nheart fluttered and he gave no order to slave or servant, but, putting\nhis hand behind him, pulled out a purse of an hundred dinars and offered\nit to the old woman, saying, \u201cThis is for the washing of thy clothes.\u201d\nThen he again put forth his hand and brought out of a wrapper a dress\nworth ten thousand dinars or more and said to her, \u201cThis is of that\nwhich I have brought to your country.\u201d When the old woman saw it, it\npleased her and she asked, \u201cWhat is the price of this dress, O perfect\nin qualities?\u201d Answered he, \u201cI will take no price for it!\u201d whereupon she\nthanked him and repeated her question; but he said, \u201cBy Allah, I will\ntake no price for it. I make thee a present of it, an the Princess will\nnot accept it and \u2019tis a guest-gift from me to thee. Alhamdolillah\u2014Glory\nbe to God\u2014who hath brought us together, so that, if one day I have a\nwant, I shall find thee a helper to me in winning it!\u201d She marvelled at\nthe goodliness of his speech and the excess of his generosity and the\nperfection of his courtesy and said to him, \u201cWhat is thy name, O my\nlord?\u201d He replied, \u201cMy name is Ardashir;\u201d and she cried, \u201cBy Allah this\nis a rare name! Therewith are Kings\u2019 sons named, and thou art in a guise\nof the sons of the merchants!\u201d Quoth he, \u201cOf the love my father bore me,\nhe gave me this name, but a name signifieth naught;\u201d and quoth she in\nwonder, \u201cO my son, take the price of thy goods.\u201d But he swore that he\nwould not take aught. Then the old lady said to him, \u201cO my dear one,\nTruth (I would have thee know) is the greatest of all things and thou\nhadst not dealt thus generously by me but for a special reason: so tell\nme thy case and thy secret thought; belike thou hast some wish to whose\nwinning I may help thee.\u201d Thereupon he laid his hand in hers and, after\nexacting an oath of secrecy, told her the whole story of his passion for\nthe Princess and his condition by reason thereof. The old woman shook\nher head and said, \u201cTrue; but O my son, the wise say, in the current\nadage:\u2014An thou wouldest be obeyed, abstain from ordering what may not be\nmade; and thou, my son, thy name is Merchant, and though thou hadst the\nkeys of the Hidden Hoards, yet wouldst thou be called naught but\nMerchant. An thou wouldst rise to high rank, according to thy station,\nthen seek the hand of a Kazi\u2019s daughter or even an Emir\u2019s; but why, O my\nson, aspirest thou to none but the daughter of the King of the age and\nthe time, and she a clean maid, who knoweth nothing of the things of the\nworld and hath never in her life seen anything but her palace wherein\nshe dwelleth? Yet, for all her tender age, she is intelligent, shrewd,\nvivacious, penetrating, quick of wit, sharp of act and rare of rede: her\nfather hath no other child and she is dearer to him than his life and\nsoul. Every morning he cometh to her and giveth her good-morrow, and all\nwho dwell in the palace stand in dread of her. Think not, O my son, that\nany dare bespeak her with aught of these words; nor is there any way for\nme thereto. By Allah, O my son, my heart and vitals love thee and were\nit in my power to give thee access to her, I would assuredly do it; but\nI will tell thee somewhat, wherein Allah may haply appoint the healing\nof thy heart, and will risk life and goods for thee, till I win thy will\nfor thee.\u201d He asked, \u201cAnd what is that, O my mother\u201d; and she answered,\n\u201cSeek of me the daughter of a Wazir or an Emir, and I will grant thy\nrequest; but it may not be that one should mount from earth to heaven at\none bound.\u201d When the Prince heard this, he replied to her with courtesy\nand sense, \u201cO my mother, thou art a woman of wit and knowest how things\ngo. Say me doth a man, when his head irketh him, bind up his hand?\u201d\nQuoth she, \u201cNo, by Allah, O my son\u201d; and quoth he, \u201cEven so my heart\nseeketh none but her and naught slayeth me but love of her. By Allah, I\nam a dead man, and I find not one to counsel me aright and succour me!\nAllah upon thee, O my mother, take pity on my strangerhood and the\nstreaming of my tears!\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and\nceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Twenty-second Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Ardashir, the\nKing\u2019s son said to the old woman, \u201cAllah upon thee, O my mother, take\npity on my strangerhood and the streaming of my tears.\u201d Replied she, \u201cBy\nAllah, O my son, thy words rend my heart, but my hand hath no cunning\nwherewith to help thee.\u201d Quoth he, \u201cI beseech thee of thy favour, carry\nher a letter and kiss her hands for me.\u201d So she had compassion on him\nand said, \u201cWrite what thou wilt and I will bear it to her.\u201d When he\nheard this, he was ready to fly for joy and calling for ink-case and\npaper, wrote these couplets:\u2014\n\n O Hay\u00e1t al-Nuf\u00fas, be gen\u2019rous, and incline \u273f To one who loving thee for\n parting\u2019s doomed to pine.\n I was in all delight, in gladsomest of life, \u273f But now I am distraught\n with sufferings condign.\n To wakefulness I cling through longsomeness of night \u273f And with me\n sorrow chats[268] through each sad eve of mine;\n Pity a lover sad, a sore afflicted wretch \u273f Whose eyelids ever ulcered\n are with tearful brine;\n And when the morning comes at last, the real morn \u273f He finds him drunken\n and distraught with passion\u2019s wine.\n\nThen he folded the scroll and kissing it, gave it to the old woman;\nafter which he put his hand to a chest and took out a second purse\ncontaining an hundred dinars, which he presented to her, saying, \u201cDivide\nthis among the slave girls.\u201d She refused it and cried, \u201cBy Allah, O my\nson, I am not with thee for aught of this!\u201d; however, he thanked her and\nanswered, \u201cThere is no help but that thou accept of it.\u201d So she took it\nand kissing his hands, returned home; and going in to the Princess,\ncried, \u201cO my lady, I have brought thee somewhat the like whereof is not\nwith the people of our city, and it cometh from a handsome young man,\nthan whom there is not a goodlier on earth\u2019s face!\u201d She asked, \u201cO my\nnurse, and whence cometh the youth?\u201d and the old woman answered, \u201cFrom\nthe parts of Hind; and he hath given me this dress of gold brocade,\nembroidered with pearls and gems and worth the Kingdom of Chosro\u00ebs and\nC\u00e6sar.\u201d Thereupon she opened the dress and the whole palace was\nilluminated by its brightness, because of the beauty of its fashion and\nthe wealth of unions and jewels wherewith it was broidered, and all who\nwere present marvelled at it. The Princess examined it and, judging it\nto be worth no less than a whole year\u2019s revenue of her father\u2019s kingdom,\nsaid to the old woman, \u201cO my nurse, cometh this dress from him or from\nanother?\u201d[269] Replied she, \u201cFrom him;\u201d and Hayat al-Nufus asked, \u201cIs\nthis trader of our town or a stranger?\u201d The old woman answered, \u201cHe is a\nforeigner, O my lady, newly come hither; and by Allah he hath servants\nand slaves; and he is fair of face, symmetrical of form, well mannered,\nopen-handed and open-hearted, never saw I a goodlier than he, save\nthyself.\u201d The King\u2019s daughter rejoined, \u201cIndeed this is an extraordinary\nthing, that a dress like this, which money cannot buy, should be in the\nhands of a merchant! What price did he set on it, O my nurse?\u201d Quoth\nshe, \u201cBy Allah, he would set no price on it, but gave me back the money\nthou sentest by me and swore that he would take naught thereof,\nsaying:\u2014\u2019Tis a gift from me to the King\u2019s daughter; for it beseemeth\nnone but her; and if she will not accept it, I make thee a present of\nit.\u201d Cried the Princess, \u201cBy Allah, this is indeed marvellous generosity\nand wondrous munificence! But I fear the issue of his affair, lest\nhaply[270] he be brought to necessity. Why didst thou not ask him, O my\nnurse, if he had any desire, that we might fulfil it for him?\u201d The nurse\nreplied, \u201cO my lady, I did ask him, and he said to me:\u2014I have indeed a\ndesire; but he would not tell me what it was. However, he gave me this\nletter and said:\u2014Carry it to the Princess.\u201d So Hayat al-Nufus took the\nletter and opened and read it to the end; whereupon she was sore chafed;\nand lost temper and changing colour for anger she cried out to the old\nwoman, saying, \u201cWoe to thee, O nurse! What is the name of this dog who\ndurst write this language to a King\u2019s daughter? What affinity is there\nbetween me and this hound that he should address me thus? By Almighty\nAllah, Lord of the well Zemzem and of the Hatim Wall,[271] but that I\nfear the Omnipotent, the Most High, I would send and bind the cur\u2019s\nhands behind him and slit his nostrils, and shear off his nose and ears\nand after, by way of example, crucify him on the gate of the bazar\nwherein is his booth!\u201d When the old woman heard these words, she waxed\nyellow; her side muscles[272] quivered and her tongue clave to her\nmouth; but she heartened her heart and said, \u201cSoftly, O my lady! What is\nthere in his letter to trouble thee thus? Is it aught but a memorial\ncontaining his complaint to thee of poverty or oppression, from which he\nhopeth to be relieved by thy favour?\u201d Replied she, \u201cNo, by Allah, O my\nnurse, \u2019tis naught of this; but verses and shameful words! However, O my\nnurse, this dog must be in one of three cases: either he is Jinn-mad,\nand hath no wit, or he seeketh his own slaughter, or else he is assisted\nto his wish of me by some one of exceeding puissance and a mighty\nSultan. Or hath he heard that I am one of the baggages of the city, who\nlie a night or two with whosoever seeketh them, that he writeth me\nimmodest verses to debauch my reason by talking of such matters?\u201d\nRejoined the old woman, \u201cBy Allah, O my lady, thou sayst sooth! But reck\nnot thou of yonder ignorant hound, for thou art seated in thy lofty,\nfirm-builded and unapproachable palace, to which the very birds cannot\nsoar neither the wind pass over it, and as for him, he is clean\ndistraught. Wherefore do thou write him a letter and chide him angrily\nand spare him no manner of reproof, but threaten him with dreadful\nthreats and menace him with death and say to him:\u2014Whence hast thou\nknowledge of me, that thou durst write me, O dog of a merchant, O thou\nwho trudgest far and wide all thy days in wilds and wolds for the sake\nof gaining a dirham or a dinar? By Allah, except thou awake from thy\nsleep and put off thine intoxication, I will assuredly crucify thee on\nthe gate of the market-street wherein is thy shop!\u201d Quoth the Princess,\n\u201cI fear lest he presume, if I write to him\u201d; and quoth the nurse, \u201cAnd\npray what is he and what is his rank that he should presume to us?\nIndeed, we write him but to the intent that his presumption may be cut\noff and his fear magnified.\u201d And she ceased not craftily to persuade\nher, till she called for ink-case and paper and wrote him these\ncouplets:\u2014\n\n O thou who claimest to be prey of love and ecstasy; \u273f Thou, who for\n passion spendest nights in grief and saddest gree:\n Say, dost thou (haughty one!) desire enjoyment of the moon? \u273f Did man\n e\u2019er sue the moon for grace whate\u2019er his lunacy?\n I verily will counsel thee with rede the best to hear: \u273f Cut short this\n course ere come thou nigh sore risk, nay death, to dree!\n If thou to this request return, surely on thee shall fall \u273f Sore\n punishment, for vile offence a grievous penalty.\n Be reasonable then, be wise, hark back unto thy wits; \u273f Behold, in very\n truth I speak with best advice to thee:\n By Him who did all things that be create from nothingness; \u273f Who dressed\n the face of heaven with stars in brightest radiancy:\n If in the like of this thy speech thou dare to sin again! \u273f I\u2019ll surely\n have thee crucified upon a trunk of tree.\n\nThen she rolled up the letter and gave it to the old woman who took it\nand, repairing to Ardashir\u2019s shop, delivered it to him,\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad\nperceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Twenty-third Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the old woman\ntook that letter from Hayat al-Nufus she fared forth till she found the\nyouth who was sitting in his shop and gave it to him, saying, \u201cRead\nthine answer and know that when she perused thy paper she was wroth with\nexceeding wrath; but I soothed her and spake her fair, till she\nconsented to write thee a reply.\u201d He took the letter joyfully but, when\nhe had read it and understood its drift, he wept sore, whereat the old\nwoman\u2019s heart ached and she cried, \u201cO my son, Allah never cause thine\neyes to weep nor thy heart to mourn! What can be more gracious than that\nshe should answer thy letter when thou hast done what thou diddest?\u201d He\nreplied, \u201cO my mother what shall I do for a subtle device? Behold, she\nwriteth to me, threatening me with death and crucifixion and forbidding\nme from writing to her; and I, by Allah, see my death to be better than\nmy life; but I beg thee of thy grace[273] to carry her another letter\nfrom me.\u201d She said, \u201cWrite and I warrant I\u2019ll bring thee an answer. By\nAllah, I will assuredly venture my life to win for thee thy wish, though\nI die to pleasure thee!\u201d He thanked her and kissing her hands, wrote\nthese verses:\u2014\n\n Do you threaten me wi\u2019 death for my loving you so well? \u273f When Death to\n me were rest and all dying is by Fate?\n And man\u2019s death is but a boon, when so longsome to him grows \u273f His life,\n and rejected he lives in lonest state:\n Then visit ye a lover who hath ne\u2019er a soul to aid; \u273f For on pious works\n of men Heaven\u2019s blessing shall await.\n But an ye be resolved on this deed then up and on; \u273f I\u2019m in bonds to\n you, a bondsman confined within your gate:\n What path have I whose patience without you is no more? \u273f How is this,\n when a lover\u2019s heart in stress of love is strait?\n O my lady show me ruth, who by passion am misused; \u273f For all who love\n the noble stand for evermore excused.\n\nHe then folded the scroll and gave it to the old woman, together with\ntwo purses of two hundred dinars, which she would have refused, but he\nconjured her by oath to accept of them. So she took them both and said,\n\u201cNeeds must I bring thee to thy desire, despite the noses of thy foes.\u201d\nThen she repaired to the palace and gave the letter to Hayat al-Nufus\nwho said, \u201cWhat is this, O my nurse? Here are we in a correspondence and\nthou coming and going! Indeed, I fear lest the matter get wind and we be\ndisgraced.\u201d Rejoined the old woman, \u201cHow so, O my lady? Who dare speak\nsuch word?\u201d So she took the letter and after reading and understanding\nit she smote hand on hand, saying, \u201cVerily, this is a calamity which is\nfallen upon us, and I know not whence this young man came to us!\u201d Quoth\nthe old woman, \u201cO my lady, Allah upon thee, write him another letter;\nbut be rough with him this time and say to him:\u2014An thou write me another\nword after this, I will have thy head struck off.\u201d Quoth the Princess,\n\u201cO my nurse, I am assured that the matter will not end on such wise;\n\u2019twere better to break off this exchange of letters; and, except the\npuppy take warning by my previous threats, I will strike off his head.\u201d\nThe old woman said, \u201cThen write him a letter and give him to know this\ncondition.\u201d So Hayat al-Nufus called for pen-case and paper and wrote\nthese couplets:\u2014\n\n Ho, thou heedless of Time and his sore despight! \u273f Ho, thou heart whom\n hopes of my favours excite!\n\n Think O pride-full! would\u2019st win for thyself the skies? \u273f Would\u2019st\n attain to the moon shining clear and bright?\n I will burn thee with fire that shall ne\u2019er be quenched, \u273f Or will slay\n thee with scymitar\u2019s sharpest bite!\n Leave it, friend, and \u2019scape the tormenting pains, \u273f Such as turn\n hair-partings[274] from black to white.\n Take my warning and fly from the road of love; \u273f Draw thee back from a\n course nor seemly nor right!\n\nThen she folded the scroll and gave it to the old woman, who was puzzled\nand perplexed by the matter. She carried it to Ardashir, and the Prince\nread the letter and bowed his head to the earth, making as if he wrote\nwith his finger and speaking not a word. Quoth the old woman, \u201cHow is it\nI see thee silent stay and not say thy say?\u201d; and quoth he, \u201cO my\nmother, what shall I say, seeing that she doth but threaten me and\nredoubleth in hardheartedness and aversion?\u201d Rejoined the nurse, \u201cWrite\nher a letter of what thou wilt: I will protect thee; nor let thy heart\nbe cast down, for needs must I bring you twain together.\u201d He thanked her\nfor her kindness and kissing her hand, wrote these couplets:\u2014\n\n A heart, by Allah! never soft to lover-wight, \u273f Who sighs for union only\n with his friends, his sprite!\n Who with tear-ulcered eyelids evermore must bide, \u273f When falleth upon\n earth first darkness of the night:\n Be just, be gen\u2019rous, lend thy ruth and deign give alms \u273f To\n love-molested lover, parted, forced to flight!\n He spends the length of longsome night without a doze; \u273f Fire-brent and\n drent in tear-flood flowing infinite:\n Ah; cut not off the longing of my fondest heart \u273f Now disappointed,\n wasted, flutt\u2019ring for its blight.\n\nThen he folded the scroll and gave it to the old woman, together with\nthree hundred dinars, saying, \u201cThis is for the washing of thy hands.\u201d\nShe thanked him and kissed his hands, after which she returned to the\npalace and gave the letter to the Princess, who took it and read it and\nthrowing it from her fingers, sprang to her feet. Then she walked, shod\nas she was with pattens of gold, set with pearls and jewels, till she\ncame to her sire\u2019s palace, whilst the vein of anger started out between\nher eyes, and none dared ask her of her case. When she reached the\npalace, she enquired for the King, and the slave-girls and concubines\nreplied to her, \u201cO my lady, he is gone forth a-hunting and sporting.\u201d So\nshe returned, as she were a rending lioness, and bespake none for the\nspace of three hours, when her brow cleared and her wrath cooled. As\nsoon as the old woman saw that her irk and anger were past, she went up\nto her and, kissing ground between her hands, asked her, \u201cO my lady,\nwhither went those noble steps?\u201d The Princess answered, \u201cTo the palace\nof the King my sire.\u201d \u201cAnd could no one do thine errand?\u201d enquired the\nnurse. Replied the Princess, \u201cNo, for I went to acquaint him of that\nwhich hath befallen me with yonder cur of a merchant, so he might lay\nhands on him and on all the merchants of his bazar and crucify them over\ntheir shops nor suffer a single foreign merchant to tarry in our town.\u201d\nQuoth the old woman, \u201cAnd was this thine only reason, O my lady, for\ngoing to thy sire?\u201d; and quoth Hayat al-Nufus, \u201cYes, but I found him\nabsent a-hunting and sporting and now I await his return.\u201d Cried the old\nnurse, \u201cI take refuge with Allah, the All-hearing, the All-knowing!\nPraised be He! O my lady, thou art the most sensible of women and how\ncouldst thou think of telling the King these fond words, which it\nbehoveth none to publish?\u201d Asked the Princess, \u201cAnd why so?\u201d and the\nnurse answered, \u201cSuppose thou had found the King in his palace and told\nhim all this tale and he had sent after the merchants and commanded to\nhang them over their shops, the folk would have seen them hanging and\nasked the reason and it would have been answered them:\u2014They sought to\nseduce the King\u2019s daughter.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day\nand ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Twenty-fourth Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the old woman\nsaid to the Princess, \u201cSuppose thou had told this to the King and he had\nordered the merchants to be hanged, would not folk have seen them and\nhave asked the cause of the execution when the answer would have\nbeen:\u2014They sought to seduce the King\u2019s daughter? Then would they have\ndispread divers reports concerning thee, some saying:\u2014She abode with\nthem ten days, away from her palace, till they had taken their fill of\nher; and other some in otherguise; for woman\u2019s honour, O my lady, is\nlike curded milk, the least dust fouleth it; and like glass, which, if\nit be cracked, may not be mended. So beware of telling thy sire or any\nother of this matter, lest thy fair fame be smirched, O mistress mine,\nfor \u2019twill never profit thee to tell folk aught; no, never! Weigh what I\nsay with thy keen wit, and if thou find it not just, do whatso thou\nwilt.\u201d The Princess pondered her words, and seeing them to be altogether\nprofitable and right, said, \u201cThou speakest sooth, O my nurse; but anger\nhad blinded my judgment.\u201d Quoth the old woman, \u201cThy resolve to tell no\none is pleasing to the Almighty; but something remaineth to be done: we\nmust not let the shamelessness of yonder vile dog of a merchant pass\nwithout notice. Write him a letter and say to him:\u2014O vilest of traders,\nbut that I found the King my father absent, I had straightway commanded\nto hang thee and all thy neighbours. But thou shalt gain nothing by\nthis; for I swear to thee, by Allah the Most High, that an thou return\nto the like of this talk, I will blot out the trace of thee from the\nface of earth! And deal thou roughly with him in words, so shalt thou\ndiscourage him in this attempt and arouse him from his heedlessness.\u201d\n\u201cAnd will these words cause him to abstain from his offending?\u201d asked\nthe Princess; and the old woman answered, \u201cHow should he not abstain?\nBesides, I will talk with him and tell him what hath passed.\u201d So the\nPrincess called for ink-case and paper and wrote these couplets:\u2014\n\n To win our favours still thy hopes are bent; \u273f And still to win thy will\n art confident!\n Naught save his pride-full aim shall slay a man; \u273f And he by us shall\n die of his intent.\n Thou art no lord of might, no chief of men, \u273f Nabob or Prince or Soldan\n Heaven-sent;\n And were this deed of one who is our peer, \u273f He had returned with hair\n for fear white-sprent:\n Yet will I deign once more excuse thy sin \u273f So from this time thou prove\n thee penitent.\n\nThen she gave the missive to the old woman, saying, \u201cO my nurse, do thou\nadmonish this puppy lest I be forced to cut off his head and sin on his\naccount.\u201d Replied the old woman, \u201cBy Allah, O my lady, I will not leave\nhim a side to turn on!\u201d Then she returned to the youth and, when salams\nhad been exchanged, she gave him the letter. He read it and shook his\nhead, saying, \u201cVerily, we are Allah\u2019s and unto him shall we return!\u201d\nadding, \u201cO my mother, what shall I do? My fortitude faileth me and my\npatience palleth upon me!\u201d She replied, \u201cO my son, be long-suffering:\nperadventure, after this Allah shall bring somewhat to pass. Write that\nwhich is in thy mind and I will fetch thee an answer, and be of good\ncheer and keep thine eyes cool and clear; for needs must I bring about\nunion between thee and her,\u2014Inshallah!\u201d He blessed her and wrote to the\nPrincess a note containing these couplets:\u2014\n\n Since none will lend my love a helping hand, \u273f And I by passion\u2019s bale\n in death low-lain,\n I bear a flaming fire within my heart \u273f By day and night nor place of\n rest attain,\n How cease to hope in thee, my wishes\u2019 term? \u273f Or with my longings to be\n glad and fain?\n The Lord of highmost Heaven to grant my prayer \u273f Pray I, whom love of\n lady fair hath slain;\n And as I\u2019m clean o\u2019erthrown by love and fear, \u273f To grant me speedy union\n deign, oh deign!\n\nThen he folded the scroll and gave it to the old woman, bringing out at\nthe same time a purse of four hundred dinars. She took the whole and\nreturning to the palace sought the Princess to whom she gave the letter;\nbut the King\u2019s daughter refused to take it and cried, \u201cWhat is this?\u201d\nReplied the old woman, \u201cO my lady, this is only the answer to the letter\nthou sentest to that merchant dog.\u201d Quoth Hayat al-Nufus, \u201cDidst thou\nforbid him as I told thee?\u201d; and quoth she, \u201cYes, and this is his\nreply.\u201d So the Princess took the letter and read it to the end; then she\nturned to the old woman and exclaimed, \u201cWhere is the result of thy\npromise?\u201d \u201cO my lady, saith he not in his letter that he repenteth and\nwill not again offend, excusing himself for the past?\u201d \u201cNot so, by\nAllah!: on the contrary, he increaseth.\u201d \u201cO my lady, write him a letter\nand thou shalt presently see what I will do with him.\u201d \u201cThere needeth\nnor letter nor answer.\u201d \u201cI must have a letter that I may rebuke him\nroughly and cut off his hopes.\u201d \u201cThou canst do that without a letter.\u201d\n\u201cI cannot do it without the letter.\u201d So Hayat al-Nufus called for\npen-case and paper and wrote these verses:\u2014\n\n Long have I chid thee but my chiding hindereth thee not \u273f How often\n would my verse with writ o\u2019 hand ensnare thee, ah!\n Then keep thy passion hidden deep and ever unrevealed, \u273f And if thou\n dare gainsay me Earth shall no more bear thee, ah!\n\n And if, despite my warning, thou dost to such words return \u273f Death\u2019s\n Messenger[275] shall go his rounds and dead declare thee, ah!\n Soon shall the wold\u2019s fierce chilling blast o\u2019erblow that corse o\u2019\n thine; \u273f And birds o\u2019 the wild with ravening bills and beaks shall\n tear thee, ah!\n Return to righteous course; perchance that same will profit thee; \u273f If\n bent on wilful aims and lewd I fain forswear thee, ah!\n\nWhen she had made an end of her writing this, she cast the writ from her\nhand in wrath, and the old woman picked it up and went with it to\nArdashir. When he read it to the last he knew that she had not softened\nto him, but only redoubled in rage against him, and that he would never\nwin to meet her, so he bethought himself to write her an answer invoking\nAllah\u2019s help against her. Thereupon he indited these couplets:\u2014\n\n O Lord, by the Five Shaykhs, I pray deliver me \u273f From love, which gars\n me bear such grief and misery.\n Thou knowest what I bear for passion\u2019s fiery flame; \u273f What stress of\n sickness for that merciless maid I dree.\n She hath no pity on the pangs to me decreed \u273f How long on weakly wight\n shall last her tyranny?\n I am distraught for her with passing agonies \u273f And find no friend, O\n folk! to hear my plaint and plea.\n How long, when Night hath drooped her pinions o\u2019er the world \u273f Shall I\n lament in public as in privacy?\n For love of you I cannot find forgetfulness; \u273f And how forget when\n Patience taketh wings to flee?\n O thou wild parting-bird[276] say is she safe and sure \u273f From shift and\n change of time and the world\u2019s cruelty?\n\nThen he folded the scroll and gave it to the old woman, adding a purse\nof five hundred dinars; and she took it and carried it to the Princess,\nwho read it to the end and learned its purport. Then, casting it from\nher hand, she cried, \u201cTell me O wicked old woman, the cause of all that\nhath befallen me from thee and from thy cunning and thine advocacy of\nhim, so that thou hast made me write letter after letter and thou\nceasest not to carry messages, going and coming between us twain, till\nthou hast brought about a correspondence and a connection. Thou leavest\nnot to say:\u2014I will ensure thee against his mischief and cut off from\nthee his speech; but thou speakest not thus save only to the intent that\nI may continue to write thee letters and thou to fetch and carry between\nus, evening and morning, till thou ruin my repute. Woe to thee! Ho,\neunuchs, seize her!\u201d Then Hayat al-Nufus commanded them to beat her, and\nthey lashed her till her whole body flowed with blood and she fainted\naway, whereupon the King\u2019s daughter caused her slave-women to drag her\nforth by the feet and cast her without the palace and bade one of them\nstand by her head till she recovered, and say to her, \u201cThe Princess hath\nsworn an oath that thou shalt never return to and re-enter this palace;\nand she hath commanded to slay thee without mercy an thou dare return\nhither.\u201d So, when she came to herself, the damsel told her what the\nKing\u2019s daughter said and she answered, \u201cHearkening and obedience.\u201d\nPresently the slave-girls fetched a basket and a porter whom they caused\ncarry her to her own house; and they sent after her a physician, bidding\nhim tend her assiduously till she recovered. He did what he was told to\ndo and as soon as she was whole she mounted and rode to the shop of\nArdashir who was concerned with sore concern for her absence and was\nlonging for news of her. As soon as he saw her, he sprang up and coming\nto meet her, saluted her; then he noticed that she was weak and ailing;\nso he questioned her of her case and she told him all that had befallen\nher from her nursling. When he heard this, he found it grievous and\nsmote hand upon hand, saying, \u201cBy Allah, O my mother, this that hath\nbetided thee straiteneth my heart! But, what, O my mother, is the reason\nof the Princess\u2019s hatred to men?\u201d Replied the old woman, \u201cThou must know\nO my son, that she hath a beautiful garden, than which there is naught\ngoodlier on earth\u2019s face and it chanced that she lay there one night. In\nthe joyance of sleep, she dreamt a dream and \u2019twas this, that she went\ndown into the garden, where she saw a fowler set up his net and strew\ncorn thereabout, after which he withdrew and sat down afar off to await\nwhat game should fall into it. Ere an hour had passed the birds flocked\nto pick up the corn and a male pigeon[277] fell into the net and\nstruggled in it, whereat all the others took fright and fled from him.\nHis mate was amongst them, but she returned to him after the shortest\ndelay; and, coming up to the net, sought out the mesh wherein his foot\nwas entangled and ceased not to peck at it with her bill, till she\nsevered it and released her husband, with whom she flew away. All this\nwhile, the fowler sat dozing, and when he awoke, he looked at the net\nand found it spoilt. So he mended it and strewed fresh grain, then\nwithdrew to a distance and sat down to watch it again. The birds soon\nreturned and began to pick up the corn, and among the rest the pair of\npigeons. Presently, the she-pigeon fell into the net and struggled to\nget free; whereupon all the other birds flew away, and her mate, whom\nshe had saved, fled with the rest and did not return to her. Meantime,\nsleep had again overcome the fowler; and, when he awoke after long\nslumbering, he saw the she-pigeon caught in the net; so he went up to\nher and freeing her feet from the meshes, cut her throat. The Princess\nstartled by the dream awoke troubled, and said:\u2014Thus do men with women,\nfor women have pity on men and throw away their lives for them, when\nthey are in difficulties; but if the Lord decree against a woman and she\nfall into calamity, her mate deserteth her and rescueth her not, and\nwasted is that which she did with him of kindness. Allah curse her who\nputteth her trust in men, for they ill requite the fair offices which\nwomen do them! And from that day she conceived an hatred to men.\u201d Said\nthe King\u2019s son, \u201cO my mother, doth she never go out into the highways?\u201d;\nand the old woman replied, \u201cNay, O my son; but I will tell thee somewhat\nwherein, Allah willing, there shall be profit for thee. She hath a\ngarden which is of the goodliest pleasaunces of the age; and every year,\nat the time of the ripening of the fruits, she goeth thither and taketh\nher pleasure therein only one day, nor layeth the night but in her\npavilion. She entereth the garden by the private wicket of the palace\nwhich leadeth thereto; and thou must know that it wanteth now but a\nmonth to the time of her going forth. So take my advice and hie thee\nthis very day to the keeper of that garden and make acquaintance with\nhim and gain his good graces, for he admitteth not one of Allah\u2019s\ncreatures into the garth, because of its communication with the\nPrincess\u2019s palace. I will let thee know two days beforehand of the day\nfixed for her coming forth, when do thou repair to the garden, as of thy\nwont, and make shift to night there. When the King\u2019s daughter cometh be\nthou hidden in some place or other;\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn\nof day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Twenty-fifth Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the old woman\ncharged the King\u2019s son, saying, \u201cI will let thee know two days\nbeforehand of the King\u2019s daughter going down to the garden: do thou hide\nthee in some place or other; and, when thou espiest her, come forth and\nshow thyself to her. When she seeth thee, she will fall in love with\nthee; for thou art fair to look upon and love covereth all things. So\nkeep thine eyes cool and clear[278] and be of good cheer, O my son, for\nneeds must I bring about union between thee and her.\u201d The young Prince\nkissed her hand and thanked her and gave her three pieces of Alexandrian\nsilk and three of satin of various colours, and with each piece, linen\nfor shifts and stuff for trousers and a kerchief for the turband and\nfine white cotton cloth of Ba\u2019albak for the linings, so as to make her\nsix complete suits, each handsomer than its sister. Moreover, he gave\nher a purse containing six hundred gold pieces and said to her, \u201cThis is\nfor the tailoring.\u201d She took the whole and said to him, \u201cO my son, art\nthou not pleased to acquaint me with thine abiding-place and I also will\nshow thee the way to my lodging?\u201d \u201cYes,\u201d answered he and sent a Mameluke\nwith her to note her home and show her his own house. Then he rose and\nbidding his slaves shut the shop, went back to the Wazir, to whom he\nrelated all that had passed between him and the old woman, from first to\nlast. Quoth the Minister, \u201cO my son, should the Princess Hayat al-Nufus\ncome out and look upon thee and thou find no favour with her what wilt\nthou do?\u201d Quoth Ardashir, \u201cThere will be nothing left but to pass from\nwords to deeds and risk my life with her; for I will snatch her up from\namongst her attendants and set her behind me on a swift horse and make\nfor the wildest of the wold. If I escape, I shall have won my wish and\nif I perish, I shall be at rest from this hateful life.\u201d Rejoined the\nMinister, \u201cO my son, dost thou think to do this thing and live? How\nshall we make our escape, seeing that our country is far distant, and\nhow wilt thou deal thus with a King of the Kings of the Age, who hath\nunder his hand an hundred thousand horse, nor can we be sure but that he\nwill despatch some of his troops to cut off our way? Verily, there is no\ngood in this project which no wise man would attempt.\u201d Asked Ardashir,\n\u201cAnd how then shall we do, O Wazir of good counsel? For unless I win her\nI am a dead man without a chance.\u201d The Minister answered, \u201cWait till\nto-morrow when we will visit this garden and note its condition and see\nwhat betideth us with the care-taker.\u201d So when the morning morrowed they\ntook a thousand dinars in a poke and, repairing to the garden, found it\ncompassed about with high walls and strong, rich in trees and rill-full\nleas and goodly fruiteries. And indeed its flowers breathed perfume and\nits birds warbled amid the bloom as it were a garden of the gardens of\nParadise. Within the door sat a Shaykh, an old man on a stone bench and\nthey saluted him. When he saw them and noted the fairness of their\nfavour, he rose to his feet after returning their salute, and said, \u201cO\nmy lords, perchance ye have a wish which we may have the honour of\nsatisfying?\u201d Replied the Wazir, \u201cKnow, O elder, that we are strangers\nand the heat hath overcome us: our lodging is afar off at the other end\nof the city; so we desire of thy courtesy that thou take these two\ndinars and buy us somewhat of provaunt and open us meanwhile the door of\nthis flower garden and seat us in some shaded place, where there is cold\nwater, that we may cool ourselves there, against thou return with the\nprovision, when we will eat, and thou with us, and then, rested and\nrefreshed, we shall wend our ways.\u201d So saying, he pulled out of his\npouch a couple of dinars and put them into the keeper\u2019s hand. Now this\ncare-taker was a man aged threescore and ten, who had never in all his\nlife possessed so much money: So, when he saw the two dinars in his\nhand, he was like to fly for joy and rising forthwith opened the garden\ngate to the Prince and the Wazir, and made them enter and sit down under\na wide-spreading, fruit-laden, shade-affording tree, saying, \u201cSit ye\nhere and go no further into the garden, for it hath a privy door\ncommunicating with the palace of the Princess Hayat al-Nufus.\u201d They\nreplied, \u201cWe will not stir hence.\u201d Whereupon he went out to buy what\nthey had ordered and returned after awhile, with a porter bearing on his\nhead a roasted lamb and bread. They ate and drank together and talked\nawhile, till, presently, the Wazir, looking about him in all corners\nright and left, caught sight of a lofty pavilion at the farther end of\nthe garden; but it was old and the plaster was peeled from its walls and\nits buttresses were broken down. So he said to the Gardener, \u201cO Shaykh,\nis this garden thine own or dost thou hire it?\u201d; and he replied, \u201cI am\nneither owner nor tenant of the garden, only its care-taker.\u201d Asked the\nMinister, \u201cAnd what is thy wage?\u201d whereto the old man answered, \u201cA dinar\na month,\u201d and quoth the Wazir, \u201cVerily they wrong thee, especially an\nthou have a family.\u201d Quoth the elder, \u201cBy Allah, O my lord; I have eight\nchildren and I\u201d\u2014The Wazir broke in, \u201cThere is no Majesty and there is no\nMight save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! Thou makest me bear thy\ngrief my poor fellow! What wouldst thou say of him who should do thee a\ngood turn, on account of this family of thine?\u201d Replied the old man, \u201cO\nmy lord, whatsoever good thou dost shall be garnered up for thee with\nGod the Most High!\u201d Thereupon said the Wazir, \u201cO Shaykh, thou knowest\nthis garden of thine to be a goodly place; but the pavilion yonder is\nold and ruinous. Now I mean to repair it and stucco it anew and paint it\nhandsomely, so that it will be the finest thing in the garth; and when\nthe owner comes and finds the pavilion restored and beautified, he will\nnot fail to question thee concerning it. Then do thou say:\u2014O my lord, at\ngreat expense I set it in repair, for that I saw it in ruins and none\ncould make use of it nor could anyone sit therein. If he says:\u2014Whence\nhadst thou the money for this? reply, I spent of my own money upon the\nstucco, thereby thinking to whiten my face with thee and hoping for thy\nbounties. And needs must he recompense thee fairly over the extent of\nthine expenses. To-morrow I will bring builders and plasterers and\npainters to repair this pavilion and will give thee what I promised\nthee.\u201d Then he pulled out of his poke a purse of five hundred dinars and\ngave it to the Gardener, saying, \u201cTake these gold pieces and expend them\nupon thy family and let them pray for me and for this my son.\u201d Thereupon\nthe Prince asked the Wazir, \u201cWhat is the meaning of all this?\u201d and he\nanswered, \u201cThou shalt presently see the issue thereof.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad\nperceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Twenty-sixth Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Wazir\ngave five hundred ducats to the old Gardener, saying, \u201cTake these gold\npieces and expend them upon thy family and let them pray for this my\nson,\u201d the old man looked at the gold and his wits fled; so he fell down\nat the Wazir\u2019s feet, kissing them and invoking blessings on him and his\nson; and when they went away, he said to them, \u201cI shall expect you\nto-morrow: for by Allah Almighty, there must be no parting between us,\nnight or day.\u201d Next morning the Wazir went to the Prince\u2019s shop and sent\nfor the syndic of the builders; then he carried him and his men to the\ngarth, where the Gardener rejoiced in their sight. He gave them the\nprice of rations[279] and what was needful to the workmen for the\nrestoration of the pavilion, and they repaired it and stucco\u2019d it and\ndecorated it. Then said the Minister to the painters, \u201cHarkye, my\nmasters, listen to my words and apprehend my wish and my aim. Know that\nI have a garden like this, where I was sleeping one night among the\nnights and saw in a dream a fowler set up nets and sprinkle corn\nthereabout. The birds flocked to pick up the grain, and a cock-bird fell\ninto the net, whereupon the others took fright and flew away, and\namongst the rest his mate: but, after awhile, she returned alone and\npicked at the mesh that held his feet, till she set him free and they\nflew away together. Now the fowler had fallen asleep and, when he awoke,\nhe found the net empty; so he mended it and strewing fresh grain sat\ndown afar off, waiting for game to fall into that snare. Presently the\nbirds assembled again to pick up the grains, and amongst the rest the\ntwo pigeons. By-and-by, the hen-bird fell into the net, when all the\nother birds took fright at her and flew away, and her husband flew with\nthem and did not return; whereupon the fowler came up and taking the\nquarry, cut her throat. Now, when her mate flew away with the others, a\nbird of raven seized him and slew him and ate his flesh and drank his\nblood, and I would have you pourtray me the presentment of this my\ndream, even as I have related it to you, in the liveliest colours,\nlaying the fair scene in this rare garden, with its walls and trees and\nrills, and dwell especially on the fowler and the falcon. If ye do this\nI have set forth to you and the work please me, I will give you what\nshall gladden your hearts, over and above your wage.\u201d The painters,\nhearing these words, applied themselves with all diligence to do what he\nrequired of them and wrought it out in masterly style; and when they had\nmade an end of the work, they showed it to the Wazir who, seeing his\nso-called dream set forth as it was[280] was pleased and thanked them\nand rewarded them munificently. Presently, the Prince came in, according\nto his custom, and entered the pavilion, unweeting what the Wazir had\ndone. So when he saw the portraiture of the fowler and the birds and the\nnet and beheld the male pigeon in the clutches of the hawk, which had\nslain him and was drinking his blood and eating his flesh, his\nunderstanding was confounded and he returned to the Minister and said,\n\u201cO Wazir of good counsel, I have seen this day a marvel which, were it\ngraven with needle-gravers on the eye-corners would be a warner to whoso\nwill be warned?\u201d Asked the Minister, \u201cAnd what is that, O my lord?\u201d; and\nthe Prince answered, \u201cDid I not tell thee of the dream the Princess had\nand how it was the cause of her hatred for men?\u201d \u201cYes,\u201d replied the\nWazir; and Ardashir rejoined, \u201cBy Allah, O Minister, I have seen the\nwhole dream pourtrayed in painting, as I had eyed it with mine own eyes;\nbut I found therein a circumstance which was hidden from the Princess,\nso that she saw it not, and \u2019tis upon this that I rely for the winning\nof my wish.\u201d Quoth the Wazir, \u201cAnd what is that, O my son?\u201d; and quoth\nthe Prince, \u201cI saw that, when the male bird flew away; and, leaving his\nmate entangled in the net, failed to return and save her, a falcon\npounced on him and slaying him, ate his flesh and drank his blood. Would\nto Heaven the Princess had seen the whole of the dream and had beheld\nthe cause of his failure to return and rescue her!\u201d Replied the Wazir,\n\u201cBy Allah, O auspicious King, this is indeed a rare thing and a\nwonderful!\u201d And the King\u2019s son ceased not to marvel at the picture and\nlament that the King\u2019s daughter had not beheld the dream to its end,\nsaying in himself, \u201cWould she had seen it to the last or might see the\nwhole over again, though but in the imbroglio of sleep!\u201d Then quoth the\nWazir to him, \u201cThou saidst to me:\u2014Why wilt thou repair the pavilion?;\nand I replied:\u2014Thou shalt presently see the issue thereof. And behold,\nnow its issue thou seest; for it was I did this deed and bade the\npainters pourtray the Princess\u2019s dream thus and paint the male bird in\nthe pounces of the falcon which eateth his flesh and drinketh his blood;\nso that when she cometh to the pavilion, she will behold her dream\ndepicted and see how the cock-pigeon was slain and excuse him and turn\nfrom her hate for men.\u201d When the Prince heard the Wazir\u2019s words, he\nkissed his hands and thanked him, saying, \u201cVerily, the like of thee is\nfit to be Minister to the most mighty King, and, by Allah, an I win my\nwish and return to my sire, rejoicing, I will assuredly acquaint him\nwith this, that he may redouble in honouring thee and advance thee in\ndignity and hearken to thine every word.\u201d So the Wazir kissed his hand\nand they both went to the old Gardener and said, \u201cLook at yonder\npavilion and see how fine it is!\u201d And he replied, \u201cThis is all of your\nhappy thought.\u201d Then said they, \u201cO elder, when the owners of the place\nquestion thee concerning the restoration of the pavilion, say\nthou:\u2014\u2019Twas I did it of my own monies; to the intent that there may\nbetide thee fair favour and good fortune.\u201d He said, \u201cI hear and I obey\u201d;\nand the Prince continued to pay him frequent visits. Such was the case\nwith the Prince and the Wazir; but as regards Hayat al-Nufus, when she\nceased to receive the Prince\u2019s letters and messages and when the old\nwoman was absent from her, she rejoiced with joy exceeding and concluded\nthat the young man had returned to his own country. One day, there came\nto her a covered tray from her father; so she uncovered it and finding\ntherein fine fruits, asked her waiting-women, \u201cIs the season of these\nfruits come?\u201d Answered they, \u201cYes.\u201d Thereupon she cried, \u201cWould we might\nmake ready to take our pleasure in the flower-garden!\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad\nperceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Twenty-seventh Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Princess,\nafter receiving the fruit from her sire, asked, \u201cIs the season of these\nfruits set in?\u201d; and they answered, \u201cYes!\u201d Thereupon she cried, \u201cWould\nwe might make ready to take our pleasure in the flower-garden!\u201d \u201cO my\nlady,\u201d they replied, \u201cthou sayest well, and by Allah, we also long for\nthe garden!\u201d So she enquired, \u201cHow shall we do, seeing that every year\nit is none save my nurse who taketh us to walk in the garden and who\npointeth out to us the various trees and plants; and I have beaten her\nand forbidden her from me? Indeed, I repent me of what was done by me to\nher, for that, in any case, she is my nurse and hath over me the right\nof fosterage. But there is no Majesty and there is no Might save in\nAllah, the Glorious, the Great!\u201d When her handmaids heard this, they all\nsprang up; and, kissing the ground between her hands, exclaimed, \u201cAllah\nupon thee, O my lady, do thou pardon her and bid her to the presence!\u201d;\nand quoth she, \u201cBy Allah, I am resolved upon this; but which of you will\ngo to her, for I have prepared her a splendid robe of honour?\u201d Hereupon\ntwo damsels came forward, by name Bulbul and Siw\u00e1d al-\u2019Ayn, who were\ncomely and graceful and the principals among the Princess\u2019s women, and\nher favourites. And they said, \u201cWe will go to her, O King\u2019s daughter!\u201d;\nand she said, \u201cDo what seemeth good to you.\u201d So they went to the house\nof the nurse and knocked at the door and entered; and she, recognising\nthe twain, received them with open arms and welcomed them. When they had\nsat awhile with her, they said to her, \u201cO nurse, the Princess pardoneth\nthee and desireth to take thee back into favour.\u201d She replied, \u201cThis may\nnever be, though I drink the cup of ruin! Hast thou forgotten how she\nput me to shame before those who love me and those who hate me, when my\nclothes were dyed with my blood and I well nigh died for stress of\nbeating, and after this they dragged me forth by the feet, like a dead\ndog, and cast me without the door? So by Allah, I will never return to\nher nor fill my eyes with her sight!\u201d Quoth the two girls, \u201cDisappoint\nnot our pains in coming to thee nor send us away unsuccessful. Where is\nthy courtesy uswards? Think but who it is that cometh in to visit thee:\ncanst thou wish for any higher of standing than we with the King\u2019s\ndaughter?\u201d She replied, \u201cI take refuge with Allah: well I wot that my\nstation is less than yours; were it not that the Princess\u2019s favour\nexalted me above all her women, so that, were I wroth with the greatest\nof them, she had died in her skin of fright.\u201d They rejoined, \u201cAll is as\nit was and naught is in anywise changed. Indeed, \u2019tis better than\nbefore, for the Princess humbleth herself to thee and seeketh a\nreconciliation without intermediary.\u201d Said the old woman, \u201cBy Allah,\nwere it not for your presence and intercession with me, I had never\nreturned to her; no, not though she had commanded to slay me!\u201d They\nthanked her for this and she rose and dressing herself accompanied them\nto the palace. Now when the King\u2019s daughter saw her, she sprang to her\nfeet in honour, and the old woman said, \u201cAllah! Allah! O King\u2019s\ndaughter, say me, whose was the fault, mine or thine?\u201d Hayat al-Nufus\nreplied, \u201cThe fault was mine, and \u2019tis thine to pardon and forgive. By\nAllah, O my nurse, thy rank is high with me and thou hast over me the\nright of fosterage; but thou knowest that Allah (extolled and exalted be\nHe!) hath allotted to His creatures four things, disposition, life,\ndaily bread and death; nor is it in man\u2019s power to avert that which is\ndecreed. Verily, I was beside myself and could not recover my senses;\nbut, O my nurse, I repent of what deed I did.\u201d With this, the crone\u2019s\nanger ceased from her and she rose and kissed the ground before the\nPrincess, who called for a costly robe of honour and threw it over her,\nwhereat she rejoiced with exceeding joy in the presence of the\nPrincess\u2019s slaves and women. When all ended thus happily, Hayat al-Nufus\nsaid to the old woman, \u201cO my nurse, how go the fruits and growths of our\ngarth?\u201d; and she replied, \u201cO my lady, I see excellent fruits in the\ntown; but I will enquire of this matter and return thee an answer this\nvery day.\u201d Then she withdrew, honoured with all honour and betook\nherself to Ardashir, who received her with open arms and embraced her\nand rejoiced in her coming, for that he had expected her long and\nlongingly. She told him all that had passed between herself and the\nPrincess and how her mistress was minded to go down into the garden on\nsuch a day.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say\nher permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Twenty-eighth Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the old woman\nbetook herself to the Prince and told him all that had passed between\nherself and the Princess Hayat al-Nufus; and how her mistress was minded\nto go down into the garden on such a day and said to him, \u201cHast thou\ndone as I bade thee with the Warder of the garden and hast thou made him\ntaste of thy bounties?\u201d He replied, \u201cYes, and the oldster is become my\ngood friend: my way is his way and he would well I had need of him.\u201d\nThen he told her all that had happened and of the dream-paintings which\nthe Wazir had caused to be limned in the pavilion; especially of the\nfowler, the net and the falcon: whereat she joyed with great joy and\nsaid, \u201cAllah upon thee, do thou set thy Minister midmost thy heart, for\nthis that he hath done pointeth to the keenness of his wit and he hath\nhelped thee to the winning thy wish. So rise forthright, O my son, and\ngo to the Hammam-bath and don thy daintiest dress, wherein may be our\nsuccess. Then fare thou to the Gardener and make shift to pass the night\nin the garden, for though he should give the earth full of gold none may\nwin to pass into it, whilst the King\u2019s daughter is therein. When thou\nhast entered, hide thee where no eye may espy thee and keep concealed\ntill thou hear me cry:\u2014O Thou whose boons are hidden, save us from that\nwe fear! Then come forth from thine ambush and walk among the trees and\nshow thy beauty and loveliness which put the moons to shame, to the\nintent that Princess Hayat al-Nufus may see thee and that her heart and\nsoul may be filled with love of thee; so shalt thou attain to thy wish\nand thy grief be gone.\u201d \u201cTo hear is to obey,\u201d replied the young Prince\nand gave her a purse of a thousand dinars, which she took and went away.\nThereupon Ardashir fared straight for the bath and washed; after which\nhe arrayed himself in the richest of robes of the apparel of the Kings\nof the Chosro\u00ebs and girt his middle with a girdle wherein were conjoined\nall manner precious stones and donned a turband inwoven with red gold\nand purfled with pearls and gems. His cheeks shone rosy-red and his lips\nwere scarlet; his eyelids like the gazelle\u2019s wantoned; like a\nwine-struck wight in his gait he swayed; beauty and loveliness garbed\nhim, and his shape shamed the bowing of the bough. Then he put in his\npocket a purse containing a thousand dinars and, repairing to the\nflower-garden, knocked at the door. The Gardener opened to him and\nrejoicing with great joy salamed to him in most worshipful fashion;\nthen, observing that his face was overcast, he asked him how he did. The\nKing\u2019s son answered, \u201cKnow, O elder, that I am dear to my father and he\nnever laid his hand on me till this day, when words arose between us and\nhe abused me and smote me on the face and struck me with his staff and\ndrave me away. Now I have no friend to turn to and I fear the perfidy of\nFortune, for thou knowest that the wrath of parents is no light thing.\nWherefore I come to thee, O uncle, seeing that to my father thou art\nknown, and I desire of thy favour that thou suffer me abide in the\ngarden till the end of the day, or pass the night there, till Allah\ngrant good understanding between myself and my sire.\u201d When the old man\nheard these words he was concerned anent what had occurred and said, \u201cO\nmy lord, dost thou give me leave to go to thy sire and be the means of\nreconciliation between thee and him?\u201d Replied Ardashir, \u201cO uncle, thou\nmust know that my father is of impatient nature, and irascible; so an\nthou proffer him reconciliation in his heat of temper he will make thee\nno answer; but when a day or two shall have passed, his heat will\nsoften. Then go thou in to him and thereupon he will relent.\u201d\n\u201cHearkening and obedience,\u201d quoth the Gardener; \u201cbut, O my lord, do thou\ncome with me to my house, where thou shalt night with my children and my\nfamily and none shall reproach this to us.\u201d Quoth Ardashir, \u201cO uncle, I\nmust be alone when I am angry.\u201d[281] The old man said, \u201cIt irketh me\nthat thou shouldst lie solitary in the garden, when I have a house.\u201d But\nArdashir said, \u201cO uncle, I have an aim in this, that the trouble of my\nmind may be dispelled from me and I know that in this lies the means of\nregaining his favour and softening his heart to me.\u201d Rejoined the\nGardener, \u201cI will fetch thee a carpet to sleep on and a coverlet\nwherewith to cover thee;\u201d and the Prince said, \u201cThere is no harm in\nthat, O uncle.\u201d So the keeper rose and opened the garden to him, and\nbrought him the carpet and coverlet, knowing not that the King\u2019s\ndaughter was minded to visit the garth. On this wise fared it with the\nPrince; but as regards the nurse, she returned to the Princess and told\nher that the fruits were kindly ripe on the garden trees; whereupon she\nsaid, \u201cO my nurse, go down with me to-morrow into the garden, that we\nmay walk about in it and take our pleasure,\u2014Inshallah; and send\nmeanwhile to the Gardener, to let him know what we purpose.\u201d So she sent\nto the Gardener to say:\u2014The Princess will visit the parterre to-morrow,\nso leave neither water-carriers nor tree-tenders therein, nor let one of\nAllah\u2019s creatures enter the garth. When word came to him, he set his\nwater-ways and channels in order and, going to Ardashir, said to him, \u201cO\nmy lord, the King\u2019s daughter is mistress of this garden; and I have only\nto crave thy pardon, for the place is thy place and I live only in thy\nfavours, except that my tongue is under thy feet.[282] I must tell thee\nthat the Princess Hayat al-Nufus hath a mind to visit it to-morrow at\nthe first of the day and hath bidden me leave none therein who might\nlook upon her. So I would have thee of thy favour go forth of the garden\nthis day, for the Queen will abide only in it till the time of\nmid-afternoon prayer and after it shall be at thy service for se\u2019nnights\nand fortnights, months and years.\u201d Ardashir asked, \u201cO elder, haply we\nhave caused thee some mishap?\u201d; and the other answered, \u201cBy Allah, O my\nlord, naught hath betided me from thee but honour!\u201d Rejoined the Prince,\n\u201cAn it be so, nothing but all good shall befal thee through us; for I\nwill hide in the garden and none shall espy me, till the King\u2019s daughter\nhath gone back to her palace.\u201d Said the Gardener, \u201cO my lord, an she\nespy the shadow of a man in the garden or any of Allah\u2019s male creatures\nshe will strike off my head;\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day\nand ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Twenty-ninth Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the\nGardener said to the Prince, \u201cAn the King\u2019s daughter espy the shadow of\na man in her garden, she will strike off my head;\u201d the youth replied,\n\u201cHave no fear, I will on no wise let any see me. But doubtless to-day\nthou lackest of spending-money for thy family.\u201d Then he put his hand to\nhis purse and pulled out five hundred ducats, which he gave to him\nsaying, \u201cTake this gold and lay it out on thy family, that thy heart may\nbe at ease concerning them.\u201d When the Shaykh looked upon the gold, his\nlife seemed a light thing to him[283] and he suffered the Prince to\ntarry where he was, charging him straitly not to show himself in the\ngarden. Then he left him loitering about. Meanwhile, when the eunuchs\nwent in to the Princess at break of day, she bade open the private\nwicket leading from the palace to the parterres and donned a royal robe,\nembroidered with pearls and jewels and gems, over a shift of fine silk\npurfled with rubies. Under the whole was that which tongue refuseth to\nexplain, whereat was confounded the brain and whose love would embrave\nthe craven\u2019s strain. On her head she set a crown of red gold, inlaid\nwith pearls and gems and she tripped in pattens of cloth of gold,\nembroidered with fresh pearls[284] and adorned with all manner precious\nstones. Then she put her hand upon the old woman\u2019s shoulder and\ncommanded to go forth by the privy door; but the nurse looked at the\ngarden and, seeing it full of eunuchs and handmaids walking about,\neating the fruits and troubling the streams and taking their ease of\nsport and pleasure in the water said to the Princess, \u201cO my lady, is\nthis a garden or a madhouse?\u201d Quoth the Princess, \u201cWhat meaneth thy\nspeech, O nurse?\u201d; and quoth the old woman, \u201cVerily the garden is full\nof slave-girls and eunuchs, eating of the fruits and troubling the\nstreams and scaring the birds and hindering us from taking our ease and\nsporting and laughing and what not else; and thou hast no need of them.\nWert thou going forth of thy palace into the highway, this would be\nfitting, as an honour and a ward to thee; but, now, O my lady, thou\ngoest forth of the wicket into the garden, where none of Almighty\nAllah\u2019s creatures may look on thee.\u201d Rejoined the Princess, \u201cBy Allah, O\nnurse mine, thou sayst sooth! But how shall we do?\u201d; and the old woman\nsaid, \u201cBid the eunuchs send them all away and keep only two of the\nslave-girls, that we may make merry with them.\u201d So she dismissed them\nall, with the exception of two of her handmaids who were most in favour\nwith her. But when the old woman saw that her heart was light and that\nthe season was pleasant to her, she said to her, \u201cNow we can enjoy\nourselves aright: so up and let us take our pleasance in the garden.\u201d\nThe Princess put her hand upon her shoulder and went out by the private\ndoor. The two waiting-women walked in front and she followed them\nlaughing at them and swaying gracefully to and fro in her ample robes;\nwhilst the nurse forewent her, showing her the trees and feeding her\nwith fruits; and so they fared on from place to place, till they came to\nthe pavilion, which when the King\u2019s daughter beheld and saw that it had\nbeen restored, she asked the old woman, \u201cO my nurse, seest thou yonder\npavilion? It hath been repaired and its walls whitened.\u201d She answered,\n\u201cBy Allah, O my lady, I heard say that the keeper of the garden had\ntaken stuffs of a company of merchants and sold them and bought bricks\nand lime and plaster and stones and so forth with the price; so I asked\nhim what he had done with all this, and he said:\u2014I have repaired the\npavilion which lay in ruins, presently adding:\u2014And when the merchants\nsought their due of me, I said to them, Wait till the Princess visit the\ngarden and see the repairs and they satisfy her; then will I take of her\nwhat she is pleased to bestow on me, and pay you what is your due. Quoth\nI\u2014What moved thee to do this thing?; and quoth he:\u2014I saw the pavilion in\nruins, the coigns thrown down and the stucco peeled from the walls, and\nnone had the grace to repair it; so I borrowed the coin on my own\naccount and restored the place; and I trust in the King\u2019s daughter to\ndeal with me as befitteth her dignity. I said:\u2014The Princess is all\ngoodness and generosity and will no doubt requite thee. And he did all\nthis but in hopes of thy bounty.\u201d Replied the Princess, \u201cBy Allah, he\nhath dealt nobly in rebuilding it and hath done the deed of generous\nmen! Call me my purse-keeperess.\u201d The old woman accordingly fetched the\npurse-keeperess, whom the Princess bade give the Gardener two thousand\ndinars; whereupon the nurse sent to him, bidding him to the presence of\nthe King\u2019s daughter. But when the messenger said to him, \u201cObey the\nQueen\u2019s order,\u201d the Gardener felt feeble and, trembling in every joint,\nsaid in himself, \u201cDoubtless, the Princess hath seen the young man, and\nthis day will be the most unlucky of days for me.\u201d So he went home and\ntold his wife and children what had happened and gave them his last\ncharges and farewelled them, while they wept for and with him. Then he\npresented himself before the Princess, with a face the colour of\nturmeric and ready to fall flat at full length. The old woman remarked\nhis plight and hastened to forestall him, saying, \u201cO Shaykh, kiss the\nearth in thanksgiving to Almighty Allah and be constant in prayer to Him\nfor the Princess. I told her what thou didst in the matter of repairing\nthe ruined pavilion, and she rejoiceth in this and bestoweth on thee two\nthousand dinars in requital of thy pains; so take them from the\npurse-keeperess and kiss the earth before the King\u2019s daughter and bless\nher and wend thy way.\u201d Hearing these words he took the gold and kissed\nthe ground before Hayat al-Nufus, calling down blessings on her. Then he\nreturned to his house, and his family rejoiced in him and blessed\nhim[285] who had been the prime cause of this business.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad\nperceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Thirtieth Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the\nCare-taker took the two thousand ducats from the Princess and returned\nto his house, all his family rejoiced in him and blessed him who had\nbeen the prime cause of this business. Thus it fared with these; but as\nregards the old woman, she said to the Princess, \u201cO my lady, this is\nindeed become a fine place! Never saw I a purer white than its\nplastering nor properer than its painting! I wonder if he have also\nrepaired it within: else hath he made the outside white and left the\ninside black. Come, let us enter and inspect.\u201d So they went in, the\nnurse preceding, and found the interior painted and gilded in the\ngoodliest way. The Princess looked right and left, till she came to the\nupper end of the estrade, when she fixed her eyes upon the wall and\ngazed long and earnestly thereat; whereupon the old woman knew that her\nglance had lighted on the presentment of her dream and took the two\nwaiting-women away with her, that they might not divert her mind. When\nthe King\u2019s daughter had made an end of examining the painting, she\nturned to the old woman, wondering and beating hand on hand, and said to\nher, \u201cO my nurse, come, see a wondrous thing which were it graven with\nneedle-gravers on the eye corners would be a warner to whoso will be\nwarned.\u201d She replied, \u201cAnd what is that, O my lady?\u201d; when the Princess\nrejoined, \u201cGo, look at the upper end of the estrade, and tell me what\nthou seest there.\u201d So she went up and considered the dream-drawing: then\nshe came down, wondering, and said, \u201cBy Allah, O my lady, here is\ndepicted the garden and the fowler and his net and the birds and all\nthou sawest in thy dream; and verily, nothing but urgent need withheld\nthe male pigeon from returning to free his mate after he had fled her,\nfor I see him in the talons of a bird of raven which hath slaughtered\nhim and is drinking his blood and rending his flesh and eating it; and\nthis, O my lady, caused his tarrying to return and rescue her from the\nnet. But, O my mistress, the wonder is how thy dream came to be thus\ndepicted, for, wert thou minded to set it forth in painture, thou hadst\nnot availed to portray it. By Allah, this is a marvel which should be\nrecorded in histories! Surely, O my lady, the angels appointed to attend\nupon the sons of Adam, knew that the cock-pigeon was wronged of us,\nbecause we blamed him for deserting his mate; so they embraced his cause\nand made manifest his excuse; and now for the first time we see him in\nthe hawk\u2019s pounces a dead bird.\u201d Quoth the Princess, \u201cO my nurse,\nverily, Fate and Fortune had course against this bird, and we did him\nwrong.\u201d Quoth the nurse, \u201cO my mistress, foes shall meet before Allah\nthe Most High: but, O my lady, verily, the truth hath been made manifest\nand the male pigeon\u2019s excuse certified to us; for had the hawk not\nseized him and drunk his blood and rent his flesh he had not held aloof\nfrom his mate, but had returned to her, and set her free from the net;\nbut against death there is no recourse, nor, O my lady, is there aught\nin the world more tenderly solicitous than the male for the female,\namong all creatures which Almighty Allah hath created. And especially\n\u2019tis thus with man; for he starveth himself to feed his wife, strippeth\nhimself to clothe her, angereth his family to please her and disobeyeth\nand denieth his parents to endow her. She knoweth his secrets and\nconcealeth them and she cannot endure from him a single hour.[286] An he\nbe absent from her one night, her eyes sleep not, nor is there a dearer\nto her than he: she loveth him more than her parents and they lie down\nto sleep in each other\u2019s arms, with his hand under her neck and her hand\nunder his neck, even as saith the poet:\u2014\n\n I made my wrist her pillow and I lay with her in litter; \u273f And I said to\n Night \u201cBe long!\u201d while the full moon showed glitter:\n Ah me, it _was_ a night, Allah never made its like; \u273f Whose first was\n sweetest sweet and whose last was bitt\u2019rest bitter![287]\n\nThen he kisseth her and she kisseth him; and I have heard of a certain\nKing that, when his wife fell sick and died, he buried himself alive\nwith her, submitting himself to death, for the love of her and the\nstrait companionship which was between them. Moreover, a certain King\nsickened and died, and when they were about to bury him, his wife said\nto her people: Let me bury myself alive with him: else will I slay\nmyself and my blood shall be on your heads. So, when they saw she would\nnot be turned from this thing, they left her, and she cast herself into\nthe grave with her dead husband, of the greatness of her love and\ntenderness for him.\u201d And the old woman ceased not to ply the Princess\nwith anecdotes of conjugal love between men and women, till there ceased\nthat which was in her heart of hatred for the sex masculine; and when\nshe felt that she had succeeded in renewing in her the natural\ninclination of woman to man, she said to her, \u201c\u2019Tis time to go and walk\nin the garden.\u201d So they fared forth from the pavilion and paced among\nthe trees. Presently the Prince chanced to turn and his eyes fell on\nHayat al-Nufus; and when he saw the symmetry of her shape and the\nrosiclearness of her cheeks and the blackness of her eyes and her\nexceeding grace and her passing loveliness and her excelling beauty and\nher prevailing elegance and her abounding perfection, his reason was\nconfounded and he could not take his eyes off her. Passion annihilated\nhis right judgment and love overpassed all limits in him; his vitals\nwere occupied with her service and his heart was aflame with the fire of\nrepine, so that he swooned away and fell to the ground. When he came to\nhimself, she had passed from his sight and was hidden from him among the\ntrees;\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her\npermitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Thirty-first Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Prince\nArdashir, who lay hid in the garden, saw the Princess and her nurse\nwalking amongst the trees, he swooned away for very love-longing. When\nhe came to himself Hayat al-Nufus had passed from his sight and was\nhidden from him among the trees; so he sighed from his heart-core and\nimprovised these couplets:\u2014\n\n Whenas mine eyes behold her loveliness, \u273f My heart is torn with love\u2019s\n own ecstasy.\n\n I wake o\u2019erthrown, cast-down on face of earth \u273f Nor can the\n Princess[288] my sore torment see.\n She turned and ravished this sad Love-thrall\u2019d sprite; \u273f Mercy, by\n Allah, ruth; nay, sympathy!\n O Lord, afford me union, deign Thou soothe \u273f My soul, ere grave-niche\n house this corse of me;\n I\u2019ll kiss her ten times ten times, and times ten \u273f For lover\u2019s wasted\n cheek the kisses be!\n\nThe old woman ceased not to lead the Princess a-pleasuring about the\ngarden, till they reached the place where the Prince lay ambushed, when,\nbehold she said, \u201cO Thou whose bounties are hidden, vouchsafe us\nassurance from that we fear!\u201d The King\u2019s son hearing the signal, left\nhis lurking-place and, surprised by the summons, walked among the trees,\nswaying to and fro with a proud and graceful gait and a shape that\nshamed the branches. His brow was crowned with pearly drops and his\ncheeks red as the afterglow, extolled be Allah the Almighty in that He\nhath created! When the King\u2019s daughter caught sight of him, she gazed a\nlong while on him and noticed his beauty and grace and loveliness and\nhis eyes that wantoned like the gazelle\u2019s, and his shape that outvied\nthe branches of the myrobalan; wherefore her wits were confounded and\nher soul captivated and her heart transfixed with the arrows of his\nglaces. Then she said to the old woman, \u201cO my nurse, whence came yonder\nhandsome youth?\u201d; and the nurse asked, \u201cWhere is he, O my lady?\u201d \u201cThere\nhe is,\u201d answered Hayat al-Nufus; \u201cnear hand, among the trees.\u201d The old\nwoman turned right and left, as if she knew not of his presence, and\ncried, \u201cAnd pray, who can have taught this youth the way into this\ngarden?\u201d Quoth Hayat al-Nufus, \u201cWho shall give us news of the young man?\nGlory be to Him who created men! But say me, dost thou know him, O my\nnurse?\u201d Quoth the old woman, \u201cO my lady, he is the young merchant who\nwrote to thee by me.\u201d The Princess (and indeed she was drowned in the\nsea of her desire and the fire of her passion and love-longing) broke\nout, \u201cO my nurse, how goodly is this youth! Indeed he _is_ fair of\nfavour. Methinks, there is not on the face of earth a goodlier than he!\u201d\nNow when the old woman was assured that the love of him had gotten\npossession of the Princess, she said to her, \u201cDid I not tell thee, O my\nlady, that he was a comely youth with a beaming favour?\u201d Replied Hayat\nal-Nufus, \u201cO my nurse, King\u2019s daughters know not the ways of the world\nnor the manners of those that be therein, for that they company with\nnone, neither give they nor take they. O my nurse, how shall I do to\nbring about a meeting and present myself to him, and what shall I say to\nhim and what will he say to me?\u201d Said the old woman, \u201cWhat device is\nleft me? Indeed, we were confounded in this matter by thy behaviour\u201d;\nand the Princess said, \u201cO my nurse, know thou that if any ever died of\npassion, I shall do so, and behold, I look for nothing but death on the\nspot by reason of the fire of my love-longing.\u201d When the old woman heard\nher words and saw the transport of her desire for him, she answered, \u201cO\nmy lady, now as for his coming to thee, there is no way thereto; and\nindeed thou art excused from going to him, because of thy tender age;\nbut rise with me and follow me. I will accost him: so shalt thou not be\nput to shame, and in the twinkling of an eye affection shall ensue\nbetween you.\u201d The King\u2019s daughter cried, \u201cGo thou before me, for the\ndecree of Allah may not be rejected.\u201d Accordingly they went up to the\nplace where Ardashir sat, as he were the full moon at its fullest, and\nthe old woman said to him, \u201cSee O youth, who is present before thee!\n\u2019Tis the daughter of our King of the age, Hayat al-Nufus: bethink thee\nof her rank and appreciate the honour she doth thee in coming to thee\nand rise out of respect for her and stand before her.\u201d The Prince sprang\nto his feet in an instant and his eyes met her eyes, whereupon they both\nbecame as they were drunken without wine. Then the love of him and\ndesire redoubled upon the Princess and she opened her arms and he his,\nand they embraced; but love-longing and passion overcame them and they\nswooned away and fell to the ground and lay a long while without sense.\nThe old woman, fearing scandalous exposure, carried them both into the\npavilion, and, sitting down at the door, said to the two waiting-women,\n\u201cSeize the occasion to take your pleasure in the garden, for the\nPrincess sleepeth.\u201d So they returned to their diversion. Presently the\nlovers revived from their swoon and found themselves in the pavilion,\nwhereat quoth the Prince, \u201cAllah upon thee, O Princess of fair ones, is\nthis vision or sleep-illusion?\u201d Then the twain embraced and intoxicated\nthemselves without wine, complaining each to other of the anguish of\npassion; and the Prince improvised these couplets:\u2014\n\n Sun riseth sheen from her brilliant brow, \u273f And her cheek shows the\n rosiest afterglow:\n\n And when both appear to the looker-on, \u273f The skyline star ne\u2019er for\n shame will show:\n An the leven flash from those smiling lips, \u273f Morn breaks and the rays\n dusk and gloom o\u2019erthrow.\n And when with her graceful shape she sways, \u273f Droops leafiest\n B\u00e1n-tree[289] for envy low:\n Me her sight suffices; naught crave I more: \u273f Lord of Men and Morn, be\n her guard from foe!\n The full moon borrows a part of her charms; \u273f The sun would rival but\n fails his lowe.\n Whence could Sol aspire to that bending grace? \u273f Whence should Luna see\n such wit and such mind-gifts know?\n Who shall blame me for being all love to her, \u273f \u2019Twixt accord and\n discord aye doomed to woe:\n \u2019Tis she won my heart with those forms that bend \u273f What shall lover\u2019s\n heart from such charms defend?\n\n\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her\npermitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Thirty-second Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Prince\nhad made an end of his verses, the Princess strained him to her bosom\nand kissed him on the mouth and between the eyes; whereupon his soul\nreturned to him and he fell to complaining to her of that he had endured\nfor stress of love and tyranny of longing and excess of transport and\ndistraction and all he had suffered for the hardness of her heart.\nHearing those words she kissed his hands and feet and bared her\nhead,[290] whereupon the gloom gathered and the full moons dawned\ntherein. Then said she to him, \u201cO my beloved and term of all my wishes,\nwould the day of estrangement had never been and Allah grant it may\nnever return between us!\u201d And they embraced and wept together, whilst\nshe recited these couplets:\u2014\n\n O who shamest the Moon and the sunny glow: \u273f Thou whose slaught\u2019ring\n tyranny lays me low;\n With the sword of a look thou hast shorn my heart, \u273f How escape thy\n sword-glance fatal of blow?\n Thus eke are thine eyebrows a bow that shot \u273f My bosom with shafts of\n fiercest lowe:\n From thy cheeks\u2019 rich crop cometh Paradise; \u273f How, then, shall my heart\n the rich crop forego?\n Thy graceful shape is a blooming branch, \u273f And shall pluck the fruits\n who shall bear that bough.\n Perforce thou drawest me, robst my sleep; \u273f In thy love I strip me and\n shameless show:[291]\n Allah lend thee the rays of most righteous light, \u273f Draw the farthest\n near and a tryst bestow:\n Then have ruth on the vitals thy love hath seared, \u273f And the heart that\n flies to thy side the mo\u2019e!\n\nAnd when she ended her recitation, passion overcame her and she was\ndistraught for love and wept copious tears, rain-like streaming down.\nThis burnt the Prince\u2019s heart and he in turn became troubled and\ndistracted for love of her. So he drew nearer to her and kissed her\nhands and wept with sore weeping and they ceased not from\nlover-reproaches and converse and versifying, until the call to\nmid-afternoon prayer (nor was there aught between them other than this),\nwhen they bethought them of parting and she said to him, \u201cO light of\nmine eyes and core of my heart, the time of severance has come between\nus twain: when shall we meet again?\u201d \u201cBy Allah,\u201d replied he (and indeed\nher words shot him as with shafts), \u201cto mention of parting I am never\nfain!\u201d Then she went forth of the pavilion, and he turned and saw her\nsighing sighs would melt the rock and weeping shower-like tears;\nwhereupon he for love was sunken in the sea of desolation and improvised\nthese couplets:\u2014\n\n O my heart\u2019s desire! grows my misery \u273f From the stress of love, and what\n cure for me?\n By thy face, like dawn when it lights the dark, \u273f And thy hair whose hue\n beareth night-tide\u2019s blee,\n And thy form like the branch which in grace inclines \u273f To Zephyr\u2019s[292]\n breath blowing fain and free,\n By the glance of thine eyes like the fawn\u2019s soft gaze, \u273f When she views\n pursuer of high degree,\n\n And thy waist down borne by the weight of hips, \u273f These so heavy and\n that lacking gravity,\n By the wine of thy lip-dew, the sweetest of drink, \u273f Fresh water and\n musk in its purity,\n O gazelle of the tribe, ease my soul of grief, \u273f And grant me thy\n phantom in sleep to see!\n\nNow when she heard his verses in praise of her, she turned back to him\nand embracing him, with a heart on fire for the anguish of severance,\nfire which naught save kisses and embraces might quench, cried, \u201cSooth\nthe byword saith, Patience is for a lover and not the lack thereof.\nThere is no help for it but I contrive a means for our reunion.\u201d Then\nshe farewelled him and fared forth, knowing not where she set her feet,\nfor stress of her love; nor did she stay her steps till she found\nherself in her own chamber. When she was gone, passion and love-longing\nredoubled upon the young Prince and the delight of sleep was forbidden\nhim, and the Princess in her turn tasted not food and her patience\nfailed and she sickened for desire. As soon as dawned the day, she sent\nfor the nurse, who came and found her condition changed and she cried,\n\u201cQuestion me not of my case; for all I suffer is due to thy handiwork.\nWhere is the beloved of my heart?\u201d \u201cO my lady, when did he leave thee?\nHath he been absent from thee more than this night?\u201d \u201cCan I endure\nabsence from him an hour? Come, find some means to bring us together\nspeedily, for my soul is like to flee my body.\u201d \u201cO my lady, have\npatience till I contrive thee some subtle device, whereof none shall be\nware.\u201d \u201cBy the Great God, except thou bring him to me this very day, I\nwill tell the King that thou hast corrupted me, and he will cut off thy\nhead!\u201d \u201cI conjure thee, by Allah, have patience with me, for this is a\ndangerous matter!\u201d And the nurse humbled herself to her, till she\ngranted her three days\u2019 delay, saying, \u201cO my nurse, the three days will\nbe three years to me; and if the fourth day pass and thou bring him not,\nI will go about to slay thee.\u201d So the old woman left her and returned to\nher lodging, where she abode till the morning of the fourth day, when\nshe summoned the tirewomen of the town and sought of them fine dyes and\nrouge for the painting of a virgin girl and adorning; and they brought\nher cosmetics of the best. Then she sent for the Prince and, opening her\nchest, brought out a bundle containing a suit of woman\u2019s apparel, worth\nfive thousand dinars, and a head-kerchief fringed with all manner gems.\nThen said she to him, \u201cO my son, hast thou a mind to foregather with\nHayat al-Nufus?\u201d; and he replied, \u201cYes.\u201d So she took a pair of tweezers\nand pulled out the hairs of his face and pencilled his eyes with\nKohl.[293] Then she stripped him and painted him with Henna[294] from\nhis nails to his shoulders and from his insteps to his thighs and\ntattooed[295] him about the body, till he was like red roses upon\nalabaster slabs. After a little, she washed him and dried him and\nbringing out a shift and a pair of petticoat-trousers made him put them\non. Then she clad him in the royal suit aforesaid and, binding the\nkerchief about his head, veiled him and taught him how to walk, saying,\n\u201cAdvance thy left and draw back thy right.\u201d He did her bidding and\nforewent her, as he were a Houri faring abroad from Paradise. Then said\nshe to him, \u201cFortify thy heart, for thou art going to the King\u2019s palace,\nwhere there will without fail be guards and eunuchs at the gate; and if\nthou be startled at them and show doubt or dread, they will suspect thee\nand examine thee, and we shall both get into grievous trouble and haply\nlose our lives: wherefore an thou feel thyself unable to this, tell me.\u201d\nHe answered, \u201cIn very sooth this thing hath no terrors for me, so be of\ngood cheer and keep thine eyes cool and clear.\u201d Then she went out\npreceding him till the twain came to the palace-gate, which was full of\neunuchs. She turned and looked at him, as much as to say, \u201cArt thou\ntroubled or no?\u201d and finding him all unchanged, went on. The chief\neunuch glanced at the nurse and knew her but, seeing a damsel following\nher, whose charms confounded the reason, he said in his mind, \u201cAs for\nthe old woman, she is the nurse; but as for the girl who is with her\nthere is none in our land resembleth her in favour or approacheth her in\nfairness save the Princess Hayat al-Nufus, who is secluded and never\ngoeth out. Would I knew how she came into the streets and would Heaven I\nwot whether or no \u2019twas by leave of the King!\u201d Then he rose to learn\nsomewhat concerning her and well nigh thirty castratos followed him;\nwhich when the old woman saw, her reason fled for fear and she said,\n\u201cVerily, we are Allah\u2019s and to Him we shall return! Without recourse we\nare dead folk this time.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and\nceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Thirty-third Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the old\nnurse saw the head of the eunuchry and his assistants making for her she\nwas in exceeding fear and cried, \u201cThere is no Majesty and there is no\nMight save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! Verily we are God\u2019s and\nunto him we shall return; without recourse we be dead folk this time.\u201d\nWhen the head eunuch heard her speak thus, fear gat hold upon him, by\nreason of that which he knew of the Princess\u2019s violence and that her\nfather was ruled by her, and he said to himself, \u201cBelike the King hath\ncommanded the nurse to carry his daughter forth upon some occasion of\nhers, whereof she would have none know; and if I oppose her, she will be\nwroth with me and will say:\u2014This eunuch fellow stopped me, that he might\npry into my affairs. So she will do her best to kill me, and I have no\ncall to meddle in this matter.\u201d So saying, he turned back, and with him\nthe thirty assistants who drove the people from the door of the palace;\nwhereupon the nurse entered and saluted the eunuchs with her head,\nwhilst all the thirty stood to do her honour and returned her salam. She\nled in the Prince and he ceased not following her from door to door, and\nthe Protector protected them, so that they passed all the guards, till\nthey came to the seventh door: it was that of the great pavilion,\nwherein was the King\u2019s throne, and it communicated with the chambers of\nhis women and the saloons of the Harim, as well as with his daughter\u2019s\npavilion. So the old woman halted and said, \u201cHere we are, O my son, and\nglory be to Him who hath brought us thus far in safety! But, O my son,\nwe cannot foregather with the Princess except by night; for night\nenveileth the fearful.\u201d He replied, \u201cTrue, but what is to be done?\u201d\nQuoth she, \u201cHide thee in this black hole,\u201d showing him behind the door a\ndark and deep cistern, with a cover thereto. So he entered the cistern,\nand she went away and left him there till ended day, when she returned\nand carried him into the palace, till they came to the door of Hayat\nal-Nufus\u2019s apartment. The old woman knocked and a little maid came out\nand said, \u201cWho is at the door?\u201d Said the nurse, \u201c\u2019Tis I,\u201d whereupon the\nmaid returned and craved permission of her lady, who said, \u201cOpen to her\nand let her come in with any who may accompany her.\u201d So they entered and\nthe nurse, casting a glance around, perceived that the Princess had made\nready the sitting-chamber and ranged the lamps in row and lighted\ncandles of wax in chandeliers of gold and silver and spread the divans\nand estrades with carpets and cushions. Moreover, she had set on trays\nof food and fruits and confections and she had perfumed the place with\nmusk and aloes-wood and ambergris. She was seated among the lamps and\nthe tapers and the light of her face outshone the lustre of them all.\nWhen she saw the old woman, she said to her, \u201cO nurse, where is the\nbeloved of my heart?\u201d; and the other replied, \u201cO my lady, I cannot find\nhim nor have mine eyes espied him; but I have brought thee his own\nsister; and here she is.\u201d Cried the Princess, \u201cArt thou Jinn-mad? What\nneed have I of his sister? Say me, an a man\u2019s head irk him, doth he bind\nup his hand?\u201d The old woman answered, \u201cNo, by Allah, O my lady! But look\non her, and if she pleases thee, let her be with thee.\u201d Then she\nuncovered the Prince\u2019s face, whereupon Hayat al-Nufus knew him and\nrunning to him, pressed him to her bosom, and he pressed her to his\nbreast. Then they both fell down in a swoon and lay without sense a long\nwhile. The old woman sprinkled rose-water upon them till they came to\nthemselves, when she kissed him on the mouth more than a thousand times\nand improvised these couplets:\u2014\n\n Sought me this heart\u2019s dear love at gloom of night; \u273f I rose in honour\n till he sat forthright,\n And said, \u201cO aim of mine, O sole desire \u273f In such night-visit hast of\n guards no fright?\u201d\n Replied he, \u201cYes, I fear\u00e8d much, but Love \u273f Robbed me of all my wits and\n reft my sprite.\u201d\n We clipt with kisses and awhile clung we \u273f For here \u2019twas safe; nor\n feared we watchman-wight:\n Then rose we parting without doubtful deed \u273f And shook out skirts where\n none a stain could sight.\n\n\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her\npermitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Thirty-fourth Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when her lover\nvisited Hayat al-Nufus in her palace, the twain embraced and she\nimprovised some happy couplets beseeming the occasion. And when she had\nended her extempore lines she said, \u201cIs it indeed true that I see thee\nin my abode and that thou art my cup-mate and my familiar?\u201d Then passion\ngrew on her and love was grievous to her, so that her reason well-nigh\nfled for joy and she improvised these couplets:\u2014\n\n With all my soul I\u2019ll ransom him who came to me in gloom \u273f Of night,\n whilst I had waited long to see his figure loom;\n And naught aroused me save his weeping voice of tender tone \u273f And\n whispered I, \u201cFair fall thy foot and welcome and well come!\u201d\n His cheek I kissed a thousand times, and yet a thousand more; \u273f Then\n clipt and clung about his breast enveiled in darkling room.\n And cried, \u201cNow verily I\u2019ve won the aim of every wish \u273f So praise and\n prayers to Allah for this grace now best become.\u201d\n Then slept we even as we would the goodliest of nights \u273f Till morning\n came to end our night and light up earth with bloom.\n\nAs soon as it was day, she made him enter a place in her apartment\nunknown to any and he abode there till nightfall, when she brought him\nout and they sat in converse and carouse. Presently he said to her, \u201cI\nwish to return to my own country and tell my father what hath passed\nbetween us, that he may equip his Wazir to demand thee in marriage of\nthy sire.\u201d She replied, \u201cO my love, I fear, an thou return to thy\ncountry and kingdom, thou wilt be distracted from me and forget the love\nof me; or that thy father will not further thy wishes in this matter and\nI shall die. Meseems the better rede were that thou abide with me and in\nmy hand-grasp, I looking on thy face, and thou on mine, till I devise\nsome plan, whereby we may escape together some night and flee to thy\ncountry; for I have cut off my hopes from my own people and I despair of\nthem.\u201d He rejoined, \u201cI hear and obey;\u201d and they fell again to their\ncarousal and conversing. He tarried with her thus for some time till,\none night, the wine was pleasant to them and they lay not down nor did\nthey sleep till break of day. Now it chanced that one of the Kings sent\nher father a present, and amongst other things, a necklace of union\njewels, nine-and-twenty grains, to whose price a King\u2019s treasures might\nnot suffice. Quoth Abd-al-Kadir, \u201cThis rivi\u00e8re beseemeth none but my\ndaughter Hayat al-Nufus;\u201d and, turning to an eunuch, whose jaw-teeth the\nPrincess had knocked out for reasons best known to herself,[296] he\ncalled to him and said, \u201cCarry the necklace to thy lady and say to\nher:\u2014One of the Kings hath sent thy father this, as a present, and its\nprice may not be paid with money; put it on thy neck.\u201d The slave took\nthe necklace, saying in himself, \u201cAllah Almighty make it the last thing\nshe shall put on in this world, for that she deprived me of the benefit\nof my grinder-teeth!\u201d; and repairing to the Princess\u2019s apartment, found\nthe door locked and the old woman asleep before the threshold. He shook\nher, and she awoke in affright and asked, \u201cWhat dost thou want?\u201d; to\nwhich he answered, \u201cThe King hath sent me on an errand to his daughter.\u201d\nQuoth the nurse, \u201cThe key is not here, go away, whilst I fetch it;\u201d but\nquoth he, \u201cI cannot go back to the King without having done his\ncommandment.\u201d So she went away, as if to fetch the key; but fear\novertook her and she sought safety in flight. Then the eunuch awaited\nher awhile; then, finding she did not return, he feared that the King\nwould be angry at his delay; so he rattled at the door and shook it,\nwhereupon the bolt gave way and the leaf opened. He entered and passed\non, till he came to the seventh door and walking in to the Princess\u2019s\nchamber found the place splendidly furnished and saw candles and flagons\nthere. At this spectacle he marvelled and going close up to the bed,\nwhich was curtained by a hanging of silk, embroidered with a net-work of\njewels, drew back the curtain from before the Princess and saw her\nsleeping with her arms about the neck of a young man handsomer than\nherself; whereat he magnified Allah Almighty, who had created such a\nyouth of vile water, and said, \u201cHow goodly be this fashion for one who\nhateth men! How came she by this fellow? Methinks \u2019twas on his account\nthat she knocked out my back teeth!\u201d Then he drew the curtain and made\nfor the door; but the King\u2019s daughter awoke in affright and seeing the\neunuch, whose name was K\u00e1f\u00far, called to him. He made her no answer: so\nshe came down from the bed on the estrade; and catching hold of his\nskirt laid it on her head and kissed his feet, saying, \u201cVeil what Allah\nveileth!\u201d Quoth he, \u201cMay Allah not veil thee nor him who would veil\nthee! Thou didst knock out my grinders and saidst to me:\u2014Let none make\nmention to me aught of men and their ways!\u201d So saying, he disengaged\nhimself from her grasp and running out, locked the door on them and set\nanother eunuch to guard it. Then he went in to the King who said to him?\n\u201cHast thou given the necklace to Hayat al-Nufus?\u201d The eunuch replied,\n\u201cBy Allah, thou deservest altogether a better fate;\u201d and the King asked,\n\u201cWhat hath happened? Tell me quickly;\u201d whereto he answered, \u201cI will not\ntell thee, save in private and between our eyes,\u201d but the King retorted,\nsaying, \u201cTell me at once and in public.\u201d Cried the eunuch, \u201cThen grant\nme immunity.\u201d So the King threw him the kerchief of immunity and he\nsaid, \u201cO King, I went into the Princess Hayat al-Nufus and found her\nasleep in a carpeted chamber and on her bosom was a young man. So I\nlocked the door upon the two and came back to thee.\u201d When the King heard\nthese words he started up and taking a sword in his hand, cried out to\nthe Rais of the eunuchs, saying, \u201cTake thy lads and go to the Princess\u2019s\nchamber and bring me her and him who is with her as they twain lie on\nthe bed; but cover them both up.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of\nday and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Thirty-fifth Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the King\ncommanded the head eunuch to take his lads and to fetch and set before\nhim Hayat al-Nufus and him who was with her, the chief and his men\nentered the Princess\u2019s apartment where he found her standing up,\ndissolved in railing tears, and the Prince by her side; so he said to\nthem, \u201cLie down on the bed, as thou wast and let him do likewise.\u201d The\nKing\u2019s daughter feared for her lover[297] and said to him, \u201cThis is no\ntime for resistance.\u201d So they both lay down and the eunuchs covered them\nup and carried the twain into the King\u2019s presence. Thereupon Abd\nal-Kadir pulled off the coverings and the Princess sprang to her feet.\nHe looked at her and would have smitten her neck: but the Prince threw\nhimself on the father\u2019s breast, saying, \u201cThe fault was not hers but mine\nonly: kill me before thou killest her.\u201d The King made at him, to cut him\ndown, but Hayat al-Nufus cast herself on her father and said, \u201cKill me\nnot him; for he is the son of a great King, lord of all the land in its\nlength and breadth.\u201d When the King heard this, he turned to the Chief\nWazir, who was a gathering-place of all that is evil, and said to him,\n\u201cWhat sayst thou of this matter, O Minister?\u201d Quoth his Wazir, \u201cWhat I\nsay is that all who find themselves in such case as this have need of\nlying, and there is nothing for it but to cut off both their heads,\nafter torturing them with all manner of tortures.\u201d Hereupon the King\ncalled his sworder of vengeance, who came with his lads, and said to\nhim, \u201cTake this gallows bird and strike off his head and after do the\nlike with this harlot and burn their bodies, and consult me not about\nthem a second time.\u201d So the headsmen put his hand to her back, to take\nher; but the King cried out at him and cast at him somewhat he hent in\nhand, which had well-nigh killed him, saying, \u201cO dog, how durst thou\nshow ruth to those with whom I am wroth? Put thy hand to her hair and\ndrag her along by it, so that she may fall on her face.\u201d Accordingly he\nhaled her by her hair and the Prince in like manner to the place of\nblood, where he tore off a piece of his skirt and therewith bound the\nPrince\u2019s eyes putting the Princess last, in the hope that some one would\nintercede for her. Then, having made ready the Prince he swung his sharp\nsword three times (whilst all the troops wept and prayed Allah to send\nthem deliverance by some intercessor), and raised his hand to cut off\nArdashir\u2019s head when, behold, there arose a cloud of dust, that spread\nand flew till it veiled the view. Now the cause thereof was that when\nthe young Prince had delayed beyond measure, the King, his sire, had\nlevied a mighty host and had marched with it in person to get tidings of\nhis son. Such was his case; but as regards King Abd al-Kadir, when he\nsaw this, he said, \u201cO wights, what is the meaning of yonder dust that\ndimmeth sights?\u201d The Grand Wazir sprang up and went out to reconnoitre\nand found behind the cloud men like locusts, of whom no count could be\nmade nor aught avail of aid, filling the hills and plains and valleys.\nSo he returned with the report to the King, who said to him, \u201cGo down\nand learn for us what may be this host and the cause of its marching\nupon our country. Ask also of their commander and salute him for me and\nenquire the reason of his coming. An he came in quest of aught, we will\naid him, and if he have a blood-feud with one of the Kings, we will ride\nwith him; or, if he desire a gift, we will handsel him; for this is\nindeed a numerous host and a power uttermost, and we fear for our land\nfrom its mischief.\u201d So the Minister went forth and walked among the\ntents and troopers and body-guards, and ceased not faring on from the\nfirst of the day till near sundown, when he came to the warders with\ngilded swords in tents star-studded. Passing these, he made his way\nthrough Emirs and Wazirs and Nabobs and Chamberlains, to the pavilion of\nthe Sultan, and found him a mighty King. When the King\u2019s officers saw\nhim, they cried out to him, saying, \u201cKiss ground! Kiss ground!\u201d[298] He\ndid so and would have risen, but they cried out at him a second and a\nthird time. So he kissed the earth again and again and raised his head\nand would have stood up, but fell down at full length for excess of awe.\nWhen at last he was set between the hands of the King he said to him,\n\u201cAllah prolong thy days and increase thy sovranty and exalt thy rank, O\nthou auspicious King! And furthermore, of a truth, King Abd al-Kadir\nsaluteth thee and kisseth the earth before thee and asketh on what\nweighty business thou art come. An thou seek to avenge thee for blood on\nany King, he will take horse in thy service; or, an thou come in quest\nof aught, wherein it is in his power to help thee, he standeth up at thy\nservice on account thereof.\u201d So Ardashir\u2019s father replied to the Wazir,\nsaying, \u201cO messenger, return to thy lord and tell him that the most\nmighty King Sayf al-A\u2019azam Shah, Lord of Shiraz, had a son who hath been\nlong absent from him and news of him have not come and all traces of him\nhave been cut off. An he be in this city, he will take him and depart\nfrom you; but, if aught have befallen him or any mischief have ensued to\nhim from you, his father will lay waste your land and make spoil of your\ngoods and slay your men and seize your women. Return, therefore, to thy\nlord in haste and tell him this, ere evil befal him.\u201d Answered the\nMinister, \u201cTo hear is to obey!\u201d and turned to go away, when the\nChamberlains cried out to him, saying, \u201cKiss ground! Kiss ground!\u201d So he\nkissed the ground a score of times and rose not till his life-breath was\nin his nostrils.[299] Then he left the King\u2019s high court and returned to\nthe city, full of anxious thought concerning the affair of this King and\nthe multitude of his troops, and going in to King Abd al-Kadir, pale\nwith fear and trembling in his side-muscles, acquainted him with that\nhad befallen him;\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to\nsay her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Thirty-sixth Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wazir returned\nfrom the court of the Great King, pale with fear and with side-muscles\nquivering for dread exceeding; and acquainted his lord with that had\nbefallen him. Hereat disquietude and terror for himself and for his\npeople laid hold upon him and he said to the Minister, \u201cO Wazir, and who\nis this King\u2019s son?\u201d Replied the other, \u201c\u2019Tis even he whom thou badest\nput to death, but praised be Allah who hastened not his slaughter! Else\nhad his father wasted our lands and spoiled our good.\u201d Quoth the King,\n\u201cSee now thy corrupt judgment, in that thou didst counsel us to slay\nhim! Where is the young man, the son of yonder magnanimous King?\u201d And\nquoth the Wazir, \u201cO mighty King, thou didst command him be put to\ndeath.\u201d When the King heard this, he was clean distraught and cried out\nfrom his heart\u2019s core and in-most of head, saying, \u201cWoe to you! Fetch me\nthe Headsman forthright, lest death fall on him!\u201d So they fetched the\nSworder and he said, \u201cO King of the Age, I have smitten off his head\neven as thou badest me.\u201d Cried Abd al-Kadir, \u201cO dog, an this be true, I\nwill assuredly send thee after him.\u201d The Headsman replied, \u201cO King, thou\ndidst command me to slay him without consulting thee a second time.\u201d\nSaid the King, \u201cI was in my wrath; but speak the truth, ere thou lose\nthy life;\u201d and said the Sworder, \u201cO King, he is yet in the chains of\nlife.\u201d At this Abd al-Kadir rejoiced and his heart was set at rest; then\nhe called for Ardashir, and when he came, he stood up to receive him and\nkissed his mouth, saying, \u201cO my son, I ask pardon of Allah Almighty for\nthe wrong I have done thee, and say thou not aught that may lower my\ncredit with thy sire, the Great King.\u201d The Prince asked \u201cO King of the\nAge, and where is my father?\u201d and the other answered, \u201cHe is come hither\non thine account.\u201d Thereupon quoth Ardashir, \u201cBy thy worship, I will not\nstir from before thee till I have cleared my honour and the honour of\nthy daughter from that which thou laidest to our charge; for she is a\npure virgin. Send for the midwives and let them examine her before thee.\nAn they find her maidenhead gone, I give thee leave to shed my blood;\nand if they find her a clean maid, her innocence of dishonour and mine\nalso will be made manifest.\u201d So he summoned the midwives, who examined\nthe Princess and found her a pure virgin and so told the King, seeking\nlargesse of him. He gave them what they sought, putting off his royal\nrobes to bestow on them, and in like manner he was bountiful to all who\nwere in the Harim. And they brought forth the scent-cups and perfumed\nall the Lords of estate and Grandees; and not one but rejoiced with\nexceeding joy. Then the King threw his arms about Ardashir\u2019s neck and\nentreated him with all worship and honour, bidding his chief eunuchs\nbear him to the bath. When he came out, he cast over his shoulders a\ncostly robe and crowned him with a coronet of jewels; he also girt him\nwith a girdle of silk, purfled with red gold and set with pearls and\ngems, and mounted him on one of his noblest mares, with selle and\ntrappings of gold inlaid with pearls and jewels. Then he bade his\nGrandees and Captains mount on his service and escort him to his\nfather\u2019s presence; and charged him tell his sire that King Abd al-Kadir\nwas at his disposal, hearkening to and obeying him in whatso he should\nbid or forbid. \u201cI will not fail of this,\u201d answered Ardashir and\nfarewelling him, repaired to his father who, at sight of him, was\ntransported for delight and springing up, advanced to meet him and\nembraced him, whilst joy and gladness spread among all the host of the\nGreat King. Then came the Wazirs and Chamberlains and Captains and\nguards and kissed the ground before the Prince and rejoiced in his\ncoming: and it was a great day with them for enjoyment, for the King\u2019s\nson gave leave to those of King Abd al-Kadir\u2019s officers who had\naccompanied him and others of the townsfolk, to view the ordinance of\nhis father\u2019s host, without let or stay, so they might know the multitude\nof the Great King\u2019s troops and the might of his empire. And all who had\nseen him selling stuffs in the linendrapers\u2019 bazar marvelled how his\nsoul could have consented thereto, considering the nobility of his\nspirit and the loftiness of his dignity; but it was his love and\ninclination to the King\u2019s daughter that to this had constrained him.\nMeanwhile, news of the multitude of her lover\u2019s troops came to Hayat\nal-Nufus, who was still jailed by her sire\u2019s commandment, till they knew\nwhat he should order respecting her, whether pardon and release or death\nand burning; and she looked down from the terrace-roof of the palace\nand, turning towards the mountains, saw even these covered with armed\nmen. When she beheld all those warriors and knew that they were the army\nof Ardashir\u2019s father, she feared lest he should be diverted from her by\nhis sire and forget her and depart from her, whereupon her father would\nslay her. So she called a handmaid that was with her in her apartment by\nway of service, and said to her, \u201cGo to Ardashir, son of the Great King,\nand fear not. When thou comest into his presence, kiss the ground before\nhim and tell him what thou art and say to him:\u2014My lady saluteth thee and\nwould have thee to know that she is a prisoner in her father\u2019s palace,\nawaiting his sentence, whether he be minded to pardon her or put her to\ndeath, and she beseecheth thee not to forget her or forsake her; for\nto-day thou art all-powerful; and, in whatso thou commandest, no man\ndare cross thee. Wherefore, an it seem good to thee to rescue her from\nher sire and take her with thee, it were of thy bounty, for indeed she\nendureth all these trials for thy sake. But, an this seem not good to\nthee, for that thy desire of her is at an end, still speak to thy sire,\nso haply he may intercede for her with her father and he depart not,\ntill he have made him set her free and taken surety from and made\ncovenant with him, that he will not go about to put her to death nor\nwork her aught of harm. This is her last word to thee, may Allah not\ndesolate her of thee, and so The Peace!\u201d[300]\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived\nthe dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Thirty-seventh Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the bondmaid\nsent by Hayat al-Nufus made her way to Ardashir and delivered him her\nlady\u2019s message, which when he heard, he wept with sore weeping and said\nto her, \u201cKnow that Hayat al-Nufus is my mistress and that I am her slave\nand the captive of her love. I have not forgotten what was between us\nnor the bitterness of the parting day; so do thou say to her, after thou\nhast kissed her feet, that I will speak with my father of her, and he\nshall send his Wazir, who sought her aforetime in marriage for me, to\ndemand her hand once more of her sire, for he dare not refuse. So, if he\nsend to her to consult her, let her make no opposition; for I will not\nreturn to my country without her.\u201d Then the handmaid returned to Hayat\nal-Nufus; and, kissing her hands, delivered to her the message, which\nwhen she heard, she wept for very joy and returned thanks to Almighty\nAllah. Such was her case; but as regards Ardashir, he was alone with his\nfather that night and the Great King questioned him of his case,\nwhereupon he told him all that had befallen him, first and last. Then\nquoth the King, \u201cWhat wilt thou have me do for thee, O my son? An thou\ndesire Abd al-Kadir\u2019s ruin, I will lay waste his lands and spoil his\nhoards and dishonour his house.\u201d Replied Ardashir, \u201cI do not desire\nthat, O my father, for he hath done nothing to me deserving thereof; but\nI wish for union with her; wherefore I beseech thee of thy favour to\nmake ready a present for her father, (but let it be a magnificent gift!)\nand send it to him by thy Minister, the man of just judgment.\u201d Quoth the\nKing, \u201cI hear and consent;\u201d and sending for the treasures he had laid up\nfrom time past, brought out all manner precious things and showed them\nto his son, who was pleased with them. Then he called his Wazir and bade\nhim bear the present with him[301] to King Abd al-Kadir and demand his\ndaughter in marriage for Ardashir, saying, \u201cAccept the present and\nreturn him a reply.\u201d Now from the time of Ardashir\u2019s departure, King Abd\nal-Kadir had been troubled and ceased not to be heavy at heart, fearing\nthe laying waste of his reign and the spoiling of his realm; when\nbehold, the Wazir came in to him and saluting him, kissed ground before\nhim. He rose up standing and received him with honour; but the Minister\nmade haste to fall at his feet and kissing them cried, \u201cPardon, O King\nof the Age! The like of thee should not rise to the like of me, for I am\nthe least of servants\u2019 slaves. Know, O King, that Prince Ardashir hath\nacquainted his father with some of the favours and kindnesses thou hast\ndone him, wherefore he thanketh thee and sendeth thee in company of thy\nservant who standeth before thee, a present, saluting thee and wishing\nthee especial blessings and prosperities.\u201d Abd al-Kadir could not\nbelieve what he heard of the excess of his fear, till the Wazir laid the\npresent before him, when he saw it to be such gift as no money could\npurchase nor could one of the Kings of the earth avail to the like\nthereof; wherefore he was belittled in his own eyes and springing to his\nfeet, praised Almighty Allah and glorified Him and thanked the Prince.\nThen said the Minister to him, \u201cO noble King, give ear to my word and\nknow that the Great King sendeth to thee, desiring thine alliance, and I\ncome to thee seeking and craving the hand of thy daughter, the chaste\ndame and treasured gem Hayat al-Nufus, in wedlock for his son Ardashir,\nwherefore, if thou consent to this proposal and accept of him, do thou\nagree with me for her marriage-portion.\u201d Abd al-Kadir hearing these\nwords replied, \u201cI hear and obey. For my part, I make no objection, and\nnothing can be more pleasurable to me; but the girl is of full age and\nreason and her affair is in her own hand. So be assured that I will\nrefer it to her and she shall chose for herself.\u201d Then he turned to the\nchief eunuch and bade him go and acquaint the Princess with the event.\nSo he repaired to the Harim and, kissing the Princess\u2019s hands,\nacquainted her with the Great King\u2019s offer adding, \u201cWhat sayest thou in\nanswer?\u201d \u201cI hear and I obey,\u201d replied she.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the\ndawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Thirty-eighth Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the chief\neunuch of the Harim having informed the Princess how she had been\ndemanded in marriage by the Great King and having heard her reply, \u201cI\nhear and I obey,\u201d returned therewith to the King and gave him this\nanswer, whereat he rejoiced with exceeding joy and, calling for a costly\nrobe of honour, threw it over the Wazir\u2019s shoulders. Furthermore, he\nordered him ten thousand dinars and bade him carry the answer to the\nGreat King and crave leave for him to pay him a visit. \u201cHearing and\nobeying,\u201d answered the Minister; and, returning to his master, delivered\nhim the reply and Abd al-Kadir\u2019s message, and repeated all their talk,\nwhereat he rejoiced greatly and Ardashir was transported for delight and\nhis breast broadened and he was a most happy man. King Sayf al-A\u2019azam\nalso gave King Abd al-Kadir leave to come forth to visit him; so, on the\nmorrow, he took horse and rode to the camp of the Great King, who came\nto meet him and saluting him, seated him in the place of honour, and\ngave him welcome; and they two sat whilst Ardashir stood before them.\nThen arose an orator of the King Abd al-Kadir\u2019s court and pronounced an\neloquent discourse, giving the Prince joy of the attainment of his\ndesire and of his marriage with the Princess, a Queen among King\u2019s\ndaughters. When he sat down the Great King caused bring a chest full of\npearls and gems, together with fifty thousand dinars, and said to King\nAbd al-Kadir, \u201cI am my son\u2019s deputy in all that concerneth this matter.\u201d\nSo Abd al-Kadir acknowledged receipt of the marriage-portion and amongst\nthe rest, fifty thousand dinars for the nuptial festivities; after which\nthey fetched the Kazis and the witnesses, who wrote out the contract of\nmarriage between the Prince and Princess, and it was a notable day,\nwherein all lovers made merry and all haters and enviers were mortified.\nThey spread the marriage-feasts and banquets and lastly Ardashir went in\nunto the Princess and found her a jewel which had been hidden, an union\npearl unthridden and a filly that none but he had ridden, so he notified\nthis to his sire. Then King Sayf al-A\u2019azam asked his son, \u201cHast thou any\nwish thou wouldst have fulfilled ere we depart?\u201d; and he answered, \u201cYes,\nO King, know that I would fain take my wreak of the Wazir who entreated\nus on evil wise and the eunuch who forged a lie against us.\u201d So the King\nsent forthright to Abd al-Kadir, demanding of him the Minister and the\ncastrato, whereupon he despatched them both to him and he commanded to\nhang them over the city gate. After this, they abode a little while and\nthen sought of Abd al-Kadir leave for his daughter to equip her for\ndeparture. So he equipped her and mounted her in a Takhtraw\u00e1n, a\ntravelling litter of red gold, inlaid with pearls and gems and drawn by\nnoble steeds. She carried with her all her waiting-women and eunuchs, as\nwell as the nurse, who had returned, after her flight, and resumed her\noffice. Then King Sayf al-A\u2019azam and his son mounted and Abd al-Kadir\nmounted also with all the lords of his land, to take leave of his\nson-in-law and daughter; and it was a day to be reckoned of the\ngoodliest of days. After they had gone some distance, the Great King\nconjured Abd al-Kadir to turn back; so he farewelled him and his son,\nafter he had strained him to his breast and kissed him between the eyes\nand thanked him for his grace and favours and commended his daughter to\nhis care. Then he went in to the Princess and embraced her; and she\nkissed his hands and they wept in the standing-place of parting. After\nthis he returned to his capital and Ardashir and his company fared on,\ntill they reached Shiraz, where they celebrated the marriage-festivities\nanew. And they abode in all comfort and solace and joyance of life, till\nthere came to them the Destroyer of delights and Severer of societies;\nthe Depopulator of palaces and the Garnerer of graveyards. And men also\nrelate the tale of\n\n-----\n\nFootnote 261:\n\n Omitted by Lane (iii. 252) \u201cbecause little more than a repetition\u201d of\n Taj al-Mul\u00fak and the Lady Duny\u00e1. This is true; but the nice progress\n of the nurse\u2019s pimping is a well-finished picture and the old woman\u2019s\n speech (_infra_ p. 243) is a gem.\n\nFootnote 262:\n\n Artaxerxes; in the Mac. Edit. Azdash\u00edr, a misprint.\n\nFootnote 263:\n\n I use \u201ckiss ground\u201d as we say \u201ckiss hands.\u201d But it must not be\n understood literally: the nearest approach would be to touch the earth\n with the finger-tips and apply them to the lips or brow. Amongst\n Hindus the Asht\u00e1nga-prostration included actually kissing the ground.\n\nFootnote 264:\n\n The \u201ckey\u201d is mentioned because a fee so called (mift\u00e1h) is paid on its\n being handed to the new lodger (Pilgrimage i. 62).\n\nFootnote 265:\n\n The Koranic term for semen, often quoted.\n\nFootnote 266:\n\n Koran, xii. 31, in the story of Joseph, before noticed.\n\nFootnote 267:\n\n Probably the white woollens, so often mentioned, whose use is now\n returning to Europe, where men have a reasonable fear of dyed stuffs,\n especially since Aniline conquered Cochineal.\n\nFootnote 268:\n\n Arab. \u201csam\u00edr,\u201d one who enjoys the mus\u00e1marah or night-talk outside the\n Arab tents. \u201cSamar\u201d is the shade of the moon, or half darkness when\n only stars shine without a moon, or the darkness of a moonless night.\n Hence the proverb (A. P. ii. 513) \u201cM\u00e1 af\u2019al-h\u00fa al-samar wa\u2019l kamar;\u201d I\n will not do it by moon-darkness or by moonshine, _i.e._ never. I have\n elsewhere remarked that \u201cEarly to bed and early to rise\u201d is a\n civilised maxim; most barbarians sit deep into the night in the light\n of the moon of a camp-fire and will not rise till nearly noon. They\n agree in our modern version of the old saw:\u2014\n\n Early to bed and early to rise\n Makes a man surly and gives him red eyes.\n\n The Shayks of Arab tribes especially transact most of their public\n business during the dark hours.\n\nFootnote 269:\n\n Suspecting that it had been sent by some Royal lover.\n\nFootnote 270:\n\n Arab. \u201cRubbam\u00e1\u201d a particle more emphatic than rubba, = perhaps,\n sometimes, often.\n\nFootnote 271:\n\n \u201cThe broken (wall)\u201d from Hatim = breaking. It fences the Hijr or space\n where Ishmael is buried (vol. vi. 205); and I have described it in\n Pilgrimage iii. 165.\n\nFootnote 272:\n\n Arab. \u201cFar\u00e1is\u201d (plur. of far\u00edsah): the phrase has often occurred and\n is = our \u201ctrembled in every nerve.\u201d As often happens in Arabic, it is\n \u201chorsey;\u201d alluding to the shoulder-muscles (not shoulder-blades,\n Preston p. 89) between neck and flank which readily quiver in\n blood-horses when excited or frightened.\n\nFootnote 273:\n\n Arab. \u201cFazl\u201d = exceeding goodness as in \u201cFazl wa ma\u2019rifah\u201d = virtue\n and learning.\n\nFootnote 274:\n\n Arab. \u201cAl-Maf\u00e1rik\u201d (plur. of Mafrak), = the pole or crown of the head,\n where the hair parts naturally and where baldness mostly begins.\n\nFootnote 275:\n\n Arab. N\u00e1\u2019\u00ed al-maut, the person sent round to announce a death to the\n friends and relations of the deceased and invite them to the funeral.\n\nFootnote 276:\n\n Arab. T\u00e1ir al-bayn, any bird, not only the H\u00e1tim or black crow, which\n announces separation. Crows and ravens flock for food to the camps\n broken up for the springtide and autumnal marches, and thus become\n emblems of desertion and desolation. The same birds are also connected\n with Abel\u2019s burial in the Koran (v. 34), a Jewish tradition borrowed\n by Mohammed. Lastly, here is a paronomasia in the words \u201cGhur\u00e1b\n al-Bayn\u201d = Raven of the Wold (the black bird with white breast and red\n beak and legs): \u201cGhur\u00e1b\u201d (Heb. Oreb) connects with Cuba =\n strangerhood, exile, and \u201cBayn\u201d with distance, interval, disunion, the\n desert (between the cultivated spots). There is another and a similar\n pun anent the B\u00e1n-tree; the first word meaning \u201che fared, he left.\u201d\n\nFootnote 277:\n\n Arab. \u201cTayr,\u201d any flying thing, a bird; with true Arab carelessness\n the writer waits till the tale is nearly ended before letting us know\n that the birds are pigeons (Ham\u00e1m).\n\nFootnote 278:\n\n Arab. \u201cKaralynn.\u201d The Arabs say, \u201cAllah cool thine eye,\u201d because tears\n of grief are hot and those of joy cool (Al-Asma\u2019i); others say the\n cool eye is opposed to that heated by watching; and Al-Hariri (Ass.\n xxvii.) makes a scorching afternoon \u201chotter than the tear of a\n childless mother.\u201d In the burning climate of Arabia coolth and\n refrigeration are equivalent to refreshment and delight.\n\nFootnote 279:\n\n Arab. \u201cMuunah,\u201d the \u201cMona\u201d of Maroccan travellers (English not Italian\n who are scandalised by \u201cMona\u201d) meaning the provisions supplied gratis\n by the unhappy villagers to all who visit them with passport from the\n Sultan. Our cousins German have lately scored a great success by\n paying for all their rations which the Ministers of other nations,\n England included, were mean enough to accept.\n\nFootnote 280:\n\n Arab. \u201cKaannahu huwa\u201d; lit. = as he (was) he. This reminds us of the\n great grammarian, Sibawayh, whose name the Persians derive from\n \u201cApple-flavour\u201d (Sib + BA). He was disputing, in presence of Harun\n al-Rashid with a rival Al-Kiss, and advocated the Bastian form,\n \u201cFa-iz\u00e1 huwa h\u00fa\u201d (behold, it was he) against the Ku fan, \u201cFa-iz\u00e1 huwa\n IA\u201d (behold, it was him). The enemy overcame him by appealing to\n Badawin, who spoke impurely, whereupon Sibawayh left the court,\n retired to Khorasan and died, it is said of a broken heart.\n\nFootnote 281:\n\n This is a sign of the Sada or melancholic temperament in which black\n bile predominates. It is supposed to cause a distaste for society and\n a longing for solitude, an unsettled habit of mind and neglect of\n worldly affairs. I remarked that in Arabia students are subject to it,\n and that amongst philosophers and literary men of Mecca and Al-Medinah\n there was hardly one who was not spoken of as a \u201cSada.\u201d See Pilgrimage\n ii. 49, 50.\n\nFootnote 282:\n\n _i.e._ I am a servant and bound to tell thee what my orders are.\n\nFootnote 283:\n\n A touching lesson how tribes settle matters in the East.\n\nFootnote 284:\n\n _i.e._ fresh from water (Arab. \u201cRutub\u201d), before the air can tarnish\n them. The pearl (margarita) in Arab is Lulu\u2019; the \u201cUnion\u201d or large\n pearl Durr, plur. Durar. In modern parlance Durr is the second quality\n of the twelve into which pearls are divided.\n\nFootnote 285:\n\n _i.e._ the Wazir, but purposely left vague.\n\nFootnote 286:\n\n The whole of the nurse\u2019s speech is admirable: its na\u00efve and striking\n picture of conjugal affection goes far to redeem the grossness of The\n Nights.\n\nFootnote 287:\n\n The bitterness was the parting in the morning.\n\nFootnote 288:\n\n English \u201cPrin\u00b4cess,\u201d too often pronounced in French fashion Princess.\n\nFootnote 289:\n\n In dictionaries \u201cB\u00e1n\u201d (Anglice ben-tree) is the myrobalan which\n produces gum benzoin. It resembles the tamarisk. Mr. Lyall (p. 74\n Translations of Ancient Arab Poetry, Williams and Norgate, 1885),\n calls it a species of Moringa, tall, with plentiful and intensely\n green foliage used for comparisons on account of its straightness and\n graceful shape of its branches. The nut supplies a medicinal oil.\n\nFootnote 290:\n\n A sign of extreme familiarity: the glooms are the hands and the full\n moons are the eyes.\n\nFootnote 291:\n\n Arab. \u201cKhal\u2019a al-\u2019iz\u00e1r\u201d: lit. = stripping off jaws or side-beard.\n\nFootnote 292:\n\n Arab. \u201cShim\u00e1l\u201d = the north wind.\n\nFootnote 293:\n\n An operation well described by Juvenal\u2014\n\n Illa supercilium, modic\u00e2 fuligine tactum,\n Obliqu\u00e2 producit acu, pingitque, trementes\n Attolens oculos.\n\n Sonnini (Travels in Egypt, chapt. xvi.) justly remarks that this\n pencilling the angles of the eyes with Kohl, which the old Levant\n trade called _alquifoux_ or _arquifoux_, makes them appear large and\n more oblong; and I have noted that the modern Egyptian (especially\n Coptic) eye, like that of the Sphinx and the old figures looks in\n profile as if it were seen in full (Pilgrimage i. 214).\n\nFootnote 294:\n\n The same traveller notes a singular property in the Henna-flower that\n when smelt closely it exhales a \u201cvery powerful spermatic odour,\u201d hence\n it became a favourite with women as the tea-rose with us. He finds it\n on the nails of mummies, and identifies it with the Kupros of the\n ancient Greeks (the moderns call it Kene or Kena) and the \u0392\u03cc\u03c4\u03c1\u03c5\u03c2 \u03c4\u1fc6\u03c2\n \u03ba\u03cd\u03c0\u03c1\u03bf\u03c5 (Botrus cypri) of Solomon\u2019s Song (i. 14). The Hebr. is\n \u201cCopher,\u201d a well-known word which the A. V. translates by \u201ca cluster\n of camphire (?) in the vineyards of En-gedi\u201d; and a note on iv. 13\n ineptly adds, \u201cor, cypress.\u201d The Revised Edit. amends it to \u201ca cluster\n of henna-flowers.\u201d The Solomonic (?) description is very correct; the\n shrub affects vineyards, and about Bombay forms fine hedges which can\n be smelt from a distance.\n\nFootnote 295:\n\n Hardly the equivalent of the Arab. \u201cKataba\u201d (which includes true\n tattooing with needles) and is applied to painting \u201cpatches\u201d of blue\n or green colour, with sprigs and arabesques upon the arms and\n especially the breasts of women. \u201cKataba\u201d would also be applied to\n striping the fingers with Henna which becomes a shining black under a\n paste of honey, lime and sal-ammoniac. This \u201cpatching\u201d is alluded to\n by Strabo and Galen (Lane M. E. chapt ii.); and we may note that\n savages and barbarians can leave nothing of beauty unadorned; they\n seem to hate a plain surface like the Hindu silversmith, whose art is\n shown only in chasing.\n\nFootnote 296:\n\n A violent temper, accompanied with _voies de fait_ and personal\n violence, is by no means rare amongst Eastern princesses; and terrible\n tales are told in Persia concerning the daughters of Fath Ali Shah.\n Few men and no woman can resist the temptations of absolute command.\n The daughter of a certain Dictator all-powerful in the Argentine\n Republic was once seen on horseback with a white bridle of peculiar\n leather; it was made of the skin of a man who had boasted of her\n favours. The slave-girls suffer first from these masterful young\n persons and then it is the turn of the eunuchry.\n\nFootnote 297:\n\n A neat touch; she was too thoroughbred to care for herself first.\n\nFootnote 298:\n\n Here the ground or earth is really kissed.\n\nFootnote 299:\n\n Corresponding with our phrase, \u201cHis heart was in his mouth.\u201d\n\nFootnote 300:\n\n Very artful is the contrast of the love-lorn Princess\u2019s humility with\n her furious behaviour, in the pride of her purity, while she was yet a\n virginette and fancy free.\n\nFootnote 301:\n\n Arab. \u201cSuhbat-hu\u201d lit. = in company with him, a popular idiom in Egypt\n and Syria. It often occurs in the Bresl. Edit.\n\n\n\n\n JULNAR THE SEA-BORN AND HER SON KING BADR BASIM OF PERSIA.\n\n\nThere was once in days of yore and in ages and times long gone before,\nin Ajam-land, a King Shahrim\u00e1n[302] hight, whose abiding-place was\nKhor\u00e1s\u00e1n. He owned an hundred concubines, but by none of them had he\nbeen blessed with boon of child, male or female, all the days of his\nlife. One day, among the days, he bethought him of this and fell\nlamenting for that the most part of his existence was past and he had\nnot been vouchsafed a son, to inherit the kingdom after him, even as he\nhad inherited it from his fathers and forebears; by reason whereof there\nbetided him sore cark and care and chagrin exceeding. As he sat thus one\nof his Mamelukes came in to him and said, \u201cO my lord, at the door is a\nslave-girl with her merchant, and fairer than she eye hath never seen.\u201d\nQuoth the King, \u201cHither to me with merchant and maid!\u201d; and both came in\nto him. Now when Shahriman beheld the girl, he saw that she was like a\nRudaynian lance,[303] and she was wrapped in a veil of gold-purfled\nsilk. The merchant uncovered her face, whereupon the place was illumined\nby her beauty and her seven tresses hung down to her anklets like\nhorses\u2019 tails. She had Nature-kohl\u2019d eyes, heavy hips and thighs and\nwaist of slenderest guise; her sight healed all maladies and quenched\nthe fire of sighs, for she was even as the poet cries:\u2014\n\n I love her madly for she is perfect fair, \u273f Complete in gravity and\n gracious way;\n Nor over-tall nor over-short, the while \u273f Too full for trousers are\n those hips that sway:\n Her shape is midmost \u2019twixt o\u2019er small and tall; \u273f Nor long to blame nor\n little to gainsay:\n O\u2019erfall her anklets tresses black as night \u273f Yet in her face resplends\n eternal day.\n\nThe King seeing her marvelled at her beauty and loveliness, her symmetry\nand perfect grace and said to the merchant, \u201cO Shaykh, how much for this\nmaiden?\u201d Replied the merchant, \u201cO my lord, I bought her for two thousand\ndinars of the merchant who owned her before myself, since when I have\ntravelled with her three years and she hath cost me, up to the time of\nmy coming hither, other three thousand gold pieces; but she is a gift\nfrom me to thee.\u201d The King robed him with a splendid robe of honour and\nordered him ten thousand ducats, whereupon he kissed his hands, thanking\nhim for his bounty and beneficence, and went his ways. Then the King\ncommitted the damsel to the tire-women, saying, \u201cAmend ye the case of\nthis maiden[304] and adorn her and furnish her a bower and set her\ntherein.\u201d And he bade his chamberlains carry her everything she needed\nand shut all the doors upon her. Now his capital wherein he dwelt, was\ncalled the White City and was seated on the sea-shore; so they lodged\nher in a chamber, whose latticed casements overlooked the main.\u2014\u2014And\nShahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Thirty-ninth Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the King after\ntaking the maiden, committed her to the tire-women bidding them amend\nher case and set her in a bower, and ordered his chamberlains to shut\nall the doors upon her when they had lodged her in a chamber whose\nlatticed casements overlooked the main. Then Shahriman went in to her;\nbut she spake not to him neither took any note of him.[305] Quoth he,\n\u201c\u2019Twould seem she hath been with folk who have not taught her manners.\u201d\nThen he looked at the damsel and saw her surpassing beauty and\nloveliness and symmetry and perfect grace, with a face like the rondure\nof the moon at its full or the sun shining in the sheeny sky. So he\nmarvelled at her charms of favour and figure and he praised Allah the\nCreator (magnified be His might!), after which he walked up to her and\nsat him down by her side; then he pressed her to his bosom and seating\nher on his thighs, sucked the dew of her lips, which he found sweeter\nthan honey. Presently he called for trays spread with richest viands of\nall kinds and ate and fed her by mouthfuls, till she had enough; yet she\nspoke not one word. The King began to talk to her and asked her of her\nname; but she abode still silent and uttered not a syllable nor made him\nany answer, neither ceased to hang down her head groundwards; and it was\nbut the excess of her beauty and loveliness and the amorous grace that\nsaved her from the royal wrath. Quoth he to himself, \u201cGlory be to God,\nthe Creator of this girl! How charming she is, save that she speaketh\nnot! But perfection belongeth only to Allah the Most High.\u201d And he asked\nthe slave-girls whether she had spoken, and they said, \u201cFrom the time of\nher coming until now she hath not uttered a word nor have we heard her\naddress us.\u201d Then he summoned some of his women and concubines and bade\nthem sing to her and make merry with her, so haply she might speak.\nAccordingly they played before her all manner instruments of music and\nsports and what not and sang, till the whole company was moved to mirth,\nexcept the damsel, who looked at them in silence, but neither laughed\nnor spoke. The King\u2019s breast was straitened; thereupon he dismissed the\nwomen and abode alone with that damsel: after which he doffed his\nclothes and disrobing her with his own hand, looked upon her body and\nsaw it as it were a silvern ingot. So he loved her with exceeding love\nand falling upon her, took her maidenhead and found her a pure virgin;\nwhereat he rejoiced with excessive joy and said in himself, \u201cBy Allah,\n\u2019tis a wonder that a girl so fair of form and face should have been left\nby the merchants a clean maid as she is!\u201d[306] Then he devoted himself\naltogether to her, heeding none other and forsaking all his concubines\nand favourites, and tarried with her a whole year as it were a single\nday. Still she spoke not till, one morning he said to her (and indeed\nthe love of her and longing waxed upon him), \u201cO desire of souls, verily\npassion for thee is great with me, and I have forsaken for thy sake all\nmy slave-girls and concubines and women and favourites and I have made\nthee my portion of the world and had patience with thee a whole year;\nand now I beseech Almighty Allah, of His favour, to soften thy heart to\nme, so thou mayst speak to me. Or, an thou be dumb, tell me by a sign,\nthat I may give up hope of thy speech. I pray the Lord (extolled be He!)\nto vouchsafe me by thee a son child, who shall inherit the kingdom after\nme; for I am old and lone and have none to be my heir. Wherefore, Allah\nupon thee, an thou love me, return me a reply.\u201d The damsel bowed her\nhead awhile in thought, and presently raising it, smiled in his face;\nwhereat it seemed to him as if lightning filled the chamber. Then she\nsaid, \u201cO magnanimous liege lord, and valorous lion, Allah hath answered\nthy prayer, for I am with child by thee and the time of my delivery is\nnear at hand, though I know not if the unborn babe be male or\nfemale.[307] But, had I not conceived by thee, I had not spoken to thee\none word.\u201d When the King heard her speech, his face shone with joy and\ngladness and he kissed her head and hands for excess of delight, saying,\n\u201cAlhamdolillah\u2014laud to Lord\u2014who hath vouchsafed me the things I\ndesired!; first, thy speech, and secondly, thy tidings that thou art\nwith child by me.\u201d Then he rose up and went forth from her and, seating\nhimself on the throne of his kingship, in an ecstasy of happiness, bade\nhis Wazir distribute to the poor and needy and widows and others an\nhundred thousand dinars, by way of thank-offering to Allah Most High and\nalms on his own account. The Minister did as bidden by the King who,\nreturning to the damsel, sat with her and embraced and pressed her to\nhis breast, saying, \u201cO my lady, my queen, whose slave I am, prithee what\nwas the cause of this thy silence? Thou hast been with me a whole year,\nnight and day, waking and sleeping, yet hast not spoken to me till this\nday.\u201d She replied, \u201cHearken, O King of the Age, and know that I am a\nwretched exile, broken-hearted and far-parted from my mother and my\nfamily and my brother.\u201d When the King heard her words, he knew her\ndesire and said, \u201cAs for thy saying that thou art wretched, there is for\nsuch speech no ground, inasmuch as my kingdom and good and all I possess\nare at thy service and I also am become thy bondman; but, as for thy\nsaying:\u2014I am parted from my mother and brother and family, tell me where\nthey are and I will send and fetch them to thee.\u201d Thereupon she\nanswered, \u201cKnow, then, O auspicious King, that I am called Juln\u00e1r[308]\nthe Sea-born and that my father was of the Kings of the Main. He died\nand left us his reign, but while we were yet unsettled, behold, one of\nthe other Kings arose against us and took the realm from our hands. I\nhave a brother called S\u00e1lih, and my mother also is a woman of the sea;\nbut I fell out with my brother \u201cThe Pious\u201d and swore that I would throw\nmyself into the hands of a man of the folk of the land. So I came forth\nof the sea and sat down on the edge of an island in the moonshine,[309]\nwhere a passer-by found me and, carrying me to his house, besought me of\nlove-liesse; but I smote him on the head, so that he all but died;\nwhereupon he carried me forth and sold me to the merchant from whom thou\nhadst me, and this was a good man and a virtuous; pious, loyal and\ngenerous. Were it not that thy heart loved me and that thou promotedest\nme over all thy concubines, I had not remained with thee a single hour,\nbut had cast myself from this window into the sea and gone to my mother\nand family; but I was ashamed to fare them-wards, being with child by\nthee; for they would have deemed evilly of me and would not have\ncredited me, even although I swore to them, an I told them that a King\nhad bought me with his gold and made me his portion of the world and\npreferred me over all his wives and every thing that his right hand\npossessed. This then is my story and\u2014the Peace!\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad\nperceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Fortieth Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when\nJulnar[310] the Sea-born, answering the question of King Shahriman, told\nhim her past from first to last, the King thanked her and kissed her\nbetween the eyes, saying, \u201cBy Allah, O my lady and light of mine eyes, I\ncannot bear to be parted from thee one hour; and given thou leave me, I\nshall die forthright. What then is to be done?\u201d Replied she, \u201cO my lord,\nthe time of my delivery is at hand and my family needs must be present,\nthat they may tend me; for the women of the land know not the manner of\nchild-bearing of the women of the sea, nor do the daughters of the ocean\nknow the manner of the daughters of the earth; and when my people come,\nI shall be reconciled to them and they will be reconciled to me.\u201d Quoth\nthe King, \u201cHow do the people of the sea walk therein, without being\nwetted?\u201d; and quoth she, \u201cO King of the Age, we walk in the waters with\nour eyes open, as do ye on the ground, by the blessing of the names\ngraven upon the seal-ring of Solomon David-son (on whom be peace!). But,\nO King, when my kith and kin come, I will tell them how thou boughtest\nme with thy gold, and hast entreated me with kindness and benevolence.\nIt behoveth that thou confirm my words to them and that they witness\nthine estate with their own eyes and they learn that thou art a King,\nson of a King.\u201d He rejoined, \u201cO my lady, do what seemeth good to thee\nand what pleaseth thee; and I will consent to thee in all thou wouldst\ndo.\u201d The damsel continued, \u201cYes, we walk in the sea and see what is\ntherein and behold the sun, moon, stars and sky, as it were on the\nsurface of earth; and this irketh us naught. Know also that there be\nmany peoples in the main and various forms and creatures of all kinds\nthat are on the land, and that all that is on the land compared with\nthat which is in the main is but a very small matter.\u201d And the King\nmarvelled at her words. Then she pulled out from her bosom two bits of\nComorin lign-aloes and, kindling fire in a chafing-dish, chose somewhat\nof them and threw it in, then she whistled a loud whistle and spake\nwords none understood. Thereupon arose a great smoke and she said to the\nKing, who was looking on, \u201cO my lord, arise and hide thyself in a\ncloset, that I may show thee my brother and mother and family, whilst\nthey see thee not; for I design to bring them hither, and thou shalt\npresently espy a wondrous thing and shalt marvel at the several\ncreatures and strange shapes which Almighty Allah hath created.\u201d So he\narose without stay or delay and entering a closet, fell a-watching what\nshe should do. She continued her fumigations and conjurations till the\nsea foamed and frothed turbid and there rose from it a handsome young\nman of a bright favour, as he were the moon at its full, with brow\nflower-white, cheeks of ruddy light and teeth like the marguerite. He\nwas the likest of all creatures to his sister and the tongue of the case\nspoke in his praise these two couplets:\u2014\n\n The full moon groweth perfect once a month \u273f But thy face each day we\n see perfect\u00e8d.\n And the full moon dwelleth in single sign, \u273f But to thee all hearts be a\n dwelling stead.\n\nAfter him there came forth of the sea an ancient dame with hair speckled\ngray and five maidens, as they were moons, bearing a likeness to the\ndamsel hight Julnar. The King looked upon them as they all walked upon\nthe face of the water, till they drew near the window and saw Julnar,\nwhereupon they knew her and went in to her. She rose to them and met\nthem with joy and gladness, and they embraced her and wept with sore\nweeping. Then said they to her, \u201cO Julnar, how couldst thou leave us\nfour years, and we unknowing of thine abiding place? By Allah the world\nhath been straitened upon us for stress of severance from thee, and we\nhave had no delight of food or drink; no, not for one day, but have wept\nwith sore weeping night and day for the excess of our longing after\nthee!\u201d Then she fell to kissing the hands of the youth her brother and\nher mother and cousins, and they sat with her awhile, questioning her of\nher case and of what had betided her, as well as of her present estate.\n\u201cKnow,\u201d replied she, \u201cthat, when I left you, I issued from the sea and\nsat down on the shore of an island, where a man found me and sold me to\na merchant, who brought me to this city and sold me for ten thousand\ndinars to the King of the country, who entreated me with honour and\nforsook all his concubines and women and favourites for my sake and was\ndistracted by me from all he had and all that was in his city.\u201d Quoth\nher brother, \u201cPraised be Allah, who hath reunited us with thee! But now,\nO my sister, \u2019tis my purpose that thou arise and go with us to our\ncountry and people.\u201d When the King heard these words, his wits fled him\nfor fear lest the damsel accept her brother\u2019s words and he himself avail\nnot to stay her, albeit he loved her passionately, and he became\ndistracted with fear of losing her. But Julnar answered, \u201cBy Allah, O my\nbrother, the mortal who bought me is lord of this city and he is a\nmighty King and a wise man, good and generous with extreme generosity.\nMoreover, he is a personage of great worth and wealth and hath neither\nson nor daughter. He hath entreated me with honour and done me all\nmanner of favour and kindness; nor, from the day of his buying me to\nthis time have I heard from him an ill word to hurt my heart; but he\nhath never ceased to use me courteously; doing nothing save with my\ncounsel, and I am in the best of case with him and in the perfection of\nfair fortune. Furthermore, were I to leave him, he would perish; for he\ncannot endure to be parted from me an hour; and if I left him, I also\nshould die, for the excess of the love I bear him, by reason of his\ngreat goodness to me during the time of my sojourn with him; for, were\nmy father alive, my estate with him would not be like my estate with\nthis great and glorious and puissant potentate. And verily, ye see me\nwith child by him and praise be to Allah, who hath made me a daughter of\nthe Kings of the sea, and my husband the mightest of the Kings of the\nland, and Allah, in very sooth, he hath compensated me for whatso I\nlost.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her\npermitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Forty-first Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Julnar the\nSea-born told her brother all her tale, adding \u201cAllah hath not cut me\noff, but hath compensated me for whatso I lost. Now this King hath no\nissue, male or female, so I pray the Almighty to vouchsafe me a son who\nshall inherit of this mighty sovran that which the Lord hath bestowed\nupon him of lands and palaces and possessions.\u201d Now when her brother and\nthe daughters of her uncle heard this her speech, their eyes were cooled\nthereby and they said, \u201cO Julnar, thou knowest thy value with us and\nthou wottest the affection we bear thee and thou art certified that thou\nart to us the dearest of all creatures and thou art assured that we seek\nbut ease for thee, without travail or trouble. Wherefore, an thou be in\nunease, arise and go with us to our land and our folk; but, an thou be\nat thine ease here, in honour and happiness, this is our wish and our\nwill; for we desire naught save thy welfare in any case.\u201d[311] Quoth\nshe, \u201cBy Allah, I am here in the utmost ease and solace and honour and\ngrace!\u201d When the King heard what she said, he joyed with a heart set at\nrest and thanked her silently for this; the love of her redoubled on him\nand entered his heart-core and he knew that she loved him as he loved\nher and that she desired to abide with him, that she might see his child\nby her. Then Julnar bade her women lay the tables and set on all sorts\nof viands, which had been cooked in kitchen under her own eyes, and\nfruits and sweetmeats, whereof she ate, she and her kinsfolk. But,\npresently, they said to her, \u201cO Julnar, thy lord is a stranger to us,\nand we have entered his house, without his leave or weeting. Thou hast\nextolled to us his excellence and eke thou hast set before us of his\nvictual whereof we have eaten; yet have we not companied with him nor\nseen him, neither hath he seen us nor come to our presence and eaten\nwith us, so there might be between us bread and salt.\u201d And they all left\neating and were wroth with her, and fire issued from their mouths, as\nfrom cressets; which when the King saw, his wits fled for excess of fear\nof them. But Julnar arose and soothed them and going to the closet where\nwas the King her lord, said to him, \u201cO my lord, hast thou seen and heard\nhow I praised thee and extolled thee to my people and hast thou noted\nwhat they said to me of their desire to carry me away with them?\u201d Quoth\nhe, \u201cI both heard and saw: May the Almighty abundantly requite thee for\nme! By Allah, I knew not the full measure of thy fondness until this\nblessed hour, and now I doubt not of thy love to me!\u201d Quoth she, \u201cO my\nlord, is the reward of kindness aught but kindness? Verily, thou hast\ndealt generously with me and hast entreated me with worship and I have\nseen that thou lovest me with the utmost love, and thou hast done me all\nmanner of honour and kindness and preferred me above all thou lovest and\ndesirest. So how should my heart be content to leave thee and depart\nfrom thee, and how should I do thus after all thy goodness to me? But\nnow I desire of thy courtesy that thou come and salute my family, so\nthou mayst see them and they thee and pure love and friendship may be\nbetween you; for know, O King of the Age, that my brother and mother and\ncousins love thee with exceeding love, by reason of my praises of thee\nto them, and they say:\u2014We will not depart from thee nor go to our homes\ntill we have foregathered with the King and saluted him. For indeed they\ndesire to see thee and make acquaintance with thee.\u201d The King replied,\n\u201cTo hear is to obey, for this is my very own wish.\u201d So saying, he rose\nand went in to them and saluted them with the goodliest salutation; and\nthey sprang up to him and received him with the utmost worship, after\nwhich he sat down in the palace and ate with them; and he entertained\nthem thus for the space of thirty days. Then, being desirous of\nreturning home, they took leave of the King and Queen and departed with\ndue permission to their own land, after he had done them all possible\nhonour. Awhile after this, Julnar completed the days of her pregnancy\nand the time of her delivery being come, she bore a boy, as he were the\nmoon at its full; whereat the utmost joy betided the King, for that he\nhad never in his life been vouchsafed son or daughter. So they held high\nfestival and decorated the city seven days, in the extreme of joy and\njollity: and on the seventh day came Queen Julnar\u2019s mother, Far\u00e1shah\nHight,[312] and brother and cousins, whenas they knew of her\ndelivery.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the light of day and ceased to say\nher permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Forty-second Night,\n\n[Illustration]\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Julnar was\nbrought to bed and was visited by her people, the King received them\nwith joy at their coming and said to them, \u201cI said that I would not give\nmy son a name till you should come and name him of your knowledge.\u201d So\nthey named him Badr B\u00e1sim,[313] and all agreed upon this name. Then they\nshowed the child to his uncle Salih, who took him in his arms and\narising began to walk about the chamber with him in all directions right\nand left. Presently he carried him forth of the palace and going down to\nthe salt sea, fared on with him, till he was hidden from the King\u2019s\nsight. Now when Shahriman saw him take his son and disappear with him in\nthe depth of the sea, he gave the child up for lost and fell to weeping\nand wailing; but Julnar said to him, \u201cO King of the Age, fear not,\nneither grieve for thy son, for I love my child more than thou and he is\nwith my brother; so reck thou not of the sea neither fear for him\ndrowning. Had my brother known that aught of harm would betide the\nlittle one, he had not done this deed; and he will presently bring thee\nthy son safe, Inshallah\u2014an it please the Almighty.\u201d Nor was an hour past\nbefore the sea became turbid and troubled and King Salih came forth and\nflew from the sea till he came up to them with the child lying quiet and\nshowing a face like the moon on the night of fulness. Then, looking at\nthe King he said, \u201cHaply thou fearedst harm for thy son, whenas I\nplunged into the sea with him?\u201d Replied the father, \u201cYes, O my lord, I\ndid indeed fear for him and thought he would never be saved therefrom.\u201d\nRejoined Salih, \u201cO King of the land, we pencilled his eyes with an\neye-powder we know of and recited over him the names graven upon the\nseal-ring of Solomon David-son (on whom be the Peace!), for this is what\nwe use to do with children newly born among us; and now thou needst not\nfear for him drowning or suffocation in all the oceans of the world, if\nhe should go down into them; for, even as ye walk on the land, so walk\nwe in the sea.\u201d Then he pulled out of his pocket a casket, graven and\nsealed and, breaking open the seals, emptied it; whereupon there fell\nfrom it strings of all manner jacinths and other jewels, besides three\nhundred bugles of emerald and other three hundred hollow gems, as big as\nostrich eggs, whose light dimmed that of sun and moon. Quoth Salih, \u201cO\nKing of the Age, these jewels and jacinths are a present from me to\nthee. We never yet brought thee a gift, for that we knew not Julnar\u2019s\nabiding-place neither had we of her any tidings or trace; but now that\nwe see thee to be united with her and we are all become one thing, we\nhave brought thee this present; and every little while we will bring\nthee the like thereof, Inshallah! for that these jewels and jacinths are\nmore plentiful with us than pebbles on the beach and we know the good\nand the bad of them and their whereabouts and the way to them, and they\nare easy to us.\u201d When the King saw the jewels, his wits were bewildered\nand his sense was astounded and he said, \u201cBy Allah, one single gem of\nthese jewels is worth my realm!\u201d Then he thanked for his bounty Salih\nthe Sea-born and, looking towards Queen Julnar, said, \u201cI am abashed\nbefore thy brother, for that he hath dealt munificently by me and\nbestowed on me this splendid gift, which the folk of the land were\nunable to present.\u201d So she thanked her brother for his deed and he said,\n\u201cO King of the Age, thou hast the prior claim on us and it behoves us to\nthank thee, for thou hast entreated our sister with kindness and we have\nentered thy dwelling and eaten of thy victual;\u201d and the poet\nsaith[314]:\u2014\n\n Had _I_ wept before _she_ did in my passion for Saada, I had healed my\n soul before repentance came.\n But _she_ wept before _I_ did: her tears drew mine; and I said, The\n merit belongs to the precedent.\n\n\u201cAnd\u201d (resumed Salih the Pious) \u201cif we stood on our faces in thy\nservice, O King of the Age, a thousand years, yet had we not the might\nto requite thee, and this were but a scantling of thy due.\u201d The King\nthanked him with heartiest thanks and the Merman and Merwomen abode with\nhim forty days\u2019 space, at the end of which Salih arose and kissed the\nground before his brother-in-law, who asked \u201cWhat wantest thou, O\nSalih?\u201d He answered, \u201cO King of the Age, indeed thou hast done us\noverabundant favours, and we crave of thy bounties that thou deal\ncharitably with us and grant us permission to depart; for we yearn after\nour people and country and kinsfolk and our homes; so will we never\nforsake thy service nor that of my sister and my nephew; and by Allah, O\nKing of the Age, \u2019tis not pleasant to my heart to part from thee; but\nhow shall we do, seeing that we have been reared in the sea and that the\nsojourn of the shore liketh us not?\u201d When the King heard these words he\nrose to his feet and farewelled Salih the Sea-born and his mother and\nhis cousins, and all wept together, because of parting and presently\nthey said to him, \u201cAnon we will be with thee again, nor will we forsake\nthee, but will visit thee every few days.\u201d Then they flew off and\ndescending into the sea, disappeared from sight.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad\nperceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Forty-third Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the relations\nof Julnar the Sea-born farewelled the King and her, weeping together\nbecause of parting; then they flew off and descending into the depths\ndisappeared from sight. After this King Shahriman showed the more\nkindness to Julnar and honoured her with increase of honour; and the\nlittle one grew up and flourished, whilst his maternal uncle and grandam\nand cousins visited the King every few days and abode with him a month\nor two months at a time. The boy ceased not to increase in beauty and\nloveliness with increase of years, till he attained the age of fifteen\nand was unique in his perfection and symmetry. He learnt writing and\nKoran-reading; history, syntax and lexicography; archery, spear-play and\nhorsemanship and what not else behoveth the sons of Kings; nor was there\none of the children of the folk of the city, men or women, but would\ntalk of the youth\u2019s charms, for he was of surpassing beauty and\nperfection, even such an one as is praised in the saying of the\npoet:[315]\u2014\n\n The whiskers write upon his cheek, with ambergris on pearl, Two lines,\n as \u2019twere with jet upon an apple, line for line.\n Death harbours in his languid eye and slays with every glance, And in\n his cheek is drunkenness, and not in any wine.\n\nAnd in that of another:\u2014\n\n Upsprings from table of his lovely cheek[316] \u273f A growth like broidery\n my wonder is:\n As \u2019twere a lamp that burns through night hung up \u273f Beneath the\n gloom[317] in chains of ambergris.\n\nAnd indeed the King loved him with exceeding love, and summoning his\nWazir and Emirs and the Chief Officers of state and Grandees of his\nrealm, required of them a binding oath that they would make Badr Basim\nKing over them after his sire; and they sware the oath gladly, for the\nsovran was liberal to the lieges, pleasant in parley and a very compend\nof goodness, saying naught but that wherein was advantage for the\npeople. On the morrow Shahriman mounted, with all his troops and Emirs\nand Lords, and went forth into the city and returned. When they drew\nnear the palace, the King dismounted, to wait upon his son who abode on\nhorseback, and he and all the Emirs and Grandees bore the saddlecloth of\nhonour before him, each and every of them bearing it in his turn, till\nthey came to the vestibule of the palace, where the Prince alighted and\nhis father and the Emirs embraced him and seated him on the throne of\nKingship, whilst they (including his sire) stood before him. Then Badr\nBasim judged the people, deposing the unjust and promoting the just and\ncontinued so doing till near upon noon, when he descended from the\nthrone and went in to his mother, Julnar the Sea-born, with the crown\nupon his head, as he were the moon. When she saw him, with the King\nstanding before him, she rose and kissing him, gave him joy of the\nSultanate and wished him and his sire length of life and victory over\ntheir foes. He sat with her and rested till the hour of mid-afternoon\nprayer, when he took horse and repaired, with the Emirs before him, to\nthe Mayd\u00e1n-plain, where he played at arms with his father and his lords,\ntill nightfall, when he returned to the palace, preceded by all the\nfolk. He rode forth thus every day to the tilting-ground, returning to\nsit and judge the people and do justice between carl and churl; and thus\nhe continued doing a whole year, at the end of which he began to ride\nout a-hunting and a-chasing and to go round about in the cities and\ncountries under his rule, proclaiming security and satisfaction and\ndoing after the fashion of Kings; and he was unique among the people of\nhis day for glory and valour and just dealing among the subjects. And it\nchanced that one day the old King fell sick and his fluttering heart\nforebode him of translation to the Mansion of Eternity. His sickness\ngrew upon him till he was nigh upon death, when he called his son and\ncommended his mother and subjects to his care and caused all the Emirs\nand Grandees once more swear allegiance to the Prince and assured\nhimself of them by strongest oaths; after which he lingered a few days\nand departed to the mercy of Almighty Allah. His son and widow and all\nthe Emirs and Wazirs and Lords mourned over him, and they built him a\ntomb and buried him therein. They ceased not ceremonially to mourn for\nhim a whole month, till Salih and his mother and cousins arrived and\ncondoled with their grieving for the King and said, \u201cO Julnar, though\nthe King be dead, yet hath he left this noble and peerless youth, and\nnot dead is whoso leaveth the like of him, the rending lion and the\nshining moon;\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to\nsay her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Forty-fourth Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Salih brother\nof Julnar and her mother and cousins said to her, \u201cAlbeit the King be\ndead, yet hath he left behind him as successor this noble and peerless\nyouth, the rending lion and the shining moon.\u201d Thereupon the Grandees\nand notables of the Empire went in to King Badr Basim and said to him,\n\u201cO King, there is no harm in mourning for the late sovran: but\nover-mourning beseemeth none save women; wherefore occupy thou not thy\nheart and our hearts with mourning for thy sire; inasmuch as he hath\nleft thee behind him, and whoso leaveth the like of thee is not dead.\u201d\nThen they comforted him and diverted him and lastly carried him to the\nbath. When he came out of the Hammam, he donned a rich robe, purfled\nwith gold and embroidered with jewels and jacinths; and, setting the\nroyal crown on his head, sat down on his throne of kingship and ordered\nthe affairs of the folk, doing equal justice between strong and weak,\nand exacting from the prince the dues of the pauper; wherefore the\npeople loved him with exceeding love. Thus he continued doing for a full\nyear, whilst, every now and then, his kinsfolk of the sea visited him,\nand his life was pleasant and his eye was cooled. Now it came to pass\nthat his uncle Salih went in one night of the nights to Julnar and\nsaluted her; whereupon she rose and embracing him seated him by her side\nand asked him, \u201cO my brother, how art thou and my mother and my\ncousins.\u201d He answered, \u201cO my sister, they are well and glad and in good\ncase, lacking naught save a sight of thy face.\u201d Then she set somewhat of\nfood before him and he ate, after which talk ensued between the twain\nand they spake of King Badr Basim and his beauty and loveliness, his\nsymmetry and skill in cavalarice and cleverness and good breeding. Now\nBadr was propped upon his elbow hard by them; and, hearing his mother\nand uncle speak of him, he feigned sleep and listened to their\ntalk.[318] Presently Salih said to his sister, \u201cThy son is now seventeen\nyears old and is unmarried, and I fear least mishap befal him and he\nhave no son; wherefore it is my desire to marry him to a Princess of the\nprincesses of the sea, who shall be a match for him in beauty and\nloveliness.\u201d Quoth Julnar, \u201cName them to me for I know them all.\u201d So\nSalih proceeded to enumerate them to her, one by one, but to each she\nsaid, \u201cI like not this one for my son; I will not marry him but to one\nwho is his equal in beauty and loveliness and wit and piety and good\nbreeding and magnanimity and dominion and rank and lineage.\u201d[319] Quoth\nSalih, \u201cI know none other of the daughters of the Kings of the sea, for\nI have numbered to thee more than an hundred girls and not one of them\npleaseth thee: but see, O my sister, whether thy son be asleep or no.\u201d\nSo she felt Badr and finding on him the signs of slumber said to Salih,\n\u201cHe is asleep; what hast thou to say and what is thine object in making\nsure his sleeping?\u201d Replied he, \u201cO my sister, know that I have bethought\nme of a Mermaid of the mermaids who befitteth thy son; but I fear to\nname her, lest he be awake and his heart be taken with her love and\nmaybe we shall be unable to win to her; so should he and we and the\nGrandees of the realm be wearied in vain and trouble betide us through\nthis;\u201d for, as saith the poet:\u2014\n\n Love, at first sight, is a spurt of spray;[320] \u273f But a spreading sea\n when it gaineth sway.\n\nWhen she heard these words, she cried, \u201cTell me the condition of this\ngirl, and her name for I know all the damsels of the sea, Kings\u2019\ndaughters and others; and, if I judge her worthy of him, I will demand\nher in marriage for him of her father, though I spend on her whatso my\nhand possesseth. So recount to me all anent her and fear naught, for my\nson sleepeth.\u201d Quoth Salih, \u201cI fear lest he be awake;\u201d and the poet\nsaith:\u2014\n\n I loved him, soon as his praise I heard; \u273f For ear oft loveth ere eye\n survey.\n\nBut Julnar said, \u201cSpeak out and be brief and fear not, O my brother.\u201d So\nhe said, \u201cBy Allah, O my sister, none is worthy of thy son save the\nPrincess Jauharah, daughter of King Al-Samandal,[321] for that she is\nlike unto him in beauty and loveliness and brilliancy and perfection;\nnor is there found, in sea or on land, a sweeter or pleasanter of gifts\nthan she; for she is prime in comeliness and seemlihead of face and\nsymmetrical shape of perfect grace; her cheek is ruddy dight, her brow\nflower white, her teeth gem-bright, her eyes blackest black and whitest\nwhite, her hips of heavy weight, her waist slight and her favour\nexquisite. When she turneth she shameth the wild cattle[322] and the\ngazelles and when she walketh, she breedeth envy in the willow branch:\nwhen she unveileth her face outshineth sun and moon and all who look\nupon her she enslaveth soon: sweet-lipped and soft-sided indeed is she.\u201d\nNow when Julnar heard what Salih said, she replied, \u201cThou sayest sooth,\nO my brother! By Allah, I have seen her many and many a time and she was\nmy companion, when we were little ones; but now we have no knowledge of\neach other, for constraint of distance; nor have I set eyes on her for\neighteen years. By Allah, none is worthy of my son but she!\u201d Now Badr\nheard all they said and mastered what had passed, first and last, of\nthese praises bestowed on Jauharah daughter of King Al-Samandal; so he\nfell in love with her on hearsay, pretending sleep the while, wherefore\nfire was kindled in his heart on her account full sore and he was\ndrowned in a sea without bottom or shore.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the\ndawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Forty-fifth Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when King Badr\nBasim heard the words of his uncle Salih and his mother Julnar, praising\nthe daughter of King Al-Samandal, a flame of fire burnt in his heart\nfull sore and he was drowned in a sea which hath nor bottom nor shore.\nThen Salih, looking at his sister, exclaimed, \u201cBy Allah, O my sister,\nthere is no greater fool among the Kings of the sea than her father nor\none more violent of temper than he! So name thou not the girl to thy\nson, till we demand her in marriage of her father. If he favour us with\nhis assent, we will praise Allah Almighty; and if he refuse us and will\nnot give her to thy son to wife, we will say no more about it and seek\nanother match.\u201d Answered Julnar, \u201cRight is thy rede;\u201d and they parleyed\nno more; but Badr passed the night with a heart on fire with passion for\nPrincess Jauharah. However he concealed his case and spake not of her to\nhis mother or his uncle, albeit he was on coals of fire for love of her.\nNow when it was morning, the King and his uncle went to the Hammam-bath\nand washed, after which they came forth and drank wine and the servants\nset food before them, whereof they and Julnar ate their sufficiency, and\nwashed their hands. Then Salih rose and said to his nephew and sister,\n\u201cWith your leave, I would fain go to my mother and my folk for I have\nbeen with you some days and their hearts are troubled with awaiting me.\u201d\nBut Badr Basim said to him, \u201cTarry with us this day;\u201d and he consented.\nThen quoth the King, \u201cCome, O my uncle, let us go forth to the garden.\u201d\nSo they sallied forth and promenaded about the pastures and took their\nsolace awhile, after which King Badr lay down under a shady tree,\nthinking to rest and sleep; but he remembered his uncle\u2019s description of\nthe maiden and her beauty and loveliness and shed railing tears,\nreciting these two couplets[323]:\u2014\n\n Were it said to me while the flame is burning within me, \u273f And the fire\n blazing in my heart and bowels,\n Wouldst thou rather that thou shouldest behold them \u273f Or a draught of\n pure water?\u2014I would answer, Them.\n\nThen he sighed and wept and lamented, reciting these verses also:\u2014\n\n Who shall save me from love of a lovely gazelle, \u273f Brighter browed than\n the sunshine, my bonnibel!\n My heart, erst free from her love, now burns \u273f With fire for the maid of\n Al-Samandal.\n\nWhen Salih heard what his nephew said, he smote hand upon hand and said,\n\u201cThere is no god but _the_ God! Mohammed is the Apostle of God and there\nis no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the\nGreat!\u201d adding, \u201cO my son, heardest thou what passed between me and thy\nmother respecting Princess Jauharah?\u201d Replied Badr Basim, \u201cYes, O my\nuncle, and I fell in love with her by hearsay through what I heard you\nsay. Indeed, my heart cleaveth to her and I cannot live without her.\u201d\nRejoined his uncle, \u201cO King, let us return to thy mother and tell her\nhow the case standeth and crave her leave that I may take thee with me\nand seek the Princess in marriage of her sire; after which we will\nfarewell her and I and thou will return. Indeed, I fear to take thee and\ngo without her leave, lest she be wroth with me; and verily the right\nwould be on her side, for I should be the cause of her separation from\nus. Moreover, the city would be left without king and there would be\nnone to govern the citizens and look to their affairs; so should the\nrealm be disordered against thee and the kingship depart from thy\nhands.\u201d But Badr Basim, hearing these words, cried, \u201cO my uncle, if I\nreturn to my mother and consult her on such matter, she will not suffer\nme to do this; wherefore I will not return to my mother nor consult\nher.\u201d And he wept before him and presently added, \u201cI will go with thee\nand tell her not and after will return.\u201d When Salih heard what his\nnephew said, he was confused anent his case and said, \u201cI crave help of\nthe Almighty in any event.\u201d Then, seeing that Badr Basim was resolved to\ngo with him, whether his mother would let him or no, he drew from his\nfinger a seal-ring, whereon were graven certain of the names of Allah\nthe Most High, and gave it to him, saying, \u201cPut this on thy finger, and\nthou shalt be safe from drowning and other perils and from the mischief\nof sea-beasts and great fishes.\u201d So King Badr Basim took the ring and\nset it on his finger. Then they drove into the deep\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad\nperceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Forty-sixth Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Badr Basim and his\nuncle, after diving into the deep, fared on till they came to Salih\u2019s\npalace, where they found Badr Basim\u2019s grandmother, the mother of his\nmother, seated with her kinsfolk; and, going in to them, kissed their\nhands. When the old Queen saw Badr, she rose to him and embracing him,\nkissed him between the eyes and said to him, \u201cA blessed coming, O my\nson! How didst thou leave thy mother Julnar?\u201d He replied, \u201cShe is well\nin health and fortune, and saluteth thee and her uncle\u2019s daughters.\u201d\nThen Salih related to his mother what had occurred between him and his\nsister and how King Badr Basim had fallen in love with the Princess\nJauharah daughter of Al-Samandal by report and told her the whole tale\nfrom beginning to end adding, \u201cHe hath not come save to demand her in\nwedlock of her sire;\u201d which when the old Queen heard, she was wroth\nagainst her son with exceeding wrath and sore troubled and concerned and\nsaid, \u201cO Salih, O my son, in very sooth thou diddest wrong to name the\nPrincess before thy nephew, knowing, as thou dost, that her father is\nstupid and violent, little of wit and tyrannical of temper, grudging his\ndaughter to every suitor; for all the Monarchs of the Main have sought\nher hand, but he rejected them all; nay, he would none of them,\nsaying:\u2014Ye are no match for her in beauty or in loveliness or in aught\nelse. Wherefore we fear to demand her in wedlock of him, lest he reject\nus, even as he hath rejected others; and we are a folk of high spirit\nand should return broken-hearted.\u201d Hearing these words Salih answered,\n\u201cO my mother, what is to do? For King Badr Basim saith:\u2014There is no help\nbut that I seek her in marriage of her sire, though I expend my whole\nkingdom; and he avoucheth that, an he take her not to wife, he will die\nof love for her and longing.\u201d And Salih continued, \u201cHe is handsomer and\ngoodlier than she; his father was King of all the Persians, whose King\nhe now is, and none is worthy of Jauharah save Badr Basim. Wherefore I\npurpose to carry her father a gift of jacinths and jewels befitting his\ndignity, and demand her of him in marriage. An he object to us that he\nis a King, behold, our man also is a King and the son of a King; or, if\nhe object to us her beauty, behold our man is more beautiful than she;\nor, again, if he object to us the vastness of his dominion, behold our\nman\u2019s dominion is vaster than hers and her father\u2019s and numbereth more\ntroops and guards, for that his kingdom is greater than that of\nAl-Samandal. Needs must I do my endeavour to further the desire of my\nsister\u2019s son, though it relieve me of my life; because I was the cause\nof whatso hath betided; and, even as I plunged him into the ocean of her\nlove, so will I go about to marry him to her, and may Almighty Allah\nhelp me thereto!\u201d Rejoined his mother, \u201cDo as thou wilt, but beware of\ngiving her father rough words, whenas thou speakest with him; for thou\nknowest his stupidity and violence and I fear lest he do thee a\nmischief, for he knoweth not respect for any.\u201d And Salih answered,\n\u201cHearkening and obedience.\u201d Then he sprang up and taking two bags full\nof gems such as rubies and bugles of emerald, noble ores and all manner\njewels gave them to his servants to carry and set out with his nephew\nfor the palace of Al-Samandal. When they came thither, he sought\naudience of the King and being admitted to his presence, kissed ground\nbefore him and saluted him with the goodliest Salam. The King rose to\nhim and honouring him with the utmost honour, bade him be seated. So he\nsat down and presently the King said to him, \u201cA blessed coming: indeed\nthou has desolated us, O Salih! But what bringeth thee to us? Tell me\nthine errand that we may fulfil it to thee.\u201d Whereupon Salih arose and,\nkissing the ground a second time, said, \u201cO King of the age, my errand is\nto Allah and the magnanimous liege lord and the valiant lion, the report\nof whose good qualities the caravans far and near have dispread and\nwhose renown for benefits and beneficence and clemency and graciousness\nand liberality to all climes and countries hath sped.\u201d Thereupon he\nopened the two bags and, displaying their contents before Al-Samandal,\nsaid to him, \u201cO King of the Age, haply wilt thou accept my gift and by\nshowing favour to me heal my heart.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn\nof day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Forty-seventh Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Salih\noffered his gift to the King, saying, \u201cMy aim and end is that the Sovran\nshow favour to me and heal my heart by accepting my present,\u201d King\nAl-Samandal asked, \u201cWith what object dost thou gift me with this gift?\nTell me thy tale and acquaint me with thy requirement. An its\naccomplishment be in my power I will straightway accomplish it to thee\nand spare thee toil and trouble; and if I be unable thereunto, Allah\ncompelleth not any soul aught beyond its power.\u201d[324] So Salih rose and\nkissing ground three times, said, \u201cO King of the Age, that which I\ndesire thou art indeed able to do; it is in thy power and thou art\nmaster thereof; and I impose not on the King a difficulty, nor am I\nJinn-demented, that I should crave of the King a thing whereto he\navaileth not; for one of the sages saith:\u2014An thou wouldst be complied\nwith ask that which can be readily supplied. Wherefore, that of which I\nam come in quest, the King (whom Allah preserve!) is able to grant.\u201d The\nKing replied, \u201cAsk what thou wouldst have, and state thy case and seek\nthy need.\u201d Then said Salih,[325] \u201cO King of the Age, know that I come as\na suitor, seeking the unique pearl and the hoarded jewel, the Princess\nJauharah, daughter of our lord the King; wherefore, O King disappoint\nthou not thy suitor.\u201d Now when the King heard this, he laughed till he\nfell backwards, in mockery of him and said, \u201cO Salih, I had thought thee\na man of worth and a youth of sense, seeking naught save what was\nreasonable and speaking not save advisedly. What then hath befallen thy\nreason and urged thee to this monstrous matter and mighty hazard, that\nthou seekest in marriage daughters of Kings, lords of cities and\nclimates? Say me, art thou of a rank to aspire to this great eminence\nand hath thy wit failed thee to this extreme pass that thou affrontest\nme with this demand?\u201d Replied Salih, \u201cAllah amend the King! I seek her\nnot for myself (albeit, an I did, I am her match and more than her\nmatch, for thou knowest that my father was King of the Kings of the sea,\nfor all thou art this day our King), but I seek her for King Badr Basim,\nlord of the lands of the Persians and son of King Shahriman, whose\npuissance thou knowest. An thou object that thou art a mighty great\nKing, King Badr is a greater; and if thou object thy daughter\u2019s beauty,\nKing Badr is more beautiful than she and fairer of form and more\nexcellent of rank and lineage; and he is the champion of the people of\nhis day. Wherefore, if thou grant my request, O King of the Age thou\nwilt have set the thing in its stead; but, if thou deal arrogantly with\nus, thou wilt not use us justly nor travel with us the \u2019road which is\nstraight[326].\u2019 Moreover, O King, thou knowest that the Princess\nJauharah, the daughter of our lord the King, must needs be wedded and\nbedded, for the sage saith, a girl\u2019s lot is either grace of marriage or\nthe grave.[327] Wherefore, an thou mean to marry her, my sister\u2019s son is\nworthier of her than any other man.\u201d Now when King Al-Samandal heard\nSalih\u2019s words, he was wroth with exceeding wrath; his reason well nigh\nfled and his soul was like to depart his body for rage, and he cried, \u201cO\ndog, shall the like of thee dare to bespeak me thus and name my daughter\nin the assemblies,[328] saying that the son of thy sister Julnar is a\nmatch for her? Who art thou and who is this sister of thine and who is\nher son and who was his father,[329] that thou durst say to me such say\nand address me with such address? What are ye all, in comparison with my\ndaughter, but dogs?\u201d And he cried out to his pages, saying, \u201cTake yonder\ngallows-bird\u2019s head?\u201d So they drew their swords and made for Salih, but\nhe fled and for the palace-gate sped; and reaching the entrance, he\nfound of his cousins and kinsfolk and servants, more than a thousand\nhorse armed cap-\u00e0-pie in iron and close knitted mail-coats, hending in\nhand spears and naked swords glittering white. And these when they saw\nSalih come running out of the palace (they having been sent by his\nmother to his succour,) questioned him and he told them what was to do;\nwhereupon they knew that the King was a fool and violent-tempered to\nboot. So they dismounted and baring their blades, went in to the King\nAl-Samandal, whom they found seated upon the throne of his Kingship,\nunaware of their coming and enraged against Salih with furious rage; and\nthey beheld his eunuchs and pages and officers unprepared. When the King\nsaw them enter, drawn brand in hand, he cried out to his people, saying\n\u201cWoe to you! Take me the heads of these hounds!\u201d But ere an hour had\nsped Al-Samandal\u2019s party were put to the rout and relied upon flight,\nand Salih and his kinsfolk seized upon the King and pinioned him.\u2014\u2014And\nShahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Forty-eighth Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Salih and\nhis king-folk pinioned the King, Princess Jauharah awoke and knew that\nher father was a captive and his guards slain. So she fled forth the\npalace to a certain island, and climbing up into a high tree, hid\nherself in its summit. Now when the two parties came to blows, some of\nKing Al-Samandal\u2019s pages fled and Badr Basim meeting them, questioned\nthem of their case and they told him what had happened. But when he\nheard that the King was a prisoner, Badr feared for himself and fled,\nsaying in his heart, \u201cVerily, all this turmoil is on my account and none\nis wanted but I.\u201d So he sought safety in flight, security to sight,\nknowing not whither he went; but destiny from Eternity fore-ordained\ndrave him to the very island where the Princess had taken refuge, and he\ncame to the very tree whereon she sat and threw himself down, like a\ndead man, thinking to lie and repose himself and knowing not there is no\nrest for the pursued, for none knoweth what Fate hideth for him in the\nfuture. As he lay down, he raised his eyes to the tree and they met the\neyes of the Princess. So he looked at her and seeing her to be like the\nmoon rising in the East, cried, \u201cGlory to Him who fashioned yonder\nperfect form, Him who is the Creator of all things and who over all\nthings is Almighty! Glory to the Great God, the Maker, the Shaper and\nFashioner! By Allah, if my presentiments be true, this is Jauharah,\ndaughter of King Al-Samandal! Methinks that, when she heard of our\ncoming to blows with her father, she fled to this island and, happening\nupon this tree, hid herself on its head; but, if this be not the\nPrincess herself, \u2019tis one yet goodlier than she.\u201d Then he bethought\nhimself of her case and said in himself, \u201cI will arise and lay hands on\nher and question her of her condition; and, if she be indeed the she, I\nwill demand her in wedlock of herself and so win my wish.\u201d So he stood\nup and said to her, \u201cO end of all desire, who art thou and who brought\nthee hither?\u201d She looked at Badr Basim and seeing him to be as the full\nmoon,[330] when it shineth from under the black cloud, slender of shape\nand sweet of smile, answered, \u201cO fair of fashion, I am Princess\nJauharah, daughter of King Al-Samandal, and I took refuge in this place,\nbecause Salih and his host came to blows with my sire and slew his\ntroops and took him prisoner, with some of his men; wherefore I fled,\nfearing for my very life,\u201d presently adding, \u201cAnd I weet not what\nfortune hath done with my father.\u201d When King Badr Basim heard these\nwords he marvelled with exceeding marvel at this strange chance and\nthought. \u201cDoubtless I have won my wish by the capture of her sire.\u201d Then\nhe looked at Jauharah and said to her, \u201cCome down, O my lady; for I am\nslain for love of thee and thine eyes have captivated me. On my account\nand thine are all these broils and battles; for thou must know that I am\nKing Badr Basim, Lord of the Persians and Salih is my mother\u2019s brother\nand he it is who came to thy sire to demand thee of him in marriage. As\nfor me, I have quitted my kingdom for thy sake, and our meeting here is\nthe rarest coincidence. So come down to me and let us twain fare for thy\nfather\u2019s palace, that I may beseech uncle Salih to release him and I may\nmake thee my lawful wife.\u201d When Jauharah heard his words, she said in\nherself, \u201c\u2019Twas on this miserable gallows bird\u2019s account, then, that all\nthis hath befallen and that my father hath fallen prisoner and his\nchamberlains and suite have been slain and I have been departed from my\npalace, a miserable exile and have fled for refuge to this island. But,\nan I devise not against him some device to defend myself from him, he\nwill possess himself of me and take his will of me; for he is in love\nand for aught that he doeth a lover is not blamed.\u201d Then she beguiled\nhim with winning words and soft speeches, whilst he knew not the perfidy\nagainst him she purposed, and asked him, \u201cO my lord and light of my\neyes, say me, art thou indeed King Badr Basim, son of Queen Julnar?\u201d And\nhe answered, \u201cYes, O my lady.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day\nand ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Forty-ninth Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Jauharah,\ndaughter of King Al-Samandal, asked the youth, \u201cArt thou in very soth\nKing Badr Basim, son of Queen Julnar?\u201d And he answered, \u201cYes, O my\nlady!\u201d Then she, \u201cMay Allah cut off my father and gar his kingdom cease\nfrom him and heal not his heart neither avert from him strangerhood, if\nhe could desire a comelier than thou or aught goodlier than these fair\nqualities of thine! By Allah, he is of little wit and judgment!\u201d\npresently adding, \u201cBut, O King of the Age, punish him not for that he\nhath done; more by token that an thou love me a span, verily I love thee\na cubit. Indeed, I have fallen into the net of thy love and am become of\nthe number of thy slain. The love that was with thee hath transferred\nitself to me and there is left thereof with thee but a tithe of that\nwhich is with me.\u201d So saying, she came down from the tree and drawing\nnear him strained him to her bosom and fell to kissing him; whereat\npassion and desire for her redoubled on him and doubting not but she\nloved him, he trusted in her, and returned her kisses and caresses.\nPresently he said to her, \u201cBy Allah, O Princess, my uncle Salih set\nforth to me not a fortieth part of thy charms; no, nor a\nquarter-carat[331] of the four-and-twenty.\u201d Then Jauharah pressed him to\nher bosom and pronounced some unintelligible words; then spat on his\nface, saying, \u201cQuit this form of man and take shape of bird, the\nhandsomest of birds, white of robe, with red bill and legs.\u201d Hardly had\nshe spoken, when King Badr Basim found himself transformed into a bird,\nthe handsomest of birds, who shook himself and stood looking at her. Now\nJauharah had with her one of her slave-girls, by name Mars\u00ednah;[332] so\nshe called her and said to her, \u201cBy Allah, but that I fear for the life\nof my father, who is his uncle\u2019s prisoner, I would kill him! Allah never\nrequite him with good! How unlucky was his coming to us; for all this\ntrouble is due to his hard-headedness! But do thou, O slave-girl, bear\nhim to the Thirsty Island and leave him there to die of thirst.\u201d So\nMarsinah carried him to the island in question and would have returned\nand left him there; but she said in herself, \u201cBy Allah, the lord of such\nbeauty and loveliness deserveth not to die of thirst!\u201d So she went forth\nfrom that island and brought him to another abounding in trees and\nfruits and rills and, setting him down there, returned to her mistress\nand told her, \u201cI have left him on the Thirsty Island.\u201d Such was the case\nwith Badr Basim; but as regards King Salih, he sought for Jauharah after\ncapturing the King and killing his folk; but, finding her not, returned\nto his palace and said to his mother, \u201cWhere is my sister\u2019s son, King\nBadr Basim?\u201d \u201cBy Allah, O my son,\u201d replied she, \u201cI know nothing of him!\nFor when it reached him that you and King Al-Samandal had come to blows\nand that strife and slaughter had betided between you, he was affrighted\nand fled.\u201d When Salih heard this, he grieved for his nephew and said, \u201cO\nmy mother, by Allah, we have dealt negligently by King Badr and I fear\nlest he perish or lest one of King Al-Samandal\u2019s soldiers or his\ndaughter Jauharah fall in with him. So should we come to shame with his\nmother and no good betide us from her, for that I took him without her\nleave.\u201d Then he despatched guards and scouts throughout the sea and\nelsewhere to seek for Badr; but they could learn no tidings of him; so\nthey returned and told King Salih, wherefore cark and care redoubled on\nhim and his breast was straitened for King Badr Basim. So far concerning\nnephew and uncle, but as for Julnar the Sea-born, after their departure\nshe abode in expectation of them, but her son returned not and she heard\nno report of him. So when many days of fruitless waiting had gone by,\nshe arose and going down into the sea, repaired to her mother, who\nsighting her rose to her and kissed her and embraced her, as did the\nMermaids her cousins. Then she questioned her mother of King Badr Basim,\nand she answered, saying, \u201cO my daughter, of a truth he came hither with\nhis uncle, who took jacinths and jewels and carrying them to King\nAl-Samandal, demanded his daughter in marriage for thy son; but he\nconsented not and was violent against thy brother in words. Now I had\nsent Salih nigh upon a thousand horse and a battle befel between him and\nKing Al-Samandal; but Allah aided thy brother against him, and he slew\nhis guards and troops and took himself prisoner. Meanwhile, tidings of\nthis reached thy son, and it would seem as if he feared for himself;\nwherefore he fled forth from us, without our will, and returned not to\nus, nor have we heard any news of him.\u201d Then Julnar enquired for King\nSalih, and his mother said, \u201cHe is seated on the throne of his kingship,\nin the stead of King Al-Samandal, and hath sent in all directions to\nseek thy son and Princess Jauharah.\u201d When Julnar heard the maternal\nwords, she mourned for her son with sad mourning and was highly incensed\nagainst her brother Salih for that he had taken him and gone down with\nhim into the sea without her leave; and she said, \u201cO my mother, I fear\nfor our realm; as I came to thee without letting any know; and I dread\ntarrying with thee, lest the state fall into disorder and the kingdom\npass from our hands. Wherefore I deem best to return and govern the\nreign till it please Allah to order our son\u2019s affair for us. But look ye\nforget him not neither neglect his case; for should he come to any harm,\nit would infallibly kill me, since I see not the world save in him and\ndelight but in his life.\u201d She replied, \u201cWith love and gladness, O my\ndaughter. Ask not what we suffer by reason of his loss and absence.\u201d\nThen she sent to seek for her grandson, whilst Julnar returned to her\nkingdom, weeping-eyed and heavy-hearted, and indeed the gladness of the\nworld was straitened upon her.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day\nand ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Fiftieth Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Queen Julnar\nreturned from her mother to her own realm, her breast was straitened and\nshe was in ill-case. So fared it with her; but as regards King Badr\nBasim, after Princess Jauharah had ensorcelled him and had sent him with\nher handmaid to the Thirsty Island, saying, \u201cLeave him there to die of\nthirst,\u201d and Marsinah had set him down in a green islet, he abode days\nand nights in the semblance of a bird eating of its fruits and drinking\nof its waters and knowing not whither to go nor how to fly; till, one\nday, there came a certain fowler to the island to catch somewhat\nwherewithal to get his living. He espied King Badr Basim in his form of\na white-robed bird, with red bill and legs, captivating the sight and\nbewildering the thought; and, looking thereat, said in himself, \u201cVerily,\nyonder is a beautiful bird: never saw I its like in fairness or form.\u201d\nSo he cast his net over Badr and taking him, carried him to the town,\nmentally resolved to sell him for a high price. On his way one of the\ntownsfolk accosted him and said, \u201cFor how much this fowl, O fowler?\u201d\nQuoth the fowler, \u201cWhat wilt thou do with him an thou buy him?\u201d Answered\nthe other, \u201cI will cut his throat and eat him;\u201d whereupon said the\nbirder, \u201cWho could have the heart to kill this bird and eat him? Verily,\nI mean to present him to our King, who will give me more than thou\nwouldest give me and will not kill him, but will divert himself by\ngazing upon his beauty and grace, for in all my life, since I have been\na fowler, I never saw his like among land game or water fowl. The utmost\nthou wouldst give me for him, however much thou covet him, would be a\ndirham, and, by Allah Almighty, I will not sell him!\u201d Then he carried\nthe bird up to the King\u2019s palace and when the King saw it, its beauty\nand grace pleased him and the red colour of its beak and legs. So he\nsent an eunuch to buy it, who accosted the fowler and said to him, \u201cWilt\nthou sell this bird?\u201d Answered he, \u201cNay, \u2019tis a gift from me to the\nKing\u201d[333] So the eunuch carried the bird to the King and told him what\nthe man had said; and he took it and gave the fowler ten dinars,\nwhereupon he kissed ground and fared forth. Then the eunuch carried the\nbird to the palace and placing him in a fine cage, hung him up after\nsetting meat and drink by him. When the King came down from the Divan,\nhe said to the eunuch, \u201cWhere is the bird? Bring it to me, that I may\nlook upon it; for, by Allah, \u2019tis beautiful!\u201d So the eunuch brought the\ncage and set it between the hands of the King, who looked and seeing the\nfood untouched, said, \u201cBy Allah, I wis not what it will eat, that I may\nnourish it!\u201d Then he called for food and they laid the tables and the\nKing ate. Now when the bird saw the flesh and meats and fruits and\nsweetmeats, he ate of all that was upon the trays before the King,\nwhereat the Sovran and all the bystanders marvelled and the King said to\nhis attendants, eunuchs and Mamelukes, \u201cIn all my life I never saw a\nbird eat as doth this bird!\u201d Then he sent an eunuch to fetch his wife\nthat she might enjoy looking upon the bird, and he went in to summon her\nand said, \u201cO my lady, the King desireth thy presence, that thou mayst\ndivert thyself with the sight of a bird he hath bought. When we set on\nthe food, it flew down from its cage and perching on the table, ate of\nall that was thereon. So arise, O my lady, and solace thee with the\nsight for it is goodly of aspect and is a wonder of the wonders of the\nage.\u201d Hearing these words she came in haste; but, when she noted the\nbird, she veiled her face and turned to fare away. The King rose up and\nlooking at her, asked, \u201cWhy dost thou veil thy face when there is none\nin presence save the women and eunuchs who wait on thee and thy\nhusband?\u201d Answered she, \u201cO King, this bird is no bird, but a man like\nthyself.\u201d He rejoined, \u201cThou liest, this is too much of a jest. How\nshould he be other than a bird?\u201d; and she \u201cO King, by Allah, I do not\njest with thee nor do I tell thee aught but the truth; for verily this\nbird is King Badr Basim, son of King Shahriman, Lord of the land of the\nPersians, and his mother is Julnar the Sea-born.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad\nperceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Fifty-first Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the\nKing\u2019s wife said to the King, \u201cVerily, this is no bird but a man like\nthyself: he is King Badr Basim son of King Shariman and his mother is\nJulnar the Sea-born,\u201d quoth the King, \u201cAnd how came he in this shape?\u201d;\nand quoth she, \u201cPrincess Jauharah, daughter of King Al-Samandal, hath\nenchanted him:\u201d and told him all that had passed with King Badr Basim\nfrom first to last.[334] The King marvelled exceedingly at his wife\u2019s\nwords and conjured her, on his life, to free Badr from his enchantment\n(for she was the notablest enchantress of her age), and not leave him in\ntorment, saying, \u201cMay Almighty Allah cut off Jauharah\u2019s hand, for a foul\nwitch as she is! How little is her faith and how great her craft and\nperfidy!\u201d Said the Queen, \u201cDo thou say to him:\u2014O Badr Basim, enter\nyonder closet!\u201d So the King bade him enter the closet and he went in\nobediently. Then the Queen veiled her face and taking in her hand a cup\nof water,[335] entered the closet, where she pronounced over the water\ncertain incomprehensible words ending with, \u201cBy the virtue of these\nmighty names and holy verses and by the majesty of Allah Almighty,\nCreator of heaven and earth, the Quickener of the dead and Appointer of\nthe means of daily bread and the terms determined, quit this thy form\nwherein thou art and return to the shape in which the Lord created\nthee!\u201d Hardly had she made an end of her words, when the bird trembled\nonce and became a man; and the King saw before him a handsome youth,\nthan whom on earth\u2019s face was none goodlier. But when King Badr Basim\nfound himself thus restored to his own form he cried, \u201cThere is no god\nbut _the_ God and Mohammed is the Apostle of God! Glory be to the\nCreator of all creatures and Provider of their provision, and Ordainer\nof their life-terms preordained!\u201d Then he kissed the King\u2019s hand and\nwished him long life, and the King kissed his head and said to him, \u201cO\nBadr Basim, tell me thy history from commencement to conclusion.\u201d So he\ntold him his whole tale, concealing naught; and the King marvelled\nthereat and said to him, \u201cO Badr Basim, Allah hath saved thee from the\nspell: but what hath thy judgment decided and what thinkest thou to do?\u201d\nReplied he, \u201cO King of the Age, I desire of thy bounty that thou equip\nme a ship with a company of thy servants and all that is needful; for\n\u2019tis long since I have been absent and I dread lest the kingdom depart\nfrom me. And I misdoubt me my mother is dead of grief for my loss; and\nthis doubt is the stronger for that she knoweth not what is come of me\nnor whether I am alive or dead. Wherefore, I beseech thee, O King, to\ncrown thy favours to me by granting me what I seek.\u201d The King, after\nbeholding the beauty and grace of Badr Basim and listening to his sweet\nspeech, said, \u201cI hear and obey.\u201d So he fitted him out a ship, to which\nhe transported all that was needful and which he manned with a company\nof his servants; and Badr Basim set sail in it, after having taken leave\nof the King. They sailed over the sea ten successive days with a\nfavouring wind; but, on the eleventh day, the ocean became troubled with\nexceeding trouble, the ship rose and fell and the sailors were powerless\nto govern her. So they drifted at the mercy of the waves, till the craft\nneared a rock in mid-sea which fell upon her[336] and broke her up and\nall on board were drowned, save King Badr Basim who got astride one of\nthe planks of the vessel, after having been nigh upon destruction. The\nplank ceased not to be borne by the set of the sea, whilst he knew not\nwhither he went and had no means of directing its motion, as the wind\nand waves wrought for three whole days. But on the fourth the plank\ngrounded with him on the sea-shore where he sighted a white city, as it\nwere a dove passing white, builded upon a tongue of land that jutted out\ninto the deep and it was goodly of ordinance, with high towers and lofty\nwalls against which the waves beat. When Badr Basim saw this, he\nrejoiced with exceeding joy, for he was well-nigh dead of hunger and\nthirst, and dismounting from the plank, would have gone up the beach to\nthe city; but there came down to him mules and asses and horses, in\nnumber as the sea-sands and fell to striking at him and staying him from\nlanding. So he swam round to the back of the city, where he waded to\nshore and entering the place, found none therein and marvelled at this,\nsaying, \u201cWould I knew to whom doth this city belong, wherein is no lord\nnor any liege, and whence came these mules and asses and horses that\nhindered me from landing?\u201d And he mused over his case. Then he walked on\nat hazard till he espied an old man, a grocer.[337] So he saluted him\nand the other returned his salam and seeing him to be a handsome young\nman, said to him, \u201cO youth, whence comest thou and what brought thee to\nthis city?\u201d Badr told him his story; at which the old man marvelled and\nsaid, \u201cO my son, didst thou see any on thy way?\u201d He replied, \u201cIndeed, O\nmy father, I wondered in good sooth to sight a city void of folk.\u201d Quoth\nthe Shaykh, \u201cO my son, come up into the shop, lest thou perish.\u201d So Badr\nBasim went up into the shop and sat down; whereupon the old man set\nbefore him somewhat of food, saying, \u201cO my son, enter the inner shop;\nglory be to Him who hath preserved thee from yonder she-Sathanas!\u201d King\nBadr Basim was sore affrighted at the grocer\u2019s words; but he ate his\nfill and washed his hands; then glanced at his host and said to him, \u201cO\nmy lord, what is the meaning of these words? Verily thou hast made me\nfearful of this city and its folk.\u201d Replied the old man, \u201cKnow, O my\nson, that this is the City of the Magicians and its Queen is as she were\na she-Satan, a sorceress and a mighty enchantress, passing crafty and\nperfidious exceedingly. All thou sawest of horses and mules and asses\nwere once sons of Adam like thee and me; they were also strangers, for\nwhoever entereth this city, being a young man like thyself, this\nmiscreant witch taketh him and hometh him for forty days, after which\nshe enchanteth him, and he becometh a mule or a horse or an ass, of\nthose animals thou sawest on the sea-shore.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived\nthe dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Fifty-second Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the old grocer\nrelated to King Badr Basim the history of the enchantress ending with,\n\u201cAll these people hath she spelled; and, when it was thy intent to land\nthey feared lest thou be transmewed like themselves; so they counselled\nthee by signs that said:\u2014Land not, of their solicitude for thee, fearing\nthat haply she should do with thee like as she had done with them. She\npossessed herself of this city and seized it from its citizens by\nsorcery and her name is Queen L\u00e1b, which being interpreted, meaneth in\nArabic \u2019Almanac of the Sun.\u2019\u201d[338] When Badr Basim heard what the old\nman said, he was affrighted with sore affright and trembled like reed in\nwind saying in himself, \u201cHardly do I feel me free from the affliction\nwherein I was by reason of sorcery, when Destiny casteth me into yet\nsorrier case!\u201d And he fell a-musing over his condition and that which\nhad betided him. When the Shaykh looked at him and saw the violence of\nhis terror, he said to him, \u201cO my son, come, sit at the threshold of the\nshop and look upon yonder creatures and upon their dress and complexion\nand that wherein they are by reason of gramarye and dread not; for the\nQueen and all in the city love and tender me and will not vex my heart\nor trouble my mind.\u201d So King Badr Basim came out and sat at the\nshop-door, looking out upon the folk; and there passed by him a world of\ncreatures without number. But when the people saw him, they accosted the\ngrocer and said to him, \u201cO elder, is this thy captive and thy prey\ngotten in these days?\u201d The old man replied, \u201cHe is my brother\u2019s son, I\nheard that his father was dead; so I sent for him and brought him here\nthat I might quench with him the fire of my home-sickness.\u201d Quoth they,\n\u201cVerily, he is a comely youth; but we fear for him from Queen Lab, lest\nshe turn on thee with treachery and take him from thee, for she loveth\nhandsome young men.\u201d Quoth the Shaykh, \u201cThe Queen will not gainsay my\ncommandment, for she loveth and tendereth me; and when she shall know\nthat he is my brother\u2019s son, she will not molest him or afflict me in\nhim neither trouble my heart on his account.\u201d Then King Badr Basim abode\nsome months with the grocer, eating and drinking, and the old man loved\nhim with exceeding love. One day, as he sat in the shop according to his\ncustom, behold, there came up a thousand eunuchs, with drawn swords and\nclad in various kinds of raiment and girt with jewelled girdles: all\nrode Arabian steeds and bore in baldrick Indian blades. They saluted the\ngrocer, as they passed his shop and were followed by a thousand damsels\nlike moons, clad in various raiments of silks and satins fringed with\ngold and embroidered with jewels of sorts, and spears were slung to\ntheir shoulders. In their midst rode a damsel mounted on a Rabite mare,\nsaddled with a saddle of gold set with various kinds of jewels and\njacinths; and they reached in a body the Shaykh\u2019s shop. The damsels\nsaluted him and passed on, till, lo and behold! up came Queen Lab, in\ngreat state, and seeing King Badr Basim sitting in the shop, as he were\nthe moon at its full, was amazed at his beauty and loveliness and became\npassionately enamoured of him, and distraught with desire of him. So she\nalighted and sitting down by King Badr Basim said to the old man,\n\u201cWhence hadst thou this handsome one?\u201d; and the Shaykh replied, \u201cHe is\nmy brother\u2019s son, and is lately come to me.\u201d Quoth Lab, \u201cLet him be with\nme this night, that I may talk with him;\u201d and quoth the old man, \u201cWilt\nthou take him from me and not enchant him?\u201d Said she, \u201cYes,\u201d and said\nhe, \u201cSwear to me.\u201d So she sware to him that she would not do him any\nhurt or ensorcell him, and bidding bring him a fine horse, saddled and\nbridled with a golden bridle and decked with trappings all of gold set\nwith jewels, gave the old man a thousand dinars, saying, \u201cUse\nthis.\u201d[339] Then she took Badr Basim and carried him off, as he were the\nfull moon on its fourteenth night, whilst all the folk, seeing his\nbeauty, were grieved for him and said, \u201cBy Allah, verily, this youth\ndeserveth not to be bewitched by yonder sorceress, the accursed!\u201d Now\nKing Badr Basim heard all they said, but was silent, committing his case\nto Allah Almighty, till they came to\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn\nof day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Fifty-third Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that King Badr Basim\nceased not faring with Queen Lab and her suite till they came to her\npalace-gate, where the Emirs and eunuchs and Lords of the realm took\nfoot and she bade the Chamberlains dismiss her Officers and Grandees,\nwho kissed ground and went away, whilst she entered the palace with Badr\nBasim and her eunuchs and women. Here he found a place, whose like he\nhad never seen at all, for it was builded of gold and in its midst was a\ngreat basin brimfull of water midmost a vast flower-garden. He looked at\nthe garden and saw it abounding in birds of various kinds and colours,\nwarbling in all manner tongues and voices, pleasurable and plaintive.\nAnd everywhere he beheld great state and dominion and said, \u201cGlory be to\nGod, who of His bounty and long-suffering provideth those who serve\nother than Himself!\u201d The Queen sat down at a latticed window overlooking\nthe garden on a couch of ivory, whereon was a high bed, and King Badr\nBasim seated himself by her side. She kissed him and pressing him to her\nbreast, bade her women bring a tray of food. So they brought a tray of\nred gold, inlaid with pearls and jewels and spread with all manner of\nviands and he and she ate, till they were satisfied, and washed their\nhands; after which the waiting-women set on flagons of gold and silver\nand glass, together with all kinds of flowers and dishes of dried\nfruits. Then the Queen summoned the singing-women and there came ten\nmaidens, as they were moons, hending all manner of musical instruments.\nQueen Lab crowned a cup and drinking it off, filled another and passed\nit to King Badr Basim, who took it and drank; and they ceased not to\ndrink till they had their sufficiency. Then she bade the damsels sing,\nand they sang all manner modes till it seemed to Badr Basim as if the\npalace danced with him for joy. His sense was ecstasied and his breast\nbroadened, and he forgot his strangerhood and said in himself, \u201cVerily,\nthis Queen is young and beautiful[340] and I will never leave her; for\nher kingdom is vaster than my kingdom and she is fairer than Princess\nJauharah.\u201d So he ceased not to drink with her till eventide came, when\nthey lighted the lamps and waxen candles and diffused censer-perfumes;\nnor did they leave drinking, till they were both drunken, and the\nsinging-women sang the while. Then Queen Lab, being in liquor, rose from\nher seat and lay down on a bed and dismissing her women called to Badr\nBasim to come and sleep by her side. So he lay with her, in all delight\nof life till the morning.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and\nceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Fifty-fourth Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Queen\nawoke she repaired to the Hammam-bath in the palace, King Badr Basim\nbeing with her, and they bathed and were purified; after which she clad\nhim in the finest of raiment and called for the service of wine. So the\nwaiting women brought the drinking-gear and they drank. Presently, the\nQueen arose and taking Badr Basim by the hand, sat down with him on\nchairs and bade bring food, whereof they ate, and washed their hands.\nThen the damsels fetched the drinking-gear and fruits and flowers and\nconfections, and they ceased not to eat and drink,[341] whilst the\nsinging-girls sang various airs till the evening. They gave not over\neating and drinking and merry-making for a space of forty days, when the\nQueen said to him, \u201cO Badr Basim, say me whether is the more pleasant,\nthis place or the shop of thine uncle the grocer?\u201d He replied, \u201cBy\nAllah, O Queen, this is the pleasanter, for my uncle is but a beggarly\nman, who vendeth pot-herbs.\u201d She laughed at his words and the twain lay\ntogether in the pleasantest of case till the morning, when King Badr\nBasim awoke from sleep and found not Queen Lab by his side, so he said,\n\u201cWould Heaven I knew where can she have gone!\u201d And indeed he was\ntroubled at her absence and perplexed about the case, for she stayed\naway from him a great while and did not return; so he donned his dress\nand went seeking her but not finding her, and he said to himself,\n\u201cHaply, she is gone to the flower-garden.\u201d Thereupon he went out into\nthe garden and came to a running rill beside which he saw a white\nshe-bird and on the stream-bank a tree full of birds of various colours,\nand he stood and watched the birds without their seeing him. And behold,\na black bird flew down upon that white she-bird and fell to billing her\npigeon-fashion, then he leapt on her and trod her three consecutive\ntimes, after which the bird changed and became a woman. Badr looked at\nher and lo! it was Queen Lab. So he knew that the black bird was a man\ntransmewed and that she was enamoured of him and had transformed herself\ninto a bird, that he might enjoy her; wherefore jealousy got hold upon\nhim and he was wroth with the Queen because of the black bird. Then he\nreturned to his place and lay down on the carpet-bed and after an hour\nor so she came back to him and fell to kissing him and jesting with him;\nbut being sore incensed against her he answered her not a word. She saw\nwhat was to do with him and was assured that he had witnessed what befel\nher when she was a white bird and was trodden by the black bird; yet she\ndiscovered naught to him but concealed what ailed her. When he had done\nher need, he said to her, \u201cO Queen, I would have thee give me leave to\ngo to my uncle\u2019s shop, for I long after him and have not seen him these\nforty days.\u201d She replied, \u201cGo to him but tarry not from me, for I cannot\nbrook to be parted from thee, nor can I endure without thee an hour.\u201d He\nsaid, \u201cI hear and I obey,\u201d and mounting, rode to the shop of the Shaykh,\nthe grocer, who welcomed him and rose to him and embracing him said to\nhim, \u201cHow hast thou fared with yonder idolatress?\u201d He replied, \u201cI was\nwell in health and happiness till this last night,\u201d and told him what\nhad passed in the garden with the black bird.[342] Now when the old man\nheard his words, he said, \u201cBeware of her, for know that the birds upon\nthe trees were all young men and strangers, whom she loved and enchanted\nand turned into birds. That black bird thou sawest was one of her\nMamelukes whom she loved with exceeding love, till he cast his eyes upon\none of her women. Wherefore she changed him into a black bird;\u201d\u2014\u2014And\nShahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Fifty-fifth Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Badr\nBasim acquainted the old grocer with all the doings of Queen Lab and\nwhat he had seen of her proceedings, the Shaykh gave him to know that\nall the birds upon the tree were young men and strangers whom she had\nenchanted, and that the black bird was one of her Mamelukes whom she had\ntransmewed. \u201cAnd,\u201d continued the Shaykh, \u201cwhenas she lusteth after him\nshe transformeth herself into a she-bird that he may enjoy her, for she\nstill loveth him with passionate love. When she found that thou knewest\nof her case, she plotted evil against thee, for she loveth thee not\nwholly. But no harm shall betide thee from her, so long as I protect\nthee; therefore fear nothing; for I am a Moslem, by name Abdallah, and\nthere is none in my day more magical than I; yet do I not make use of\ngramarye save upon constraint. Many a time have I put to naught the\nsorceries of yonder accursed and delivered folk from her, and I care not\nfor her, because she can do me no hurt: nay, she feareth me with\nexceeding fear, as do all in the city who, like her, are magicians and\nserve the fire, not the Omnipotent Sire. So to-morrow, come thou to me\nand tell me what she doth with thee; for this very night she will cast\nabout to destroy thee, and I will tell thee how thou shalt do with her,\nthat thou mayst save thyself from her malice.\u201d Then King Badr Basim\nfarewelled the Shaykh and returned to the Queen whom he found awaiting\nhim. When she saw him, she rose and seating him and welcoming him\nbrought him meat and drink and the two ate till they had enough and\nwashed their hands; after which she called for wine and they drank till\nthe night was well nigh half spent, when she plied him with cup after\ncup till he was drunken and lost sense[343] and wit. When she saw him\nthus, she said to him, \u201cI conjure thee by Allah and by whatso thou\nworshippest, if I ask thee a question wilt thou inform me rightly and\nanswer me truly?\u201d And he being drunken, answered, \u201cYes, O my lady.\u201d\nQuoth she, \u201cO my lord and light of mine eyes, when thou awokest last\nnight and foundest me not, thou soughtest me, till thou sawest me in the\ngarden, under the guise of a white she-bird, and also thou sawest the\nblack bird leap on me and tread me. Now I will tell the truth of this\nmatter. That black bird was one of my Mamelukes, whom I loved with\nexceeding love; but one day he cast his eyes upon a certain of my\nslave-girls, wherefore jealousy gat hold upon me and I transformed him\nby my spells into a black bird and her I slew. But now I cannot endure\nwithout him a single hour; so, whenever I lust after him, I change\nmyself into a she-bird and go to him, that he may leap me and enjoy me,\neven as thou hast seen. Art thou not therefore incensed against me,\nbecause of this, albeit, by the virtue of Fire and Light, Shade and\nHeat, I love thee more than ever and have made thee my portion of the\nworld?\u201d He answered (being drunken), \u201cThy conjecture of the cause of my\nrage is correct, and it had no reason other than this.\u201d With this she\nembraced him and kissed him and made great show of love to him; then she\nlay down to sleep and he by her side. Presently, about midnight she rose\nfrom the carpet-bed and King Badr Basim was awake; but he feigned sleep\nand watched stealthily to see what she would do. She took out of a red\nbag a something red, which she planted a-middlemost the chamber, and it\nbecame a stream, running like the sea; after which she took a handful of\nbarley and strewing it on the ground, watered it with water from the\nriver; whereupon it became wheat in the ear, and she gathered it and\nground it into flour. Then she set it aside and returning to bed, lay\ndown by Badr Basim till morning when he arose and washed his face and\nasked her leave to visit the Shaykh his uncle. She gave him permission\nand he repaired to Abdallah and told him what had passed. The old man\nlaughed and said, \u201cBy Allah, this miscreant witch plotteth mischief\nagainst thee; but reck thou not of her ever!\u201d Then he gave him a pound\nof parched corn[344] and said to him, \u201cTake this with thee and know\nthat, when she seeth it, she will ask thee:\u2014What is this and what wilt\nthou do with it? Do thou answer:\u2014Abundance of good things is good; and\neat of it. Then will she bring forth to thee parched grain of her own\nand say to thee:\u2014Eat of this Saw\u00edk; and do thou feign to her that thou\neatest thereof, but eat of this instead, and beware and have a care lest\nthou eat of hers even a grain; for, an thou eat so much as a grain\nthereof, her spells will have power over thee and she will enchant thee\nand say to thee:\u2014Leave this form of a man. Whereupon thou wilt quit\nthine own shape for what shape she will. But, an thou eat not thereof,\nher enchantments will be null and void and no harm will betide thee\ntherefrom; whereat she will be shamed with shame exceeding and say to\nthee:\u2014I did but jest with thee! Then will she make a show of love and\nfondness to thee; but this will all be but hypocrisy in her and craft.\nAnd do thou also make a show of love to her and say to her:\u2014O my lady\nand light of mine eyes, eat of this parched barley and see how delicious\nit is. And if she eat thereof, though it be but a grain, take water in\nthy hand and throw it in her face, saying:\u2014Quit this human form (for\nwhat form soever thou wilt have her take). Then leave her and come to me\nand I will counsel thee what to do.\u201d So Badr Basim took leave of him and\nreturning to the palace, went in to the Queen, who said to him, \u201cWelcome\nand well come and good cheer to thee!\u201d And she rose and kissed him,\nsaying, \u201cThou hast tarried long from me, O my lord.\u201d He replied, \u201cI have\nbeen with my uncle, and he gave me to eat of this Sawik.\u201d Quoth she, \u201cWe\nhave better than that.\u201d Then she laid his parched Sawik in one plate and\nhers in another and said to him, \u201cEat of this, for \u2019tis better than\nthine.\u201d So he feigned to eat of it and when she thought he had done so,\nshe took water in her hand and sprinkled him therewith, saying, \u201cQuit\nthis form, O thou gallows-bird, thou miserable, and take that of a mule\none-eyed and foul of favour.\u201d But he changed not; which when she saw,\nshe arose and went up to him and kissed him between the eyes, saying, \u201cO\nmy beloved, I did but jest with thee; bear me no malice because of\nthis.\u201d Quoth he, \u201cO my lady, I bear thee no whit of malice; nay, I am\nassured that thou lovest me: but eat of this my parched barley.\u201d So she\neat a mouthful of Abdallah\u2019s Sawik; but no sooner had it settled in her\nstomach than she was convulsed; and King Badr Basim took water in his\npalm and threw it in her face, saying, \u201cQuit this human form and take\nthat of a dapple mule.\u201d No sooner had he spoken than she found herself\nchanged into a she-mule, whereupon the tears rolled down her cheeks and\nshe fell to rubbing her muzzle against his feet. Then he would have\nbridled her, but she would not take the bit; so he left her and, going\nto the grocer, told him what had passed. Abdallah brought out for him a\nbridle and bade him rein her forthwith. So he took it to the palace, and\nwhen she saw him, she came up to him and he set the bit in her mouth and\nmounting her, rode forth to find the Shaykh. But when the old man saw\nher, he rose and said to her, \u201cAlmighty Allah confound thee, O accursed\nwoman!\u201d Then quoth he to Badr, \u201cO my son, there is no more tarrying for\nthee in this city; so ride her and fare with her whither thou wilt and\nbeware lest thou commit the bridle[345] to any.\u201d King Badr thanked him\nand farewelling him, fared on three days, without ceasing, till he drew\nnear another city and there met him an old man, gray-headed and comely,\nwho said to him, \u201cWhence comest thou, O my son?\u201d Badr replied, \u201cFrom the\ncity of this witch\u201d; and the old man said, \u201cThou art my guest to-night.\u201d\nHe consented and went with him; but by the way behold, they met an old\nwoman, who wept when she saw the mule, and said, \u201cThere is no god but\n_the_ God! Verily, this mule resembleth my son\u2019s she-mule, which is\ndead, and my heart acheth for her; so, Allah upon thee, O my lord, do\nthou sell her to me!\u201d He replied, \u201cBy Allah, O my mother, I cannot sell\nher.\u201d But she cried, \u201cAllah upon thee, do not refuse my request, for my\nson will surely be a dead man except I buy him this mule.\u201d And she\nimportuned him, till he exclaimed, \u201cI will not sell her save for a\nthousand dinars,\u201d saying in himself, \u201cWhence should this old woman get a\nthousand gold pieces?\u201d Thereupon she brought out from her girdle a purse\ncontaining a thousand ducats, which when King Badr Basim saw, he said,\n\u201cO my mother, I did but jest with thee; I cannot sell her.\u201d But the old\nman looked at him and said, \u201cO my son, in this city none may lie, for\nwhoso lieth they put to death.\u201d So King Badr Basim lighted down from the\nmule.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her\npermitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Fifty-sixth Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Badr Basim\ndismounted from and delivered the mule to the old woman, she drew the\nbit from her mouth and, taking water in her hand, sprinkled the mule\ntherewith, saying, \u201cO my daughter, quit this shape for that form wherein\nthou wast aforetime!\u201d Upon this she was straightway restored to her\noriginal semblance and the two women embraced and kissed each other. So\nKing Badr Basim knew that the old woman was Queen Lab\u2019s mother and that\nhe had been tricked and would have fled; when, lo! the old woman\nwhistled a loud whistle and her call was obeyed by an Ifrit as he were a\ngreat mountain, whereat Badr was affrighted and stood still. Then the\nold woman mounted on the Ifrit\u2019s back, taking her daughter behind her\nand King Badr Basim before her, and the Ifrit flew off with them; nor\nwas it a full hour ere they were in the palace of Queen Lab, who sat\ndown on the throne of kingship and said to Badr, \u201cGallows-bird that thou\nart, now am I come hither and have attained to that I desired and soon\nwill I show thee how I will do with thee and with yonder old man the\ngrocer! How many favours have I shown him! Yet he doth me frowardness;\nfor thou hast not attained thine end but by means of him.\u201d Then she took\nwater and sprinkled him therewith, saying, \u201cQuit the shape wherein thou\nart for the form of a foul-favoured fowl, the foulest of all fowls; and\nshe set him in a cage and cut off from him meat and drink;\u201d but one of\nher women seeing this cruelty, took compassion on him and gave him food\nand water without her knowledge. One day, the damsel took her mistress\nat unawares and going forth the palace, repaired to the old grocer, to\nwhom she told the whole case, saying, \u201cQueen Lab is minded to make an\nend of thy brother\u2019s son.\u201d The Shaykh thanked her and said, \u201cThere is no\nhelp but that I take the city from her and make thee Queen thereof in\nher stead.\u201d Then he whistled a loud whistle and there came forth to him\nan Ifrit with four wings, to whom he said, \u201cTake up this damsel and\ncarry her to the city of Julnar the Sea-born and her mother\nFar\u00e1shah[346] for they twain are the most powerful magicians on face of\nearth.\u201d And he said to the damsel, \u201cWhen thou comest thither, tell them\nthat King Badr Basim is Queen Lab\u2019s captive.\u201d Then the Ifrit took up his\nload and, flying off with her, in a little while set her down upon the\nterrace roof of Queen Julnar\u2019s palace. So she descended and going in to\nthe Queen, kissed the earth and told her what had passed to her son,\nfirst and last, whereupon Julnar rose to her and entreated her with\nhonour and thanked her. Then she let beat the drums in the city and\nacquainted her lieges and the lords of her realm with the good news that\nKing Badr Basim was found; after which she and her mother Farashah and\nher brother Salih assembled all the tribes of the Jinn and the troops of\nthe main; for the Kings of the Jinn obeyed them since the taking of King\nAl-Samandal. Presently they all flew up into the air and lighting down\non the city of the sorceress, sacked the town and the palace and slew\nall the Unbelievers therein in the twinkling of an eye. Then said Julnar\nto the damsel, \u201cWhere is my son?\u201d And the slave-girl brought her the\ncage and signing to the bird within, cried, \u201cThis is thy son.\u201d So Julnar\ntook him forth of the cage and sprinkled him with water, saying, \u201cQuit\nthis shape for the form wherein thou wast aforetime;\u201d nor had she made\nan end of her speech ere he shook and became a man as before; whereupon\nhis mother, seeing him restored to human shape, embraced him and he wept\nwith sore weeping. On like wise did his uncle Salih and his grandmother\nand the daughters of his uncle and fell to kissing his hands and feet.\nThen Julnar sent for Shaykh Abdallah and thanking him for his kind\ndealing with her son, married him to the damsel, whom he had despatched\nto her with news of him, and made him King of the city. Moreover, she\nsummoned those who survived of the citizens (and they were Moslems), and\nmade them swear fealty to him and take the oath of loyalty, whereto they\nreplied, \u201cHearkening and obedience!\u201d Then she and her company farewelled\nhim and returned to their own capital. The townsfolk came out to meet\nthem, with drums beating, and decorated the place three days and held\nhigh festival, of the greatness of their joy for the return of their\nKing Badr Basim. After this Badr said to his mother, \u201cO my mother,\nnaught remains but that I marry and we be all united.\u201d She replied,\n\u201cRight is thy rede, O my son, but wait till we ask who befitteth thee\namong the daughters of the Kings.\u201d And his grandmother Farashah, and the\ndaughters of both his uncles said, \u201cO Badr Basim, we will help thee to\nwin thy wish forthright.\u201d Then each of them arose and fared forth\nquesting in the lands, whilst Julnar sent out her waiting women on the\nnecks of Ifrits, bidding them leave not a city nor a King\u2019s palace\nwithout noting all the handsome girls that were therein. But, when King\nBadr Basim saw the trouble they were taking in this matter, he said to\nJulnar, \u201cO my mother, leave this thing, for none will content me save\nJauharah, daughter of King Al-Samandal; for that she is indeed a\njewel,[347] according to her name.\u201d Replied Julnar, \u201cI know that which\nthou seekest;\u201d and bade forthright bring Al-Samandal the King. As soon\nas he was present, she sent for Badr Basim and acquainted him with the\nKing\u2019s coming, whereupon he went in to him. Now when Al-Samandal was\naware of his presence, he rose to him and saluted him and bade him\nwelcome; and King Badr Basim demanded of him his daughter Jauharah in\nmarriage. Quoth he, \u201cShe is thine handmaid and at thy service and\ndisposition,\u201d and despatched some of his suite bidding them seek her\nabode and, after telling her that her sire was in the hands of King Badr\nBasim, to bring her forthright. So they flew up into the air and\ndisappeared and they returned after a while, with the Princess who, as\nsoon as she saw her father, went up to him and threw her arms round his\nneck. Then looking at her he said, \u201cO my daughter, know that I have\ngiven thee in wedlock to this magnanimous Sovran, and valiant lion King\nBadr Basim, son of Queen Julnar the Sea-born, for that he is the\ngoodliest of the folk of his day and most powerful and the most exalted\nof them in degree and the noblest in rank; he befitteth none but thee\nand thou none but him.\u201d Answered she, \u201cI may not gainsay thee, O my\nsire; do as thou wilt, for indeed chagrin and despite are at an end, and\nI am one of his handmaids.\u201d So they summoned the Kazi and the witnesses\nwho drew up the marriage-contract between King Badr Basim and the\nPrincess Jauharah, and the citizens decorated the city and beat the\ndrums of rejoicing, and they released all who were in the jails, whilst\nthe King clothed the widows and the orphans and bestowed robes of honour\nupon the Lords of the Realm and Emirs and Grandees: and they made\nbride-feasts and held high festival night and morn ten days, at the end\nof which time they displayed the bride, in nine different dresses,\nbefore King Badr Basim who bestowed an honourable robe upon King\nAl-Samandal and sent him back to his country and people and kinsfolk.\nAnd they ceased not from living the most delectable of life and the most\nsolaceful of days, eating and drinking and enjoying every luxury, till\nthere came to them the Destroyer of delights and the Sunderer of\nSocieties; and this is the end of their story,[348] may Allah have mercy\non them all! Moreover, O auspicious King, a tale is also told anent\n\n-----\n\nFootnote 302:\n\n In the Mac. Edit. \u201cShahzam\u00e1n,\u201d a corruption of Sh\u00e1h Zam\u00e1n = King of\n the Age. (See vol. i. 2.)\n\nFootnote 303:\n\n For a note on this subject see vol. ii. 1.\n\nFootnote 304:\n\n _i.e._ bathe her and apply cosmetics to remove all traces of travel.\n\nFootnote 305:\n\n These pretentious and curious displays of coquetry are not uncommon in\n handsome slave-girls when newly bought; and it is a kind of pundonor\n to humour them. They may also refuse their favours and a master who\n took possession of their persons by brute force would be blamed by his\n friends, men and women. Even the most despotic of despots, Fath Ali\n Shah of Persia, put up with refusals from his slave-girls and did not,\n as would the mean-minded, marry them to the grooms or cooks of the\n palace.\n\nFootnote 306:\n\n Such continence is rarely shown by the young Jallabs or slave-traders;\n when older they learn how much money is lost with the chattel\u2019s\n virginity.\n\nFootnote 307:\n\n Midwives in the East, as in the less civilised parts of the West, have\n many nostrums for divining the sex of the unborn child.\n\nFootnote 308:\n\n Arabic (which has no written \u201cg\u201d) from Pers. Guln\u00e1r (Gul-i-an\u00e1r)\n pomegranate-flower, the \u201cGulnare\u201d of Byron who learnt his Orientalism\n at the Mekhitarist (Armenian) Convent, Venice. I regret to see the\n little honour now paid to the gallant poet in the land where he should\n be honoured the most. The systematic depreciation was begun by the\n late Mr. Thackeray, perhaps the last man to value the noble\n independence of Byron\u2019s spirit; and it has been perpetuated, I regret\n to see, by better judges. These critics seem wholly to ignore the fact\n that Byron founded a school which covered Europe from Russia to Spain,\n from Norway to Sicily, and which from England passed over to the two\n Americas. This exceptional success, which has not yet fallen even to\n Shakespeare\u2019s lot, was due to genius only, for the poet almost ignored\n study and poetic art. His great misfortune was being born in England\n under the Georgium Sidus. Any Continental people would have regarded\n him as one of the prime glories of his race.\n\nFootnote 309:\n\n Arab. \u201cF\u00ed al-Kamar,\u201d which Lane renders \u201cin the moonlight.\u201d It seems\n to me that the allusion is to the Comorin Islands; but the sequel\n speaks simply of an island.\n\nFootnote 310:\n\n The Mac. Edit. misprints Juln\u00e1r as Juln\u00e1z (so the Bul. Edit. ii. 233),\n and Lane\u2019s Jullan\u00e1r is an Egyptian vulgarism. He is right in\n suspecting the \u201cWhite City\u201d to be imaginary; but its sea has no\n apparent connection with the Caspian. The mermen and mermaids appear\n to him to be of an inferior order of the Jinn, termed Al-Ghaww\u00e1sah,\n the Divers, who fly through air and are made of fire which at times\n issues from their mouths.\n\nFootnote 311:\n\n Arab. \u201c\u2019Al\u00e0 Kulli h\u00e1l,\u201d a popular phrase, like the Anglo-American\n \u201canyhow.\u201d\n\nFootnote 312:\n\n In the text the name does not appear till near the end of the tale.\n\nFootnote 313:\n\n _i.e._ Full moon smiling.\n\nFootnote 314:\n\n These lines have occurred in vol. iii. 264, so I quote Lane ii. 499.\n\nFootnote 315:\n\n These lines occurred in vol. ii. 301. I quote Mr. Payne.\n\nFootnote 316:\n\n Arab. \u201cKhadd\u201d = cheek from the eye-orbit to the place where the beard\n grows; also applied to the side of a rough highland, the side-planks\n of a litter, etc. etc.\n\nFootnote 317:\n\n The black hair of youth.\n\nFootnote 318:\n\n This manner of listening is not held dishonourable amongst Arabs or\n Easterns generally; who, however, hear as little good of themselves as\n westerns declare in proverb.\n\nFootnote 319:\n\n Arab. \u201cHasab wa nasab,\u201d before explained as inherited degree and\n acquired dignity. See vol. iv. 171.\n\nFootnote 320:\n\n Arab. Muj\u00e1jat = spittle running from the mouth: hence Lane, \u201cis like\n running saliva,\u201d which, in poetry is not pretty.\n\nFootnote 321:\n\n Arab. and Heb. Salmandra from Pers. Samandal (\u2014dar\u2014duk\u2014dun, etc), a\n Salamander, a mouse which lives in fire, some say a bird in India and\n China and others confuse with the chameleon (Bochart Hiero. Part ii.\n chapt. vi).\n\nFootnote 322:\n\n Arab. \u201cMah\u00e1\u201d one of the four kinds of wild cows or bovine antelopes,\n bubalus, Antelope defassa, A. leucoryx, etc.\n\nFootnote 323:\n\n These lines have occurred in vol. iii. 279; so I quote Lane (iii. 274)\n by way of variety; although I do not like his \u201cbowels.\u201d\n\nFootnote 324:\n\n The last verse (286) of chapt. ii. The Cow: \u201ccompelleth\u201d in the sense\n of \u201cburdeneth.\u201d\n\nFootnote 325:\n\n Salih\u2019s speeches are euphuistic.\n\nFootnote 326:\n\n From the F\u00e1tihah.\n\nFootnote 327:\n\n A truly Eastern saying, which ignores the \u201cold maids\u201d of the West.\n\nFootnote 328:\n\n _i.e._ naming her before the lieges as if the speaker were her and his\n superior. It would have been more polite not to have gone beyond \u201cthe\n unique pearl and the hoarded jewel\u201d: the offensive part of the speech\n was using the girl\u2019s name.\n\nFootnote 329:\n\n Meaning emphatically that one and all were nobodies.\n\nFootnote 330:\n\n Arab. Badr, the usual pun.\n\nFootnote 331:\n\n Arab. Kir\u00e1t (\u03ba\u03b5\u03c1\u03ac\u03c4\u03b9\u03bf\u03bd) the bean of the _Abrus precatorius_, used as a\n weight in Arabia and India and as a bead for decoration in Africa. It\n is equal to four Kamhahs or wheat-grains and about 3 grs. avoir.; and\n being the twenty-fourth of a miskal, it is applied to that proportion\n of everything. Thus the Arabs say of a perfect man, \u201cHe is of\n four-and-twenty Kir\u00e1t\u201d _i.e._ pure gold. See vol. iii. 239.\n\nFootnote 332:\n\n The (she) myrtle: Kazimirski (A. de Biberstein) Dictionnaire\n Arabe-Francais (Paris Maisonneuve 1867) gives Mars\u00edn = Rose de\n Jericho: myrte.\n\nFootnote 333:\n\n Needless to note that the fowler had a right to expect a return\n present worth double or treble the price of his gift. Such is the\n universal practice of the East: in the West the extortioner says, \u201cI\n leave it to you, sir!\u201d\n\nFootnote 334:\n\n And she does tell him all that the reader well knows.\n\nFootnote 335:\n\n This was for sprinkling him, but the texts omit that operation. Arabic\n has distinct terms for various forms of metamorphosis. \u201cNaskh\u201d is\n change from a lower to a higher, as beast to man; \u201cMaskh\u201d (the common\n expression) is the reverse; \u201cRaskh\u201d is from animate to inanimate (man\n to stone) and \u201cFaskh\u201d is absolute wasting away to corruption.\n\nFootnote 336:\n\n I render this improbable detail literally: it can only mean that the\n ship was dashed against a rock.\n\nFootnote 337:\n\n Who was probably squatting on his shop-counter. The \u201cBakk\u00e1l\u201d (who must\n not be confounded with the _\u00e9picier_), lit. \u201cvender of herbs\u201d =\n greengrocer, and according to Richardson used incorrectly for Badd\u00e1l\n (?) vendor of provisions. Popularly it is applied to a seller of oil,\n honey, butter and fruit, like the Ital. \u201cPizzicagnolo\u201d =\n Salsamentarius, and in N. West Africa to an inn-keeper.\n\nFootnote 338:\n\n Here the Shaykh is mistaken: he should have said, \u201cThe Sun in old\n Persian.\u201d \u201cAlmanac\u201d simply makes nonsense of the Arabian Circe\u2019s name.\n In Arab. it is \u201cTakw\u00edm,\u201d whence the Span. and Port. \u201cTacuino:\u201d in Heb.\n Hakamath\u00e1-Takunah = sapientia dispositionis astrorum (Asiat. Research.\n iii. 120).\n\nFootnote 339:\n\n _i.e._ for thy daily expenses.\n\nFootnote 340:\n\n _Un adolescent aime toutes les femmes._ Man is by nature polygamic\n whereas woman as a rule is monogamic and polyandrous only when tired\n of her lover. For the man, as has been truly said, loves the woman,\n but the love of the woman is for the love of the man.\n\nFootnote 341:\n\n I have already noted that the heroes and heroines of Eastern\n love-tales are always _bonnes fourchettes_: they eat and drink hard\n enough to scandalise the sentimental amourist of the West; but it is\n understood that this abundant diet is necessary to qualify them for\n the Herculean labours of the love night.\n\nFootnote 342:\n\n Here again a little excision is necessary; the reader already knows\n all about it.\n\nFootnote 343:\n\n Arab. \u201cHiss,\u201d prop. speaking a perception (as of sound or motion) as\n opposed to \u201cHadas,\u201d a surmise or opinion without proof.\n\nFootnote 344:\n\n Arab. \u201cSaw\u00edk,\u201d the old and modern name for native frumenty, green\n grain (mostly barley) toasted, pounded, mixed with dates or sugar and\n eaten on journeys when cooking is impracticable. M. C. de Perceval\n (iii. 54), gives it a different and now unknown name; and Mr. Lane\n also applies it to \u201cptisane.\u201d It named the \u201cDay of Sawaykah\u201d (for\n which see Pilgrimage ii. 19), called by our popular authors the \u201cWar\n of the Meal-sacks.\u201d\n\nFootnote 345:\n\n Mr. Keightley (H. 122\u201324 Tales and Popular Fictions, a book now\n somewhat obselete) remarks, \u201cThere is nothing said about the bridle in\n the account of the sale (_infra_), but I am sure that in the original\n tale, Badr\u2019s misfortunes must have been owing to his having parted\n with it. In Chaucer\u2019s Squier\u2019s Tale the bridle would also appear to\n have been of some importance.\u201d He quotes a story from the Notti\n Piacevoli of Straparola, the Milanese, published at Venice in 1550.\n And there is a popular story of the kind in Germany.\n\nFootnote 346:\n\n Here, for the first time we find the name of the mother who has often\n been mentioned in the story. Far\u00e1shah is the fem. or singular form of\n \u201cFar\u00e1sh,\u201d a butterfly, a moth. Lane notes that his Shaykh gives it the\n very unusual sense of \u201ca locust.\u201d\n\nFootnote 347:\n\n Punning upon Jauharah = \u201ca jewel\u201d a name which has an Hibernian smack.\n\nFootnote 348:\n\n In the old version \u201cAll the lovers of the Magic Queen resumed their\n pristine forms as soon as she ceased to live;\u201d moreover, they were all\n sons of kings, princes, or persons of high degree.\n\n\n\n\n KING MOHAMMED BIN SABAIK AND THE MERCHANT HASAN.\n\n\nThere was once, in days of yore and in ages and times long gone before,\na King of the Kings of the Persians, by name Mohammed bin Sab\u00e1ik, who\nruled over Khor\u00e1s\u00e1n-land and used every year to go on razzia into the\ncountries of the Miscreants in Hind and Sind and China and the lands of\nM\u00e1warannahr beyond the Oxus and other regions of the barbarians and what\nnot else. He was a just King, a valiant and a generous, and loved\ntable-talk[349] and tales and verses and anecdotes and histories and\nentertaining stories and legends of the ancients. Whoso knew a rare\nrecital and related it to him in such fashion as to please him he would\nbestow on him a sumptuous robe of honour and clothe him from head to\nfoot and give him a thousand dinars, and mount him on a horse saddled\nand bridled besides other great gifts; and the man would take all this\nand wend his way. Now it chanced that one day there came an old man\nbefore him and related to him a rare story, which pleased the King and\nmade him marvel, so he ordered him a magnificent present, amongst other\nthings a thousand dinars of Khorasan and a horse with its housings and\ntrappings. After this, the bruit of the King\u2019s munificence was blazed\nabroad in all countries and there heard of him a man, Hasan the Merchant\nhight, who was generous, open-handed and learned, a scholar and an\naccomplished poet. Now that King had an envious Wazir, a multum-in-parvo\nof ill, loving no man, rich nor poor, and whoso came before the King and\nhe gave him aught he envied him and said, \u201cVerily, this fashion\nannihilateth wealth and ruineth the land; and such is the custom of the\nKing.\u201d But this was naught save envy and despite in that Minister.\nPresently the King heard talk of Hasan the Merchant and sending for him,\nsaid to him as soon as he came into the presence, \u201cO Merchant Hasan,\nthis Wazir of mine vexeth and thwarteth me concerning the money I give\nto poets and boon-companions and story-tellers and glee-men, and I would\nhave thee tell me a goodly history and a rare story, such as I have\nnever before heard. An it please me, I will give thee lands galore, with\ntheir forts, in free tenure, in addition to thy fiefs and untaxed lands;\nbesides which I will put my whole kingdom in thy hands and make thee my\nChief Wazir; so shalt thou sit on my right hand and rule my subjects.\nBut, an thou bring me not that which I bid thee, I will take all that is\nin thy hand and banish thee my realm.\u201d Replied Hasan, \u201cHearkening and\nobedience to our lord the King! But thy slave beseecheth thee to have\npatience with him a year; than will he tell thee a tale, such as thou\nhast never in thy life heard, neither hath other than thou heard its\nlike, not to say a better than it.\u201d Quoth the King, \u201cI grant thee a\nwhole year\u2019s delay.\u201d And he called for a costly robe of honour wherein\nhe robed Hasan, saying, \u201cKeep thy house and mount not horse, neither go\nnor come for a year\u2019s time, till thou bring me that I seek of thee. An\nthou bring it, especial favour awaiteth thee and thou mayst count upon\nthat which I have promised thee; but, an thou bring it not, thou art not\nof us nor are we of thee.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and\nceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Fifty-seventh Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when King Mohammed\nson of Sabaik said to Hasan the Merchant, \u201cAn thou bring me that I seek\nof thee, especial favour awaiteth thee and thou mayest now rejoice in\nthat which I have promised thee; but, an thou bring it not, thou art not\nof us nor are we of thee.\u201d Hasan kissed ground before the King and went\nout from the presence. Then he chose five of the best of his Mamelukes,\nwho could all write and read and were learned, intelligent,\naccomplished; and he gave each of them five thousand dinars, saying, \u201cI\nreared you not save for the like of this day; so do ye help me to\nfurther the King\u2019s desire and deliver me from his hand.\u201d Quoth they,\n\u201cWhat wilt thou have us do? Our lives be thy ransom!\u201d Quoth he, \u201cI wish\nyou to go each to a different country and seek out diligently the\nlearned and erudite and literate and the tellers of wondrous stories and\nmarvellous histories and do your endeavour to procure me the story of\nSayf al-Mul\u00fak. If ye find it with any one, pay him what price soever he\nasketh for it although he demand a thousand dinars; give him what ye may\nand promise him the rest and bring me the story; for whoso happeneth on\nit and bringeth it to me, I will bestow on him a costly robe of honour\nand largesse galore, and there shall be to me none more worshipped than\nhe.\u201d Then said he to one of them, \u201cHie thou to Al-Hind and Al-Sind and\nall their provinces and dependencies.\u201d To another, \u201cHie thou to the home\nof the Persians and to China and her climates.\u201d To the third, \u201cHie thou\nto the land of Khorasan with its districts.\u201d To the fourth, \u201cHie thou to\nMauritania and all its regions, districts, provinces and quarters.\u201d And\nto the fifth, \u201cHie thou to Syria and Egypt and their outliers.\u201d\nMoreover, he chose them out an auspicious day and said to them, \u201cFare ye\nforth this day and be diligent in the accomplishment of my need and be\nnot slothful, though the case cost you your lives.\u201d So they farewelled\nhim and departed, each taking the direction prescribed to him. Now, four\nof them were absent four months, and searched but found nothing; so they\nreturned and told their master, whose breast was straitened, that they\nhad ransacked towns and cities and countries for the thing he sought,\nbut had happened upon naught thereof. Meanwhile, the fifth servant\njourneyed till he came to the land of Syria and entered Damascus, which\nhe found a pleasant city and a secure, abounding in trees and rills,\nleas and fruiteries and birds chanting the praises of Allah the One, the\nAll-powerful of sway, Creator of Night and Day. Here he tarried some\ntime, asking for his master\u2019s desire, but none answered him wherefore he\nwas on the point of departing thence to another place, when he met a\nyoung man running and stumbling over his skirts. So he asked to him,\n\u201cWherefore runnest thou in such eagerness and whither dost thou press?\u201d\nAnd he answered, \u201cThere is an elder here, a man of learning, who every\nday at this time taketh his seat on a stool[350] and relateth tales and\nstories and delectable anecdotes, whereof never heard any the like; and\nI am running to get me a place near him and fear I shall find no room,\nbecause of the much folk.\u201d Quoth the Mameluke, \u201cTake me with thee;\u201d and\nquoth the youth, \u201cMake haste in thy walking.\u201d So he shut his door and\nhastened with him to the place of recitation, where he saw an old man of\nbright favour seated on a stool holding forth to the folk. He sat down\nnear him and addressed himself to hear his story, till the going down of\nthe sun, when the old man made an end of his tale and the people, having\nheard it all, dispersed from about him; whereupon the Mameluke accosted\nhim and saluted him, and he returned his salam and greeted him with the\nutmost worship and courtesy. Then said the messenger to him, \u201cO my lord\nShaykh, thou art a comely and reverend man, and thy discourse is goodly;\nbut I would fain ask thee of somewhat.\u201d Replied the old man, \u201cAsk of\nwhat thou wilt!\u201d Then said the Mameluke, \u201cHast thou the story of Sayf\nal-Muluk and Bad\u00ed\u2019a al-Jam\u00e1l?\u201d Rejoined the elder, \u201cAnd who told thee of\nthis story and informed thee thereof?\u201d Answered the messenger, \u201cNone\ntold me of it, but I am come from a far country, in quest of this tale,\nand I will pay thee whatever thou askest for its price if thou have it\nand wilt, of thy bounty and charity, impart it to me and make it an alms\nto me, of the generosity of thy nature for, had I my life in my hand and\nlavished it upon thee for this thing, yet were it pleasing to my heart.\u201d\nReplied the old man, \u201cBe of good cheer and keep thine eye cool and\nclear: thou shalt have it; but this is no story that one telleth in the\nbeaten highway, nor do I give it to every one.\u201d Cried the other, \u201cBy\nAllah, O my lord, do not grudge it me, but ask of me what price thou\nwilt.\u201d And the old man, \u201cIf thou wish for the history give me an hundred\ndinars and thou shalt have it; but upon five conditions.\u201d Now when the\nMameluke knew that the old man had the story and was willing to sell it\nto him, he joyed with exceeding joy and said, \u201cI will give thee the\nhundred dinars by way of price and ten to boot as a gratuity and take it\non the conditions of which thou speakest.\u201d Said the old man, \u201cThen go\nand fetch the gold pieces, and take that thou seekest.\u201d So the messenger\nkissed his hands and joyful and happy returned to his lodging, where he\nlaid an hundred and ten dinars[351] in a purse he had by him. As soon as\nmorning morrowed, he donned his clothes and taking the dinars, repaired\nto the story-teller, whom he found seated at the door of his house. So\nhe saluted him and the other returned his salam. Then he gave him the\ngold and the old man took it and carrying the messenger into his house\nmade him sit down in a convenient place, when he set before him inkcase\nand reed-pen and paper and giving him a book, said to him, \u201cWrite out\nwhat thou seekest of the night-story[352] of Sayf al-Muluk from this\nbook.\u201d Accordingly the Mameluke fell to work and wrote till he had made\nan end of his copy, when he read it to the old man, and he corrected it\nand presently said to him, \u201cKnow, O my son, that my five conditions are\nas follows; firstly, that thou tell not this story in the beaten high\nroad nor before women and slave-girls nor to black slaves nor\nfeather-heads; nor again to boys; but read it only before Kings and\nEmirs and Wazirs and men of learning, such as expounders of the Koran\nand others.\u201d Thereupon the messenger accepted the conditions and kissing\nthe old man\u2019s hand, took leave of him, and fared forth.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad\nperceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Fifty-eighth Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the\nMameluke of Hasan the Merchant had copied the tale out of the book\nbelonging to the old man of Damascus, and had accepted his conditions\nand farewelled him, he fared forth on the same day, glad and joyful, and\njourneyed on diligently, of the excess of his contentment, for that he\nhad gotten the story of Sayf al-Muluk, till he came to his own country,\nwhen he despatched his servant to bear the good news to his master and\nsay to him, \u201cThy Mameluke is come back in safety and hath won his will\nand his aim.\u201d (Now of the term appointed between Hasan and the King\nthere wanted but ten days.) Then, after taking rest in his own quarters\nhe himself went in to the Merchant and told him all that had befallen\nhim and gave him the book containing the story of Sayf al-Muluk and\nBadi\u2019a al-Jamal, when Hasan joyed with exceeding joy at the sight and\nbestowed on him all the clothes he had on and gave him ten thoroughbred\nhorses and the like number of camels and mules and three negro chattels\nand two white slaves. Then Hasan took the book and copied out the story\nplainly in his own hand; after which he presented himself before the\nKing and said to him, \u201cO thou auspicious King, I have brought thee a\nnight-story and a rarely pleasant relation, whose like none ever heard\nat all.\u201d When these words reached the King\u2019s ear, he sent forthright for\nall the Emirs, who were men of understanding, and all the learned\ndoctors and folk of erudition and culture and poets and wits; and Hasan\nsat down and read the history before the King, who marvelled thereat and\napproved it, as did all who were present, and they showered gold and\nsilver and jewels upon the Merchant. Moreover, the King bestowed on him\na costly robe of honour of the richest of his raiment and gave him a\ngreat city with its castles and outliers; and he appointed him one of\nhis Chief Wazirs and seated him on his right hand. Then he caused the\nscribes write the story in letters of gold and lay it up in his privy\ntreasures; and whenever his breast was straitened, he would summon Hasan\nand he would read him the story,[353] which was as follows:\u2014\n\n\n _STORY OF PRINCE SAYF AL-MULUK AND THE PRINCESS BADI\u2019A AL-JAMAL._\n\nThere was once, in days of old and in ages and times long told, a King\nin Egypt called Asim bin Safw\u00e1n,[354] who was a liberal and beneficent\nsovran, venerable and majestic. He owned many cities and sconces and\nfortresses and troops and warriors and had a Wazir named F\u00e1ris bin\nS\u00e1lih,[355] and he and all his subjects worshipped the sun and the fire,\ninstead of the All-powerful Sire, the Glorious, the Victorious. Now this\nKing was become a very old man, weakened and wasted with age and\nsickness and decrepitude; for he had lived an hundred and fourscore\nyears and had no child, male or female, by reason whereof he was ever in\ncark and care from morning to night and from night to morn. It so\nhappened that one day of the days, he was sitting on the throne of his\nKingship, with his Emirs and Wazirs and Captains and Grandees in\nattendance on him, according to their custom, in their several stations,\nand whenever there came in an Emir, who had with him a son or two sons,\nor haply three who stood at the sides of their sires the King envied him\nand said in himself, \u201cEvery one of these is happy and rejoiceth in his\nchildren, whilst I, I have no child, and to-morrow I die and leave my\nreign and throne and lands and hoards, and strangers will take them and\nnone will bear me in memory nor will there remain any mention of me in\nthe world.\u201d Then he became drowned in the sea of thought and for the\nmuch thronging of griefs and anxieties upon his heart, like travellers\nfaring for the well, he shed tears and descending from his throne, sat\ndown upon the floor,[356] weeping and humbling himself before the Lord.\nNow when the Wazir and notables of the realm and others who were present\nin the assembly saw him do thus with his royal person, they feared for\ntheir lives and let the poursuivants cry aloud to the lieges, saying,\n\u201cHie ye to your homes and rest till the King recover from what aileth\nhim.\u201d So they went away, leaving none in the presence save the Minister\nwho, as soon as the King came to himself, kissed ground between his\nhands and said, \u201cO King of the Age and the time, wherefore this weeping\nand wailing? Tell me who hath transgressed against thee of the Kings or\nCastellans or Emirs or Grandees, and inform me who hath thwarted thee, O\nmy liege lord, that we may all fall on him and tear his soul from his\ntwo sides.\u201d But he spake not neither raised his head; whereupon the\nMinister kissed ground before him a second time and said to him, \u201cO\nMaster,[357] I am even as thy son and thy slave, nay, I have reared\nthee; yet know I not the cause of thy cark and chagrin and of this thy\ncase; and who should know but I who should stand in my stead between thy\nhands? Tell me therefore why this weeping and wherefore thine\naffliction.\u201d Nevertheless, the King neither opened his mouth nor raised\nhis head, but ceased not to weep and cry with a loud crying and lament\nwith exceeding lamentation and ejaculate, \u201cAlas!\u201d The Wazir took\npatience with him awhile, after which he said to him, \u201cExcept thou tell\nme the cause of this thine affliction, I will set this sword to my heart\nand will slay myself before thine eyes, rather than see thee thus\ndistressed.\u201d Then King Asim raised his head and, wiping away his tears,\nsaid, \u201cO Minister of good counsel and experience, leave me to my care\nand my chagrin, for that which is in my heart of sorrow sufficeth me.\u201d\nBut Faris said, \u201cTell me, O King, the cause of this thy weeping, haply\nAllah will appoint thee relief at my hands.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived\nthe dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Fifty-ninth Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wazir said\nto King Asim, \u201cTell me the cause of this thy weeping: haply Allah shall\nappoint thee relief at my hands.\u201d Replied the King, \u201cO Wazir, I weep not\nfor monies nor horses nor kingdoms nor aught else, but that I am become\nan old man, yea, very old nigh upon an hundred and fourscore years of\nage, and I have not been blessed with a child, male or female: so, when\nI die, they will bury me and my trace will be effaced and my name cut\noff; the stranger will take my throne and reign and none will ever make\nmention of my being.\u201d Rejoined the Minister Faris, \u201cO King of the Age, I\nam older than thou by an hundred years yet have I never been blest with\nboon of child and cease not day and night from cark and care and\nconcern; so how shall we do, I and thou?\u201d Quoth Asim, \u201cO Wazir, hast\nthou no device or shift in this matter?\u201d and quoth the Minister, \u201cKnow,\nO King that I have heard of a Sovran in the land of Sab\u00e1[358] by name\nSolomon David-son (upon the twain be the Peace!),[359] who pretendeth to\nprophetship and avoucheth that he hath a mighty Lord who can do all\nthings and whose kingdom is in the Heavens and who hath dominion over\nall mankind and birds and beasts and over the wind and the Jinn.\nMoreover, he kenneth the speech of birds and the language of every other\ncreated thing; and withal, he calleth all creatures to the worship of\nhis Lord and discourseth to them of their service. So let us send him a\nmessenger in the King\u2019s name and seek of him our need, beseeching him to\nput up prayer to his Lord, that He vouchsafe each of us boon of issue.\nIf his Faith be soothfast and his Lord Omnipotent, He will assuredly\nbless each of us with a child male or female, and if the thing thus fall\nout, we will enter his faith and worship his Lord; else will we take\npatience and devise us another device.\u201d The King cried, \u201cThis is well\nseen, and my breast is broadened by this thy speech; but where shall we\nfind a messenger befitting this grave matter, for that this Solomon is\nno Kinglet and the approaching him is no light affair? Indeed, I will\nsend him none, on the like of this matter, save thyself; for thou art\nancient and versed in all manner affairs and the like of thee is the\nlike of myself; wherefore I desire that thou weary thyself and journey\nto him and occupy thyself sedulously with accomplishing this matter, so\nhaply solace may be at thy hand.\u201d The Minister said, \u201cI hear and I obey;\nbut rise thou forthwith and seat thee upon the throne, so the Emirs and\nLords of the realm and officers and the lieges may enter applying\nthemselves to thy service, according to their custom; for they all went\naway from thee, troubled at heart on thine account. Then will I go out\nand set forth on the Sovran\u2019s errand.\u201d So the King arose forthright and\nsat down on the throne of his kingship, whilst the Wazir went out and\nsaid to the Chamberlain, \u201cBid the folk proceed to their service, as of\ntheir wont.\u201d Accordingly the troops and Captains and Lords of the land\nentered, after they had spread the tables and ate and drank and withdrew\nas was their wont, after which the Wazir Faris went forth from King Asim\nand, repairing to his own house, equipped himself for travel and\nreturned to the King, who opened to him the treasuries and provided him\nwith rarities and things of price and rich stuffs and gear without\ncompare, such as nor Emir nor Wazir hath power to possess. Moreover,\nKing Asim charged him to accost Solomon with reverence, foregoing him\nwith the salam but not exceeding in speech; \u201cand (continued he) then do\nthou ask of him thy need, and if he say \u2019tis granted, return to us in\nhaste, for I shall be awaiting thee.\u201d Accordingly, the Minister kissed\nhands and took the presents and setting out, fared on night and day,\ntill he came within fifteen days\u2019 journey of Saba. Meanwhile Allah\n(extolled and exalted be He!) inspired Solomon the son of David (the\nPeace be upon both!) and said to him, \u201cO Solomon, the King of Egypt\nsendeth unto thee his Chief Wazir, with a present of rarities and such\nand such things of price; so do thou also despatch thy Counsellor Asaf\nbin Barkhiy\u00e1 to meet him with honour and with victual at the\nhalting-places; and when he cometh to thy presence, say unto\nhim:\u2014Verily, thy King hath sent thee in quest of this and that and thy\nbusiness is thus and thus. Then do thou propound to him The Saving\nFaith.\u201d[360] Whereupon Solomon bade his Wazir make ready a company of\nhis retainers and go forth to meet the Minister of Egypt with honour and\nsumptuous provision at the halting-places. So Asaf made ready all that\nwas needed for their entertainment and setting out, fared on till he\nfell in with Faris and accosted him with the salam, honouring him and\nhis company with exceeding honour. Moreover, he brought them provaunt\nand provender at the halting-places and said to them, \u201cWell come and\nwelcome and fair welcome to the coming guests! Rejoice in the certain\nwinning of your wish! Be your souls of good cheer and your eyes cool and\nclear and your breasts be broadened!\u201d Quoth Faris in himself, \u201cWho\nacquainted him with this?\u201d; and he said to Asaf,[361] \u201cO my lord, and\nwho gave thee to know of us and our need?\u201d \u201cIt was Solomon son of David\n(on whom be the Peace!), told us of this!\u201d \u201cAnd who told our lord\nSolomon?\u201d \u201cThe Lord of the heaven and the earth told him, the God of all\ncreatures!\u201d \u201cThis is none other than a mighty God!\u201d \u201cAnd do ye not\nworship him?\u201d \u201cWe worship the Sun, and prostrate ourselves thereto.\u201d \u201cO\nWazir Faris, the sun is but a star of the stars created by Allah\n(extolled and exalted be He!), and Allah forbid that it should be a\nLord! Because whiles it riseth and whiles it setteth, but our Lord is\never present and never absent and He over all things is Omnipotent!\u201d\nThen they journeyed on a little while till they came to the land Saba\nand drew near the throne of Solomon David-son, (upon the twain be\npeace!), who commanded his hosts of men and Jinn and others[362] to form\nline on their road. So the beasts of the sea and the elephants and\nleopards and lynxes and all beasts of the land ranged themselves in\nespalier on either side of the way, after their several kinds, and\nsimilarly the Jinn drew out in two ranks, appearing all to mortal eyes\nwithout concealment, in divers forms grisly and gruesome. So they lined\nthe road on either hand, and the birds bespread their wings over the\nhost of creatures to shade them, warbling one to other in all manner of\nvoices and tongues. Now when the people of Egypt came to this terrible\narray, they dreaded it and durst not proceed; but Asaf said to them,\n\u201cPass on amidst them and walk forward and fear them not: for they are\nslaves of Solomon son of David, and none of them will harm you.\u201d So\nsaying, he entered between the ranks, followed by all the folk and\namongst them the Wazir of Egypt and his company, fearful: and they\nceased not faring forwards till they reached the city, where they lodged\nthe embassy in the guest-house and for the space of three days\nentertained them sumptuously entreating them with the utmost honour.\nThen they carried them before Solomon, prophet of Allah (on whom be the\nPeace!), and when entering they would have kissed the earth before him;\nbut he forbade them, saying, \u201cIt besitteth not a man prostrate himself\nto earth save before Allah (to whom belong Might and Majesty!), Creator\nof Earth and Heaven and all other things; wherefore, whosoever of you\nhath a mind to sit let him be seated in my service, or to stand, let him\nstand, but let none stand to do me worship.\u201d So they obeyed him and the\nWazir Faris and some of his intimates sat down, whilst certain of the\nlesser sort remained afoot to wait on him. When they had sat awhile, the\nservants spread the tables and they all, men and beasts, ate their\nsufficiency.[363] Then Solomon bade Faris expound his errand, that it\nmight be accomplished, saying, \u201cSpeak and hide naught of that wherefor\nthou art come; for I know why ye come and what is your errand, which is\nthus and thus.\u201d The King of Egypt who despatched thee, Asim hight, hath\nbecome a very old man, infirm, decrepit; and Allah (whose name be\nexalted!) hath not blessed him with offspring, male or female. So he\nabode in cark and care and chagrin from morn to night and from night to\nmorn. It so happened that one day of the days as he sat upon the throne\nof his kingship with his Emirs and Wazirs, and Captains and Grandees in\nattendance on him, he saw some of them with two sons, others with one\nand others with even three who came with their sire to do him service.\nSo he said in himself, of the excess of his sorrow, \u201cWho shall get my\nkingdom after my death? Will any save a stranger take it? And thus shall\nI pass out of being as though I had never been!\u201d On this account he\nbecame drowned in the sea of thought, until his eyes were flooded with\ntears and he covered his face with his kerchief and wept with sore\nweeping. Then he rose from off his throne and sat down upon the floor\nwailing and lamenting and none knew what was in heart as he grovelled in\nthe ground save Allah Almighty.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day\nand ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Sixtieth Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Solomon\nDavid-son (upon both of whom be peace!) after disclosing to the Wazir\nFaris that which had passed between himself and his master, King Asim,\nsaid to him, \u201cIs this that I have told thee the truth, O Wazir?\u201d Replied\nFaris, \u201cO prophet of Allah, this thou hast said is indeed sooth and\nverity; but when we discoursed of this matter, none was with the King\nand myself, nor was any ware of our case; who, then told thee of all\nthese things?\u201d Answered Solomon, \u201cThey were told to me by my Lord who\nknoweth whatso is concealed[364] from the eye and what is hidden in the\nbreasts.\u201d Quoth Faris, \u201cO Prophet of Allah, verily this is none other\nthan a mighty Lord and an omnipotent God!\u201d And he Islamized with all his\nmany. Then said Solomon to him, \u201cThou hast with thee such and such\npresents and rarities;\u201d and Faris replied \u201cYes.\u201d The prophet continued,\n\u201cI accept them all and give them in free gift unto thee. So do ye rest,\nthou and thy company, in the place where you have been lodging, till the\nfatigue of the journey shall cease from you; and to-morrow, Inshallah!\nthine errand shall be accomplished to the uttermost, if it be the will\nof Allah the Most High, Lord of heaven and earth and the light which\nfolloweth the gloom; Creator of all creatures.\u201d So Faris returned to his\nquarters and passed the night in deep thought. But when morning morrowed\nhe presented himself before the Lord Solomon, who said to him, \u201cWhen\nthou returnest to King Asim bin Safwan and you twain are reunited, do ye\nboth go forth some day armed with bow, bolts and brand, and fare to such\na place, where ye shall find a certain tree. Mount upon it and sit\nsilent until the mid-hour between noon-prayer and that of mid-afternoon,\nwhen the noontide heat hath cooled; then descend and look at the foot of\nthe tree, whence ye will see two serpents come forth, one with a head\nlike an ape\u2019s and the other with a head like an Ifrit\u2019s. Shoot them ye\ntwain with bolts and kill them both; then cut off a span\u2019s length from\ntheir heads and the like from their tails and throw it away. The rest of\nthe flesh cook and cook well and give it to your wives to eat: then lie\nwith them that night and, by Allah\u2019s leave, they shall conceive and bear\nmale children.\u201d Moreover, he gave him a seal-ring a sword and a wrapper\ncontaining two tunics[365] embroidered with gold and jewels, saying, \u201cO\nWazir Faris, when your sons grow up to man\u2019s estate, give to each of\nthem one of these tunics.\u201d Then said he, \u201cIn the name of Allah! May the\nAlmighty accomplish your desire! And now nothing remaineth for thee but\nto depart, relying on the blessing of the Lord the Most High, for the\nKing looketh for thy return night and day and his eye is ever gazing on\nthe road.\u201d So the Wazir advanced to the prophet Solomon son of David\n(upon both of whom be the Peace!) and farewelled him and fared forth\nfrom him after kissing his hands. Rejoicing in the accomplishment of his\nerrand he travelled on with all diligence night and day, and ceased not\nwayfaring till he drew near to Cairo, when he despatched one of his\nservants to acquaint King Asim with his approach and the successful\nissue of his journey; which when the King heard he joyed with exceeding\njoy, he and his Grandees and Officers and troops especially in the\nWazir\u2019s safe return. When they met, the Minister dismounted and, kissing\nground before the King, gave him the glad news anent the winning of his\nwish in fullest fashion; after which he expounded the True Faith to him,\nand the King and all his people embraced Al-Islam with much joy and\ngladness. Then said Asim to his Wazir, \u201cGo home and rest this night and\na week to boot; then go to the Hammam-bath and come to me, that I may\ninform thee of what we shall have to consider.\u201d So Faris kissed ground\nand withdrew, with his suite, pages and eunuchs, to his house, where he\nrested eight days; after which he repaired to the King and related to\nhim all that had passed between Solomon and himself, adding, \u201cDo thou\nrise and go forth with me alone.\u201d Then the King and the Minister took\ntwo bows and two bolts and repairing to the tree indicated by Solomon,\nclomb up into it and there sat in silence till the mid-day heat had\npassed away and it was near upon the hour of mid-afternoon prayer, when\nthey descended and looking about them saw a serpent-couple[366] issue\nfrom the roots of the tree. The King gazed at them, marvelling to see\nthem ringed with collars of gold about their necks, and said to Faris,\n\u201cO Wazir, verily these snakes have golden torques! By Allah, this is\nforsooth a rare thing! Let us catch them and set them in a cage and keep\nthem to look upon.\u201d But the Minister said, \u201cThese hath Allah created for\nprofitable use;[367] so do thou shoot one and I will shoot the other\nwith these our shafts.\u201d Accordingly they shot at them with arrows and\nslew them; after which they cut off a span\u2019s length of their heads and\ntails and threw it away. Then they carried the rest to the King\u2019s\npalace, where they called the kitchener and giving him that flesh said,\n\u201cDress this meat daintily, with onion-sauce[368] and spices, and ladle\nit out into two saucers and bring them hither at such an hour, without\ndelay!\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her\npermitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Sixty-first Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the King and\nthe Wazir gave the serpents\u2019 flesh to the kitchener, saying, \u201cCook it\nand ladle it out into two saucers and bring them hither without delay!\u201d;\nthe cook took the meat and went with it to the kitchen, where he cooked\nit and dressed it in skilful fashion with a mighty fine onion-sauce and\nhot spices; after which he ladled it out into two saucers and set them\nbefore the King and the Wazir, who took each a dish and gave their wives\nto eat of the meat. Then they went in that night unto them and knew them\ncarnally, and by the good pleasure of Allah (extolled and exalted be\nHe!) and His all-might and furtherance, they both conceived on one and\nthe same night. The King abode three months, troubled in mind and saying\nin himself, \u201cI wonder whether this thing will prove true or untrue\u201d;\ntill one day, as the lady his Queen was sitting, the child stirred in\nher womb and she felt a pain and her colour changed. So she knew that\nshe was with child and calling the chief of her eunuchs, gave him this\ncommand, \u201cGo to the King, wherever he may be and congratulate him\nsaying:\u2014O King of the Age, I bring thee the glad tidings that our lady\u2019s\npregnancy is become manifest, for the child stirreth in her womb.\u201d So\nthe eunuch went out in haste, rejoicing, and finding the King alone,\nwith cheek on palm, pondering this thing, kissed ground between his\nhands and acquainted him with his wife\u2019s pregnancy. When the King heard\nhis words, he sprang to his feet and in the excess of his joy, he\nkissed[369] the eunuch\u2019s hands and head and doffing the clothes he had\non, gave them to him. Moreover, he said to those who were present in his\nassembly, \u201cWhoso loveth me, let him bestow largesse upon this man.\u201d[370]\nAnd they gave him of coin and jewels and jacinths and horses and mules\nand estates and gardens what was beyond count or calculation. At that\nmoment in came the Wazir Faris and said to Asim, \u201cO my master, but now I\nwas sitting alone at home and absorbed in thought, pondering the matter\nof the pregnancy and saying to myself:\u2014Would I wot an this thing be true\nand whether my wife Kh\u00e1t\u00fan[371] have conceived or not! when, behold, an\neunuch came in to me and brought me the glad tidings that his lady was\nindeed pregnant, for that her colour was changed and the child stirred\nin her womb; whereupon, in my joy, I doffed all the clothes I had on and\ngave them to him, together with a thousand dinars, and made him Chief of\nthe Eunuchs.\u201d Rejoined the King, \u201cO Minister, Allah (extolled and\nexalted be He!) hath, of His grace and bounty and goodness, and\nbeneficence, made gift to us of the True Faith and brought us out of\nnight into light, and hath been bountiful to us, of His favour and\nbenevolence; wherefore I am minded to solace the folk and cause them to\nrejoice.\u201d Quoth Faris, \u201cDo what thou wilt,\u201d[372] and quoth the King, \u201cO\nWazir, go down without stay or delay and set free all who are in the\nprisons, both criminals and debtors, and whoso transgresseth after this,\nwe will requite as he deserveth even to the striking off of his head.\nMoreover, we forgive the people three years\u2019 taxes, and do thou set up\nkitchens all around about the city walls[373] and bid the kitcheners\nhang over the fire all kinds of cooking pots and cook all manner of\nmeats, continuing their cooking night and day, and let all comers, both\nof our citizens and of the neighbouring countries, far and near, eat and\ndrink and carry to their houses. And do thou command the people to make\nholiday and decorate the city seven days and shut not the taverns night\nnor day;[374] and if thou delay I will behead thee!\u201d[375] So he did as\nthe King bade him and the folk decorated the city and citadel and\nbulwarks after the goodliest fashion and, donning their richest attire,\npassed their time in feasting and sporting and making merry, till the\ndays of the Queen\u2019s pregnancy were accomplished and she was taken, one\nnight, with labour pains hard before dawn. Then the King bade summon all\nthe Olema and astronomers, mathematicians and men of learning,\nastrologers, scientists and scribes in the city, and they assembled and\nsat awaiting the throwing of a bead into the cup[376] which was to be\nthe signal to the Astrophils, as well as to the nurses and attendants,\nthat the child was born. Presently, as they sat in expectation, the\nQueen gave birth to a boy like a slice of the moon when fullest and the\nastrologers fell to calculating and noted his star and nativity and drew\nhis horoscope. Then, on being summoned they rose and, kissing the earth\nbefore the King, gave him the glad tidings, saying, \u201cIn very sooth the\nnew-born child is of happy augury and born under an auspicious aspect,\nbut\u201d they added, \u201cin the first of his life there will befall him a thing\nwhich we fear to name before the King.\u201d Quoth Asim, \u201cSpeak and fear\nnot;\u201d so quoth they, \u201cO King, this boy will fare forth from this land\nand journey in strangerhood and suffer shipwreck and hardship and\nprisonment and distress, and indeed he hath before him the sorest of\nsufferings; but he shall free him of them in the end, and win to his\nwish and live the happiest of lives the rest of his days, ruling over\nsubjects with a strong hand and having dominion in the land, despite\nenemies and enviers.\u201d Now when the King heard the astrologers\u2019 words, he\nsaid, \u201cThe matter is a mystery; but all that Allah Almighty hath written\nfor the creature of good and bad cometh to pass and needs must betide\nhim from this day to that a thousand solaces.\u201d So he paid no heed to\ntheir words or attention to their speeches but bestowed on them robes of\nhonour, as well upon all who were present, and dismissed them; when,\nbehold, in came Faris the Wazir and kissed the earth before the King in\nhuge joy, saying, \u201cGood tidings, O King! My wife hath but now given\nbirth to a son, as he were a slice of the moon.\u201d Replied Asim, \u201cO Wazir,\ngo, bring thy wife and child hither, that she may abide with my wife in\nmy palace, and they shall bring up the two boys together.\u201d So Faris\nfetched his wife and son and they committed the two children to the\nnurses wet and dry. And after seven days had passed over them, they\nbrought them before the King and said to him, \u201cWhat wilt thou name the\ntwain?\u201d Quoth he, \u201cDo ye name them;\u201d but quoth they, \u201cNone nameth the\nson save his sire.\u201d So he said, \u201cName my son Sayf al-Muluk, after my\ngrandfather, and the Minister\u2019s son S\u00e1i\u2019d.\u201d[377] Then he bestowed robes\nof honour on the nurses wet and dry and said to them, \u201cBe ye ruthful\nover them and rear them after the goodliest fashion.\u201d So they brought up\nthe two boys diligently till they reached the age of five, when the King\ncommitted them to a doctor of Sciences[378] who taught them to read the\nKoran and write. When they were ten years old, King Asim gave them in\ncharge to masters, who instructed them in cavalarice and shooting with\nshafts and lunging with lance and play of Polo and the like till, by the\ntime they were fifteen years old, they were clever in all manner of\nmartial exercises, nor was there one to vie with them in horsemanship,\nfor each of them would do battle with a thousand men and make head\nagainst them single handed. So when they came to years of discretion,\nwhenever King Asim looked on them he joyed in them with exceeding joy;\nand when they attained their twenty-fifth year, he took Faris his\nMinister apart one day and said to him, \u201cO Wazir, I am minded to consult\nwith thee concerning a thing I desire to do.\u201d Replied he, \u201cWhatever thou\nhast a mind to do, do it; for thy judgment is blessed.\u201d Quoth the King,\n\u201cO Wazir, I am become a very old and decrepit man, sore stricken in\nyears, and I desire to take up my abode in an oratory, that I may\nworship Allah Almighty and give my kingdom and Sultanate to my son Sayf\nal-Muluk for that he is grown a goodly youth, perfect in knightly\nexercises and intellectual attainments, polite letters and gravity,\ndignity and the art of government. What sayst thou, O Minister, of this\nproject?\u201d And quoth the counsellor, \u201cRight indeed is thy rede: the idea\nis a blessed and a fortunate, and if thou do this, I will do the like\nand my son Sa\u2019id shall be the Prince\u2019s Wazir, for he is a comely young\nman and complete in knowledge and judgment. Thus will the two youths be\ntogether, and we will order their affair and neglect not their case, but\nguide them to goodness and in the way that is straight.\u201d Quoth the King,\n\u201cWrite letters and send them by couriers to all the countries and cities\nand sconces and fortresses that be under our hands, bidding their chiefs\nbe present on such a day at the Horse-course of the Elephant.\u201d[379] So\nthe Wazir went out without stay or delay and despatched letters of this\npurport to all the deputies and governors of fortresses and others under\nKing Asim; and he commanded also that all in the city should be present\nfar and near, high and low. When the appointed time drew nigh, King Asim\nbade the tent-pitchers plant pavilions in the midst of the Champ-de-Mars\nand decorate them after the most sumptuous fashion and set up the great\nthrone whereon he sat not but on festivals. And they at once did his\nbidding. Then he and all his Nabobs and Chamberlains and Emirs sallied\nforth, and he commanded proclamation be made to the people, saying, \u201cIn\nthe name of Allah, come forth to the Mayd\u00e1n!\u201d So all the Emirs and\nWazirs and Governors of provinces and Feudatories[380] came forth to the\nplace of assembly and, entering the royal pavilion, addressed themselves\nto the service of the King as was their wont, and abode in their several\nstations some sitting and others standing, till all the people were\ngathered together, when the King bade spread the tables and they ate and\ndrank and prayed for him. Then he commanded the Chamberlains[381] to\nproclaim to the people that they should not depart: so they made\nproclamation to them, saying, \u201cLet none of you fare hence till he have\nheard the King\u2019s words!\u201d So they withdrew the curtains of the royal\npavilion and the King said, \u201cWhoso loveth me, let him remain till he\nhave heard my speech!\u201d Whereupon all the folk sat down in mind tranquil\nafter they had been fearful, saying, \u201cWherefore have we been summoned by\nthe King?\u201d Then the Sovran rose to his feet, and making them swear that\nnone would stir from his stead, said to them, \u201cO ye Emirs and Wazirs and\nLords of the land; the great and the small of you, and all ye who are\npresent of the people; say me, wot ye not that this kingdom was an\ninheritance to me from my fathers and forefathers?\u201d Answered they, \u201cYes,\nO King we all know that.\u201d And he continued, \u201cI and you, we all\nworshipped the sun and moon, till Allah (extolled and exalted be He!)\nvouchsafed us the knowledge of the True Faith and brought us out of\ndarkness unto light, and directed us to the religion of Al-Islam. Know\nthat I am become a very old man, feeble and decrepit, and I desire to\ntake up my abode in a hermitage[382] there to worship Allah Almighty and\ncrave His pardon for past offences and make this my son Sayf al-Muluk\nruler. Ye know full well that he is a comely youth, eloquent, liberal,\nlearned, versed in affairs, intelligent, equitable; wherefore I am\nminded presently to resign to him my realm and to make him ruler over\nyou and seat him as Sultan in my stead, whilst I give myself to solitude\nand to the worship of Allah in an oratory and my son and heir shall\njudge between you. What say ye then, all of you?\u201d Thereupon they all\nrose and kissing ground before him, made answer with \u201cHearing and\nobedience,\u201d saying, \u201cO our King and our defender an thou should set over\nus one of thy blackamoor slaves we would obey him and hearken to thy\nword and accept thy command: how much more then with thy son Sayf\nal-Muluk? Indeed, we accept of him and approve him on our eyes and\nheads!\u201d So King Asim bin Safwan arose and came down from his seat and\nseating his son on the great throne,[383] took the crown from his own\nhead and set it on the head of Sayf al-Muluk and girt his middle with\nthe royal girdle.[384] Then he sat down beside his son on the throne of\nhis kingship, whilst the Emirs and Wazirs and Lords of the land and all\nthe rest of the folk rose and kissed ground before him, saying, \u201cIndeed,\nhe is worthy of the kingship and hath better right to it than any\nother.\u201d Then the Chamberlains made proclamation crying, \u201cAm\u00e1n! Am\u00e1n!\nSafety! Safety!\u201d and offered up prayers for his victory and prosperity.\nAnd Sayf al-Muluk scattered gold and silver on the heads of the lieges\none and all.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say\nher permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Sixty-second Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when King Asim\nseated his son, Sayf al-Muluk, upon the throne and all the people prayed\nfor his victory and prosperity, the youth scattered gold and silver on\nthe heads of the lieges, one and all, and conferred robes of honour and\ngave gifts and largesse. Then, after a moment, the Wazir Faris arose and\nkissing ground said, \u201cO Emirs, O Grandees, ye ken that I am Wazir and\nthat my Wazirate dateth from old, before the accession of King Asim bin\nSafwan, who hath now divested himself of the Kingship and made his son\nKing in his stead?\u201d Answered they, \u201cYes, we know that thy Wazirate is\nfrom sire after grandsire.\u201d He continued, \u201cAnd now in my turn I divest\nmyself of office and invest this my son Sa\u2019id, for he is intelligent,\nquick-witted, sagacious. What say ye all?\u201d And they replied, \u201cNone is\nworthy to be Wazir to King Sayf al-Muluk but thy son Sa\u2019id, and they\nbefit each other.\u201d With this Faris arose and taking off his Wazirial\nturband, set it on his son\u2019s head and eke laid his ink-case of office\nbefore him, whilst the Chamberlains and the Emirs said, \u201cIndeed, he is\ndeserving of the Wazirship\u201d and the Heralds cried aloud, \u201cMub\u00e1rak!\nMub\u00e1rak!\u2014Felix sit et faustus!\u201d After this, King Asim and Faris the\nMinister arose and, opening the royal treasuries, conferred magnificent\nrobes of honour on all the Viceroys and Emirs and Wazirs and Lords of\nthe land and other folk and gave salaries and benefactions and wrote\nthem new mandates and diplomas with the signatures of King Sayf al-Muluk\nand his Wazir Sa\u2019id. Moreover, he made distribution of money to the\nmen-at-arms and gave guerdons, and the provincials abode in the city a\nfull week ere they departed each to his own country and place. Then King\nAsim carried his son and his Wazir Sa\u2019id back to the palace which was in\nthe city and bade the treasurer bring the seal-ring and signet,[385]\nsword and wrapper; which being done, he said to the two young men, \u201cO my\nsons, come hither and let each of you choose two of these things and\ntake them.\u201d The first to make choice was Sayf al-Muluk, who put out his\nhand and took the ring and the wrapper, whilst Sa\u2019id took the sword and\nthe signet; after which they both kissed the King\u2019s hands and went away\nto their lodging. Now Sayf al-Muluk opened not the wrapper to see what\nwas therein, but threw it on the couch where he and Sa\u2019id slept by\nnight, for it was their habit to lie together. Presently they spread\nthem the bed and the two lay down with a pair of wax candles burning\nover them, and slept till midnight, when Sayf al-Muluk awoke and, seeing\nthe bundle at his head, said in his mind, \u201cI wonder what thing of price\nis in this wrapper my father gave me!\u201d So he took it together with a\ncandle and descended from the couch leaving Sa\u2019id sleeping and carried\nthe bundle into a closet, where he opened it and found within a tunic of\nthe fabric of the J\u00e1nn. He spread it out and saw on the lining[386] of\nthe back, the portraiture wroughten in gold of a girl and marvellous was\nher loveliness; and no sooner had he set eyes on the figure than his\nreason fled his head and he became Jinn-mad for love thereof, so that he\nfell down in a swoon and presently recovering, began to weep and lament,\nbeating his face and breast and kissing her. And he recited these\nverses:\u2014\n\n Love, at the first, is a spurt of spray[387] \u273f Which Doom disposes and\n Fates display;\n Till, when deep diveth youth in passion-sea \u273f Unbearable sorrows his\n soul waylay.\n\nAnd also these two couplets:\u2014\n\n Had I known of love in what fashion he \u273f Robbeth heart and soul I had\n guarded me:\n But of malice prepense I threw self away, \u273f Unwitting of Love what his\n nature be.\n\nAnd Sayf al-Muluk ceased not to weep and wail and beat face and breast,\ntill Sa\u2019id awoke and missing him from the bed and seeing but a single\ncandle, said to himself, \u201cWhither is Sayf al-Muluk gone?\u201d Then he took\nthe other candle and went round about the palace, till he came upon the\ncloset where he saw the Prince lying at full length, weeping with sore\nweeping and lamenting aloud. So he said to him, \u201cO my brother, for what\ncause are these tears and what hath befallen thee? Speak to me and tell\nme the reason thereof.\u201d But Sayf al-Muluk spoke not neither raised his\nhead and continued to weep and wail and beat hand on breast. Seeing him\nin this case quoth Sa\u2019id, \u201cI am thy Wazir and thy brother, and we were\nreared together, I and thou; so an thou do not unburden thy breast and\ndiscover thy secret to me, to whom shalt thou reveal it and disclose its\ncause?\u201d And he went on to humble himself and kiss the ground before him\na full hour, whilst Sayf al-Muluk paid no heed to him nor answered him a\nword, but gave not over weeping. At last, being affrighted at his case\nand weary of striving with him, he went out and fetched a sword, with\nwhich he returned to the closet, and setting the point to his own\nbreast, said to the Prince, \u201cRouse thee, O my brother! An thou tell me\nnot what aileth thee, I will slay myself and see thee no longer in this\ncase.\u201d Whereupon Sayf al-Muluk raised his head towards the Wazir and\nanswered him, \u201cO my brother, I am ashamed to tell thee what hath betided\nme;\u201d but Sa\u2019id said, \u201cI conjure thee by Allah, Lord of Lords, Liberator\nof Necks,[388] Causer of causes, the One, the Ruthful, the Gift-full,\nthe Bountiful, that thou tell me what aileth thee and be not abashed at\nme, for I am thy slave and thy Minister and counsellor in all thine\naffairs!\u201d Quoth Sayf al-Muluk, \u201cCome and look at this likeness.\u201d So\nSa\u2019id looked at it awhile and considering it straitly, behold, he saw\nwritten, as a crown over its head, in letters of pearl, these words,\n\u201cThis is the counterfeit presentment of Badi\u2019a al-Jamal, daughter of\nShahy\u00e1l bin Sh\u00e1rukh, a King of the Kings of the true-believing Jann who\nhave taken up their abode in the city of Babel and sojourn in the garden\nof Iram, Son of \u2019Ad the Greater\u201d[389]\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn\nof day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Sixty-third Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Sa\u2019id,\nson of the Wazir Faris, had read to Sayf al-Muluk son of King Asim the\nwrit on the tunic, which showed the portraiture of Badi\u2019a al-Jamal,\ndaughter of Shahyal bin Sharukh, a King of the Kings of the Moslem Jinns\ndwelling in Babel-city and in the Garden of Iram, son of \u2019Ad the\nGreater, he cried, \u201cO my brother, knowest thou of what woman this is the\npresentment, that we may seek for her?\u201d Sayf al-Muluk replied, \u201cNo, by\nAllah, O my brother, I know her not!\u201d and Sa\u2019id rejoined, \u201cCome, read\nthis writing on the crown.\u201d So Sayf al-Muluk read it and cried out from\nhis heart\u2019s core and very vitals, saying, \u201cAlas! Alas! Alas!\u201d Quoth\nSa\u2019id, \u201cO my brother, an the original of the portrait exist and her name\nbe Badi\u2019a al-Jamal, and she abide in the world, I will hasten to seek\nher, that thou mayst win thy will without delay. But, Allah upon thee, O\nmy brother, leave this weeping and ascend thy throne, that the Officers\nof the State may come in to do their service to thee, and in the undurn,\ndo thou summon the merchants and fakirs and travellers and pilgrims and\npaupers and ask of them concerning this city and the garden of Iram;\nhaply by the help and blessing of Allah (extolled and exalted be He!),\nsome one of them shall direct us thither.\u201d So, when it was day, Sayf\nal-Muluk went forth and mounted the throne, clasping the tunic in his\narms, for he could neither stand nor sit without it, nor would sleep\nvisit him save it were with him; and the Emirs and Wazirs and Lords and\nOfficers came in to him. When the Divan was complete all being assembled\nin their places he said to his Minister, \u201cGo forth to them and tell them\nthat the King hath been suddenly struck by sickness and he, by Allah,\nhath passed the night in ill case.\u201d So Sa\u2019id fared forth and told the\nfolk what he said; which when old King Asim heard, he was concerned for\nhis son and, summoning the physicians and astrologers, carried them in\nto Sayf al-Muluk. They looked at him and prescribed him ptisans and\ndiet-drinks, simples and medicinal waters and wrote him characts and\nincensed him with Nadd and aloes-wood and ambergris three days\u2019 space;\nbut his malady persisted three months, till King Asim was wroth with the\nleaches and said to them, \u201cWoe to you, O dogs! What? Are all of you\nimpotent to cure my son? Except ye heal him forthright, I will put the\nwhole of you to death.\u201d The Archiater replied, \u201cO King of the Age, in\nvery sooth we know that this is thy son and thou wottest that we fail\nnot of diligence in tending a stranger; so how much more with medicining\nthy son? But thy son is afflicted with a malady hard to heal, which, if\nthou desire to know, we will discover it to thee.\u201d Quoth Asim, \u201cWhat\nthen find ye to be the malady of my son?\u201d; and quoth the leach, \u201cO King\nof the Age, thy son is in love and he loveth one to whose enjoyment he\nhath no way of access.\u201d At this the King was wroth and asked, \u201cHow know\nye that my son is in love and how came love to him?\u201d; they answered,\n\u201cEnquire of his Wazir and brother Sa\u2019id, for he knoweth his case.\u201d The\nKing rose and repaired to his private closet and summoning Sa\u2019id said to\nhim, \u201cTell me the truth of thy brother\u2019s malady.\u201d But Sa\u2019id replied, \u201cI\nknow it not.\u201d So King Asim said to the Sworder, \u201cTake Sa\u2019id and bind his\neyes and strike his neck.\u201d Whereupon Sa\u2019id feared for himself and cried,\n\u201cO King of the Age, grant me immunity.\u201d Replied the King, \u201cSpeak and\nthou shalt have it.\u201d \u201cThy son is in love.\u201d \u201cWith whom is he in love?\u201d\n\u201cWith a King\u2019s daughter of the Jann.\u201d \u201cAnd where could he have espied a\ndaughter of the Jinns?\u201d \u201cHer portrait was wroughten on the tunic that\nwas in the bundle given thee by Solomon, prophet of Allah!\u201d When the\nKing heard this, he rose, and going in to Sayf al-Muluk, said to him, \u201cO\nmy son, what hath afflicted thee? What is this portrait whereof thou art\nenamoured? And why didst thou not tell me?\u201d He replied, \u201cO my sire, I\nwas ashamed to name this to thee and could not bring myself to discover\naught thereof to any one at all; but now thou knowest my case, look how\nthou mayest do to cure me.\u201d Rejoined his father, \u201cWhat is to be done?\nWere this one of the daughters of men we might devise a device for\ncoming at her; but she is a King\u2019s daughter of the Jinns and who can woo\nand win her, save it be Solomon David-son, and hardly he?[390] However,\nO my son, do thou arise forthright and hearten thy heart and take horse\nand ride out a-hunting or to weapon-play in the Maydan. Divert thyself\nwith eating and drinking and put away cark and care from thy heart, and\nI will bring thee an hundred maids of the daughters of Kings; for thou\nhast no need to the daughters of the Jann, over whom we lack control and\nof kind other than ours.\u201d But he said, \u201cI cannot renounce her nor will I\nseek other than her.\u201d Asked King Asim, \u201cHow then shall we do, O my\nson?\u201d; and Sayf al-Muluk answered, \u201cBring us all the merchants and\ntravellers and wanderers in the city, that we may question them thereof.\nPeradventure, Allah will lead us to the city of Babel and the garden of\nIram.\u201d So King Asim bade summon all the merchants in the city and\nstrangers and sea-captains and, as each came, enquired of him anent the\ncity of Babel and its peninsula[391] and the garden of Iram; but none of\nthem knew these places nor could any give him tidings thereof. However,\nwhen the s\u00e9ance broke up, one of them said, \u201cO King of the Age, an thou\nbe minded to ken this thing, up and hie thee to the land of China; for\nit hath a vast city[392] and a safe wherein are store of rarities and\nthings of price and folk of all kinds; and thou shalt not come to the\nknowledge of this city and garden but from its folk; it may be one of\nthem will direct thee to that thou seekest.\u201d Whereupon quoth Sayf\nal-Muluk, \u201cO my sire, equip me a ship, that I may fare to the\nChina-land; and do thou rule the reign in my stead.\u201d Replied the old\nKing, \u201cO my son, abide thou on the throne of thy kingship and govern thy\ncommons, and I myself will make the voyage to China and ask for thee of\nthe city of Babel and the garden of Iram.\u201d But Sayf al-Muluk rejoined,\n\u201cO my sire, in very sooth this affair concerneth me and none can search\nafter it like myself: so, come what will, an thou give me leave to make\nthe voyage, I will depart and wander awhile. If I find trace or tidings\nof her, my wish will be won, and if not, belike the voyage will broaden\nmy breast and recruit my courage; and haply by foreign travel my case\nwill be made easy to me, and if I live, I shall return to thee safe and\nsound.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her\npermitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Sixty-fourth Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sayf al-Muluk\nsaid to his sire King Asim, \u201cEquip me a ship that I may fare therein to\nthe China-land and search for the object of my desire. If I live I shall\nreturn to thee safe and sound.\u201d The old King looked at his son and saw\nnothing for it but to do what he desired; so he gave him the leave he\nwanted and fitted him forty ships, manned with twenty thousand armed\nMamelukes, besides servants, and presented him with great plenty of\nmoney and necessaries and warlike gear, as much as he required. When the\nships were laden with water and victual, weapons and troops, Sayf\nal-Muluk\u2019s father and mother farewelled him and King Asim said, \u201cDepart,\nO my son, and travel in weal and health and safety. I commend thee to\nHim with Whom deposits are not lost.\u201d[393] So the Prince bade adieu to\nhis parents and embarked, with his brother Sa\u2019id, and they weighed\nanchor and sailed till they came to the City of China. When the Chinamen\nheard of the coming of forty ships, full of armed men and stores,\nweapons and hoards, they made sure that these were enemies come to\nbattle with them and siege them; so they bolted the gates of the town\nand made ready the mangonels.[394] But Sayf al-Muluk, hearing of this,\nsent two of his Chief Mamelukes to the King of China, bidding them say\nto him, \u201cThis is Sayf al-Muluk, son of King Asim of Egypt, who is come\nto thy city as a guest, to divert himself by viewing thy country awhile,\nand not for conquest or contention; wherefore, an thou wilt receive him,\nhe will come ashore to thee; and if not he will return and will not\ndisquiet thee nor the people of thy capital.\u201d They presented themselves\nat the city gates and said, \u201cWe are messengers from King Sayf al-Muluk.\u201d\nWhereupon the townsfolk opened the gates and carried them to their King,\nwhose name was Faghf\u00far[395] Sh\u00e1h and between whom and King Asim there\nhad erst been acquaintance. So, when he heard that the new-comer Prince\nwas the son of King Asim, he bestowed robes of honour on the messengers\nand, bidding open the gates, made ready guest-gifts and went forth in\nperson with the chief officers of his realm, to meet Sayf al-Muluk, and\nthe two Kings embraced. Then Faghfur said to his guest, \u201cWell come and\nwelcome and fair cheer to him who cometh to us! I am thy slave and the\nslave of thy sire: my city is between thy hands to command and whatso\nthou seekest shall be brought before thee.\u201d Then he presented him with\nthe guest-gifts and victual for the folk at their stations; and they\ntook horse, with the Wazir Sa\u2019id and the chiefs of their officers and\nthe rest of their troops, and rode from the sea-shore to the city, which\nthey entered with cymbals clashing and drums beating in token of\nrejoicing. There they abode in the enjoyment of fair entertainment for\nforty days, at the end of which quoth the King of China to Sayf\nal-Muluk, \u201cO son of my brother, how is thy case[396]? Doth my country\nplease thee?\u201d; and quoth Sayf al-Muluk, \u201cMay Allah Almighty long honour\nit with thee, O King!\u201d Said Faghfur, \u201cNaught hath brought thee hither\nsave some need which hath occurred to thee; and whatso thou desirest of\nmy country I will accomplish it to thee.\u201d Replied Sayf al-Muluk, \u201cO\nKing, my case is a wondrous,\u201d and told him how he had fallen in love\nwith the portrait of Badi\u2019a al-Jamal, and wept bitter tears. When the\nKing of China heard his story, he wept for pity and solicitude for him\nand cried, \u201cAnd what wouldst thou have now, O Sayf al-Muluk?\u201d; and he\nrejoined, \u201cI would have thee bring me all the wanderers and travellers,\nthe seafarers and sea-captains, that I may question them of the original\nof this portrait; perhaps one of them may give me tidings of her.\u201d So\nFaghfur Shah sent out his Nabobs and Chamberlains and body-guards to\nfetch all the wanderers and travellers in the land, and they brought\nthem before the two Kings, and they were a numerous company. Then Sayf\nal-Muluk questioned them of the City of Babel and the Garden of Iram,\nbut none of them returned him a reply, whereupon he was bewildered and\nwist not what to do; but one of the sea-captains said to him, \u201cO\nauspicious King, an thou wouldst know of this city and that garden up\nand hie thee to the Islands of the Indian realm.\u201d[397] Thereupon Sayf\nal-Muluk bade bring the ships; which being done, they freighted them\nwith vivers and water and all that they needed, and the Prince and his\nWazir re-embarked, with all their men, after they had farewelled King\nFaghfur Shah. They sailed the seas four months with a fair wind, in\nsafety and satisfaction till it chanced that one day of the days there\ncame out upon them a wind and the billows buffeted them from all\nquarters. The rain and hail[398] descended on them and during twenty\ndays the sea was troubled for the violence of the wind; wherefor the\nships drave one against other and brake up, as did the carracks[399] and\nall on board were drowned, except Sayf al-Muluk and some of his\nservants, who saved themselves in a little cock-boat. Then the wind fell\nby the decree of Allah Almighty and the sun shone out; whereupon Sayf\nal-Muluk opened his eyes and seeing no sign of the ships nor aught but\nsky and sea, said to the Mamelukes who were with him, \u201cWhere are the\ncarracks and cock-boats and where is my brother Sa\u2019id?\u201d They replied, \u201cO\nKing of the Age, there remain nor ships nor boats nor those who were\ntherein; for they are all drowned and become food for fishes.\u201d Now when\nhe heard this, he cried aloud and repeated the saying which whoso saith\nshall not be confounded, and it is, \u201cThere is no Majesty and there is no\nMight save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!\u201d Then he fell to buffeting\nhis face and would have cast himself into the sea, but his Mamelukes\nwithheld him, saying, \u201cO King, what will this profit thee? Thou hast\nbrought all this on thyself; for, hadst thou hearkened to thy father\u2019s\nwords, naught thereof had betided thee. But this was written from all\neternity by the will of the Creator of Souls.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived\nthe dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Sixty-fifth Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Sayf\nal-Muluk would have cast himself into the main, his Mamelukes withheld\nhim saying, \u201cWhat will this profit thee? Thou hast done this deed by\nthyself, yet was it written from all eternity by the will of the Creator\nof Souls, that the creature might accomplish that which Allah hath\ndecreed unto him. And indeed, at the time of thy birth, the astrologers\nassured thy sire that all manner troubles should befal thee. So there is\nnaught for it but patience till Allah deliver us from this our strait.\u201d\nReplied the Prince, \u201cThere is no Majesty and there is no Might save in\nAllah, the Glorious, the Great! Neither is there refuge nor fleeing from\nthat which He decreeth!\u201d And he sighed and recited these couplets:\u2014\n\n By the Compassionate, I\u2019m dazed about my case, for lo! Troubles and\n griefs beset me sore; I know not whence they grow.\n I will be patient, so the folk, that I against a thing Bitt\u2019rer than\n very aloes\u2019 self,[400] endur\u00e8d have, may know.\n\n Less bitter than my patience is the taste of aloes-juice; I\u2019ve borne\n with patience what\u2019s more hot than coals with fire aglow.\n In this my trouble what resource have I, save to commit My case to Him\n who orders all that is, for weal or woe?\n\nThen he became drowned in the depth of thoughts and his tears ran down\nupon his cheeks like torrent-rain; and he slept a while of the day,\nafter which he awoke and sought of food somewhat. So they set meat\nbefore him and he ate his sufficiency, till they removed the food from\nbefore him, whilst the boat drove on with them they knew not whither it\nwas wandering. It drifted with them at the will of the winds and the\nwaves, night and day a great while, till their victual was spent and\nthey saw themselves shent and were reduced to extreme hunger and thirst\nand exhaustion, when behold, suddenly they sighted an island from afar\nand the breezes wafted them on, till they came thither. Then, making the\ncock-boat fast to the coast and leaving one therein to guard it, they\nfared on into the island, where they found abundance of fruits of all\ncolours and ate of them till they were satisfied. Presently, they saw a\nperson sitting among those trees and he was long-faced, of strange\nfavour and white of beard and body. He called to one of the Mamelukes by\nhis name, saying, \u201cEat not of these fruits, for they are unripe; but\ncome hither to me, that I may give thee to eat of the best and the\nripest.\u201d The slave looked at him and thought that he was one of the\nshipwrecked, who had made his way to that island; so he joyed with\nexceeding joy at sight of him and went close up to him, knowing not what\nwas decreed to him in the Secret Purpose nor what was writ upon his\nbrow. But, when he drew near, the stranger in human shape leapt upon\nhim, for he was a Marid,[401] and riding upon his shoulder-blades and\ntwisting one of his legs about his neck, let the other hang down upon\nhis back, saying, \u201cWalk on, fellow; for there is no escape for thee from\nme and thou art become mine ass.\u201d Thereupon the Mameluke fell a-weeping\nand cried out to his comrades, \u201cAlas, my lord! Flee ye forth of this\nwood and save yourselves, for one of the dwellers therein hath mounted\non my shoulders, and the rest seek you, desiring to ride you like me.\u201d\nWhen they heard these words, all fled down to the boat and pushed off to\nsea; whilst the islanders followed them into the water, saying, \u201cWhither\nwend ye? Come, tarry with us and we will mount on your backs and give\nyou meat and drink, and you shall be our donkeys.\u201d Hearing this they\nhastened the more seawards till they left them in the distance and fared\non, trusting in Allah Almighty; nor did they leave faring for a month,\ntill another island rose before them and thereon they landed. Here they\nfound fruits of various kinds and busied themselves with eating of them,\nwhen behold, they saw from afar, somewhat lying in the road, a hideous\ncreature as it were a column of silver. So they went up to it and one of\nthe men gave it a kick, when lo! it was a thing of human semblance, long\nof eyes and cloven of head and hidden under one of his ears, for he was\nwont, whenas he lay down to sleep, to spread one ear under his head and\ncover his face with the other ear.[402] He snatched up the Mameluke who\nhad kicked him and carried him off into the middle of the island, and\nbehold, it was all full of Ghuls who eat the sons of Adam. The man cried\nout to his fellows, \u201cSave yourselves, for this is the island of the\nman-eating Ghuls, and they mean to tear me to bits and devour me.\u201d When\nthey heard these words they fled back to the boat, without gathering any\nstore of the fruits and, putting out to sea, fared on some days till it\nso happened that they came to another island, where they found a high\nmountain. So they climbed to the top and there saw a thick copse. Now\nthey were sore anhungered; so they took to eating of the fruits; but,\nbefore they were aware, there came upon them from among the trees black\nmen of terrible aspect, each fifty cubits high with eye-teeth[403]\nprotruding from their mouths like elephants\u2019 tusks; and, laying hands on\nSayf al-Muluk and his company, carried them to their King, whom they\nfound seated on a piece of black felt laid on a rock, and about him a\ngreat company of Zanzibar-blacks, standing in his service. The\nblackamoors who had captured the Prince and his Mamelukes set them\nbefore the King and said to him, \u201cWe found these birds among the trees\u201d;\nand the King was sharp-set; so he took two of the servants and cut their\nthroats and ate them;\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and\nceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Sixty-sixth Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the\nZanzibar-blacks took Sayf al-Muluk and his Mamelukes and set them before\nthe King, saying, \u201cO King, we came upon these birds among the trees.\u201d\nThereupon the King seized two of the Mamelukes and cut their throats and\nate them; which, when Sayf al-Muluk saw, he feared for himself and wept\nand repeated these verses:\u2014\n\n Familiar with my heart are woes and with them I \u273f Who shunned them; for\n familiar are great hearts and high.\n The woes I suffer are not all of single kind \u273f I have, thank Allah,\n varied thousands to aby!\n\nThen he sighed and repeated these also:\u2014\n\n The World hath shot me with its sorrows till \u273f My heart is cover\u00e8d with\n shafts galore;\n And now, when strike me other shafts, must break \u273f Against th\u2019 old\n points the points that latest pour.\n\nWhen the King heard his weeping and wailing, he said, \u201cVerily these\nbirds have sweet voices and their song pleaseth me: put them in cages.\u201d\nSo they set them each in his own cage and hung them up at the King\u2019s\nhead that he might listen to their warbling. On this wise Sayf al-Muluk\nand his Mamelukes abode and the blackamoors gave them to eat and drink:\nand now they wept and now laughed, now spake and now were hushed, whilst\nthe King of the blacks delighted in the sound of their voices. And so\nthey continued for a long time. Now this King had a daughter married in\nanother island who, hearing that her father had birds with sweet voices,\nsent a messenger to him seeking of him some of them. So he sent her, by\nher Cossid,[404] Sayf al-Muluk and three of his men in four cages; and,\nwhen she saw them, they pleased her and she bade hang them up in a place\nover her head. The Prince fell to marvelling at that which had befallen\nhim and calling to mind his former high and honourable estate and\nweeping for himself; and the three servants wept for themselves; and the\nKing\u2019s daughter deemed that they sang. Now it was her wont, whenever any\none from the land of Egypt or elsewhere fell into her hands and he\npleased her, to advance him to great favour with her; and by the decree\nof Allah Almighty it befel that, when she saw Sayf al-Muluk she was\ncharmed by his beauty and loveliness and symmetry and perfect grace, and\nshe commanded to entreat him and his companions with honour and to loose\nthem from their cages. Now one day she took the Prince apart and would\nhave him enjoy her; but he refused, saying, \u201cO my lady, I am a banisht\nwight and with passion for a beloved one in piteous plight, nor with\nother will I consent to love-delight.\u201d Then she coaxed him and\nimportuned him, but he held aloof from her, and she could not approach\nhim nor get her desire of him by any ways and means. At last, when she\nwas weary of courting him in vain, she waxed wroth with him and his\nMamelukes, and commanded that they should serve her and fetch her wood\nand water. In such condition they abode four years till Sayf al-Muluk\nbecame weary of his life and sent to intercede with the Princess, so\nhaply she might release them and let them wend their ways and be at rest\nfrom that their hard labour. So she sent for him and said to him, \u201cIf\nthou wilt do my desire, I will free thee from this thy durance vile and\nthou shalt go to thy country, safe and sound.\u201d And she wept and ceased\nnot to humble herself to him and wheedle him, but he would not hearken\nto her words; whereupon she turned from him, in anger, and he and his\ncompanions abode on the island in the same plight. The islanders knew\nthem for \u201cThe Princess\u2019s birds\u201d and durst not work them any wrong; and\nher heart was at ease concerning them, being assured that they could not\nescape from the island. So they used to absent themselves from her two\nand three days at a time and go round about the desert parts in all\ndirections, gathering firewood, which they brought to the Princess\u2019s\nkitchen; and thus they abode five[405] years. Now one day it so chanced\nthat the Prince and his men were sitting on the sea-shore, devising of\nwhat had befallen, and Sayf al-Muluk, seeing himself and his men in such\ncase, bethought him of his mother and father and his brother Sa\u2019id and,\ncalling to mind what high degree he had been in, fell a-weeping and\nlamenting passing sore, whilst his slaves wept likewise. Then said they\nto him, \u201cO King of the Age, how long shall we weep? Weeping availeth\nnot; for this thing was written on our brows by the ordinance of Allah,\nto whom belong Might and Majesty. Indeed, the Pen runneth with that He\ndecreeth and nought will serve us but patience: haply Allah (extolled\nand exalted be He!) who hath saddened us shall gladden us!\u201d Quoth he, \u201cO\nmy brothers, how shall we win free from this accursed woman? I see no\nway of escape for us, save Allah of his grace deliver us from her; but\nmethinks we may flee and be at rest from this hard labour.\u201d And quoth\nthey, \u201cO King of the Age, whither shall we flee? For the whole island is\nfull of Ghuls which devour the Sons of Adam, and whithersoever we go,\nthey will find us there and either eat us or capture and carry us back\nto that accursed, the King\u2019s daughter, who will be wroth with us.\u201d Sayf\nal-Muluk rejoined, \u201cI will contrive you somewhat, whereby peradventure\nAllah Almighty shall deliver us and help us to escape from this island.\u201d\nThey asked, \u201cAnd how wilt thou do?\u201d; and he answered, \u201cLet us cut some\nof these long pieces of wood, and twist ropes of their bark and bind\nthem one with another, and make of them a raft[406] which we will launch\nand load with these fruits: then we will fashion us paddles and embark\non the raft after breaking our bonds with the axe. It may be that\nAlmighty Allah will make it the means of our deliverance from this\naccursed woman and vouchsafe us a fair wind to bring us to the land of\nHind, for He over all things is Almighty!\u201d Said they, \u201cRight is thy\nrede,\u201d and rejoiced thereat with exceeding joy. So they arose without\nstay or delay and cut with their axes wood for the raft and twisted\nropes to bind the logs and at this they worked a whole month. Every day\nabout evening they gathered somewhat of fuel and bore it to the\nPrincess\u2019s kitchen, and employed the rest of the twenty-four hours\nworking at the raft.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased\nsaying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Sixty-seventh Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sayf al-Muluk\nand his Mamelukes, having cut the wood and twisted the ropes for their\nraft, made an end of it and launched it upon the sea; then, after\nbreaking their bonds with the axe, and loading the craft with fruits\nplucked from the island-trees, they embarked at close of day; nor did\nany wot of their intent. They put out to sea in their raft and paddled\non four months, knowing not whither the craft carried them, till their\nprovaunt failed them and they were suffering the severest extreme of\nhunger and thirst, when behold, the sea waxed troubled and foamed and\nrose in high waves, and there came forth upon them a frightful\ncrocodile,[407] which put out its claw and catching up one of the\nMamelukes swallowed him. At the sight of this horror Sayf al-Muluk wept\nbitterly and he and the two men[408] that remained to him pushed off\nfrom the place where they had seen the crocodile, sore affrighted. After\nthis they continued drifting on till one day they espied a mountain\nterrible tall and spiring high in air, whereat they rejoiced, when\npresently an island appeared. They made towards it with all their might\ncongratulating one another on the prospect of making land; but hardly\nhad they sighted the island on which was the mountain, when the sea\nchanged face and boiled and rose in big waves and a second crocodile\nraised its head and putting out its claw caught up the two remaining\nMamelukes and swallowed them. So Sayf al-Muluk abode alone, and making\nhis way to the island, toiled till he reached the mountain-top, where he\nlooked about and found a copse, and walking among the trees fell to\neating of the fruits. Presently, he saw among the branches more than\ntwenty great apes, each bigger than a he-mule, whereat he was seized\nwith exceeding fear. The apes came down and surrounded him;[409] then\nthey forewent him, signing to him to follow them, and walked on, and he\ntoo, till he came to a castle, tall of base and strong of build whose\nordinance was one brick of gold and one of silver. The apes entered and\nhe after them, and he saw in the castle all manner of rarities, jewels\nand precious metals such as tongue faileth to describe. Here also he\nfound a young man, passing tall of stature with no hair on his cheeks,\nand Sayf al-Muluk was cheered by the sight for there was no human being\nbut he in the castle. The stranger marvelled exceedingly at sight of the\nPrince and asked him, \u201cWhat is thy name and of what land art thou and\nhow camest thou hither? Tell me thy tale and hide from me naught\nthereof.\u201d Answered the Prince, \u201cBy Allah, I came not hither of my own\nconsent nor is this place of my intent; yet I cannot but go from place\nto place till I win my wish.\u201d Quoth the youth, \u201cAnd what is thy\nobject?\u201d; and quoth the other, \u201cI am of the land of Egypt and my name is\nSayf al-Muluk son of King Asim bin Safwan\u201d; and told him all that had\npassed with him, from first to last. Whereupon the youth arose and stood\nin his service, saying, \u201cO King of the Age, I was erst in Egypt and\nheard that thou hadst gone to the land of China; but where is this land\nand where lies China-land?[410] Verily, this is a wondrous thing and\nmarvellous matter!\u201d Answered the Prince, \u201cSooth thou speakest but, when\nI left China-land, I set out, intending for the land of Hind and a\nstormy wind arose and the sea boiled and broke all my ships\u201d; brief, he\ntold him all that had befallen him till he came thither; whereupon quoth\nthe other, \u201cO King\u2019s son, thou hast had enough of strangerhood and its\nsufferings; Alhamdolillah,\u2014praised be Allah who hath brought thee\nhither! So now do thou abide with me, that I may enjoy thy company till\nI die, when thou shalt become King over this island, to which no bound\nis known, and these apes thou seest are indeed skilled in all manner of\ncrafts; and whatso thou seekest here shalt thou find.\u201d Replied Sayf\nal-Muluk, \u201cO my brother, I may not tarry in any place till my wish be\nwon, albeit I compass the whole world in pursuit thereof and make quest\nof every one so peradventure Allah may bring me to my desire or my\ncourse lead me to the place wherein is the appointed term of my days,\nand I shall die my death.\u201d Then the youth turned with a sign to one of\nthe apes, and he went out and was absent awhile, after which he returned\nwith other apes girt with silken zones.[411] They brought the trays and\nset on near[412] an hundred chargers of gold and saucers of silver,\ncontaining all manner of meats. Then they stood, after the manner of\nservants between the hands of Kings, till the youth signalled to the\nChamberlains, who sat down, and he whose wont it was to serve stood,\nwhilst the two Princes ate their sufficiency. Then the apes cleared the\ntable and brought basins and ewers of gold, and they washed their hands\nin rose water; after which they set on fine sugar and nigh forty\nflagons, in each a different kind of wine, and they drank and took their\npleasure and made merry and had a fine time. And all the apes danced and\ngambolled before them, what while the eaters sat at meat; which when\nSayf al-Muluk saw, he marvelled at them and forgot that which had\nbefallen him of sufferings.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and\nceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Sixty-eighth Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Sayf\nal-Muluk saw the gestures and gambols of the apes, he marvelled thereat\nand forgot that which had betided him of strangerhood and its\nsufferings. At nightfall they lighted waxen candles in candlesticks of\ngold studded with gems and set on dishes of confections and fruits of\nsugar-candy. So they ate; and when the hour of rest was come, the apes\nspread them bedding and they slept. And when morning morrowed, the young\nman arose, as was his wont, before sunrise and waking Sayf al-Muluk said\nto him, \u201cPut thy head forth of this lattice and see what standeth\nbeneath it.\u201d So he put out his head and saw the wide waste and all the\nwold filled with apes, whose number none knew save Allah Almighty. Quoth\nhe, \u201cHere be great plenty of apes, for they cover the whole country: but\nwhy are they assembled at this hour?\u201d Quoth the youth, \u201cThis is their\ncustom. Every Sabbath,[413] all the apes in the island come hither, some\nfrom two and three days\u2019 distance, and stand here till I awake from\nsleep and put forth my head from this lattice, when they kiss ground\nbefore me and go about their business.\u201d So saying, he put his head out\nof the window; and when the apes saw him, they kissed the earth before\nhim and went their way. Sayf al-Muluk abode with the young man a whole\nmonth when he farewelled him and departed, escorted by a party of nigh a\nhundred apes, which the young man bade escort him. They journeyed with\nhim seven days, till they came to the limits of their islands,[414] when\nthey took leave of him and returned to their places, while Sayf al-Muluk\nfared on alone over mount and hill, desert and plain, four months\u2019\njourney, one day anhungered and the next satiated, now eating of the\nherbs of the earth and then of the fruits of the trees, till he repented\nhim of the harm he had done himself by leaving the young man; and he was\nabout to retrace his steps to him, when he saw a something black afar\noff and said to himself, \u201cIs this a city or trees? But I will not turn\nback till I see what it is.\u201d So he made towards it and when he drew\nnear, he saw that it was a palace tall of base. Now he who built it was\nJaphet son of Noah (on whom be peace!) and it is of this palace that God\nthe Most High speaketh in His precious Book, whenas He saith, \u201cAnd an\nabandoned well and a high-builded palace.\u201d[415] Sayf al-Muluk sat down\nat the gate and said in his mind, \u201cWould I knew what is within yonder\npalace and what King dwelleth there and who shall acquaint me whether\nits folk are men or Jinn? Who will tell me the truth of the case?\u201d He\nsat considering awhile, but, seeing none go in or come out, he rose and\ncommitting himself to Allah Almighty entered the palace and walked on,\ntill he had counted seven vestibules; yet saw no one. Presently looking\nto his right he beheld three doors, while before him was a fourth, over\nwhich hung a curtain. So he went up to this and raising the curtain,\nfound himself in a great hall[416] spread with silken carpets. At the\nupper end rose a throne of gold whereon sat a damsel, whose face was\nlike the moon, arrayed in royal raiment and beautified as she were a\nbride on the night of her displaying; and at the foot of the throne was\na table of forty trays spread with golden and silvern dishes full of\ndainty viands. The Prince went up and saluted her, and she returned his\nsalam, saying, \u201cArt thou of mankind or of the Jinn?\u201d Replied he, \u201cI am a\nman of the best of mankind;[417] for I am a King, son of a King.\u201d She\nrejoined, \u201cWhat seekest thou? Up with thee and eat of yonder food, and\nafter tell me thy past from first to last and how thou camest hither.\u201d\nSo he sat down at the table and removing the cover from a tray of meats\n(he being hungry) and ate till he was full; then washed his right hand\nand going up to the throne, sat down by the damsel who asked him, \u201cWho\nart thou and what is thy name and whence comest thou and who brought\nthee hither?\u201d He answered, \u201cIndeed my story is a long but do thou first\ntell me who and what and whence thou art and why thou dwellest in this\nplace alone.\u201d She rejoined, \u201cMy name is Daulat Kh\u00e1t\u00fan[418] and I am the\ndaughter of the King of Hind. My father dwelleth in the Capital-city of\nSarand\u00edb and hath a great and goodly garden, there is no goodlier in all\nthe land of Hind or its dependencies; and in this garden is a great\ntank. One day, I went out into the garden with my slave-women and I\nstripped me naked and they likewise and, entering the tank, fell to\nsporting and solacing ourselves therein. Presently, before I could be\nware, a something as it were a cloud swooped down on me and snatching me\nup from amongst my handmaids, soared aloft with me betwixt heaven and\nearth, saying, \u201cFear not, O Daulat Khatun, but be of good heart.\u201d Then\nhe flew on with me a little while, after which he set me down in this\npalace and straightway without stay or delay became a handsome young man\ndaintily apparelled, who said to me:\u2014Now dost thou know me? Replied\nI:\u2014No, O my lord; and he said:\u2014I am the Blue King, Sovran of the Jann;\nmy father dwelleth in the Castle Al-Kulzum[419] hight, and hath under\nhis hand six hundred thousand Jinn, flyers and divers. It chanced that\nwhile passing on my way I saw thee and fell in love with thee for thy\nlovely form: so I swooped down on thee and snatched thee up from among\nthe slave-girls and brought thee to this the High-builded Castle, which\nis my dwelling-place. None may fare hither be he man or be he Jinni, and\nfrom Hind hither is a journey of an hundred and twenty years: wherefore\ndo thou hold that thou wilt never again behold the land of thy father\nand thy mother; so abide with me here, in contentment of heart and\npeace, and I will bring to thy hands whatso thou seekest.\u201d Then he\nembraced me and kissed me,\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and\nceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Sixty-ninth Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the damsel said\nto Sayf al-Muluk, \u201cThen the King of the Jann, after he had acquainted me\nwith his case, embraced me and kissed me, saying:\u2014Abide here and fear\nnothing; whereupon he went away from me for an hour and presently\nreturned with these tables and carpets and furniture. He comes to me\nevery Third[420] and abideth with me three days and on Friday, at the\ntime of mid-afternoon prayer, he departeth and is absent till the\nfollowing Third. When he is here, he eateth and drinketh and kisseth and\nhuggeth me, but doth naught else with me, and I am a pure virgin, even\nas Allah Almighty created me. My father\u2019s name is T\u00e1j al-Mul\u00fak, and he\nwotteth not what is come of me nor hath he hit upon any trace of me.\nThis is my story: now tell me thy tale.\u201d Answered the Prince, \u201cMy story\nis a long and I fear lest while I am telling it to thee the Ifrit come.\u201d\nQuoth she \u201cHe went out from me but an hour before thy entering and will\nnot return till Third: so sit thee down and take thine ease and hearten\nthy heart and tell me what hath betided thee, from beginning to end.\u201d\nAnd quoth he, \u201cI hear and I obey.\u201d So he fell to telling her all that\nhad befallen him from commencement to conclusion but, when she heard\nspeak of Badi\u2019a al-Jamal, her eyes ran over with railing tears and she\ncried, \u201cO Badi\u2019a al-Jamal, I had not thought this of thee! Alack for our\nluck! O Badi\u2019a al-Jamal, dost thou not remember me nor say:\u2014My sister\nDaulat Khatun whither is she gone?\u201d And her weeping redoubled, lamenting\nfor that Badi\u2019a al-Jamal had forgotten her.[421] Then said Sayf\nal-Muluk, \u201cO Daulat Khatun, thou art a mortal and she is a Jinniyah: how\nthen can she be thy sister?\u201d Replied the Princess, \u201cShe is my sister by\nfosterage and this is how it came about. My mother went out to solace\nherself in the garden, when labour-pangs seized her and she bare me. Now\nthe mother of Badi\u2019a al-Jamal chanced to be passing with her guards,\nwhen she also was taken with travail-pains; so she alighted in a side of\nthe garden and there brought forth Badi\u2019a al-Jamal. She despatched one\nof her women to seek food and childbirth-gear of my mother, who sent her\nwhat she sought and invited her to visit her. So she came to her with\nBadi\u2019a al-Jamal and my mother suckled the child, who with her mother\ntarried with us in the garden two months. And before wending her ways\nthe mother of Badi\u2019a al-Jamal gave my mother somewhat,[422] saying:\u2014When\nthou hast need of me, I will come to thee a middlemost the garden, and\ndeparted to her own land; but she and her daughter used to visit us\nevery year and abide with us awhile before returning home. Wherefore an\nI were with my mother, O Sayf al-Muluk, and if thou wert with me in my\nown country and Badi\u2019a al-Jamal and I were together as of wont, I would\ndevise some device with her to bring thee to thy desire of her: but I am\nhere and they know naught of me; for that an they kenned what is become\nof me, they have power to deliver me from this place; however, the\nmatter is in Allah\u2019s hands (extolled and exalteth be He!) and what can I\ndo?\u201d Quoth Sayf al-Muluk, \u201cRise and let us flee and go whither the\nAlmighty willeth;\u201d but, quoth she, \u201cWe cannot do that: for, by Allah,\nthough we fled hence a year\u2019s journey that accursed would overtake us in\nan hour and slaughter us.\u201d Then said the Prince, \u201cI will hide myself in\nhis way, and when he passeth by I will smite him with the sword and slay\nhim.\u201d Daulat Khatun replied, \u201cThou canst not succeed in slaying him save\nthou slay his soul.\u201d Asked he, \u201cAnd where is his soul?\u201d; and she\nanswered, \u201cMany a time have I questioned him thereof but he would not\ntell me, till one day I pressed him and he waxed wroth with me and said\nto me:\u2014How often wilt thou ask me of my soul? What hast thou to do with\nmy soul? I rejoined:\u2014\u2014O H\u00e1tim,[423] there remaineth none to me but thou,\nexcept Allah; and my life dependeth on thy life and whilst thou livest,\nall is well for me; so, except I care for thy soul and set it in the\napple of this mine eye, how shall I live in thine absence? An I knew\nwhere thy soul abideth, I would never cease whilst I live, to hold it in\nmine embrace and would keep it as my right eye. Whereupon said he to\nme:\u2014\u2014What time I was born, the astrologers predicted that I should lose\nmy soul at the hands of the son of a king of mankind. So I took it and\nset it in the crop of a sparrow, and shut up the bird in a box. The box\nI set in a casket, and enclosing this in seven other caskets and seven\nchests, laid the whole in a alabastrine coffer,[424] which I buried\nwithin the marge of yon earth-circling sea; for that these parts are far\nfrom the world of men and none of them can win hither. So now see I have\ntold thee what thou wouldst know, and do thou tell none thereof, for it\nis a secret between me and thee.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of\nday and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Seventieth Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Daulat Khatun\nacquainted Sayf al-Muluk with the whereabouts of the soul of the Jinni\nwho had carried her off and repeated to him his speech ending with, \u201cAnd\nthis is a secret between me and thee!\u201d \u201cI rejoined,\u201d quoth she:\u2014\u201cTo whom\nshould I tell it, seeing that none but thou cometh hither with whom I\nmay talk thereof?\u201d adding, \u201cBy Allah, thou hast indeed set thy soul in\nthe strongest of strongholds to which none may gain access! How should a\nman win to it, unless the impossible be fore-ordained and Allah decree\nlike as the astrologers predicted?\u201d Thereupon the Jinni:\u2014Peradventure\none may come, having on his finger the seal-ring of Solomon son of David\n(on the twain be peace!) and lay his hand with the ring on the face of\nthe water, saying:\u2014\u201cBy the virtue of the names engraven upon this ring,\nlet the soul of such an one come forth! Whereupon the coffer will rise\nto the surface and he will break it open and do the like with the chests\nand caskets, till he come to the little box, when he will take out the\nsparrow and strangle it, and I shall die.\u201d Then said Sayf al-Muluk, \u201cI\nam the King\u2019s son of whom he spake, and this is the ring of Solomon\nDavid-son on my finger: so rise, let us go down to the sea-shore and see\nif his words be leal or leasing!\u201d Thereupon the two walked down to the\nsea-shore and the Princess stood on the beach, whilst the Prince waded\ninto the water to his waist and laying his hand with the ring on the\nsurface of the sea, said, \u201cBy the virtue of the names and talismans\nengraven on this ring, and by the might of Sulayman bin D\u00e1\u00fad (on whom be\nthe Peace!), let the soul of Hatim the Jinni, son of the Blue King, come\nforth!\u201d Whereat the sea boiled in billows and the coffer of alabaster\nrose to the surface. Sayf al-Muluk took it and shattered it against the\nrock and broke open the chests and caskets, till he came to the little\nbox and drew thereout the sparrow. Then the twain returned to the castle\nand sat down on the throne; but hardly had they done this, when lo and\nbehold! there arose a dust-cloud terrifying and some huge thing came\nflying and crying, \u201cSpare me, O King\u2019s son, and slay me not; but make me\nthy freedman, and I will bring thee to thy desire!\u201d Quoth Daulat Khatun,\n\u201cThe Jinni cometh; slay the sparrow, lest this accursed enter the palace\nand take it from thee and slaughter me and slaughter thee after me.\u201d So\nthe Prince wrung the sparrow\u2019s neck and it died, whereupon the Jinni\nfell down at the palace-door and became a heap of black ashes. Then said\nDaulat Khatun, \u201cWe are delivered from the hand of yonder accursed; what\nshall we do now?\u201d; and Sayf al-Muluk replied, \u201cIt behoveth us to ask aid\nof Allah Almighty who hath afflicted us; belike He will direct us and\nhelp us to escape from this our strait.\u201d So saying, he arose and pulling\nup[425] half a score of the doors of the palace, which were of\nsandal-wood and lign-aloes with nails of gold and silver, bound them\ntogether with ropes of silk and floss[426]-silk and fine linen and\nwrought of them a raft, which he and the Princess aided each other to\nhale down to the sea-shore. They launched it upon the water till it\nfloated and, making it fast to the beach, returned to the palace, whence\nthey removed all the chargers of gold and saucers of silver and jewels\nand precious stones and metals and what else was light of load and\nweighty of worth and freighted the raft therewith. Then they embarked\nafter fashioning two pieces of wood into the likeness of paddles and\ncasting off the rope-moorings, let the raft drift out to sea with them,\ncommitting themselves to Allah the Most High, who contenteth those that\nput their trust in Him and disappointeth not them who rely upon Him.\nThey ceased not faring on thus four months until their victual was\nexhausted and their sufferings waxed severe and their souls were\nstraitened; so they prayed Allah to vouchsafe them deliverance from that\ndanger. But all this time when they lay down to sleep, Sayf al-Muluk set\nDaulat Khatun behind him and laid a naked brand at his back, so that,\nwhen he turned in sleep the sword was between them.[427] At last it\nchanced one night, when Sayf al-Muluk was asleep and Daulat Khatun\nawake, that behold, the raft drifted landwards and entered a port\nwherein were ships. The Princess saw the ships and heard a man, he being\nthe chief and head of the captains, talking with the sailors; whereby\nshe knew that this was the port of some city and that they were come to\nan inhabited country. So she joyed with exceeding joy and waking the\nPrince said to him, \u201cAsk the captain the name of the city and harbour.\u201d\nThereupon Sayf al-Muluk arose and said to the captain, \u201cO my brother,\nhow is this harbour hight and what be the names of yonder city and its\nKing?\u201d Replied the Captain, \u201cO false face![428] O frosty beard! an thou\nknew not the name of this port and city, how camest thou hither?\u201d Quoth\nSayf al-Muluk, \u201cI am a stranger and had taken passage in a merchant ship\nwhich was wrecked and sank with all on board; but I saved myself on a\nplank and made my way hither; wherefore I asked thee the name of the\nplace, and in asking is no offence.\u201d Then said the captain, \u201cThis is the\ncity of \u2019Am\u00e1riyah and this harbour is called Kam\u00edn al-Bahrayn.\u201d[429]\nWhen the Princess heard this she rejoiced with exceeding joy and said,\n\u201cPraised be Allah!\u201d He asked, \u201cWhat is to do?\u201d; and she answered, \u201cO\nSayf al-Muluk, rejoice in succour near hand; for the King of this city\nis my uncle, my father\u2019s brother.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of\nday and ceased saying her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Seventy-first Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Daulat Khatun\nsaid to Sayf al-Muluk, \u201cRejoice in safety near hand; for the King of\nthis city is my uncle, my father\u2019s brother and his name is \u2019\u00c1li\nal-Mul\u00fak,\u201d[430] adding, \u201cSay thou then to the captain:\u2014Is the Sultan of\nthe city, Ali al-Muluk, well?\u201d He asked but the captain was wroth with\nhim and cried, \u201cThou sayest:\u2014I am a stranger and never in my life came\nhither. Who then told thee the name of the lord of the city?\u201d When\nDaulat Khatun heard this, she rejoiced and knew him for Mu\u2019\u00edn\nal-D\u00edn,[431] one of her father\u2019s captains. Now he had fared forth in\nsearch of her, after she was lost and finding her not, he never ceased\ncruising till he came to her uncle\u2019s city. Then she bade Sayf al-Muluk\nsay to him, \u201cO Captain Mu\u2019in al-Din, come and speak with thy mistress!\u201d\nSo he called out to him as she bade, whereat he was wroth with exceeding\nwrath and answered, \u201cO dog, O thief, O spy, who art thou and how knowest\nthou me?\u201d Then he said to one of the sailors, \u201cGive me an\nash[432]-stave, that I may go to yonder plaguing Arab and break his\nhead.\u201d So he took the stick and made for Sayf al-Muluk, but, when he\ncame to the raft, he saw a something, wondrous, beauteous, which\nconfounded his wits and considering it straitly he made sure that it was\nDaulat Khatun sitting there, as she were a slice of the moon; whereat he\nsaid to the Prince, \u201cWho is that with thee?\u201d Replied he, \u201cA damsel by\nname Daulat Khatun.\u201d When the captain heard the Princess\u2019s name and knew\nthat she was his mistress and the daughter of his King, he fell down in\na fainting-fit, and when he came to himself, he left the raft and whatso\nwas thereon and riding up to the palace, craved an audience of the King;\nwhereupon the chamberlain went in to the presence and said, \u201cCaptain\nMu\u2019in al-Din is come to bring thee good news; so bid he be brought in.\u201d\nThe King bade admit him; accordingly he entered and kissing ground[433]\nsaid to him, \u201cO King, thou owest me a gift for glad tidings; for thy\nbrother\u2019s daughter Daulat Khatun hath reached our city safe and sound,\nand is now on a raft in the harbour, in company with a young man like\nthe moon on the night of its full.\u201d When the King heard this, he\nrejoiced and conferred a costly robe of honour on the captain. Then he\nstraightway bade decorate the city in honour of the safe return of his\nbrother\u2019s daughter, and sending for her and Sayf al-Muluk, saluted the\ntwain and gave them joy of their safety; after which he despatched a\nmessenger to his brother, to let him know that his daughter was found\nand was with him. As soon as the news reached Taj al-Muluk he gat him\nready and assembling his troops set out for his brother\u2019s capital, where\nhe found his daughter and they rejoiced with exceeding joy. He sojourned\nwith his brother a week, after which he took his daughter and Sayf\nal-Muluk and returned to Sarandib, where the Princess foregathered with\nher mother and they rejoiced at her safe return; and held high festival\nand that day was a great day, never was seen its like. As for Sayf\nal-Muluk, the King entreated him with honour and said to him, \u201cO Sayf\nal-Muluk, thou hast done me and my daughter all this good for which I\ncannot requite thee nor can any requite thee, save the Lord of the three\nWorlds; but I wish thee to sit upon the throne in my stead and rule the\nland of Hind, for I offer thee of my throne and kingdom and treasures\nand servants, all this in free gift to thee.\u201d Whereupon Sayf al-Muluk\nrose and kissing the ground before the King, thanked him and answered,\n\u201cO King of the Age, I accept all thou givest me and return it to thee in\nfreest gift: for I, O King of the Age, covet not sovranty nor sultanate\nnor desire aught but that Allah the Most High bring me to my desire.\u201d\nRejoined the King, \u201cO Sayf al-Muluk these my treasures are at thy\ndisposal: take of them what thou wilt, without consulting me, and Allah\nrequite thee for me with all weal!\u201d Quoth the Prince, \u201cAllah advance the\nKing! There is no delight for me in money or in dominion till I win my\nwish: but now I have a mind to solace myself in the city and view its\nthoroughfares and market-streets.\u201d So the King bade bring him a mare of\nthe thoroughbreds, saddled and bridled; and Sayf al-Muluk mounted her\nand rode through the streets and markets of the city. As he looked about\nhim right and left, lo! his eyes fell on a young man, who was carrying a\ntunic and crying it for sale at fifteen dinars: so he considered him and\nsaw him to be like his brother Sa\u2019id; and indeed it was his very self,\nbut he was wan of blee and changed for long strangerhood and the\ntravails of travel, so that he knew him not. However, he said to his\nattendants, \u201cTake yonder youth and carry him to the palace where I\nlodge, and keep him with you till my return from the ride when I will\nquestion him.\u201d But they understood him to say, \u201cCarry him to the\nprison,\u201d and said in themselves \u201cHaply this is some runaway Mameluke of\nhis.\u201d So they took him and bore him to the bridewell, where they laid\nhim in irons and left him seated in solitude, unremembered by any.\nPresently Sayf al-Muluk returned to the palace, but he forgot his\nbrother Sa\u2019id, and none made mention of him. So he abode in prison, and\nwhen they brought out the prisoners, to cut ashlar from the quarries\nthey took Sa\u2019id with them, and he wrought with the rest. He abode a\nmonth\u2019s space, in this squalor and sore sorrow, pondering his case and\nsaying in himself, \u201cWhat is the cause of my imprisonment?\u201d; while Sayf\nal-Muluk\u2019s mind was diverted from him by rejoicing and other things; but\none day, as he sat, he bethought him of Sa\u2019id and said to his Mamelukes,\n\u201cWhere is the white slave I gave into your charge on such a day?\u201d Quoth\nthey, \u201cDidst thou not bid us bear him to the bridewell?\u201d; and quoth he,\n\u201cNay I said not so; I bade you carry him to my palace after the ride.\u201d\nThen he sent his Chamberlains and Emirs for Sa\u2019id and they fetched him\nin fetters, and loosing him from his irons set him before the Prince,\nwho asked him, \u201cO young man, what countryman art thou?\u201d; and he\nanswered, \u201cI am from Egypt and my name is Sa\u2019id, son of Faris the\nWazir.\u201d Now hearing these words Sayf al-Muluk sprang to his feet and\nthrowing himself off the throne and upon his friend, hung on his neck,\nweeping aloud for very joy and saying, \u201cO my brother, O Sa\u2019id, praise be\nAllah for that I see thee alive! I am thy brother Sayf al-Muluk, son of\nKing Asim.\u201d Then they embraced and shed tears together and all who were\npresent marvelled at them. After this Sayf al-Muluk bade his people bear\nSa\u2019id to the Hammam-bath: and they did so. When he came out, they clad\nhim in costly clothing and carried him back to Sayf al-Muluk who seated\nhim on the throne beside himself. When King Taj al-Muluk heard of the\nreunion of Sayf al-Muluk and his brother Sa\u2019id, he joyed with joy\nexceeding and came to them, and the three sat devising of all that had\nbefallen them in the past from first to last. Then said Sa\u2019id:\u2014O my\nbrother, O Sayf al-Muluk, when the ship sank with all on board I saved\nmyself on a plank with a company of Mamelukes and it drifted with us a\nwhole month, when the wind cast us, by the ordinance of Allah Almighty,\nupon an island. So we landed and entering among the trees took to eating\nof the fruits, for we were anhungred. Whilst we were busy eating, there\nfell on us unawares, folk like Ifrits[434] and springing on our\nshoulders rode us[435] and said to us, \u201cGo on with us; for ye are become\nour asses.\u201d So I said to him who had mounted me, \u201cWhat art thou and why\nmountest thou me?\u201d At this he twisted one of his legs about my neck,\ntill I was all but dead, and beat upon my back the while with the other\nleg, till I thought he had broken my backbone. So I fell to the ground\non my face, having no strength left in me for famine and thirst. From my\nfall he knew that I was hungry and taking me by the hand, led me to a\ntree laden with fruit which was a pear-tree[436] and said to me, \u201cEat\nthy fill of this tree.\u201d So I ate till I had enough and rose to walk\nagainst my will; but, ere I had fared afar the creature turned and\nleaping on my shoulders again drove me on, now walking, now running and\nnow trotting, and he the while mounted on me, laughing and saying,\n\u201cNever in my life saw I a donkey like unto thee!\u201d We abode thus for\nyears till, one day of the days, it chanced that we saw there great\nplenty of vines, covered with ripe fruit; so we gathered a quantity of\ngrape-bunches and throwing them into a pit, trod them with our feet,\ntill the pit became a great water-pool. Then we waited awhile and\npresently returning thither, found that the sun had wroughten on the\ngrape-juice and it was become wine. So we used to drink it till we were\ndrunken and our faces flushed and we fell to singing and dancing and\nrunning about in the merriment of drunkenness[437]; whereupon our\nmasters said to us, \u201cWhat is it that reddeneth your faces and maketh you\ndance and sing?\u201d We replied, \u201cAsk us not, what is your quest in\nquestioning us hereof?\u201d But they insisted, saying, \u201cYou must tell us so\nthat we may know the truth of the case,\u201d till we told them how we had\npressed grapes and made wine. Quoth they, \u201cGive us to drink thereof\u201d;\nbut quoth we, \u201cThe grapes are spent.\u201d So they brought us to a Wady,\nwhose length we knew not from its breadth nor its beginning from its end\nwherein were vines each bunch of grapes on them weighing twenty\npounds[438] by the scale and all within easy reach, and they said,\n\u201cGather of these.\u201d So we gathered a mighty great store of grapes and\nfinding there a big trench bigger than the great tank in the King\u2019s\ngarden we filled it full of fruit. This we trod with our feet and did\nwith the juice as before till it became strong wine, which it did after\na month; whereupon we said to them, \u201c\u2019Tis come to perfection; but in\nwhat will ye drink it?\u201d And they replied, \u201cWe had asses like unto you;\nbut we ate them and kept their heads: so give us to drink in their\nskulls.\u201d We went to their caves which we found full of heads and bones\nof the Sons of Adam, and we gave them to drink, when they became drunken\nand lay down, nigh two hundred of them. Then we said to one another,\n\u201cIs\u2019t not enough that they should ride us, but they must eat us also?\nThere is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious,\nthe Great! But we will ply them with wine, till they are overcome by\ndrunkenness, when we will slay them and be at rest from them.\u201d\nAccordingly, we awoke them and fell to filling the skulls and gave them\nto drink, but they said, \u201cThis is bitter.\u201d We replied, \u201cWhy say ye \u2019tis\nbitter? Whoso saith thus, except he drink of it ten times, he dieth the\nsame day.\u201d When they heard this, they feared death and cried to us,\n\u201cGive us to drink the whole ten times.\u201d So we gave them to drink, and\nwhen they had swallowed the rest of the ten draughts they waxed drunken\nexceedingly and their strength failed them and they availed not to mount\nus. Thereupon we dragged them together by their hands and laying them\none upon another, collected great plenty of dry vine-stalks and branches\nand heaped it about and upon them: then we set fire to the pile and\nstood afar off, to see what became of them.\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the\ndawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Seventy-second Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sa\u2019id\ncontinued:\u2014When we set fire to the pile wherein were the Ghuls, I with\nthe Mamelukes stood afar off to see what became of them; and, as soon\nthe fire was burnt out, we came back and found them a heap of ashes,\nwherefore we praised Allah Almighty who had delivered us from them. Then\nwe went forth about the island and sought the sea-shore, where we parted\nand I and two of the Mamelukes fared on till we came to a thick copse\nfull of fruit and there busied ourselves with eating, and behold,\npresently up came a man tall of stature long of beard and lengthy of\near, with eyes like cressets driving before him and feeding a great\nflock of sheep:[439] When he saw us he rejoiced and said to us, \u201cWell\ncome, and fair welcome to you! Draw near me that I may slaughter you an\newe of these sheep and roast it and give you to eat.\u201d Quoth we, \u201cWhere\nis thine abode?\u201d And quoth he, \u201cHard by yonder mountain; go on towards\nit till ye come to a cave and enter therein, for you will see many\nguests like yourselves; and do ye sit with them, whilst we make ready\nfor you the guest-meal.\u201d We believed him so fared on, as he bade us,\ntill we came to the cavern, where we found many guests, Sons of Adam\nlike ourselves, but they were all blinded[440]; and when we entered, one\nsaid, \u201cI\u2019m sick\u201d; and another, \u201cI\u2019m weak.\u201d So we cried to them, \u201cWhat is\nthis you say and what is the cause of your sickness and weakness?\u201d They\nasked, \u201cWho are ye?\u201d; and we answered, \u201cWe are guests.\u201d Then said they,\n\u201cWhat hath made you fall into the hands of yonder accursed? But there is\nno Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great?\nThis is a Ghul who devoureth the Sons of Adam and he hath blinded us and\nmeaneth to eat us.\u201d Said we, \u201cAnd how did he blind you?\u201d and they\nreplied, \u201cEven as he will blind yourselves anon.\u201d Quoth we, \u201cAnd how\nso?\u201d And quoth they, \u201cHe will bring you bowls of soured milk[441] and\nwill say to you:\u2014Ye are weary with wayfare: take this milk and drink it.\nAnd when ye have drunken thereof, ye will become blind like us.\u201d Said I\nto myself, \u201cThere is no escape for us but by contrivance.\u201d So I dug a\nhole in the ground and sat over it. After an hour or so in came the\naccursed Ghul with bowls of milk, whereof he gave to each of us, saying,\n\u201cYe come from the desert and are athirst: so take this milk and drink\nit, whilst I roast you the flesh.\u201d I took the cup and carried it to my\nmouth but emptied it into the hole; then I cried out, \u201cAlas! my sight is\ngone and I am blind!\u201d and clapping my hand to my eyes, fell a-weeping\nand a-wailing, whilst the accursed laughed and said, \u201cFear not, thou art\nnow become like mine other guests.\u201d But, as for my two comrades, they\ndrank the milk and became blind. Thereupon the Ghul arose and stopping\nup the mouth of the cavern came to me and felt my ribs, but found me\nlean and with no flesh on my bones: so he tried another and finding him\nfat, rejoiced. Then he slaughtered three sheep and skinned them and\nfetching iron spits, spitted the flesh thereon and set them over the\nfire to roast. When the meat was done, he placed it before my comrades,\nwho ate and he with them; after which he brought a leather-bag full of\nwine and drank thereof and lay down prone and snored. Said I to myself,\n\u201cHe\u2019s drowned in sleep: how shall I slay him?\u201d Then I bethought me of\nthe spits and thrusting two of them into the fire, waited till they were\nas red-hot coals: whereupon I arose and girded myself and taking a spit\nin each hand went up to the accursed Ghul and thrust them into his eyes,\npressing upon them with all my might. He sprang to his feet for sweet\nlife and would have laid hold of me; but he was blind. So I fled from\nhim into the inner cavern, whilst he ran after me; but I found no place\nof refuge from him nor whence I might escape into the open country, for\nthe cave was stopped up with stones; wherefore I was bewildered and said\nto the blind men, \u201cHow shall I do with this accursed?\u201d Replied one of\nthem, \u201cO Sa\u2019id, with a run and a spring mount up to yonder niche[442]\nand thou wilt find there a sharpened scymitar of copper: bring it to me\nand I will tell thee what to do.\u201d So I clombed to the niche and taking\nthe blade, returned to the blind man, who said to me, \u201cSmite him with\nthe sword in his middle, and he will die forthright.\u201d So I rushed after\nthe Ghul, who was weary with running after me and felt for the blind men\nthat he might kill them and, coming up to him smote him with the sword a\nsingle stroke across his waist and he fell in twain. Then he screamed\nand cried out to me, \u201cO man, an thou desire to slay me, strike me a\nsecond stroke.\u201d Accordingly, I was about to smite him another cut; but\nhe who had directed me to the niche and the scymitar said, \u201cSmite him\nnot a second time, for then he will not die, but will live and destroy\nus.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her\npermitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Seventy-third Night,\n\nShe resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sa\u2019id\ncontinued:\u2014Now when I struck the Ghul with the sword he cried out to me,\n\u201cO man, an thou desire to slay me, strike me a second stroke!\u201d I was\nabout so to do when he who had directed me to the scymitar said, \u201cSmite\nhim not a second time, for then he will not die but will live and\ndestroy us!\u201d So I held my hand as he bade me, and the Ghul died. Then\nsaid the blind man to me, \u201cOpen the mouth of the cave and let us fare\nforth; so haply Allah may help us and bring us to rest from this place.\u201d\nAnd I said, \u201cNo harm can come to us now; let us rather abide here and\nrepose and eat of these sheep and drink of this wine, for long is the\nland. Accordingly we tarried there two months, eating of the sheep and\nof the fruits of the island and drinking the generous grape-juice till\nit so chanced one day, as we sat upon the beach, we caught sight of a\nship looming large in the distance; so we made signs for the crew and\nholla\u2019d to them.\u201d They feared to draw near, knowing that the island was\ninhabited by a Ghul[443] who ate Adamites, and would have sheered off;\nbut we ran down to the marge of the sea and made signs to them, with our\nturband-ends and shouted to them, whereupon one of the sailors, who was\nsharp of sight, said to the rest, \u201cHarkye, comrades, I see these men\nformed like ourselves, for they have not the fashion of Ghuls.\u201d So they\nmade for us, little by little, till they drew near us in the dinghy[444]\nand were certified that we were indeed human beings, when they saluted\nus and we returned their salam and gave them the glad tidings of the\nslaying of the accursed, wherefore they thanked us. Then we carried to\nthe ship all that was in the cave of stuffs and sheep and treasure,\ntogether with a viaticum of the island-fruits, such as should serve us\ndays and months, and embarking, sailed on with a fair breeze three days;\nat the end of which the wind veered round against us and the air became\nexceeding dark; nor had an hour passed before the wind drave the craft\non to a rock, where it broke up and its planks were torn asunder.[445]\nHowever, the Great God decreed that I should lay hold of one of the\nplanks, which I bestrode, and it bore me along two days, for the wind\nhad fallen fair again, and I paddled with my feet awhile, till Allah the\nMost High brought me safe ashore and I landed and came to this city,\nwhere I found myself a stranger, solitary, friendless, not knowing what\nto do; for hunger was sore upon me and I was in great tribulation.\nThereupon I, O my brother, hid myself and pulling off this my tunic,\ncarried it to the market, saying in my mind, \u201cI will sell it and live on\nits price, till Allah accomplish to me whatso he will accomplish.\u201d Then\nI took the tunic in my hand and cried it for sale, and the folk were\nlooking at it and bidding for it, when, O my brother, thou camest by and\nseeing me commandedst me to the palace; but thy pages arrested and\nthrust me into the prison and there I abode till thou bethoughtest thee\nof me and badst bring me before thee. So now I have told thee what befel\nme, and Alhamdolillah\u2014Glorified be God\u2014for reunion! Much marvelled the\ntwo Kings at Sa\u2019id\u2019s tale and Taj al-Muluk having made ready a goodly\ndwelling for Sayf al-Muluk and his Wazir, Daulat Khatun used to visit\nthe Prince there and thank him for his favours and talk with him. One\nday, he met her and said to her, \u201cO my lady, where is the promise thou\nmadest me, in the palace of Japhet son of Noah, saying:\u2014Were I with my\npeople, I would make shift to bring thee to thy desire?\u201d And Sa\u2019id said\nto her, \u201cO Princess, I crave thine aid to enable him to win his will.\u201d\nAnswered she, \u201cYea, verily; I will do my endeavour for him, that he may\nattain his aim, if it please Allah Almighty.\u201d And she turned to Sayf\nal-Muluk and said to him, \u201cBe of good cheer and keep thine eyes cool and\nclear.\u201d Then she rose and going in to her mother, said to her, \u201cCome\nwith me forthright and let us purify ourselves and make fumigations[446]\nthat Badi\u2019a al-Jamal and her mother may come and see me and rejoice in\nme.\u201d Answered the Queen, \u201cWith love and goodly gree;\u201d and rising, betook\nherself to the garden and burnt off these perfumes which she always had\nby her; nor was it long before Badi\u2019a al-Jamal and her mother made their\nappearance. The Queen of Hind foregathered with the other Queen and\nacquainted her with her daughter\u2019s safe return, whereat she rejoiced;\nand Badi\u2019a al-Jamal and Daulat Khatun foregathered likewise and rejoiced\nin each other. Then they pitched the pavilions[447] and dressed dainty\nviands and made ready the place of entertainment; whilst the two\nPrincesses withdrew to a tent apart and ate together and drank and made\nmerry; after which they sat down to converse, and Badi\u2019a al-Jamal said,\n\u201cWhat hath befallen thee in thy strangerhood?\u201d Replied Daulat Khatun, \u201cO\nmy sister how sad is severance and how gladsome is reunion; ask me not\nwhat hath befallen me! Oh, what hardships mortals suffer!\u201d cried she,\n\u201cHow so?\u201d and the other said to her, \u201cO my sister, I was immured in the\nHigh-builded Castle of Japhet son of Noah, whither the son of the Blue\nKing carried me off till Sayf al-Muluk slew the Jinni and brought me\nback to my sire;\u201d and she told her to boot all that the Prince had\nundergone of hardships and horrors before he came to the Castle.[448]\nBadi\u2019a al-Jamal marvelled at her tale and said, \u201cBy Allah, O my sister,\nthis is the most wondrous of wonders! This Sayf al-Muluk is indeed a\nman! But why did he leave his father and mother and betake himself to\ntravel and expose himself to these perils?\u201d Quoth Daulat Khatun, \u201cI have\na mind to tell thee the first part of his history; but shame of thee\nhindereth me therefrom.\u201d Quoth Badi\u2019a al-Jamal, \u201cWhy shouldst thou have\nshame of me, seeing that thou art my sister and my bosom-friend and\nthere is muchel a matter between thee and me and I know thou willest me\nnaught but well? Tell me then what thou hast to say and be not abashed\nat me and hide nothing from me and have no fear of consequences.\u201d\nAnswered Daulat Khatun, \u201cBy Allah, all the calamities that have betided\nthis unfortunate have been on thine account and because of thee!\u201d Asked\nBadi\u2019a al-Jamal, \u201cHow so, O my sister?\u201d; and the other answered, \u201cKnow\nthat he saw thy portrait wrought on a tunic which thy father sent to\nSolomon son of David (on the twain be peace!) and he opened it not\nneither looked at it, but despatched it, with other presents and\nrarities to Asim bin Safwan, King of Egypt, who gave it, still unopened,\nto his son Sayf al-Muluk. The Prince unfolded the tunic, thinking to put\nit on, and seeing thy portrait, became enamoured of it; wherefore he\ncame forth in quest of thee, and left his folk and reign and suffered\nall these terrors and hardships on thine account.\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad\nperceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Seventy-fourth Night,\n\nShe said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Daulat Khatun\nrelated to Badi\u2019a al-Jamal the first part of Sayf al-Muluk\u2019s history;\nhow his love for her was caused by the tunic whereon her presentment was\nwrought; how he went forth, passion-distraught, in quest of her; how he\nforsook his people and his kingdom for her sake and how he had suffered\nall these terrors and hardships on her account. When Badi\u2019a al-Jamal\nheard this, she blushed rosy red and was confounded at Daulat Khatun and\nsaid, \u201cVerily this may never, never be; for man accordeth not with the\nJann.\u201d Then Daulat Khatun went on to praise Sayf al-Muluk and extol his\ncomeliness and courage and cavalarice, and ceased not repeating her\nmemories of his prowess and his excellent qualities till she ended with\nsaying, \u201cFor the sake of Almighty Allah and of me, O sister mine, come\nand speak with him, though but one word!\u201d But Badi\u2019a al-Jamal cried, \u201cBy\nAllah, O sister mine, this that thou sayest I will not hear, neither\nwill I assent to thee therein;\u201d and it was as if she heard naught of\nwhat the other said and as if no love of Sayf al-Muluk and his beauty\nand bearing and bravery had gotten hold upon her heart. Then Daulat\nKhatun humbled herself and said, \u201cO Badi\u2019a al-Jamal, by the milk we have\nsucked, I and thou, and by that which is graven on the seal-ring of\nSolomon (on whom be peace!) hearken to these my words for I pledged\nmyself in the High-builded Castle of Japhet, to show him thy face. So\nAllah upon thee, show it to him once, for the love of me, and look\nthyself on him!\u201d And she ceased not to weep and implore her and kiss her\nhands and feet, till she consented and said, \u201cFor thy sake I will show\nhim my face once and he shall have a single glance.\u201d With that Daulat\nKhatun\u2019s heart was gladdened and she kissed her hands and feet. Then she\nwent forth and fared to the great pavilion in the garden and bade her\nslave-women spread it with carpets and set up a couch of gold and place\nthe wine-vessels in order; after which she went into Sayf al-Muluk and\nto his Wazir Sa\u2019id, whom she found seated in their lodging, and gave the\nPrince the glad tidings of the winning of his wish, saying, \u201cGo to the\npavilion in the garden, thou and thy brother, and hide yourselves there\nfrom the eyes of men so none in the palace may espy you, till I come to\nyou with Badi\u2019a al-Jamal.\u201d So they rose and repaired to the appointed\npavilion, where they found the couch of gold set and furnished with\ncushions, and meat and wine ready served. So they sat awhile, whilst\nSayf al-Muluk bethought him of his beloved and his breast was straitened\nand love and longing assailed him: wherefore he rose and walked forth\nfrom the vestibule of the pavilion. Sa\u2019id would have followed him, but\nhe said to him, \u201cO my brother, follow me not, but sit in thy stead till\nI return to thee.\u201d So Sa\u2019id abode seated, whilst Sayf al-Muluk went down\ninto the garden, drunken with the wine of desire and distracted for\nexcess of love-longing and passion-fire: yearning agitated him and\ntransport overcame him and he recited these couplets:\u2014\n\n O passing Fair[449] I have none else but thee; \u273f Pity this slave in thy\n love\u2019s slavery!\n Thou art my search, my joy and my desire! \u273f None save thyself shall love\n this heart of me:\n\n Would Heaven I knew thou knewest of my wails \u273f Night-long and eyelids\n oped by memory.\n Bid sleep to sojourn on these eyen-lids \u273f Haply in vision I thy sight\n shall see.\n Show favour then to one thus love-distraught: \u273f Save him from ruin by\n thy cruelty!\n Allah increase thy beauty and thy weal; \u273f And be thy ransom every enemy!\n So shall on Doomsday lovers range beneath \u273f Thy flag, and beauties\n \u2019neath thy banner be.\n\nThen he wept and recited these also:\u2014\n\n That rarest beauty ever bides my foe \u273f Who holds my heart and lurks in\n secresy:\n Speaking, I speak of nothing save her charms \u273f And when I\u2019m dumb in\n heart-core woneth she.\n\nThen he wept sore and recited the following:\u2014\n\n And in my liver higher flames the fire; \u273f You are my wish and longsome\n still I yearn:\n To you (none other!) bend I and I hope \u273f (Lovers long-suffering are!)\n your grace to earn;\n And that you pity me whose frame by Love \u273f Is waste and weak his heart\n with sore concern:\n Relent, be gen\u2019rous, tender-hearted, kind: \u273f From you I\u2019ll ne\u2019er remove,\n from you ne\u2019er turn!\n\nThen he wept and recited these also:\u2014\n\n Came to me care when came the love of thee, \u273f Cruel sleep fled me like\n thy cruelty:\n Tells me the messenger that thou art wroth: \u273f Allah forefend what evils\n told me he!\n\nPresently Sa\u2019id waxed weary of awaiting him and going forth in quest of\nhim, found him walking in the garden, distraught and reciting these two\ncouplets:\u2014\n\n By Allah, by th\u2019 Almighty, by his right[450] \u273f Who read the\n Koran-Chapter \u201cF\u00e1tir\u201d[451] hight;\n Ne\u2019er roam my glances o\u2019er the charms I see; \u273f Thy grace, rare beauty,\n is my talk by night.\n\nSo he joined him and the twain walked about the garden together solacing\nthemselves and ate of its fruits. Such was their case;[452] but as\nregards the two Princesses, they came to the pavilion and entering\ntherein after the eunuchs had richly furnished it, according to command,\nsat down on the couch of gold, beside which was a window that gave upon\nthe garden. The castratos then set before them all manner rich meats and\nthey ate, Daulat Khatun feeding her foster-sister by mouthfuls,[453]\ntill she was satisfied; when she called for divers kinds of sweetmeats,\nand when the neutrals brought them, they ate what they would of them and\nwashed their hands. After this Daulat Khatun made ready wine and its\nservice, setting on the ewers and bowls and she proceeded to crown the\ncups and give Badi\u2019a al-Jamal to drink, filling for herself after and\ndrinking in turn. Then Badi\u2019a al-Jamal looked from the window into the\ngarden and gazed upon the fruits and branches that were therein, till\nher glance fell on Sayf al-Muluk, and she saw him wandering about the\nparterres, followed by Sa\u2019id, and she heard him recite verses, raining\nthe while railing tears. And that glance of eyes cost her a thousand\nsighs,\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her\npermitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Seventy-fifth Night,\n\nShe continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Badi\u2019a\nal-Jamal caught sight of Sayf al-Muluk as he wandered about the garden,\nthat glance of eyes cost her a thousand sighs, and she turned to Daulat\nKhatun and said to her (and indeed the wine sported with her senses), \u201cO\nmy sister, who is that young man I see in the garden, distraught,\nlove-abying, disappointed, sighing?\u201d Quoth the other, \u201cDost thou give me\nleave to bring him hither, that we may look on him?\u201d; and quoth the\nother, \u201cAn thou can avail to bring him, bring him.\u201d So Daulat Khatun\ncalled to him, saying, \u201cO King\u2019s son, come up to us and bring us thy\nbeauty and thy loveliness!\u201d Sayf al-Muluk recognised her voice and came\nup into the pavilion; but no sooner had he set eyes on Badi\u2019a al-Jamal,\nthan he fell down in a swoon; whereupon Daulat Khatun sprinkled on him a\nlittle rose-water and he revived. Then he rose and kissed ground before\nBadi\u2019a al-Jamal who was amazed at his beauty and loveliness; and Daulat\nKhatun said to her, \u201cKnow, O Princess, that this is Sayf al-Muluk, whose\nhand saved me by the ordinance of Allah Almighty and he it is who hath\nborne all manner burthens on thine account: wherefore I would have thee\nlook upon him with favour.\u201d Hearing this Badi\u2019a al-Jamal laughed and\nsaid, \u201cAnd who keepeth faith, that this youth should do so? For there is\nno true love in men.\u201d Cried Sayf al-Muluk, \u201cO Princess, never shall lack\nof faith be in me, and all men are not created alike.\u201d And he wept\nbefore her and recited these verses:\u2014\n\n O thou, Bad\u00ed\u2019a \u2019l-Jam\u00e1l, show thou some clemency \u273f To one those lovely\n eyes opprest with witchery!\n By rights of beauteous hues and tints thy cheeks combine \u273f Of snowy\n white and glowing red anemone,\n Punish not with disdain one who is sorely sick \u273f By long, long parting\n waste hath waxed this frame of me:\n This is my wish, my will, the end of my desire, \u273f And Union is my hope\n an haply this may be!\n\nThen he wept with violent weeping; and love and longing got the mastery\nover him and he greeted her with these couplets:\u2014\n\n Peace be to you from lover\u2019s wasted love, \u273f All noble hearts to noble\n favour show:\n Peace be to you! Ne\u2019er fail your form my dreams; \u273f Nor hall nor chamber\n the fair sight forego!\n Of you I\u2019m jealous: none may name your name: \u273f Lovers to lovers aye\n should bend thee low:\n So cut not off your grace from him who loves \u273f While sickness wastes and\n sorrows overthrow.\n I watch the flowery stars which frighten me; \u273f While cark and care mine\n every night foreslow.\n Nor Patience bides with me nor plan appears: \u273f What shall I say when\n questioned of my foe?\n God\u2019s peace be with you in the hour of need, \u273f Peace sent by lover\n patient bearing woe!\n\nThen for the excess of his desire and ecstasy he repeated these couplets\nalso:\u2014\n\n If I to aught save you, O lords of me, incline; \u273f Ne\u2019er may I win of you\n my wish, my sole design!\n Who doth comprise all loveliness save only you? \u273f Who makes the Doomsday\n dawn e\u2019en now before these eyne?\n Far be it Love find any rest, for I am one \u273f Who lost for love of you\n this heart, these vitals mine.\n\nWhen he had made an end of his verses, he wept with sore weeping and she\nsaid to him, \u201cO Prince, I fear to grant myself wholly to thee lest I\nfind in thee nor fondness nor affection; for oftentimes man\u2019s fidelity\nis small and his perfidy is great and thou knowest how the lord Solomon,\nson of David (on whom be the Peace!), took Bilkis to his love but,\nwhenas he saw another fairer than she, turned from her thereto.\u201d Sayf\nal-Muluk replied, \u201cO my eye and O my soul, Allah hath not made all men\nalike, and I, Inshallah, will keep my troth and die beneath thy feet.\nSoon shalt thou see what I will do in accordance with my words, and for\nwhatso I say Allah is my warrant.\u201d Quoth Badi\u2019a al-Jamal, \u201cSit and be of\ngood heart and swear to me by the right of thy Faith and let us covenant\ntogether that each will not be false to other; and whichever of us\nbreaketh faith may Almighty Allah punish!\u201d At these words he sat down\nand set his hand in her hand and they sware each to other that neither\nof them would ever prefer to the other any one, either of man or of the\nJann. Then they embraced for a whole hour and wept for excess of their\njoy, whilst passion overcame Sayf al-Muluk and he recited these\ncouplets:\u2014\n\n I weep for longing love\u2019s own ardency \u273f To her who claims the heart and\n soul of me.\n And sore\u2019s my sorrow parted long from you, \u273f And short\u2019s my arm to reach\n the prize I see;\n And mourning grief for what my patience marred \u273f To blamer\u2019s eye\n unveiled my secresy;\n And waxed strait that whilome was so wide \u273f Patience nor force remains\n nor power to dree.\n Would Heaven I knew if God will ever deign to join \u273f Our lives, and from\n our cark and care and grief set free!\n\nAfter this mutual troth-plighting, Sayf al-Muluk arose and walked in the\ngarden and Badi\u2019a al-Jamal arose also and went forth also afoot followed\nby a slave-girl bearing somewhat of food and a flask[454] of wine. The\nPrincess sat down and the damsel set the meat and wine before her: nor\nremained they long ere they were joined by Sayf al-Muluk, who was\nreceived with greeting and the two embraced and sat them down.\u2014\u2014And\nShahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.\n\n\n Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Seventy-sixth Night,\n\nShe pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that having provided\nfood and wine, Badi\u2019a al-Jamal met Sayf al-Muluk with greetings, and the\ntwain having embraced and kissed sat them down awhile to eat and drink.\nThen said she to him, \u201cO King\u2019s son, thou must now go to the garden of\nIram, where dwelleth my grandmother, and seek her consent to our\nmarriage. My slave-girl Marj\u00e1nah will convey thee thither and as thou\nfarest therein thou wilt see a great pavilion of red satin, lined with\ngreen silk. Enter the pavilion heartening thyself and thou wilt see\ninside it an ancient dame sitting on a couch of red gold set with pearls\nand jewels. Salute her with respect and courtesy; then look at the foot\nof the couch, where thou wilt descry a pair of sandals[455] of cloth\ninterwoven with bars of gold, embroidered with jewels. Take them and\nkiss them and lay them on thy head[456]; then put them under thy right\narmpit and stand before the old woman, in silence and with thy head\nbowed down. If she ask thee, Who art thou and how camest thou hither and\nwho led thee to this land? And why hast thou taken up the sandals? make\nher no answer, but abide silent till Marjanah enter, when she will speak\nwith her and seek to win her approof for thee and cause her look on thee\nwith consent; so haply Allah Almighty may incline her heart to thee and\nshe may grant thee thy wish.\u201d Then she called the handmaid Marjanah\nhight and said to her, \u201cAs thou lovest me, do my errand this day and be\nnot neglectful therein! An thou accomplish it, thou shalt be a free\nwoman for the sake of Allah Almighty, and I will deal honourably by thee\nwith gifts and there shall be none dearer to me than thou, nor will I\ndiscover my secrets to any save thee. So, by my love for thee, fulfil\nthis my need and be not slothful therein.\u201d Replied Marjanah, \u201cO my lady\nand light of mine eyes, tell me what is it thou requirest of me, that I\nmay accomplish it with both mine eyes.\u201d Badi\u2019a rejoined, \u201cTake this\nmortal on thy shoulders and bear him to the bloom-garden of Iram and the\npavilion of my grandmother, my father\u2019s mother, and be careful of his\nsafety. When thou hast brought him into her presence and seest him take\nthe slippers and do them homage, and hearest her ask him, saying:\u2014Whence\nart thou and by what road art come and who led thee to this land, and\nwhy hast thou taken up the sandals and what is thy need that I give heed\nto it? do thou come forward in haste and salute her with the salam and\nsay to her:\u2014O my lady, I am she who brought him hither and he is the\nKing\u2019s son of Egypt.[457] \u2019Tis he who went to the High-builded Castle\nand slew the son of the Blue King and delivered the Princess Daulat\nKhatun from the Castle of Japhet son of Noah and brought her back safe\nto her father: and I have brought him to thee, that he may give thee the\nglad tidings of her safety: so deign thou be gracious to him. Then do\nthou say to her:\u2014Allah upon thee! is not this young man handsome, O my\nlady? She will reply, Yes; and do rejoin:\u2014O my lady, indeed he is\ncomplete in honour and manhood and valour and he is lord and King of\nEgypt and compriseth all praiseworthy qualities. An she ask thee, What\nis his need? do thou make answer, My lady saluteth thee and saith to\nthee, how long shall she sit at home, a maid and unmarried? Indeed, the\ntime is longsome upon her for she is as a magazine wherein wheat is\nheaped up.[458] What then is thine intent in leaving her without a mate\nand why dost thou not marry her in thy life-tide and that of her mother,\nlike other girls? If she say, How shall we do to marry her? An she have\nany one in mind, let her tell us of him, and we will do her will as far\nas may be! do thou make answer, O my lady, thy daughter saith to thee,\n\u201cYe were minded aforetime to marry me to Solomon (on whom be peace!) and\nportrayed him my portrait on a tunic. But he had no lot in me; so he\nsent the tunic to the King of Egypt and he gave it to his son, who saw\nmy portrait figured thereon and fell in love with me; wherefore he left\nhis father and mother\u2019s realm and turning away from the world and whatso\nis therein, went forth at a venture, a wanderer, love-distraught, and\nhath borne the utmost hardships and honors for my sake of me.\u201d Now thou\nseest his beauty and loveliness, and thy daughter\u2019s heart is enamoured\nof him; so, if ye have a mind to marry her, marry her to this young man\nand forbid her not from him for he is young and passing comely and King\nof Egypt, nor wilt thou find a goodlier than he; and if ye will not give\nher to him, she will slay herself and marry none neither man nor Jinn.\u201d\n\u201cAnd,\u201d continued Badi\u2019a al-Jamal, \u201cLook thou, O Marjanah, _ma mie_,[459]\nhow thou mayst do with my grandmother, to win her consent, and beguile\nher with soft words, so haply she may do my desire.\u201d Quoth the damsel,\n\u201cO my lady, upon my head and eyes will I serve thee and do what shall\ncontent thee.\u201d Then she took Sayf al-Muluk on her shoulders and said to\nhim, \u201cO King\u2019s son, shut thine eyes.\u201d He did so and she flew up with him\ninto the welkin; and after awhile she said to him, \u201cO King\u2019s son, open\nthine eyes.\u201d He opened them and found himself in a garden, which was\nnone other than the garden of Iram; and she showed him the pavilion and\nsaid, \u201cO Sayf al-Muluk, enter therein!\u201d Thereupon he pronounced the name\nof Allah Almighty and entering cast a look upon the garden, when he saw\nthe old Queen sitting on the couch, attended by her waiting women. So he\ndrew near her with courtesy and reverence and taking the sandals bussed\nthem and did as Badi\u2019a al-Jamal had enjoined him. Quoth the ancient\ndame, \u201cWho art thou and what is thy country; whence comest thou and who\nbrought thee hither and what may be thy wish? Wherefore dost thou take\nthe sandals and kiss them and when didst thou ask of me a favour which I\ndid not grant?\u201d With this in came Marjanah[460] and saluting her\nreverently and worshipfully, repeated to her what Badi\u2019a al-Jamal had\ntold her; which when the old Queen heard, she cried out at her and was\nwroth with her and said, \u201cHow shall there be accord between man and\nJinn?\u201d\u2014\u2014And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her\npermitted say.\n\n-----\n\nFootnote 349:\n\n Arab. \u201cMun\u00e1damah,\u201d = conversation over the cup (Lane), used somewhat\n in the sense of \u201cMus\u00e1marah\u201d = talks by moonlight.\n\nFootnote 350:\n\n Arab. \u201cKursi,\u201d a word of many meanings; here it would allude to the\n square crate-like seat of palm-fronds used by the R\u00e1wi or public\n reciter of tales when he is not pacing about the coffee-house.\n\nFootnote 351:\n\n Von Hammer remarks that this is precisely the sum paid in Egypt for a\n MS. copy of The Nights.\n\nFootnote 352:\n\n Arab. \u201cSamar,\u201d the origin of Mus\u00e1marah, which see, vol. iv. 237.\n\nFootnote 353:\n\n The pomp and circumstance, with which the tale is introduced to the\n reader showing the importance attached to it. Lane, most injudiciously\n I think, transfers the Proemium to a note in chapt. xxiv., thus\n converting an Arabian Night into an Arabian Note.\n\nFootnote 354:\n\n \u2019Asim = defending (honour) or defended, son of Safw\u00e1n = clear, cold\n (dry). Tr\u00e9butien ii. 126, has Safran.\n\nFootnote 355:\n\n F\u00e1ris = the rider, the Knight, son of S\u00e1lih = the righteous, the\n pious, the just.\n\nFootnote 356:\n\n In sign of the deepest dejection, when a man would signify that he can\n fall no lower.\n\nFootnote 357:\n\n Arab. Y\u00e1 Khawand (in Bresl. Edit. vol. iv. 191) and fem. form\n Khawandah (p. 20) from Pers. Kh\u00e1wand or Kh\u00e1wandag\u00e1r = superior, lord,\n master; Khud\u00e1wand is still used in popular as in classical Persian,\n and is universally understood in Hindostan.\n\nFootnote 358:\n\n The Biblical Sheba, whence came the Queen of many Hebrew fables.\n\nFootnote 359:\n\n These would be the interjections of the writer or story-teller. The\n Mac. Edit. is here a sketch which must be filled up by the Bresl.\n Edit. vol. iv. 189\u2013318: \u201cTale of King Asim and his son Sayf al-Mul\u00fak\n with Bad\u00ed\u2019a al-Jam\u00e1l.\u201d\n\nFootnote 360:\n\n The oath by the Seal-ring of Solomon was the Stygian \u201cswear\u201d in\n Fairy-land. The signet consisted of four jewels, presented by as many\n angels, representing the Winds, the Birds, Earth (including sea) and\n Spirits, and the gems were inscribed with as many sentences (1) To\n Allah belong Majesty and Might; (2) All created things praise the\n Lord; (3) Heaven and Earth are Allah\u2019s slaves and (4) There is no god\n but _the_ God and Mohammed is His messenger. For Sakhr and his theft\n of the signet see Dr. Weil\u2019s, \u201cThe Bible, the Koran, and the Talmud.\u201d\n\nFootnote 361:\n\n Tr\u00e9butien (ii. 128) remarks, \u201cCet Assaf peut \u00eatre celui auquel David\n adresse plusieurs de ses psaumes, et que nos interpr\u00e8tes disent avoir\n \u00e9t\u00e9 son ma\u00eetre de chapelle\u201d (from Biblioth. Orient).\n\nFootnote 362:\n\n Mermen, monsters, beasts, etc.\n\nFootnote 363:\n\n This is in accordance with Eastern etiquette; the guest must be fed\n before his errand is asked. The Porte, in the days of its pride,\n managed in this way sorely to insult the Ambassadors of the most\n powerful European kingdoms and the first French Republic had the\n honour of abating the barbarians\u2019 nuisance. So the old Scottish\n Highlanders never asked the name or clan of a chance guest, lest he\n prove a foe before he had eaten their food.\n\nFootnote 364:\n\n In Bresl. Edit. (301) Kh\u00e1fiyah: in Mac. Kh\u00e1inah, the perfidy.\n\nFootnote 365:\n\n So in the Mac. Edit., in the Bresl. only one \u201cKab\u00e1\u201d or Kaftan; but\n from the sequel it seems to be a clerical error.\n\nFootnote 366:\n\n Arab. \u201cSu\u2019ub\u00e1n\u201d (Thu\u2019ub\u00e1n) popularly translated \u201cbasilisk.\u201d The\n Egyptians suppose that when this serpent forms ring round the Ibn \u2019Irs\n (weasel or ichneumon) the latter emits a peculiar air which causes the\n reptile to burst.\n\nFootnote 367:\n\n _i.e._ that prophesied by Solomon.\n\nFootnote 368:\n\n Arab. \u201cTakliyah\u201d from kaly, a fry: Lane\u2019s Shaykh explained it as\n \u201conions cooked in clarified butter, after which they are put upon\n other cooked food.\u201d The mention of onions points to Egypt as the\n origin of this tale and certainly not to Arabia, where the\n strong-smelling root is hated.\n\nFootnote 369:\n\n Von Hammer quotes the case of the Grand Vizier Y\u00fasuf throwing his own\n pelisse over the shoulders of the Aleppine Merchant who brought him\n the news of the death of his enemy, Jazz\u00e1r Pasha.\n\nFootnote 370:\n\n This peculiar style of generosity was also the custom in contemporary\n Europe.\n\nFootnote 371:\n\n Kh\u00e1t\u00fan, which follows the name (_e.g._ Hurmat Khatun), in India\n corresponds with the male title Khan, taken by the Path\u00e1n Moslems\n (_e.g._ P\u00edr Kh\u00e1n). Kh\u00e1num is the affix to the Moghul or Tartar\n nobility, the men assuming a double designation _e.g._ Mirza Abdallah\n Beg. See Oriental collections (Ouseley\u2019s) vol. i. 97.\n\nFootnote 372:\n\n Lit. \u201cWhatso thou wouldest do that do!\u201d a contrast with our European\n laconism.\n\nFootnote 373:\n\n These are booths built against and outside the walls, made of\n palm-fronds and light materials.\n\nFootnote 374:\n\n Von Hammer in Tr\u00e9butien (ii. 135) says, \u201cSuch rejoicings are still\n customary at Constantinople, under the name of Don\u00e1nm\u00e1, not only when\n the Sultanas are _enceintes_, but also when they are brought to bed.\n In 1803 the rumour of the pregnancy of a Sultana, being falsely\n spread, involved all the Ministers in useless expenses to prepare for\n a Don\u00e1nm\u00e1 which never took place.\u201d Lane justly remarks upon this\n passage that the title Sult\u00e1n precedes while the feminine Sult\u00e1nah\n follows the name.\n\nFootnote 375:\n\n These words (Bresl. Edit.) would be spoken in jest, a grim joke\n enough, but showing the elation of the King\u2019s spirits.\n\nFootnote 376:\n\n A signal like a gong: the Mac. Edit. reads \u201cT\u00e1kah,\u201d = in at the\n window.\n\nFootnote 377:\n\n Sayf al-Mul\u00fak = \u201cSword (Egyptian Sif, Arab. Sayf, Gr. \u03be\u03af\u03c6\u03bf\u03c2) of the\n Kings\u201d; and he must not be called tout bonnement Sayf. S\u00e1i\u2019d = the\n forearm.\n\nFootnote 378:\n\n Arab. Fak\u00edh = a divine, from Fikh = theology, a man versed in law and\n divinity _i.e._ (1) the Koran and its interpretation comprehending the\n sacred ancient history of the creation and prophets (Chapters iii, iv,\n v and vi), (2) the traditions and legends connected with early Moslem\n History and (3) some auxiliary sciences as grammar, syntax and\n prosody; logic, rhetoric and philosophy. See p. 18 of \u201cEl-Mas\u2019\u00fad\u00ed,\u2019s\n Historical Encyclop\u00e6dia etc.,\u201d by my friend Prof. Aloys Springer,\n London 1841. This fine fragment printed by the Oriental Translation\n Fund has been left unfinished when the Asiatic Society of Paris has\n printed in Eight Vols. 8vo the text and translation of MM. Barbier de\n Meynard and Pavet de Courteille. What a national disgrace! And the\n same with the mere abridgment of Ibn Batutah by Prof. Lee (Orient. Tr.\n Fund 1820) when the French have the fine Edition and translation by\n Defr\u00e9mery and Sanguinetti with index etc. in 4 vols. 8vo 1858\u201359. But\n England is now content to rank in such matters as encouragement of\n learning, endowment of research etc., into the basest of kingdoms, and\n the contrast of status between the learned Societies of London and of\n Paris, Berlin, Vienna or Rome is mortifying to an Englishman\u2014a\n national opprobrium.\n\nFootnote 379:\n\n Arab. Mayd\u00e1n al-F\u00edl prob. for Birkat al-F\u00edl, the Tank of the Elephant\n before-mentioned. Lane quotes Al-Makrizi who in his Khitat informs us\n that the lakelet was made about the end of the seventh century (A.\n H.), and in the seventeenth year of the eighth century became the site\n of stables. The Bresl. Edit. (iv. 214) reads \u201cMaydan al-\u2019Adl,\u201d prob.\n for Al-\u2019\u00c1dil the name of the King who laid out the Mayd\u00e1n.\n\nFootnote 380:\n\n Arab. Ash\u00e1b al-Ziy\u00e1\u2019, the latter word mostly signifies estates\n consisting, strictly speaking, of land under artificial irrigation.\n\nFootnote 381:\n\n The Bresl. Edit. iv. 215 has \u201cChaw\u00e1shiyah\u201d = \u2019Chiaush, the Turkish\n word, written with the Pers. \u201cch,\u201d a letter which in Arabic is\n supplanted by \u201csh,\u201d everywhere except in Morocco.\n\nFootnote 382:\n\n Arab. \u201cZ\u00e1wiyah\u201d lit. a corner, a cell. Lane (M. E. chapt. xxiv.)\n renders it \u201ca small kiosque,\u201d and translates the famous Zawiyat\n al-Umy\u00e1n (Blind Men\u2019s Angle) near the south-eastern corner of the\n Azhar or great Collegiate Mosque of Cairo, \u201cChapel of the Blind\u201d\n (chapt. ix.). In popular parlance it suggests a hermitage.\n\nFootnote 383:\n\n Arab. \u201cTakht,\u201d a Pers. word used as more emphatic than the Arab.\n Sar\u00edr.\n\nFootnote 384:\n\n This girding the sovereign is found in the hieroglyphs as a\n peculiarity of the ancient Kings of Egypt, says Von Hammer referring\n readers to Denon.\n\nFootnote 385:\n\n Arab. \u201cMohr,\u201d which was not amongst the gifts of Solomon in Night\n dcclx. The Bresl. Edit. (p. 220) adds \u201cand the bow,\u201d which is also de\n trop.\n\nFootnote 386:\n\n Arab. \u201cBat\u00e1nah,\u201d the ordinary lining opp. to Tazr\u00edb, or quilting with\n a layer of cotton between two folds of cloth. The idea in the text is\n that the unhappy wearer would have to carry his cross (the girl) on\n his back.\n\nFootnote 387:\n\n This line has occurred in Night dccxliv. _supra_ p. 280.\n\nFootnote 388:\n\n Arab. \u201cMu\u2019attik al-Rik\u00e1b\u201d _i.e._ who frees those in bondage from the\n yoke.\n\nFootnote 389:\n\n In the Mac. Edit. and in Tr\u00e9butien (ii. 143) the King is here called\n Schimakh son of Scharoukh, but elsewhere, Schohiali = Shahy\u00e1l, in the\n Bresl. Edit. Shah\u00e1l. What the author means by \u201cSon of \u2019\u00c1d the\n Greater,\u201d I cannot divine.\n\nFootnote 390:\n\n Lit. \u201cFor he is the man who can avail thereto,\u201d with the meaning given\n in the text.\n\nFootnote 391:\n\n Arab. Jaz\u00edrat, insula or peninsula, vol. i. 2.\n\nFootnote 392:\n\n Probably Canton with which the Arabs were familiar.\n\nFootnote 393:\n\n _i.e._ \u201cWho disappointeth not those who put their trust in Him.\u201d\n\nFootnote 394:\n\n Arab. \u201cAl-Manjan\u00edk\u00e1t\u201d plur. of manjanik, from Gr. \u039c\u03ac\u03b3\u03b3\u03b1\u03bd\u03bf\u03bd, Lat.\n Manganum (Engl. Mangonel from the dim. Mangonella). Ducange\n Glossarium, s.v. The Greek is applied originally to defensive weapons,\n then to the artillery of the day, Ballista, catapults, etc. The\n kindred Arab. form \u201cManjan\u00edn\u201d is applied chiefly to the Noria or\n Persian water-wheel.\n\nFootnote 395:\n\n Faghf\u00far is the common Moslem title for the Emperors of China; in the\n Kamus the first syllable is Zammated (Fugh); in Al-Mas\u2019udi (chapt.\n xiv.) we find Baghf\u00far and in Al-Idrisi Baghb\u00fagh, or Baghb\u00fan. In\n Al-Asma\u2019i Bagh = god or idol (Pehlewi and Persian); hence according to\n some Baghd\u00e1d (?) and B\u00e1ghist\u00e1n a pagoda (?). Sprenger (Al-Mas\u2019\u00fadi, p.\n 327) remarks that Baghf\u00far is a literal translation of Tien-tse and\n quotes Visdelou, \u201cpour mieux faire comprendre de quel ciel ils veulent\n parler, ils poussent la g\u00e9n\u00e9alogie (of the Emperor) plus loin. Ils lui\n donnent le ciel pour p\u00e8re, la terre pour m\u00e8re, le soleil pour fr\u00e8re\n a\u00een\u00e9 et la lune pour s\u0153ur a\u00een\u00e9e.\u201d\n\nFootnote 396:\n\n Arab. \u201cKayf h\u00e1lak\u201d = how de doo? the salutation of a Fellah.\n\nFootnote 397:\n\n _i.e._ subject to the Maharajah of Hind.\n\nFootnote 398:\n\n This is not a mistake: I have seen heavy hail in Africa, N. Lat. 4\u00b0;\n within sight of the Equator.\n\nFootnote 399:\n\n Arab. \u201cHarr\u00e1kat,\u201d here used in the sense of smaller craft, and\n presently for a cock-boat.\n\nFootnote 400:\n\n See vol. i. 138: here by way of variety I quote Mr. Payne.\n\nFootnote 401:\n\n This explains the Arab idea of the \u201cOld Man of the Sea\u201d in Sindbad the\n Seaman (vol. vi. 50). He was not a monkey nor an unknown monster; but\n an evil Jinni of the most powerful class, yet subject to defeat and\n death.\n\nFootnote 402:\n\n These Plinian monsters abound in Persian literature. For a specimen\n see Richardson Dissert. p. xlviii.\n\nFootnote 403:\n\n Arab. \u201cAny\u00e1b,\u201d plur. of \u201cN\u00e1b\u201d = canine tooth (eye-tooth of man), tusks\n of horse and camel etc.\n\nFootnote 404:\n\n Arab. \u201cK\u00e1sid,\u201d the Anglo-Indian Cossid. The post is called Bar\u00edd from\n the Persian \u201cbur\u00eddah\u201d (cut) because the mules used for the purpose\n were dock-tailed. Barid applies equally to the post-mule, the rider\n and the distance from one station (Sikkah) to another which varied\n from two to six parasangs. The letter-carrier was termed Al-Far\u00e1nik\n from the Pers. Parw\u00e1nah, a servant. In the Diw\u00e1n al-Bar\u00edd\n (Post-office) every letter was entered in a Madraj or list called in\n Arabic Al-Askid\u00e1r from the Persian \u201cAz Kih d\u00e1r\u00ed\u201d = from whom hast thou\n it?\n\nFootnote 405:\n\n \u201cTen years\u201d in the Bresl. Edit. iv. 244.\n\nFootnote 406:\n\n In the Bresl. Edit. (iv. 245) we find \u201cKalak,\u201d a raft, like those used\n upon the Euphrates, and better than the \u201cFulk,\u201d or ship, of the Mac.\n Edit.\n\nFootnote 407:\n\n Arab. Timsah from Coptic (Old Egypt) Emsuh or Msuh. The animal cannot\n live in salt-water, a fact which proves that the Crocodile Lakes on\n the Suez Canal were in old days fed by Nile-water; and this was\n necessarily a Canal.\n\nFootnote 408:\n\n So in the Bresl. Edit. (iv. 245). In the Mac. text \u201cone man,\u201d which\n better suits the second crocodile, for the animal can hardly be\n expected to take two at a time.\n\nFootnote 409:\n\n He had ample reason to be frightened. The large Cynocephalus is\n exceedingly dangerous. When travelling on the Gold Coast with my late\n friend Colonel De Ruvignes, we suddenly came in the grey of the\n morning upon a herd of these beasts. We dismounted, hobbled our nags\n and sat down, sword and revolver in hand. Luckily it was feeding time\n for the vicious brutes, which scowled at us but did not attack us.\n During my four years\u2019 service on the West African Coast I heard enough\n to satisfy me that these powerful beasts often kill men and rape\n women; but I could not convince myself that they ever kept the women\n as concubines.\n\nFootnote 410:\n\n As we should say in English it is a far cry to Loch Awe: the Hindu\n byword is, \u201cDihl\u00ed (Delhi) is a long way off.\u201d See vol. i. 37.\n\nFootnote 411:\n\n Arab. F\u00fatah, a napkin, a waistcloth, the Indian Zones alluded to by\n the old Greek travellers.\n\nFootnote 412:\n\n Arab. \u201cYaj\u00ed (it comes) miat khw\u00e1njah\u201d\u2014quite Fellah talk.\n\nFootnote 413:\n\n As Tr\u00e9butien shows (ii. 155) these apes were a remnant of some ancient\n tribe possibly those of \u00c1d who had gone to Meccah to pray for rain and\n thus escaped the general destruction. See vol. i. 65. Perhaps they\n were the Jews of Aylah who in David\u2019s day were transformed into\n monkeys for fishing on the Sabbath (Saturday). Koran ii. 61.\n\nFootnote 414:\n\n I can see no reason why Lane purposely changes this to \u201cthe extremity\n of their country.\u201d\n\nFootnote 415:\n\n Koran xxii. 44, Mr. Payne remarks:\u2014This absurd addition is probably\n due to some copyist, who thought to show his knowledge of the Koran,\n but did not understand the meaning of the verse from which the\n quotation is taken and which runs thus, \u201cHow many cities have We\n destroyed, whilst yet they transgressed, and they are laid low on\n their own foundations and wells abandoned and high-builded palaces!\u201d\n Mr. Lane observes that the words are either misunderstood or purposely\n misapplied by the author of the tale. Purposeful perversions of Holy\n Writ are very popular amongst Moslems and form part of their rhetoric;\n but such is not the case here. According to Von Hammer (Tr\u00e9butien ii.\n 154), \u201cEastern geographers place the Bir al-Mu\u2019utallal (Ruined Well)\n and the Kasr al-Mash\u00edd (High-builded Castle) in the province of\n Hadramaut, and we wait for a new Niebuhr to inform us what are the\n monuments or the ruins so called.\u201d His text translates puits arides et\n palais de pl\u00e2tre (not likely!). Lane remarks that Mash\u00edd mostly means\n \u201cplastered,\u201d but here = Mushayyad, lofty, explained in the Jal\u00e1layn\n Commentary as = raf\u00ed\u2019a, high-raised. The two places are also mentioned\n by Al-Mas\u2019\u00fadi; and they occur in Al-Kazw\u00edni (see Night dccclviii.):\n both of these authors making the Koran directly allude to them.\n\nFootnote 416:\n\n Arab. (from Pers.) Ayw\u00e1n which here corresponds with the Egyptian\n \u201cl\u00edw\u00e1n\u201d a tall saloon with estrades.\n\nFootnote 417:\n\n This na\u00efve style of \u201crenowning it\u201d is customary in the East,\n contrasting with the servile address of the subject\u2014\u201cthy slave\u201d etc.\n\nFootnote 418:\n\n Daulat (not Dawlah) the Anglo-Indian Dowlat; prop. meaning the shifts\n of affairs, hence, fortune, empire, kingdom. Kh\u00e1t\u00fan = \u201clady,\u201d I have\n noted, follows the name after Turkish fashion.\n\nFootnote 419:\n\n The old name of Suez-town from the Greek Clysma (the shutting), which\n named the Gulf of Suez \u201cSea of Kulzum.\u201d The ruins in the shape of a\n huge mound, upon which S\u00e1\u2019id Pasha built a Kiosk-palace, lie to the\n north of the modern town and have been noticed by me, (Pilgrimage,\n Midian etc.) The Rev. Prof. Sayce examined the mound and from the\n Roman remains found in it determined it to be a fort guarding the old\n mouth of the Old Egyptian Sweet-water Canal which then debouched near\n the town.\n\nFootnote 420:\n\n _i.e._ Tuesday. See vol. iii, 249.\n\nFootnote 421:\n\n Because being a Jinniyah the foster-sister could have come to her and\n saved her from old maidenhood.\n\nFootnote 422:\n\n Arab. \u201cH\u00e1jah\u201d properly a needful thing. This consisted according to\n the Bresl. Edit. of certain perfumes, by burning which she could\n summon the Queen of the Jinn.\n\nFootnote 423:\n\n Probably used in its sense of a \u201cblack crow.\u201d The Bresl. Edit. (iv.\n 261). has \u201cKh\u00e1tim\u201d (seal-ring) which is but one of its almost\n innumerable misprints.\n\nFootnote 424:\n\n Here it is called \u201cT\u00e1bik\u201d and afterwards \u201cT\u00e1b\u00fat.\u201d\n\nFootnote 425:\n\n _i.e._ raising from the lower hinge-pins. See vol. ii 214.\n\nFootnote 426:\n\n Arab. Abr\u00edsam or Ibr\u00edsam (from Persian Abr\u00edsham or Ibr\u00edsham) = raw\n silk or floss, _i.e._ untwisted silk.\n\nFootnote 427:\n\n This knightly practice, evidently borrowed from the East, appears in\n many romances of chivalry _e.g._ When Sir Tristran is found by King\n Mark asleep beside Ysonde (Isentt) with drawn sword between them, the\n former cried:\u2014\n\n Gif they weren in sinne\n Nought so they no lay.\n\n And we are told:\u2014\n\n Sir Amys and the lady bright\n To bed gan they go;\n And when they weren in bed laid,\n Sir Amys his sword out-brayed\n And held it between them two.\n\n This occurs in the old French romance of Amys and Amyloun which is\n taken into the tale of the Ravens in the Seven Wise Masters where\n Ludovic personates his friend Alexander in marrying the King of\n Egypt\u2019s daughter and sleeps every night with a bare blade between him\n and the bride. See also Aladdin and his lamp. An Englishman remarked,\n \u201cThe drawn sword would be little hindrance to a man and maid coming\n together.\u201d The drawn sword represented _only_ the Prince\u2019s honour.\n\nFootnote 428:\n\n Arab. \u201cYa S\u00e1ki\u2019 al-Wajh,\u201d which Lane translates by \u201clying\u201d or \u201cliar.\u201d\n\nFootnote 429:\n\n Kam\u00edn (in Bresl. Edit. \u201cbayn\u201d = between) Al-Bahrayn = Ambuscade or\n lurking-place of the two seas. The name of the city in Lane is\n \u201c\u2019Emareeych\u201d imaginary but derived from Emarch (\u2019im\u00e1rah) = being\n populous. Tr\u00e9butien (ii. 161) takes from Bresl. Edit. \u201cAmar\u201d and\n translates the port-name, \u201cle lieu de refuge des deux mers.\u201d\n\nFootnote 430:\n\n _i.e._ \u201cHigh of (among) the Kings.\u201d Lane proposes to read \u2019Ali al-Mulk\n = high in dominion.\n\nFootnote 431:\n\n Pronounce Mu\u2019inuddeen = Aider of the Faith. The Bresl. Edit. (iv. 266)\n also reads \u201cMu\u2019in al-Riy\u00e1sah\u201d = Mu\u2019in of the Captaincies.\n\nFootnote 432:\n\n Arab. Sh\u00fam = a tough wood used for the staves with which donkeys are\n driven. Sir Gardner Wilkinson informed Lane that it is the ash.\n\nFootnote 433:\n\n In Persian we find the fuller metaphorical form, \u201ckissing the ground\n of obedience.\u201d\n\nFootnote 434:\n\n For the Shaykh of the Sea(-board) in Sindbad the Seaman see vol. vi.\n 50.\n\nFootnote 435:\n\n That this riding is a facetious exaggeration of the African practice I\n find was guessed by Mr. Keightley.\n\nFootnote 436:\n\n Arab. \u201cKummasra\u201d: the root seems to be \u201cKamsara\u201d = being slender or\n compact.\n\nFootnote 437:\n\n Lane translates, \u201cby reason of the exhilaration produced by\n intoxication.\u201d But the Arabic here has no assonance. The passage also\n alludes to the drunken habits of those blameless Ethiopians, the races\n of Central Africa where, after midday a chief is rarely if ever found\n sober. We hear much about drink in England but Englishmen are mere\n babes compared with these stalwart Negroes. In Unyamwezi I found all\n the standing bedsteads of pole-sleepers and bark-slabs disposed at an\n angle of about 20 degrees for the purpose of draining off the huge\n pottle-fulls of Pombe (Osirian beer) drained by the occupants; and,\n comminxit lectum potus might be said of the whole male population.\n\nFootnote 438:\n\n This is not exaggerated. When at Hebron I saw the biblical spectacle\n of two men carrying a huge bunch slung to a pole, not so much for the\n weight as to keep the grapes from injury.\n\nFootnote 439:\n\n The Mac. and Bul. Edits. add, \u201cand with him a host of others after his\n kind\u201d; but these words are omitted by the Bresl. Edit. and apparently\n from the sequel there was only one Ghul-giant.\n\nFootnote 440:\n\n Probably alluding to the most barbarous Persian practice of plucking\n or tearing out the eyes from their sockets. See Sir John Malcolm\u2019s\n description of the capture of Kirm\u00e1n and Morier (in Zohrab, the\n hostage) for the wholesale blinding of the Asterabadian by the\n Eunuch-King Agha Mohammed Shah. I may note that the medi\u00e6val Italian\n practice called _bacinare_, or scorching with red-hot basins, came\n from Persia.\n\nFootnote 441:\n\n Arab. \u201cLaban\u201d as opposed to \u201cHal\u00edb\u201d: in Night dcclxxiv (_infra_ p.\n 365) the former is used for sweet milk, and other passages could be\n cited. I have noted that all galaktophagi, or milk-drinking races,\n prefer the artificially soured to the sweet, choosing the fermentation\n to take place outside rather than inside their stomachs. Amongst the\n Somal I never saw man, woman or child drink a drop of fresh milk; and\n they offered considerable opposition to our heating it for coffee.\n\nFootnote 442:\n\n Arab. T\u00e1kah not \u201can aperture\u201d as Lane has it, but an arched hollow in\n the wall.\n\nFootnote 443:\n\n In Tr\u00e9butien (ii. 168) the cannibal is called \u201cGoul Eli-Fenioun\u201d and\n Von Hammer remarks, \u201cThere is no need of such likeness of name to\n prove that all this episode is a manifest imitation of the adventures\n of Ulysses in Polyphemus\u2019 cave; * * * and this induces the belief that\n the Arabs have been acquainted with the poems of Homer.\u201d Living\n intimately with the Greeks they could not have ignored the Iliad and\n the Odyssey: indeed we know by tradition that they had translations,\n now apparently lost. I cannot however, accept Lane\u2019s conjecture that\n \u201cthe story of Ulysses and Polyphemus may have been of Eastern origin.\u201d\n Possibly the myth came from Egypt, for I have shown that the opening\n of the Iliad bears a suspicious likeness to the proem of Pentaur\u2019s\n Epic.\n\nFootnote 444:\n\n Arab. Shakht\u00far.\n\nFootnote 445:\n\n In the Bresl. Edit. the ship is not wrecked but lands Sa\u2019id in safety.\n\nFootnote 446:\n\n So in the Shah-nameh the S\u00edmurgh-bird gives one of her feathers to her\n prot\u00e9g\u00e9 Z\u00e1l which he will throw into the fire when she is wanted.\n\nFootnote 447:\n\n Bresl. Edit. Al-Zardakh\u00e1n\u00e1t Arab. plur. of Zarad-Kh\u00e1nah, a bastard\n word = armoury, from Arab. Zarad (hauberk) and Pers. Kh\u00e1nah = house\n etc.\n\nFootnote 448:\n\n Some retrenchment was here found necessary to avoid \u201cdamnable\n iteration.\u201d\n\nFootnote 449:\n\n _i.e._ Badi\u2019a al-Jamal.\n\nFootnote 450:\n\n Mohammed.\n\nFootnote 451:\n\n Koran xxxv. \u201cThe Creator\u201d (F\u00e1tir) or the Angels, so called from the\n first verse.\n\nFootnote 452:\n\n In the Bresl. Edit. (p. 263) Sayf al-Muluk drops asleep under a tree\n to the lulling sound of a S\u00e1kiyah or water-wheel, and is seen by\n Badi\u2019a al-Jamal, who falls in love with him and drops tears upon his\n cheeks, etc. The scene, containing much recitation is long and well\n told.\n\nFootnote 453:\n\n Arab. \u201cLukmah\u201d = a _bouch\u00e9e_ of bread, meat, fruit or pastry, and\n especially applied to the rice balled with the hand and delicately\n inserted into a friend\u2019s mouth.\n\nFootnote 454:\n\n Arab. \u201cSal\u00e1hiyah,\u201d also written Sar\u00e1hiyah: it means an ewer-shaped\n glass-bottle.\n\nFootnote 455:\n\n Arab \u201cSarm\u00fajah,\u201d of which Von Hammer remarks that the dictionaries\n ignore it; Dozy gives the forms Sarm\u00faj, Sarm\u00faz and Sarm\u00fazah and\n explains them by \u201cesp\u00e8ce de gu\u00eatre, de sandale ou de mule, qu\u2019on\n chausse par-dessus la botte.\u201d\n\nFootnote 456:\n\n In token of profound submission.\n\nFootnote 457:\n\n Arab. \u201cMisr\u201d in Ibn Khald\u00fan is a land whose people are settled and\n civilised hence \u201cNamsur\u201d = we settle; and \u201cAms\u00e1r\u201d = settled provinces.\n Al-Misrayn was the title of Basrah and Kufah the two military\n cantonments founded by Caliph Omar on the frontier of conquering\n Arabia and conquered Persia. Hence \u201cTams\u00edr\u201d = founding such posts,\n which were planted in Mesopotamia, Syria and Egypt. In these camps\n were stationed the veterans who had fought under Mohammed; but the\n spoils of the East soon changed them to splendid cities where luxury\n and learning flourished side by side. Sprenger (Al-Mas\u2019\u00fadi pp. 19,\n 177) compares them ecclesiastically with the primitive Christian\n Churches such as Jerusalem, Alexandria and Antioch. But the Moslems\n were animated with an ardent love of liberty and Kufah under Al-Hajjaj\n the masterful, lost 100,000 of her turbulent sons without the thirst\n for independence being quenched. This can hardly be said of the Early\n Christians who, with the exception of a few staunch-hearted martyrs,\n appear in history as pauvres diables and poules mouill\u00e9es, ever\n oppressed by their own most ignorant and harmful fancy that the world\n was about to end.\n\nFootnote 458:\n\n _i.e._ Waiting to be sold and wasting away in single cursedness.\n\nFootnote 459:\n\n Arab. \u201cY\u00e1 d\u00e1dati\u201d: d\u00e1dat is an old servant-woman or slave, often\n applied to a nurse, like its congener the Pers. D\u00e1d\u00e1, the latter often\n pronounced Daddeh, as Daddeh Bazm-\u00e1r\u00e1 in the Kuisum-nameh (Atkinson\u2019s\n \u201cCustoms of the Women of Persia,\u201d London, 8vo. 1832).\n\nFootnote 460:\n\n Marj\u00e1nah has been already explained. D\u2019Herbelot derives from it the\n Romance name _Morgante la D\u00e9convenue_, here confounding Morgana with\n Urganda; and Keltic scholars make Morgain = Mor Gwynn\u2014the white maid\n (p. 10, Keightley\u2019s Fairy Mythology, London, Whittaker, 1833).\n\n\n\n\n END OF VOL. VII.\n\n[Illustration: \u0648\u0627\u0644\u0633\u0644\u0627\u0645]\n\n\n\n\n INDEX\n\n\n Ab\u00fa Amir bin Marw\u00e1n, 142\n\n Ab\u00fa al-Haml\u00e1t = father of assaults, etc., 149\n\n Ab\u00fa Al\u00ed al-Husayn the Wag, 130\n\n Ab\u00fa al-Sakh\u00e1 = father of munificence, 133\n\n Account asked from outgoing Governors, 102\n\n \u2014\u2014 of them will be presently given = we leave them for the present, 157\n\n Acids applied as counter-inebriants, 32\n\n Address without vocative particle more emphatic, 125\n\n Addressing by the name not courteous, 114\n\n Adolescent (un, aime toutes les femmes), 299\n\n Affirmative and negative particles, 195\n\n Africa (suggested derivation of the name), 60\n\n Agha (Al-) = chief police officer, 156\n\n Ahassa bi\u2019l-Shurbah = \u201che smelt a rat\u201d, 144\n\n Ajal = yes verily, 195\n\n \u2019Ajwah = dates pressed into a solid mass and\u2014deified, 14\n\n Ak\u00e1k\u00edr = drugs, spices, 147\n\n Akhl\u00e1t (town in Armenia), 88\n\n Ak\u00edk (al-) two of the name, 140\n\n Aky\u00e1l, title of the Himyarite Kings, 60\n\n Al\u00e0 Kulli h\u00e1l = in any case, 272\n\n Al\u00e0 raghm = in spite of, 121\n\n Alas for his chance of escaping = there is none, 183\n\n Ali Zaybak = Mercury Ali, 172\n\n \u2019\u00c1l\u00ed al-Mul\u00fak = high among the Kings, 354\n\n Alif, H\u00e1, W\u00e1w as tests of calligraphy, 112\n\n Alhambra = (D\u00e1r) al-hamr\u00e1, the Red, 49\n\n Allah confound the far One (hard swearing), 155\n\n \u2014\u2014 succour the Caliph against thee, 159\n\n \u2014\u2014 is All-knowing, 209\n\n All\u00e1ho Akbar, the Arab slogan-cry, 8\n\n \u2019Amala h\u00edlah for tricking a Syro-Egyptian vulgarism, 43\n\n Am\u00e1m-ak = before thee, 94\n\n \u2019Am\u00e1riyah (Pr. N. of town), 353\n\n Amend her case = bathe her etc., 266\n\n Ams\u00e1r (pl. of Misr) = settled provinces, 371\n\n Ans\u00e1r = Medinite auxiliaries, 92\n\n Ape _see_ Cynocephalus\n\n Apes (remnant of some ancient tribe), 346\n\n Arabian Night converted into an Arabian Note, 314\n\n Ardashir = Artaxerxes, 209\n\n Asaf (Solomon\u2019s Wazir), 318\n\n Ash\u00e1b (division of), 92\n\n Ash\u00e1b al-Ziy\u00e1\u2019 = Feudatories, 327\n\n \u2019Ash\u00edrah = clan, 121\n\n \u2019\u00c1sim = defending, 314\n\n Askar jarr\u00e1r = drawing (conquering) army, 85\n\n Asma\u2019\u00ed (Al-) author of Antar, 110\n\n Atm\u00e1r\u00ed = rags (for travelling clothes), 118\n\n Avaunt = Ikhsa, be chased like a dog, 45\n\n Ayw\u00e1 (\u2019llahi) = yes, by Allah, 195\n\n Ayw\u00e1n (saloon with estrades), 347\n\n Azarbij\u00e1n = Kohistan, 104\n\n Azdash\u00edr misprint for Ardash\u00edr, 209\n\n Azrak = blue-eyed (so is the falcon), 164\n\n\n B\u00e1b = gate (for chapter, etc.), 3\n\n Badr B\u00e1s\u00edm (Pr. N.) = Full moon smiling, 274\n\n Bakk\u00e1l = greengrocer, etc., 295\n\n B\u00e1n = myrobalan, 247\n\n Banner in sign of Investiture, 101\n\n Ban\u00fa Tam\u00edm (tribe), 125\n\n Bar\u00edd = Post, 340\n\n Batshat al-Kubr\u00e1 = the great disaster (battle of Badr), 55\n\n Batt\u00e1sh al-Akr\u00e1n = he who assaults his peers, 55\n\n Bat\u00e1nah = lining, 330\n\n Battles described, 61\n\n Bead thrown into a cup (signal of delivery), 324\n\n Beast with two backs (Eastern view of), 35\n\n Bir (Al-) al-Mu\u2019utallal = the Ruined Well, 346\n\n Blessings at the head of letters, 133\n\n Blue eyes = blind with cataract, or staring, glittering, hungry, 164\n\n Bow a cowardly weapon, 123\n\n Breslau edition quoted, 168; 172; 173; 177; 202; 316; 321; 324; 326;\n 327; 329; 341; 342; 343; 350; 353; 354; 363; 367\n\n Bride of the Hoards, 147\n\n Bridle (not to be committed to another), 304\n\n Bulak ed. quoted, 173; 359\n\n Burdah = plaid of striped stuff, 95\n\n Burckhardt quoted, 91; 93; 156\n\n Byron (depreciated where he ought to be honoured most), 268\n\n\n Caliphs: Hish\u00e1m, 104\n\n \u2014\u2014 Walid bin Sahl, 106\n\n \u2014\u2014 Mahd\u00ed (Al-), 136\n\n Canton (city of), 334\n\n Capotes m\u00e9lancoliques, 190\n\n Chaste forbearance towards a woman frequently causes love, 189\n\n Chaw\u00e1shiyah = Chamberlains, 327\n\n Coffer (Ar. T\u00e1bik, T\u00e1b\u00fat), 350\n\n \u201cCompelleth\u201d in the sense of \u201cburdeneth\u201d, 285\n\n Conjugal affection (striking picture of), 243\n\n Copa d\u2019agua excuse for a splendid banquet, 168\n\n Colocasia (Ar. Kallak\u00e1s), 151\n\n Combat reminding of that of Rustam and Sohr\u00e1b, 89\n\n Conjunctive in Africans seldom white, 184\n\n Connection (tribal seven degrees of), 121\n\n Converts theoretically respected and practically despised, 43\n\n Creases in the stomach insisted upon, 130\n\n Cross-bows, 62\n\n Cuirasses against pleasure, cobwebs against infection, 190\n\n Cundums (French letters), 190\n\n Cynocephalus (kills men and rapes women), 344\n\n\n Dakkah = long wooden bench etc., 111\n\n Damsel of the tribe = daughter of the chief, 95\n\n Daulat = fortune, empire, kingdom (Pr. N.), 347\n\n Deposits are not lost with Him = He disappointeth not etc., 334\n\n Devotees (white woollen raiment of), 214\n\n Dim\u00e1gh = brain, meninx (for head), 178\n\n Dirhams (50,000 = about \u00a31,250), 105\n\n Diw\u00e1n al-Bar\u00edd = Post Office, 340\n\n Dogs (in Eastern cities), 202\n\n Don\u00e1nm\u00e1 (rejoicings for the pregnancy of a Sultana), 324\n\n Donkey-boy like our \u201cpost-boy\u201d of any age, 160\n\n Donning woman\u2019s attire in token of defeat, 188\n\n Doors (pulled up = raised from the lower hinge-pins), 352\n\n Drinking before or after dinner or both, 132\n\n Drugs (is this an art of?), 147\n\n Drunk with the excess of his beauty, 162\n\n Drunken habits of Central African races, 357\n\n\n \u201cEarly to bed\u201d etc. (modern version of the same), 217\n\n Elephant-faced Vet\u00e1la, 34\n\n Elephants frighting horses, 61\n\n Eli-Fenioun = Polyphemus, 361\n\n Euphemism of speech, 134; 142\n\n Euphuistic speech, 285\n\n Eyes \u201csunk\u201d into the head for our \u201cstarting\u201d from it, 36\n\n \u2014\u2014 (plucking or tearing out of, a Persian practice), 359\n\n\n Fagf\u00far (Mosl. title for the Emperor of China), 335\n\n Fak\u00edh = divine, 325\n\n Falast\u00edn, degraded to \u201cPhilister\u201d, 101\n\n Far\u00e1is (pl. of far\u00edsah) = shoulder-muscles, 219\n\n Far\u00e1nik (Al-) = letter-carrier, 340\n\n Far\u00e1shah, noun of unity of Far\u00e1sh = butterfly, moth, 305\n\n F\u00e1rik\u00ed, adjective of Mayy\u00e1f\u00e1rik\u00edn, 1\n\n F\u00e1ris = rider, knight, 314\n\n Farr\u00e1sh, a man of general utility, tent-pitcher etc., 4\n\n Father of Bitterness = the Devil, 116\n\n F\u00e1tihah quoted, 286\n\n F\u00e1tir = creator (chapter of the Koran), 366\n\n Fat\u00eds = carrion, corps cr\u00e9v\u00e9, 181\n\n Faylas\u00fafiyah = philosopheress, 145\n\n Fayyaz (al-) = the overflowing, 99\n\n Fazl = grace, exceeding goodness, 220\n\n Fearing for the lover first, 256\n\n Fee delicately offered, 162\n\n F\u00ed al-Kamar in the moonshine (perhaps allusion to the Comorin islands),\n 269\n\n Fig = anus, 151\n\n Fights frequent at funerals or wedding processions, 190\n\n Fillets hung on trees to denote an honoured tomb, 96\n\n Fikh = theology, 325\n\n Fire-arms mentioned, 62\n\n Flirtation impossible in the East, 181\n\n Floor (sitting upon the, sign of deepest dejection), 314\n\n Foot (prehensile powers of the Eastern), 179\n\n Fortalice of fruits (Ar. Hisn al-F\u00e1kihah), 75\n\n French letters (all about them), 190\n\n Fumigations to cite Jinnis etc., 363\n\n F\u00fatah = napkin, waistcloth, 345\n\n\n Galaktophagi prefer sour milk to sweet, 360\n\n Garden (in the Prophet\u2019s tomb at Al-Medinah), 91\n\n Generosity (peculiar style of), 323\n\n Ghand\u00far = a gallant, 181\n\n Ghur\u00e1b al-Bayn = Raven of the Wold, 226\n\n \u201cGift from me to,\u201d etc. = \u201cI leave it to you, sir\u201d, 292\n\n Giraffe, one of the most timid of the antelope tribe, 54\n\n \u2014\u2014 unfit for riding, 62\n\n Girding the sovereign (found in the hieroglyphs), 328\n\n Gloom = black hair of youth, 277\n\n Glooms gathering and full moons dawning for hands and eyes, 247\n\n Gold (when he looked upon it, his life seemed a light thing to him),\n 240\n\n Grapes (bunch of, weighing twenty pounds, no exaggeration), 358\n\n Grim joke (showing elation of spirits), 324\n\n Ground (really kissed), 257\n\n Guest-rite, 121\n\n \u2014\u2014 (must be fed before his errand is asked), 319\n\n\n Habb al-\u2019Ubb (a woman\u2019s ornament), 205\n\n Hadas = surmise, 302\n\n Hail within sight of the Equator, 336\n\n H\u00e1jah = a needful thing (for somewhat), 349\n\n Hajar-coinage (?), 95\n\n Hajj\u00e1j (al-) bin Y\u00fasuf al-Thakif\u00ed, 97\n\n H\u00e1kim = ruler, not to be confounded with Hak\u00edm, a doctor, etc., 29\n\n Hal\u00e1wat = sweets, 205\n\n Halumma = bring!, 117\n\n Hallaling = Anglo-Indian term for the Moslem rite of killing animals\n for food, 9\n\n Hamm\u00e1l al-Hatabi = one who carries fuel-sticks, 59\n\n Harbak = javelin, 45\n\n Harrak\u00e1t = carracks (also used for cock-boat), 336\n\n Hasab wa Nasal = inherited degree and acquired dignity, 279\n\n Hatim = broken wall (at Meccah), 219\n\n H\u00e1tim (Pr. N.) = black crow, 350\n\n Hazza-hu = he made it quiver, 45\n\n Henna-flower (its spermatic odour), 250\n\n Heroes and heroines of love-tales are bonnes fourchettes, 300\n\n Hind bint Asm\u00e1 and the poet Jar\u00edr, 96\n\n Hish\u00e1m (Caliph), 104\n\n Hisn al-F\u00e1kihah = Fortalice of fruits, 75\n\n Hiss = (sensual) perception, 302\n\n Hobbling a camel (how done), 119\n\n Hubkah = doubling of a woman\u2019s waistcloth, 180\n\n Hullah = dress, 180\n\n Humility of the love-lorn Princess artfully contrasted with her former\n furiosity, 261\n\n\n Ib\u00e1ziyah sect, 125\n\n Ibr\u00edk = ewer, 146\n\n Ibr\u00edsam = raw silk, floss, 352\n\n Ihtil\u00e1m = wet dreams, 183\n\n Ijtil\u00e1 = displaying of the bride, 198\n\n Iksah = plait, etc., 150\n\n Iliad and Pentaur\u2019s Epic, 362\n\n Incuriousness of the Eastern story-teller, 57\n\n Indian realm, 336\n\n Infidel should not be killed unless refusing to become a Moslem or a\n tributary, 64\n\n Irak for Al-Irak in verse, 20\n\n Ir\u00e1n = hearse, Moses\u2019 ark, 207\n\n Ishk \u2019Uzr\u00ed = platonic love, 121\n\n\n Jab\u00e1birah = tyrants, giants, 84\n\n J\u00e1bars\u00e1, the city of Japhet, 40; 43\n\n J\u00e1bir Athar\u00e1t al-Kir\u00e1m = Repairer of the Slips of the Generous, 100\n\n Jaland, not Julned, 16\n\n Jamil bin Ma\u2019amar al-Uzr\u00ed (poet), 117\n\n J\u00e1n-Sh\u00e1h = Life King, 82\n\n Japhet (Ar. Y\u00e1fis or Y\u00e1fat), 40\n\n \u2014\u2014 his sword, 41\n\n Jauharah (Pr. N. = jewel), 307\n\n Jaw\u00e1mard for Jaw\u00e1n-mard, un giovane, a brave, 17\n\n Jaz\u00edrah (al-) = Mesopotamia, 100\n\n \u2014\u2014 Insula for Peninsula, 333\n\n Jilb\u00e1b = habergeon, buff jacket, 56\n\n Juln\u00e1r = Pers. Gul-i-an\u00e1r (pomegranate flower), 268\n\n\n Ka\u2019ah = mess-room, barracks, 167\n\n Kaannahu huwa = as he (was) he, 233\n\n Ka\u2019ak al\u2019-I\u2019d = buns (cake?), 196\n\n Ka\u2019b = heel, ankle; fortune, 177\n\n Ka\u2019ka\u2019at = jangling noise, 21\n\n Kalak = raft, 342\n\n Kamar\u00edyah = moon-like, 202\n\n Kamin al-Bahrayn = Ambuscade of the two seas, 353\n\n Karaj (town in Persian Irak), 77\n\n K\u00e1riz\u00e1n (al-) = the two mimosa gatherers, 93\n\n Karr aynan = keep thine eye cool, 229\n\n K\u00e1sid = Anglo-Indian Cossid, 77\n\n Kasr al-Mash\u00edd = high-built Castle, 346\n\n Kataba (for tattooing), 250\n\n Kawwad = leader (for pimp), 98\n\n Kayf h\u00e1lak = how de doo?, 336\n\n Kaz\u00e1, Kismet and \u201cProvidence\u201d, 135\n\n \u201cKey\u201d = fee paid on the keys being handed to a lodger, 212\n\n Khadd = cheek, 277\n\n Kh\u00e1fiyah = concealed; Kh\u00e1inah = perfidy, 320\n\n Khal\u2019a al-\u2019iz\u00e1r = stripping of jaws or side-beard, 248\n\n Khalb\u00fas = buffoon, 195\n\n Khal\u00ed\u2019a (Al-) = the Wag, 130\n\n Kh\u00e1nakah = Dervishes\u2019 convert, 177\n\n Kh\u00e1t\u00fan = lady; Pr. N., 146\n\n Khazr\u00e1 (al-) = the Green, palace of Mu\u2019\u00e1wiyah, 124\n\n Khirad Shah = King Intelligence; Pr. N., 73\n\n Khiskh\u00e1nah = cupboard, 199\n\n Kir\u00e1t (bean of Abrus precatorius), 289\n\n Kis\u00e1s (Al-) = lex talionis, 170\n\n \u201cKiss ground\u201d not to be taken literally, 210\n\n Kitf al-Jamal = Camel shoulder-blade, 167\n\n Knife, \u201cbravest of arms\u201d, 123\n\n Koran quoted (iii. 11; i. 42; viii. 9), 55\n\n \u2014\u2014 (cxi.), 59\n\n \u2014\u2014 (xxxiii.), 92\n\n \u2014\u2014 (xx. 102), 164\n\n \u2014\u2014 (xii. 31), 213\n\n \u2014\u2014 (ii. 286), 285\n\n \u2014\u2014 (ii. 61; xxii. 44), 346\n\n \u2014\u2014 (xxxv.), 366\n\n Kudrat = Omnipotence, 135\n\n Kulzum (Al-), old name of Suez-town, 348\n\n Kumayt (Al-) = bay horse with black points, 128\n\n Kumasr\u00e1 (Kummasr\u00e1) = pear, 357\n\n Kurs\u00ed = stool, 311\n\n\n La\u2019ab = sword-play, 44\n\n L\u00e1b (old Pers. for Sun), 296\n\n Laban = sweet milk, 360\n\n Lak\u00edt = f\u0153tus, foundling, contemptible fellow, 145\n\n Lane quoted, 95; 96; 111; 113; 118; 119; 123; 124; 135; 136; 139; 144;\n 172; 182; 195; 196; 209; 269; 275; 280; 282; 303; 309; 314; 328; 361\n\n Laun = colour, hue (for dish), 185\n\n Laylat ams = yesternight, 186\n\n Legs making mute the anklets, 131\n\n Letter torn tears a kingdom, 2\n\n Letters (French), 190\n\n Listening not held dishonourable, 279\n\n Liw\u00e1 = Arab Tempe, 115\n\n L\u00edw\u00e1n = Ayw\u00e1n (saloon with estrades), 347\n\n Lukmah = bouch\u00e9e, mouthful, 367\n\n\n Magazine (as one wherein wheat is heaped up = unmarried), 372\n\n Muj\u00e1jat = saliva, 280\n\n Mah\u00e1 = wild cattle, 280\n\n Mal\u00edh Kaw\u00ed = very handsome (Cairene vulgarism), 150\n\n Maf\u00e1rik (Al-) = partings of the hair, 222\n\n Mace, a dangerous weapon, 24\n\n Mahay\u00e1 = M\u00e1 al-Hay\u00e1t = aqua vit\u00e6, 132\n\n Mahd\u00ed (Al-), Caliph, 136\n\n Mahr = marriage dowry, settlement, 126\n\n Mal\u00edk al-N\u00e1s\u00edr (Saladin), 142\n\n Manjan\u00edk\u00e1t = mangonels, 335\n\n Mariduna = Rebels against Allah, 39\n\n Mars\u00edn = myrtle, 290\n\n Marw\u00e1n bin al-Hakam (Governor of Al-Medinah), 125\n\n Masculine for feminine, 140\n\n Maskharah = masker (buffoon), 195\n\n Maut = death, 147\n\n Mayazib (pl. of m\u00edz\u00e1b) = gargoyles, 136\n\n Mayd\u00e1n al-F\u00edl, 326\n\n Maysum\u2019s song, 97\n\n Mayy\u00e1f\u00e1rik\u00edn capital of Diy\u00e1r Bakr, 1\n\n Mercury Ali (his story sequel to that of Dal\u00edlah), 172\n\n Metamorphosis (terms of), 294\n\n Milk-drinking races prefer the soured milk to the sweet, 360\n\n Mirbad (al-), market place at Bassorah, 130\n\n Misr, Masr = Capital (applied to Memphis, Fostat and Cairo), 172\n\n \u2014\u2014 (for Egypt), 370\n\n Mohammed (Allah\u2019s right hand), 366\n\n Mohammed bin Sulaym\u00e1n al-Rab\u00ed\u2019\u00ed (Governor of Bassorah), 130\n\n Mohr = signet, 329\n\n Monsters (abounding in Persian literature), 339\n\n Morosa voluptas, 132\n\n Mosque Al-Ahz\u00e1b = Mosque of the troops, 92\n\n MS. copy of The Nights (price of one in Egypt), 312\n\n Mu\u2019attik al-Rik\u00e1b = Liberator of Necks, 331\n\n Muh\u00e1jirin = companions in Mohammed\u2019s flight, 92\n\n Mu\u2019in al-D\u00edn = Aider of the Faith, 354\n\n Mujauhar = damascened, 84\n\n Mulabbas = drag\u00e9es, 205\n\n Mun\u00e1damah = table-talk, 309\n\n Munawwarah (al-) = The Illumined (Title of Al-Medinah), 95\n\n Mus\u00e1fahah = putting palm to palm, 52\n\n Mus\u00e1hikah = tribadism, 132\n\n Mus\u00e1marah = night-talk by moonlight, 217\n\n Mosquito caught between the toes, 179\n\n Musr\u00e1n (Al-) = guts, 190\n\n Mutanakkir = disguised, proud, reserved, 101\n\n Muunah = provisions, 232\n\n\n N\u00e1b (pl. Any\u00e1b) = canine tooth, tusk, 339\n\n Nafs-\u00ed = my soul for \u201cthe flesh\u201d, 118\n\n N\u00e1\u2019\u00ed al-maut = messenger of death, 226\n\n Naked = without veil or upper clothing, 151\n\n Names frequently do not appear till near the end of a tale, 43; 274\n\n Naming a girl by name offensive, 286\n\n Ni\u2019am = yes in answer to a negative, 195\n\n Night (its last the bitter parting), 243\n\n Nit\u00e1h = a woman\u2019s waist cloth, 180\n\n Nostrils (his life-breath was in his = his heart was in his mouth), 258\n\n Nostrums for divining the sex of the unborn child, 268\n\n N\u00farayn = two lights (town in Turkestan), 88\n\n\n Offerings (pious) = ex votos etc., 150\n\n \u201cOld maids\u201d ignored in the East, 286\n\n \u201cOld Man of the Sea\u201d (a M\u00e1rid or evil Jinn), 338\n\n Oman with its capital Maskat = Omana Moscha, 24\n\n Opening doors without a key is the knavish trick of a petty thief, 182\n\n\n Payne quoted, 16; 18; 57; 123; 277; 337\n\n Pearls (fresh from water), 240\n\n Pencilling the eyes with kohl, 250\n\n Pens (gilded) = reeds washed with gold, 112\n\n Pilgrimage quoted (iii. 90), 34\n\n \u2014\u2014 (i. 377), 9\n\n \u2014\u2014 (iii. 191), 21\n\n \u2014\u2014 (i. 14), 80\n\n \u2014\u2014 (ii. 62; 69), 91\n\n \u2014\u2014 (ii. 130; 138; 325), 92\n\n \u2014\u2014 (ii. 3), 95\n\n \u2014\u2014 (iii. 336), 104\n\n \u2014\u2014 (ii. 300), 124\n\n \u2014\u2014 (iii. 164), 136\n\n \u2014\u2014 (ii. 24), 140\n\n \u2014\u2014 (i. 59), 171\n\n \u2014\u2014 (i. 120), 172\n\n \u2014\u2014 (i. 124), 177\n\n \u2014\u2014 (iii. 66), 181\n\n \u2014\u2014 (ii. 52\u201354), 202\n\n \u2014\u2014 (i. 62), 212\n\n \u2014\u2014 (iii. 165), 219\n\n Police-master legally answerable for losses, 161\n\n Pomegranate = female parts, 151\n\n Prin\u00b4cess English, Princess French, 245\n\n Proportion of horse and foot in Arab and Turcoman armies, 1\n\n Protestants (four great _Sommit\u00e9s_), 124\n\n Pun, 53; 288; 307\n\n\n Ra\u2019ad Sh\u00e1h, Pr. N. = thunder-king, 55\n\n Rabbat-\u00ed = my she-Lord, applied to the fire, 36\n\n Rahim, Rihm = womb for uterine relations, 123\n\n Raiment of devotees (white wool), 214\n\n Ramlah (half-way house between Jaffa and Jerusalem), 103\n\n R\u00e1yah K\u00e1imah = pennon flying (not \u201cbeast standing\u201d), 118\n\n \u201cRenowning it\u201d (na\u00efve style of), 347\n\n Repentance acquits the penitent, 72\n\n Repetition, 293; 301\n\n Riding on men as donkeys (facetious exaggeration of African practice),\n 357\n\n Rock (falling upon a ship), 295\n\n Ruba\u2019al-Khar\u00e1b = the waste quarter, 80\n\n Rubbam\u00e1 = perhaps, sometimes, 218\n\n Rudaynian lance (like a), 265\n\n Rumourers (the two) = basin and ewer, 146\n\n Rutub (applying to pearls) = fresh from water, 240\n\n\n Sab\u00e1 = the Biblical Sheba, 316\n\n Sabaj (a black shell), 131\n\n Safw\u00e1n = clear, cold, 314\n\n S\u00e1\u2019ik = the Striker, 35\n\n Saja\u2019-assonance bald in translation, 2\n\n \u2014\u2014 answerable for galimatias, 36\n\n Sal\u00e1t maml\u00fak\u00edyah = praying without ablution, 148\n\n Sal\u00e1tah (how composed), 132\n\n S\u00e1lih (Pr. N.) = righteous, pious, just, 314\n\n Samandal (Al-) = Salamander, 280\n\n Samar = night-story, 312\n\n Sam\u00e1wah (Al-) visitation place in Babylonian Irak, 93\n\n Sam\u00edr = night-talker, 217\n\n Sana\u2019\u00e1 (famed for leather and other work), 130\n\n Sandals (kissed and laid on the head in token of submission), 370\n\n Sarm\u00fajah = sandals, leggings, slippers, 370\n\n Satl = kettle, bucket (situla?), 182\n\n Saudaw\u00ed = of a melancholic temperament, 238\n\n Saw\u00edk = parched corn, 303\n\n Sayf \u03be\u03af\u03c6\u03bf\u03c2 al-Mul\u00fak = Sword of the Kings, 325\n\n Seal-ring of Solomon (oath by), 317\n\n Set-off for abuse of women, 130\n\n Shahy\u00e1l bin Sh\u00e1rukh (Pr. N.), 331\n\n Shakht\u00far = dinghy, 362\n\n Shammara = he tucked up (sleeve or gown), 133\n\n Shara (Al-), mountain in Arabia, 23\n\n Shara\u2019 = holy law, 170\n\n Shar\u00edt = chopper, sword, 178\n\n Shaykh attended by a half-witted lunatic, 152\n\n Shaykh of the Sea (-board), 357\n\n Shazarw\u00e1n = Pers. Shadurw\u00e1n, palace, cornice, etc., 51\n\n Sibawayh (Grammarian), 233\n\n Side-muscles (her quiver = she trembles in every nerve), 219\n\n Slave (Moslemah can compel an infidel master who has attempted her\n seduction to sell her), 203\n\n Sleeping with a sword between them, 352\n\n Shower (how delightful in rainless lands), 141\n\n Sh\u00fam (a tough wood used for staves), 354\n\n Shubash = Bravo!, 195\n\n Slave-girls (newly bought pretentious and coquettish), 266\n\n Solomon (oath by his seal-ring), 317\n\n Street cries of Cairo, 172\n\n Style of a Cairene public scribe, 134\n\n Suhbat-hu = in company with him, 262\n\n Sulam\u00ed (not Sulaymi) = of the tribe Ban\u00fa Sulaym, 93\n\n Sulaym\u00e1n bin Abd al-Malik (Caliph), 99\n\n Sulaym\u00e1n\u00edyah = Afghans, 171\n\n Sar\u00e1h\u00edyah (vulg. Sal\u00e1h\u00edyah = glass-bottle), 370\n\n Su\u2019ub\u00e1n = \u201cbasilisk,\u201d large serpent, 322\n\n Sword (between two sleepers represents _only_ the man\u2019s honour), 353\n\n\n T\u00e1bik = coffer, 350\n\n T\u00e1b\u00fat = bier, ark, etc., 207\n\n \u2014\u2014 (coffer), 350\n\n Taghadd\u00e1 = he dined, 180\n\n T\u00e1ir al-bayn = parting bird, 226\n\n T\u00e1kah = arched hollow in the wall, niche, 361\n\n Takht, a \u201cseat\u201d from a throne to a saddle, 55\n\n \u2014\u2014 (more emphatical than Sar\u00edr), 328\n\n Takl\u00edd = baldricking, not girding a sword, 3\n\n Takl\u00edyah = onion-sauce, 322\n\n Takw\u00edm = Tacuino (for Almanac), 296\n\n Tams\u00edr (derived from Misr) = founding a military cantonment, 371\n\n T\u00e1s\u00famah = sandal, slipper, 197\n\n Taverns, 324\n\n Tayr = any flying thing, bird, 227\n\n Taw\u00edlan jiddan, now a Cairenism, 13\n\n Tazr\u00edb = quilting, 330\n\n \u201cTell the truth!\u201d way of taking an Eastern liar, 183\n\n Tent (how constructed), 109\n\n \u201cThere is no Majesty,\u201d etc., as ejaculation of impatience, 73\n\n Third = Tuesday, 349\n\n Timsah = crocodile, 343\n\n Tongue (my, is under thy feet), 239\n\n\n \u2019Ubb = breast-pocket, 205\n\n Union opposed to \u201cSeverance\u201d, 120\n\n \u201cUse this\u201d (_i.e._ for thy daily expenses), 298\n\n Uzrah = Azariah, 158\n\n\n Vile water (Koranic term for semen), 213\n\n Violent temper (frequent amongst Eastern princesses), 254\n\n Virginity of slave-girls (respected by the older slave-trader, rarely\n by the young), 267\n\n Visits to the tombs, 124\n\n\n Wahk, Wahak = Lasso, 61\n\n Wahtah = quasi-epileptic fit, 127\n\n Wal\u00edd bin Sahl (Caliph), 106\n\n Ward Shah = Rose King, 70\n\n Wars (al-) = carthamus tinctorius, 93\n\n Wayha-k equivalent to Wayla-k, 127\n\n Weapons carried under the thigh, 56\n\n \u2014\u2014 magic, 59\n\n \u2014\u2014 new forms of, 62\n\n \u201cWhatso thou wouldest do that do\u201d = Do what thou wilt, 324\n\n \u201cWhere lies China-land?\u201d = it is a far cry to Lock Awe, 344\n\n \u201cWho art thou?\u201d etc. (meaning \u201cyou are nobodies\u201d), 286\n\n \u201cWhoso loveth me, let him bestow largesse upon this man\u201d, 323\n\n Women (blue-eyed of good omen), 164\n\n\n Ya\u2019arub bin Kaht\u00e1n, 25\n\n Y\u00e1 D\u00e2dat\u00ed = \u201cma mie\u201d, 372\n\n Y\u00e1fis, Y\u00e1fat = Japhet, 40\n\n Yaj\u00ed miat khw\u00e1njah = near an hundred chargers, 345\n\n Y\u00e1 Khawand = O Master, 315\n\n Yakhn\u00ed = stew, broth, 186\n\n Y\u00e1 S\u00e1k\u00ed\u2019 al-Wajh = O false face!, 353\n\n Y\u00e1 Ust\u00e1 (for Ust\u00e1z) = O my Master, 192\n\n Y\u00fasuf (Grand Vizier, and his pelisse), 323\n\n\n Zabbah = wooden bolt, 182\n\n Zal\u00e1biyah bi-\u2019Asal = honey fritters, 164\n\n Zalz\u00e1l son of Muzalzil = Earthquake son of Ennosigaius, 79\n\n Zardah = rice dressed with honey and saffron, 189\n\n Zardakh\u00e1nat = Zarad (Ar. for hauberk) \u2013 Kh\u00e1nah (Pers. for house), 363\n\n Zarr\u00e1f = giraffe, 54\n\n Z\u00e1wiyah = corner (for cell, oratory), 328\n\n Zurk = blue-eyed, dim-sighted, purblind, 164\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n\n\n\n TRANSCRIBER\u2019S NOTES\n\n\n 1. Changed \u2018hog\u2019 to \u2018dog\u2019 on p. 31.\n 2. Changed \u2018fainted\u2019 to \u2018feinted\u2019 on p. 60.\n 3. Changed \u2018thy want\u2019 to \u2018thy wont\u2019 on p. 60.\n 4. Changed \u2018put to the route\u2019 to \u2018put to the rout\u2019 on p. 287.\n 5. Added missing target for footnote on p. 301.\n 6. Changed \u2018They son\u2019 to \u2018Thy son\u2019 on p. 444.\n 7. Silently corrected simple spelling, grammar, and typographical\n errors.\n 8. Retained anachronistic and non-standard spellings as printed.\n 9. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_.","title":"The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night \u2014 Volume 07 (of 10)","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":174338}