And when he had finished his verses he closed his eyes and opened his

mouth; then with a single death-rattling he left this world. Thereupon

Kanmakan rose and dug a grave and laid him in the dust; after which he

went up to the steed and kissed him and wiped his face and joyed with

exceeding joy, saying, "None hath the fellow of this stallion; no, not

even King Sasan." Such was the case with Kanmakan; but as regards King

Sasan, presently news came to him that the Wazir Dandan had thrown off

his allegiance, and with him half the army who swore that they would

have no King but Kanmakan: and the Minister had bound the troops by a

solemn covenant and had gone with them to the Islands of India and to

Berber-land and to Black-land;[FN#93] where he had levied armies from

far and near, like unto the swollen sea for fear and none could tell

the host's van from its rear. And the Minister was resolved to make

for Baghdad and take the kingdom in ward and slay every soul who dare

retard, having sworn not to return the sword of war to its sheath, till

he had made Kanmakan King. When this news came to Sasan, he was

drowned in the sea of appal, knowing that the whole state had turned

against him, great and small; and his trouble redoubled and his care

became despair. So he opened his treasuries and distributed his monies

among his officers; and he prayed for Kanmakan's return, that he might

draw his heart to him with fair usage and bounty; and make him

commander of those troops which ceased not being faithful to him, so

might he quench the sparks ere they became a flame. Now when the news

of this reached Kanmakan by the merchants, he returned in haste to

Baghdad on the back of the aforesaid stallion, and as King Sasan sat

perplexed upon his throne he heard of the coming of Kanmakan; whereupon

he despatched all the troops and head-men of the city to meet him. So

all who were in Baghdad fared forth and met the Prince and escorted him

to the palace and kissed the thresholds, whilst the damsels and the

eunuchs went in to his mother and gave her the fair tidings of his

return. She came to him and kissed him between the eyes, but he said

to her, "O mother mine, let me go to my uncle King Sasan who hath

overwhelmed me with weal and boon." And while he so did, all the

palace-people and head-men marvelled at the beauty of the stallion and

said, "No King is like unto this man." So Kanmakan went in to King

Sasan and saluted him as he rose to receive him; and, kissing his hands

and feet, offered him the horse as a present. The King greeted him,

saying, "Well come and welcome to my son Kanmakan! By Allah, the world

hath been straitened on me by reason of thine absence, but praised be

Allah for thy safety!" And Kanmakan called down blessings on him. Then

the King looked at the stallion, Al-Katul highs, and knew him for the

very horse he had seen in such and such a year whilst beleaguering the

Cross-worshippers of Constantinople with Kanmakan's sire, Zau al-

Makan, that time they slew his uncle Sharrkan. So he said to the

Prince, "If thy father could have come by this courser, he would have

bought it with a thousand blood horses: but now let the honour return

to the honourable. We accept the steed and we give him back to thee as

a gift, for to him thou hast more right than any wight, being

knightliest of knights." Then King Sasan bade bring forth for him

dresses of honour and led horses and appointed to him the chief lodging

in the palace, and showed him the utmost affection and honour, because

he feared the issue of the Wazir Dandan's doings. At this Kanmakan

rejoiced and shame and humiliation ceased from him. Then he went to

his house and, going to his mother, asked, "O my mother, how is it with

the daughter of my uncle?" Answered she, "By Allah, O my son, my

concern for thine absence hath distracted me from any other, even from

thy beloved; especially as she was the cause of thy strangerhood and

thy separation from me." Then he complained to her of his case, saying,

"O my mother, go to her and speak with her; haply she will vouchsafe me

her sight to see and dispel from me this despondency." Replied his

mother, "Idle desires abase men's necks; so put away from thee this

thought that can only vex; for I will not wend to her nor go in to her

with such message.' Now when he heard his mother's words he told her

what said the horse-thief concerning Zat al-Dawahi, how the old woman

was then in their land purposing to make Baghdad, and added, "It was

she who slew my uncle and my grandfather, and needs must I avenge them

with man-bote, that our reproach be wiped out." Then he left her and

repaired to an old woman, a wicked, whorish, pernicious beldam by name

Sa'adánah and complained to her of his case and of what he suffered for

love of his cousin Kuzia Fakan and begged her to go to her and win her

favour for him. "I hear and I obey," answered the old hag and leaving

him betook herself to Kuzia Fakan's palace, that she might intercede

with her in his behalf. Then she returned to him and said, "Of a truth

Kuzia Fakan saluteth thee and promiseth to visit thee this night about

midnight."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying

her permitted say.

When it was the One Hundred and Forty-second Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the old

woman came to Kanmakan and said, "Of a truth the daughter of thine

uncle saluteth thee and she will visit thee this night about midnight;"

he rejoiced and sat down to await the fulfilment of his cousin's

promise. But before the hour of night she came to him, wrapped in a

veil of black silk, and she went in to him and aroused him from sleep,

saying, "How canst thou pretend to love me, when thou art sleeping

heart-free and in complete content?" So he awoke and said, "By Allah, O

desire of my heart, I slept not but in the hope that thine image might

visit my dreams!" Then she chid him with soft words and began

versifying in these couplets,

"Hadst thou been leaf in love's loyalty, *

Ne'er haddest suffered sleep to seal those eyne:

O thou who claimest lover-loyalty, *

Treading the lover's path of pain and pine!

By Allah, O my cousin, never yet *

Did eyes of lover sleep such sleep indign."

Now when he heard his cousin's words, he was abashed before her and

rose and excused himself. Then they embraced and complained to each

other of the anguish of separation; and they ceased not thus till dawn

broke and day dispersed itself over the horizon; when she rose

preparing to depart. Upon this Kanmakan wept and sighed and began

improvising these couplets,

"O thou who deignest come at sorest sync, *

Whose lips those teeth like necklaced pearls enshrine'

I kissed him[FN#94] thousand times and clips his waist, *

And spent the night with cheek to cheek close li'en

Till to depart us twain came dawning day, *

Like sword edge drawn from sheath in radiant line."

And when he ended his poetry, Kuzia Fakan took leave of him and

returned to her palace. Now certain of her damsels became aware of her

secret, and one of these slave girls disclosed it to King Sasan, who

went into Kuzia Fakan and, drawing his sabre upon her, would have slain

her: but her mother Nuzhat al-Zaman entered and said to him, "By Allah,

do her no harm, for if thou hurt her, the report will be noised among

the folk and thou shalt become a reproach amongst the Kings of the age!

Know thou that Kanmakan is no son of adultery, but a man of honour and

nobility, who would not do aught that could shame him, and she was

reared with him. So be not hasty; for verily the report is spread

abroad, among all the palace-people and all the folk of Baghdad, how

the Wazir Dandan hath levied armies from all countries and is on his

way hither to make Kanmakan King." Quoth Sasan, "By Allah, needs must I

cast him into such calamity that neither earth shall support him nor

sky shall shadow him! I did but speak him fair and show him favour

because of my lieges and my lords, lest they incline to him; but right

soon shalt thou see what shall betide." Then he left her and went out

to order the affairs of the realm. Such, then, was the case with King

Sasan; but as regards Kanmakan, on the next day he came in to his

mother and said, "O my mother! I am resolved to ride forth a raiding

and a looting: and I will cut the road of caravans and lift horses and

flocks, negroes and white slaves and, as soon as I have collected great

store and my case is bettered galore, I will demand my cousin Kuzia

Fakan in marriage of my uncle Sasan." Replied she, "O my son, of a

truth the goods of men are not ready to hand like a scape-camel;[FN#95]

for on this side of them are sword-strokes and lance-lungings and men

that eat the wild beast and lay countries waste and chase lynxes and

hunt lions." Quoth he, Heaven forefend that I turn back from my

resolve, till I have won to my will! Then he despatched the old woman

to Kuzia Fakan, to tell her that he was about to set out in quest of a

marriage settle ment befitting her, saying to the beldam, "Thou needs

must pray her to send me an answer." "I hear and I obey," replied the

old woman and going forth, presently returned with Kuzia Fakan's reply,

which was, "She will come to thee at midnight." So he abode awake till

one half of the night was passed, when restlessness get hold on him,

and before he was aware she came in to him, saying, "My life be thy

ransom from wakefulness!" and he sprang up to receive her, exclaiming,

"O desire of my heart, my life be thy redemption from all ills and

evils!" Then he acquainted her, with his intent, and she wept: but he

said, "Weep not, O daughter of my uncle; for I beseech Him who decreed

our separation to vouchsafe us reunion and fair understanding." Then

Kanmakan, having fixed a day for departure, went in to his mother and

took leave of her, after which came he down from his palace and threw

the baldrick of his sword over his shoulder and donned turband and

face-veil; and mounting his horse, Al-Katul, and looking like the moon

at its full, he threaded the streets of Baghdad, till he reached the

city gate. And behold, here he found Sabbah bin Rammah coming out of

town; and his comrade seeing him, ran to his stirrup and saluted him.

He returned his salutation, and Sabbah asked him, "O my brother, how

camest thou by this good steed and this sword and clothes, whilst I up

to present time have gotten nothing but my sword and target?" Answered

Kanmakan, "The hunter returneth not but with quarry after the measure

of his intention. A little after thy departure, fortune came to me: so

now say, wilt thou go with me and work thine intent in my company and

journey with me in this desert?" Replied Sabbah, "By the Lord of the

Ka'abah, from this time forth I will call thee naught but 'my lord'!"

Then he ran on before the horse, with his sword hanging from his neck

and his budget between his shoulder blades, and Kanmakan rode a little

behind him; and they plunged into the desert, for a space of four days,

eating of the gazelles and drinking water of the springs. On the fifth

day they drew near a high hill, at whose foot was a

spring-encampment[FN#96] and a deep running stream; and the knolls and

hollows were filled with camels and cattle and sheep and horses, and

little children played about the pens and folds. When Kanmakan saw

this, he rejoiced at the sight and his breast was filled with delight;

so he addressed himself to fight, that he might take the camels and the

cattle, and said to Sabbah, "Come, fall with us upon this loot, whose

owners have left it unguarded here, and do we battle for it with near

and far, so haply may fall to our lot of goods some share." Replied

Sabbah, "O my lord, verily they to whom these herds belong be many in

number; and among them are doughty horsemen and fighting footmen; and

if we venture lives in this derring do we shall fall into danger great

and neither of us will return safe from this bate; but we shall both be

cut off by fate and leave our cousins desolate." Then Kanmakan laughed

and knew that he was a coward; so he left him and rode down the rise,

intent on rapine, with loud cries and chanting these couplets,

"Oh a valiant race are the sons of Nu'umán, *

Braves whose blades shred heads of the foeman-clan![FN#97]

A tribe who, when tried in the tussle of war, *

Taketh prowess stand in the battle-van:

In their tents safe close gaberlunzie's eyne, *

Nor his poverty's ugly features scan:

And I for their aidance sue of Him *

Who is King of Kings and made soul of man."

Then he rushed upon the she-camels like a he-camel in rut and drove all

before him, sheep and cattle, horses and dromedaries. Therewith the

slaves ran at him with their blades so bright and their lances so long;

and at their head rode a Turkish horseman who was indeed a stout

champion, doughty in fray and in battle chance and skilled to wield the

nut-brown lance and the blade with bright glance. He drove at

Kanmakan, saying, "Woe to thee! Knewest thou to whom these herds belong

thou hadst not done this deed. Know that they are the goods of the

band Grecian, the champions of the ocean and the troop Circassian; and

this troop containeth none but valiant wights numbering an hundred

knights, who have cast off the allegiance of every Sultan. But there

hath been stolen from them a noble stallion, and they have vowed not to

return hence without him." Now when Kanmakan heard these words, he

cried out, saying, "O villain, this I bestride is the steed whereof ye

speak and after which ye seek, and ye would do battle with me for his

sake' So come out against me, all of you at once, and do you dourest

for the nonce!" Then he shouted between the ears of Al-Katul who ran at

them like a Ghul; whereupon Kanmakan let drive at the Turk[FN#98] and

ran him through the body and threw him from his horse and let out his

life; after which he turned upon a second and a third and a fourth, and

also of life bereft them. When the slaves saw this, they were afraid

of him, and he cried out and said to them, "Ho, sons of whores, drive

out the cattle and the stud or I will dye my spear in your blood." So

they untethered the beasts and began to drive them out; and Sabbah came

down to Kanmakan with loud voicing and hugely rejoicing; when lo! there

arose a cloud of dust and grew till it walled the view, and there

appeared under of it riders an hundred, like lions an-hungered. Upon

this Sabbah took flight, and fled to the hill's topmost height, leaving

the assailable site, and enjoyed sight of the fight, saying, "I am no

warrior; but in sport and jest I delight."[FN#99] Then the hundred

cavaliers made towards Kanmakan and surrounded him on all sides, and

one of them accosted him, saying, "Whither goest thou with this loot?"

Quoth he, "I have made it my prize and am carrying it away; and I

forbid you from it, or come on to the combat, for know ye that he who

is before you is a terrible lion and an honourable champion, and a

sword that cutteth wherever it turneth!" When the horseman heard these

words, he looked at Kanmakan and saw that he was a knight like a

mane-clad lion in might, whilst his face was as the full moon rising on

its fourteenth night, and velour shone from between his eyes. Now that

horseman was the captain of the hundred horse, and his name was

Kahrdash; and when he saw in Kanmakan the perfection of cavalarice with

surpassing gifts of comeliness, his beauty reminded him of a beautiful

mistress of his whose name was Fátin.[FN#100] Now she was one of the

fairest of women in face, for Allah had given her charms and grace and

noble qualities of all kinds, such as tongue faileth to explain and

which ravish the hearts of men. Moreover, the cavaliers of the tribe

feared her prowess and all the champions of that land stood in awe of

her high spirit; and she had sworn that she would not marry nor let any

possess her, except he should conquer her in combat (Kahrdash being one

of her suitors); and she said to her father, "None shall approach me,

save he be able to deal me over throw in the field and stead of war

thrust and blow. Now when this news reached Kahrdash, he scorned to

fight with a girl, fearing reproach; and one of his intimates said to

him, "Thou art complete in all conditions of beauty and goodliness; so

if thou contend with her, even though she be stronger than thou, thou

must needs overcome her; for when she seeth thy beauty and grace, she

will be discomfited before thee and yield thee the victory; for verily

women have a need of men e'en as thou heedest full plain." Nevertheless

Kahrdash refused and would not contend with her, and he ceased not to

abstain from her thus, till he met from Kanmakan that which hath been

set down. Now he took the Prince for his beloved Fatin and was afraid;

albeit indeed she loved him for what she had heard of his beauty and

velour; so he went up to him and said, "Woe to thee,[FN#101] O Fatin!

Thou comest here to show me thy prowess; but now alight from thy steed,

that I may talk with thee, for I have lifted these cattle and have

foiled my friends and waylaid many a brave and man of knightly race,

all for the sake of thy beauty of form and face, which are without

peer. So marry me now, that Kings' daughters may serve thee and thou

shalt become Queen of these countries." When Kanmakan heard these

words, the fires of wrath flamed up in him and he cried out, "Woe to

thee, O Persian dog! Leave Fatin and thy trust and mistrust, and come

to cut and thrust, for eftsoon thou shalt lie in the dust;" and so

saying, he began to wheel about him and assail him and feel the way to

prevail. But when Kahrdash observed him closely he knew him for a

doughty knight and a stalwart in fight; and the error of his thought

became manifest to him, whenas he saw the green down on his cheeks

dispread like myrtles springing from the heart of a rose bright-red.

And he feared his onslaught and quoth he to those with him, "Woe to

you! Let one of you charge down upon him and show him the keen sword

and the quivering spear; for know that when many do battle with one man

it is foul shame, even though he be a kemperly wight and an invincible

knight." Upon this, there ran at Kanmakan a horseman like a lion in

fight, mounted on a black horse with hoofs snow-white and a star on his

forehead, the bigness of a dirham, astounding wit and sight, as he were

Abjar, which was Antar's destrier, even as saith of him the poet,

"The courser chargeth on battling foe, *

Mixing heaven on high with the earth down low:[FN#102]

As though the Morning had blazed his brow, *

And he rends her vitals as quid pro quo."

He rushed upon Kanmakan, and they wheeled about awhile, giving blows

and taking blows such as confound the sprite and dim the sight; but

Kanmakan was the first to smite the foe a swashing blow, that rove

through turband and iron skull cap and reached his head, and he fell

from his steed with the fall of a camel when he rolleth over. Then a

second came out to him and offered battle, and in like guise a third, a

fourth and a fifth, and he did with them all as he had done with the

first. Thereupon the rest at once rushed upon him, for indeed they

were roused by rage and wild with wrath; but it was not long before he

had pierced them all with the point of his spear. When Kahrdash saw

these feats of arms, he feared death; for he knew that the youth was

stoutest of heart and concluded that he was unique among knights and

braves; and he said to Kanmakan, "I waive my claim to thy blood and I

pardon thee the blood of my comrades: so take what thou wilt of the

cattle and wend thy ways, for thy firmness in fight moveth my ruth and

life is better for thee than death." Replied Kanmakan, "Thou lackest

not of the generosity of the noble! but leave this talk and run for

thy life and reck not of blame nor think to get back the booty; but

take the straight path for thine own safety." Thereupon Kahrdash waxed

exceeding wroth, and rage moved him to the cause of his death; so he

said to Kanmakan, "Woe to thee, an thou knew who I be, thou wouldst not

wield these words in the open field. I am the lion to bash known as

Kahrdash, he who spoileth great Kings and waylayeth all travellings and

seizeth the merchants' preciousest things. And the steed under thee is

that I am seeking; and I call upon thee to tell me how thou camest by

him and hast him in thy keeping." Replied Kan makan, "Know thou that

this steed was being carried to my uncle King Sasan, under the escort

of an ancient dame high in rank attended by ten slaves, when thou

fellest upon her and tookest the horse from her; and I have a debt of

blood against this old woman for the sake of my grandfather King Omar

bin al Nu'uman and my uncle King Sharrkan.' "Woe to thee!" quoth

Kahrdash, "who is thy father, O thou that hast no lawful mother?" Quoth

he, "Know that I am Kanmakan, bin Zau al-Makan, son of Omar bin

al-Nu'uman." But when Kahrdash heard this address he said, "Thy

perfection cannot be denied, nor yet the union in thee of knightly

virtue and seemlihead," and he added, "Fare in peace, for thy father

showed us favour." Rejoined Kanmakan, "By Allah, I will not deign to

honour thee, O wretch I disdain, so far as to overcome thee in battle

plain!" Upon this the Badawi waxed wroth and they drove at each other,

shouting aloud, whilst their horses pricked their ears and raised their

tails.[FN#103] And they ceased not clashing together with such a crash

that it seemed to each as if the firmament were split in sunder, and

they continued to strive like two rams which butt, smiting and

exchanging with their spears thrust and cut. Presently Kahrdash foined

at Kanmakan; but he evaded it and rejoined upon him and so pierced him

through the breast that the spearhead issued from his back. Then he

collected the horses and the plunder, and he cried out to the slaves,

saying, "Up and be driving as hard as ye may!" Hearing this, down came

Sabbah and, accosting Kanmakan, said to him, "Right well hast thou

dight, O Knight of the age! Verily I prayed Allah for thee and the Lord

heard my prayer." Then he cut off Kahrdash's head and Kanmakan laughed

and said, "Woe to thee, O Sabbah! I thought thee a rider fain of

fight." Quoth the Badawi, "Forget not thy slave in the division of the

spoil, so haply therewith I may marry my cousin Najmah." Answered

Kanmakan, "Thou shalt assuredly share in it, but now keep watch over

the booty and the slaves." Then he set out for his home and he ceased

not journeying night and day till he drew near Baghdad city, and all

the troops heard of Kanmakan, and saw what was his of loot and cattle

and the horse-thief's head on the point of Sabbah's spear. Also (for

he was a noted highwayman) the merchants knew Kahrdash's head and

rejoiced, saying, "Allah hath rid mankind of him!"; and they marvelled

at his being slain and blessed his slayer. Thereupon all the people of

Baghdad came to Kanmakan, seeking to know what adventures had befallen

him, and he told them what had passed, whereupon all men were taken

with awe of him and the Knights and champions feared him. Then he

drove his spoil under the palace walls; and, planting the spear heel,

on whose point was Kahrdash's head, over against the royal gate, gave

largesse to the people of Baghdad, distributing horses and camels, so

that all loved him and their hearts inclined to him. Presently he took

Sabbah and lodged him in a spacious dwelling and gave him a share of

the loot; after which he went in to his mother and told her all that

had befallen him in his last journey. Meanwhile the news of him

reached the King, who rose from his levee and, shutting himself up with

his chief officers, said to them, "Know ye that I desire to reveal to

you my secret and acquaint you with the hidden facts of my case. And

further know that Kanmakan will be the cause of our being uprooted from

this kingdom, our birth place; for he hath slain Kahrdash, albeit he

had with him the tribes of the Kurds and the Turks, and our affair with

him will end in our destruction, seeing that the most part of our

troops are his kinsmen and ye weet what the Wazir Dandan hath done; how

he disowneth me, after all I have shown him of favours; and after being

faithful he hath turned traitor. Indeed it hath reached me that he hath

levied an army in the provinces and hath planned to make Kanmakan

Sultan, for that the Sultanate was his father's and his grandfather's;

and assuredly he will slay me without mercy." Now when the Lords of the

Realm heard from him these words, they replied, "O King, verily this

man.[FN#104] is unequal to this, and did we not know him to have been

reared by thee, not one of us would approve of him. And know thou that

we are at thy commandment; if thou desire his death, we will do him

die; and if thou wilt remove him, we will remove him." Now when King

Sasan heard this, he said, "Verily, to slay him were wise; but needs

must ye swear an oath to it." So all sware to slay Kanmakan without

giving him a chance; to the end that, when the Wazir Dandan should come

and hear of his death, his force might be weakened and he fail of his

design. When they had made this compact and covenant with trim, the

king honoured them with the highest honours and presently retired to

his own apartments. But the officers deserted him and the troops

refused their service and would neither mount nor dismount until they

should espy what might befal, for they saw that most of the army was

with the Wazir Dandan. Presently, the news of these things came to

Kuzia Fakan and caused her much concern; so that she sent for the old

woman who was wont to carry messages between her and her cousin, and

when she came, bade her go to him and warn him of the plot. Whereto he

replied, "Bear my salutation to the daughter of my uncle and say to

her, 'Verily the earth is of Allah (to whom belong Might and Majesty!),

and He giveth it as heritage to whomsoever of His servants He willeth.'

How excellent is the saying of the sayer,

'Allah holds Kingship! Whoso seeks without Him victory *

Shall be cast out, with soul condemned to Hell of low

degree:

Had I or any other man a finger breadth of land, *

The rule were changed and men a twain of partner gods would

see.' "

Then the old woman returned to Kuzia Fakan and told her his reply and

acquainted her that he abode in the city. Meanwhile, King Sasan

awaited his faring forth from Baghdad, that he might send after him

some who would slay him; till it befel one morning that Kanmakan went

out to course and chase, accompanied by Sabbah, who would not leave him

night or day. He caught ten gazelles and among them one that had

tender black eyes and turned right and left: so he let her go and

Sabbah said to him, "Why didst thou free this gazelle?" Kanmakan

laughed and set the others free also, saying, "It is only humane to

release gazelles that have young, and this one turned not from side to

side, save to look for her fawns: so I let her go and released the

others in her honour." Quoth Sabbah, "Do thou release me, that I may go

to my people." At this Kanmakan laughed and smote him with the spear

butt on the breast, and he fell to the ground squirming like a snake.

Whilst they were thus doing, behold, they saw a dust cloud spireing

high and heard the tramp of horses; and presently there appeared under

it a plump of knights and braves. Now the cause of their coming was

this. Some of his followers had acquainted King Sasan with Kanmakan's

going out to the chase; so he sent for an Emir of the Daylamites,

called Jámi' and twenty of his horsemen; and gave them money and bade

them slay Kanmaken. So when they drew near the Prince, they charged

down upon him and he met them in mid-charge and killed them all, to the

last man. And behold, King Sasan took horse and riding out to meet his

people, found them all slain, whereat he wondered and turned back; when

lo! the people of the city laid hands on him and bound him straitly.

As for Kanmakan after that adventure, he left the place behind him and

rode onward with Sabbah the Badawi. And the while he went, lo! he saw

a youth sitting at the door of a house on his road and saluted him.

The youth returned his greeting and, going into the house, brought out

two platters, one full of soured milk and the other of brewis swimming

in clarified butter; and he set the platter before Kanmakan, saying

"Favour us by eating of our victual." But he refused and quoth the

young man to him, "What aileth thee, O man, that thou wilt not eat?"

Quoth Kanmakan, "I have a vow upon me." The youth asked, "What is the

cause of thy vow?", and Kanmakan answered, "Know that King Sasan seized

upon my kingdom like a tyrant and an enemy, although it was my father's

and my grand father's before me; yet he became master of it by force

after my father's death and took no count of me, by reason of my tender

years. So I have bound myself by a vow to eat no man's victual till I

have eased my heart of my foe." Rejoined the youth, "Rejoice, for Allah

hath fulfilled thy vow. Know that he hath been prisoned in a certain

place and methinks he will soon die." Asked Kanmakan, "In what house is

he confined?" "Under yon high dome," answered the other. The Prince

looked and saw the folk entering and buffeting Sasan, who was suffering

the agonies of the dying. So he arose and went up to the pavilion and

noted what was therein; after which he returned to his place and,

sitting down to the proferred victual, ate what sufficed him and put

the rest in his wallet. Then he took seat in his own place and ceased

not sitting till it was dark night and the youth, whose guest he was

slept; when he rose and repaired to the pavilion wherein Sasan was

confined. Now about it were dogs guarding it, and one of them sprang

at him; so he took out of his budget a bit of meat and threw it to him.

He ceased not casting flesh to the dogs till he came to the pavilion

and, making his way to where King Sasan was, laid his hand upon his

head; whereupon he said in a loud voice, "Who art thou?" He replied, "I

am Kanmakan whom thou stravest to kill; but Allah made thee fall into

thine evil device. Did it not suffice thee to take my kingdom and the

kingdom of my father, but thou must purpose to slay me?"[FN#105] And

Sasan swore a false oath that he had not plotted his death and that the

bruit was untrue. So Kanmakan forgave him and said to him, "Follow

me." Quoth he, "I cannot walk a single step for weakness." Quoth

Kanmakan, "If the case be thus we will get us two horses and ride

forth, I and thou, and seek the open." So he did as he said, and he

took horse with Sasan and rode till day break, when they prayed the

dawn prayer and fared on, and ceased not faring till they came to a

garden, where they sat down and talked. Then Kanmakan rose to Sasan

and said, "Is aught left to set thy heart against me?" "No, by Allah!"

replied Sasan. So they agreed to return to Baghdad and Sabbah the

Badawi said, "I will go before you, to give folk the fair tidings of

your coming." Then he rode on in advance, acquainting women and men

with the good news; so all the people came out to meet Kanmakan with

tabrets and pipes; and Kuzia Fakan also came out, like the full moon

shining in all her splendour of light through the thick darkness of the

night. So Kanmakan met her, and soul yearned to soul and body longed

for body. There was no talk among the people of the time but of

Kanmakan; for the Knights bore witness of him that he was the most

valiant of the folk of the age and said, "It is not right that other

than Kanmakan should be our Sultan, but the throne of his grandfather

shall revert to him as it began." Meanwhile Sasan went in to his wife,

Nuzhat al-Zaman, who said to him, "I hear that the folk talk of nothing

but Kanmakan and attribute to him such qualities as tongue never can."

He replied, "Hearing of a man is not like seeing a man. I have seen

him, but have noted in him none of the attributes of perfection. Not

all that is heard is said; but folk ape one another in extolling and

cherishing him, and Allah maketh his praises to run on the lips of men,

so that there incline to him the hearts of the people of Baghdad and of

the Wazir Dandan, that perfidious and treacherous man; who hath levied

troops from all lands and taketh to himself the right of naming a King

of the country; and who chooseth that it shall be under the hand of an

orphan ruler whose worth is naught." Asked Nuzhat al-Zaman, "What then

is it that thou purposest to do?"; and the King answered, "I mean to

kill him, that the Wazir may be baulked of his intent and return to his

allegiance, seeing nothing for it but my service." Quoth she, "In good

sooth perfidy with strangers is a foul thing and how much more with

kith and kin! The righteous deed to do would be to marry him to thy

daughter Kuzia Fakan and give heed to what was said of old time,

'An Fate some person 'stablish o'er thy head, *

And thou being worthier her choice upbraid,

Yet do him honour due to his estate; *

He'll bring thee weal though far or near thou vade:

Nor speak thy thought of him, else shalt thou be *

Of those who self degrade from honour's grade:

Many Haríms are lovelier than the Bride, *

But Time and Fortune lent the Bride their aid.'"

When Sasan heard these her words and comprehended what her verse

intended, he rose from her in anger and said, "Were it not that thy

death would bring on me dishonour and disgrace, I would take off thy

head with my blade and make an end of thy breath." Quoth she, "Why art

thou wroth with me? I did but jest with thee." Then she rose to him

and bussed his head and hands, saying, "Right is thy foresight, and I

and thou will cast about for some means to kill him forthright." When

he heard this, he was glad and said, "Make haste and contrive some

deceit to relieve me of my grieving: for in my sooth the door of device

is straitened upon me!" Replied she, "At once I will devise for thee to

do away his life." "How so?" asked he; and she answered, "By means of

our female slave the so-called Bákún." Now this Bakun was past mistress

in all kinds of knavery and was one of the most pestilent of old women,

in whose religion to abstain from wickedness was not lawful; she had

brought up Kuzia Fakan and Kanmakan who had her in so great affection

that he used to sleep at her feet. So when King Sasan heard his wife

name her, he said, "Right is this recking"; and, sending for the old

woman, told her what had passed and bade her cast about to kill

Kanmaken, promising her all good. Replied she, "Thy bidding shall be

obeyed; but I would have thee, O my lord, give me a dagger[FN#106]

which hath been tempered in water of death, that I may despatch him the

speedilier for thee." Quoth Sasan, "And welcome to thee!"; and gave her

a hanger that would devance man's destiny. Now this slave women had

heard stories and verses and had learned by rote great store of strange

sayings and anecdotes: so she took the dagger and went out of the room,

considering how she could compass his doom. Then she repaired to

Kanmakan, who was sitting and awaiting news of tryst with the daughter

of his uncle, Kuzia Fakan; so that night his thought was taken up with

her and the fires of love for her raged in his heart. And while he was

thus, behold, the slave woman, Bakun, went in to him and said, "Union

time is at hand and the days of disunion are over and gone." Now when

he heard this he asked, "How is it with Kuzia Fakan?"; and Bakun

answered, "Know that her time is wholly taken up with love of thee." At

this he rose and doffing his outer clothes put them on her and promised

her all good. Then said she, "Know that I mean to pass this night with

thee, that I may tell thee what talk I have heard and console thee with

stories of many passion distraughts whom love hath made sick." "Nay,"

quoth he, "rather tell me a tale that will gladden my heart and gar my

cares depart." "With joy and good will," answered she; then she took

seat by his side (and that poniard under her dress) and began to say:

"Know thou that the pleasantest thing my ears ever heard was

The Tale of the Hashish Eater.

A certain man loved fair women, and spent his substance on them, till

he became so poor that nothing remained to him; the world was

straitened upon him and he used to go about the market- streets begging

his daily bread. Once upon a time as he went along, behold, a bit of

iron nail pierced his finger and drew blood; so he sat down and wiping

away the blood, bound up his finger. Then he arose crying out, and

fared forwards till he came to a Hammam and entering took off his

clothes, and when he looked about him he found it clean and empty. So

he sat him down by the fountain-basin, and ceased not pouring water on

his head, till he was tired.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day

and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the One Hundred and Forty-third Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the man sat down

by the fountain basin and ceased not pouring water on his head till he

was tired. Then he went out to the room in which was the cistern of

cold water; and seeing no one there, he found a quiet corner and taking

out a piece of Hashísh,[FN#107] swallowed it. Presently the fumes

mounted to his brain and he rolled over on to the marble floor. Then

the Hashish made him fancy that a great lord was shampooing him and

that two slaves stood at his head, one bearing a bowl and the other

washing gear and all the requisites of the Hammam. When he saw this, he

said in himself, "Meseemeth these here be mistaken in me; or else they

are of the company of us Hashish-eaters."[FN#108] Then he stretched

out his legs and he imagined that the bathman said to him, "O my

master, the time of thy going up to the Palace draweth near and it is

to-day thy turn of service." At this he laughed and said to himself,

"As Allah willeth,[FN#109] O Hashish!" Then he sat and said nothing,

whilst the bathman arose and took him by the hand and girt his middle

with a waist-cloth of black silk, after which the two slaves followed

him with the bowls and gear, and they ceased not escorting him till

they brought him into a cabinet, wherein they set incense and perfumes

a-burning. He found the place full of various kinds of fruits and

sweet-scented flowers, and they sliced him a watermelon and seated him

on a stool of ebony, whilst the bathman stood to wash him and the

slaves poured water on him; after which they rubbed him down well and

said, "O our lord, Sir Wazir, health to thee forever!" Then they went

out and shut the door on him; and in the vanity of phantasy he arose

and removed the waist-cloth from his middle, and laughed till he well

nigh fainted. He gave not over laughing for some time and at last

quoth he to himself, "What aileth them to address me as if I were a

Minister and style me Master, and Sir? Haply they are now blundering;

but after an hour they will know me and say, This fellow is a beggar;

and take their fill of cuffing me on the neck." Presently, feeling hot

he opened the door, whereupon it seemed to him that a little white

slave and an eunuch came in to him carrying a parcel. Then the slave

opened it and brought out three kerchiefs of silk, one of which he

threw over his head, a second over his shoulders and a third he tied

round his waist. Moreover, the eunuch gave him a pair of bath-

clogs,[FN#110] and he put them on; after which in came white slaves and

eunuchs and sup ported him (and he laughing the while) to the outer

hall, which he found hung and spread with magnificent furniture, such

as be seemeth none but kings; and the pages hastened up to him and

seated him on the divan. Then they fell to kneading him till sleep

overcame him; and he dreamt that he had a girl in his arms. So he

kissed her and set her between his thighs; then, sitting to her as a

man sitteth to a woman,[FN#111] he took yard in hand and drew her

towards him and weighed down upon her, when lo! he heard one saying to

him, "Awake, thou ne'er-do-well! The noon hour is come and thou art

still asleep." He opened his eyes and found him self lying on the merge

of the cold-water tank, amongst a crowd of people all laughing at him;

for his prickle was at point and the napkin had slipped from his

middle. So he knew that all this was but a confusion of dreams and an

illusion of Hashish and he was vexed and said to him who had aroused

him, "Would thou hadst waited till I had put it in!" Then said the

folk, "Art thou not ashamed, O Hashish-eater, to be sleeping stark

naked with stiff standing tool?" And they cuffed him till his neck was

red. Now he was starving, yet forsooth had he savoured the flavour of

pleasure in his dream. When Kanmakan heard the bondwoman's tale, he

laughed till he fell backward and said to Bakun, "O my nurse, this is

indeed a rare story and a delectable; I never heard the like of this

anecdote. Say me! hast more?" "Yes," replied she, and she ceased not

to tell him merry adventures and laughable absurdities, till sleep

overcame him. Then she sat by his head till the most part of the night

was past, when she said to herself, "It is time to profit by the

occasion." So she sprang to her feet and unsheathed the hanger and

rushing up to Kanmakan, was about to cut his throat when behold, his

mother came in upon the twain. As soon as Bakun saw her, she rose in

respect and advanced to meet her, and fear get hold of her and she fell

a- trembling, as if he had the ague. When his mother looked at her she

marvelled to see her thus and aroused her son, who awoke and found her

sitting at his head. Now the cause of her coming was that Kuzia Fakan

overheard the conversation and the concert to kill Kanmakan, and she

said to his mother, "O wife of my uncle, go to thy son, ere that wicked

whore Bakun murther him;" and she told her what had passed from first

to last. So she fared forth at once, and she thought of naught and

stayed not for aught till she went in to her son at the very moment

when Bakun was about to slay him in his sleep. When he awoke, he said

to his mother, "O my mother, indeed thou comest at a good time, for

nurse Bakun hath been with me this night." Then he turned to Bakun and

asked her, "By my life! knowest thou any story better than those thou

hast told me?" She answered, "And where is what I have told thee

compared with what I will tell thee?; but however better it be, it must

be told at another time." Then she rose to depart, hardly believing, in

her escape albeit he said, "Go in peace!" for she perceived by her

cunning that his mother knew what had occurred. So she went her way;

whereupon his mother said to him, "O my son, blessed be this night, for

that Almighty Allah hath delivered thee from this accursed woman." "And

how so?" enquired he, and she told him the story from beginning to end.

Quoth he, "O my mother, of a truth the live man findeth no slayer, and

though slain he shall not die; but now it were wiser that we depart

from amongst these enemies and let Allah work what He will." So, when

day dawned he left the city and joined the Wazir Dandan, and after his

departure, certain things befel between King Sasan and Nuzhat al-Zaman,

which compelled her also to quit the city and join herself to them; and

presently they were met by all the high officers of King Sasan who

inclined to their party. Then they sat in counsel together devising

what they should do, and at last all agreed upon a razzia into the land

of Roum there to take their revenge for the death of King Omar bin

al-Nu'uman and his son Sharrkan. So they set out with this in tent

and, after sundry adventures (which it were tedious to tell as will

appear from what follows), they fell into the hands of Rúmzán, King of

the Greeks. Next morning, King Rumzan caused Kanmakan and the Wazir

Dandan and their company to be brought before him and, when they came,

he seated them at his side, and bade spread the tables of food. So

they ate and drank and took heart of grace, after having made sure of

death, when they were summoned to the King's presence; and they had

said to one another, "He hath not sent for us but to slay us." And when

they were comforted the King said, "In truth I have had a dream, which

I related to the monks, and they said, "None can expound it to thee

save the Wazir Dandan." Quoth the Minister, "Weal it was thou didst see

in thy dream, O King of the age!" Quoth the King, "O Wazir, I dreamt

that I was in a pit which seemed a black well where multitudes were

tormenting me; and I would have risen, but when springing up I fell on

my feet and could not get out of that same pit. Then I turned and saw

therein a girdle of gold and I stretched out my hand to take it; but

when I raised it from the ground, I saw it was two girdles. So I girt

my middle with them both and behold, the girdles became one girdle; and

this, O Wazir, is my dream and what I saw when my sleep was deepest."

Said Dandan, "O our Lord the Sultan! know that this thy dream denoteth

thou hast a brother or a brother's son or an uncle's son or other near

kinsman of thy flesh and blood whom thou knowest not; withal he is of

the noblest of you all." Now when the King heard these words he looked

at Kanmakan and Nuzhat al-Zaman and Kuzia Fakan and the Wazir Dandan

and the rest of the captives and said to himself, "If I smite these

people's necks, their troops will lose heart for the destruction of

their chiefs and I shall be able to return speedily to my realm, lest

the Kingship pass out of my hands." So having determined upon this he

called the Sworder and bade him strike off Kanmakan's head upon the

spot and forthright, when lo! up came Rumzan's nurse and said to him,

"O auspicious King, what purposest thou?" Quoth he, "I purpose

slaughtering these prisoners who are in my power; and after that I will

throw their heads among their men: then will I fall upon them, I and

all my army in one body, and kill all we can kill and rout the rest: so

will this be the decisive action of the war and I shall return speedily

to my kingdom ere aught of accident befal among my subjects." When the

nurse heard these words, she came up to him and said in the Frankish

tongue, "How canst thou prevail upon thyself to slay thine own

brother's son, and thy sister, and thy sister's daughter?" When he

heard this language, he was wroth with exceeding wrath and said to her,

"O accursed woman, didst thou not tell me that my mother was murthered

and that my father died by poison? Didst thou not give me a jewel and

say to me, 'Of a truth this jewel was thy father's?' Why didst thou not

tell me the truth?" Replied she, "All that I told thee is true, but my

case and thy case are wonderful and my history and thy his tory are

marvellous. My name is Marjanah and thy mother's name was Abrizah: and

she was gifted with such beauty and loveliness and velour that proverbs

were made of her, and her prowess was renowned among men of war. And

thy father was King Omar bin al- Nu'uman, Lord of Baghdad and Khorasan,

without doubt or double dealing or denial. He sent his son Sharrkan on

a razzia in company with this very Wazir Dandan; and they did all that

men can. But Sharrkan, thy brother, who had preceded the force,

separated himself from the troops and fell in with thy mother Queen

Abrizah in her palace; and we happened to have sought a place apart in

order to wrestle, she and I and her other damsels. He came upon us by

chance while we were in such case, and wrestled with thy mother, who

overcame him by the power of her splendid beauty and by her prowess.

Then she entertained him five days in her palace, till the news of this

came to her father, by the old woman Shawahi, surnamed Zat al-Dawahi,

whereupon she embraced Al-Islam at the hands of Sharrkan, and he took

her and carried her by stealth to Baghdad, and with her myself and

Rayhánab and twenty other damsels, all of us having, like her, followed

the True Faith. When we came into the presence of thy Father, the King

Omar bin al-Nu'uman, and he saw thy mother, Queen Abrizah, he fell in

love with her and going in unto her one night, had connection with her,

and she conceived by him and became with child of thee. Now thy mother

had three jewels which she presented to thy father; and he gave one of

them to his daughter, Nuzhat al-Zaman, another to thy brother, Zau al-

Makan, and the third to thy brother Sharrkan. This last thy mother

took from Sharrkan and kept it for thee. But as the time of her

delivery drew near she yearned after her own people and disclosed to me

her secret; so I went to a black slave called Al- Ghazban; and, privily

telling him our case, bribed him to go with us. Accordingly the negro

took us and fled the city with us, thy mother being near her time. But

as we approached a desert place on the borders of our own country, the

pangs of labour came upon thy mother. Then the slave proved himself a

lustful villain and approaching her sought of her a shameful thing;

whereupon she cried out at him with a loud cry, and was sore affrighted

at him. In the excess of her fright she gave birth to thee at once, and

at that moment there arose, in the direction of our country, a

dust-cloud which towered and flew till it walled the view. Thereupon

the slave feared for his life; so he smote Queen Abrizah with his sword

and slew her in his fury; then mounting his horse he went his way.

Soon after his going, the dust lifted and discovered thy grandfather,

King Hardub, Lord of Grćcia-land, who, seeing thy mother (and his

daughter) lying slain on the plain, was sorely troubled with a distress

that redoubled, and questioned me of the manner of her death and the

cause of her secretly quitting her father's realm. So I told him all

that had passed, first and last; and this is the cause of the feud

between the people of the land of the Greeks and the people of the city

of Baghdad. Then we bore off thy murthered mother and buried her; and

I took thee and reared thee, and hung about thy neck the jewel which

was with Queen Abrizah. But, when being grown up thou camest to man's

estate, I dared not acquaint thee with the truth of the matter, lest

such information stir up a war of blood revenge between you. More

over, thy grandfather had enjoined me to secrecy, and I could not

gainsay the commandment of thy mother's father, Hardub, King of the

Greeks. This, then, is the cause of my concealment and the reason why

I forbore to inform thee that thy father was King Omar bin al-Nu'uman;

but when thou camest to the throne, I told thee what thou knowest; and

I durst not reveal to thee the rest till this moment, O King of the

Age! So now I have discovered to thee my secret and my proof, and I

have acquainted thee with all I know; and thou reckest best what is in

thy mind." Now all the captives had heard the slave woman Marjanah,

nurse to King Rumzan, speaking as she spake; when Nuzhat al-Zaman,

without stay or delay, cried out, saying, "This King Rumzan is my

brother by my father, King Omar bin al-Nu'uman, and his mother was

Queen Abrizah, daughter of King Hardub, Lord of the Greeks; and I know

this slave-woman Marjanah right well." With this, trouble and

perplexity got hold upon Rumzan and he caused Nuzhat al-Zaman to be

brought up to him forthright. When he looked upon her, blood yearned

to blood and he questioned her of his history. She told him the tale

and her story tallied with that of Marjanah, his nurse; whereupon the

King was assured that he was, indeed and without a doubt, of the people

of Irak; and that King Omar bin al-Nu'uman was his father. So without

losing time he caused his sister to be unpinioned, and Nuzhat al-Zaman

came up to him and kissed his hands, whilst her eves ran over with

tears. The King west also to see her weeping, and brotherly love

possessed him and his heart yearned to his brother's son Sultan

Kanmakan. So he sprang to his feet and, taking the sword from the

Sworder's hands (whereat the captives made sure of death), he caused

them to be set close to him and he cut their bonds with the blade and

said to his nurse Marjanah, "Explain the matter to this company, even

as thou hast explained it to me." Replied she, "O King, know that this

Shayth is the Wazir Dandan and he is the best of witnesses to my story,

seeing that he knoweth the facts of the case." Then she turned to the

captives and repeated the whole story to them on the spot and

forthright, and in presence of the Kings of the Greeks and the Kings of

the Franks; whereupon Queen Nuzhat al-Zaman and the Wazir Dandan and

all who were prisoners with them confirmed her words. When Marjanah,

the bond-woman, had finished, chancing to look at Sultan Kanmakan she

saw on his neck the third jewel, fellow to the two which were with

Queen Abrizah; and, recognising it, she cried so loud a cry, that the

palace re-echoed it and said to the King, "O my son, know that now my

certainty is still more assured, for this jewel that is about the neck

of yonder captive is the fellow to that I hung to thy neck; and, these

being the two, this captive is indeed thy brother's son, Kanmakan."

Then the slave women Marjanah turned to Kanmakan and said to him, "Let

me see that jewel, O King of the Age!"; so he took it from his neck and

handed it to her. Then she asked Nuzhat al-Zaman of the third jewel

and she gave it to her; and when the two were in her hand she delivered

them to King Rumzan, and the truth and proof were made manifest to him;

and he was assured that he was indeed Sultan Kanmakan's uncle and that

his father was King Omar bin al- Nu'uman. So he rose at once and on

the spot and, going up to the Wazir Dandan, threw his arms round his

neck; then he embraced King Kanmakan and the twain cried a loud cry for

excess of joy. The glad news was blazed abroad without delay; and they

beat the tabrets and cymbals, whilst the shawms sounded and the people

held high festival. The armies of Irak and Syria heard the clamour of

rejoicing among the Greeks; so they mounted to the last man, and King

Zibl Khan also took horse saying to himself, "Would I knew what can be

the cause of this clamour and rejoicing in the army of the Franks and

the Greeks!" Then the army of Irak dight itself for fight and advanced

into the plain and place of cut and foin. Presently, King Rumzan

turned him round and saw the army deployed and in preparing for battle

employed, so he asked the cause thereof and was told the state of the

case. Thereupon he bade his niece and brother's daughter, Kuzia Fakan,

return at once and forthright to the troops of Syria and Irak and

acquaint them with the plight that had betided and how it was come to

light that King Rumzan was uncle to Sultan Kanmakan. She set out,

putting away from her sorrows and troubles and, coming to King Zibl

Khan,[FN#112] saluted him and told him all that had passed of the good

accord, and how King Rumzan had proved to be her uncle and uncle of

Kanmakan. And when she went in to him she found him tearful eyed, in

fear for the captive Emirs and Princes; but when he heard what had

passed, from first to last, the Moslem's sadness was abated and they

joyed with the more gladness. Then King Zibl Khan and all his officers

and his retinue took horse and followed Princess Kuzia Fakan till they

reached the pavilion of King Rumzan; and when entering they found him

sitting with his nephew, Sultan Kanmakan. Now he had taken counsel

with the Wazir Dandan concerning King Zibl Khan and had agreed to

commit to his charge the city of Damascus of Sham and leave him King

over it as he before had been while they themselves entered Irak.

Accordingly, they confirmed him in the vice royalty of Damascus of

Syria, and bade him set out at once for his government; so he fared

forth with his troops and they rode with him a part of the way to bid

him farewell. Then they returned to their own places whereupon, the

two armies foregathered and gave orders for the march upon Irak; but

the Kings said one to other, "Our hearts will never be at rest nor our

wrath cease to rage till we have taken our wreak of the old woman

Shawahi, surnamed Zat al-Dawahi, and wiped away our shame and blot upon

our honour." Thereupon King Rumzan and his nephew set out, surrounded

by their Nobles and Grandees; and indeed Kanmakan rejoiced in his

uncle, King Rumzan, and called down blessings on nurse Marjanah who had

made them known to each other. They fared on and ceased not faring

till they drew near their home Baghdad, and when the Chief Chamberlain,

Sasan, heard of their approach, he came out to meet them and kissed the

hand of King Rumzan who bestowed on him a dress of honour. Then the

King of Roum sat down on the throne and seated by his side his nephew

Sultan Kanmakan, who said to him, "O my uncle, this Kingdom befitteth

none but thee." Replied Rumzan, "Allah be my refuge and the Lord forbid

that I should supplant thee in thy Kingdom!" Upon this the Wazir Dandan

counselled them to share the throne between the two, ruling each one

day in turn; and with this they were well satisfied.—And Shahrazad

perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the One Hundred and Forty-fourth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the two Kings

agreed each to rule one day in turn: then made they feasts and offered

sacrifices of clean beasts and held high festival; and they abode thus

awhile, whilst Sultan Kanmakan spent his nights with his cousin Kuzia

Fakan. And after that period, as the two Kings sat rejoicing in their

condition and in the happy ending of their troubles, behold, they saw a

cloud of dust arise and tower till it walled the world from their eyes.

And out of it came a merchant shrieking and crying aloud for succour

and saying, "O Kings of the Age! how cometh it that I woned safely in

the land of the Infidels and I am plundered in your realm, though it be

the biding place of justice[FN#113] and peace?" Then King Rumzan went

up to him and questioned him of his case and he replied, "I am a

merchant and, like other merchants, I have been long absent from my

native land, travelling in far countries for some twenty years; and I

have a patent of exemption from the city of Damascus which the Viceroy,

King Sharrkan (who hath found mercy) wrote me, for the cause that I had

made him gift of a slave-girl. Now as I was drawing near my home,

having with me an hundred loads of rarities of Hind, when I brought

them near Baghdad, which be the seat of your sovereignty and the place

of your peace and your justice, out there came upon me wild Arabs and

Kurds[FN#114] in band gathered together from every land; and they slew

my many and they robbed my money and this is what they have done me."

Then the trader wept in presence of King Rumzan, saying that he was an

old man and infirm; and he bemoaned himself till the King felt for him

and had compassion on him; and likewise did King Kanmakan and they

swore that they would sally forth upon the thieves. So they set out

amid an hundred horse, each reckoned worth thou sands of men, and the

merchant went before them to guide them in the right way; and they

ceased not faring on all that day and the livelong night till

dawnbreak, when they came to a valley abounding in rills and shady with

trees. Here they found the foray dispersed about the valley, having

divided that merchant's bales among them; but there was yet some of the

goods left. So the hundred horsemen fell upon them and surrounded them

on all sides, and King Rumzan shouted his war cry, and thus also did

his nephew Kanmakan, and ere long they made prize of them all, to the

number of near three hundred horsemen, banded together of the refuse of

rascality.[FN#115] They took what they could find of the merchant's

goods and, binding them tightly, brought them to Baghdad, where King

Rumzan and his nephew, King Kanmakan, sat down together on one throne

and, passing the prisoners in review before them, questioned them of

their case and their chiefs. They said, "We have no chiefs but these

three men and it was they who gathered us together from all corners and

countries." The Kings said to them, "Point out to us your headmen!";

and, when this was done, they bade lay hands on the leaders and set

their comrades free, after taking from them all the goods in their

possession and restoring them to the merchant, who examined his stuffs

and monies and found that a fourth of his stock was missing. The Kings

engaged to make good the whole of his loss, where upon the trader

pulled out two letters, one in the handwriting of Sharrkan, and the

other in that of Nuzhat al-Zaman; for this was the very merchant who

had bought Nuzhat al-Zaman of the Badawi, when she was a virgin, and

had forwarded her to her brother Sharrkan; and that happened between

them which happened.[FN#116] Hereupon King Kanmakan examined the

letters and recognised the handwriting of his uncle Sharrkan, and,

having heard the history of his aunt, Nuzhat al- Zaman, he went in to

her with the second letter written by her to the merchant who had lost

through her his monies; Kanmakan also told her what had befallen the

trader from first to last. She knew her own handwriting and,

recognising the merchant, despatched to him guest gifts and commended

him to her brother and nephew, who ordered him largesse of money and

black slaves and pages to wait on him; besides which Nuzhat al-Zaman

sent him an hundred thousand dirhams in cash and fifty loads of

merchandise and presented to him other rich presents. Then she sent

for him and when he came, she went up to him and saluted him and told

him that she was the daughter of King Omar bin al- Nu'uman and that her

brother was King Rumzan and that King Kanmakan was her nephew.

Thereupon the merchant rejoiced with great joy, and congratulated her

on her safety and on her re- union with her brother, and kissed her

hands thanking her for her bounty, and said to her, "By Allah! a good

deed is not lost upon thee!" Then she withdrew to her own apartment and

the trader sojourned with them three days, after which he took leave of

them and set out on his return march to the land of Syria. Thereupon

the two Kings sent for the three robber chiefs who were of the highway

men, and questioned them of their case, when one of them came forward

and said, "Know ye that I am a Badawi who am wont to lie in wait, by

the way, to snatch small children[FN#117] and virgin girls and sell

them to merchants; and this I did for many a year until these latter

days, when Satan incited me to join yon two gallows birds in gathering

together all the riff-raff of the Arabs and other peoples, that we

might plunder merchandise and waylay merchants." Said the Kings, "Tell

us the rarest of the adventures that have befallen thee in kidnapping

children and maidens." Replied he, "O Kings of the Age, the strangest

thing that happened to me was that one day, two-and-twenty years ago, I

snatched a girl who belonged to the Holy City; she was gifted with

beauty and comeliness, despite that she was but a servant and was clad

in threadbare clothes, with a piece of camlet-cloth on her head. So I

entrapped her by guile as she came out of the caravanserai; and at that

very hour mounting her on a camel, made off with her, thinking to carry

her to my own people in the Desert and there set her to pasture the

camels and gather their droppings in the valley. But she wept with so

sore a weeping that after coming down upon her with blows, I took her

and carried her to Damascus city where a merchant saw her with me and,

being astounded at her beauty and marvelling at her accomplishments,

wished to buy her of me and kept on bidding me more and more for her,

till at last I sold her to him for an hundred thousand dirhams. After

selling her I heard her display prodigious eloquence; and it reached me

that the merchant clothed her in handsome gear and presented her to the

Viceroy of Damascus, who gave him three times the price which he had

paid to me, and this price, by my life! was but little for such a

damsel. This, O Kings of the Age, is the strangest thing that ever

befel me." When the two Kings heard her story they wondered thereat,

but when Nuzhat al-Zaman heard what the Badawi related, the light

became darkness before her face and she cried out and said to her

brother Rumzan, "Sure and sans doubt this is the very Badawi who

kidnapped me in the Holy City Jerusalem!" Then she told them all that

she had endured from him in her stranger hood of hardship, blows,

hunger, humiliation, contempt, adding, "And now it is lawful for me to

slay him." So saying she seized a sword and made at him to smite him;

and behold, he cried out and said, "O Kings of the Age, suffer her not

to slay me, till I shall have told you the rare adventures that have

betided me." And her nephew Kanmakan said to her, "O my aunt, let him

tell us his tale, and after that do with him as thou wilt." So she held

her hand and the Kings said to him, "Now let us hear thy history."

Quoth he, "O Kings of the Age, if I tell you a rare tale will ye pardon

me?" "Yes," answered they. Then the Badawi robber-chief began,

The Tale of Hammad the Badawi.

And he said:—Know ye that a short while ago, I was sore wakeful one

night and thought the morn would never dawn; so, as soon as it was

break of day I rose, without stay or delay; and, slinging over my

shoulder my sword, mounted horse and set my lance in rest. Then I rode

out to sport and hunt and, as I went along, a company of men accosted

me and asked me whither I was bound I told them and they said, "We will

keep thee company." So we all fared on together, and, whilst we were

faring, lo and behold! up started an ostrich and we gave her chase,

but she escaped our pursuit and spreading wings ceased not to fly

before us (and we following by sight) till she lost us in a desert

wherein there was neither grass nor water, nor heard we aught therein

save hiss of snake and wail of Jinn and howl of Ghul; and when we

reached that place the ostrich disappeared nor could we tell whether

she had flown up into the sky or into the ground had gone down. Then

we turned our horses' heads and thought to return; but found that to

retrace our steps at that time of burning heat would be toilsome and

dangerous; for the sultry air was grievous to us, so that we thirsted

with sore thirst and our steeds stood still. We made sure of death;

but while we were in this case we suddenly espied from afar a spacious

mead where gazelles were frisking Therein was a tent pitched and by the

tent side a horse tethered and a spear was planted with head glittering

in the sun.[FN#118] Upon this our hearts revived after we had

despaired, and we turned our horses' heads towards that tent making for

the meadow and the water which irrigated it; and all my comrades fared

for it and I at their head, and we ceased not faring till we reached

the mead. Then we alighted at the spring and watered our beasts. But I

was seized with a fever of foolish curiosity and went up to the door of

that tent, wherein I saw a young man, without hair on his cheeks, who

fellowed the new moon; and on his right hand was a slender-waisted

maid, as she were a willow-wand. No sooner did I set eyes on her than

love get hold upon my heart and I saluted the youth, who returned my

greeting. Then said I, "O my brother, tell me who thou art and what to

thee is this damsel sitting by thy side?"[FN#119] Thereupon the youth

bent his head groundwards awhile, then raised it and replied, "Tell me

first who thou art and what are these horsemen with thee?" Answered I,

"I am Hammad son of al-Fazari, the renowned knight, who is reckoned

among the Arabs as five hundred horse. We went forth from our place

this morning to sport and chase and were overcome by thirst; so I came

to the door of this tent, thinking haply to get of thee a draught of

water." When he heard these my words, he turned to the fair maiden and

said, "Bring this man water and what food there is ready." So she arose

trailing her skirts, whilst the golden bangles tinkled on her ankles

and her feet stumbled in her long locks, and she disappeared for a

little while. Presently she returned bearing in her right hand a

silver vessel full of cold water and in her left hand a bowl brimming

with milk and dates, together with some flesh of wild cattle. But I

could take of her nor meat nor drink for the excess of my passion, and

I applied to her these two couplets, saying,

"It was as though the sable dye[FN#120] upon her palms, *

Were raven perching on a swathe of freshest snow;

Thou seest Sun and Moon conjoined in her face, *

While Sun fear-dimmed and Moon fright-pallid show."

After I had eaten and drunk I said to the youth, "Know thou, O Chief of

the Arabs, that I have told thee in all truth who and what I am, and

now I would fain have thee do the like by me and tell me the truth of

thy case." Replied the young man, "As for this damsel she is my

sister." Quoth I, "It is my desire that thou give me her to wife of thy

free will: else will I slay thee and take her by force." Upon this, he

bowed his head groundwards awhile, then he raised his eyes to me and

answered, "Thou sayest sooth in avouching thyself a renowned knight and

famed in fight and verily thou art the lion of the desert; but if ye

all attack me treacherously and slay me in your wrath and take my

sister by force, it will be a stain upon your honour. An you be, as ye

aver, cavaliers who are counted among the Champions and reck not the

shock of foray and fray, give me a little time to don my armour and

sling on my sword and set lance in rest and mount war steed. Then will

we go forth into the field of fight, I and you; and, if I conquer you,

I will kill you to the last man; but if you overcome me and slay me,

this damsel, my sister, is yours." Hearing such words I replied, "This

is only just, and we oppose it not." Then I turned back my horse's head

(for my love for the damsel waxed hotter and hotter) and returned to my

companions, to whom I set forth her beauty and loveliness as also the

comeliness of the young man who was with her, together with his velour

and strength of soul and how he had avouched himself a match for a

thousand horse. Moreover, I described to my company the tent and all

the riches and rarities therein and said to them, "Know ye that this

youth would not have cut himself off from society and have taken up his

abode alone in this place, were he not a man of great prowess: so I

propose that whoso slayeth the younker shall take his sister." And they

said, "This contenteth us." Then my company armed themselves and

mounting, rode to the tent, where we found that the young man had

donned his gear and backed his steed; but his sister ran up to him (her

veil being drenched with tears), and took hold of his stirrup and cried

out, saying, "Alas!" and, "Woe worth the day!" in her fear for her

brother, and recited these couplets,

"To Allah will I make my moan of travail and of woe, *

Maybe Iláh of Arsh[FN#121] will smite their faces with

affright:

Fain would they slay thee, brother mine, with purpose

felon-fell; * Albe no cause of vengeance was, nor fault

forewent the fight.

Yet for a rider art thou known to those who back the steed, *

And twixt the East and West of knights thou art the prowess

knight:

Thy sister's honour thou shalt guard though little might be

hers, * For thou'rt her brother and for thee she sueth

Allah's might:

Then let not enemy possess my soul nor 'thrall my frame, *

And work on me their will and treat thy sister with

despight.

I'll ne'er abide, by Allah's truth, in any land or home *

Where thou art not, though dight it be with joyance and

delight

For love and yearning after thee myself I fain will slay, *

And in the gloomy darksome tomb spread bed upon the clay."

But when her brother heard her verse he wept with sore weeping and

turned his horse's head towards his sister and made this answer to her

poetry,

"Stand by and see the derring-do which I to-day will show, *

When meet we and I deal them blows that rend and cleave and

split;

E'en though rush out to seek a bout the lion of the war, *

The stoutest hearted brave of all and eke the best in wit;

To him I'll deal without delay a Sa'alabiyan blow,[FN#122] *

And dye my cane-spear's joint in blood by wound of foe

bespit:

If all I beat not off from thee, O sister, may this frame *

Be slain, and cast my corpse to birds, for so it would

befit:

Yes, for thy dearest sake I'll strike my blows with might and

main, * And when we're gone shall this event in many a book

be writ."

And when he had ended his verse, he said, "O my sister, give ear to

what I shall enjoin on thee"; whereto she replied, "Hearkening and

obedience." Quoth he, "If I fall, let none possess thy person;" and

thereupon she buffeted her face and said, "Allah forbid, O my brother,

that I should see thee laid low and yield myself to thy foe!" With this

the youth put out his hand to her and withdrew her veil from her face,

whereupon it shone forth as the sun shineth out from the white clouds.

Then he kissed her between the eyes and bade her farewell; after which

he turned to us and said, "Holla, Knights! Come ye as guests or crave

ye cuts and thrusts? If ye come to us as your hosts, rejoice ye in the

guest rite; and, if ye covet the shining moon, come ye out against me,

knight by knight, into this plain and place of fight." There upon

rushed out to him a doughty rider and the young man said to him, "Tell

me thy name and thy father's name, for I am under an oath not to slay

any whose name tallies with mine and whose father's name is that of my

father; and if this be the case with thee, I will give thee up the

maid." Quoth the horseman, "My name is Bilál;"[FN#123] and the young

man answered him, saying,

"Thou liest when speaking of 'benefits,' while *

Thou comest to front with shine evillest will

An of prowess thou'rt prow, to my words give ear, *

I'm he who make' champions in battle-field reel

With keen blade, like the horn of the cusped moon, *

So 'ware thrust the, shall drill through the duress hill!"

Then they charged down, each at each, and the youth thrust his

adversary in the breast so that the lance head issued from his back.

With tints, another came out, and the youth cried,

"Ho thou hound, who art rotten with foulness in grain,[FN#124] *

What high meed is there easy for warrior to gain?

'Tis none save the lion of strain purest pure *

Who uncareth for life in the battle plain!"

Nor was it long before the youth left him drowned in his blood and

cried out, "Who will come forth to me?" So a third horse man rushed out

upon the youth and began saying,

"To thee come I forth with my heart a-flame, *

And summon my friends and my comrades by name:

When thou slewest the chief of the Arabs this day, *

This day thou remainest the pledge of my claim."

Now when the youth heard this he answered him in these words,

"Thou liest, O foulest of Satans that are, *

And with easings calumnious thou comest to war

This day thou shalt fall by a death dealing point *

Where the lances lunge and the scymitars jar!"

Then he so foined him in the breast that the spear-point issued from

his back and he cried out, saying, "Ho! will none come out? So a

fourth fared forwards and the youth asked him his name and he answered,

"My name is Hilál, the New Moon." And the youth began repeating,

"Thou hast failed who would sink me in ruin sea, *

Thou who camest in malice with perfidy:

I, whose verses hast heard from the mouth of me, *

Will ravish thy soul though unknown to thee."

Then they drave at each other and delivered two cuts, but the youth's

stroke devanced that of the rider his adversary and slew him: and thus

he went on to kill all who sallied out against him. Now when I saw my

comrades slain, I said to myself, "If I go down to fight with him, I

shall not be able to prevail against him; and, if I flee, I shall

become a byword of shame among the Arabs." But the youth gave me no

time to think, for he ran at me and dragged me from my saddle and

hurled me to the ground. I fainted at the fall and he raised his sword

designing to cut off my head; but I clung to his skirts, and he lifted

me in his hand as though I were a sparrow. When the maiden saw this,

she rejoiced in her brother's prowess and coming up to him, kissed him

between the eyes. Then he delivered me to her, saying, "Take him and

look to him and entreat him hospitably, for he is come under our rule."

So she took hold of the collar of my hauberk[FN#125] and led me away by

it as one would lead a dog. Then she did off her brother's coat of mail

and clad him in a robe, and set for him a stool of ivory, on which he

sat down; and she said to him, "Allah whiten thy honour and prevent

from thee the shifts of fortune!" And he answered her with these

couplets,

"My sister said, as saw she how I stood *

In fight, when sun-rays lit my knightlihood

'Allah assain thee for a Brave of braves *

To whom in vale bow lions howso wood!'

Quoth I, 'Go ask the champions of my case, *

When feared the Lords of war my warrior mood!

My name is famed for fortune and for force, *

And soared my spirit to such altitude,'

Ho thou, Hammád, a lion hast upstirred, *

Shall show thee speedy death like viper brood."

Now when I heard his verse, I was perplexed as to my case and

considering my condition and how I was become a captive, I was lowered

in my own esteem. Then I looked at the damsel, his sister, and seeing

her beauty I said to myself, "'Tis she who caused all this trouble";

and I fell a-marvelling at her loveliness till the tears streamed from

my eyes and I recited these couplets,

"Dear friend! ah leave thy loud reproach and blame; *

Such blame but irks me yet may not alarm:

I'm clean distraught for one whom saw I not *

Without her winning me by winsome charm

Yestreen her brother crossed me in her love, *

A Brave stout-hearted and right long of arm."

Then the maiden set food before her brother and he bade me eat with

him, whereat I rejoiced and felt assured that I should not be slain.

And when he had ended eating, she brought him a flagon of pure wine and

he applied him to it till the fumes of the drink mounted to his head

and his face flushed red. Then he turned to me and said, "Woe to thee,

O Hammad! dost thou know me or not?" Replied I, "By thy life, I am

rich in naught save ignorance!' Quoth he, "O Hammad, I am 'Abbád bin

Tamím bin Sa'labah and indeed Allah giveth thee thy liberty and leadeth

thee to a happy bride and spareth thee confusion." Then he drank to my

long life and gave me a cup of wine and I drank it off; and presently

he filled me a second and a third and a fourth, and I drained them all;

while he made merry with me and swore me never to betray him. So I

sware to him one thousand five hundred oaths that I would never deal

perfidiously with him at any time, but that I would be a friend and a

helper to him. Thereupon he bade his sister bring me ten suits of silk,

so she brought them and laid them on my person, and this dress I have

on my body is one of them. Moreover, he made bring one of the best of

his she- dromedaries[FN#126] carrying stuffs and provaunt, he bade her

also bring a sorrel horse, and when they were brought he gave the whole

of them to me. I abode with them three days, eating and drinking, and

what he gave me of gifts is with me to this present. At the end of the

three days he said to me, "O Hammad, O my brother, I would sleep awhile

and take my rest and verily I trust my life to thee; but, if thou see

horsemen making hither, fear not, for know that they are of the Banu

Sa'labah, seeking to wage war on me." Then he laid his sword under his

head-pillow and slept; and when he was drowned in slumber Iblis tempted

me to slay him; so I arose in haste, and drawing the sword from under

his head, dealt him a blow that made his head fall from his body. But

his sister knew what I had done, and rushing out from within the tent,

threw herself on his corpse, rending her raiment and repeating these

couplets,

"To kith and kin bear thou sad tidings of our plight; *

From doom th' All-wise decreed shall none of men take

flight:

Low art thou laid, O brother! strewn upon the stones, *

With face that mirrors moon when shining brightest bright!

Good sooth, it is a day accurst, thy slaughter-day *

Shivering thy spear that won the day in many a fight!

Now thou be slain no rider shall delight in steed, *

Nor man child shall the breeding woman bring to light.

This morn Hammád uprose and foully murthered thee, *

Falsing his oath and troth with foulest perjury."

When she had ended her verse she said to me, "O thou of accursed

forefathers, wherefore didst thou play my brother false and slay him

when he purposed returning thee to thy native land with provisions; and

it was his intent also to marry thee to me at the first of the month?"

Then she drew a sword she had with her, and planting the hilt in the

earth, with the point set to her breast, she bent over it and threw

herself thereon till the blade issued from her back and she fell to the

ground, dead. I mourned for her and wept and repented when repentance

availed me naught. Then I arose in haste and went to the tent and,

taking whatever was light of load and weighty of worth, went my way;

but in my haste and horror I took no heed of my dead comrades, nor did

I bury the maiden and the youth. And this my tale is still more

wondrous than the story of the serving-girl I kidnapped from the Holy

City, Jerusalem. But when Nuzhat al-Zaman heard these words from the

Badawi, the light was changed in her eyes to night.—And Shahrazad

perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the One Hundred and Forty-fifth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Nuzhat

al-Zaman heard these words from the Badawi, the light was changed in

her eyes to night, and she rose and drawing the sword, smote Hammad the

Arab between the shoulder-blades so that the point issued from the

apple of his throat.[FN#127] And when all present asked her, 'Why hast

thou made haste to slay him;" she answered, "Praised be Allah who hath

granted me in my life tide to avenge myself with mine own hand!" And

she bade the slaves drag the body out by the feet and cast it to the

dogs. Thereupon they turned to the two prisoners who remained of the

three; and one of them was a black slave, so they said to him, What is

thy name, fellow? Tell us the truth of thy case." He replied, "As for

me my name is Al-Ghazbán," and acquainted them what had passed between

himself and Queen Abrizah, daughter of King Hardub, Lord of Greece, and

how he had slain her and fled. Hardly had the negro made an end of his

story, when King Rumzan struck off his head with his scymitar, saying,

Praise to Allah who gave me life! I have avenged my mother with my own

hand." Then he repeated to them what his nurse Marjanah had told him of

this same slave whose name was Al-Ghazban; after which they turned to

the third prisoner. Now this was the very camel- driver[FN#128] whom

the people of the Holy City, Jerusalem, hired to carry Zau al-Makan and

lodge him in the hospital at Damascus of Syria; but he threw him down

on the ashes midden and went his way. And they said to him, "Acquaint

us with thy case and tell the truth." So he related to them all that

had happened to him with Sultan Zau al-Makan; how he had been carried

from the Holy City, at the time when he was sick, till they made

Damascus and he had been thrown into the hospital; how also the

Jerusalem folk had paid the cameleer money to transport the stranger to

Damascus, and he had taken it and fled after casting his charge upon

the midden by the side of the ash-heap of the Hammam. But when he

ended his words, Sultan Kanmakan took his sword forthright and cut off

his head, saying, "Praised be Allah who hath given me life, that I

might requite this traitor what he did with my father, for I have heard

this very story from King Zau al-Makan himself." Then the Kings said

each to other, "It remaineth only for us to wreak our revenge upon the

old woman Shawahi, yclept Zat al-Dawahi, because she is the prime cause

of all these calamities and cast us into adversity on this wise. Who

will deliver her into our hands that we may avenge ourselves upon her

and wipe out our dishonour?" And King Rumzan said, "Needs must we bring

her hither." So without stay or delay he wrote a letter to his

grandmother, the aforesaid ancient woman, giving her to know therein

that he had subdued the kingdoms of Damascus and Mosul and Irak, and

had broken up the host of the Moslems and captured their princes,

adding, "I desire thee of all urgency to come to me, bringing with thee

Queen Sophia, daughter of King Afridun, and whom thou wilt of the

Nazarene chiefs, but no armies; for the country is quiet and wholly

under our hand." And when she read the letter and recognised the

handwriting of King Rumzan, she rejoiced with great joy and forthright

equipping herself and Queen Sophia, set out with their attendants and

journeyed, without stopping, till they drew near Baghdad. Then she

foresent a messenger to acquaint the King of her arrival, whereupon

quoth Rumzan, "We should do well to don the habit of the Franks and

fare forth to meet the old woman, to the intent that we may be assured

against her craft and perfidy." Whereto Kanmakan replied, "Hearing is

consenting." So they clad themselves in Frankish clothes and, when

Kuzia Fakan saw them, she exclaimed, "By the truth of the Lord of

Worship, did I not know you, I should take you to be indeed Franks!"

Then they sallied forth with a thousand horse, King Rumzan riding on

before them, to meet the old woman. As soon as his eyes fell on hers,

he dismounted and walked towards her and she, recognizing him,

dismounted also and embraced him, but he pressed her ribs with his

hands, till he well nigh broke them. Quoth she, "What is this, O my

son?" But before she had done speaking, up came Kanmakan and Dandan;

and the horsemen with them cried out at the women and slaves and took

them all prisoners. Then the two Kings returned to Baghdad, with their

captives, and Rumzan bade them decorate the city which they did for

three days, at the end of which they brought out the old woman Shawahi,

highs Zat al- Dawahi, with a peaked red turband of palm-leaves on her

head, diademed with asses' dung and preceded by a herald proclaiming

aloud, "This is the reward of those who presume to lay hands on Kings

and the sons of Kings!" Then they crucified her on one of the gates of

Baghdad; and, when her companions saw what befel her, all embraced in a

body the faith of Al-Islam. As for Kanmakan and his uncle Rumzan and

his aunt Nuzhat al-Zaman and the Wazir Dandan, they marvelled at the

wonderful events that had betided them and bade the scribes chronicle

them in books that those who came after might read. Then they all

abode for the remainder of their days in the enjoyment of every solace

and comfort of life, till there overtook them the Destroyer of all

delights and the Sunderer of all societies. And this is the whole that

hath come down to us of the dealings of fortune with King Omar bin

al-Nu'uman and his sons Sharrkan and Zau al-Makan and his son's son

Kanmakan and his daughter Nuzhat al-Zaman and her daughter Kuzia Fakan.

Thereupon quoth Shahryar to Shahrazad, "I desire that thou tell me

somewhat about birds;" and hearing this Dunyazad said to her sister, "I

have never seen the Sultan light at heart all this while till the

present night, and his pleasure garreth me hope that the issue for thee

with him may be a happy issue." Then drowsiness overcame the Sultan, so

he slept;[FN#129]—And Shahrazad perceived the approach of day and

ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the One Hundred and Forty-sixth Night,