some of thy pleasant tales,” whereupon Shahrazad replied, “With love and
good will.”——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that the Aghas,
having bound Alaeddin in bonds and pinioned his elbows behind his back,
haled him in chains and carried him into the city. But when the lieges
saw him pinioned and ironed, they understood that the Sultan purposed to
strike off his head; and, forasmuch as he was loved of them exceedingly,
all gathered together and seized their weapons; then, swarming out of
their houses, followed the soldiery to see what was to do. And when the
troops arrived with Alaeddin at the palace, they went in and informed
the Sultan of this, whereat he forthright commanded the Sworder to cut
off the head of his son-in-law. Now as soon as the subjects were aware
of this order, they barricaded the gates and closed the doors of the
palace and sent a message to the King saying, “At this very moment we
will level thine abode over the heads of all it containeth and over
thine own,[199] if the least hurt or harm befal Alaeddin.” So the Wazir
went in and reported to the Sultan, “O King of the Age, thy commandment
is about to seal the roll of our lives; and ’twere more suitable that
thou pardon thy son-in-law lest there chance to us a sore mischance; for
that the lieges do love him far more than they love us.” Now the Sworder
had already dispread the carpet of blood and, having seated Alaeddin
thereon, had bandaged his eyes; moreover he had walked round him three
several times awaiting the last orders of his lord, when the King looked
out of the window and saw his subjects, who had suddenly attacked him,
swarming up the walls intending to tear them down. So forthright he bade
the Sworder stay his hand from Alaeddin and commanded the crier fare
forth to the crowd and cry aloud that he had pardoned his son-in-law and
received him back into favour. But when Alaeddin found himself free and
saw the Sultan seated on his throne, he went up to him and said, “O my
lord, inasmuch as thy Highness hath favoured me throughout my life, so
of thy grace now deign let me know the how and the wherein I have sinned
against thee?” “O traitor,” cried the King, “unto this present I knew
not any sin of thine;” then, turning to the Wazir he said, “Take him and
make him look out at the window and after let him tell us where be his
pavilion.” And when the royal order was obeyed Alaeddin saw the place
level as a well-trodden road, even as it had been ere the base of the
building was laid, nor was there the faintest trace of edifice. Hereat
he was astonished and perplexed knowing not what had occurred; but, when
he returned to the presence, the King asked him, “What is it thou hast
seen? Where is thy pavilion and where is my daughter, the core of my
heart, my only child, than whom I have none other?” Alaeddin answered,
“O King of the Age, I wot naught thereof nor aught of what hath
befallen,” and the Sultan rejoined, “Thou must know, O Alaeddin, I have
pardoned thee only that thou go forth and look into this affair and
enquire for me concerning my daughter; nor do thou ever show thyself in
my presence except she be with thee; and, if thou bring her not, by the
life of my head I will cut off the head of thee.” The other replied, “To
hear is to obey: only vouchsafe me a delay and respite of some forty
days; after which, an I produce her not, strike off my head[200] and do
with me whatso thou wishest.”——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn
of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Seventy-ninth Night,
Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, do tell us
some of thy pleasant tales,” whereupon Shahrazad replied, “With love and
good will.”——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that the Sultan said
to Alaeddin, “Verily I have granted thee thy request, a delay of forty
days; but think not thou canst fly from my hand, for I would bring thee
back even if thou wert above the clouds instead of being only upon
earth’s surface.” Replied Alaeddin, “O my lord the Sultan, as I said to
thy Highness, an I fail to bring her within the term appointed, I will
present myself for my head to be stricken off.” Now when the folk and
the lieges all saw Alaeddin at liberty, they rejoiced with joy exceeding
and were delighted for his release; but the shame of his treatment and
bashfulness before his friends and the envious exultation of his foes
had bowed down Alaeddin’s head; so he went forth a-wandering through the
city ways and he was perplexed concerning his case and knew not what had
befallen him. He lingered about the capital for two days, in saddest
state, wotting not what to do in order to find his wife and his
pavilion, and during this time sundry of the folk privily brought him
meat and drink. When the two days were done he left the city to stray
about the waste and open lands outlying the walls, without a notion as
to whither he should wend; and he walked on aimlessly until the path led
him beside a river where, of the stress of sorrow that overwhelmed him,
he abandoned himself to despair and thought of casting himself into the
water. Being, however, a good Moslem who professed the unity of the
Godhead, he feared Allah in his soul; and, standing upon the margin he
prepared to perform the Wuzú-ablution. But as he was baling up the water
in his right hand and rubbing his fingers,[201] it so chanced that he
also rubbed the Ring. Hereat its Marid appeared and said to him, “Adsum!
thy thrall between thy hands is come: ask of me whatso thou wantest.”
Seeing the Marid, Alaeddin rejoiced with exceeding joy and cried,[202]
“O Slave, I desire of thee that thou bring before me my pavilion and
therein my wife, the Lady Badr al-Budur, together with all and
everything it containeth.” “O my lord,” replied the Marid, “’tis right
hard upon me that thou demandest a service whereto I may not avail: this
matter dependeth upon the Slave of the Lamp nor dare I even attempt it.”
Alaeddin rejoined, “Forasmuch as the matter is beyond thy competence, I
require it not of thee, but at least do thou take me up and set me down
beside my pavilion in what land soever that may be.” The Slave
exclaimed, “Hearing and obeying, O my lord;” and, uplifting him high in
air, within the space of an eye-glance set him down beside his pavilion
in the land of Africa and upon a spot facing his wife’s apartment. Now
this was at fall of night yet one look enabled him to recognise his
home; whereby his cark and care were cleared away and he recovered trust
in Allah after cutting off all his hope to look upon his wife once more.
Then he fell to pondering the secret and mysterious favours of the Lord
(glorified be His omnipotence!); and how, after despair had mastered
him, the Ring had come to gladden him, and how, when all his hopes were
cut off, Allah had deigned bless him with the services of its Slave. So
he rejoiced and his melancholy left him; then, as he had passed four
days without sleep for the excess of his cark and care and sorrow and
stress of thought, he drew near his pavilion and slept under a tree hard
by the building which (as we mentioned) had been set down amongst the
gardens outlying the city of Africa.——And Shahrazad was surprised by the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Eightieth Night,
Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, do tell us
some of thy pleasant tales,” whereupon Shahrazad replied, “With love and
good will.”——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that Alaeddin lay
that night under a tree beside his pavilion in all restfulness; but
whoso weareth head hard by the headsman may not sleep o’ nights save
whenas slumber prevail over him. He slumbered till Morning showed her
face and, when awakened by the warbling of the small birds, he arose and
went down to the bank of the river which flowed thereby into the city;
and here he again washed hands and face[203] and after finished his
Wuzú-ablution. Then he prayed the dawn-prayer, and when he had ended his
orisons he returned and sat down under the windows of the Princess’s
bower. Now the Lady Badr al-Budur, of her exceeding sorrow for severance
from her husband and her sire the Sultan, and for the great mishap which
had happened to her from the Maghrabi, the Magician, the Accursed, was
wont to rise during the murk preceding dawn and to sit in tears inasmuch
as she could not sleep o’ nights, and had forsworn meat and drink. Her
favourite slave-girl would enter her chamber at the hour of
prayer-salutation in order to dress her; and this time, by decree of
Destiny, when she threw open the window to let her lady comfort and
console herself by looking upon the trees and rills, and she herself
peered out of the lattice, she caught sight of her master sitting below,
and informed the Princess of this, saying, “O my lady! O my lady! here’s
my lord Alaeddin seated at the foot of the wall.” So her mistress arose
hurriedly and gazing from the casement saw him; and her husband raising
his head saw her; so she saluted him and he saluted her, both being like
to fly for joy. Presently quoth she, “Up and come in to me by the
private postern, for now the Accursed is not here;” and she gave orders
to the slave-girl who went down and opened for him. Then Alaeddin passed
through it and was met by his wife, when they embraced and exchanged
kisses with all delight until they wept for overjoy. After this they sat
down and Alaeddin said to her, “O my lady, before all things ’tis my
desire to ask thee a question. ’Twas my wont to place an old copper lamp
in such a part of my pavilion, what became of that same?” When the
Princess heard these words she sighed and cried, “O my dearling, ’twas
that very Lamp which garred us fall into this calamity!” Alaeddin asked
her, “How befel the affair?” and she answered by recounting to him all
that passed, first and last, especially how they had given in exchange
an old lamp for a new lamp, adding, “And next day we hardly saw one
another at dawn before we found ourselves in this land, and he who
deceived us and took the lamp by way of barter informed me that he had
done the deed by might of his magic and by means of the Lamp; that he is
a Moorman from Africa, and that we are now in his native country.”——And
Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-first Night,
Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, do tell us
some of thy pleasant tales,” whereupon Shahrazad replied, “With love and
good will.”——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that when the Lady
Badr al-Budur ceased speaking, Alaeddin resumed, “Tell me the intent of
this Accursed in thy respect, also what he sayeth to thee and what be
his will of thee?” She replied, “Every day he cometh to visit me once
and no more: he would woo me to his love and he sueth that I take him to
spouse in lieu of thee and that I forget thee and be consoled for the
loss of thee. And he telleth me that the Sultan my sire hath cut off my
husband’s head, adding that thou, the son of pauper parents, wast by him
enriched. And he sootheth me with talk, but he never seeth aught from me
save weeping and wailing; nor hath he heard from me one sugar-sweet
word.”[204] Quoth Alaeddin, “Tell me where he hath placed the Lamp an
thou know anything thereof;” and quoth she, “He beareth it about on his
body alway, nor is it possible that he leave it for a single hour;
moreover once when he related what I have now recounted to thee, he
brought it out of his breast-pocket and allowed me to look upon it.”
When Alaeddin heard these words, he joyed with exceeding joy and said,
“O my lady, do thou lend ear to me. ’Tis my design to go from thee
forthright and to return only after doffing this my dress; so wonder not
when thou see me changed, but direct one of thy women to stand by the
private postern alway and, whenever she espy me coming, at once to open.
And now I will devise a device whereby to slay this damned loon.”
Herewith he arose and, issuing from the pavilion-door, walked till he
met on the way a Fellah to whom he said, “O man, take my attire and give
me thy garments.” But the peasant refused, so Alaeddin stripped him of
his dress perforce[205] and donned it, leaving to the man his own rich
gear by way of gift. Then he followed the highway leading to the
neighbouring city and entering it went to the Perfumers’ Bazar where he
bought of one some rarely potent Bhang, the son of a minute,[206] paying
two dinars for two drachms thereof and he returned in disguise by the
same road till he reached the pavilion. Here the slave-girl opened to
him the private postern wherethrough he went in to the Lady Badr
al-Budur.——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to
say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-second Night,
Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, do tell us
some of thy pleasant tales,” whereupon Shahrazad replied, “With love and
good will.”——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that when Alaeddin
went in disguised to his wife he said, “Hear me! I desire of thee that
thou dress and dight thyself in thy best and thou cast off all outer
show and semblance of care; also when the Accursed, the Maghrabi, shall
visit thee, do thou receive him with a ‘Welcome and fair welcome,’ and
meet him with smiling face and invite him to come and sup with thee.
Moreover, let him note that thou hast forgotten Alaeddin thy beloved,
likewise thy father; and that thou hast learned to love him with
exceeding love, displaying to him all manner joy and pleasure. Then ask
him for wine which must be red and pledge him to his secret in a
significant draught; and, when thou hast given him two to three cups
full and hast made him wax careless, then drop these drops into his cup
and fill it up with wine: no sooner shall he drink of it than he will
fall upon his back senseless as one dead.” Hearing these words, the
Princess exclaimed, “’Tis exceedingly sore to me that I do such
deed;[207] withal must I do it that we escape the defilement of this
Accursed who tortured me by severance from thee and from my sire. Lawful
and right therefore is the slaughter of this Accursed.” Then Alaeddin
ate and drank with his wife what hindered his hunger; then, rising
without stay or delay, fared forth the pavilion. So the Lady Badr
al-Budur summoned the tirewoman who robed and arrayed her in her finest
raiment and adorned her and perfumed her; and, as she was thus, behold,
the accursed Maghrabi entered. He joyed much seeing her in such case and
yet more when she confronted him, contrary to her custom, with a
laughing face; and his love-longing increased and his desire to have
her. Then she took him and, seating him beside her, said, “O my
dearling, do thou (an thou be willing) come to me this night and let us
sup together. Sufficient to me hath been my sorrow for, were I to sit
mourning through a thousand years or even two thousand, Alaeddin would
not return to me from the tomb; and I depend upon thy say of yesterday,
to wit, that my sire the Sultan slew him in his stress of sorrow for
severance from me. Nor wonder thou an I have changed this day from what
I was yesterday; and the reason thereof is I have determined upon taking
thee to friend and playfellow in lieu of and succession to Alaeddin, for
that now I have none other man but thyself. So I hope for thy presence
this night, that we may sup together and we may carouse and drink
somewhat of wine each with other; and especially ’tis my desire that
thou cause me taste the wine of thy natal soil, the African land,
because belike ’tis better than aught of the wine of China we drink: I
have with me some wine but ’tis the growth of my country and I
vehemently wish to taste the wine produced by thine.”——And Shahrazad was
surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-third Night,
Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, do tell us
some of thy pleasant tales,” whereupon Shahrazad replied, “With love and
good will.”——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that when the
Maghrabi saw the love lavisht upon him by the Lady Badr al-Budur, and
noted her change from the sorrowful, melancholy woman she was wont to
be, he thought that she had cut off her hope of Alaeddin and he joyed
exceedingly and said to her, “I hear and obey, O my lady, whatso thou
wishest and all thou biddest. I have at home a jar of our country wine,
which I have carefully kept and stored deep in earth for a space of
eight years; and I will now fare and fill from it our need and will
return to thee in all haste.” But the Princess, that she might wheedle
him the more and yet more, replied, “O my darling, go not thou, leaving
me alone, but send one of the eunuchs to fill for us thereof and do thou
remain sitting beside me, that I may find in thee my consolation.” He
rejoined, “O my lady, none wotteth where the jar be buried save myself
nor will I tarry from thee.” So saying, the Moorman went out and after a
short time he brought back as much wine as they wanted; whereupon quoth
the Princess to him, “Thou hast been at pains and trouble to serve me
and I have suffered for thy sake, O my beloved.” Quoth he, “On no wise,
O eyes of me; I hold myself enhonoured by thy service.” Then the Lady
Badr al-Budur sat with him at table, and the twain fell to eating and
presently the Princess expressed a wish to drink, when the handmaid
filled her a cup forthright and then crowned another for the Maroccan.
So she drank to his long life and his secret wishes and he also drank to
her life; then the Princess, who was unique in eloquence and delicacy of
speech, fell to making a cup-companion of him and beguiled him by
addressing him in the sweetest terms full of hidden meaning. This was
done only that he might become more madly enamoured of her, but the
Maghrabi thought that it resulted from her true inclination for him; nor
knew that it was a snare set up to slay him. So his longing for her
increased, and he was dying of love for her when he saw her address him
in such tenderness of words and thoughts, and his head began to swim and
all the world seemed as nothing in his eyes. But when they came to the
last of the supper and the wine had mastered his brains and the Princess
saw this in him, she said, “With us there be a custom throughout our
country, but I know not an it be the usage of yours or not.” The Moorman
replied, “And what may that be?” So she said to him, “At the end of
supper each lover in turn taketh the cup of the beloved and drinketh it
off;” and at once she crowned one with wine and bade the handmaid carry
to him her cup wherein the drink was blended with the Bhang. Now she had
taught the slave-girl what to do and all the handmaids and eunuchs in
the pavilion longed for the Sorcerer’s slaughter and in that matter were
one with the Princess. Accordingly the damsel handed him the cup and he,
when he heard her words and saw her drinking from his cup and passing
hers to him and noted all that show of love, fancied himself Iskandar,
Lord of the Two Horns. Then said she to him, the while swaying
gracefully to either side and putting her hand within his hand, “O my
life, here is thy cup with me and my cup with thee, and on this
wise[208] do lovers drink from each other’s cups.” Then she bussed the
brim and drained it to the dregs and again she kissed its lip and
offered it to him. Thereat he flew for joy and meaning to do the like,
raised her cup to his mouth and drank off the whole contents, without
considering whether there was therein aught harmful or not. And
forthright he rolled upon his back in death-like condition and the cup
dropped from his grasp, whereupon the Lady Badr al-Budur and the
slave-girls ran hurriedly and opened the pavilion door to their lord
Alaeddin who, disguised as a Fellah, entered therein.——And Shahrazad was
surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-fourth Night,
Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, do tell us
some of thy pleasant tales,” whereupon Shahrazad replied, “With love and
good will.”——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that Alaeddin
entering his pavilion, went up to the apartment of his wife, whom he
found still sitting at table; and facing her lay the Maghrabi as one
slaughtered; so he at once drew near to her and kissed her and thanked
her for this. Then rejoicing with joy exceeding he turned to her and
said, “Do thou with thy handmaids betake thyself to the inner-rooms and
leave me alone for the present that I may take counsel touching mine
affair.” The Princess hesitated not but went away at once, she and her
women; then Alaeddin arose and, after locking the door upon them, walked
up to the Moorman and put forth his hand to his breast-pocket and thence
drew the Lamp; after which he unsheathed his sword and slew the
villain.[209] Presently he rubbed the Lamp and the Marid-slave appeared
and said, “Adsum, O my lord, what is it thou wantest?” “I desire of
thee,” said Alaeddin, “that thou take up my pavilion from this country
and transport it to the land of China and there set it down upon the
site where it was whilome, fronting the palace of the Sultan.” The Marid
replied, “Hearing and obeying, O my lord.” Then Alaeddin went and sat
down with his wife and throwing his arms round her neck kissed her and
she kissed him, and they sat in converse, what while the Jinni
transported the pavilion and all therein to the place appointed.
Presently Alaeddin bade the handmaids spread the table before him and he
and the Lady Badr al-Budur took seat thereat and fell to eating and
drinking, in all joy and gladness, till they had their sufficiency when,
removing to the chamber of wine and cup-converse, they sat there and
caroused in fair companionship and each kissed other with all
love-liesse. The time had been long and longsome since they enjoyed
aught of pleasure; so they ceased not doing thus until the wine-sun
arose in their heads and sleep gat hold of them, at which time they went
to their bed in all ease and comfort.[210] Early on the next morning
Alaeddin woke and awoke his wife, and the slave-girls came in and donned
her dress and prepared her and adorned her whilst her husband arrayed
himself in his costliest raiment and the twain were ready to fly for joy
at reunion after parting. Moreover the Princess was especially joyous
and gladsome because on that day she expected to see her beloved father.
Such was the case of Alaeddin and the Lady Badr al-Budur; but as regards
the Sultan, after he drove away his son-in-law he never ceased to sorrow
for the loss of his daughter; and every hour of every day he would sit
and weep for her as women weep, because she was his only child and he
had none other to take to heart. And as he shook off sleep, morning
after morning, he would hasten to the window and throw it open and peer
in the direction where formerly stood Alaeddin’s pavilion and pour forth
tears until his eyes were dried up and their lids were ulcered. Now on
that day he arose at dawn and, according to his custom, looked out when,
lo and behold! he saw before him an edifice; so he rubbed his eyes and
considered it curiously when he became certified that it was the
pavilion of his son-in-law. So he called for a horse[211] without let or
delay; and as soon as his beast was saddled, he mounted and made for the
place; and Alaeddin, when he saw his father-in-law approaching, went
down and met him half way: then, taking his hand, aided him to step
upstairs to the apartment of his daughter. And the Princess, being as
earnestly desirous to see her sire, descended and greeted him at the
door of the staircase fronting the groundfloor hall. Thereupon the King
folded her in his arms and kissed her, shedding tears of joy; and she
did likewise till at last Alaeddin led them to the upper saloon where
they took seats and the Sultan fell to asking her case and what had
betided her.——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased
to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-fifth Night,
Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, do tell us
some of thy pleasant tales,” whereupon Shahrazad replied, “With love and
good will.”——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that the Lady Badr
al-Budur began to inform the Sultan of all which had befallen her,
saying, “O my father, I recovered not life save yesterday when I saw my
husband, and he it was who freed me from the thraldom of that Maghrabi,
that Magician, that Accursed, than whom I believe there be none viler on
the face of earth; and, but for my beloved, I had never escaped him nor
hadst thou seen me during the rest of my days. But mighty sadness and
sorrow gat about me, O my father, not only for losing thee but also for
the loss of a husband, under whose kindness I shall be all the length of
my life, seeing that he freed me from that fulsome sorcerer.” Then the
Princess began repeating to her sire every thing that happened to her,
and relating to him how the Moorman had tricked her in the guise of a
lamp-seller who offered in exchange new for old; how she had given him
the Lamp whose worth she knew not, and how she had bartered it away only
to laugh at the lampman’s folly. “And next morning, O my father,” she
continued, “we found ourselves and whatso the pavilion contained in
Africa-land, till such time as my husband came to us and devised a
device whereby we escaped: and, had it not been for Alaeddin’s hastening
to our aid, the Accursed was determined to enjoy me perforce.” Then she
told him of the Bhang-drops administered in wine to the African and
concluded, “Then my husband returned to me and how I know not, but we
were shifted from Africa-land to this place.” Alaeddin in his turn
recounted how, finding the wizard dead drunken, he had sent away his
wife and her women from the polluted place into the inner apartments;
how he had taken the Lamp from the Sorcerer’s breast-pocket whereto he
was directed by his wife; how he had slaughtered the villain and,
finally how, making use of the Lamp, he had summoned its Slave and
ordered him to transport the pavilion back to its proper site, ending
his tale with, “And, if thy Highness have any doubt anent my words,
arise with me and look upon the accursed Magician.” The King did
accordingly and, having considered the Moorman, bade the carcase be
carried away forthright and burned and its ashes scattered in air. Then
he took to embracing Alaeddin and kissing him said, “Pardon me, O my
son, for that I was about to destroy thy life through the foul deeds of
this damned enchanter, who cast thee into such pit of peril; and I may
be excused, O my child, for what I did by thee, because I found myself
forlorn of my daughter; my only one, who to me is dearer than my very
kingdom. Thou knowest how the hearts of parents yearn unto their
offspring, especially when like myself they have but one and none other
to love.” And on this wise the Sultan took to excusing himself and
kissing his son-in-law.——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-sixth Night,