There was once a Shepherd, who fed a flock of sheep in the wold
and kept over them strait watch. One night, there came to him a
Rogue thinking to steal some of his charges and, finding him
assiduous in guarding them, sleeping not by night nor neglecting
them by day, prowled about him all the livelong night, but could
plunder nothing from him. So, when he was weary of striving, he
betook himself to another part of the waste and trapping a lion,
skinned him and stuffed his hide with bruised straw[FN#160];
after which he set it up on a high place in the desert, where the
Shepherd might see it and be assured thereof. Then he accosted
the Shepherd and said to him, "Yonder lion hath sent me to demand
his supper of these sheep." The Shepherd asked, "Where is the
lion?" and the Rogue answered, "Lift thine eyes; there he
standeth." So the Shepherd raised his eyes and seeing the
semblance deemed it a very lion and was much affrighted;--And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Twenty-second Night,
She resumed: It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Shepherd saw the semblance of the lion, he deemed it a very lion
and was affrighted with the sorest fright, trembling for dread so
he said to the thief, "O my brother take what thou wilt, I will
not gainsay thee." Accordingly the Rogue took what he would of
the sheep and redoubled in greed by reason of the excess of the
Shepherd's fear. Accordingly, every little while, he would hie to
him and terrify him, saying, "The lion hath need of this and
requireth that, and his intent is to do thus and thus," and take
his sufficiency of the sheep; and he stinted not to do thus with
him, till he had wasted the most part of his flock. "This, O
King," added the favourite, "I tell thee only that thou suffer
not the Grandees of thy realm to be deluded by thy mildness and
easiness of temper and presume on thee; and, in right rede, their
death were better than that they deal thus with thee." Quoth the
King, "I accept this thy counsel and will not hearken to their
admonition neither will I go out unto them." On the morrow the
Wazirs and Officers of State and heads of the people assembled;
and, taking each with him his weapon, repaired to the palace of
the King, so they might break in upon him and slay him and seat
another in his stead. When they came to the door, they required
the doorkeeper to open to them; but he refused, whereupon they
sent to fetch fire, wherewith to burn down the doors and enter.
The doorkeeper, hearing what they said went in to the King in
haste and told him that the folk were gathered together at the
gate, adding, "They required me to open to them, but I refused;
and they have sent to fetch fire to burn down the doors withal,
so they may come into thee and slay thee. What dost thou bid me
do?" Quoth the King in himself, "Verily, I am fallen into
uttermost perdition." Then he sent for the favourite; and, as
soon as she came, said to her, "Indeed, Shimas never told me
aught but I found it true, and now great and small are come
purposing to slay me and thee; and because the doorkeeper would
not open to them, they have sent to fetch fire, to burn the doors
withal; so will the house be burnt and we therein. What dost thou
counsel me to do?" She replied, "No harm shall betide thee, nor
let thine affair affright thee. This is a time when the simple
rise against their Kings." Quoth he, "What dost thou counsel me
to do and how shall I act in this affair?" Quoth she, "My rede is
that thou fillet thy head and feign thyself sick; then send for
the Wazir Shimas, who will come and see the plight wherein thou
art; and do thou say to him, 'Verily I purposed to go forth to
the folk this day; but this malady hindered me. So go thou out to
them and acquaint them with my condition and tell them that to-
morrow I will fare forth without fail to them and do their need
and look into their affairs, so they may be reassured and their
rage may subside.' Then do thou summon ten of thy father's
slaves, stalwart men of strength and prowess, to whom thou canst
entrust thyself, hearing to thy hest and complying with thy
commandment, surely keeping thy secret and lief to thy love; and
charge them on the morrow to stand at thy head and bid them
suffer none of the folk to enter, save one by one; and all who
enter do thou say, 'Seize them and do them die.' An they agree
with thee upon this, to-morrow set up thy throne in the
Divan[FN#161] and open thy doors. When the folk see that thou
hast opened to them their minds will be set at ease and they
will come to thee with a whole heart, and seek admission to thee.
Then do thou admit them, one after one, even as I said to thee
and work with them thy will; but it behoveth thee begin by
slaying Shimas, their chief and leader; for he is the Grand Wazir
and head of the matter. Therefore do him die first and after put
all the rest to death, one after other, and spare none whom thou
knowest to have broken with thee his covenant; and in like way
slaughter all whose violence thou fearest. An thou deal thus with
them, there will be left them no power to make head against thee;
so shalt thou be at rest from them with full repose, and shalt
enjoy thy kingship in peace and do whatso thou wilt; and know
that there is no device that will profit thee more than this."
Quoth the King, "Verily, this thy counsel is just and that which
thou biddest me is to the point and I will assuredly do as thou
directest." So he called for a fillet and bound his head
therewith and shammed sickness. Then he sent for the Grand Wazir
and said to him, "O Shimas, thou knowest that I love thee and
hearken to the counsel of thee and thou art to me as brother and
father both in one; also thou knowest that I do all thou biddest
me and indeed thou badest me go forth to the lieges and sit to
judge between them. Now I was assured that this was right rede on
thy part, and purposed to go forth to them yesterday; but this
sickness assailed me and I cannot sit up. It hath reached me that
the folk are incensed at my failure to come forth to them and are
minded of their mischief to do with me that which is unmeet for
that they know not what ailment aileth me. So go thou forth to
them and acquaint them with my case and the condition I am in;
and excuse me to them, for I am obedient to their bidding and
will do as they desire; wherefore order this affair and engage
thyself for me herefor, even as thou hast been a loyal counsellor
to me and to my sire before me, and it is of thy wont to make
peace between the people. To-morrow, Inshallah, I will without
fail come forth to them, and peradventure my sickness will cease
from me this night, by the blessing of the purest intent and the
good I purpose them in my heart." So Shimas prostrated himself to
Allah and called down blessings on the King and kissed his hand,
rejoicing at this. Then he went forth to the folk and told them
what he had heard from the King and forbade them from that which
they had a mind to do, acquainting them with what excused the
King for his absence and informing them that he had promised to
come forth to them on the morrow and deal with them according to
their desires; whereupon they dispersed and hied them to their
houses.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to
say her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Twenty-third Night,
She said: It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Shimas went
from the presence to the ringleaders of the commons and said to
them, "To-morrow the Sovran will come forth to you and will deal
with you as ye desire." So they hied them to their homes. On
such wise fared it with them; but as regards the Monarch, he
summoned ten slaves of gigantic stature,[FN#162] men of hard
heart and prow of prowess, whom he had chosen from amongst his
father's body-guards; and said to them, "Ye know the favour,
esteem and high rank ye held with my sire and all the bounties,
benefits and honours he bestowed on you, and I will advance you
to yet higher dignity with me than this. Now I will tell you the
reason thereof and ye are under safeguard of Allah from me. But
first I will ask you somewhat, wherein if ye do my desire,
obeying me in that which I shall bid you and conceal my secret
from all men, ye shall have of me largesse and favour surpassing
expectation. But above all things obedience!" The ten thralls
answered him with one mouth and in sequent words, saying, "Whatso
thou biddest us, O our liege, that we will do, nor will we depart
in aught from thy commandment, for thou art our lord and master."
Quoth the King, "Allah allot you weal! Now will I tell you the
reason why I have chosen you out for increase of honour with me.
Ye know how liberally my father dealt with the folk of his realm
and the oath he took from them on behalf of me and how they
promised him that they would break faith with me nor gainsay the
bidding of me; and ye saw how they did yesterday, whenas they
gathered all together about me and would have slain me. Now I am
minded to do with them somewhat; and 'tis this, for that I have
considered their action of yesterday and see that naught will
restrain them from its like save exemplary chastisement;
wherefore I perforce charge you privily to do to death whom I
shall point out to you, to the intent that I may ward off
mischief and calamity from my realm by slaying their leaders and
Chiefs; and the manner thereof shall be on this wise. To-morrow I
will sit on this seat in this chamber and give them admission to
me one by one, coming in at one door and going out at another;
and do ye, all ten, stand before me and be attentive to my signs:
and whoso entereth singly, take him and drag him into yonder
chamber and kill him and hide his corpse." The slaves answered,
"We hearken to thy hest and obey thy order." Whereupon he gave
them gifts and dismissed them for the night. On the morrow he
summoned the thralls and bade set up the royal seat; then he
donned his kingly robes and taking the Book of law-cases[FN#163]
in his hands, posted the ten slaves before him and commanded to
open the doors. So they opened the doors and the herald
proclaimed aloud, saying, "Whoso hath authority, let him come to
the King's carpet[FN#164]!" Whereupon up came the Wazirs and
Prefects and Chamberlains and stood, each in his rank. Then the
King bade admit them, one after one, and the first to enter was
Shimas, according to the custom of the Grand Wazir; but no sooner
had he presented himself before the King, and ere he could
beware, the ten slaves gat about him, and dragging him into the
adjoining chamber, despatched him. On like wise did they with the
rest of the Wazirs and Olema and Notables, slaying them, one
after other, till they made a clean finish.[FN#165] Then the King
called the headsmen and bade them ply sword upon all who remained
of the folk of valour and stowre: so they fell on them and left
none whom they knew for a man of mettle but they slew him,
sparing only the proletaires and the refuse of the people. These
they drove away and they returned each to his folk, whilst the
King secluded himself with his pleasures and surrendered his soul
to its lusts, working tyranny, oppression and violence, till he
outraced all the men of evil who had forerun him.[FN#166] Now
this King's dominion was a mine of gold and silver and jacinths
and jewels and the neighbouring rulers, one and all, envied him
this empire and looked for calamity to betide him. Moreover, one
of them, the King of Outer Hind, said in himself, "I have gotten
my desire of wresting the realm from the hand of yonder silly
lad, by reason of that which hath betided of his slaughter of the
Chiefs of his State and of all men of valour and mettle that were
in his country. This is my occasion to snatch away that which is
in his hand, seeing he is young in years and hath no knowledge of
war nor judgment thereto, nor is there any left to counsel him
aright or succour him. Wherefore this very day will I open on him
the door of mischief by writing him a writ wherein I will flyte
him and reproach him with that which he hath done and see what he
will reply." So he indited him a letter to the following effect,
"In the name of Allah the Compassionating, the Compassionate *
And after * I have heard tell of that which thou hast done with
thy Wazirs and Olema and men of valiancy * and that whereinto
thou hast cast thyself of calamity * so that there is neither
power nor strength left in thee to repel whoso shall assail thee,
more by token that thou transgressest and orderest thyself
tyrannously and profligately * Now Allah hath assuredly given me
the conquering of thee and the mastery over thee and into my hand
hath delivered thee; wherefore do thou give ear to my word and
obey the commandment of me and build me an impregnable castle
amiddlemost the sea * An thou can not do this, depart thy realm
and with thy life go flee * for I will send unto thee, from the
farthest ends of Hind, twelve hordes[FN#167] of horse, each
twelve thousand fighting-men strong, who shall enter thy land and
spoil thy goods and slay thy men and carry thy women into
captivity * Moreover, I will make my Wazir, Badi'a captain over
them and bid him lay strait siege to thy capital till the master
he be; * and I have bidden the bearer of this letter that he
tarry with thee but days three * So, an thou do my demand, thou
shalt be saved; else will I send that which I have said unto
thee." Then he sealed the scroll and gave it to a messenger, who
journeyed with it till he came to the capital of Wird Khan and
delivered it to him. When the King read it, his strength failed
him, his breast waxed strait and he made sure of destruction,
having none to whom he might resort for aid or advice. Presently
he rose and went in to his favourite wife who, seeing him changed
of colour, said to him, "What mattereth thee, O King?" Quoth he,
"This day I am no King but slave to the King." And he opened the
letter and read it to her, whereupon she fell to weeping and
wailing and rending her raiment. Then he asked her, "Hast thou
aught of rede or resource in this grievous strait?"; but she
answered, "Women have no resource in time of war, nor have women
any strength or aught of counsel. 'Tis men alone who in like of
this affair have force and discourse and resource." When the King
heard her words, there befel him the utmost regret and repentance
and remorse for that he had transgressed against his Wazirs and
Officers and Lords of his land,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Twenty-fourth Night,
She continued: It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
King Wird Khan heard the words of his favourite wife there befel
him the utmost regret and repentance for having transgressed
against and slain his Wazirs and the chiefs of his state, and he
would that he had died ere there came to him the like of these
shameful tidings. Then he said to his women, "Verily, there hath
betided me from you that which befel the Francolin and the
Tortoises." Asked they, "What was that?"; and he answered, "Men
tell this tale of