I have heard, O auspicious King, that the Caliph Harun al-Rashid was one
night wakeful exceedingly and when he rose in the morning restlessness
gat hold of him. Wherefore all about him were troubled for that “Folk
aye follow Prince’s fashion;” they rejoice exceedingly with his joy and
are sorrowful with his sorrows albeit they know not the cause why they
are so affected. Presently the Commander of the Faithful sent for Masrúr
the Eunuch, and when he came to him cried, “Fetch me my Wazir, Ja’afar
the Barmaki, without stay or delay.” Accordingly, he went out and
returned with the Minister who, finding him alone, which was indeed
rare, and seeing as he drew near that he was in a melancholic humour,
never even raising his eyes, stopped till his lord would vouchsafe to
look upon him. At last the Prince of True Believers cast his glance upon
Ja’afar, but forthright turned away his head and sat motionless as
before. The Wazir descrying naught in the Caliph’s aspect that concerned
him personally, strengthened his purpose and bespake him on this wise,
“O Commander of the Faithful, wilt thine Highness deign suffer me to ask
whence cometh this sadness?” and the Caliph answered, with a clearer
brow, “Verily, O Wazir, these moods have of late become troublesome to
me, nor are they to be moved save by hearing strange tales and verses;
and, if thou come not hither on a pressing affair, thou wilt gladden me
by relating somewhat to dispel my sadness.” Replied the Wazir, “O
Commander of the Faithful, my office compelleth me to stand on thy
service, and I would fain remind thee that this is the day appointed for
informing thyself of the good governance of thy capital and its
environs; and this matter shall, Inshallah, divert thy mind and dispel
its gloom.” The Caliph answered, “Thou dost well to remind me, for that
I had wholly forgotten it; so fare forth and change thy vestments while
I do the same with mine.” Presently the twain donned habits of stranger
merchants and issued out by a private postern of the palace-garden,
which led them into the fields. After they had skirted the city, they
reached the Euphrates’ bank at some distance from the gate opening on
that side, without having observed aught of disorder; then they crossed
the river in the first ferry-boat they found, and, making a second round
on the further side, they passed over the bridge that joined the two
halves of Baghdad-town. At the bridge-foot they met with a blind old man
who asked alms of them; and the Caliph turned about and crossed his palm
with a dinar, whereupon the beggar caught hold of his hand, and held him
fast, saying, “O beneficent man, whoso thou ever may be, whom Allah hath
inspired to bestow an alms upon me, refuse not the favour I crave of
thee, which is, to strike me a buffet upon the ear, for that I deserve
such punishment and a greater still.” After these words he quitted his
hold of the Caliph’s hand that it might smite him, yet for fear lest the
stranger pass on without so doing he grasped him fast by his long
robe.——And as the morn began to dawn Shahrazad held her peace till
The end of the Six Hundred and Fifth Night.
Then said she:——I have heard, O auspicious King, that the Caliph,
surprised by the blind man’s words and deeds said, “I may not grant thy
request nor will I minish the merit of my charity, by treating thee as
thou wouldst have me entreat thee.” Saying these words, he strove to get
away from the blind man, but he who after his long experience expected
this refusal of his benefactor, did his utmost to keep hold of him, and
cried, “O my lord, forgive my audacity and my persistency; and I implore
thee either give me a cuff on the ear, or take back thine alms, for I
may not receive it save on that condition, without falsing a solemn oath
I have sworn before the face of Allah; and, if thou knew the reason,
thou wouldst accord with me that the penalty is light indeed.” Then the
Caliph not caring to be delayed any longer, yielded to the blind man’s
importunity, and gave him a slight cuff: whereupon he loosed him
forthright and thanked him and blessed him. When the Caliph and his
Wazir had walked some way from the blind man, the former exclaimed,
“This blind beggar must assuredly have some right good cause for
behaving himself in such manner to all who give him alms, and I would
fain know it. Do thou return to him and tell him who I am, and bid him
fail not to appear at my palace about mid-afternoon prayer-time that I
may converse with him, and hear whatso he hath to say.” Hereupon Ja’afar
went back and bestowed alms on the blind man giving him another cuff on
the ear and apprised him of the Caliph’s command, and returned
forthright to his lord. Presently, when the twain reached the town, they
found in a square a vast crowd of folk gazing at a handsome youth and a
well-shaped, who was mounted on a mare which he rode at fullest speed
round the open space, spurring and whipping the beast so cruelly that
she was covered with sweat and blood. Seeing this the Caliph, amazed at
the youth’s brutality, stopped to ask the bystanders an they knew why he
tortured and tormented the mare on such wise; but he could learn naught
save that for some while past, every day at the same time, he had
entreated her after the same fashion. Hereat as they walked along, the
Caliph bid his Wazir especially notice the place and order the young man
to come without failing on the next day, at the hour appointed for the
blind man. But ere the Caliph reached his palace, he saw in a street,
which he had not passed through for many months, a newly-built mansion,
which seemed to him the palace of some great lord of the land. He asked
the Wazir an he knew its owner; and Ja’afar answered he did not but
would make inquiry. So he consulted a neighbour who told him that the
house-owner was one Khwájah Hasan surnamed Al-Habbál from his
handicraft, rope-making; that he himself had seen the man at work in the
days of his poverty, that he knew not how Fate and Fortune had
befriended him, yet that the same Khwájah had gotten such exceeding
wealth that he had been enabled to pay honourably and sumptuously all
the expenses he had incurred when building his palace. Then the Wazir
returned to the Caliph, and gave him a full account of whatso he had
heard, whereat cried the Prince of True Believers, “I must see this
Khwajah Hasan al-Habbal: do thou therefore, O Wazir, go and tell him to
come to my palace, at the same hour thou hast appointed for the other
twain.” The Minister did his lord’s bidding and the next day, after
mid-afternoon prayers, the Caliph retired to his own apartment and
Ja’afar introduced the three persons whereof we have been speaking and
presented them to the Caliph. All prostrated themselves at his feet and
when they rose up, the Commander of the Faithful asked his name of the
blind man, who answered he was hight Baba Abdullah. “O Servant of
Allah,” cried the Caliph, “thy manner of asking alms yesterday seemed so
strange to me that, had it not been for certain considerations, I should
not have granted thy petition; nay, I would have prevented thy giving
further offence to the folk. And now I have bidden thee hither that I
may know from thyself what impelled thee to swear that rash oath whereof
thou toldest me, that I may better judge whether thou have done well or
ill, and if I should suffer thee to persist in a practice which
meseemeth must set so pernicious an example. Tell me openly how such mad
thought entered into thy head, and conceal not aught, for I will know
the truth and the full truth.”——And as the morn began to dawn Shahrazad
held her peace till
The end of the Six Hundred and Sixth Night.
Then said she:——I have heard, O auspicious King, that Baba Abdullah
terrified by these words, cast himself a second time at the Caliph’s
feet with his face prone to the ground, and when he rose again, said, “O
Commander of the Faithful, I crave pardon of thy Highness for my
audacity, in that I dared require, and well-nigh compelled thee to do a
thing which verily seemeth contrary to sound sense. I acknowledge mine
offence; but as I knew not thy Highness at that time, I implore thy
clemency, and I pray thou wilt consider my ignorance of thine exalted
degree. And now as to the extravagance of my action, I readily admit
that it must be strange to the sons of Adam; but in the eye of Allah
’tis but a slight penance wherewith I have charged myself for an
enormous crime of which I am guilty, and wherefor, an all the people in
the world were each and every to give me a cuff on the ear ’twould not
be sufficient atonement. Thy Highness shall judge of it thyself, when I,
in telling my tale according to thy commandment, will inform thee of
what was my offence.” And here he began to relate
_THE STORY OF THE BLIND MAN, BABA ABDULLAH._[1]
O my lord the Caliph, I, the humblest of thy slaves, was born in
Baghdad, where my father and mother, presently dying within a few days
of each other, left me a fortune large enough to last me throughout my
lifetime. But I knew not its value and soon I had squandered it in
luxury and loose living and I cared naught for thrift or for increasing
my store. But when little was left to me of my substance, I repented of
my evil courses and toiled and laboured hard by day and night to
increase my remaining stock of money. It is truly said, “After waste
cometh knowledge of worth.” Thus little by little I got together
fourscore camels, which I let on hire to merchants, and thus I made
goodly gain each time I found occasion: moreover I was wont to engage
myself together with my beasts and on this wise I journeyed over all the
dominions and domains of thy Highness. Brief, I hoped ere long to reap
an abundant crop of gold by the hiring out of my baggage animals.——And
as the morn began to dawn Shahrazad held her peace till
The end of the Six Hundred and Seventh Night.
Then said she:——I have heard, O auspicious King, that Baba Abdullah
continued his tale in these words:—Once I had carried merchants’ stuffs
to Bassorah for shipping Indiawards and I was returning to Baghdad with
my beasts unladen. Now as I fared homewards I chanced pass across a
plain of excellent pasturage lying fallow and far from any village, and
there unsaddled the camels which I hobbled and tethered together that
they might crop the luxuriant herbs and thorns and yet not fare astray.
Presently appeared a Darwaysh who was travelling afoot for Bassorah, and
he took seat beside me to enjoy ease after unease; whereat I asked him
whence he wayfared and whither he was wending. He also asked me the same
question and when we had told each to other our own tales, we produced
our provisions and brake our fast together, talking of various matters
as we ate. Quoth the Darwaysh, “I know a spot hard by which enholdeth a
hoard and its wealth is so wonder-great that shouldst thou load upon thy
fourscore camels the heaviest burthens of golden coins and costly gems
from that treasure there will appear no minishing thereof.” Hearing
these words I rejoiced with exceeding joy and gathering from his mien
and demeanour that he did not deceive me, I arose forthright and falling
upon his neck, exclaimed, “O Hallow of Allah, who carest naught for this
world’s goods and hast renounced all mundane lusts and luxuries,
assuredly thou hast full knowledge of this treasure, for naught
remaineth hidden from holy men as thou art. I pray thee tell me where it
may be found that I may load my fourscore beasts with bales of Ashrafis
and jewels: I wot full well that thou hast no greed for the wealth of
this world, but take, I pray thee, one of these my fourscore camels as
recompense and reward for the favour.” Thus spake I with my tongue but
in my heart I sorely grieved to think that I must part with a single
camel-load of coins and gems; withal I reflected that the other
three-score and nineteen camel-loads would contain riches to my heart’s
content. Accordingly, as I wavered in mind, at one moment consenting and
at the next instant repenting, the Darwaysh noting my greed and covetise
and avarice, replied, “Not so, O my brother: one camel doth not suffice
me that I should shew thee all this hoard. On a single condition only
will I tell thee of the place; to wit, that we twain lead the animals
thither and lade them with the treasure, then shalt thou give me one
half thereof and take the other half to thyself. With forty camels’ load
of costly ores and minerals for sure thou canst buy thousands more of
camels.” Then, seeing that refusal was impossible, I cried “So be it! I
agree to thy proposal and I will do as thou desirest;” for in my heart I
had conned the matter over and well I wist that forty camel-loads of
gold and gems would suffice me and many generations of my descendants;
and I feared lest an I gainsay him I should repent for ever and ever
having let so great a treasure slip out of hand. Accordingly, giving
full consent to all he said, I got together every one of my beasts and
set me a-wayfaring along with the Fakír.[2] After travelling over some
short distance we came upon a gorge between two craggy mountain-walls
towering high in crescent form and the pass was exceeding narrow so that
the animals were forced to pace in single file, but further on it flared
out and we could thread it without difficulty into the broad Wady below.
No human being was anywhere to be seen or heard in this wild land, so we
were undisturbed and easy in our minds nor feared aught. Then quoth the
Darwaysh, “Leave here the camels and come with me.”——And as the morn
began to dawn Shahrazad held her peace till
The end of the Six Hundred and Eighth Night.
Then said she:——I have heard, O auspicious King, that the blind man Baba
Abdullah pursued his tale on this wise:—I did as the Darwaysh had bidden
me; and, nakhing[3] all the camels, I followed in wake of him. After
walking a short way from the halting-place he produced a flint and steel
and struck fire therewith and lit some sticks he had gotten together;
then, throwing a handful of strong-smelling incense upon the flames, he
muttered words of incantation which I could by no means understand. At
once a cloud of smoke arose, and spireing upwards veiled the mountains;
and presently, the vapour clearing away, we saw a huge rock with pathway
leading to its perpendicular face. Here the precipice showed an open
door, wherethrough appeared in the bowels of the mountain a splendid
palace, the workmanship of the Jinns, for no man had power to build
aught like it. In due time, after sore toil, we entered therein and
found an endless treasure, ranged in mounds with the utmost ordinance
and regularity. Seeing a heap of Ashrafis I pounced upon it as a vulture
swoopeth upon her quarry, the carrion, and fell to filling the sacks
with golden coin to my heart’s content. The bags were big, but I was
constrained to stuff them only in proportion to the strength of my
beasts. The Darwaysh, too, busied himself in like manner, but he charged
his sacks with gems and jewels only, counselling me the while to do as
he did. So I cast aside the ducats and filled my bags with naught save
the most precious of the stonery. When we had wrought our best, we set
the well-stuffed sacks upon the camels’ backs and we made ready to
depart; but, before we left the treasure-house wherein stood ranged
thousands of golden vessels, exquisite in shape and workmanship, the
Darwaysh went into a hidden chamber and brought from out a silvern
casket a little golden box full of some unguent, which he showed to me,
and then he placed it in his pocket. Presently, he again threw incense
upon the fire and recited his incantations and conjurations, whereat the
door closed and the rock became as before. We then divided the camels,
he taking one half and I the other; and, passing through the strait and
gloomy gorge in single file, we came out upon the open plain. Here our
way parted, he wending in the direction of Bassorah and I Baghdad-wards;
and when about to leave him I showered thanks upon the Darwaysh who had
obtained me all this wealth and riches worth a thousand thousand of gold
coins; and farewelled him with deep emotions of gratitude; after which
we embraced and wended our several ways. But hardly had I bidden adieu
to the Fakir and had gone some little distance from him with my file of
camels than the Shaytan tempted me with greed of gain so that I said to
myself, “The Darwaysh is alone in the world, without friends or kinsman,
and is wholly estranged from matters mundane. What will these
camel-loads of filthy lucre advantage him? Moreover, engrossed by the
care of the camels, not to speak of the deceitfulness of riches, he may
neglect his prayer and worship: therefore it behoveth me to take back
from him some few of my beasts.” With this resolve I made the camels
halt and tying up their forelegs ran back after the holy man and called
out his name. He heard my loud shouts and awaited me forthright; and, as
soon as I approached him I said, “When I had quitted thee a thought came
into my mind; to wit, that thou art a recluse who keepest thyself aloof
from earthly things, pure in heart and busied only with orison and
devotion. Now care of all these camels will cause thee only toil and
moil and trouble and waste of precious time: ’twere better then to give
them back and not run the risk of these discomforts and dangers.” The
Darwaysh replied, “O my son, thou speakest sooth. The tending of all
these animals will bring me naught save ache of head, so do thou take of
them as many as thou listest. I thought not of the burthen and pother
till thou drewest my attention thereto; but now I am forewarned thereof;
so may Almighty Allah keep thee in His holy keeping!” Accordingly, I
took ten camels of him and was about to gang my gait when suddenly it
struck me, “This Fakir was unconcerned at giving up ten camels, so
’twere better I ask more of him.” Thereupon I drew nearer to him and
said, “Thou canst hardly manage thirty camels; do give me, I pray thee,
other ten.” Said he, “O my son, do whatso thou wishest! Take thee other
ten camels; twenty will suffice me.” I did his bidding and driving off
the twenty added them to my forty. Then the spirit of concupiscence
possessed me, and I bethought me more and more to get yet other ten
camels from his share; so I retraced my steps for the third time and
asked him for another ten, and of these, as also the remaining ten, I
wheedled him. The Darwaysh gladly gave up the last of his camels, and,
shaking out his skirts,[4] made ready to depart; but still my accursed
greed stuck to me. Albeit I had got the fourscore beasts laden with
Ashrafis and jewels, and I might have gone home happy and content, with
wealth for fourscore generations, Satan tempted me still more, and urged
me also to take the box of ointment, which I supposed to contain
something more precious than rubies.——And as the morn began to dawn
Shahrazad held her peace till
The end of the Six Hundred and Ninth Night.
Then said she:——I have heard, O auspicious King, that Baba Abdullah
continued his tale in these words:—So when I had again farewelled and
embraced him I paused awhile and said, “What wilt thou do with the
little box of salve thou hast taken to thy portion? I pray thee give me
that also.” The Fakir would by no means part with it, whereupon I lusted
the more to possess it, and resolved in my mind that, should the holy
man give it up of his free will, then well and good, but if not I would
force it from him. Seeing my intent he drew the box from out his
breast-pocket[5] and handed it to me saying, “O my son, an thou wouldst
have this box of ointment, then freely do I give it to thee; but first
it behoveth thee to learn the virtue of the unguent it containeth.”
Hearing these words I said, “Forasmuch as thou hast shown me all this
favour, I beseech thee tell me of this ointment and what of properties
it possesseth.” Quoth he, “The wonders of this ointment are passing
strange and rare. An thou close thy left eye and rub upon the lid the
smallest bit of the salve then all the treasures of the world now
concealed from thy gaze will come to sight; but an thou rub aught
thereof upon thy right eye thou shalt straightway become stone-blind of
both.” Thereat I bethought me of putting this wondrous unguent to the
test and placing in his hand the box I said, “I see thou understandest
this matter right well; so now I pray thee apply somewhat of the
ointment with thine own hand to my left eyelid.” The Darwaysh thereupon
closed my left eye and with his finger rubbed a little of the unguent
over the lid; and when I opened it and looked around I saw the hidden
hoards of the earth in countless quantities even as the Fakir had told
me I should see them. Then closing my right eyelid, I bade him apply
some of the salve to that eye also. Said he, “O my son, I have
forewarned thee that if I rub it upon thy right eyelid thou shalt become
stone-blind of both. Put far from thee this foolish thought: why
shouldst thou bring this evil to no purpose on thyself?” He spake sooth
indeed, but by reason of my accursed ill-fate I would not heed his words
and considered in my mind, “If applying the salve to the left eyelid
hath produced such effect, assuredly far more wondrous still shall be
the result when rubbed on the right eye. This fellow doth play me false
and keepeth back from me the truth of the matter.” When I had thus
determined in my mind I laughed and said to the holy man, “Thou art
deceiving me to the intent that I should not advantage myself by the
secret, for that rubbing the unguent upon the right eyelid hath some
greater virtue than applying it to the left eye, and thou wouldst
withhold the matter from me. It can never be that the same ointment hath
qualities so contrary and virtues so diverse.” Replied the other, “Allah
Almighty is my witness that the marvels of the ointment be none other
save these whereof I bespake thee; O dear my friend, have faith in me,
for naught hath been told thee save what is sober sooth.” Still would I
not believe his words, thinking that he dissembled with me and kept
secret from me the main virtue of the unguent. Wherefore filled with
this foolish thought I pressed him sore and begged that he rub the
ointment upon my right eyelid; but he still refused and said, “Thou
seest how much of favour I have shown to thee: wherefore should I now do
thee so dire an evil? Know for a surety that it would bring thee
life-long grief and misery; and I beseech thee, by Allah the Almighty,
abandon this thy purpose and believe my words.” But the more he refused
so much the more did I persist; and in fine I made oath and sware by
Allah, saying, “O Darwaysh, what things soever I have asked of thee thou
gavest freely unto me and now remaineth only this request for me to
make. Allah upon thee, gainsay me not and grant me this last of thy
boons: and whatever shall betide me I will not hold thee responsible
therefor. Let Destiny decide for good or for evil.” When the holy man
saw that his denial was of no avail and that I irked him with exceeding
persistence, he put the smallest bit of ointment on my right lid and, as
I opened wide my eyes, lo and behold! both were stone-blind: naught
could I see for the black darkness before them and ever since that day
have I been sightless and helpless as thou foundest me. When I knew that
I was blinded, I exclaimed, “O Darwaysh of ill-omen, what thou didst
foretell hath come to pass;” and I fell to cursing him and saying, “O
would to Heaven thou hadst never brought me to the hoard or hadst given
me such wealth. What now avail me all this gold and jewels? Take back
thy forty camels and make me whole again.” Replied he, “What evil have I
done to thee? I showed thee favours more than any man hath ever dealt to
another. Thou wouldst not heed my rede, but didst harden thy heart and
lustest to obtain this wealth and to pry into the hidden treasures of
the earth. Thou wouldst not be content with what thou hadst and thou
didst misdoubt my words thinking that I would play thee false. Thy case
is beyond all hope, for never more wilt thou regain thy sight; no,
never.” Then said I with tears and lamentations, “O Fakir, take back thy
fourscore camels laden with gold and precious stones and wend thy way: I
absolve thee from all blame, natheless I beseech thee by Allah Almighty
to restore my sight an thou art able.” He answered not a word, but
leaving me in miserable plight presently took the load to Bassorah,
driving before him the fourscore camels laden with wealth. I cried aloud
and besought him to lead me with him away from the life-destroying
wilderness, or to put me on the path of some caravan, but he regarded
not my cries and abandoned me there.——And as the morn began to dawn
Shahrazad held her peace till
The end of the Six Hundred and Tenth Night.
Then said she:——“I have heard, O auspicious king, that Baba Abdullah the
blind man resumed his story, saying:—So when the Darwaysh departed from
me, I had well-nigh died of grief and wrath at the loss of my sight and
of my riches, and from the pangs of thirst[6] and hunger. Next day by
good fortune a caravan from Bassorah passed that way; and, seeing me in
such a grievous condition, the merchants had compassion on me and made
me travel with them to Baghdad. Naught could I do save beg my bread in
order to keep myself alive; so I became a mendicant and made this vow to
Allah Almighty that, as a punishment for this my unlucky greed and
cursed covetise, I would require a cuff upon my ear from everyone who
might take pity on my case and give an alms. On this wise it was that
yesterday I pursued thee with such pertinacity.” When the blind man made
an end of his story the Caliph said, “O Baba Abdullah! thine offence was
grievous; may Allah have mercy on thee therefor. It now remaineth to
thee to tell thy case to devotees and anchorites that they may offer up
their potent prayers in thy behalf. Take no thought for thy daily wants:
I have determined that for thy living thou shalt have a dole of four
dirhams a day from my royal treasury according to thy need as long as
thou mayest live. But see that thou go no more to ask for alms about my
city.” So Baba Abdullah returned thanks to the Prince of True Believers,
saying, “I will do according to thy bidding.” Now when the Caliph Harun
al-Rashid had heard the story of Baba Abdullah and the Darwaysh, he
turned to and addressed the young man whom he had seen riding at fullest
speed upon the mare and savagely lashing and ill-treating her. “What is
thy name?” quoth he, and quoth the youth, bowing his brow groundwards,
“My name, O Commander of the Faithful, is Sídí Nu’umán.”[7] Then said
the Caliph, “Hearken now, O Sidi Nu’uman! Ofttimes have I watched the
horsemen exercise their horses, and I myself have often done likewise,
but never saw I any who rode so mercilessly as thou didst ride thy mare,
for thou didst ply both whip and shovel-iron in cruellest fashion. The
folk all stood to gaze with wonderment, but chiefly I, who was
constrained against my wish to stop and ask the cause of the bystanders.
None, however, could make clear the matter, and all men said that thou
art wont each day to ride the mare in this most brutal fashion, whereat
my mind marvelled all the more. I now would ask of thee the cause of
this thy ruthless savagery, and see that thou tell me every whit and
leave not aught unsaid.” Sidi Nu’uman, hearing the order of the
Commander of the Faithful, became aware he was fully bent upon hearing
the whole matter and would on no wise suffer him to depart until all was
explained. So the colour of his countenance changed and he stood
speechless like a statue through fear and trepidation; whereat said the
Prince of True Believers, “O Sidi Nu’uman, fear naught but tell me all
thy tale. Regard me in the light of one of thy friends and speak without
reserve, and explain to me the matter fully as thou wouldst do hadst
thou been speaking to thy familiars. Moreover, an thou art afraid of any
matter which thou shalt confide to me and if thou dread my indignation,
I grant thee immunity and a free pardon.” At these comforting words of
the Caliph, Sidi Nu’uman took courage, and with clasped hands replied,
“I trust I have not in this matter done aught contrary to thy Highness’s
law and custom, and therefore will I willingly obey thy bidding and
relate to thee all my tale. If I have offended in anything then am I
worthy of thy punishment. ’Tis true that I have daily exercised the mare
and ridden her at speed around the hippodrome as thou sawest me do; and
I lashed and gored her with all my might. Thou hadst compassion on the
mare and didst deem me cruel-hearted to entreat her thus, but when thou
shalt have heard all my adventure thou wilt admit, Inshallah—God
willing—that this be only a trifling penalty for her offence, and that
not she but I deserve thy pity and pardon! With thy permission I will
now begin my story.”——And as the morn began to dawn Shahrazad held her
peace till
The end of the Six Hundred and Eleventh Night.
Then said she:——I have heard, O auspicious King, that the Caliph Harun
al-Rashid accorded the youth permission to speak and that the rider of
the mare began in these words the