than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching
of this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and good will! It
hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding,
lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and
worthy celebrating, that the Wali rode to the Palace, he and the chief
Watchman, seeking the Sultan, and they ceased not riding until they
entered the presence and saluted the Sovran, praying for the endurance
of his glory and the continuance of his life-tide. He returned their
salute and asked concerning the affair of his Judge and they answered
him, “O King of the Age, verily we have wandered about Misr and the
entirety thereof, without finding any and now there remaineth for our
search naught save the quarters occupied by the Kazi al-’Askar. So we
design to examine it that if aught be found therein we may be set free,
and if not that thou work upon us thine own intent.” Hereupon the Sultan
sent to summon the Judge; and, when he made act of presence, commanded
him suffer the Wali and the Mukaddam to search his quarters and he
replied, “Hearing and obeying.” The whole forty then fared from the
Palace and reaching the Judge’s mansion rummaged it until they came upon
the ruined stead described by the damsel; so thither they went and
seeing a slab newly laid, pulled it up and found beneath it a white girl
full-dressed and ornamented.[432] The Watchman fared forth and summoned
all the ward-folk who considered narrowly the corpse of the murthered
damsel, and they all cried with a single voice, “Indeed this be the girl
which was drunken with wine and which was carried into the Kazi’s
quarters.” And they bore official testimony to such effect what while
the Judge, who was standing in that stead looking and listening, said to
himself, “How can such case have occurred to us without cause?” And when
this business was finished, the Wali turned to the Kazi and said “O
Shaykh of Islam,[433] we left this damsel in thy charge and to thine
honour until morning-tide, deeming that haply she might be the daughter
of a grandee house and yet hast thou cut her throat and hidden her
within thy premises.” But the Judge could return to him no reply nor
attempt any address, for he feared lest the King should hear thereof; so
he inclined to the Master of Police and got ready for him an hundred
purses and twenty for the Mukaddam that they might keep silence and not
report such matter of scandal to the Sultan. Accordingly they accepted
that amount of money from him and the Kazi went forth from him and took
horse and informed the Sultan that he had found his debtor and had
recovered his due; but he spoke not these words save for fear of the
Chief of Police and the Head of the Watchmen lest they inform the King
that they had found the murthered damsel within his demesne. Then the
Mukaddam repaired to the house where the She-thief had bespoken him and
standing at the door knocked thereat when those inside asked, “Who
mayest thou be?” and he answered, “I am seeking Fatimah!” “Who is
Fatimah?” cried they, “we have here nor Fatimah nor Halímah.”[434]
Thereupon quoth the Mukaddam, “Indeed this Fornicatress, this Adulteress
hath wrought upon us and hath escaped us; but, seeing that we also have
won free by virtue of the wile she pointed out to us, we will leave her
to time and doubtless during the length of days we twain shall forgather
again.” On this wise endeth the story (quoth Shahrazad); but I will now
relate a very different adventure and ’tis the
TALE OF MOHSIN AND MUSA.[435]
It fortuned once upon a time that two men went forth from the same
place, one foregoing the other, and they forgathered by the way. Now
each had a bag full of flour and a flask[436] containing somewhat of
water; and when they made acquaintance on the road the first of them
said to his companion, “O my brother, what may be thy name?” and said
the Second, “I am hight Mohsin, the Beneficent,[437] and thou what art
thou called?” Quoth the other, “Músà the Malignant.”[438] So the two
fared on in converse and whenever mealtime came round, each would bring
out a portion of meal and knead it and make of it a scone,[439] and
light a fire and bake it thereon: after which they would satisfy their
hunger. But Mohsin knew not that had been doomed for him by his
companion Musa the Misdoer, so the twain would fare together and feed
together. On the following day quoth Musa to Mohsin, “O my brother, I
have with me a bag of flour and a flask of water and thou hast the same,
and whenever eating-time cometh round each one bringeth out somewhat of
his vivers. Now this is not right; ’twere the better way that we first
eat that is with thee and when ’tis ended we use my provaunt.” “’Tis
well, O my brother,” quoth Mohsin. They agreed upon this condition and
whenever moved by appetite they ate of Mohsin’s viaticum until his bag
of flour and his flask of water were clean emptied. But when the
meal-hour came, Musa arose and made for him a single scone and no more,
and baked it and ate it by himself, while Mohsin sat-by looking on. This
befel time after time for the first day and the second day until Mohsin
waxed anhungered and famine wrung his vitals, so quoth he to Musa, “O my
brother, give me somewhat of thy food that I may nourish myself
therewith, for indeed I am empty exceedingly.” But Musa made reply, “By
Allah, I will not give it to thee; no, not a single mouthful.” Rejoined
Mohsin, “O my brother, we two made covenant that we should become
brethren, and first eat of my provaunt and then of thine; now, however,
thou art not pleased to grant me or bite or sup. This is not the act of
an honest man.” He answered, “Be brief! an thou be hungry I will give
thee half of my scone on condition that I pluck out thine eye.” “How so,
O my brother?” rejoined Mohsin, “Wilt thou blind me of one eye for the
sake of half a scone? better leave me to die with my sight as it is.”
Said Musa, “At thy pleasure!”[440] But on the third day Mohsin was like
to sink for extreme hunger, and he cried, “There is no Majesty and there
is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great. Do thou, O Musa,
give the half-scone and pluck out one of mine eyes.” Musa did as he was
bidden, and thrusting forth his finger gouged[441] out the right eye,
whereby Mohsin remained purblind, withal was he not filled by the
half-scone. Now on the fourth day Mohsin waxed yet more ravenous and
famine was right sore upon him, and he cried, “There is no Majesty! by
Allah, O Musa, my brother, I am a-famished, so pity me and the Lord
shall pity thee.” Replied the other, “I will give thee nothing until I
shall have gouged out thine other eye.” Quoth Mohsin, “Verily we are
Allah’s and unto him we shall return! but, by the Almighty, famishing is
bitter; so do thou with me, O Musa, what the Omniscient hath predestined
as to the plucking out of my two eyes.” Accordingly the man gave him the
half scone and plucked out his other eye; and on such wise made him
stone blind. Hereupon Musa left his companion darkly tramping[442] about
the roads. Now in the neighbourhood of that place was a well full of
water;[443] so when Mohsin drew near knowing nothing thereof, Musa came
up and pushed him thereinto; and while falling into the pit Mohsin said
to himself, “O Lord, thou hast doomed me to blinding and at last Thou
hast condemned me to drowning.”——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn
of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth
her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how
enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with
that I would relate to you on the coming night an the King suffer me to
survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was
The Seven Hundred and Sixty-seventh Night,
[Illustration]
Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other
than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching
of this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and good will! It
hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding,
lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and
worthy celebrating, that when Musa had thrust Mohsin into the well with
intent to drown him, the blinded man cried, “O Lord thou hast doomed me
to blinding, and at last Thou hast condemned me to drowning.” Then he
struck out with hands and feet till he felt the walls of the well
wherein he found two niches; so he set toes into one of them and there
stood awaiting the salvation of Allah which was nearhand; and his heart
was satisfied and he drank of the water. When the first night fell
behold, two of the Jinns came to the pit and sat down in converse each
with other, when quoth the first to the second, “Walláhi! O certain
person, there is now to be found nor sage nor leach, and all of them are
preposterous pretenders and balkers of man’s intent.” Quoth the other,
“What may be these words?” and the former resumed, “By Allah, I have
possessed the daughter of the Sultan and she is the dearling of my heart
whom I love with dearest love; yet can none avail to unsorcel her of
me.” Quoth his companion, “And what would expel thee?” And quoth he,
“Naught will oust me save a black cock or a sable chicken; and whenas
one shall bring such and cut his throat under her feet of a
Saturday,[444] I shall not have power to approach the city wherein she
dwelleth.” “By Allah, O my brother,” said the other, “thou hast spoken
sooth: there is in this land nor wizard nor mediciner who knoweth aught,
and all of them are liars and contradictors who lay claim to science
without aught of intelligence; indeed there is not one of them who
knoweth of this tree (which adjoineth our well) that whoso shall take
the leaves thereof and plaster them upon his eyes, even though he be
born blind he will be gifted with sight and wax sound after two or three
days by the kind permission of Allah Almighty. Yet are the folk all
heedless of such virtue in the tree.” Now Mohsin remained listening to
these words and pondering them as he stood supported by the side-wall of
the well, and when it was the last third of the night, the Jinns which
were conversing at the mouth took leave each of other. And as soon as
the day brake and the time waxed bright behold there came a Kafilah
which passed by the pit seeking drink for themselves and water for their
cattle. Presently they let down a bucket by a cord and when Mohsin felt
the rope he caught hold thereof, whereat the caravan people cried, “We
take refuge with Allah from Satan the Stoned,” and said one to other,
“Verily in this well is a Satan!” Mohsin heard their words and answered
them and said, “Yá’llah[445] Ho you, draw me out hence, for verily I am
of mankind and not of Jinn-kind and being blind I fell yesterday into
this hole.” Cried they, “Catch tight hold of the cord,” and when he did
so they drew him out and finding him weak from famine they gave him a
somewhat of food and he ate and drank. The caravan-folk on like guise
drank from the well and watered their beasts; after which they would
have led Mohsin away with them but he said, “O my brethren (whose weal
Allah increase[446] and whose grace may He reward!), I have a single
want wherewith I fain ye would favour me!” Asked they, “And what may
that be?” and he answered, “That ye direct me to the tree which
adjoineth this well and lead me close thereto and God shall gar your
good to grow!” Hereupon one hent him by the hand and after doing as he
desired and setting him beside the tree returned to his own folk and the
caravan loaded and left the place. Presently Mohsin swarmed up the
trunk; and, taking seat upon a branch of its branches, fell to cropping
the leaves and patching them upon either eye as he had heard the Jinni
prescribe; and hardly had two days gone by when he felt healed of his
hurt and opened his eyelids and saw what was around him. Then, after
taking somewhat of its foliage, he came down from the tree and went on
his wayfare until he entered a city and found him a lodging. When this
was done he fell to threading the streets and ways crying aloud the
while, “I am the Leach, the Healer![447] I am the Mediciner who can cure
the blind!” whereat all the one-eyed and the sightless would summon him
with outcries and he would apply to them somewhat of his leaves; and
after two or three days (he superintending the while) they would open
their eyes and see. On this wise went by a term of time until at last
the King of that city heard rumour of a new leach; so he sent to him and
summoned him and said to him, “Art thou a clever Medicine-man even as
they have informed me concerning thee? I have a daughter ridden[448] by
a Jinni of the Jánn and we desire of thee that thou unsorcel her.” “And
if I avail not to free her?” asked Mohsin, and the King answered, “Then
will I kill thee even as I have slain a many before thee who have looked
upon the face of the Princess.” “And if I prove able to deliver her and
fend her from further offence?” “I will give thee what thou askest of
coin and hoards.” “No, O King of the Age; this condition I will not
accept: if I free her I must take her to wife, for an I fail therein
thou wilt slay me; and unless thou agree with me after I shall have
saved her that thou e’en wed her to me.”——[449] “’Tis well, O Shaykh;
and for releasing her I give thee a delay of three months for visiting
and healing her.”——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and
fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister
Dunyazad, “How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and how
enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with
that I would relate to you on the coming night, an the Sovran suffer me
to survive.” Now when it was the next night and that was
The Seven Hundred and Sixty-ninth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other
than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching
of this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and good will! It
hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding,
lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and
worthy celebrating, that the King covenanted with the Mediciner that the
unsorcelling of the Princess should be within three months; after which
he set apart an apartment for him with all the furniture and
appurtenances thereof and appointed to him rations of meat and drink. So
Mohsin abode with him the appointed time and he in the extreme of
comfort and enjoyment; but when the three months were ended the Sultan
sent for him and summoned him between his hands and said, “O Shaykh, the
term is gone-by.” Hereupon Shaykh Mohsin went forth and bought him a
black cock and when Sabbath[450] came round the Sultan presented him to
his daughter whom he found in sore and sorrowful state, unknowing aught
concerning herself or how the mishap had occurred to her. Now when he
went in and looked upon her in such case, he drew near to her and fell
to reciting Koranic versets which avert evil (the Sultan sitting beside
them the while); and at the last he slaughtered the cock between her
feet. Hereat the Princess recovered her senses and rose up and sat
down[451] forthright and called for meat and drink which were brought to
her; then she ate and drank and besought for herself the guidance of God
and said, “Alhamdolillah”—laud to the Lord—and presently she kissed the
hand of her sire and of Shaykh Mohsin. Quoth the King, “O my daughter,
art thou indeed well?” and quoth she, “At this present I feel naught of
pain in my person nor do I sense anything of what hath been with me; and
all this is by blessing of yonder Shaykh thou hast brought to me. But
say me, O my father, what hast thou made over to him of money as a
reward for unsorcelling me?” “O my daughter,” replied he, “I have
offered him all he shall ask.” But when the Princess recovered from her
malady and returned to self, she changed from mode to mode and she
became as one cast in the mould of beauty and loveliness and Shaykh
Mohsin looking upon her was dazed and amazed in his wits by cause of her
exceeding comeliness and seemlihead. Presently the Princess addressed
him, “O Shaykh Mohsin, what thing dost thou ask of the King’s Majesty?”
for indeed her heart was fulfilled of the love to him which had mastered
her. Now the Wazir had a son and it was his aim that his heir should
marry the King’s daughter, but this his wish was in vain; for when she
was certified that her salvation was at the hand of Shaykh Mohsin, she
said to her sire, “Do thou, O my father, largesse what is dearest to
thee upon my healer.”[452] Her design in these words was that the Sultan
might bestow her to wife upon her deliverer, and she added, “Indeed our
joyance hath been at his hands and he is deserving of munificence full
and abundant.” But again the object of her speech was that her parent
might espouse her to the Shaykh for the love to Mohsin which had
mastered her heart. Quoth her father, “O my daughter we will give him a
sumptuous robe of honour and ten purses;” but quoth she, “No, O my sire,
this be not gift sufficient for the like of such service.” Now she was
the sole prop of her parents who had no child save herself, so the King
replied, “O my daughter, I will give him whatso thou shalt say.”
Thereupon she asked him, “How many of the folk came in to me and
uncovered my shame[453] and were slain therefor?” and he answered, “Some
fifty.” Then cried she, “Had not Shaykh Mohsin been able to exorcise me
what hadst thou done with him?” “Indeed I had slain him.” “Then
Alhamdolillah—Glory be to God—for that my deliverance was at his hand:
so do thou bestow upon him thy best,” and so she spake for that she was
ashamed to say her sire, “Wed me to him.” The King not understanding the
hint she had hinted said to her, “All thou wishest I will largesse to
him;” and she, “I have spoken to thee but thou hast not comprehended my
words! All who have looked upon my shame and proved unable to deliver me
thou wast wont to slay and this man hath been my salvation after seeing
me unveiled: how then wilt thou gift him with money and means or
condition with him when thou art unable to carry out thy compact?”
Hereupon the King became ware of what was in his daughter’s mind and
forthwith sending to summon the Kazi and witnesses he bade bind the
marriage-bond between her and Shaykh Mohsin and in due time let them
lead him to her in procession and suffer him go in unto her. So he
cohabited with the Princess a while of time, after which the life-term
of the Sultan drew near, and he fell sick of a sickness whereof he died.
And when they had committed his remains to earth the Lords of the land
and the Grandees of command forgathered and agreed in council that none
should overrule them save the Shaykh Mohsin. So they invested him with
the signet-ring of Sovranty and seated him upon the throne of Kingship
and he became Sovereign and Sultan. Moreover Allah Almighty enlightened
his heart in governance with justice and equity; and all the subjects
with the Notables of the realm and the Rulers of high rank blessed him
and prayed for him. Now one day of the days Sultan Mohsin felt desirous
of solacing himself in the gardens; so he rode forth, he and his suite,
when he suddenly sighted his whilome comrade, the same who had plucked
out one eye for half a scone and had gouged out the other eye for the
other half. He bade them bring the man to the presence and when they set
him between his hands he asked him saying, “O Shaykh, what may be thy
name?” and he answered, “I am hight Shaykh Mohammed.” So he carried him
with his suite to the gardens where they abode until day ended, after
which the Sultan rode back and entering his palace, bade bring Shaykh
Mohammed whom he despatched to the House of Hospitality.[454] On the
third day he bade summon his guest after supper-tide and taking him by
the hand led him into a cabinet and said, “O Shaykh Mohammed, do thou
tell us a tale.”——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and
fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister
Dunyazad, “How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and
delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with that I would
relate to you on the coming night an the King suffer me to survive?” Now
when it was the next night and that was
The Seven Hundred and Seventy-first Night,
Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other
than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching
of this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and good will! It
hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding,
lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and
worthy celebrating, that when the King entered the closet leading
Mohammed by the hand he said to him, “Do thou, O Shaykh, tell us a
tale.” “By Allah, O our lord,” quoth the other, “I know naught of
stories.” Whereupon the Sultan rejoined, “If so it be, I will relate to
thee, O Shaykh Mohammed, an adventure of my own and ’tis as
follows:—Once upon a time a man went forth his town and he made
companionship with another upon the way, and each one of them bore with
him a bag of meal and a flask of water.” On this wise the Sultan
continued recounting to him the real history of Mohsin and Musa the
Malignant, till at the end of the tale he said, “And Musa, after gouging
out both eyes of Mohsin for the sake of a single scone thrust him into a
well designing to drown him therein, but Allah Almighty preserved his
life and brought him forth the pit and our Lord favoured him and
restored to him his two eyes and empowered him over the kingdom and thus
did he become Sovran and Sultan. Now the prosperity of that Shaykh
Mohsin was from the well whereinto Musa had thrust him.” Presently he
added, “An this tale be soothfast, then am I Mohsin and thou art Musa
the Malignant. I am able at this moment to slay thee but I will spare
thee and moreover counsel thee as follows:—Do thou go to the well and
haply Almighty Allah shall thereby grant to thee some good, for that the
root of my fair fortune was from that same pit.” Now when the first
third of the night had sped, Musa arose and repaired to the pit and
descended therein when behold, the same two Jinnis had forgathered
beside the well-mouth at that same hour and were seated together
conversing each with other. Quoth the first, “What is thy case this
day?” and quoth the second, “By Allah, O my brother, my condition is
ill-conditioned ever since a certain night when we met in this place and
talked together. And so it hath continued until the present time, for
that I have been unable to approach the city wherein dwelleth the
Sultan’s daughter: and someone that was in the well must have overheard
us whilst we knew naught of him and he must have acted according to our
words and slaughtered the black cock; after which I have been unable to
near her abode.” Quoth the other, “By Allah, O my brother, thou has
spoken sooth; but our ill-constraint is from this well.” Hereupon the
Jinni put forth his hand about the pit[455] and finding Musa the Misdoer
snatched him up and seizing him between his palms tore his body into
four pieces and cast away the quarters in some desert stead. And this
(said Shahrazad) is the award of whoso betrayeth his fellow man. And
they also relate the adventure of
MOHAMMED THE SHALABI AND HIS MISTRESS AND HIS WIFE.[456]