become instances and examples to men of our modern day, that folk may
view what admonishing chances befel other folk and may therefrom take
warning; and that they may peruse the annals of antique peoples and all
that hath betided them, and be thereby ruled and restrained:—Praise,
therefore, be to Him who hath made the histories of the Past an
admonition unto the Present! Now of such instances are the tales called
"A Thousand Nights and a Night," together with their far-famed legends
and wonders. Therein it is related (but Allah is All-knowing of His
hidden things and All-ruling and All-honoured and All-giving and
All-gracious and All-merciful![1]) that, in tide of yore and in time
long gone before, there was a King of the Kings of the Banu Sásán in
the Islands of India and China, a Lord of armies and guards and
servants and dependents.[2] He left only two sons, one in the prime of
manhood and the other yet a youth, while both were Knights and Braves,
albeit the elder was a doughtier horseman than the younger. So he
succeeded to the empire; when he ruled the land and lorded it over his
lieges with justice so exemplary that he was beloved by all the peoples
of his capital and of his kingdom. His name was King Shahryár,[3] and
he made his younger brother, Shah Zamán hight, King of Samarcand in
Barbarian-land. These two ceased not to abide in their several realms
and the law was ever carried out in their dominions; and each ruled his
own kingdom, with equity and fair-dealing to his subjects, in extreme
solace and enjoyment; and this condition continually endured for a
score of years. But at the end of the twentieth twelvemonth the elder
King yearned for a sight of his younger brother and felt that he must
look upon him once more. So he took counsel with his Wazir[4] about
visiting him, but the Minister, finding the project unadvisable,
recommended that a letter be written and a present be sent under his
charge to the younger brother with an invitation to visit the elder.
Having accepted this advice the King forthwith bade prepare handsome
gifts, such as horses with saddles of gem-encrusted gold; Mamelukes, or
white slaves; beautiful handmaids, high-breasted virgins, and splendid
stuffs and costly. He then wrote a letter to Shah Zaman expressing his
warm love and great wish to see him, ending with these words, "We
therefore hope of the favour and affection of the beloved brother that
he will condescend to bestir himself and turn his face us-wards.
Furthermore we have sent our Wazir to make all ordinance for the march,
and our one and only desire is to see thee ere we die; but if thou
delay or disappoint us we shall not survive the blow. Wherewith peace
be upon thee!" Then King Shahryar, having sealed the missive and given
it to the Wazir with the offerings aforementioned, commanded him to
shorten his skirts and strain his strength and make all expedition in
going and returning. "Harkening and obedience!" quoth the Minister, who
fell to making ready without stay and packed up his loads and prepared
all his requisites without delay. This occupied him three days, and on
the dawn of the fourth he took leave of his King and marched right
away, over desert and hill-way, stony waste and pleasant lea without
halting by night or by day. But whenever he entered a realm whose ruler
was subject to his Suzerain, where he was greeted with magnificent
gifts of gold and silver and all manner of presents fair and rare, he
would tarry there three days,[5] the term of the guest-rite; and, when
he left on the fourth, he would be honourably escorted for a whole
day's march. As soon as the Wazir drew near Shah Zaman's court in
Samarcand he despatched to report his arrival one of his high
officials, who presented himself before the King; and, kissing ground
between his hands, delivered his message. Hereupon the King commanded
sundry of his Grandees and Lords of his realm to fare forth and meet
his brother's Wazir at the distance of a full day's journey; which they
did, greeting him respectfully and wishing him all prosperity and
forming an escort and a procession. When he entered the city he
proceeded straightway to the palace, where he presented himself in the
royal presence; and, after kissing ground and praying for the King's
health and happiness and for victory over all his enemies, he informed
him that his brother was yearning to see him, and prayed for the
pleasure of a visit. He then delivered the letter which Shah Zaman took
from his hand and read: it contained sundry hints and allusions which
required thought; but, when the King had fully comprehended its import,
he said, "I hear and I obey the commands of the beloved brother!"
adding to the Wazir, "But we will not march till after the third day's
hospitality." He appointed for the Minister fitting quarters of the
palace; and, pitching tents for the troops, rationed them with whatever
they might require of meat and drink and other necessaries. On the
fourth day he made ready for wayfare and got together sumptuous
presents befitting his elder brother's majesty, and stablished his
chief Wazir viceroy of the land during his absence. Then he caused his
tents and camels and mules to be brought forth and encamped, with their
bales and loads, attendants and guards, within sight of the city, in
readiness to set out next morning for his brother's capital. But when
the night was half spent he bethought him that he had forgotten in his
palace somewhat which he should have brought with him, so he returned
privily and entered his apartments, where he found the Queen, his wife,
asleep on his own carpet-bed, embracing with both arms a black cook of
loathsome aspect and foul with kitchen grease and grime. When he saw
this the world waxed black before his sight and he said, "If such case
happen while I am yet within sight of the city what will be the doings
of this damned whore during my long absence at my brother's court?" So
he drew his scymitar and, cutting the two in four pieces with a single
blow, left them on the carpet and returned presently to his camp
without letting anyone know of what had happened. Then he gave orders
for immediate departure and set out at once and began his travel; but
he could not help thinking over his wife's treason and he kept ever
saying to himself, "How could she do this deed by me? How could she
work her own death?," till excessive grief seized him, his colour
changed to yellow, his body waxed weak and he was threatened with a
dangerous malady, such an one as bringeth men to die. So the Wazir
shortened his stages and tarried long at the watering-stations and did
his best to solace the King. Now when Shah Zaman drew near the capital
of his brother he despatched vaunt-couriers and messengers of glad
tidings to announce his arrival, and Shahryar came forth to meet him
with his Wazirs and Emirs and Lords and Grandees of his realm; and
saluted him and joyed with exceeding joy and caused the city to be
decorated in his honour. When, however, the brothers met, the elder
could not but see the change of complexion in the younger and
questioned him of his case whereto he replied, "'Tis caused by the
travails of wayfare and my case needs care, for I have suffered from
the change of water and air! but Allah be praised for reuniting me with
a brother so dear and so rare!" On this wise he dissembled and kept his
secret, adding, "O King of the time and Caliph of the tide, only toil
and moil have tinged my face yellow with bile and hath made my eyes
sink deep in my head." Then the two entered the capital in all honour;
and the elder brother lodged the younger in a palace overhanging the
pleasure garden; and, after a time, seeing his condition still
unchanged, he attributed it to his separation from his country and
kingdom. So he let him wend his own ways and asked no questions of him
till one day when he again said, "O my brother, I see that art grown
weaker of body and yellower of colour." "O my brother," replied Shah
Zaman "I have an internal wound:"[6] still he would not tell him what
he had witnessed in his wife. Thereupon Shahryar summoned doctors and
surgeons and bade them treat his brother according to the rules of art,
which they did for a whole month; but their sherbets and potions naught
availed, for he would dwell upon the deed of his wife, and despondency,
instead of diminishing, prevailed, and leechcraft treatment utterly
failed. One day his elder brother said to him, "I am going forth to
hunt and course and to take my pleasure and pastime; maybe this would
lighten thy heart." Shah Zaman, however, refused, saying, "O my
brother, my soul yearneth for naught of this sort and I entreat thy
favour to suffer me tarry quietly in this place, being wholly taken up
with my malady." So King Shah Zaman passed his night in the palace and,
next morning, when his brother had fared forth, he removed from his
room and sat him down at one of the lattice-windows overlooking the
pleasure grounds; and there he abode thinking with saddest thought over
his wife's betrayal and burning sighs issued from his tortured breast.
And as he continued in this case lo! a postern of the palace, which was
carefully kept private, swung open and out of it came twenty slave
girls surrounding his brother's wife who was wondrous fair, a model of
beauty and comeliness and symmetry and perfect loveliness and who paced
with the grace of a gazelle which panteth for the cooling stream.
Thereupon Shah Zaman drew back from the window, but he kept the bevy in
sight espying them from a place whence he could not be espied. They
walked under the very lattice and advanced a little way into the garden
till they came to a jetting fountain amiddlemost a great basin of
water; then they stripped off their clothes and behold, ten of them
were women, concubines of the King, and the other ten were white
slaves. Then they all paired off, each with each: but the Queen, who
was left alone, presently cried out in a loud voice, "Here to me, O my
lord Saeed!" and then sprang with a drop-leap from one of the trees a
big slobbering blackamoor with rolling eyes which showed the whites, a
truly hideous sight.[7] He walked boldly up to her and threw his arms
round her neck while she embraced him as warmly; then he bussed her and
winding his legs round hers, as a button-loop clasps a button, he threw
her and enjoyed her. On like wise did the other slaves with the girls
till all had satisfied their passions, and they ceased not from kissing
and clipping, coupling and carousing till day began to wane; when the
Mamelukes rose from the damsels' bosoms and the blackamoor slave
dismounted from the Queen's breast; the men resumed their disguises and
all, except the negro who swarmed up the tree, entered the palace and
closed the postern-door as before. Now, when Shah Zaman saw this
conduct of his sister-in-law he said in himself, "By Allah, my calamity
is lighter than this! My brother is a greater King among the kings than
I am, yet this infamy goeth on in his very palace, and his wife is in
love with that filthiest of filthy slaves. But this only showeth that
they all do it[8] and that there is no woman but who cuckoldeth her
husband, then the curse of Allah upon one and all and upon the fools
who lean against them for support or who place the reins of conduct in
their hands. So he put away his melancholy and despondency, regret and
repine, and allayed his sorrow by constantly repeating those words,
adding "'Tis my conviction that no man in this world is safe from their
malice!" When supper-time came they brought him the trays and he ate
with voracious appetite, for he had long refrained from meat, feeling
unable to touch any dish however dainty. Then he returned grateful
thanks to Almighty Allah, praising Him and blessing Him, and he spent a
most restful night, it having been long since he had savoured the sweet
food of sleep. Next day he broke his fast heartily and began to recover
health and strength, and presently regained excellent condition. His
brother came back from the chase ten days after, when he rode out to
meet him and they saluted each other; and when King Shahryar looked at
King Shah Zaman he saw how the hue of health had returned to him, how
his face had waxed ruddy and how he ate with an appetite after his late
scanty diet. He wondered much and said, "O my brother, I was so anxious
that thou wouldst join me in hunting and chasing, and wouldst take thy
pleasure and pastime in my dominion!" He thanked him and excused
himself; then the two took horse and rode into the city and, when they
were seated at their ease in the palace, the food-trays were set before
them and they ate their sufficiency. After the meats were removed and
they had washed their hands, King Shahryar turned to his brother and
said, "My mind is overcome with wonderment at thy condition. I was
desirous to carry thee with me to the chase but I saw thee changed in
hue, pale and wan to view, and in sore trouble of mind too. But now
Alhamdolillah—glory be to God!—I see thy natural colour hath returned
to thy face and that thou art again in the best of case. It was my
belief that thy sickness came of severance from thy family and friends,
and absence from capital and country, so I refrained from troubling
thee with further questions. But now I beseech thee to expound to me
the cause of thy complaint and thy change of colour, and to explain the
reason of thy recovery and the return to the ruddy hue of health which
I am wont to view. So speak out and hide naught! When Shah Zaman heard
this he bowed ground-wards awhile his head, then raised it and said, "I
will tell thee what caused my complaint and my loss of colour; but
excuse my acquainting thee with the cause of its return to me and the
reason of my complete recovery: indeed I pray thee not to press me for
a reply." Said Shahryar, who was much surprised by these words, "Let me
hear first what produced thy pallor and thy poor condition." "Know,
then, O my brother," rejoined Shah Zaman, "that when thou sentest thy
Wazir with the invitation to place myself between thy hands, I made
ready and marched out of my city; but presently I minded me having left
behind me in the palace a string of jewels intended as a gift to thee.
I returned for it alone and found my wife on my carpet-bed and in the
arms of a hideous black cook. So I slew the twain and came to thee, yet
my thoughts brooded over this business and I lost my bloom and became
weak. But excuse me if I still refuse to tell thee what was the reason
of my complexion returning." Shahryar shook his head, marvelling with
extreme marvel, and with the fire of wrath flaming up from his heart,
he cried, "Indeed, the malice of woman is mighty!" Then he took refuge
from them with Allah and said, "In very sooth, O my brother, thou hast
escaped many an evil by putting thy wife to death,[9] and right
excusable were thy wrath and grief for such mishap which never yet
befel crowned King like thee. By Allah, had the case been mine, I would
not have been satisfied without slaying a thousand women and that way
madness lies! But now praise be to Allah who hath tempered to thee thy
tribulation, and needs must thou acquaint me with that which so
suddenly restored to thee complexion and health, and explain to me what
causeth this concealment." "O King of the Age, again I pray thee excuse
my so doing!" "Nay, but thou must." "I fear, O my brother, lest the
recital cause thee more anger and sorrow than afflicted me." "That were
but a better reason," quoth Shahryar, "for telling me the whole
history, and I conjure thee by Allah not to keep back aught from me."
Thereupon Shah Zaman told him all he had seen, from commencement to
conclusion, ending with these words, "When I beheld thy calamity and
the treason of thy wife, O my brother, and I reflected that thou art in
years my senior and in sovereignty my superior, mine own sorrow was
belittled by the comparison, and my mind recovered tone and temper: so
throwing off melancholy and despondency, I was able to eat and drink
and sleep, and thus I speedily regained health and strength. Such is
the truth and the whole truth." When King Shahryar heard this he waxed
wroth with exceeding wrath, and rage was like to strangle him; but
presently he recovered himself and said, "O my brother, I would not
give thee the lie in this matter, but I cannot credit it till I see it
with mine own eyes." "An thou wouldst look upon thy calamity," quoth
Shah Zaman, "rise at once and make ready again for hunting and
coursing,[10] and then hide thyself with me, so shalt thou witness it
and thine eyes shall verify it." "True," quoth the King; whereupon he
let make proclamation of his intent to travel, and the troops and tents
fared forth without the city, camping within sight, and Shahryar
sallied out with them and took seat amidmost his host, bidding the
slaves admit no man to him. When night came on he summoned his Wazir
and said to him, "Sit thou in my stead and let none wot of my absence
till the term of three days." Then the brothers disguised themselves
and returned by night with all secrecy to the palace, where they passed
the dark hours: and at dawn they seated themselves at the lattice
overlooking the pleasure grounds, when presently the Queen and her
handmaids came out as before, and passing under the windows made for
the fountain. Here they stripped, ten of them being men to ten women,
and the King's wife cried out, "Where art thou, O Saeed?" The hideous
blackamoor dropped from the tree straightway; and, rushing into her
arms without stay or delay, cried out, "I am Sa'ad al-Din Saood!"[11]
The lady laughed heartily, and all fell to satisfying their lusts, and
remained so occupied for a couple of hours, when the white slaves rose
up from the handmaidens' breasts and the blackamoor dismounted from the
Queen's bosom: then they went into the basin and, after performing the
Ghusl, or complete ablution, donned their dresses and retired as they
had done before. When King Shahryar saw this infamy of his wife and
concubines he became as one distraught and he cried out, "Only in utter
solitude can man be safe from the doings of this vile world! By Allah,
life is naught but one great wrong." Presently he added, "Do not thwart
me, O my brother, in what I propose;" and the other answered, "I will
not." So he said, "Let us up as we are and depart forthright hence, for
we have no concern with Kingship, and let us over-wander Allah's earth,
worshipping the Almighty till we find some one to whom the like
calamity hath happened; and if we find none then will death be more
welcome to us than life." So the two brothers issued from a second
private postern of the palace; and they never stinted wayfaring by day
and by night, until they reached a tree a-middle of a meadow hard by a
spring of sweet water on the shore of the salt sea. Both drank of it
and sat down to take their rest; and when an hour of the day had gone
by, lo! they heard a mighty roar and uproar in the middle of the main
as though the heavens were falling upon the earth; and the sea brake
with waves before them, and from it towered a black pillar, which grew
and grew till it rose sky-wards and began making for that meadow.
Seeing it, they waxed fearful exceedingly and climbed to the top of the
tree, which was a lofty; whence they gazed to see what might be the
matter. And behold, it was a Jinni,[12] huge of height and burly of
breast and bulk, broad of brow and black of blee, bearing on his head a
coffer of crystal. He strode to land, wading through the deep, and
coming to the tree whereupon were the two Kings, seated himself beneath
it. He then set down the coffer on its bottom and out of it drew a
casket, with seven padlocks of steel, which he unlocked with seven keys
of steel he took from beside his thigh, and out of it a young lady to
come was seen, white-skinned and of winsomest mien, of stature fine and
thin, and bright as though a moon of the fourteenth night she had been,
or the sun raining lively sheen. Even so the poet Utayyah hath
excellently said:—
She rose like the morn as she shone through the night ✿ And she gilded
the grove with her gracious sight:
From her radiance the sun taketh increase when ✿ She unveileth and
shameth the moonshine bright.
Bow down all beings between her hands ✿ As she showeth charms with her
veil undight.
And she floodeth cities[13] with torrent tears ✿ When she flasheth her
look of leven-light.
[Illustration]
The Jinni seated her under the tree by his side and looking at her
said, "O choicest love of this heart of mine! O dame of noblest line,
whom I snatched away on thy bride night that none might prevent me
taking thy maidenhead or tumble thee before I did, and whom none save
myself hath loved or hath enjoyed: O my sweetheart! I would lief sleep
a little while." He then laid his head upon the lady's thighs; and,
stretching out his legs which extended down to the sea, slept and
snored and snarked like the roll of thunder. Presently she raised her
head towards the tree-top and saw the two Kings perched near the
summit; then she softly lifted off her lap the Jinni's pate which she
was tired of supporting and placed it upon the ground; then standing
upright under the tree signed to the Kings, "Come ye down, ye two, and
fear naught from this Ifrít."[14] They were in a terrible fright when
they found that she had seen them and answered her in the same manner,
"Allah upon thee[15] and by thy modesty, O lady, excuse us from coming
down!" But she rejoined by saying, "Allah upon you both that ye come
down forthright, and if ye come not, I will rouse upon you my husband,
this Ifrit, and he shall do you to die by the illest of deaths;" and
she continued making signals to them. So, being afraid, they came down
to her and she rose before them and said, "Stroke me a strong stroke,
without stay or delay, otherwise will I arouse and set upon you this
Ifrit who shall slay you straightway." They said to her, "O our lady,
we conjure thee by Allah, let us off this work, for we are fugitives
from such and in extreme dread and terror of this thy husband. How then
can we do it in such a way as thou desirest?" "Leave this talk: it
needs must be so;" quoth she, and she swore them by Him[16] who raised
the skies on high, without prop or pillar, that, if they worked not her
will, she would cause them to be slain and cast into the sea. Whereupon
out of fear King Shahryar said to King Shah Zaman, "O my brother, do
thou what she biddeth thee do;" but he replied, "I will not do it till
thou do it before I do." And they began disputing about futtering her.
Then quoth she to the twain, "How is it I see you disputing and
demurring; if ye do not come forward like men and do the deed of kind
ye two, I will arouse upon you the Ifrit." At this, by reason of their
sore dread of the Jinni, both did by her what she bade them do; and,
when they had dismounted from her, she said, "Well done!" She then took
from her pocket a purse and drew out a knotted string, whereon were
strung five hundred and seventy[17] seal rings, and asked, "Know ye
what be these?" They answered her saying, "We know not!" Then quoth
she; "These be the signets of five hundred and seventy men who have all
futtered me upon the horns of this foul, this foolish, this filthy
Ifrit; so give me also your two seal rings, ye pair of brothers. When
they had drawn their two rings from their hands and given them to her,
she said to them, "Of a truth this Ifrit bore me off on my bride-night,
and put me into a casket and set the casket in a coffer and to the
coffer he affixed seven strong padlocks of steel and deposited me on
the deep bottom of the sea that raves, dashing and clashing with waves;
and guarded me so that I might remain chaste and honest, quotha! that
none save himself might have connexion with me. But I have lain under
as many of my kind as I please, and this wretched Jinni wotteth not
that Destiny may not be averted nor hindered by aught, and that whatso
woman willeth the same she fulfilleth however man nilleth. Even so
saith one of them:—
Rely not on women; ✿ Trust not to their hearts,
Whose joys and whose sorrows ✿ Are hung to their parts!
Lying love they will swear thee ✿ Whence guile ne'er departs:
Take Yusuf[18] for sample ✿ 'Ware sleights and 'ware smarts!
Iblis[19] ousted Adam ✿ (See ye not?) thro' their arts.
And another saith:—
"Stint thy blame, man! 'Twill drive to a passion without bound; ✿ My
fault is not so heavy as fault in it hast found.
If true lover I become, then to me there cometh not ✿ Save what
happened unto many in the by-gone stound.
For wonderful is he and right worthy of our praise ✿ Who from wiles of
female wits kept him safe and kept him sound."
Hearing these words they marvelled with exceeding marvel, and she went
from them to the Ifrit and, taking up his head on her thigh as before,
said to them softly, "Now wend your ways and bear yourselves beyond the
bounds of his malice." So they fared forth saying either to other,
"Allah! Allah!" and, "There be no Majesty and there be no Might save in
Allah, the Glorious, the Great; and with Him we seek refuge from
women's malice and sleight, for of a truth it hath no mate in might.
Consider, O my brother, the ways of this marvellous lady with an Ifrit
who is so much more powerful than we are. Now since there hath happened
to him a greater mishap than that which befel us and which should bear
us abundant consolation, so return we to our countries and capitals,
and let us decide never to intermarry with womankind and presently we
will show them what will be our action." Thereupon they rode back to
the tents of King Shahryar, which they reached on the morning of the
third day; and, having mustered the Wazirs and Emirs, the Chamberlains
and high officials, he gave a robe of honour to his Viceroy and issued
orders for an immediate return to the city. There he sat him upon his
throne and sending for the Chief Minister, the father of the two
damsels who (Inshallah!) will presently be mentioned, he said, "I
command thee to take my wife and smite her to death; for she hath
broken her plight and her faith." So he carried her to the place of
execution and did her die. Then King Shahryar took brand in hand and
repairing to the Serraglio slew all the concubines and their
Mamelukes.[20] He also sware himself by a binding oath that whatever
wife he married he would abate her maidenhead at night and slay her
next morning to make sure of his honour; "For," said he, "there never
was nor is there one chaste woman upon the face of earth." Then Shah
Zaman prayed for permission to fare homewards; and he went forth
equipped and escorted and travelled till he reached his own country.
Meanwhile Shahryar commanded his Wazir to bring him the bride of the
night that he might go in to her; so he produced a most beautiful girl,
the daughter of one of the Emirs and the King went in unto her at
eventide and when morning dawned he bade his Minister strike off her
head; and the Wazir did accordingly for fear of the Sultan. On this
wise he continued for the space of three years; marrying a maiden every
night and killing her the next morning, till folk raised an outcry
against him and cursed him, praying Allah utterly to destroy him and
his rule; and women made an uproar and mothers wept and parents fled
with their daughters till there remained not in the city a young person
fit for carnal copulation. Presently the King ordered his Chief Wazir,
the same who was charged with the executions, to bring him a virgin as
was his wont; and the Minister went forth and searched and found none;
so he returned home in sorrow and anxiety fearing for his life from the
King. Now he had two daughters, Shahrázád and Dunyázád hight,[21] of
whom the elder had perused the books, annals and legends of preceding
Kings, and the stories, examples and instances of by-gone men and
things; indeed it was said that she had collected a thousand books of
histories relating to antique races and departed rulers. She had
perused the works of the poets and knew them by heart; she had studied
philosophy and the sciences, arts and accomplishments; and she was
pleasant and polite, wise and witty, well read and well bred. Now on
that day she said to her father, "Why do I see thee thus changed and
laden with cark and care? Concerning this matter quoth one of the
poets:—
Tell whoso hath sorrow ✿ Grief never shall last:
E'en as joy hath no morrow ✿ So woe shall go past."
When the Wazir heard from his daughter these words he related to her,
from first to last, all that had happened between him and the King.
Thereupon said she, "By Allah, O my father, how long shall this
slaughter of women endure? Shall I tell thee what is in my mind in
order to save both sides from destruction?" "Say on, O my daughter,"
quoth he, and quoth she, "I wish thou wouldst give me in marriage to
this King Shahryar; either I shall live or I shall be a ransom for the
virgin daughters of Moslems and the cause of their deliverance from his
hands and thine."[22] "Allah upon thee!" cried he in wrath exceeding
that lacked no feeding, "O scanty of wit, expose not thy life to such
peril! How durst thou address me in words so wide from wisdom and
un-far from foolishness? Know that one who lacketh experience in
worldly matters readily falleth into misfortune; and whoso considereth
not the end keepeth not the world to friend, and the vulgar say:—I was
lying at mine ease: nought but my officiousness brought me unease."
"Needs must thou," she broke in, "make me a doer of this good deed, and
let him kill me an he will: I shall only die a ransom for others." "O
my daughter," asked he, "and how shall that profit thee when thou shalt
have thrown away thy life?" and she answered, "O my father it must be,
come of it what will!" The Wazir was again moved to fury and blamed and
reproached her, ending with, "In very deed I fear lest the same befal
thee which befel the Bull and the Ass with the Husbandman." "And what,"
asked she, "befel them, O my father?" Whereupon the Wazir began the
_TALE OF THE BULL[23] AND THE ASS._
Know, O my daughter, that there was once a merchant who owned much
money and many men, and who was rich in cattle and camels; he had also
a wife and family and he dwelt in the country, being experienced in
husbandry and devoted to agriculture. Now Allah Most High had endowed
him with understanding the tongues of beasts and birds of every kind,
but under pain of death if he divulged the gift to any. So he kept it
secret for very fear. He had in his cowhouse a Bull and an Ass each
tethered in his own stall one hard by the other. As the merchant was
sitting near hand one day with his servants and his children were
playing about him, he heard the Bull say to the Ass, "Hail and health
to thee O Father of Waking![24] for that thou enjoyest rest and good
ministering; all under thee is clean-swept and fresh-sprinkled; men
wait upon thee and feed thee, and thy provaunt is sifted barley and thy
drink pure spring-water, while I (unhappy creature!) am led forth in
the middle of the night, when they set on my neck the plough and a
something called Yoke; and I tire at cleaving the earth from dawn of
day till set of sun. I am forced to do more than I can and to bear all
manner of ill-treatment from night to night; after which they take me
back with my sides torn, my neck flayed, my legs aching and mine
eyelids sored with tears. Then they shut me up in the byre and throw me
beans and crushed-straw,[25] mixed with dirt and chaff; and I lie in
dung and filth and foul stinks through the livelong night. But thou art
ever in a place swept and sprinkled and cleansed, and thou art always
lying at ease, save when it happens (and seldom enough!) that the
master hath some business, when he mounts thee and rides thee to town
and returns with thee forthright. So it happens that I am toiling and
distrest while thou takest thine ease and thy rest; thou sleepest while
I am sleepless; I hunger still while thou eatest thy fill, and I win
contempt while thou winnest good will." When the Bull ceased speaking,
the Ass turned towards him and said, "O Broad-o'-Brow,[26] O thou lost
one! he lied not who dubbed thee Bull-head, for thou, O father of a
Bull, hast neither forethought nor contrivance; thou art the simplest
of simpletons,[27] and thou knowest naught of good advisers. Hast thou
not heard the saying of the wise:—