puissant King among the Kings of China, the crown of crowned heads, who
ruled over many men of war and vassals with wisdom and justice, might
and majesty; equitable to his Ryots, liberal to his lieges and dearly
beloved by the hearts of his subjects. He was wealthy as he was
powerful, but he had grown old without being blessed with a son, and
this caused him sore affliction. He could only brood over the cutting
off of his seed and the oblivion that would bury his name and the
passing of his realm into the stranger’s hands. So he secluded himself
in his palace, never going in and out or rising and taking rest till the
lieges lost all tidings of him and were sore perplexed and began to talk
about their King. Some said, “He’s dead”; others said, “No, he’s not but
all resolved to find a ruler who could reign over them and carry out the
customs of government.” At last, utterly despairing of male issue, he
sought the intercession of the Prophet (whom Allah bless and keep!) with
the Most High and implored Him, by the glory of His Prophets and Saints
and Martyrs and others of the Faithful who were acceptable to Heaven
that he would grant him a son, to be the coolth of his eyes and heir to
the kingdom after him. Then he rose forthright and, withdrawing to his
sitting-saloon, sent for his wife who was the daughter of his uncle. Now
this Queen was of surpassing beauty and loveliness, the fairest of all
his wives and the dearest to him as she was the nearest: and to boot a
woman of excellent wit and passing judgement. She found the King
dejected and sorrowful, tearful-eyed and heavy-hearted; so she kissed
ground between his hands and said, “O King, may my life ransom thy life!
may Time never prove thy foe, nor the shifts of Fortune prevail over
thee; may Allah grant thee every joy and ward off from thee all annoy!
How is it I see thee brooding over thy case and tormented by the
displeasures of memory?” He replied, “Thou wottest well that I am a man
now shotten in years, who hath never been blessed with a son, a sight to
cool his eyes; so I know that my kingdom shall pass away to the stranger
in blood and my name and memory will be blotted out amongst men. ‘Tis
this causeth me to grieve with excessive grief.” “Allah do away with thy
sorrows,” quoth she: “long ere this day a thought struck me; and
yearning for issue arose in my heart even as in thine. One night I
dreamed a dream and a voice said to me:—The King thy husband pineth for
progeny: if a daughter be vouchsafed to him, she will be the ruin of his
realm; if a son, the youth will undergo much trouble and annoy but he
will pass through it without loss of life. Such a son can be conceived
by thee and thee only and the time of thy conception is when the moon
conjoineth with Gemini! I woke from my dream, but after what I heard
that voice declare I refrained from breeding and would not consent to
bear children.” “There is no help for it but that I have a son,
Inshallah,—God willing!” cried the King. Thereupon she soothed and
consoled him till he forgot his sorrows and went forth amongst the
lieges and sat, as of wont, upon his throne of estate. All rejoiced to
see him once more and especially the Lords of his realm. Now when the
conjunction of the moon and Gemini took place, the King knew his wife
carnally and, by order of Allah Almighty she became pregnant. Presently
she announced the glad tidings to her husband and led her usual life
until her nine months of pregnancy were completed and she bare a male
child whose face was as the rondure of the moon on its fourteenth night.
The lieges of the realm congratulated one another thereanent and the
King commanded an assembly of his Olema and philosophers, astrologers
and horoscopists, whom he thus addressed, “I desire you to forecast the
fortune of my son and to determine his ascendant[154] and whatever is
shown by his nativity.” They replied “‘Tis well, in Allah’s name, let us
do so!” and cast his nativity with all diligence. After ascertaining his
ascendant, they pronounced judgement in these words, “We see his lot
favourable and his life viable and durable; save that a danger awaiteth
his youth.” The father was sorely concerned at this saying, when they
added “But, O King, he shall escape from it nor shall aught of injury
accrue to him!” Hereupon the King cast aside all cark and care and robed
the wizards and dismissed them with splendid honoraria; and he resigned
himself to the will of Heaven and acknowledged that the decrees of
Destiny may not be countervailed. He committed his boy to wet nurses and
dry nurses, handmaids and eunuchs, leaving him to grow and fill out in
the Harim till he reached the age of seven. Then he addressed letters to
his Viceroys and Governors in every clime and by their means gathered
together Olema and philosophers and doctors of law and religion, from
all countries, to a number of three hundred and three score. He held an
especial assembly for them and, when all were in presence, he bade them
draw near him and be at their ease while he sent for the food-trays and
all ate their sufficiency. And when the banquet ended and the wizards
had taken seats in their several degrees, the King asked them, “Wot ye
wherefore I have gathered ye together?”; whereto all answered, “We wot
not, O King!” He continued, “It is my wish that you select from amongst
you fifty men, and from these fifty ten, and from these ten one, that he
may teach my son omnem rem scibilem; for whenas I see the youth perfect
in all science, I will share my dignity with the Prince and make him
partner with me in my possessions.” “Know, O King,” they replied, “that
among us none is more learned or more excellent than Al-Sindibad,[155]
hight the Sage, who woneth in thy capital under thy protection. If such
be thy design, summon him and bid him do thy will.” The King acted upon
their advice and the Sage, standing in the presence, expressed his loyal
sentiments with his salutation, whereupon his Sovereign bade him draw
nigh and thus raised his rank, saying, “I would have thee to know, O
Sage, that I summoned this assembly of the learned and bade them choose
me out a man to teach my son all knowledge; when they selected thee
without dissenting thought or voice. If, then, thou feel capable of what
they claimed for thee, come thou to the task and understand that a man’s
son and heir is the very fruit of his vitals and core of his heart and
liver. My desire of thee is thine instruction of him; and to happy issue
Allah guideth!” The King then sent for his son and committed him to
Al-Sindibad conditioning the Sage to finish his education in three
years. He did accordingly but, at the end of that time, the young Prince
had learned nothing, his mind being wholly occupied with play and
disport; and when summoned and examined by his sire, behold, his
knowledge was as nil. Thereupon the King turned his attention to the
learned once more and bade them elect a tutor for his youth; so they
asked, “And what hath his governor, Al-Sindibad, been doing?” and when
the King answered, “He hath taught my son naught;” the Olema and
philosophers and high officers summoned the instructor and said to him,
“O Sage, what prevented thee from teaching the King’s son during this
length of days?” “O wise men,” he replied, “the Prince’s mind is wholly
occupied with disport and play; yet, an the King will make with me three
conditions and keep to them, I will teach him in seven months what he
would not learn (nor indeed could any other lesson him) within seven
years.” “I hearken to thee,” quoth the King, “and I submit myself to thy
conditions;” and quoth Al-Sindibad, “Hear from me, Sire, and bear in
mind these three sayings, whereof the first is:—Do not to others what
thou wouldest not they do unto thee;[156] and second:—Do naught hastily
without consulting the experienced; and thirdly:—Where thou hast power
show pity.[157] In teaching this lad I require no more of thee but to
accept these three dictes and adhere thereto.” Cried the King, “Bear ye
witness against me, O all ye here assembled, that I stand firm by these
conditions!”; and caused a _procès verbal_ to be drawn up with his
personal security and the testimony of his courtiers. Thereupon the
Sage, taking the Prince’s hand, led him to his place, and the King sent
them all requisites of provaunt and kitchen-batteries, carpets and other
furniture. Moreover the tutor bade build a house whose walls he lined
with the whitest stucco painted over with ceruse,[158] and, lastly, he
delineated thereon all the objects concerning which he proposed to
lecture his pupil. When the place was duly furnished, he took the lad’s
hand and installed him in the apartment which was amply furnished with
belly-timber; and, after stablishing him therein, went forth and
fastened the door with seven padlocks. Nor did he visit the Prince save
every third day when he lessoned him on the knowledge to be extracted
from the wall-pictures and renewed his provision of meat and drink,
after which he left him again to solitude. So whenever the youth was
straitened in breast by the tedium and ennui of loneliness, he applied
himself diligently to his object-lessons and mastered all the deductions
therefrom. His governor seeing this turned his mind into other channel
and taught him the inner meanings of the external objects; and in a
little time the pupil mastered every requisite. Then the Sage took him
from the house and taught him cavalarice and Jeríd play and archery.
When the pupil had thoroughly mastered these arts, the tutor sent to the
King informing him that the Prince was perfect and complete in all
things required to figure favourably amongst his peers. Hereat the King
rejoiced; and, summoning his Wazirs and Lords of estate to be present at
the examination, commanded the Sage to send his son into the presence.
Thereupon Al-Sindibad consulted his pupil’s horoscope and found it
barred by an inauspicious conjunction which would last seven days; so,
in sore affright for the youth’s life, he said, “Look into thy
nativity-scheme.” The Prince did so and, recognising the potent, feared
for himself and presently asked the Sage, saying, “What dost thou bid me
do?” “I bid thee,” he answered, “remain silent and speak not a word
during this se’nnight; even though thy sire slay thee with scourging. An
thou pass safely through this period, thou shalt win to high rank and
succeed to thy sire’s reign; but an things go otherwise then the behest
is with Allah from the beginning to the end thereof.” Quoth the pupil,
“Thou art in fault, O preceptor, and thou hast shown undue haste in
sending that message to the King before looking into my horoscope. Hadst
thou delayed till the week had passed all had been well.” Quoth the
tutor, “O my son, what was to be was; and the sole defaulter therein was
my delight in thy scholarship. But now be firm in thy resolve; rely upon
Allah Almighty and determine not to utter a single word.” Thereupon the
Prince fared for the presence and was met by the Wazirs who led him to
his father. The King accosted him and addressed him but he answered not;
and sought speech of him but he spake not. Whereupon the courtiers were
astounded and the monarch, sore concerned for his son, summoned
Al-Sindibad. But the tutor so hid himself that none could hit upon his
trace nor gain tidings of him; and folk said, “He was ashamed to appear
before the King’s majesty and the courtiers.” Under these conditions the
Sovereign heard some of those present saying, “Send the lad to the
Serraglio where he will talk with the women and soon set aside this
bashfulness;” and, approving their counsel, gave orders accordingly. So
the Prince was led into the palace, which was compassed about by a
running stream whose banks were planted with all manner of fruit-trees
and sweet-smelling flowers. Moreover, in this palace were forty chambers
and in every chamber ten slave-girls, each skilled in some instrument of
music, so that whenever one of them played, the palace danced to her
melodious strains. Here the Prince passed one night; but, on the
following morning, the King’s favourite concubine happened to cast eyes
upon his beauty and loveliness, his symmetrical stature, his brilliancy
and his perfect grace, and love gat hold of her heart and she was
ravished with his charms.[159] So she went up to him and threw herself
upon him, but he made her no response; whereupon, being dazed by his
beauty, she cried out to him and required him of himself and importuned
him; then she again threw herself upon him and clasped him to her bosom
kissing him and saying, “O King’s son, grant me thy favours and I will
set thee in thy father’s stead; I will give him to drink of poison, so
he may die and thou shalt enjoy his realm and wealth.” When the Prince
heard these words, he was sore enraged against her and said to her by
signs, “O accursed one, so it please Almighty Allah, I will assuredly
requite thee this thy deed, whenas I can speak; for I will go forth to
my father and will tell him, and he shall kill thee.” So signing, he
arose in rage, and went out from her chamber; whereat she feared for
herself. Thereupon she buffeted her face and rent her raiment and tare
her hair and bared her head, then went in to the King and cast herself
at his feet, weeping and wailing. When he saw her in this plight, he was
sore concerned and asked her, “What aileth thee, O damsel? How is it
with thy lord, my son? Is he not well?”; and she answered, “O King, this
thy son, whom thy courtiers avouch to be dumb, required me of myself and
I repelled him, whereupon he did with me as thou seest and would have
slain me; so I fled from him, nor will I ever return to him, nor to the
palace again, no, never again!” When the King heard this, he was wroth
with exceeding wrath and, calling his seven Wazirs, bade them put the
Prince to death. However, they said one to other, “If we do the King’s
Commandment, he will surely repent of having ordered his son’s death,
for he is passing dear to him and this child came not to him save after
despair; and he will round upon us and blame us, saying:—Why did ye not
contrive to dissuade me from slaying him?” So they took counsel
together, to turn him from his purpose, and the chief Wazir said, “I
will warrant you from the King’s mischief this day.” Then he went in to
the presence and prostrating himself craved leave to speak. The King
gave him permission, and he said, “O King, though thou hadst a thousand
sons, yet were it no light matter to thee to put one of them to death,
on the report of a woman, be she true or be she false; and belike this
is a lie and a trick of her against thy son; for indeed, O King, I have
heard tell great plenty of stories of the malice, the craft and perfidy
of women.” Quoth the King, “Tell me somewhat of that which hath come to
thy knowledge thereof.” And the Wazir answered, saying:—Yes, there hath
reached me, O King, a tale entituled
_THE KING AND HIS WAZIR’S WIFE._[160]
There was once a King of the Kings, a potent man and a proud, who was
devoted to the love of women and one day being in the privacy of his
palace, he espied a beautiful woman on the terrace-roof of her house and
could not contain himself from falling consumedly in love with her.[161]
He asked his folk to whom the house and the damsel belonged and they
said, “This is the dwelling of the Wazir such an one and she is his
wife.” So he called the Minister in question and despatched him on an
errand to a distant part of the kingdom, where he was to collect
information and to return; but, as soon as he obeyed and was gone, the
King contrived by a trick to gain access to his house and his spouse.
When the Wazir’s wife saw him, she knew him and springing up, kissed his
hands and feet and welcomed him. Then she stood afar off, busying
herself in his service, and said to him, “O our lord, what is the cause
of thy gracious coming? Such an honour is not for the like of me.” Quoth
he, “The cause of it is that love of thee and desire thee-wards have
moved me to this.” Whereupon she kissed ground before him a second time
and said, “By Allah, O our lord, indeed I am not worthy to be the
handmaid of one of the King’s servants; whence then have I the great
good fortune to be in such high honour and favour with thee?” Then the
King put out his hand to her intending to enjoy her person, when she
said, “This thing shall not escape us; but take patience, O my King, and
abide with thy handmaid all this day, that she may make ready for thee
somewhat to eat and drink.” So the King sat down on his Minister’s couch
and she went in haste and brought him a book wherein he might read,
whilst she made ready the food. He took the book and, beginning to read,
found therein moral instances and exhortations, such as restrained him
from adultery and broke his courage to commit sin and crime. After
awhile, she returned and set before him some ninety dishes of different
kinds and colours, and he ate a mouthful of each and found that, while
the number was many, the taste of them was one. At this, he marvelled
with exceeding marvel and said to her, “O damsel, I see these meats to
be manifold and various, but the taste of them is simple and the same.”
“Allah prosper the King!” replied she, “this is a parable I have set for
thee, that thou mayst be admonished thereby.” He asked, “And what is its
meaning?”; and she answered, “Allah amend the case of our lord the
King!; in thy palace are ninety concubines of various colours, but their
taste is one.”[162] When the King heard this, he was ashamed and rising
hastily, went out, without offering her any affront and returned to his
palace; but, in his haste and confusion, he forgot his signet-ring and
left it under the cushion where he had been sitting and albeit he
remembered it he was ashamed to send for it. Now hardly had he reached
home when the Wazir returned and, presenting himself before the King,
kissed the ground and made his report to him of the State of the
province in question. Then he repaired to his own house and sat down on
his couch and chancing to put his hand under the cushion, behold, he
found the King’s seal-ring. So he knew it and taking the matter to
heart, held aloof in great grief from his wife for a whole year, not
going in unto her nor even speaking to her, whilst she knew not the
reason of his anger.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Seventy-ninth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wazir held
aloof from his wife, whilst she knew not the cause of his wrath. At
last, being weary of the longsome neglect, she sent for her sire and
told him the case; whereupon quoth he, “I will complain of him to the
King, at some time when he is in the presence.” So, one day, he went in
to the King and, finding the Wazir and the Kazi of the army before
him,[163] complained thus saying, “Almighty Allah amend the King’s case!
I had a fair flower-garden, which I planted with mine own hand and
thereon spent my substance till it bare fruit; and its fruitage was ripe
for plucking, when I gave it to this thy Wazir, who ate of it what
seemed good to him, then deserted it and watered it not, so that its
bloom wilted and withered and its sheen departed and its state changed.”
Then said the Wazir, “O my King, this man saith sooth. I did indeed care
for and guard the garden and kept it in good condition and ate thereof,
till one day I went thither and I saw the trail of the lion there,
wherefore I feared for my life and withdrew from the garden.” The King
understood him that the trail of the lion meant his own seal-ring, which
he had forgotten in the woman’s house; so he said, “Return, O Wazir, to
thy flower-garden and fear nothing, for the lion came not near it. It
hath reached me that he went thither; but, by the honour of my fathers
and forefathers, he offered it no hurt.” “Hearkening and obedience,”
answered the Minister and, returning home sent for his wife and made his
peace with her and thenceforth put faith in her chastity. This I tell
thee, O King (continued the Wazir), for no other purpose save to let
thee know how great is their craft and how precipitancy bequeatheth
repentance.[164] And I have also heard the following
_STORY OF THE CONFECTIONER, HIS WIFE, AND THE PARROT._
Once upon a time there dwelt in Egypt a confectioner who had a wife
famed for beauty and loveliness; and a parrot which, as occasion
required, did the office of watchman and guard, bell and spy, and
flapped her wings did she but hear a fly buzzing about the sugar. This
parrot caused abundant trouble to the wife, always telling her husband
what took place in his absence. Now one evening, before going out to
visit certain friends, the confectioner gave the bird strict injunctions
to watch all night and bade his wife make all fast, as he should not
return until morning. Hardly had he left the door than the woman went
for her old lover, who returned with her and they passed the night
together in mirth and merriment, while the parrot observed all. Betimes
in the morning the lover fared forth and the husband, returning, was
informed by the parrot of what had taken place; whereupon he hastened to
his wife’s room and beat her with a painful beating. She thought in
herself, “Who could have informed against me?” and she asked a woman
that was in her confidence whether it was she. The woman protested by
the worlds visible and invisible that she had not betrayed her mistress;
but informed her that on the morning of his return home, the husband had
stood some time before the cage listening to the parrot’s talk. When the
wife heard this, she resolved to contrive the destruction of the bird.
Some days after, the husband was again invited to the house of a friend
where he was to pass the night; and, before departing, he enjoined the
parrot with the same injunctions as before; wherefore his heart was free
from care, for he had his spy at home. The wife and her confidante then
planned how they might destroy the credit of the parrot with the master.
For this purpose they resolved to counterfeit a storm; and this they did
by placing over the parrot’s head a hand-mill (which the lover worked by
pouring water upon a piece of hide), by waving a fan and by suddenly
uncovering a candle hid under a dish. Thus did they raise such a tempest
of rain and lightning, that the parrot was drenched and half-drowned in
a deluge. Now rolled the thunder, then flashed the lightning; that from
the noise of the hand-mill, this from the reflection of the candle; when
thought the parrot to herself, “In very sooth the Flood hath come on,
such an one as belike Noah himself never witnessed.” So saying she
buried her head under her wing, a prey to terror. The husband, on his
return, hastened to the parrot to ask what had happened during his
absence; and the bird answered that she found it impossible to describe
the deluge and tempest of the last night; and that years would be
required to explain the uproar of the hurricane and storm. When the
shopkeeper heard the parrot talk of last night’s deluge, he said:
“Surely, O bird, thou art gone clean daft! Where was there, even in a
dream, rain or lightning last night? Thou hast utterly ruined my house
and ancient family. My wife is the most virtuous woman of the age and
all thine accusations of her are lies.” So in his wrath he dashed the
cage upon the ground, tore off the parrot’s head, and threw it from the
window. Presently his friend, coming to call upon him, saw the parrot in
this condition with head torn off, and without wings or plumage. Being
informed of the circumstances he suspected some trick on the part of the
woman, and said to the husband, “When your wife leaves home to go to the
Hammam-bath, compel her confidante to disclose the secret.” So as soon
as his wife went out, the husband entered his Harim and insisted on the
woman telling him the truth. She recounted the whole story and the
husband now bitterly repented having killed the parrot, of whose
innocence he had proof. This I tell thee, O King (continued the Wazir),
that thou mayst know how great are the craft and malice of women and
that to act in haste leadeth to repent at leisure. So the King turned
from slaying his son: but, next day, the favourite came in to him and,
kissing the ground before him, said, “O King, why dost thou delay to do
me justice? Indeed, the Kings have heard that thou commandest a thing
and thy Wazir countermandeth it. Now the obedience of Kings is in the
fulfilment of their commandments, and every one knows thy justice and
equity: so do thou justice for me on the Prince. I also have heard tell
a tale concerning
_THE FULLER AND HIS SON_.
There was once a man which was a fuller, and he used every day to go
forth to the Tigris-bank a-cleaning clothes; and his son was wont to go
with him that he might swim whilst his father was fulling, nor was he
forbidden from this. One day, as the boy was swimming,[165] he was taken
with cramp in the forearms and sank, whereupon the fuller plunged into
the water and caught hold of him; but the boy clung about him and pulled
him down and so father and son were both drowned. Thus it is with thee,
O King. Except thou prevent thy son and do me justice on him, I fear
lest both of you sink together, thou and he.”——And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Eightieth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the favourite
had told her tale of the Fuller and his son, she ended with, “I fear
lest both of you sink together, thou and he. Moreover,” continued she,
“for an instance of the malice of men, I have heard tell a tale
concerning
_THE RAKE’S TRICK AGAINST THE CHASTE WIFE_.”
A certain man loved a beautiful and lovely woman, a model of charms and
grace, married to a man whom she loved and who loved her. Moreover, she
was virtuous and chaste, like unto me, and her rake of a lover found no
way to her; so when his patience was at an end, he devised a device to
win his will. Now the husband had a young man, whom he had brought up in
his house and who was in high trust with him as his steward. So the rake
addressed himself to the youth and ceased not insinuating himself into
his favour by presents and fair words and deeds, till he became more
obedient to him than the hand to the mouth and did whatever he ordered
him. One day, he said to him, “Harkye, such an one; wilt thou not bring
me into the family dwelling-place some time when the lady is gone out?”
“Yes,” answered the young steward; so, when his master was at the shop
and his mistress gone forth to the Hammam, he took his friend by the
hand and, bringing him into the house, showed him the sitting-rooms and
all that was therein. Now the lover was determined to play a trick upon
the woman; so he took the white of an egg which he had brought with him
in a vessel, and spilt it on the merchant’s bedding, unseen by the young
man; after which he returned thanks and leaving the house went his way.
In an hour or so the merchant came home; and, going to the bed to rest
himself, found thereon something wet so he took it up in his hand and
looked at it and deemed it man’s seed; whereat he stared at the young
man with eyes of wrath, and asked him, “Where is thy mistress?”; and he
answered, “She is gone forth to the Hammam and will return forthright
after she has made her ablutions.”[166] When the man heard this, his
suspicion concerning the semen was confirmed; and he waxed furious and
said, “Go at once and bring her back.” The steward accordingly fetched
her and when she came before her husband, the jealous man sprang upon
her and beat her a grievous beating; then, binding her arms behind her,
offered to cut her throat with a knife; but she cried out to the
neighbours, who came to her, and she said to them, “This my man hath
beaten me unjustly and without cause and is minded to kill me, though I
know not what is mine offence.” So they rose up and asked him, “Why hast
thou dealt thus by her?” And he answered, “She is divorced.” Quoth they,
“Thou hast no right to maltreat her; either divorce her or use her
kindly, for we know her prudence and purity and chastity. Indeed, she
hath been our neighbour this long time and we wot no evil of her.” Quoth
he, “When I came home, I found on my bed seed like human sperm, and I
know not the meaning of this.” Upon this a little boy, one of those
present, came forward and said, “Show it to me, nuncle mine!” When he
saw it, he smelt it and, calling for fire and a frying-pan, he took the
white of egg and cooked it so that it became solid. Then he ate of it
and made the husband and the others taste of it, and they were certified
that it was white of egg. So the husband was convinced that he had
sinned against his wife’s innocence, she being clear of all offence, and
the neighbours made peace between them after the divorce, and he prayed
her pardon and presented her with an hundred gold pieces. And so the
wicked lover’s cunning trick came to naught. And know, O King, that this
is an instance of the malice of men and their perfidy. When the King
heard this, he bade his son be slain; but on the next day the second
Wazir came forward for intercession and kissed ground in prostration.
Whereupon the King said, “Raise thy head: prostration must be made to
Allah only.”[167] So the Minister rose from before him and said, “O
King, hasten not to slay thy son, for he was not granted to his mother
by the Almighty but after despair, nor didst thou expect such good luck;
and we hope that he will live to become a guerdon to thy reign and a
guardian of thy good. Wherefore, have patience, O King; belike he will
offer a fit excuse; and, if thou make haste to slay him, thou wilt
surely repent, even as the merchant-wight repented.” Asked the King,
“And how was it with the merchant, O Wazir?”; and the Wazir answered:—O
King, I have heard a tale of
_THE MISER AND THE LOAVES OF BREAD_.
There was once a merchant, who was a niggard and miserly in his eating
and drinking. One day, he went on a journey to a certain town and as he
walked in the market-streets, behold, he met an old trot with two scones
of bread which looked sound and fair. He asked her, “Are these for
sale?”; and she answered, “Yes!” So he beat her down and bought them at
the lowest price and took them home to his lodging, where he ate them
that day. When morning morrowed, he returned to the same place and,
finding the old woman there with other two scones, bought these also;
and thus he ceased not during twenty-five days’ space when the old wife
disappeared. He made enquiry for her, but could hear no tidings of her,
till, one day as he was walking about the high streets, he chanced upon
her: so he accosted her and, after the usual salutation and with much
praise and politeness, asked why she had disappeared from the market and
ceased to supply the two cakes of bread? Hearing this, at first she
evaded giving him a reply; but he conjured her to tell him her case; so
she said, “Hear my excuse, O my lord, which is that I was attending upon
a man who had a corroding ulcer on his spine, and his doctor bade us
knead flour with butter into a plaster and lay it on the place of pain,
where it abode all night. In the morning, I used to take that flour and
turn it into dough and make it into two scones, which I cooked and sold
to thee or to another; but presently the man died and I was cut off from
making cakes.”[168] When the merchant heard this, he repented whenas
repentance availed him naught, saying, “Verily, we are Allah’s and
verily unto Him we are returning! There is no Majesty and there is no
Might save in Him, the Glorious, the Great!”——And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-first Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the old trot
told the merchant the provenance of the scones, he cried, “There is no
Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!”
And he repeated the saying of the Most High, “Whatever evil falleth to
thee it is from thyself;”[169] and vomited till he fell sick and
repented whenas repentance availed him naught. Moreover, O King
(continued the second Wazir), I have heard tell, of the malice of women,
a tale of
_THE LADY AND HER TWO LOVERS_.
Once upon a time there was a man, who was sword-bearer to one of the
Kings, and he loved a damsel of the common sort. One day, he sent his
page to her with a message, as of wont between them, and the lad sat
down with her and toyed with her. She inclined to him and pressed him to
her breast and groped him and kissed him whereupon he sought carnal
connection of her and she consented; but, as the two were thus, lo! the
youth’s master knocked at the door. So she pushed the page through a
trapdoor into an underground chamber there and opened the door to his
lord, who entered hending sword in hand and sat down upon her bed. Then
she came up to him and sported and toyed with him, kissing him and
pressing him to her bosom, and he took her and lay with her. Presently,
her husband knocked at the door and the gallant asked her, “Who is
that?”; whereto she answered, “My husband.” Quoth he, “How shall I do?”
Quoth she, “Draw thy sword and stand in the vestibule and abuse me and
revile me; and when my husband comes in to thee, do thou go forth and
wend thy ways.” He did as she bade him; and, when the husband entered,
he saw the King’s sword-bearer standing with naked brand in hand,
abusing and threatening his wife; but, when the lover saw him, he was
ashamed and sheathing his scymitar, went forth the house. Said the man
to his wife, “What means this?”; and she replied, “O man, how blessed is
the hour of thy coming! Thou hast saved a True Believer from slaughter,
and it happed after this fashion. I was on the house-terrace,
spinning,[170] when behold, there came up to me a youth, distracted and
panting for fear of death, fleeing from yonder man, who followed upon
him as hard as he could with his drawn sword. The young man fell down
before me, and kissed my hands and feet, saying, “O Protector, of thy
mercy, save me from him who would slay me wrongously!” So I hid him in
that underground chamber of ours and presently in came yonder man to me,
naked brand in hand, demanding the youth. But I denied him to him,
whereupon he fell to abusing and threatening me as thou sawest. And
praised be Allah who sent thee to me, for I was distraught and had none
to deliver me!” “Well hast thou done, O woman!” answered the husband.
“Thy reward is with Allah the Almighty, and may He abundantly requite
thy good deed!” Then he went to the trap door and called to the page,
saying, “Come forth and fear not; no harm shall befal thee.” So he came
out, trembling for fear, and the husband said, “Be of good cheer: none
shall hurt thee;” condoling with him on what had befallen him; whilst
the page called down blessings on his head. Then they both went forth,
nor was that Cornuto nor was the page aware of that which the woman had
contrived. “This, then, O King,” said the Wazir, “is one of the tricks
of women; so beware lest thou rely upon their words.” The King was
persuaded and turned from putting his son to death; but, on the third
day, the favourite came in to him and, kissing the ground before him,
cried, “O King, do me justice on thy son and be not turned from thy
purpose by thy Ministers’ prate, for there is no good in wicked Wazirs,
and be not as the King of Baghdad, who relied on the word of a certain
wicked counsellor of his.” Quoth he, “And how was that?” Quoth
she:—There hath been told me, O auspicious and well-advised King, a tale
of
_THE KING’S SON AND THE OGRESS_.[171]