said to Judar, “Go on to the fourth door and knock and it shall be
opened to thee, when there will come forth to thee a lion huge of bulk
which will rush upon thee, opening his mouth and showing he hath a mind
to devour thee. Have no fear of him, neither flee from him: but when he
cometh to thee, give him thy hand and he will bite at it and fall down
straightway, nor shall aught of hurt betide thee. Then enter the fifth
door, where thou shalt find a black slave, who will say to thee, Who art
thou? Say, I am Judar! and he will answer, If thou be that man, open the
sixth door. Then do thou go up to the door and say, O Isa, tell Musa to
open the door; whereupon the door will fly open and thou wilt see two
dragons, one on the left hand and another on the right, which will open
their mouths and fly at thee, both at once. Do thou put forth to them
both hands and they will bite each a hand and fall down dead; but an
thou resist them, they will slay thee. Then go on to the seventh door
and knock, whereupon there will come forth to thee thy mother and
say:—Welcome, O my son! Come, that I may greet thee! But do thou reply,
Hold off from me and doff thy dress. And she will make answer:—O my son,
I am thy mother and I have a claim upon thee for suckling thee and for
rearing thee: how then wouldst thou strip me naked? Then do thou say,
Except thou put off thy clothes, I will kill thee! and look to thy right
where thou wilt see a sword hanging up. Take it and draw it upon her,
saying, Strip! whereupon she will wheedle thee and humble herself to
thee; but have thou no ruth on her nor be beguiled, and as often as she
putteth off aught, say to her, off with the lave; nor do thou cease to
threaten her with death, till she doff all that is upon her and fall
down, whereupon the enchantment will be dissolved and the charms undone,
and thou wilt be safe as to thy life. Then enter the hall of the
treasure, where thou wilt see the gold lying in heaps; but pay no heed
to aught thereof, but look to a closet at the upper end of the hall,
where thou wilt see a curtain drawn. Draw back the curtain and thou wilt
descry the enchanter, Al-Shamardal, lying upon a couch of gold, with
something at his head round and shining like the moon, which is the
celestial planisphere. He is baldrick’d with the sword[278]; on his
finger is the ring and about his neck hangs a chain, to which hangs the
Kohl-phial. Bring me the four talismans, and beware lest thou forget
aught of that which I have told thee, or thou wilt repent and there will
be fear for thee.” And he repeated his directions a second and a third
and a fourth time, till Judar said, “I have them by heart: but who may
face all these enchantments that thou namest and endure against these
mighty terrors?” Replied the Moor, “O Judar, fear not, for they are
semblances without life;” and he went on to hearten him, till he said,
“I put my trust in Allah.” Then Abd al-Samad threw perfumes on the
chafing-dish, and addressed himself to reciting conjurations for a time
when, behold, the water disappeared and uncovered the river-bed and
discovered the door of the treasure, whereupon Judar went down to the
door and knocked. Therewith he heard a voice saying, “Who knocketh at
the door of the treasure, unknowing how to solve the secrets?” Quoth he,
“I am Judar son of Omar;” whereupon the door opened and there came forth
a figure with a drawn sword, who said to him, “Stretch forth thy neck.”
So he stretched forth his neck and the species smote him and fell down,
lifeless. Then he went on to the second door and did the like, nor did
he cease to do thus, till he had undone the enchantments of the first
six doors and came to the seventh door, whence there issued forth to him
his mother, saying, “I salute thee, O my son!” He asked, “What art
thou?”, and she answered, “O my son, I am thy mother who bare thee nine
months and suckled thee and reared thee.” Quoth he, “Put off thy
clothes.” Quoth she, “Thou art my son, how wouldst thou strip me naked?”
But he said “Strip, or I will strike off thy head with this sword;” and
he stretched out his hand to the brand and drew it upon her saying,
“Except thou strip, I will slay thee.” Then the strife became long
between them and as often as he redoubled on her his threats, she put
off somewhat of her clothes and he said to her, “Doff the rest,” with
many menaces; while she removed each article slowly and kept saying, “O
my son, thou hast disappointed my fosterage of thee,” till she had
nothing left but her petticoat-trousers. Then said she, “O my son, is
thy heart stone? Wilt thou dishonour me by discovering my shame? Indeed,
this is unlawful, O my son!” And he answered, “Thou sayest sooth; put
not off thy trousers.” At once, as he uttered these words, she cried
out, “He hath made default; beat him!” Whereupon there fell upon him
blows like rain-drops and the servants of the treasure flocked to him
and dealt him a tunding which he forgot not in all his days; after which
they thrust him forth and threw him down without the treasure and the
hoard-doors closed of themselves, whilst the waters of the river
returned to their bed.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
[Illustration]
Now when it was the Six Hundred and Fifteenth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the servants
of the treasure beat Judar and cast him out and the hoard-doors closed
of themselves, whilst the river-waters returned to their bed, Abd
al-Samad the Maghribi took Judar up in haste and repeated conjurations
over him, till he came to his senses but still dazed as with drink, when
he asked him, “What hast thou done, O wretch?” Answered Judar, “O my
brother, I undid all the opposing enchantments, till I came to my mother
and there befel between her and myself a long contention. But I made her
doff her clothes, O my brother, till but her trousers remained upon her
and she said to me, Do not dishonour me; for to discover one’s shame is
forbidden. So I left her her trousers out of pity, and behold, she cried
out and said, He hath made default; beat him! Whereupon there came out
upon me folk, whence I know not, and tunding me with a belabouring which
was a Sister of Death, thrust me forth; nor do I know what befel me
after this.” Quoth the Moor, “Did I not warn thee not to swerve from my
directions? Verily, thou hast injured me and hast injured thyself: for
if thou hadst made her take off her petticoat-trousers, we had won to
our wish; but now thou must abide with me till this day next year.” Then
he cried out to the two slaves, who struck the tent forthright and
loaded it on the beasts; then they were absent awhile and presently
returned with the two mules; and the twain mounted and rode back to the
city of Fez, where Judar tarried with the Maghribi, eating well and
drinking well and donning a grand dress every day, till the year was
ended and the anniversary day dawned. Then the Moor said to him, “Come
with me, for this is the appointed day.” And Judar said, “‘Tis well.” So
the Maghribi carried him without the city, where they found the two
slaves with the mules, and rode on till they reached the river. Here the
slaves pitched the tent and furnished it; and the Moor brought forth the
tray of food and they ate the morning meal; after which Abd al-Samad
brought out the wand and the tablets as before and, kindling the fire in
the chafing-dish, made ready the incense. Then said he, “O Judar, I wish
to renew my charge to thee.” “O my lord the pilgrim,” replied he, “if I
have forgotten the bastinado, I have forgotten the injunctions.”[279]
Asked the Moor, “Dost thou indeed remember them?” and he answered,
“Yes.” Quoth the Moor, “Keep thy wits, and think not that the woman is
thy very mother; nay, she is but an enchantment in her semblance, whose
purpose is to find thee defaulting. Thou camest off alive the first
time; but, an thou trip this time, they will slay thee.” Quoth Judar,
“If I slip this time, I deserve to be burnt of them.” Then Abd al-Samad
cast the perfumes into the fire and recited the conjurations, till the
river dried up; whereupon Judar descended and knocked. The door opened
and he entered and undid the several enchantments, till he came to the
seventh door and the semblance of his mother appeared before him,
saying, “Welcome,[280] O my son!” But he said to her, “How am I thy son,
O accursed? Strip!” And she began to wheedle him and put off garment
after garment, till only her trousers remained; and he said to her,
“Strip, O accursed!” So she put off her trousers and became a body
without a soul. Then he entered the hall of the treasures, where he saw
gold lying in heaps, but paid no heed to it and passed on to the closet
at the upper end, where he saw the enchanter Al-Shamardal lying on a
couch of gold, baldrick’d with the sword, with the ring on his finger,
the Kohl-phial on his breast and the celestial planisphere hanging over
his head. So he loosed the sword and taking the ring, the Kohl-phial and
the planisphere, went forth, when behold, a band of music sounded for
him and the servants of the treasure cried out, saying, “Mayest thou be
assained with that thou hast gained, O Judar!” Nor did the music leave
sounding, till he came forth of the treasure to the Maghribi, who gave
up his conjurations and fumigations and rose up and embraced him and
saluted him. Then Judar made over to him the four hoarded talismans, and
he took them and cried out to the slaves, who carried away the tent and
brought the mules. So they mounted and returned to Fez-city, where the
Moor fetched the saddle-bags and brought forth dish after dish of meat,
till the tray was full, and said, “O my brother, O Judar, eat!” So he
ate till he was satisfied, when the Moor emptied what remained of the
meats and other dishes and returned the empty platters to the
saddle-bags. Then quoth he, “O Judar, thou hast left home and native
land on our account and thou hast accomplished our dearest desire;
wherefore thou hast a right to require a reward of us. Ask, therefore,
what thou wilt, it is Almighty Allah who giveth unto thee by our
means.[281] Ask thy will and be not ashamed, for thou art deserving.” “O
my lord,” quoth Judar, “I ask first of Allah the Most High and then of
thee, that thou give me yonder saddle-bags.” So the Maghribi called for
them and gave them to him, saying, “Take them, for they are thy due;
and, if thou hadst asked of me aught else instead, I had given it to
thee. Eat from them, thou and thy family; but, my poor fellow, these
will not profit thee, save by way of provaunt, and thou hast wearied
thyself with us and we promised to send thee home rejoicing. So we will
join to these other saddle-bags, full of gold and gems, and forward thee
back to thy native land, where thou shalt become a gentleman and a
merchant and clothe thyself and thy family; nor shalt thou want ready
money for thine expenditure. And know that the manner of using our gift
is on this wise. Put thy hand therein and say:—O servant of these
saddle-bags, I conjure thee by the virtue of the Mighty Names which have
power over thee, bring me such a dish! And he will bring thee whatsoever
thou askest, though thou shouldst call for a thousand different dishes a
day.” So saying, he filled him a second pair of saddle-bags half with
gold and half with gems and precious stones; and, sending for a slave
and a mule, said to him, “Mount this mule, and the slave shall go before
thee and show thee the way, till thou come to the door of thy house,
where do thou take the two pair of saddle-bags and give him the mule,
that he may bring it back. But admit none into thy secret; and so we
commend thee to Allah!” “May the Almighty increase thy good!” replied
Judar and, laying the two pairs of saddle-bags on the mule’s back,
mounted and set forth. The slave went on before him and the mule
followed him all that day and night, and on the morrow he entered Cairo
by the Gate of Victory,[282] where he saw his mother seated, saying,
“Alms, for the love of Allah!” At this sight he well-nigh lost his wits
and alighting, threw himself upon her: and when she saw him she wept.
Then he mounted her on the mule and walked by her stirrup,[283] till
they came to the house, where he set her down and, taking the
saddle-bags, left the she-mule to the slave, who led her away and
returned with her to his master, for that both slave and mule were
devils. As for Judar, it was grievous to him that his mother should beg;
so, when they were in the house, he asked her, “O my mother, are my
brothers well?”; and she answered, “They are both well.” Quoth he, “Why
dost thou beg by the wayside?” Quoth she, “Because I am hungry, O my
son,” and he, “Before I went away, I gave thee an hundred dinars one
day, the like the next and a thousand on the day of my departure.” “O my
son, they cheated me and took the money from me, saying:—We will buy
goods with it. Then they drove me away, and I fell to begging by the
wayside, for stress of hunger.” “O my mother, no harm shall befal thee,
now I am come; so have no concern, for these saddle-bags are full of
gold and gems, and good aboundeth with me.” “Verily, thou art blessed, O
my son! Allah accept of thee and increase thee of His bounties! Go, O my
son, fetch us some victual, for I slept not last night for excess of
hunger, having gone to bed supperless.” “Welcome to thee, O my mother!
Call for what thou wilt to eat, and I will set it before thee this
moment; for I have no occasion to buy from the market, nor need I any to
cook.” “O my son, I see naught with thee.” “I have with me in these
saddle-bags all manner of meats.” “O my son, whatever is ready will
serve to stay hunger.” “True, when there is no choice, men are content
with the smallest thing; but where there is plenty, they like to eat
what is good: and I have abundance; so call for what thou hast a mind
to.” “O my son, give me some hot bread and a slice of cheese.” “O my
mother, this befitteth not thy condition.” “Then give me to eat of that
which befitteth my case, for thou knowest it.” “O my mother,” rejoined
he, “what suit thine estate are browned meat and roast chicken and
peppered rice and it becometh thy rank to eat of sausages and stuffed
cucumbers and stuffed lamb and stuffed ribs of mutton and vermicelli
with broken almonds and nuts and honey and sugar and fritters and almond
cakes.” But she thought he was laughing at her and making mock of her;
so she said to him, “Yauh! Yauh![284] what is come to thee? Dost thou
dream or art thou daft?” Asked he, “Why deemest thou that I am mad?” and
she answered, “Because thou namest to me all manner rich dishes. Who can
avail unto their price, and who knoweth how to dress them?” Quoth he,
“By my life! thou shalt eat of all that I have named to thee, and that
at once;” and quoth she, “I see nothing;” and he, “Bring me the
saddle-bags.” So she fetched them and feeling them, found them empty.
However, she laid them before him and he thrust in his hand and pulled
out dish after dish, till he had set before her all he had named.
Whereupon asked she, “O my son, the saddle-bags are small and moreover
they were empty; yet hast thou taken thereout all these dishes. Where
then were they all?”; and he answered, “O my mother, know that these
saddle-bags, which the Moor gave me, are enchanted and they have a
servant whom, if one desire aught, he hath but to adjure by the Names
which command him, saying, “O servant of these saddle-bags, bring me
such a dish! and he will bring it.”” Quoth his mother, “And may I put
out my hand and ask of him?” Quoth he, “Do so.” So she stretched out her
hand and said, “O servant of the saddle-bags, by the virtue of the Names
which command thee, bring me stuffed ribs.” Then she thrust in her hand
and found a dish containing delicate stuffed ribs of lamb. So she took
it out, and called for bread and what else she had a mind to: after
which Judar said to her, “O my mother, when thou hast made an end of
eating, empty what is left of the food into dishes other than these, and
restore the empty platters to the saddle-bags carefully.” So she arose
and laid them up in a safe place. “And look, O mother mine, that thou
keep this secret,” added he; “and whenever thou hast a mind to aught,
take it forth of the saddle-bags and give alms and feed my brothers,
whether I be present or absent.” Then he fell to eating with her and
behold, while they were thus occupied, in came his two brothers, whom a
son of the quarter[285] had apprised of his return, saying, “Your
brother is come back, riding on a she-mule, with a slave before him, and
wearing a dress that hath not its like.” So they said to each other,
“Would to Heaven we had not evilly entreated our mother! There is no
hope but that she will surely tell him how we did by her, and then, oh
our disgrace with him!” But one of the twain said, “Our mother is
soft-hearted, and if she tell him, our brother is yet tenderer over us
than she; and, given we excuse ourselves to him, he will accept our
excuse.” So they went in to him and he rose to them and saluting them
with the friendliest salutation, bade them sit down and eat. So they ate
till they were satisfied, for they were weak with hunger; after which
Judar said to them, “O my brothers, take what is left and distribute it
to the poor and needy.” “O brother,” replied they, “let us keep it to
sup withal.” But he answered, “When suppertime cometh, ye shall have
more than this.” So they took the rest of the victual and going out,
gave it to every poor man who passed by them, saying, “Take and eat,”
till nothing was left. Then they brought back the dishes and Judar said
to his mother, “Put them in the saddle-bags.”——And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Six Hundred and Sixteenth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Judar, when
his brethren had finished their under-meal, said to his mother, “Put
back the platters in the saddle-bags.” And when it was eventide, he
entered the saloon and took forth of the saddle-bags a table of forty
dishes; after which he went up to the upper room and, sitting down
between his brothers, said to his mother, “Bring the supper.”[286] So
she went down to the saloon and, finding there the dishes ready, laid
the tray and brought up the forty dishes, one after other. Then they ate
the evening meal, and when they had done, Judar said to his brothers,
“Take and feed the poor and needy.” So they took what was left and gave
alms thereof, and presently he brought forth to them sweetmeats, whereof
they ate, and what was left he bade them give to the neighbours. On the
morrow, they brake their fast after the same fashion, and thus they
fared ten days, at the end of which time quoth Sálim to Salím, “How
cometh it that our brother setteth before us a banquet in the morning, a
banquet at noon, and a banquet at sundown, besides sweetmeats late at
night, and all that is left he giveth to the poor? Verily, this is the
fashion of Sultans. Yet we never see him buy aught, and he hath neither
kitchener nor kitchen, nor doth he light a fire. Whence hath he this
great plenty? Hast thou not a mind to discover the cause of all this?”
Quoth Salím, “By Allah, I know not: but knowest thou any who will tell
us the truth of the case?” Quoth Sálim, “None will tell us save our
mother.” So they laid a plot and repairing to their mother one day, in
their brother’s absence, said to her, “O our mother, we are hungry.”
Replied she, “Rejoice, for ye shall presently be satisfied;” and going
into the saloon, sought of the servant of the saddle-bags hot meats,
which she took out and set before her sons. “O our mother,” cried they,
“this meat is hot; yet hast thou not cooked, neither kindled a fire.”
Quoth she, “It cometh from the saddle-bags;” and quoth they, “What
manner of thing be these saddle-bags?” She answered, “They are
enchanted; and the required is produced by the charm:” she then told her
sons their virtue, enjoining them to secrecy. Said they, “The secret
shall be kept, O our mother, but teach us the manner of this.” So she
taught them the fashion thereof and they fell to putting their hands
into the saddle-bags and taking forth whatever they had a mind to. But
Judar knew naught of this. Then quoth Sálim privily to Salím, “O my
brother, how long shall we abide with Judar servant-wise and eat of his
alms? Shall we not contrive to get the saddle-bags from him and make off
with them?” “And how shall we make shift to do this?” “We will sell him
to the galleys.” “How shall we do that?” “We two will go to the Raís,
the Chief Captain of the Sea of Suez and bid him to an entertainment,
with two of his company. What I say to Judar do thou confirm, and at the
end of the night I will show thee what I will do.” So they agreed upon
the sale of their brother and going to the Captain’s quarters said to
him, “O Rais, we have come to thee on an errand that will please thee.”
“Good,” answered he; and they continued, “We two are brethren, and we
have a third brother, a lewd fellow and good-for-nothing. When our
father died, he left us some money, which we shared amongst us, and he
took his part of the inheritance and wasted it in frowardness and
debauchery, till he was reduced to poverty, when he came upon us and
cited us before the magistrates, avouching that we had taken his good
and that of his father, and we disputed the matter before the judges and
lost the money. Then he waited awhile and attacked us a second time,
until he brought us to beggary; nor will he desist from us, and we are
utterly weary of him; wherefore we would have thee buy him of us.” Quoth
the Captain, “Can ye cast about with him and bring him to me here? If
so, I will pack him off to sea forthright.” Quoth they “We cannot manage
to bring him here; but be thou our guest this night and bring with thee
two of thy men, not one more; and when he is asleep, we will aid one
another to fall upon him, we five, and seize and gag him. Then shalt
thou carry him forth the house, under cover of the night, and after do
thou with him as thou wilt.” Rejoined the Captain, “With all my heart!
Will ye sell him for forty dinars?” and they, “Yes, come after nightfall
to such a street, by such a mosque, and thou shalt find one of us
awaiting thee.” And he replied, “Now be off.” Then they repaired to
Judar and waited awhile, after which Sálim went up to him and kissed his
hand. Quoth Judar, “What ails thee, O my brother?” And he made answer,
saying, “Know that I have a friend, who hath many a time bidden me to
his house in thine absence and hath ever hospitably entreated me, and I
owe him a thousand kindnesses, as my brother here wotteth. I met him
to-day and he invited me to his house, but I said to him:—I cannot leave
my brother Judar. Quoth he, Bring him with thee; and quoth I:—He will
not consent to that; but if ye will be my guests, thou and thy
brothers[287] * * * * * (for his brothers were sitting with him); and I
invited them thinking that they would refuse. But he accepted my
invitation for all of them, saying, Look for me at the gate of the
little mosque,[288] and I will come to thee, I and my brothers. And now
I fear they will come and am ashamed before thee. So wilt thou hearten
my heart and entertain them this night, for thy good is abundant, O my
brother? Or if thou consent not, give me leave to take them into the
neighbours’ houses.” Replied Judar, “Why shouldst thou carry them into
the neighbours’ houses? Is our house then so strait or have we not
wherewith to give them supper? Shame on thee to consult me! Thou hast
but to call for what thou needest and have rich viands and sweetmeats
and to spare. Whenever thou bringest home folk in my absence, ask thy
mother, and she will set before thee victual more than enough. Go and
fetch them; blessings have descended upon us through such guests.” So
Sálim kissed his hand and going forth, sat at the gate of the little
mosque till after sundown, when the Captain and his men came up to him,
and he carried them to the house. When Judar saw them he bade them
welcome and seated them and made friends of them, knowing not what the
future had in store for him at their hands. Then he called to his mother
for supper, and she fell to taking dishes out of the saddle-bags, whilst
he said, “Bring such and such meats,” till she had set forty different
dishes before them. They ate their sufficiency and the tray was taken
away, the sailors thinking the while that this liberal entertainment
came from Sálim. When a third part of the night was past, Judar set
sweetmeats before them and Sálim served them, whilst his two brothers
sat with the guests, till they sought to sleep. Accordingly Judar lay
down and the others with him, who waited till he was asleep, when they
fell upon him together and gagging and pinioning him, before he was
awake, carried him forth of the house,[289] under cover of the
night,——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
Now when it was the Six Hundred and Seventeenth Night,