landed and walked about the island he found therein many marvels,
especially a bird whose body was of pearls and leek-green emeralds and
its plumery of precious metals; and it was engaged in singing the
praises of Allah the Most High and blessing Mohammed (upon whom be
benediction and peace!). Seeing this he said, “Who and what art thou?”
Quoth the bird, “I am one of the birds of Eden and followed Adam when
Allah Almighty cast him out thence. And know, O my brother, that Allah
also cast out with him four leaves of the trees of the garden, to cover
his nakedness withal, and they fell to the ground after awhile. One of
them was eaten by a worm, and of it came silk: the gazelles ate the
second and thence proceeded musk; the third was eaten by bees and gave
rise to honey, whilst the fourth fell in the land of Hind and from it
sprang all manner of spices. As for me, I wandered over the face of
earth till Allah deigned give me this island for a dwelling-place, and I
took up my abode here. And every Friday from night till morning the
Saints and Princes[569] of the Faith flock to this place and make pious
visitation and eat from this table spread by Allah Almighty; and after
they have eaten, the table is taken up again to Heaven: nor doth the
food ever waste or corrupt.” So Bulukiya ate his fill of the meats and
praised the Great Creator. And presently, behold, there came up
Al-Khizr[570] (with whom be peace!), at sight of whom Bulukiya rose and
saluting him, was about to withdraw, when the bird said to him, “Sit, O
Bulukiya, in the presence of Al-Khizr, on whom be peace!” So he sat down
again, and Al-Khizr said to him, “Let me know who thou art and tell me
thy tale.” Thereupon Bulukiya related to him all his adventures from
beginning to end and asked, “O my lord, how far is it hence to Cairo?”
“Five-and-ninety years’ journey,” replied the Prophet; whereupon
Bulukiya burst into tears; then, falling at Al-Khizr’s feet, kissed them
and said to him, “I beseech thee deliver me from this strangerhood and
thy reward be with Allah, for that I am nigh upon death and know not
what to do.” Quoth Al-Khizr, “Pray to Allah Almighty that He permit me
to carry thee to Cairo, ere thou perish.” So Bulukiya wept and humbled
himself before Allah who granted his prayer, and by inspiration bade
Al-Khizr bear him to his people. Then said the Prophet, “Lift thy head,
for Allah hath heard thy prayer and hath inspired me to do what thou
desirest; so take fast hold of me with both thy hands and shut thine
eyes.” The Prince did as he was bidden and Al-Khizr stepped a single
step forwards, then said to him, “Open thine eyes!” So Bulukiya opened
his eyes and found himself at the door of his palace at Cairo. He
turned, to take leave of Al-Khizr, but found no trace of him——And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Thirty-third Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Bulukiya,
standing at the gate of his palace, turned to take leave of Al-Khizr, he
found no trace of him and entered the palace. When his mother saw him,
she cried with a loud cry and swooned away for excess of joy, and they
sprinkled water upon her face. After awhile she came to herself and
embraced her son and wept with sore weeping, whilst Bulukiya wept and
laughed by turns. Then all his friends and kindred came and gave him joy
of his safe return, and the news was noised abroad in the land and there
came to him presents from all parts. Moreover, they beat the drums and
blew the flutes and rejoiced mightily. Then Bulukiya related to them his
adventures ending with recounting how Al-Khizr had set him down at his
palace-door, whereat they marvelled exceedingly and wept, till all were
aweary of weeping. Hasib wondered at the Queen’s tale and shed many
tears over it; then he again besought her to let him return to his
family; but she said, “I fear me, O Hasib, that when thou gettest back
to thy country thou wilt fail of thy promise and prove traitor to thine
oath and enter the Hammam.” But he swore to her another solemn oath that
he would never again enter the baths as long as he lived; whereupon she
called a serpent and bade her carry him up to the surface of the earth.
So the serpent took him and led him from place to place, till she
brought him out on the platform-edge of an abandoned cistern and there
left him. Upon this he walked to the city and, coming to his house by
the last of the day, at the yellowing of the sun, knocked at the door.
His mother opened it and seeing her son screamed out and threw herself
upon him and wept for excess of joy. His wife heard her mother-in-law
weeping; so she came out to her and seeing her husband, saluted him and
kissed his hands; and each rejoiced in other with exceeding joy of all
three. Then they entered the house and sat down to converse; and
presently Hasib asked his mother of the woodcutters, who had left him to
perish in the cistern. Quoth she, “They came and told me that a wolf had
eaten thee in the Wady. As for them, they are become merchants and own
houses and shops, and the world is grown wide for them. But every day
they bring me meat and drink, and thus have they done until the present
time.” Quoth Hasib, “To-morrow do thou go to them and say:—My son Hasib
Karim al-Din hath returned from his travels; so come ye to meet him and
salute him.” Accordingly, when morning dawned, she repaired to the
woodcutters’ houses and delivered to them her son’s message, which when
they heard, they changed colour, and saying, “We hear and obey,” gave
her each a suit of silk, embroidered with gold, adding, “Present this to
thy good son[571] and tell him that we will be with him to-morrow.” She
assented and returning to Hasib gave him their presents and message.
Meanwhile, the woodcutters called together a number of merchants and,
acquainting them with all that had passed between themselves and Hasib,
took counsel with them what they should do. Quoth the merchants, “It
behoveth each one of you to give him half his monies and Mamelukes.” And
they all agreed to do this; so on the next day, each of them took half
his wealth and, going in to Hasib, saluted him and kissed his hands.
Then they laid before him what they had brought, saying, “This is of thy
bounties, and we are in thy hands.” He accepted their peace-offering and
said, “What is past is past: that which befel us was decreed of Allah,
and destiny doeth away with dexterity.” Quoth they, “Come, let us walk
about and take our solace in the city and visit the Hammam.” Quoth he,
“Not so: I have taken an oath never again to enter the baths, so long as
I live.” Rejoined they, “At least come to our homes that we may
entertain thee.” He agreed to this, and went to their houses and each of
them entertained him for a night and a day; nor did they cease to do
thus for a whole se’nnight, being seven in number. And now Hasib was
master of monies and houses and shops, and the merchants of the city
foregathered with him and he told them all that had befallen him. He
became one of the chiefs of the guild and abode on this wise awhile,
till it happened one day, as he was walking about the streets, that he
passed the door of a Hammam, whose keeper was one of his companions.
When the bathman, who was standing without, caught his eye he ran up to
him and saluted him and embraced him, saying, “Favour me by entering the
bath and there wash and be rubbed that I may show thee hospitality.”
Hasib refused, alleging that he had taken a solemn oath never again to
enter the Hammam; but the bathman was instant with him, saying, “Be my
three wives triply divorced, an thou enter not and be washed!” When
Hasib heard him thus conjure him, he was confounded and replied, “O my
brother, hast thou a mind to ruin my house and make my children orphans
and lay a load of sin upon my neck?” But his friend threw himself at his
feet and kissed them, saying, “My happiness dependeth upon thy entering,
and be the sin on the neck of me!” Then all the servants of the bath set
upon Hasib and dragging him in pulled off his clothes. But hardly had he
sat down against the wall and begun to pour water on his head when a
score of men accosted him, saying, “Rise, O man, and come with us to the
Sultan, for thou art his debtor.” Then they despatched one of them as
messenger to the Sultan’s Minister, who straightway took horse and rode,
attended by threescore Mamelukes, to the baths, where he alighted and
going in to Hasib, saluted him and said, “Welcome to thee!” Then he gave
the bathman an hundred dinars and, mounting Hasib on a horse he had
brought with him, returned with him and all his men to the Sultan’s
palace. Here he bade them aid Hasib to dismount and, after seating him
comfortably, set food before him; and when they had eaten and drunken
and washed their hands, the Wazir clad him in two dresses of honour each
worth five thousand dinars and said to him, “Know that Allah hath been
merciful to us in sending thee; for the Sultan is nigh upon death by
leprosy, and the books tell us that his life is in thy hands.” Then,
accompanied by a host of Grandees, he took him wondering withal and
carried him through the seven doorways of the palace, till they came to
the King’s chamber. Now the name of this King was Karazdán, King of
Persia and of the Seven Countries, and under his sway were an hundred
sovereign princes sitting on chairs of red gold, and ten thousand
valiant captains, under each one’s hand an hundred deputies and as many
headsmen armed with sword and axe. They found the King lying on his bed
with his face swathed in a napkin, and groaning for excess of pain. When
Hasib saw this ordinance, his wit was dazed for awe of the King; so he
kissed the ground before him, and prayed a blessing on him. Then the
Grand Wazir, whose name was Shamhúr, rose and welcoming Hasib, seated
him on a high chair at the King’s right hand;——And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Thirty-fourth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wazir Shamhur
rose to Hasib and seated him on a chair at the right hand of King
Karazdan; after which he called for food and the tables were laid. And
when they had eaten and drunken and washed their hands, Shamhur stood up
(while all present also stood to do him honour) and, approaching Hasib
said to him, “We are all thy servants and will give thee whatsoever thou
askest, even were it one half the kingdom, so thou wilt but cure the
King.” Saying this, he led him by the hand to the royal couch, and
Hasib, uncovering the King’s face, saw that he was at last fatal stage
of the disease; so he wondered at their hoping for a cure. But the Wazir
kissed his hand and repeated his offers and ended with saying, “All we
want of thee is to heal our King:” so he said to the Wazir, “True that I
am the son of Allah’s prophet, Daniel, but I know nothing of his art:
for they put me thirty days in the school of medicine and I learnt
nothing of the craft. I would well I knew somewhat thereof and might
heal the King.” Hearing this, the Grand Wazir said, “Do not multiply
words upon us; for though we should gather together to us physicians
from the East and from the West, none could cure the King save thou.”
Answered Hasib, “How can I make him whole, seeing I know neither his
case nor its cure?” Quoth the Minister, “His healing is in thy hands,”
and quoth Hasib, “If I knew the remedy of his sickness, I would heal
him.” Thereupon the Wazir rejoined, “Thou kennest a cure right well; the
remedy of his sickness is the Queen of the Serpents, and thou knowest
her abiding-place and hast been with her.” When Hasib heard this, he
knew that all this came of his entering the Baths, and repented whenas
repentance availed him naught; then said he, “What is the Queen of the
Serpents? I know her not nor ever in all my life heard I of this name.”
Retorted the Wazir, “Deny not the knowledge of her, for I have proof
that thou knowest her and hast passed two years with her.” Repeated
Hasib, “Verily, I never saw her nor even heard of her till this moment;”
upon which Shamhur opened a book and, after making sundry calculations,
raised his head and spake as follows. “The Queen of the Serpents shall
foregather with a man who shall abide with her two years; then shall he
return from her and come forth to the surface of the earth, and when he
entereth the Hammam-bath his belly will become black.” Then said he,
“Look at thy belly.” So Hasib looked at his own belly and behold, it was
black: but he persisted in his denial and said, “My belly was black from
the day my mother bare me.” Said the Wazir, “I had stationed three
Mamelukes at the door of every Hammam, bidding them note all who entered
and let me know when they found one whose belly was black: so, when thou
enteredst, they looked at thy belly and, finding it black, sent and told
me, after we had well-nigh lost hope of coming upon thee. All we want of
thee is to show us the place whence thou camest out and after go thy
ways; for we have those with us who will take the Queen of the Serpents
and fetch her to us.” Then all the other Wazirs and Emirs and Grandees
flocked about Hasib who sorely repented of his misdeed; and they
conjured him, till they were weary, to show them the abode of the Queen;
but he ceased not saying, “I never saw nor heard of the matter.” Then
the Grand Wazir called the hangman and bade him strip Hasib and beat him
a sore beating; and so they did till he saw death face to face, for
excess of pain, and the Wazir said, “We have proof that thou knowest the
abiding-place of the Queen of the Serpents: why wilt thou persist in
denial? Show us the place whence thou camest out and go from us; we have
with us one who will take her, and no harm shall befal thee.” Then he
raised him and bade give him a dress of honour of cloth of red gold,
embroidered with jewels, and spoke him fair till Hasib yielded and said,
“I will show you the place.” At this the Wazir rejoiced with great joy
and took horse with all his many and rode, guided by Hasib, and never
drew rein till they came to the mountain containing the cavern wherein
he had found the cistern full of honey. There all dismounted and
followed him as he entered, sighing and weeping, and showed them the
well whence he had issued; whereupon the Wazir sat down thereby and,
sprinkling perfumes upon a chafing-dish, began to mutter charms and
conjurations; for he was a crafty magician and diviner and skilled in
spiritual arts. He repeated three several formulas of conjuration and
between each threw fresh incense upon the fire, crying out and saying,
“Come forth, O Queen of the Serpents!;” when behold, the water of the
well sank down and a great door opened in the side, from which came a
mighty noise of crying like unto thunder, so terrible that they thought
the well had caved in and all present fell down fainting; nay, some even
died for fright. Presently, there issued from the well a serpent as big
as an elephant, casting out sparks, like red hot coals, from its eyes
and mouth and bearing on its back a charger of red gold, set with pearls
and jewels, in the midst whereof lay a serpent from whose body issued
such splendour that the place was illumined thereby; and her face was
fair and young and she spoke with most eloquent tongue. The
Serpent-queen turned right and left, till her eyes fell upon Hasib, to
whom said she, “Where is the covenant thou madest with me, and the oath
thou swarest to me, that thou wouldst never again enter the Hammam-bath?
But there is no fighting against Fate nor hath any ever fled from that
which is written on his forehead. Allah hath appointed the end of my
life for thy hand to hend, and it is His will that slain I be and King
Karazdan be healed of his malady.” So saying, she wept with sore weeping
and Hasib wept to see her weep. As for the abominable Wazir Shamhur; he
put out his hand to lay hold of her; but she said to him, “Hold thy
hand, O accursed, or I will blow upon thee and reduce thee to a heap of
black ashes.” Then she cried out to Hasib, saying, “Draw near me and
take me in thine hand and lay me in the dish that is with you: then set
it on thy head; for my death was fore-ordained, from Eternity without
beginning,[572] to be at thy hand, and thou hast no power to avert it.”
So he took her and laid her in the dish, and put it on his head, when
the well returned to its former state. Then they set out on their return
to the city, Hasib carrying the dish on his head, and when they were
halfway behold, the Queen of the Serpents said to him privily, “Hearken,
O Hasib, to my friendly counsel, for all thou hast broken faith with me
and been false to thine oath, and hast done this misdeed, but it was
fore-ordained from all eternity.” He replied “To hear is to obey,” and
she continued, “It is this: when thou comest to the Wazir’s house, he
will bid thee behead me and cut me in three; but do thou refuse,
saying:—I know not how to slaughter[573] and leave him to do it with his
own hand and to work his wicked will. When he hath cut my throat and
divided my body into three pieces there will come a messenger, to bid
him to the King, so he will lay my flesh in a cauldron of brass and set
it upon a brasier before going to the presence and he will say to
thee:—Keep up the fire under the cauldron till the scum rise; then skim
it off and pour it into a phial to cool. Wait till it cool and then
drink it, so shall naught of malady or pain be left in all thy body.
When the second scum riseth, skim it off and pour it into a phial
against my return from the King, that I may drink it for an ailment I
have in my loins. Then will he give thee the phials and go to the King,
and when he is gone, do thou light the fire and wait till the first scum
rise and set it in a phial; keep it by thee but beware of drinking it,
or no good will befal thee. When the second scum riseth, skim it off and
put it in a second phial and drink it down as soon as it cools. When the
Wazir returneth and asketh thee for the second phial, give him the first
and note what shall befal him;”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Thirty-fifth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Serpent-queen
charged Hasib not to drink of the first scum and carefully to keep the
second, saying, “When the Wazir returneth from the King and asketh for
the second phial, give him the first and note what shall befal him; then
drink the contents of the second phial and thy heart will become the
home of wisdom. After this take up the flesh and, laying it in a brazen
platter, carry it to the King and give him to eat thereof. When he hath
eaten it and it hath settled in his stomach, veil his face with a
kerchief and wait by him till noontide, when he will have digested the
meat. Then give him somewhat of wine to drink and, by the decree of
Allah Almighty, he will be healed of his unhealth and be made whole as
he was. And give thou ear to the charge wherewith I charge thee; and
keep it in thy memory with carefullest keeping.” They ceased not faring
till they came to the Wazir’s house, and he said to Hasib, “Come in with
me!” So he went in and the troops dispersed and fared each his own way;
whereupon Hasib set down the platter and the Wazir bade him slay the
Queen of the Serpents; but he said, “I know not how to slaughter and
never in my born days killed I aught. An thou wilt have her throat cut,
do it with thine own hand.” So the Minister Shamhur took the Queen from
the platter and slew her, seeing which Hasib wept bitter tears and the
Wazir[574] laughed at him, saying, “O weak of wits, how canst thou weep
for the killing of a worm?” Then he cut her in three and, laying the
pieces in a brass cauldron, set it on the fire and sat down to await the
cooking of the flesh. And whilst he was sitting, lo! there came a slave
from the King, who said to him, “The King calls for thee without stay or
delay;” and he answered saying, “I hear and I obey.” So he gave Hasib
two phials and bade him drink the first scum and keep the second against
his return, even as the Queen of the Serpents had foretold; after which
he went away with repeated charges and injunctions; and Hasib tended the
fire under the cauldron till the first scum rose, when he skimmed it off
and, setting it in one of the phials, kept it by him. He then fed the
fire till the second scum rose; then he skimmed it off and, putting it
in the other phial, kept it for himself. And when the meat was done, he
took the cauldron off the fire and sat awaiting the Wazir who asked him
on return, “What hast thou done?;” and answered Hasib, “I did thy
bidding to the last word.” Quoth the Wazir, “What hast thou done with
the first phial?” “I drank its contents but now,” replied Hasib, and
Shamhur asked, “Thy body feeleth it no change?”; whereto Hasib answered,
“Verily, I feel as I were on fire from front to foot.” The villain Wazir
made no reply hiding the truth but said, “Hand me the second phial, that
I may drink what is therein, so haply I may be made whole of this ailing
in my loins.” So Hasib brought him the first phial and he drank it off,
thinking it contained the second scum; but hardly had he done drinking
when the phial fell from his hand and he swelled up and dropped down
dead; and thus was exemplified in him the saying; “Whoso for his brother
diggeth a pit, he shall be the first to fall into it.” Now when Hasib
saw this, he wondered and feared to drink of the second phial; but he
remembered the Serpent-queen’s injunction and bethought him that the
Wazir would not have reserved the second scum for himself, had there
been aught of hurt therein. So he said, “I put my trust in Allah,”[575]
and drank off the contents of the phial. No sooner had he done so, than
the Most Highest made the waters of wisdom to well up in his heart and
opened to him the fountains of knowledge, and joy and gladness overcame
him. Then he took the serpent’s flesh from the cauldron and, laying it
on a platter of brass, went forth from the Wazir’s house. On his way to
the palace he raised his eyes and saw the seven Heavens and all that
therein is, even to the Lote-tree, beyond which there is no
passing,[576] and the manner of the revolution of the spheres. Moreover,
Allah discovered to him the ordinance of the planets and the scheme of
their movements and the fixed stars; and he saw the contour of the land
and sea, whereby he became informed with geometry, astrology and
astronomy and mathematics and all that hangeth thereby; and he
understood the causes and consequences of eclipses of the sun and moon.
Then he looked at the earth and saw all minerals and vegetables that are
therein and thereon; and he learned their properties, and their virtues,
so that he became in an instant versed in medicine and chemistry and
natural magic and the art of making gold and silver. And he ceased not
carrying the flesh till he came to the palace, when he went in to King
Karazdan, and kissing the ground before him, said, “May thy head survive
thy Wazir Shamhur!” The King was mightily angered at the news of the
Grand Wazir’s death and wept for him, whilst his Emirs and his Grandees
and officers also wept. Then said Karazdan, “He was with me but now, in
all health, and went away to fetch me the flesh of the Queen of the
Serpents, if it should be cooked; what befel him that he is now dead,
and what accident hath betided him?” So Hasib told him the whole truth
how the Minister had drunk the contents of the phial and had forthwith
swelled out and died. The King mourned for his loss with mourning sore
and said to Hasib, “What shall I do without Shamhur?” and Hasib answered
“Grieve not, O King of the age; for I will cure thee within three days
and leave no whit of disease in thy body.” At this the King’s breast
waxed broad and he said, “I wish to be made whole of this affliction,
though after a long term of years.” So Hasib set the platter before the
King and made him eat a slice of the flesh of the Serpent-queen. Then he
covered him up and, spreading a kerchief over his face, bade him sleep
and sat down by his side. He slept from noonday till sundown, while his
stomach digested the piece of flesh, and presently he awoke. Hasib gave
him somewhat of wine to drink and bade him sleep again; so he slept till
the morning and when dawn appeared, Hasib repeated the treatment making
him eat another piece of the flesh; and thus he did with him three days
following, till he had eaten the whole, when his skin began to shrink
and scale off and he perspired, so that the sweat ran down from his head
to his heels. Therewith he became whole and there abode in him no trace
of the disease, which when Hasib saw, he said, “There is no help for it
but thou go to the Hammam.” So he carried him to the bath and washed his
body; and when he came forth, it was like a wand of silver and he was
restored to health, nay, sounder than he was before he fell ill.
Thereupon he donned his richest robes and, seating himself on his
throne, deigned make Hasib sit beside him. Then he bade the tables be
spread and they ate and washed their hands; after which he called for
the service of wine and both drank their fill. Upon this all his Wazirs
and Emirs and Captains and the Grandees of his realm and the notables of
the lieges came in to him and gave him joy of his recovery; and they
beat the drums and adorned the city in token of rejoicing. Then said the
King to the assembly, “O Wazirs and Emirs and Grandees, this is Hasib
Karim al-Din, who hath healed me of my sickness, and know all here
present that I make him my Chief Wazir in the stead of the Wazir
Shamhur.”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Thirty-sixth Night,