There was a certain eater of Bhang——And Shahrazad was surprised by the
dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then
quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and
how enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared
with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the King suffer
me to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Ninety-third Night,
Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other
then sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching
of this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and good will! It
hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding,
lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and
worthy celebrating, that there was a certain eater of Bhang whose wont
it was every day to buy three Faddahs’ worth of hemp and he would eat
one third thereof in the morning and a second at noon and the rest about
sundown. He was by calling a fisherman; and regularly as dawn appeared
he would take hook and line and go down to the river a-fishing; then he
would sell of his catch a portion, expending half a Faddah on bread and
eat this with the remaining part of the fish broiled. He would also
provide himself day by day with a waxen taper and light it in his cell
and sit before it, taking his pleasure and talking to himself after his
large dose of Bhang. In such condition he abode a while of time until
one fine spring-night, about the middle of the month when the moon was
shining sheeniest, he sat down to bespeak himself and said, “Ho,
Such-an-one! hie thee forth and solace thy soul with looking at the
world, for this be a time when none will espy thee and the winds are
still.” Herewith he went forth intending for the river; but as soon as
he issued from his celldoor and trod upon the square, he beheld the
moonbeams bestrown upon the surface and, for the excess of his Bhang,
his Fancy said to him, “By Allah, soothly the stream floweth strong and
therein needs must be much store of fish. Return, O Such-an-one, to thy
cell, bring hook and line and cast them into these waters; haply Allah
our Lord shall vouchsafe thee somewhat of fish, for men say that by
night the fisher-wight on mighty fine work shall alight.” He presently
brought out his gear and, having baited the hook, made a cast into the
moonlit square, taking station in the shadow of the walls where he
believed the river bank to be. Then he bobbed[225] with his hook and
line and kept gazing at the waters, when behold! a big dog sniffed the
bait and coming up to it swallowed the hook till it stuck in his
gullet.[226] The beast feeling it prick his throttle yelped with pain
and made more noise every minute, rushing about to the right and the
left: so the line was shaken in the man’s hand and he drew it in, but by
so doing the hook pierced deeper and the brute howled all the louder;
and it was pull Bhang-eater and pull cur. But the man dared not draw
near the moonlight, holding it to be the river, so he tucked up his gown
to his hip-bones, and as the dog pulled more lustily he said in his
mind, “By Allah this must be a mighty big fish and I believe it to be a
ravenous.”[227] Then he gripped the line firmly and haled it in but the
dog had the better of him and dragged him to the very marge of the
moonlight; so the fisherman waxed afraid and began to cry “Alack! Alack!
Alack![228] To my rescue ye braves![229] Help me for a monster of the
deep would drown me! Yállah, hurry ye, my fine fellows, hasten to my
aid!” Now at that hour people were enjoying the sweets of sleep and when
they heard these unseasonable outcries they flocked about him from every
side and accosting him asked, “What is it? What maketh thee cry aloud at
such an hour? What hath befallen thee?” He answered, “Save me, otherwise
a river-monster will cause me fall into the stream and be drowned.”
Then, finding him tucked up to the hips, the folk approached him and
enquired, “Where is the stream of which thou speakest?” and he replied,
“Yonder’s the river; be ye all blind?” Thereat they understood that he
spoke of the moonbeams, whose sheen was dispread upon earth, deeming it
a river-surface, and they told him this; but he would not credit them
and cried, “So ye also desire to drown me: be off from me! our Lord will
send me other than you to lend me good aid at this hour of need.” They
replied, “O well-born one, this be moonshine;” but he rejoined, “Away
from me, ye low fellows,[230] ye dogs!” They derided him and the angrier
he grew the more they laughed, till at last they said one to other, “Let
us leave him and wend our ways,” and they quitted him in such
condition——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell
silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her Sister
Dunyazad, “How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and
enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with
that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me
to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Ninety-fourth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other
than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching
of this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and good will! It
hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding,
lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and
worthy celebrating, that the folk who flocked to the assistance of the
Bhang-eater left him in such condition, he crying aloud in affright, the
dog being now before him in a phrenzy of pain for the hook sticking in
his gullet and being unable to rid himself of it, while the man dreaded
to draw near the moonshine, still deeming (albeit he stood upon terra
firma) that he was about to step into the stream. So he hugged the wall
shadow which to him represented the river-bank. In this case he
continued until day brake and light shone and the to-ing and fro-ing of
the folk increased; withal he remained as he was, crying out for
affright lest he be drowned. Suddenly a Kazi rode by him and seeing him
with gown kilted up and the hound hanging on to the hook, asked, “What
may be the matter with thee, O man?” He answered saying, “O my lord, I
dread lest I be drowned in this stream, whither a monster of the deep is
a-dragging me.” The judge looked at him and knew him for a Bhang-eater,
so he dismounted from his monture and cried to one of his attendants,
“Catch hold of yon dog and unhook him!” Now this Kazi was also one who
was wont to use Hashísh; so quoth he to himself, “By Allah, take this
fellow with thee and feed him in thy house and make a mocking-stock of
him; and, as each night cometh on do thou and he eat together a portion
of the drug and enjoy each other’s company.” Accordingly he took him and
carrying him to his quarters seated him in a private stead until
nightfall when the twain met and supped together; then they swallowed a
large dose of Bhang and they lit candles and sat in their light to enjoy
themselves.[231] Presently from excess of the drug they became as men
Jinn-mad, uttering words which befit not to intend or to indite,[232]
amongst which were a saying of the Bhang-eater to the Kazi, “By Allah,
at this season I’m as great as the King;” and the Judge’s reply, “And I
also at such time am as great as the Basha, the Governor.” Thereupon
quoth to him the Bhang-eater, “I’m high above thee and if the King would
cut off the Governor’s head what would happen to hinder him?” And quoth
the Kazi, “Yea, verily; naught would hinder him; but ’tis the custom of
Kings to appoint unto Governors a place wherein they may deal
commandment.” Then they fell to debating the affairs of the Government
and the Sultanate, when by decree of the Decreer the Sultan of the city
went forth his palace that very night, accompanied by the Wazir (and the
twain in disguise); and they ceased not traversing the town till they
reached the house wherein sat the Bhang-eater and the Kazi. So they
stood at the door and heard their talk from first to last when the King
turned to the Minister and asked, “What shall we do with these two
fellows?” “Be patient, O King of the Age,” answered the Wazir, “until
they make an end of their talk, after which whatso thou wilt do with
them that will they deserve.” “True indeed,”[233] quoth the ruler,
“nevertheless, instead of standing here let us go in to them.” Now that
night the boon-companions had left the door open forgetting to padlock
it; so the visitors entered and salam’d to them and they returned the
greeting and rose to them and bade them be seated. Accordingly they sat
down and the Sultan said to the Bhang-eater, “O man, fearest thou not
aught from the Sovran, thou and thy friend; and are ye sitting up until
this hour?” He replied, “The Sultan himself often fareth forth at such
untimely time, and as he is a King even so am I, and yonder man is my
Basha: moreover, if the ruler think to make japery of us, we are his
equals and more.” Thereupon the Sultan turned to his Wazir and said by
signals, “I purpose to strike off the heads of these fellows;” and said
the Minister in the same way, “O King, needs must they have a story, for
no man with his wits in his head would have uttered such utterance. But
patience were our bestest plan.” Then cried the Bhang-eater to the
Sultan, “O man, whenever we say a syllable, thou signallest to thine
associate. What is it thou wouldst notify to him and we not
understanding it? By Allah, unless thou sit respectfully in our presence
we will bid our Basha strike off thy pate!”——And Shahrazad was surprised
by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say.
Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet is thy story, O sister mine,
and how enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this
compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the
Sovran suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that
was
The Three Hundred and Ninety-fifth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other
than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching
of this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and good will! It
hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding,
lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and
worthy celebrating, that when the Sultan heard the Bhang-eater’s words
he waxed the more furious and would have arisen and struck off his head;
but the Wazir winked at him and whispered, “O King of the Age, I and
thou are in disguise and these men imagine that we are of the commons:
so be thou pitiful even as Almighty Allah is pitiful and willeth not the
punishment of the sinner. Furthermore, I conceive that the twain are
eaters of Hashísh, which drug when swallowed by man, garreth him prattle
of whatso he pleaseth and chooseth, making him now a Sultan then a Wazir
and then a merchant, the while it seemeth to him that the world is in
the hollow of his hand.” Quoth the Sultan, “And what may be thy
description of Hashísh?” and quoth the Wazir, “’Tis composed of hemp
leaflets, whereto they add aromatic roots and somewhat of sugar: then
they cook it and prepare a kind of confection which they eat;[234] but
whoso eateth it (especially an he eat more than enough), talketh of
matters which reason may on no wise represent. If thou wouldst know its
secret properties, on the coming night (Inshallah!) we will bring some
with us and administer it to these two men; and when they eat it the
dose will be in addition to their ordinary.” After this the Sultan left
them and went forth, when the Bhang-eater said to the Kazi, “By Allah,
this night we have enjoyed ourselves and next night (if Allah please!)
we will enjoy ourselves yet more.” The other replied, “Yes, but I fear
from the Sultan, lest he learn our practice and cut off our heads.” “Who
shall bring the Sovran to us?” asked the other: “he is in his palace and
we are in our own place; and, granting he come, I will divert him by
recounting an adventure which befel me.” The Kazi answered, “Have no
dread of the Sultan; for he may not fare forth a-nights single-handed;
nay, what while he issueth forth he must be escorted by his high
officials.” Now when the next night fell, the Kazi brought the Hashish
which he divided into two halves, eating one himself and giving the
other to his companion; and both swallowed their portions after supper
and then lit the waxen tapers and sat down to take their pleasure.[235]
Suddenly the Sultan and his Wazir came in upon them during the height of
their enjoyment, and the visitors were habited in dress other than
before, and they brought with them a quantity of Bhang-confection and
also some conserve of roses: so they handed a portion of the first to
the revellers, which these accepted and ate, while they themselves
swallowed the conserve, the others supposing it to be Hashish like what
they had eaten. Now when they had taken an overdose, they got into a
hurly-burly of words and fell to saying things which can neither be
intended nor indited, and amongst these they exclaimed, “By Allah, the
Sultan is deposed and we will rule in his stead and deal commandment to
his reign.” The other enquired, “And if the Sultan summon us what wilt
thou say to him?” “By Allah, I will tell him a tale which befel myself
and crave of him ten Faddahs wherewithal to buy Bhang!” “And hast thou
any skill in tale-telling?” “In good sooth I have!” “But how wilt thou
depose the Sultan and reign in his stead?” “I will say to him ‘Be off!’
and he will go.” “He will strike thy neck.” “Nay, the Sultan is pitiful
and will not punish me for my words.” So saying the Bhang-eater arose
and loosed the inkle of his bag-trowsers, then approaching the Sultan he
drew forth his prickle and proceeded to bepiss him;[236] but the King
took flight as the other faced him, and fled before him, he
pursuing.——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell
silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister
Dunyazad, “How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and
enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with
that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me
to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Ninety-sixth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other
than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching
of this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and good will! It
hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding,
lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and
worthy celebrating, that the Bhang-eater holding up his bag-trowsers ran
after the Sultan purposing to bepiss him and caught up the fugitive at
the doorway when he fell over the threshold and began a-piddling upon
his own clothes. In like manner the Kazi attempted to bepiss the Wazir
and ran after him to the entrance, where he also fell upon the
Bhang-eater and took to making water over him. So the Bhang-eater and
the Kazi lay each bewraying other, and the Sultan and the Wazir stood
laughing at them and saying, “By Allah, too much Hashish injureth man’s
wits;” and presently they left and went their ways returning to their
palaces. But the two drunkards ceased not lying in their own water till
day broke; and when the fumes of the drug had left their brains, they
arose and found themselves dripping and befouled with their own filth.
Thereupon each said to other, “What be this cross hath betided us?”
Presently they arose and washed themselves and their clothes; then
sitting down together they said, “None did this deed by us save and
except the two fellows who were with us; and who knoweth what they were,
or citizens of this city or strangers; for ’twas they brought the
intoxicant which we ate and it bred a madness in our brains. Verily
’twas they did the mischief; but, an they come to us a third time, needs
must we be instant with them and learn from them an they be foreigners
or folk of this city: we will force them to confess, but if they hide
them from us we will turn them out.” On the next night they met again
and the two sat down and ate a quantity of Hashish after they had
supped: and they lit the waxen tapers and each of them drank a cup of
coffee.[237] Presently their heads whirled round under the drug and they
sat down to talk and enjoy themselves when their drunkenness said to
them, “Up with you and dance.” Accordingly they arose and danced, when
behold, the Sultan and his Wazir suddenly came in upon them and salam’d
to them: so they returned the salutation but continued the saltation.
The new comers considered them in this condition and forthwith the King
turned to the Minister and said, “What shall we do with them?” Said the
other, “Patience until their case come to end in somewhat whereof we can
lay hold.” Then they chose seats for themselves and solaced them with
the spectacle, and the dancers kept on dancing until they were tired and
were compelled to sit down and take their rest. Presently the
Bhang-eater looked at the Sultan and exclaimed, “You, whence are you?”
and he replied, “We be foreigner folk and never visited this city before
that night when we met you; and as we heard you making merry we entered
to partake of your merriment.” On this wise the device recoiled upon the
Bhang-eater and presently the King asked them, saying, “Fear ye not lest
the Sultan hear of you, and ye in this condition which would cause your
disgrace at his hands?” The Bhang-eater answered, “The Sultan! What
tidings of us can he have? He is in the royal Palace and we in our place
of Bhang-eating.” The Sovran rejoined, “Why not go to him! Belike he
will gift you and largesse you;” but the Bhang-eater retorted, “We fear
his people lest they drive us away.” Whereto quoth the King, “They will
not do on such wise and if thou require it we will write thee a note to
his address, for we know him of old inasmuch as both of us learned to
read in the same school.” “Write thy writ,” quoth the other to the
Sultan who after inditing it and sealing it placed it in their hands and
presently the two visitors departed. Then the Bhang-eater and the Kazi
sat together through the night until daylight did appear when the fumes
of the Hashish had fled their brains and the weather waxed fine and
clear. So they said, each to other, “Let us go to the Sultan,” and the
twain set out together and walked till they reached the square facing
the Palace. Here, finding a crowd of folk, they went up to the door and
the Bhang-eater drew forth his letter and handed it to one of the
Sultan’s suite, who on reading it fell to the ground and presently
rising placed it upon his head.——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn
of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth
her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how
enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with
that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me
to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Ninety-seventh Night,
Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other
than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching
of this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and good will! It
hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding,
lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and
worthy celebrating, that the officer who took the letter caused the
Bhang-eater and his comrade enter the presence, and the Sultan catching
sight of them commanded them to be seated in a private stead where none
other man was. His bidding was obeyed; and at noontide he sent them a
tray of food for dinner and also coffee; and the same was done at
sundown. But as soon as supper-tide came the Sultan prayed and recited
sections of Holy Writ, as was his wont, until two hours had passed when
he ordered the twain be summoned; and when they stood in the presence
and salam’d to him and blessed him the King returned their salute and
directed them to be seated. Accordingly they sat down and quoth the
Sultan to the Bhang-eater, “Where be the man who gave you the writ?”
Quoth the other, “O King of the Age, there were two men who came to us
and said:——Why go ye not to the King? Belike he will gift you and
largesse you. Our reply was:——We know him not and we fear lest his folk
drive us away. So one of them said to us, I will write thee a note to
his address for we know him of old, inasmuch as both of us learned to
read in the same school. Accordingly he indited it and sealed it and
gave it to us; and coming hither we found his words true and now we are
between his hands.” The Sultan enquired, “Was there any lack of civility
to the strangers on your part?” and they replied, “None, save our
questioning them and saying, Whence come ye? whereto they rejoined, We
be strangers. Beyond this there was nothing unpleasant; nothing at all.”
“Whither went they?” asked the King and the other answered, “I wot not.”
The Sultan continued, “Needs must thou bring them to me for ’tis long
since I saw them;” and the other remarked, “O King of the Age, if again
they come to our place we will seize them and carry them before thee
even perforce, but in case they come not, we have no means to hand.”
Quoth the King, “An thou know them well, when thou catchest sight of
them they cannot escape thee,” and quoth the other, “Yea, verily.” Then
the Sultan pursued, “What did ye with the twain who came before them and
ye wanted to bepiss them?” Now when the Bhang-eater heard these words
his colour paled and his case changed, his limbs trembled and he
suspected that the person which he had insulted was the Sultan;
whereupon the King turned towards him and seeing in him signs of
discomfiture asked, “What is in thy mind, O Bhang-eater? What hath
befallen thee?” The other arose forthright and kissing ground cried,
“Pardon, O King of the Age, before whom I have sinned.” The Sovran
asked, “How didst thou know this?” and he answered, “Because none other
was with us and news of us goeth not out of doors; so needs must thou
have been one of the twain and he who wrote the writ was thyself; for
well we know that the kings read not in schools. Thou and thy friend did
come in disguise to make merry at our expense; therefore pardon us, O
King of the Age, for mercy is a quality of the noble, and Almighty Allah
said, ‘Whoso pardoneth and benefitteth his reward is with Allah,’ and
eke He said, ‘And the stiflers of wrath and the pardoners of mankind and
Allah loveth the doers of good.’”[238] Herewith the Sultan smiled and
said, “No harm shall befal thee, O Bhang-eater! Thine excuse is accepted
and thy default pardoned, but, O thou clever fellow, hast thou no tale
to tell us?” He replied, “O King of the Age, I have a story touching
myself and my wife which, were it graven with needle-gravers upon the
eye-corners were a warning to whoso would be warned. But I strave
against her on my own behalf, withal she overcame me and tyrannised over
me by her contrivance.” “What is it?” asked the King; so the man began
to relate the
_HISTORY OF THE BHANG-EATER AND HIS WIFE._
In the beginning of my career I owned only a single bull and poverty
confused my wits.——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and
fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister
Dunyazad, “How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and
enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with
that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me
to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Ninety-eighth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other
than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching
of this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and good will! It
hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding,
lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and
worthy celebrating, that the Bhang-eater said to the Sultan:——I had no
property save a single bull and poverty confused my wits. So I resolved
to sell Roger[239] and going to the Bazar stood therein expecting
someone to buy it, but none came to me until the last of the day. At
that time I drove it forth and dragged it off till we reached half-way
to my home, where I came upon a tree and sat down to rest in the cool
shade. Now I had somewhat of Bhang with me, also a trifle of bread which
I brought out and ate, and after I drank a draught of water from the
spring. Presently the Bhang began to wobble in my brains and behold a
bird in the tree-top which men call a Magpie[240] fell a-cawing, so I
said to her, “Thou, O Mother of Solomon, hast thou a mind to buy the
bull?” and she cawed again. I continued, “Whatso price ever thou settest
upon the bull, at that will I cede it to thee.” Again a croak, and I
“Haply thou hast brought no money?” Another croak and cried I, “Say the
word and I will leave the bull with thee till next Friday when thou wilt
come and pay me its price.” But she still cawed, and I, whenever she
opened beak, O King of the Age, fancied that she bespake me and wanted
the bull. But all this was of the excess of my Bhang which kept working
in my brains and I mistook the croaking for her conversing. Accordingly
I left with her the bull bound to the tree and turned towards my
village; and, when I went in to my wife, she asked me anent the bull and
I told her of my selling it to the Mother of Solomon. “Who may she be?”
asked my rib, and I replied, “She dwelleth in yonder tree;” whereat my
spouse rejoined, “Allah compensate thee with welfare.” So I awaited
patiently the appointed term; then, after swallowing somewhat of Bhang,
I repaired to the tree and sat beneath it when, lo and behold! the pie
cawed and I cried to her, “Hast thou brought the coin?” A second caw!
Then said I, “Come hither and bring me the money.” A third caw! Hereat I
waxed wroth and arose and taking up a bittock of brick I threw it at her
as she sat perched upon the tree, whereupon she flew off and alit upon
an ‘old man’[241] of clay hard by. So it occurred to my mind, “By Allah,
the Mother of Solomon biddeth me follow her and recover the value of the
bull from yonder ‘old man.’” Presently I went up to it and digging
therein suddenly came upon a crock[242] full of gold wherefrom I took
ten ashrafis, the value of the bull, and returned it to its place,
saying, “Allah ensure thy weal, O Mother of Solomon.” Then I walked back
to my village and went in to my wife and said, “By Allah, verily the
Mother of Solomon is of the righteous! Lookye, she gave me these ten
golden ducats to the price of our Roger.” Said my wife, “And who may be
the Mother of Solomon?” and I told her all that had befallen me
especially in the matter of the crock of gold buried in the ‘old man.’
But after she heard my words she tarried until sundown; then, going to
the land-mark she dug into it and carrying off the crock brought it home
privily. But I suspected her of so doing and said to her, “O woman, hast
thou taken the good of the Mother of Solomon (and she of the righteous)
after we have received from her the price of our Roger out of her own
moneys? And hast thou gone and appropriated her property? By Allah, an
thou restore it not to its stead even as it was, I will report to the
Wálí that my wife hath happened upon treasure-trove.” And so saying I
went forth from her. Then she arose and got ready somewhat of dough for
cooking with flesh-meat and, sending for a fisherman, bade him bring her
a few fishes fresh-caught and all alive, and taking these inside the
house she drew sweet water and sprinkled them therewith, and lastly she
placed the dough and meat outside the house ready for nightfall.
Presently I returned and we supped, I and she; but ’twas my firm resolve
to report my wife’s find to the Chief of Police. We slept together till
midnight when she awoke me saying, “O man, I have dreamed a dream, and
this it is, that the sky hath rained down drink and meat and that the
fishes have entered our house.” I replied to her of my folly and the
overmuch Bhang which disported in my head, “Let us get up and look.” So
we searched the inside of the house and we found the fishes, and the
outside where we came upon the doughboy and flesh-meat; so we fell to
picking it up, I and she, and broiling it and eating thereof till
morning. Then said I, “Do thou go and return the moneys of Solomon’s
Mother to their own place.” But she would not and flatly refused.——And
Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to
say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet is thy
story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And
where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming
night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next
night and that was
The Three Hundred and Ninety-ninth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other
than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching
of this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and good will! It
hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding,
lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and
worthy celebrating, that the Bhang-eater continued:—I said to my wife,
“Do thou go and return the moneys of Solomon’s Mother to their own
place;” but she would not and flatly refused. Then I repeated[243] my
words but without avail, so I flew into a fury and leaving her ceased
not trudging till I found the Wali and said to him, “O my lord, my wife
Such-an-one hath hit upon a hoard and ’tis now with her.”[244] The Chief
of Police asked, “O man, hast thou seen it?” and I answered, “Yes.” So
he sent a body of his followers to bring her before him and when she
came said to her, “O woman, where is the treasure trove?” Said she, “O
my lord, this report is a baseless;” whereupon the Chief of Police bade
her be led to jail. They did his bidding and she abode in the prison a
whole day, after which the Wali summoned her and repeated his words to
her adding, “An thou bring not the hoard I will slay thee and cast thy
corpse into the bogshop[245] of the Hammam.” The woman (my wife)
rejoined, “O my lord, I never found aught;” and when he persisted
threatening her with death she cried, “O my lord, wherefore oppress me
on this wise and charge such load of sin upon thine own neck? I never
came upon treasure at all, at all!” The Chief of Police retorted, “My
first word and my last are these:——Except thou bring the treasure trove
I will slay thee and cast thee into the jakes.” Herewith quoth she, “O
my lord, ask my husband where it was I hit upon the hoard and at what
time, by day or by night,” and the Wali’s men cried, “By Allah, these
her words are just and right, nor is therein aught of harm.” So he sent
to summon me and asked me, “O man, when did thy wife hit upon the
hoard?” I answered, “O my lord, she found it on the night when the skies
rained drink and food and fishes.” Now when the Wali heard my words he
said to me, “O man, the skies are not wont to shed aught save
rain-water; and a man in his right wits speaketh not such speech as
this.” Said I, “By the life of thy head, O my lord, they did rain all
three of them;” but the officers cried, “O my lord, verily this man be
Jinn-mad and his wife who telleth plain truth is wronged by him: the
fellow deserveth confining in the Máristán.”[246] Accordingly the Chief
of Police bade the men set the woman free and let her wend her ways and
seize me and throw me into the madhouse. They did his bidding and I
remained there the first day and the second till the third when my wife
said to herself, “There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in
Allah, the Glorious, the Great! By the Lord, needs must I go and relieve
my husband from Bedlam and charge him never again to speak of that
treasure trove.” So she came to the Maristan and entering said to me,
“Ho, Such-an-one, if any ask of thee saying:—What do the skies
rain?[247] do thou make answer, They rain water! Furthermore if they
inquire of thee, Do they ever rain drink and food and fishes? reply
thou, This is clean impossible, nor can such thing ever take place! Then
haply they will say to thee, How many days are in the week; and do thou
say, Seven days and this day be such a day! Lastly have a guard on
thyself when speaking.” I rejoined, “’Tis well, and now hie thee forth
and buy me half a faddah’s worth of Bhang, for during these days I have
not eaten aught thereof.” So she went and bought me somewhat of food and
of Hashish:——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell
silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister
Dunyazad, “How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and
enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with
that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me
to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was
The Four Hundredth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other
than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching
of this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and good will! It
hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding,
lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and
worthy celebrating, that the Bhang-eater’s wife fared forth and brought
back somewhat of food and of Hashish: then returning to the Maristan (he
continued) she gave both to me and I ate of them, after which I said to
her, “Let us up and be off!” whereto she, “And when we go to the Wali
what wilt thou say?” Then the Bhang wrought in my brains and I cried, “O
bawd,[248] O my nice young lady, well thou wottest that the skies did
rain flesh and drink and fishes! Why then didst thou not tell the truth
before the Chief of Police?” Thereupon the Manager of the Madhouse cried
to me, “O fellow, this is the babble of madmen!” and I, “By Allah, I ate
of them boiled; and doubtless the same kind of rain fell in your house.”
The other exclaimed, “There be nor doubt nor hesitation anent the
insanity of one who sayeth such say!” Now all this was related by the
Bhang-eater to the Sultan who marvelled and asked him, “What could have
made thee go to the Manager and recount to him such absurdities?” But
the Bhang-eater resumed, saying, “I dwelt in the Maristan twenty days
until at last having no Bhang to eat I came to my senses and confessed
that the skies shed only rain-water, that the week containeth seven days
and that this day be such-and-such; in fact I discoursed like a man in
his right mind. So they discharged me and I went my ways.” But when the
Kazi heard this tale he cried out to the Sultan, “O King of the Age, my
story is still more wondrous than this, which is only a prank played by
a wife. My name was originally Abú Kásim al-Tambúrí[249] and I was
appointed Kazi after a neat thing I did, and if thou, O our lord the
Sultan, desire to be told of the adventures which befel me and of the
clever trick wherefor they made me a judge, deign give thy commandment
and I will commence it.” Quoth the Sultan, “Recount to us why and where
they entitled thee Kazi,” and the judge began to relate
_HOW DRUMMER ABU KASIM BECAME A KAZI._
There was once, O King of the Age, a merchant and a man of Bassorah who
went about trading with eunuchs and slave-boys and who bore his goods in
bales[250] from Bassorah to Ajam-land there to sell them and to buy him
other merchandise for vending in Syria. On this wise he tarried a long
while until one year of the years he packed up his property, as was his
wont, and fared forth with it to Persia. But at that time there fortuned
to be a famine and when he arrived at one of the cities of Ajam-land,
where formerly the traders bought his goods, on this occasion none of
them would come near him. In such case he continued a long while till at
last a Khwájah appeared before him, a man who owned abundant riches in
Persia, but his home was distant three days from the place. The visitor
asked saying, “O Bassorite, wilt thou sell me thy stock-in-trade?”
whereto the other answered, “And how? Of course I’ll sell it!” So the
buyer opened the gate of bidding and offered such-and-such; but the
Bassorah man cried, “Allah openeth.” Then the purchaser added somewhat
and the seller rejoined, “Give me yet more!” At last the buyer
exclaimed, “I will give nothing more than ‘Anaught’[251];” and the
seller accepted the offer saying, “May Allah grant us gain!” Thereupon
the Persian Khwajah took over all the goods from the vendor and next day
the twain met to settle money-matters. Now I, O King of the Age,
happened to be abiding in that city. The seller received from the buyer
payment in full nor did anything remain; but after, the Bassorah man
said to his customer, “Thou still owest me the ‘Anaught,’ which thou
must hand over to me.” The other replied jeeringly, “And the ‘Anaught’
is a naught; to wit, no thing;” but the Bassorite rejoined, “Here with
that ‘Anaught’!” Upon this a violent ruffle befel between them, the
cause was carried before the King and payment was required in the Divan,
for the Bassorite still demanded from the purchaser his “Anaught.” The
Sultan asked, “And what be this ‘Anaught’?” and the Bassorah man
answered, “I wot not, O King of the Age;” whereat the Sultan
marvelled.——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell
silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister
Dunyazad, “How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and
delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with that I would
relate to you on the coming night, an the Sovran suffer me to survive?”
Now when it was the next night and that was
The Four Hundred and First Night,
Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other
than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching
of this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and good will! It
hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding,
lord of the rede which is benefiting and deeds fair-seeming and worthy
celebrating, that the Sultan marvelled at the action of this Bassorite
and his saying, “Give me my ‘Anaught!’” Presently the tidings of that
cause reached me, O King; so I went to the Divan which was thronged with
folk and all present kept saying, “How would it be if this ‘Anaught’
were a fraud or a resiliation of the contract?” Thereupon the Sultan
exclaimed, “Whoso shall settle this case, to him verily will I be
bountiful.” So I came forward, O King of the Age, thinking of a conceit
and kissed ground and said to him, “I will conclude this cause,” and he
rejoined, “An thou determine it and dispose of it I will give thee
largesse; but if not, I will strike off thy head.” I rejoined, “To hear
is to obey.” Then I bade them bring a large basin which could hold a
skinful of water and ordered them fill it; after which I called out to
the Bassorite, “Draw near,” and he drew near. All this and the King
looked on and kept his eyes fixed upon us. Then I cried to the claimant,
“Close thy fist!” and he did accordingly, and again I commanded him to
close it and to keep it tight closed. He obeyed my bidding and I
continued “Dip thy neave into the basin,” and he dipped it. Presently I
asked, “Is thy hand in the water and thy fist closed?” and he replied,
“It is.” Then said I, “Withdraw it,” and he withdrew it, and I cried,
“Open thy neave,” and he opened it. Then I asked “What thing hast thou
found therein?” and he answered, “A naught;” whereupon I cried to him,
“Take thine ‘Anaught’ and wend thy ways.” Hereupon the Sultan said to
the Bassorite, “Hast thou taken thine ‘Anaught,’ O man?” and said he
“Yes.” Accordingly the King bade him gang his gait. Then the Sultan
gifted me with costly gifts and named me Kazi; and hence, O King of the
Age, is the cause of the title in the case of one who erst was Abu Kasim
the Drummer. Hereat quoth the Sultan, “Relate to us what rare accident
befel thee in thy proper person.” So the judge began to recount
_THE STORY OF THE KAZI AND HIS SLIPPER._
[Illustration]
Once upon a time, O King of the Age, I had a slipper which hardly
belonged to its kind nor ever was there seen a bigger. Now one day of
the days I waxed aweary of it and sware to myself that I would never
wear it any more; so in mine anger I flung it away and it fortuned to
fall upon the flat roof of a Khwájah’s house where the stucco was
weakest. Thence it dropped through, striking a shelf that held a number
of phials full of the purest rose-water and the boarding yielded
breaking all the bottles and spilling their contents. The house-folk
heard the breakage ringing and rattling; so they crowded one after other
to discover what had done the damage and at last they found my papoosh
sprawling amiddlemost the room. Then they made sure that the shelf had
not been broken except by the violence of that slipper, and they
examined it when, behold, the house-master cried, saying, “This be the
papoosh of Abu Kasim the Drummer.” Hereupon he took it and carried it to
the Governor who summoned me and set me before him; then he made me
responsible for the phials and whatso was therein and for the repairing
of the terrace-roof and upraising it again. And lastly he handed to me
the slipper which was exceedingly long and broad and heavy and, being
cruel old it showed upwards of an hundred and thirty patches nor was it
unknown to any of the villagers. So I took it and fared forth and, being
angered with the article, I resolved to throw it into some dark hole or
out-of-the-way place;——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day
and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her
sister Dunyazad, “How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and
enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with
that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me
to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was
The Four Hundred and Second Night,
Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other
than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching
of this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and good will! It
hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding,
lord of the rede which is benefiting and deeds of fair-seeming and
worthy celebrating, that Abu Kasim the Drummer continued to the Sultan:
I resolved to throw it into some dark hole or out-of-the-way-place; and
presently I came to the watercloset of the Hammam and cast it into the
conduit saying, “Now shall none ever see it again; nor shall I be
troubled with its foul aspect for the rest of my life.” Then I returned
home and abode there the first day and the second, but about noon on the
third a party of the Governor’s men came and seized me and bore me
before him; and no sooner did he see me than he cried out, “Throw him!”
Accordingly they laid me out at fullest length and gave me an hundred
cuts with a scourge[252] which I bore stoutly and presently said, “O my
Sultan,[253] what be the cause of this fustigation and wherefor do they
oppress me?” Said he, “O man, the conduit[254] of the jakes attached to
the Mosque was choked by thy slipper and the flow, unable to pass off,
brimmed over, whereby sundry houses belonging to the folk were
wrecked.”[255] I replied, “O my lord, can a slipper estop the flowing of
a water that feedeth a Hammam?” Thereupon the Governor said to me, “Take
it away and if any find it in his place and again bring me a complaint
thereanent, I will cut off thy head.” So they haled me away after
tossing my slipper to me, and I repaired to the Efendi[256] of the town
and said to him, “O our lord, I have a complaint against this Papoosh
which is not my property nor am I its owner: prithee do thou write me a
deed to such purport between me and the Slipper and all who pass down
this road.” The Efendi replied, “O man, how shall I write thee a deed
between thee and thy Papoosh, which is a senseless thing? Nay, take it
thyself and cut it up and cast it into some place avoided of the folk.”
Accordingly I seized it and hacked it with a hatchet into four pieces
which I threw down in the four corners of the city, saying to myself the
while, “By Allah, I shall nevermore in my life hear any further of its
adventures;” and walked away barefoot. But I had thrown one bit under a
bridge that crossed a certain of the small canals; and the season was
the dries, wherefore it collected a heap of sand which rose thereupon,
and the wind whenever it blew brought somewhat of dust and raised the
pile higher until the archway was blocked up by a mound. Now when the
Níl[257] flooded and reached that archway the water was dammed up and
ceased running, so the townsfolk said, “What may be the matter? The
Nile-inundation hath reached the bridge but cannot pass under it. Come
let us inspect the archway.” They did so and presently discovered the
obstacle; to wit, the mound before the arch which obstructed the
waterway; whereupon a party kilted their clothes and waded into the
channel that they might clear it. But when they came to the mound-base
they found my quarter-slipper, and they exclaimed with one cry, “This be
the Papoosh of Abu Kasim the Drummer!” But as soon as the tidings
reached me, I fared away, flying from that town, and while so doing was
met by my comrade, yonder Bhang-eater; so we agreed that we would travel
together and he companied me till we came to this city, e’en as thou
seest us, O our lord the Sultan. Thereupon the King said to them, “Do ye
twain abide with me amongst my servants; but I have a condition with you
which is that ye be righteous in your service and that ye be ready to
join my séance every night after supper-tide.” Then he cautioned them
against disobedience and quoth he, “Be ye not deluded by becoming my
companions nor say to yourselves, We be the assessors of the King; for
that the byword declareth:——Whenas the King sitteth beware of his
severity, and be not refractory whenever he shall say to thee ‘Do.’”
They agreed to this condition and each whispered his mate, “Do thou have
a care to act righteously!” Then they left the King nor did they see him
again till one day of the days when behold, a Khwajah appeared before
the Sultan——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell
silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister
Dunyazad, “How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and
delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with that I would
relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?”
Now when it was the next night and that was
The Four Hundred and Third Night,
Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other
than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching
of this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and good will! It
hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding,
lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and
worthy celebrating, that one day of the days, behold a Khwajah appeared
before the Sultan and said, “’Tis not lawful in Allah’s sight, O King of
the Age, that a Bhang-eater should propose to dishonour me in the person
of my daughter and load me with infamy amongst His worshippers saying
the while:—I am of the King’s suite.” Now the cause of the merchant’s
complaint was as follows. One day of the days the Bhang-eater was
passing by under the latticed window of the Khwajah’s home when by
decree of the Decreer, the daughter of the house was looking out at the
casement and was solacing herself by observing all who walked the
street. Perchance the Bhang-eater’s glance fell upon the maiden and that
sight of eyes entailed a thousand sighs, so he said to himself, “By
Allah, if I meet not this maiden, although it be only once, I shall die
of a broken heart nor shall any one know of my death.” He then took to
passing under the window every day and to gazing upwards and to tarrying
there from morning-tide to set of sun; but the more he looked the less
he saw of her because Fortune which was fair to him the first time had
now turned foul. So he continued in this condition for a while, coming
every day to look at the lattice and seeing naught. Presently his case
became strait and ill health entered his frame for love to the
merchant’s daughter; and by reason of its excess he betook himself to
his pillow turning and tossing right and left and crying, “O her eyes! O
her loveliness! O her stature! O her symmetrical grace!” But as he was
repeating these words behold, an old woman came in to him and, seeing
his concern and chagrin, accosted him and said, “No harm to thee!” Quoth
he, “Ah, my reverend mother, unless thou come to my aid I perish,” and
quoth she, “What is upon thy mind?” So he disclosed to her all he felt
of fondness and affection for the Khwajah’s daughter and she rejoined,
“Thou wilt never win to thy wish in this matter except through me.” Then
she left him and repaired to her own place, pondering the wiles of
women, till she entered her house and there she donned a woollen robe
and hung three rosaries around her neck, after which she hent a
palm-staff in hand and set out for the merchant’s quarters. She ceased
not walking till she reached the place and entered in her garb of a
religious mendicant[258] crying out, “Allah, there is no god but the
God! extolled be Allah! Allah be with you all!” When the girl, whose
name was Sitt al-Husn—the Lady of Beauty—heard these words she met her,
hoping for a blessing, and saying, “O my mother, pray for me!” and the
old woman responded, “The name of Allah be upon thee! Allah be thy
safeguard!”[259] Then she sat down and the damsel came and took seat
beside her; so likewise did the girl’s mother and both sought a blessing
from her and conversed together till about noon when she arose and made
the Wuzú-ablution and span out her prayers, whilst those present
exclaimed, “By Allah this be a pious woman!” When her orisons were ended
they served up dinner to her; but she said, “I’m fasting;” whereat they
increased in love and belief herwards and insisted upon her abiding with
them until sunset that she might break her fast within their walls. On
such wise she acted but it was all a fraud. Then they persisted in
keeping her for the night; so she nighted with them, and when it was
morn she arose and prayed and mumbled words, some intelligible and
others not to be understanded of any, while the household gazed upon her
and, whenever she would move from place to place, supported her with
their hands under her armpits. At last, when it was mid-forenoon she
fared forth from them albeit their intent was not to let her depart. But
early on the next day she came in to them and all met her with greetings
and friendly reception, kissing her hands and bussing her feet; so she
did as she had done on the first day and in like guise on the third
while they showed her increased honour and worship. On the fourth day
she came to them, as was her wont, and they prayed her be seated;
however she refused and said, “I have a daughter whom I am about to
marry and the bridal festivities will be in my house; but I come to you
at this hour to let you know my desire that Sitt al-Husn may accompany
me and be present at my girl’s wedding-feast and thus she will gain a
blessing.” Her mother replied, “We dread lest somewhat befal her,” but
the ancient woman rejoined, “Fear not for her as the Hallows[260] are
with her!” Thereupon cried the girl, “There is no help but that I
accompany her and be present at her daughter’s wedding ceremony and
enjoy the spectacle and take my pleasure.” The mother said, “’Tis well;”
and the old trot added, “I will go and return within this moment.” So
saying, she went off as one aweary to the house of the Bhang-eater and
told him what she had done; then she returned to the maiden whom she
found drest and decorated and looking her best. So she took the girl and
fared forth with her——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and
fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister
Dunyazad, “How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and
enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with
that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me
to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was
The Four Hundred and Fourth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other
than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching
of this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and good will! It
hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding,
lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and
worthy celebrating, that the ancient woman took the girl and fared forth
with her and led her to the Bhang-eater’s house and brought her in to
him who, seeing her in all her beauty and loveliness, arose forthright
and his wits fled him and he drew near to her of his excessive love
herwards. Therewith the “Lady of Beauty” understood that the old woman
was an accursed procuress who had beguiled her in order to bring her and
the man together. So of her cleverness and clear intelligence she said
to her lover, “O my brave, whoso expecteth a visit of his beloved
getteth ready somewhat of meat and somewhat of fruit and somewhat of
wine, that their pleasure may be perfected; and, if thou purpose
love-liesse we will pass the night in this place.” Quoth the
Bhang-eater, “By Allah, O my lady, thou speakest sooth but what shall we
do at such hour as this?” and quoth she, “Hie thee to the market-street
and bring all whereof I spoke.” Said he, “Hearkening and obedience,” and
said she, “I will sit down, I and this my mother in this place, the
while thou goest and comest.” He rejoined, “A sensible saying!” and
forthright fared from her intending for the Bazar to bring the
requisites; and he was right gladsome nor knew what was prepared for him
in the hidden future. Now as soon as he went the damsel arose and
without making aught of noise locked the door closely upon herself and
the old trot: then she wandered about the rooms and presently came upon
a butcher’s chopper[261] which she seized. Hereupon tucking up her
sleeves above her elbows, in the firmness of her heart she drew near the
old crone until she was hard by her right and so clove her skull asunder
that she fell weltering in her blood and her ghost fled her flesh. After
this the damsel again went about the house and all worth the taking she
took, leaving whatso was unworthy, till she had collected a number of
fine robes which the man had brought together after he had become a
cup-companion of the Sultan; and, lastly, she packed the whole in a
sheet[262] and went forth therewith. Now the season was morning but The
Veiler veiled her and none met her on the way until she reached her home
and went in to her mother whom she found awaiting her and saying, “By
Allah, to day my girl hath tarried long at the bridal festivities of the
Ascetic’s daughter.” And behold Sitt al-Husn came in to her carrying a
large sheet stuffed with raiment, and as her mother saw her agitated and
in disorder she questioned her of her case and of what was packed in the
bundle. But the girl, who returned no reply and could not speak one
syllable for the emotion caused by the slaughter of the ancient woman,
fell to the ground in a fit. Her swoon endured from noon until eventide,
her mother sitting at her head the while and sorrowing for her
condition. But about set of sun behold, in came her father who found his
daughter aswoon; so he questioned his wife who began by recounting to
him what they had noted in the old woman of prayer and display of
devotion and how she had told them, “I have a daughter whom I am about
to marry and the bridal festivities will be in my house.” “And,” pursued
the mother, “she invited us to visit her; so at undurn-tide I sent with
her the girl; who at noontide came back bringing somewhat wrapped up and
bundled, which be this. But when she entered the house she fell to the
floor in a fainting fit and she is even as thou seest; nor do I know
what befel her.” Then the father rose up and besprinkled somewhat of
water upon her face which revived her and she said, “Where am I?”
whereto said he, “Thou art with us.” And when she had recovered and
returned to her senses, and her condition was as before the swoon, she
told them of the old woman and her ill designs and of her death and
lastly how the clothes had been brought by herself from the house of the
Bhang-eater. As soon as her sire had heard her words, he set out from
his home and sought the Sultan.——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn
of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth
her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how
enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with
that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me
to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was
The Four Hundred and Fifth Night,
Dunyazad said to her “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other
than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching
of this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and good will! It
hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding,
lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and
worthy celebrating, that whilst the Sultan was sitting behold, the
Khwajah came in and complained to him of the Bhang-eater, whereupon he
ordered a company to go fetch the accused and they went off and found
him not. So they returned and reported accordingly. Such was the cause
of the Khwajah coming to the King and such was the case with them; but
as regards the Bhang-eater, when he went off rejoicing to the Bazar in
order to buy whatso the merchant’s daughter had asked him, he brought
many a thing wherewith he returned to his lodging. However as he
returned he beheld the old woman slaughtered and weltering in her blood
and he found nothing at all of the choice articles wherewith his house
was fulfilled; so he fell to quoting this couplet:[263]—
“’Twas as a hive of bees that greatly thrived; ✿ But, when the bee-swarm
fled, ’twas clean unhived.”
And when he beheld that condition of things he turned from his home in
haste and without stay or delay left it about the hour of mid-afternoon
and fared forth from the city. There he found a caravan bound to some
bourne or other, so he proceeded therewith hardly believing in his own
safety and he ceased not accompanying the Cafilah[264] for the space of
five days till it made the city the travellers sought, albeit he was
fatigued and footsore from the stress of hardships and weariness he had
endured. So he entered the place and wandered about until he found a
Khan wherein he hired him a cell by way of nighting-stead and every day
he would go forth to seek service for wages whereby he might make a
livelihood. Now one day of the days a woman met him face to face on the
highway and said to him, “Dost thou do service?” and said he, “Indeed I
do, O my lady.” She continued, “There is a wall about my place which I
desire to level and build another in lieu thereof for that ’tis old and
very old.” He replied to her, “’Tis well,” and she took him and repaired
with him to her house and showing him the wall in question handed to him
a pickaxe and said, “Break it down as much as thou art able be it for
two or three days, and heap up the stones in one place and the dried mud
in another.” He replied, “Hearkening and obedience;” after which she
brought to him somewhat of food and of water and he ate and drank and
praised Almighty Allah. After this he rose and began breaking down the
wall and he ceased not working and piling up the stones and the dried
mud until it was sunset time when the woman paid him to his wage ten
faddahs and added a something of food which he took and turned towards
his own cell. As soon as it was the second day he repaired to the house
of the woman who again gave him somewhat to break his fast and he fell
to felling the wall even as he had done on the first day and he worked
till noon; but when it was midday and all the household was asleep, lo
and behold! he found in the middle of the foundation a crock[265] full
of gold. So he opened it and considered its contents whereat he was
rejoiced and he went forth without leisure or loss of time seeking his
own cell and when he reached it he locked himself within for fear lest
any look upon him. Then he opened the crock and counted therein one
hundred dinars which he pouched in his purse and stowed away in his
breast-pocket. Presently he returned, as he was, to break down the rest
of the wall and whilst he was trudging along the highway suddenly he
sighted a box surrounded by a crowd of whom none knew what might be its
contents and its owner was crying out, “For an hundred gold pieces!”
Thereupon the Bhang-eater went forwards saying to himself, “Buy thee
yonder box for the hundred dinars and thy luck be thy lot, for if there
be inside of it aught of wonderful ’tis well, and if otherwise thou
shalt stand by thy bad bargain.” So he drew near the broker[266] and
said to him, “This box for how much?”[267] and the other answered, “For
an hundred gold dinars!” But when he questioned him as to its contents
the man replied, “I know not; whoso taketh it his luck be his lot.”
Thereupon he brought out to him the hundred ducats and the broker made
over to him the box which he charged upon his shoulders and carried off
to his cell. There arrived he bolted himself in and opened the coffer
wherein he found a white slave-girl which was a model of beauty and
loveliness and stature and perfect grace: but she was like one drunken
with wine. So he shook her but she was not aroused when he said to
himself, “What may be the story of this handmaiden?” and he was never
tired of looking upon her while she was in that condition and he kept
saying to himself, “Would Heaven I wot an she be on life or in death;
withal I see her breath coming and going.” Now when it was about
midnight, the handmaiden revived and looking around and about her,
cried, “Where am I?” and said the Bhang-eater, “Thou, O my lady, art in
my home;” whereby she understood what had befallen her——And Shahrazad
was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her
permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet and tasteful
is thy tale, O sister mine, and enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she,
“And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the
coming night, an the Sovran suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the
next night and that was
The Four Hundred and Sixth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other
than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching
of this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and good will! It
hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding,
lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and
worthy celebrating, that the handmaiden understood what had befallen her
at the hands of her enemies. Now the cause thereof was that the Sultan
of that city had bought him for concubine one Kút al-Kulúb[268], or
Heart’s-food hight, and she became to him the liefest of all the women
he before had, amongst whom his wife, the daughter of his uncle, had
been preferred: but all fell into the rank of the common and from the
time he bought the new handmaid he was wholly occupied with her love and
he never went near the other inmates of his Harem, not even his cousin.
So they were filled with exceeding jealousy against Heart’s-food the new
comer. Now one day of the days the Sultan went forth to hunt and bird
and enjoy the occasion and solace himself in the gardens together with
the Lords of his land, and they rode on till they found themselves
amiddlemost of the waste pursuing their quarry. But when two days had
passed, his wife together with the women which were concubines arose and
invited all the neighbourhood whereamong was Kut al-Kulub, and she
spread for them a sumptuous banquet and lavished upon the new comers all
manner of attentions and the wife began to play with her rival and to
disport with her until it was thought that she loved none in the
assembly save Heart’s-food; and on such wise she continued to cheer her
and solace her and gambol with her and make her laugh until the trays
were laid and the meats were dispread and all the guests came forward
and fell to eating and drinking. Thereupon the King’s cousin-wife
brought a plate seasoned with Bhang and set it before the concubine who
had no sooner eaten it and it had settled in her stomach than she
trembled as with sudden palsy and fell to the ground without power of
motion. Then the Queen bade place her in a box and having locked her
therein sent for one who was Shaykh of the Brokers and committed to him
the coffer saying, “Do thou sell it for an hundred gold pieces whilst it
is locked and fast locked and suffer not any open it, otherwise we will
work for the cutting off of thy hands.” He replied, “To hear is to
obey;” and took up the box and went with it to the market-street where
he said to the brokers, “Cry for sale this coffer at an hundred dinars
and if any attempt to open it, open it not to any by any manner of
means.” So they took their station and made auction of it for an hundred
gold pieces, when by the decree of Destiny the Bhang-eater passed down
the street exulting in his hundred dinars which he had found in the
crock while levelling the wall belonging to the woman. Thereupon he came
up and having paid the price required carried off his coffer saying in
his mind, “My luck is my livelihood.” After this he went to his own cell
and opened it and found there the handmaid in condition as though
drunken with wine. Such is the history of that concubine Kut al-Kulub
and she fell not into the hand of the Bhang-eater save by the wile and
guile of the Sultan’s cousin-wife. But when she recovered from her
fainting fit and gazed around and understood what had befallen her she
concealed her secret and said to the man, “Verily this thy cell becometh
us not;” and, as she had somewhat of gold pieces with her and a collar
of jewels around her neck worth a thousand dinars, she brought out for
him some money and sent him forth to hire for them a house in the middle
of the quarter befitting great folk and when this was done she had
herself transported thither. Then she would give him every day
spending-money to buy whatso she ever required and she would cook the
delicatest dishes fit for the eating of the Kings wherewith she fed
herself and her owner. This continued for twenty days when suddenly the
Sultan returned from his hunting party and as soon as he entered his
palace he asked for Kut al-Kulub——And Shahrazad was surprised by the
dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then
quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and
how enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared
with that I should relate to you on the coming night, an the Sovran
suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was
The Four Hundred and Seventh Night,
Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other
than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching
of this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and goodwill! It hath
reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of
the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy
celebrating, that as soon as the Sultan returned from the chase he asked
after Kut al-Kulub from his exceeding desire to her, and the daughter of
his uncle told him the tidings saying, “By Allah, O King of the Age,
three days after the time thou faredst forth there came upon her malaise
and malady wherein she abode six days and then she deceased to the mercy
of Almighty Allah.” He exclaimed, “There is no Majesty and there is no
Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! Verily we are the
Almighty’s and unto Him shall we return.” Then befel him the extreme of
grief and straitness of breast and he passed that night in exceeding
cark and care for Kut al-Kulub. And when it was morning he sent after
the Wazir and summoned him between his hands and bade him go forth to
the Tigris-bank and there approve some place whereon he might build a
palace which should command all the roads. The Minister replied,
“Hearkening and obeying;” and hied to do his lord’s bidding taking with
him architects[269] and others, and having found a piece of level ground
he ordered them to measure an hundred ells of length for the building by
a breadth of seventy cubits. Presently he sent for surveyors and
master-masons whom he commanded to make ready every requisite for the
work, of ashlar and lime and lead; also to dig trenches for the base of
the walls. Then they fell to laying the foundations, and the builders
and handicraftsmen began to pile the stones and prepare the loads while
the Wazir stood by them bidding and forbidding. Now when it was the
third day, the Sultan went forth the Palace to look at the masons and
artizans who were working at the foundations of his new edifice. And as
soon as he had inspected it, it pleased him, so he said to the Wazir,
“Walláhi! none would befit this palace save and except Kut al-Kulub,
when ’twould have been full of significance;” and so saying he wept with
sore weeping at the remembrance of her. Quoth the Wazir to him, “O King
of the Age, have patience when calamity afflicteth thee, even as said
one of them with much meaning, anent long-suffering:—
Be patient under weight of wrath and blow of sore calamities: ✿ The
Nights compressed by Time’s embrace _gravidæ miras gerunt res_.”[270]
Then quoth the Sultan, “’Tis well, O Wazir, I know that patience is
praiseworthy and fretfulness is blameworthy, for indeed quoth the poet:—
When Time shall turn on thee, have patience for ’tis best of plight: ✿
Ease shall pursue unease and naught but suffrance makes it light;
and by Allah, O Wazir, human nature is never free from sad thought and
remembrance. Verily that damsel pleased me and I delighted in her; nor
can I ever think to find one like her in beauty and loveliness.”
Thereupon the Wazir fell to guiding the Sultan with fair words until his
breast was broadened and the two began to solace themselves by
inspecting the masons. After this the Sultan would go forth every
morning for solace to Tigris-bank and tidings reached the ears of Kut
al-Kulub that her lord was engaged on building a riverine palace,
whereupon she said to the Bhang-eater, “Day by day we expend money upon
our condition, and our outgoing is without incoming, so ’twere but right
that each morning thou fare and work with the workmen who are edifying a
mansion for the Sultan, inasmuch as the folk declare that he is of
temper mild and merciful and haply thou shalt gain from him profit and
provision.” “O my lady,” he replied, “by Allah, I have no patience to
part with thee or to be far from thee;” and he said so because he loved
her and she loved him, for that since the time he had found her locked
in the box and had looked upon her he had never required her of her
person and this was indeed from his remembrance, for he bore in mind but
too well what had befallen him from the Khwajah’s daughter. And she on
her side used to say, “’Tis a wondrous thing that yon Bhang-eater never
asketh me aught nor draweth nigh me seeing that I be a captive of his
right hand.” So she said to him, “Assuredly thou dost love me?” and said
he, “How can it be otherwise when thou art the blood of my life and the
light of mine eyes?” “O light of mine eyes,” she replied, “take this
necklace and set it in thy breast-pocket and go work at the Sultan’s
palace, and as often as thou shalt think of me, do thou take it out and
consider it and smell it and it shall be as if thou wert to see me.”
Hearing this he obeyed her and went forth till he reached the palace
where he found the builders at work and the Sultan and the Wazir sitting
in a Kiosk hard by overseeing the masons and the workmen;——And Shahrazad
was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her
permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet and tasteful
is thy tale, O sister mine, and enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she,
“And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the
coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the
next night and that was
The Four Hundred and Eighth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other
than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching
of this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and good will! It
hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding,
lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and
worthy celebrating, that when the Bhang-eater joined the masons he saw
the Sultan and Wazir overseeing them; and, as soon as the King sighted
him, he opened his breast to him and said, “O man, wilt thou also do
work?” and said the other, “Yes.” So he bade him labour with the
builders and he continued toiling till hard upon noontide, at which time
he remembered his slave-girl and forthright he bowed his head upon his
bosom-pocket and he sniffed thereat. The Wazir saw him so doing and
asked him, “What is the meaning of thy sniffing at what is in thy poke?”
and he answered him, “No matter.” However the Minister espied him a
second time occupied in like guise and quoth he to the Sultan, “Look, O
King of the Age, at yon labourer who is hiding something in his pocket
and smelling thereat.” “Haply,” responded the Sovran, “there is in his
pouch something he would look at.” However when the Sultan’s glance
happened to fall that way he beheld the Bhang-eater sniffing and
smelling at his poke, so he said to the Wazir, “Walláhi! Verily this
workman’s case is a strange.” Hereupon both fixed their eyes upon him
and they saw him again hiding somewhat in his pouch and smelling at it.
The Wazir cried, “Verily this fellow is a-fizzling and he boweth his
head toward his breast in order that he may savour his own farts.”[271]
The Sultan laughed and said, “By Allah, if he do on this wise ’tis a
somewhat curious matter, or perhaps, O Wazir, he have some cause to
account for it; at any rate do thou call out to him and ask him.” So the
Wazir arose and drawing near to him asked him saying, “Ho, this
one![272] every time thou fizzlest thou smellest and sniffest at thy
fizzlings;” whereto answered the workman, “Wag not thy tongue with these
words seeing thou art in the presence of a King glorious of degree.”
Quoth the Minister, “What is the matter with thee in this case that thou
art sniffing at thy pocket?” and quoth the labourer, “Verily my beloved
is in my pouch.” The Wazir wondered hereat and reported the same to the
Sultan who cried, “Return to him and say:—Is it possible that thou
display to us thy beloved who is in thy breast-pocket?” So he returned
to him and said, “Show us what there is in thy pouch.” Now the origin of
this necklace was that the King had bought it for Kut al-Kulub at the
price of a thousand dinars and the damsel had given it to the
Bhang-eater with the sole object that the Sultan might look upon it and
thereby be directed unto her and might learn the reason of her
disappearance and her severance from him. Hereupon the man brought out
to them the necklace from his breast-pocket and the Sultan on seeing it
at once recognized it and wondered how it had fallen into the hands of
that workman; accordingly he asked who was its owner and the other
answered, “It belongeth to the handmaid whom I bought with an hundred
dinars.” Quoth the Sultan to him, “Is it possible[273] thou invite us to
thy quarters that we may look upon this damsel;” and quoth the other,
“Would you look upon my slave-girl and not be ashamed of yourselves?
However I will consult her, and if she be satisfied therewith we will
invite you.” They said to him, “This be a rede that is right and an
affair which no blame can excite.” When the day had reached its term the
masons and workmen were dismissed after they had taken their wage; but
as for the Bhang-eater the Sultan gave him two gold pieces and set him
free about sunset tide; so he fared to his handmaid and informed her of
what had befallen him from the King, adding, “He hath indeed looked upon
the necklace and hath asked me to invite him hither as well as the
Wazir.” Quoth she, “No harm in that; but to-morrow (Inshallah!) do thou
bring all we require for a state occasion of meats and drinks, and let
me have them here by noontide, so they may eat the early meal. But when
he shall ask to buy me of thee compose thy mind and say thou, No, when
he will reply to thee:—Give me this damsel in free gift. Hereat do thou
say:—She is a present from me to thee; because indeed I am his slave and
bought with his money for one thousand and five hundred dinars; and thou
hadst never become my lord save through my foes who devised a device
against me and who sold me when thou boughtest me. However the hour of
thy prosperity hath now come.” And when morning morrowed she gave him
five gold pieces and said to him, “Bring for me things that be such and
such,” and said he, “Hearing and obedience.” So he went to the
market-street where he purchased all the supplies wherewith she had
charged him and returned to her forthright. Hereupon she arose and
tucking up her sleeves prepared meats that befitted the King and
likewise she got ready comfits and the daintiest of dainties and
sherbets and she tempered the pastilles and she besprinkled the room
with rose-water and looked to the furniture of the place. About midday
she sent to the Sultan and the Wazir with notice that she was ready; so
the Bhang-eater repaired to the Palace and having gone in to the
presence said, “Have the kindness!”[274] The twain arose without more
ado and hied with him privily till they reached his house and entered
therein.——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent
and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad,
“How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and
delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with that I should
relate to you on the coming night, an the Sovran suffer me to survive?”
Now when it was the next night and that was
The Four Hundred and Ninth Night,