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 vagabonds said, “Each one of us shall take
her to him for a night after the Shaykh,” and so saying they left me and
went their ways. Then the Chief fell to chatting with me and he was in
high spirits, when suddenly my glance fell upon a rope hanging from the
ceiling of that barrack and I cried, “O Shaykh!” whereto he replied,
“Yes, O my lady and light of mine eyes.” Said I to him, “What may be
this cord thus suspended?” and said he, “This is called ‘hanging-gear’;
and, when any of ours requireth chastisement from my associates, we
hoist him up by this rope and we bash him.” Quoth I, “Hang me up and let
me see how ’tis done,” but quoth he, “Heaven forfend, O my lady! I will
hang myself in thy stead and thou shalt look upon me.” Hereat he arose
and tied himself tight and cried, “Haul up this rope and make it fast in
such a place!” I did his bidding and bound it right firmly and left him
hanging in the air. Presently he cried “Let go the cord,” and replied I,
“O Shaykh, first let me enjoy the spectacle.” Then I stripped him of all
his clothing and drawing forth the calf’s tail which was studded with
nails and glass splinters, I said to him, “O Shaykh, is this the tail of
a kid or of a calf?” “What woman art thou?” asked he, and I answered, “I
am the owner of the calf;” and then, tucking up my two sleeves to the
elbows, I beat him till I stripped him of his skin and he lost his
senses and he had no breath wherewith to speak. Thereupon I arose and
fell to searching the hall, where I found sundry valuables amongst which
was a box, so I opened it and came upon three hundred gold pieces and a
store of reals[333] and silverlings and jadids.[334] I laid hands on the
whole of it and then bore off somewhat of the most sumptuous dresses;
and, having wrapped them all up in a sheet, I carried them away; and
about dawn I went in to my mother and cried, “Take these to the price of
the calf, which I have received from the purchaser.” But when the day
was high and the sun waxed hot the whole troop of the Shaykh collected
and said, “Verily our Elder hath slept till the undurn hour;” and one of
them declared “’Tis from enjoying so much pleasure and luxury, he and
the girl; and doubtless their night hath been a white[335] night.” So
they ceased not talking together and each of them had his word until the
noon was nigh, when certain of them said, “Come with us and let us rouse
him from sleep:” and, saying thus, all went to the door of the hall and
opened it. Hereupon they found their Shaykh hanging up and his body
bleeding profusely;[336] so they asked him, “What hath befallen thee?”
and he answered in a weak voice, “Verily that girl is no girl at all,
but she is the youth who owned the calf.” They replied, “By Allah, there
is no help but that we seize him and slay him;” whereto the Elder said,
“Loose me and lead me to the Hammam that I may wash clean my skin of all
this blood.” Then they let him down and after mounting him upon a donkey
they bore him to the baths. Hereat I went to the slaughter-house and
covered my body with bullocks’ blood and stuck to it pledgets of cotton
so that I became like one sorely diseased and I repaired to the same
Hammam propped upon a staff and required admittance. They refused me
saying, “The Shaykh of the Vagabonds is now in the baths nor may anyone
go in to him.” Quoth I to them, “I am a man with a malady,” whereto
quoth one of them, “This is a poor wight, so let him come within.”
Accordingly I entered and found the Chief alone, whereupon I drew forth
the tail and asked him, “O Shaykh, is this the tail of a calf or a kid?”
“Who art thou,” said he, and I said, “I am the owner of the calf;” after
which I fell to beating him with the tail until his breath was clean
gone. Then I left him and went forth from the Hammam by another door so
as to avoid his followers.——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
how enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared
with that I should 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 Four Hundred and Forty-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 of deeds fair-seeming and
worthy celebrating, that the youth, the owner of the calf, after beating
the Shaykh of the Vagabonds with a sore bashing within the Bath went
forth by the back door. Whereupon (continued the Larrikin) the followers
of the Chief went in and they found him at his last breath and moaning
from the excess of blows. Quoth they, “What is the matter with thee?”
and quoth he, “That man with a malady who came into the Hammam is none
other but the owner of the calf and he hath killed me.” So they took him
up and carried him from the place and he said to them, “Do ye bear me
outside the city and set up for me a tent and lay me therein, after
which do ye gather round about me and never leave me at all.” Hereat
they mounted him upon an ass and bore him to the place he described and,
pitching a tent, set him therein and all sat around him. Presently the
tidings reached me, whereupon I changed my clothes for a disguise and
drew near the tent whereabouts I found a Badawi-man feeding his sheep.
So I said to him, “O Badawi, take this ducat and draw near yonder tent
and call aloud, saying:—I am the owner of the calf; after which make off
with thy life for an they catch thee they will slay thee.” “By Allah,”
quoth the Arab, “even if they rode their best mares none of them could
come up with me!” So I took charge of the sheep while the Badawi
approaching the tent cried in his loudest voice, “By Allah, I am the
owner of the calf.” Hearing this the vagabonds sprang to their feet as
one body and drew their weapons and rushed after the Badawi; but, when
he had run some distance from the tent with all the men behind him, I
went in and drawing from below my clothes the tail of the calf said, “O
Shayh, is this the tail of a calf or a kid?” The Elder asked, “Art thou
not he who cried out, I am the owner of the calf?” and I answered, “No,
I am not,” and came down upon him with the tail and beat him until he
could no longer breathe. Then I took the properties belonging to his
party and wrapping them in a sheet carried them off and quitting the
place I went in to my mother and said to her, “Take them to the worth of
the calf.” Now those who had run after the Badawi ceased not pursuing
him, yet could none of them come up with him and when they were tired
they returned from the chase and stinted not walking until they entered
the tent. There they found the Shaykh breathless nor could he move save
to make signs; so they sprinkled a little water upon his face; and the
life returned to him and he said to them, “Verily the owner of the calf
came to me and beat me till he killed me and the wight who cried, I am
the owner of the calf is an accomplice of his.” Thereupon all waxed
furious and the Elder said to them, “Bear me home and give out that your
Shaykh is deceased; after which do you bathe my body and carry me to the
cemetery and bury me by night and next morning disinter me so that the
owner of this calf may hear that I am dead and leave me in peace. Indeed
as long as I continue in this condition he will devise for me device
after device and some day will come into me and kill me downright.” They
did what their Shaykh bade them and began crying and keening and saying,
“Verily our Chief is deceased,” so that the report was bruited abroad
that the Shaykh of the Vagabonds had died. But I, the owner of the calf,
said to myself, “By Allah, an he be dead, they will assuredly make for
him some mourning ceremony.” Now when they had washed him and shrouded
him and carried him out upon the bier, and were proceeding to the
graveyard that they might bury him, and had reached half way to it, lo
and behold! I joined the funeral train and suddenly walking under the
coffin with a sharp packing needle[337] in hand,——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 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 King suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that
was
The Four Hundred and Forty-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 I walked under the bier packing-needle in hand,
and thrust it into the Shaykh of the Vagabonds, whereat he cried out and
sprang up and sat upright upon his shell.[338] Now when the King heard
this tale he laughed and was cheered and the Larrikin resumed:—By Allah,
when I thrust the needle into him and he sat upright in his coffin all
the folk fell to wondering and cried, “Verily the dead hath come to
life.” Hereupon, O my lord, my fear waxed great and I said to myself,
“All adventures are not like one another: haply the crowd[339] will
recognise me and slay me.” So I went forth the city and came hither.
Cried the King, “Of a truth, this tale is marvellous;” when the second
Larrikin exclaimed, “By Allah, O my lord, my tale is rarer and stranger
than this, for indeed therein I did deeds worthy of the Jinn-mad and
amongst the many tricks that came from my hand I died and was buried and
I devised a device whereby they drew me from my tomb.” Quoth the King,
“Walláhi, if thy tale be more wondrous than that which forewent it I
needs must reward thee with somewhat. But now tell us of what betided
thee.” So the man began to relate the
_HISTORY OF THE SECOND LARRIKIN._
I was living, O my lord, under the same roof with my father’s wife and I
had with me some bundles of sesame cobs, but no great quantity, which I
stored in a little basket hanging up in the great ceiling-vault of our
house. Now one day of the days a party of merchants, numbering five or
so, together with their head man, came to our village and began asking
for sesame; and they happened to meet me on the road hard by our place,
so they put me the same question. I asked them, “Do you want much of
it?” and they answered, “We require[340] about an hundred ardabbs.”[341]
Quoth I, “By me is a large quantity thereof;” and quoth they, “Have the
kindness to show us the muster;”[342] whereto I rejoined, “Upon the head
and the eye!” Hereat I led them into the room wherein the basket was
suspended with a few cobs of sesame (there being none other) and I went
up by an outside staircase to the top of the vault, which I pierced, and
putting forth my hand, took up a palm-full and therewith returned to
them and showed the specimen. They saw that the sesame was clean grain,
and said one to other, “This house is naught but full to the vault,[343]
for had there been a small quantity there he would have opened the door
and shown us the heaps.” Hereupon I conversed with them and settled the
price and they paid me as earnest money for an hundred ardabbs of sesame
six hundred reals. I took the coin and gave it to the wife of my father,
saying to her, “Cook for us a supper that shall be toothsome.” Then I
slaughtered for her five chickens and charged her that, after she should
have cooked the supper, she must prepare for us a pot of Baysárah[344]
which must be slab and thick. She did as I bade her and I returned to
the merchants and invited them to sup with us and night in our house.
Now when sunset time came I brought them in for the evening meal and
they supped and were cheered, and as soon as the hour for night-prayer
had passed I spread for them sleeping-gear and said to them, “O our
guests, be careful of yourselves lest the wind come forth from your
bellies, for with me dwelleth the wife of my father, who disgusteth
fizzles and who dieth if she hear a fart.” After this they slept soundly
from the stress of their fatigue and were overwhelmed with slumber; but
when it was midnight, I took the pot of Baysarah and approached them as
they still slumbered and I besmeared[345] their backsides with the
Baysarah and returned and slept until dawn of day in my own stead hard
beside them. At this time all five were awake, and as each one arose
before his companions he sensed a somewhat soft below him and putting
forth his hand felt his bum bewrayed[346] with the stuff, and said to
his neighbour, “Ho, such an one, I have skited!” and the other said, “I
also have conskited myself;” and then all said together, “We have
skited.” But when I heard this, O my lord, I arose forthwith and cried
out saying, “Haste ye to my help, O ye folk, for these guests have
killed my father’s wife.”——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
how enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared
with that I should 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 Four Hundred and Forty-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 quoth the second Larrikin to the King:—O my
lord, I cried out saying, “The guests have slain the wife of my father.”
But when they heard me the merchants arose and ran away, each following
other, so I rushed after them, shouting aloud, “Ye have killed my
father’s wife,” till such time as they had disappeared from sight. Then
said I to myself, “Inshallah! they will never more come back.” But after
they had disappeared for a whole year they returned and demanded their
coin, to wit, six hundred reals; and I, when the tidings reached me,
feigned myself dead and ordered my father’s wife to bury me in the
cemetery and I took to my grave a portion of charcoal and a
branding-iron. Now when the five merchants came and asked after me the
folk said, “He hath deceased and they have graved him in his grave;”
whereupon the creditors cried, “By Allah, there is no help but that we
go and piss upon his fosse.” Now I had made a crevice in the tomb[347]
and I had lighted the charcoal and I had placed the branding-iron ready
till it became red hot and, when they came to piddle upon my grave, I
took the iron and branded their hinder cheeks with sore branding, and
this I did to one and all till the five had suffered in the flesh.
Presently they departed to their own country, when my father’s wife came
and opened the tomb and drew me forth and we returned together to our
home. After a time, however, the news reached these merchants in their
towns that I was living and hearty, so they came once more to our
village and demanded of the Governor that I be given up to them. So the
rulers sent for and summoned me, but when the creditors made a claim
upon me for six hundred reals, I said to the Governor, “O my lord,
verily these five fellows were slaves to my sire in bygone-times.” Quoth
the ruler, “Were ye then in sooth chattels to his sire?” and said they
to me, “Thou liest!” Upon this I rejoined, “Bare their bodies; and, if
thou find a mark thereupon, they be my father’s serviles, and if thou
find no sign then are my words false.” So they examined them and they
found upon the rumps of the five, marks of the branding-iron, and the
Governor said, “By Allah, in good sooth he hath told the truth and you
five are the chattels of his father.” Hereupon began dispute and debate
between us, nor could they contrive aught to escape from me until they
paid me three hundred reals in addition to what I had before of them.
When the Sultan heard these words from the Larrikin he fell to wondering
and laughing at what the wight had done and he said, “By Allah, verily
thy deed is the deed of a vagabond who is a past-master in fraud.” Then
the third Larrikin spoke and said, “By Allah, in good sooth my story is
more marvellous and wondrous than the tales of this twain, for that none
(methinketh) save I could have done aught of the kind.” The King asked
him “And what may be thy story?” so he began to relate
_THE HISTORY OF THE THIRD LARRIKIN._
O my lord, I was once an owner of herds whereof naught remained to me
but a single bull well advanced in years and unhealthy of flesh and of
hide; and when I sought to sell him to the butchers none was willing to
buy him of me, nor even to accept him as a gift. So I was disgusted with
the beast and with the idea of eating him; and, as he could not be used
either to grind[348] or to plough, I led him into a great courtyard,
where I slaughtered him and stripped off his hide. Then I cut the flesh
into bittocks——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 King suffer me to survive?” Now
when it was the next night and that was
The Four Hundred and Forty-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 whilome owner of the bull said to the King,
“O my lord, I cut his flesh into bittocks and went forth and cried aloud
upon the dogs of the quarter, when they all gathered together nor did
one remain behind. Then I caused them to enter the court and having
bolted the door gave to each dog a bit of the meat weighing half a
pound.”[349] So all ate and were filled, after which I shut them up in
the house which was large, for a space of three days when, behold, the
folk came seeking their tykes and crying, “Whither can the curs have
gone?” So I related how I had locked them up within the house and
hereupon each man who had a hound came and took it away. Then quoth I,
“Thy dog hath eaten a full pound of flesh,” and I took from each owner
six faddahs and let him have his beast until I had recovered for the
meat of that bull a sum of two thousand faddahs.[350] At last of these
dogs there remained to me but one unclaimed and he had only a single eye
and no owner. So I took up a staff and beat him and he ran away and I
ran after him to catch him until he came upon a house with the door open
and rushed within. Now by the decree of the Decreer it so happened that
the mistress of the house had a man living with her who was one-eyed and
I ran in and said to her, “Bring out the one-eyed that is with thee,”
meaning the dog. But when the house mistress heard me say, “Bring out
the one-eyed,” she fancied that I spoke of her mate, so knowing naught
about the matter of the tyke she came up to me and cried, “Allah upon
thee, O my lord, do thou veil what Allah hath veiled and rend not our
reputation and deal not disgrace to us;”[351] presently adding, “Take
this bangle from me and betray us not.” So I took it and left her and
went my ways, after which she returned to the house and her heart was
heaving and she found that her man had been in like case ever since he
heard me say, “Bring out the one-eyed.” So I went away carrying off the
bracelet and fared homeward. But when she looked about the room, lo and
behold! she espied the one-eyed dog lying in a corner and, as soon as
she caught sight of him, she was certified that I had alluded to the
beast. So she buffeted her face and regretted the loss of her bangle and
following me she came up and said to me, “O my lord, I have found the
one-eyed dog, so do thou return with me and take him;” whereat I had
pity upon the woman and restored to her the ornament. However, when this
had befallen me, fear possessed my heart lest she denounce me, and I
went away from my village and came to this place where the three of us
forgathered and have lived ever since. When the King had given ear to
this story he was cheered and said, “By Allah, verily the adventures of
you three are wondrous, but my desire of you is to know if any of you
have heard aught of the histories of bygone Sultans; and, if so, let him
relate them to me. First, however, I must take you into the city that
you may enjoy your rest.” “O my lord,” quoth they, “who art thou of the
citizens?” and quoth he, “I am the King of this country, and the cause
of my coming hither was my design to hunt and chase and the finding you
here hath diverted me therefrom.” But when they heard his words, they
forthwith rose to their feet and did him obeisance saying, “Hearing and
obeying,” after which the three repaired with him to the city. Here the
King commanded that they set apart for them an apartment and appointed
to them rations of meat and drink and invested them with robes of
honour; and they remained in company one with other till a certain night
of the nights when the Sultan summoned them and they made act of
presence between his hands and the season was after the King had prayed
the Ishá[352] prayers. So he said to them, “I require that each and
every of you who knoweth an history of the Kings of yore shall relate it
to me,” whereat said one of the four, “I have by me such a tale.” Quoth
the King, “Then tell it to us;” when the first Larrikin began to relate
the
_STORY OF A SULTAN OF AL-HIND AND HIS SON MOHAMMED._[353]
There was in days of yore a King in the land of Al-Hind, who reigned
over wide dominions (and praise be to Him who ruleth the worlds material
and spiritual!), but this Sultan had nor daughter nor son. So once upon
a time he took thought and said, “Glory to Thee! no god is there save
Thyself, O Lord; withal Thou hast not vouchsafed to me a child either
boy or girl.” On the next day he arose a-morn wholly clad in clothes of
crimson hue,[354]——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 how
enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with
that I should 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 Four Hundred and Forty-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 King of Al-Hind arose a-morn wholly clad in
clothes of crimson hue, and the Wazir, coming into the Divan, found him
in such case. So he salam’d to him and blessed him with the blessing due
to Caliphs, and said to him, “O King of the Age, doth aught irk thee
that thou art robed in red?” whereto he replied, “O Wazir, I have risen
with my heart gript hard.” Said the other, “Go into thy treasury of
moneys and jewels and turn over thy precious ores, that thy sorrow be
dispersed.” But said the Sultan, “O Wazir, verily all this world is a
transitory, and naught remaineth to any save to seek the face of Allah
the Beneficent: withal the like of me may never more escape from cark
and care, seeing that I have lived for this length of time and that I
have not been blessed with or son or daughter, for verily children are
the ornament of the world.” Hereupon a wight dark of hue, which was a
Takrúri[355] by birth, suddenly appeared before the Sultan and standing
between his hands said to him, “O King of the Age, I have by me certain
medicinal roots the bequeathal of my forbears and I have heard that thou
hast no issue; so an thou eat somewhat thereof haply shall they gladden
thy heart.” “Where be these simples?” cried the King, whereat the
Takruri man drew forth a bag and brought out from it somewhat that
resembled a confection and gave it to him with due injunctions. So when
it was nighttime the Sultan ate somewhat of it and then slept with his
wife who, by the Omnipotence of Allah Almighty, conceived of him that
very time. Finding her pregnant the King was rejoiced thereat and fell
to distributing alms to the Fakirs and the mesquin and the widows and
the orphans, and this continued till the days of his Queen’s pregnancy
were completed. Then she bare a man-child fair of face and form, which
event caused the King perfect joy and complete; and on that day when the
boy was named Mahommed,[356] Son of the Sultan, he scattered full half
his treasury amongst the lieges. Then he bade bring for the babe
wet-nurses who suckled him until milktime ended, when they weaned him,
after which he grew every day in strength and stature till his age
reached his sixth year. Hereupon his father appointed for him a Divine
to teach him reading and writing and the Koran and all the sciences,
which he mastered when his years numbered twelve. And after this he took
to mounting horses and learning to shoot with shafts and to hit the
mark, up to the time when he became a knight who surpassed all other
knights. Now one day of the days Prince Mahommed rode off a-hunting, as
was his wont, when lo and behold! he beheld a fowl with green plumage
wheeling around him in circles and rocketing in the air and seeing this
he was desirous to bring it down with an arrow. But he found this
impossible so he ceased not following the quarry with intent to catch it
but again he failed and it flew away from his ken; whereat he was sore
vexed and he said to himself, “Needs must I seize this bird,” and he
kept swerving to the right and the left in order to catch sight of it
but he saw it not. This endured until the end of day when he returned to
the city and sought his father and his mother, and when they looked upon
him they found his case changed and they asked him concerning his
condition, so he related to them all about the bird and they said to
him, “O our son, O Mahommed, verily the creations of Allah be curious
and how many fowls are like unto this, nay even more wondrous.” Cried
he, “Unless I catch her[357] I will wholly give up eating.” Now when
morning dawned he mounted according to his custom and again went forth
to the chase; and presently he pushed into the middle of the desert when
suddenly he saw the bird flying in air and he pushed his horse to speed
beneath her and shot at her a shaft with the intent to make her his
prey, but again was unable to kill the bird. He persisted in the chase
from sunrise until sundown when he was tired and his horse was aweary,
so he turned him round purposing a return city-wards, when behold, he
was met in the middle of the road by an elderly man who said to him, “O
son of the Sultan, in very sooth thou art fatigued and on like wise is
thy steed.” The Prince replied, “Yes,” and the Elder asked him, “What is
the cause thereof?” Accordingly he told him all anent the bird and the
Shaykh replied to him, “O my son, an thou absent thyself and ride for a
whole year in pursuit of yonder fowl thou wilt never be able to take
her; and, O my child, where is this bird![358] I will now inform thee
that in a City of the Islands hight of Camphor there is a garden wide of
sides wherein are many of such fowls and far fairer than this, and of
them some can sing and others can speak with human speech; but, O my
son, thou art unable to reach that city. However, if thou leave this
bird and seek another of the same kind, haply I can show thee one and
thou wilt not weary thyself any more.” When Mohammed, Son of the Sultan,
heard these words from the Elder he cried, “By Allah, ’tis not possible
but that I travel to that city.” Hereupon he left the Shaykh and
returned to his own home, but his heart was engrossed with the Capital
of the Camphor Islands, and when he went in to his sire, his case was
troubled. The father asked him thereof and he related to him what the
oldster had said. “O my son,” quoth the sire, “cast out this accident
from thy heart and weary not thy soul, inasmuch as whoso would seek an
object he cannot obtain, shall destroy his own life for the sake thereof
and furthermore he shall fail of his gain. Better therefore thou set thy
heart at rest[359] and weary thyself no more.” Quoth the Son, “Walláhi,
O my sire, verily my heart is hung to yonder fowl and specially to the
words of the Elder; nor is it possible to me to sit at home until I
shall have reached the city of the Camphor Islands and I shall have
gazed upon the gardens wherein such fowls do wone.” Quoth his father,
“But why, O my child, wouldst thou deprive us of looking upon thee?” And
quoth the son, “There is no help but that I travel.”——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 King suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that
was
The Four Hundred and Fifty-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 of deeds fair-seeming and
worthy celebrating, that Mohammed the Son of the Sultan cried, “Needs
must I travel, otherwise I will slay myself.” “There is no Majesty and
there is no Might,” quoth the father, “save in Allah the Glorious, the
Great; and saith the old saw, ‘The chick is unsatisfied till the crow
see it and carry it off.’”[360] Thereupon the King gave orders to get
ready provisions and other matters required for the Prince’s wayfare,
and he sent with him an escort of friends and servants, after which the
youth took leave of his father and mother and he with his many set forth
seeking the Capital of the Camphor Islands. He ceased not travelling for
the space of an entire month till he arrived at a place wherein three
highways forked, and he saw at the junction a huge rock whereon were
written three lines. Now the first read, “This is the road of safe
chance,” and the second, “This is the way of repentance,” and the third,
“This is the path whereon whoso paceth shall return nevermore.” When the
Prince perused these inscriptions he said to himself, “I will tread the
path whereon whoso paceth shall nevermore return.” Then he put his trust
in Allah, and he travelled over that way for a space of days a score,
when suddenly he came upon a city deserted and desolate, nor was there a
single created thing therein and it was utterly in ruins. So he alighted
beside it and, as a flock of sheep accompanied his suite, he bade
slaughter five lambs and commanded the cooks to prepare of them delicate
dishes and to roast one of them whole and entire. They did his bidding,
and when the meats were cooked he ordered the trays be spread in that
site and, as soon as all was done to his satisfaction, he purposed
sitting down to food, he and his host, when suddenly an ’Aun[361]
appeared coming from the ruined city. But when Prince Mohammed beheld
him he rose to him in honour saying, “Welcome and fair welcome to him
who of ’Auns is the head, and to the brethren friend true-bred,[362] and
the Haunter of this stead;” and he satisfied him with the eloquence of
his tongue and the elegance of his speech. Now this ’Aun had hair that
overhung either eye and fell upon his shoulders, so the Prince brought
out his scissors[363] and trimmed his locks clearing them away from his
face, and he pared his nails which were like talons, and finally let
bathe his body with warm water. Then he served up to him the barbecue of
lamb which he caused to be roasted whole for the use of the Jinni and
bade place it upon the tray, so the Haunter ate with the travellers and
was cheered by the Prince’s kindness and said to him, “By Allah, O my
lord Mohammed, O thou Son of the Sultan, I was predestined to meet thee
in this place but now let me know what may be thy need.” Accordingly the
youth informed him of the city of the Camphor Islands and of the garden
containing the fowls which he fared to seek, and of his design in
wayfaring thither to bring some of them away with him. But when the ’Aun
heard from him these words, he said to him, “O thou Son of the Sultan,
that site is a far cry for thee, nor canst thou ever arrive thereat
unless assisted, seeing that its distance from this place be a march of
two hundred years for a diligent traveller. How then canst thou reach it
and return from it? However, the old saw saith, O my son, ‘Good for good
and the beginner is worthier, and ill for ill and the beginner is
unworthier.’[364] Now thou hast done to me a kindly deed and I
(Inshallah!) will requite thee with its match and will reward thee with
its mate; but let whatso is with thee of companions and slaves and
beasts and provisions abide in this site and we will go together, I and
thou, and I will win for thee thy wish even as thou hast wrought by me a
kindly work.” Hereupon the Prince left all that was with him in that
place and the ’Aun said to him, “O son of the Sultan, come mount upon my
shoulders.” The youth did accordingly, after he had filled his ears with
cotton, and the ’Aun rose from earth and towered in air and after the
space of an hour he descended again and the rider found himself in the
grounds about the capital of the Camphor Islands. So he dismounted from
the Jinni’s shoulders and looked about that Wady where he espied
pleasant spots and he descried trees and blooms and rills and birds that
trilled and shrilled with various notes. Then quoth the ’Aun to him, “Go
forth to yonder garden and thence bring thy need;” so he walked thither
and, finding the gates wide open, he passed in and fell to solacing
himself with looking to the right and the left. Presently he saw
bird-cages suspended and in them were fowls of every kind, to each two,
so he walked up to them and whenever he noted a bird that pleased him he
took it and caged it till he had there six fowls and of all sorts twain.
Then he designed to leave the garden when suddenly a keeper met him face
to face at the door crying aloud, “A thief! a thief!” Hereat all the
other gardeners rushed up and seized him, together with the cage, and
carried him before the King, the owner of that garden and lord of that
city. They set him in the presence saying, “Verily we found this young
man stealing a cage wherein be fowls and in good sooth he must be a
thief.” Quoth the Sultan, “Who misled thee, O Youth, to enter my grounds
and trespass thereon and take of my birds?” Whereto the Prince returned
no reply. So the Sultan resumed, “By Allah, thou hast wilfully wasted
thy life, but, O Youngster, an it be thy desire to take my birds and
carry them away, do thou go and bring me from the capital of the Isles
of the Súdán[365] bunches of grapes which are clusters of diamonds and
emeralds, when I will give thee over and above these six fowls six other
beside.” So the Prince left him and going to the ’Aun informed him of
what had befallen him, and the other cried, “’Tis easy, O Mohammed;” and
mounting him upon his shoulders flew with him for the space of two hours
and presently alighted. The youth saw himself in the lands surrounding
the capital of the Sudan Islands which he found more beautiful than the
fair region he had left; and he designed forthright to approach the
garden containing great clusters of diamonds and emeralds, when he was
confronted by a Lion in the middle way. Now it was the wont of this
beast yearly to visit that city and to pounce upon everything he met of
women as well as of men; so seeing the Prince he charged down upon him,
designing to rend him limb from limb.——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 how enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is
this compared with that I should 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 Four Hundred and Fifty-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 the Lion charged down upon Mohammed, Son of the
Sultan, designing to rend him in pieces, but he confronted him and
unsheathing his scymitar made it glitter in the sunshine[366] and
pressed him close and bashed him with brand between his eyes so that the
blade came forth gleaming from between his thighs. Now by doom of
Destiny the daughter of the Sultan was sitting at the latticed window of
her belvedere and was looking at her glass and solacing herself, when
her glance fell upon the King’s son as he was smiting the Lion. So she
said to herself, “May thy hand never palsied grow nor exult over thee
any foe!” But the Prince after slaying the Lion left the body and walked
into the garden whose door had been left open and therein he found that
all the trees were of precious metal bearing clusters like grapes of
diamonds and emeralds. So he went forwards and plucked from those trees
six bunches which he placed within a cage, when suddenly he was met by
the keeper who cried out, “A thief! a thief!” and when joined by the
other gardeners seized him and bore him before the Sultan saying, “O my
lord, I have come upon this youth who was red-handed in robbing yonder
clusters.” The King would have slain him forthright, but suddenly there
came to him a gathering of the folk who cried, “O King of the Age, a
gift of good news!”[367] Quoth he, “Wherefore?” and quoth they, “Verily
the Lion which was wont hither to come every year and to pounce upon all
that met him of men and of women and of maidens and of children, we have
found him in such a place clean slain and split into twain.” Now the
Sultan’s daughter was standing by the lattice of the belvedere which was
hard by the Divan of her sire and was looking at the youth who stood
before the King and was awaiting to see how it would fare with him. But
when the folk came in and reported the death of the Lion, the Sultan
threw aside the affair of the youth of his joy and delight and fell to
asking, “Who was it slew the beast?” and to saying, “Walláhi! By the
rights of my forbears in this kingdom,[368] let him who killed the
monster come before me and ask of me a boon which it shall be given to
him; nay, even if he demand of me a division of all my good he shall
receive that same.” But when he had heard of all present that the
tidings were true then the city-folk followed one another in a line and
went in to the Sultan and one of them said, “I have slain the Lion.”
Said the King, “And how hast thou slain him; and in what manner hast
thou been able to prevail over and master him?” Then he spake with him
softly[369] and proved him and at last so frightened him that the man
fell to the ground in his consternation; when they carried him off and
the King declared, “This wight lieth!” All this and Mohammed, the Son of
the Sultan, was still standing and looking on and when he heard the
man’s claim he smiled. Suddenly the King happening to glance at him saw
the smile and was astounded and said in his mind, “By Allah, this Youth
is a wondrous for he smileth he being in such case as this.” But behold,
the King’s daughter sent an eunuch to her father and he delivered the
message, when the King arose and went into his Harem and asked her,
“What is in thy mind and what is it thou seekest?” She answered, “Is it
thy desire to know who slew the Lion that thou mayest largesse him?” and
he rejoined, saying, “By virtue of Him who created His servants and
computeth their numbers,[370] when I know him and am certified of his
truth my first gift to him shall be to wed thee with him and he shall
become to me son-in-law were he in the farthest of lands.” Retorted she,
“By Allah, O my father, none slew the Lion save the young man who
entered the garden and carried off the clusters of gems, the youth whom
thou art minded to slay.” When he heard these words from his daughter,
the King returned to the Divan and bade summon Mohammed the Son of the
Sultan, and when they set him between his hands he said to him, “O
Youth, thou hast indemnity from me and say me, art thou he who slew the
Lion?” The other answered, “O King, I am indeed young in years; how then
shall I prevail over a Lion and slaughter him, when, by Allah, in all my
born days I have never met even with a hyena much less with a lion?
However, O King of the Age, an thou largesse me with these clusters of
gems and give them to me in free gift, I will wend my ways, and if not
my luck will be with Allah!” Rejoined the King, “O Youth, speak thou
sooth and fear not!” Here he fell to soothing him with words and
solacing him and gentling him, after which he threatened him with his
hand, but Mohammed the Son of the Sultan raised his neave swiftlier than
the lightning and smote the King and caused him swoon. Now there was
none present in the Divan save Mohammed and the Monarch, who after an
hour came to himself and said, “By Allah, thou art he who slew the
Lion!” Hereupon he robed him with a robe of honour and, summoning the
Kazi, bade tie the marriage-tie with his daughter; but quoth the young
man, “O King of the Age, I have a counsel to consult, after which I will
return to thee.” Quoth the King, “Right rede is this same and a matter
not to blame.” Accordingly the Prince repaired to the ’Aun in the place
where he had left him and related to him all that had betided himself,
and of his intended marriage with the King’s daughter, whereupon said
the Jinni, “Condition with him that if thou take her to wife thou shalt
carry her along with thee to thine own country.” The youth did his
bidding and returned to the King who said, “There is no harm in that,”
and the marriage-knot was duly knotted. Then the bridegroom was led in
procession to his bride with whom he remained a full month of thirty
days, after which he craved leave to fare for his own motherland,——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 King suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night
and that was
The Four Hundred and Fifty-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 Mohammed Son of the Sultan craved leave to
return to his own motherland, when his father-in-law gave him an hundred
clusters of the diamantine and smaragdine grapes, after which he
farewelled the King and taking his bride fared without the city. Here he
found expecting him the ’Aun, who, after causing them to fill their ears
with cotton, shouldered him, together with his wife, and then flew with
them through the firmament for two hours or so and alighted with them
near the capital of the Camphor Islands. Presently Mohammed the Son of
the Sultan took four clusters of the emeralds and diamonds, and going in
to the King laid them before him and drew him back. The Sultan gazed
upon them and marvelled and cried, “Walláhi! doubtless this youth be a
Magician for that he hath covered a space of three hundred years in
three[371] of coming and going, and this is amongst the greatest of
marvels.” Presently he resumed, saying, “O Youth, hast thou reached the
city of the Sudan?” and the other replied, “I have.” The King continued,
“What is its description and its foundation and how are its gardens and
its rills?” So he informed him of all things required of him and the
Sultan cried, “By Allah, O Youth, thou deservest all thou askest of me.”
“I ask for nothing,” said the Prince, “save the birds,” and the King, “O
Youth, there is with us in our town a Vulture which cometh every year
from behind Mount Káf and pounceth upon the sons of this city and
beareth them away and eateth them on the heads of the hills. Now an thou
canst master this monster-fowl and slay that same I have a daughter whom
I will marry to thee.” Quoth the Prince, “I have need of taking
counsel;” and returned to the ’Aun to inform him thereof when behold,
the Vulture made its appearance. But as soon as the Jinni espied it, he
flew and made for it, and caught it up; then, smiting it with a single
stroke of his hand, he cut it in two and presently he returned and
settled down upon the ground. Then, after a while, he went back to
Mohammed, the Son of the Sultan, and said to him, “Hie thee to the King
and report to him the slaughter of the Vulture.” So he went and entering
the presence reported what had taken place, whereupon the Sultan with
his lords of the land mounted[372] their horses, and, going to the
place, found the monster killed, and cut into two halves. Anon the King
returned, and leading Prince Mohammed with him bade knit the
marriage-knot with his daughter and caused him to pay her the first
visit. He tarried beside her for a full-told month after which he asked
leave to travel and to seek the city of his first spouse, carrying with
him the second. Hereupon the King his father-in-law presented to him ten
cages, each containing four birds of vari-coloured coats and farewelled
him. After which he fared forth and left the city, and outside it he
found the ’Aun awaiting him and the Jinni salam’d to the Prince and
congratulated him in what he had won of gifts and prizes. Then he arose
high in air, bearing Mohammed and his two brides and all that was with
them, and he winged his way for an hour or so until he alighted once
more at the ruined city. Here he found the Prince’s suite of learned
men, together with the bât-beasts and their loads[373] and everything
other even as he had left it. So they sat down to take their rest when
the ’Aun said, “O Mohammed, O Son of the Sultan, I have been predestined
to thee in this site whither thou wast fated to come; but I have another
and a further covenant to keep wherewith I would charge thee.” “What is
that?” quoth he, and quoth the ’Aun, “Verily thou shalt not depart this
place until thou shalt have laved me and shrouded me and graved[374] me
in the ground;” and so saying he shrieked a loud shriek and his soul
fled his flesh. This was grievous to the son of the King and he and his
men arose and washed him and shrouded him and having prayed over him
buried him in the earth. After this the Prince turned him to travel, so
they laded the loads and he and his set forth intending for their
families and native land. They journeyed during the space of thirty days
till they reached the fork of the highway whereat stood the great rock,
and here they found tents and pavilions and a host nor did they know
what this mighty many might mean. Now the father, when his son left him,
suffered from straitness of breast and was sore perplexed as to his
affair and he wot not what to do; so he bade make ready his army and
commanded the lords of the land to prepare for the march and all set out
seeking his son and determined to find tidings of him. Nor did they
cease faring till they reached the place where the road forked into
three and on the first rock they saw written the three lines—“This is
the road of safe chance;” and “This is the way of repentance;” and “This
is the path whereon whoso paceth shall return nevermore.” But when the
father read it he was posed and perplext as to the matter and he cried,
“Would Heaven I knew by which road of these three my son Mohammed may
have travelled;” and as he was brooding over this difficulty——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 how enjoyable and delectable!”
Quoth she, “And where is this compared with that I should 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 Four Hundred and Fifty-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 as the Sultan was brooding over this difficulty
lo and behold! his son Mohammed appeared before him by the path which
showed written, “This is the path whereon whoso passeth shall nevermore
return.” But when the King saw him, and face confronted face, he arose
and met him and salam’d to him giving him joy of his safety; and the
Prince told him all that had befallen him from beginning to end—how he
had not reached those places save by the All-might of Allah, and how he
had succeeded in winning his wish by meeting with the ’Aun. So they
nighted in that site and when it was morning they resumed their march,
all in gladness and happiness for that the Sultan had recovered his son
Mohammed. They ceased not faring a while until they drew near their
native city when the bearers of good tidings ran forward announcing the
arrival of the Sultan and his son, and hereupon the houses were
decorated in honour of the Prince’s safe return and crowds came out to
meet them till such time as all had entered the city-walls, after which
their joys increased and their annoy fell from them. And this is the
whole of the tale told by the first Larrikin. Now when the Sultan heard
it he marvelled at what had befallen the chief adventurer therein, when
the second Larrikin spoke saying “I have by me a tale, a marvel of
marvels, and which is a delight to the hearer and a diversion to the
reader and to the reciter.” Quoth the Sovran, “What may that be, O
Shaykh?” and the man fell to relating the
_TALE OF THE FISHERMAN AND HIS SON._
They tell that whilome there was a Fisherman, a poor man with a wife and
family, who every day was wont to take his net and go down to the river
a-fishing for his daily bread which is distributed. Then he would sell a
portion of his catch and buy victual and the rest he would carry to his
wife and children that they might eat. One day of the many days he said
to his son who was growing up to a biggish lad, “O my child, come forth
with me this morning, haply All-Mighty Allah may send us somewhat of
livelihood by thy footsteps;” and the other answered, “’Tis well, O my
father.” Hereupon the Fisherman took his son and his net and they twain
went off together till they arrived at the river-bank, when quoth the
father, “O my boy I will throw the net upon the luck of thee.” Then he
went forward to the water and standing thereby took his net and unfolded
it so that it spread when entering the stream, and after waiting an hour
or so he drew it in and found it heavy of weight: so he cried, “O my
son, bear a hand” and the youth came up and lent him aidance in drawing
it in. And when they had haled it to shore they opened it and found a
fish of large size and glittering with all manner of colours. Quoth the
father, “O my son, by Allah, this fish befitteth not any but the Caliph;
do thou therefore abide with it till I go and fetch a charger wherein to
carry it as an offering for the Prince of True Believers.” The youth
took his seat by the fish and when his father was afar off he went up to
her and said, “Doubtless thou hast children and the byword saith, Do
good and cast it upon the waters.” Then he took up the fish and setting
her near the river besprinkled[375] her and said, “Go thou to thy
children, this is even better than being eaten by the Caliph.” But
having thrown the fish into the stream, his fear of his father grew
strong upon him, so he arose and without stay or delay fled his village;
and he ceased not flying till he reached the Land of Al-Irák whose
capital was under a King wide of dominions (and praise be to the King of
all kingdoms!) So he entered the streets and presently he met a
baker-man who said to him, “O my son, wilt thou serve?” whereto he
replied, “I will serve, O uncle.” The man settled with him for a wage of
two silver nusfs a day together with his meat and his drink, and he
remained working with him for a while of time. Now on one day of the
days behold, he saw a lad of the sons of that city carrying about a cock
with the intention of vending it, when he was met by a Jew who said to
him, “O my child, wilt thou sell this fowl?” and the other said, “I
will.” Quoth the Jew, “For ten faddahs?” and quoth the youth, “Allah
openeth!” Said the other, “For twenty faddahs?” and the lad, “Allah
veileth!”[376] Then the Jew fell to increasing his offer for the cock
until he reached a full dinar.——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 King suffer me to
survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was
The Four Hundred and Sixty-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 of deeds fair-seeming and
worthy celebrating, that the Jew raised his bid for the cock till he
reached a gold piece when the lad said “Here with it.” So the man gave
him the dinar and took from him the fowl and slaughtered it forthright.
Then he turned to a boy, one of his servants, and said to him, “Take
this cock and carry it home and say to thy mistress:—Pluck it, but open
it not until such time as I shall return.” And the servant did his
bidding. But when the Fisherman’s son who was standing hard by heard
these words and saw the bargain, he waited for a while and as soon as
the servant had carried off the fowl, he arose and buying two cocks at
four faddahs he slaughtered them and repaired with them to the house of
the Jew. Then he rapped at the door and when the mistress came out to
him he bespoke her saying:—“The house master saith to thee, Take these
two silvers and send me the bird which was brought to thee by the
servant boy.”[377] Quoth she, “’Tis well,” so he gave her the two fowls
and took from her the cock which her husband had slaughtered. Then he
returned to the bakery, and when he was private he opened the belly of
the cock and found therein a signet-ring with a bezel-gem which in the
sun showed one colour and in the shade another. So he took it up and hid
it in his bosom, after which he gutted the bird and cooked it in the
furnace and ate it. Presently the Jew having finished his business,
returned home and said to his wife, “Bring me the cock.” She brought him
the two fowls and he seeing them asked her, “But where be the first
cock?” And she answered him, “Thou thyself sentest the boy with these
two birds and then orderedst him to bring thee the first cock.” The Jew
held his peace but was sore distressed at heart, so sore indeed that he
came nigh to die and said to himself, “Indeed it hath slipped from my
grasp!” Now the Fisherman’s son after he had mastered the ring waited
until the evening evened when he said; “By Allah, needs must this bezel
have some mystery;” so he withdrew into the privacy of the furnace and
brought it out from his bosom and fell a-rubbing it. Thereupon the Slave
of the Ring appeared and cried, “Here I stand[378] between thy hands.”
Then the Fisherman’s son said to himself, “This indeed is the perfection
of good fortune.” and returned the gem to his breast-pocket as it was.
Now when morning morrowed the owner of the bakery came in and the youth
said to him, “O my master, I am longing for my people and my native land
and ’tis my desire to fare and look upon them and presently I will
return to thee.” So the man paid him his wage, after which he left him
and walked from the bakery till he came to the Palace of the Sultan
where he found near the gate well nigh an hundred heads which had been
cut off and there suspended; so he leaned for rest against the booth of
a sherbet-seller and asked its owner, “O master, what is the cause of
all these heads being hung up?” and the other answered, “O my son,
inquire not, anent what hath been done.” However when he repeated the
question the man replied, “O my son, verily the Sultan hath a daughter,
a model of beauty and loveliness, of symmetric stature and perfect
grace, in fact likest a branch of the Rattan-palm;[379] and whoso cometh
ever to seek her in marriage her father conditioneth with him a
condition.” Cried the Fisherman’s son, “What may be that condition?” and
the other replied, “There is a great mound of ashes under the latticed
windows of the Sultan’s palace, and whoso wisheth to take his daughter
to wife he maketh a covenant with him that he shall carry off that heap.
So the other accepted the agreement with only the proviso that he should
have forty days grace and he consented that, an he fail within that
time, his head be cut off.” “And the heap is high?” quoth the
Fisherman’s son. “Like a hill,” quoth the other. Now when the youth had
thoroughly comprehended what the sherbet-seller had told him, he
farewelled him and left him; then, going to a Khan, he hired him a cell
and taking seat therein for a time he pondered how he should proceed,
for he was indeed fearful yet was his heart hanging to the love of the
Sultan’s daughter. Presently he brought out his ring, and rubbed it,
when the voice of the Slave cried to him, “Here I stand between thy
hands and what mayst thou require of me?” Said the other, “I want a suit
of kingly clothes;” whereat without delay a bundle was set before him
and when he opened it he found therein princely gear. So he took it and
rising without loss of time he went into the Hammam and caused himself
to be soaped and gloved and thoroughly washed, after which he donned the
dress and his case was changed into other case——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 King suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next
night and that was
The Four Hundred and Sixty-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 when the son of the Fisherman came forth the
Bath-house and donned his fine dress, his was changed into other case
and he appeared before the folk in semblance of the sons of Kings.
Presently he went to the Sultan’s palace and entering therein made his
salam and, blushing for modesty, did his obeisance and blessed the
Sultan with the blessing due to Caliphs. His greetings were returned and
the King welcomed him and after that looked at him, and finding him
after princely fashion, asked him, “What is thy need, O Youth, and what
requirest thou?” Answered the other, “I seek connection with thy house,
and I come desirous of betrothal with the lady concealed and the pearl
unrevealed, which is thy daughter.” “Art thou able to perform the
condition, O Youth?” asked the King; “For I want neither means nor
moneys nor precious stones nor other possession; brief, none other thing
save that thou remove yon mound of ashes from beneath the windows of my
palace.” Upon this he bade the youth draw near him and when he obeyed
threw open the lattice; and, showing him the hillock that stood
underneath it, said, “O Youth, I will betroth to thee my daughter an
thou be pleased to remove this heap; but if thou prove thee unable so to
do I will strike off thy head.” Quoth the Fisherman’s son, “I am
satisfied therewith,” presently adding, “A delay![380] grant me the term
of forty days.” “I have allowed thy request to thee,” said the King and
wrote a document bearing the testimony of those present, when cried the
youth, “O King, bid nail up thy windows and let them not be unfastened
until the fortieth day shall have gone by.” “These words be fair,” quoth
the Sultan, and accordingly he gave the order. Hereat the youth went
forth from him whereupon all present in the palace cried, “O the pity of
it, that this youngster should be done to die; indeed there were many
stronger than he, yet none of them availed to remove the heap.” In this
way each and every said his say, but when the Fisherman’s son returned
to his cell (and he was thoughtful concerning his life and perplext as
to his affair) he cried, “Would Heaven I knew whether the Ring hath
power to carry it off.” Then shutting himself up in his cell he brought
out the signet from his breast-pocket and rubbed it, and a Voice was
heard to cry, “Here I stand (and fair befal thy command) between thy
hands. What requirest thou of me, O my lord?” The other replied, “I want
thee to remove the ash-heap which standeth under the windows of the
royal palace, and I demand that thou lay out in lieu thereof a garden
wide of sides in whose middlemost must be a mansion tall and
choice-builded of base, for the special domicile of the Sultan’s
daughter: furthermore, let all this be done within the space of forty
days.” “Aye ready,” quoth the Jinni, “to do all thou desirest.” Hereupon
the youth felt his affright assuaged and his heart rightly directed; and
after this he would go every day to inspect the heap and would find one
quarter of it had disappeared, nor did aught of it remain after the
fourth morning for that the ring was graved with the cabalistic signs of
the Cohens[381] and they had set upon the work an hundred Marids of the
Jann that they might carry out the wishes of any who required aught of
them. And when the mound was removed they dispread in its site a garden
wide of sides in whose midst they edified a palace choice-builded of
base, and all this was done within the space of fifteen days, whilst the
Fisherman’s son ever repaired thither and inspected the work. But when
he had perfected his intent he entered to the Sultan and kissing ground
between his hands and having prayed for his glory and permanence, said,
“O King of the Age, deign open the lattices of thy Palace!” So he went
to them and threw them open when lo and behold, he found in lieu of the
mound a mighty fine garden wherein were trees and rills and blooms and
birds hymning the praises of their Creator; moreover he saw in that
garden a palace, an edifice choice-builded of base which is not to be
found with any King or Kaysar. Seeing this he wondered at the
circumstance and his wits were wildered and he was perplext as to his
affair; after which he sent for the Minister and summoned him and said,
“Counsel me, O Wazir, as to what I shall do in the case of this youth
and in what way shall I fend him from me.” Replied the Councillor, “How
shall I advise thee, seeing that thou madest condition with him that
should he fail in his undertaking thou wouldst strike off his head? Now
there is no contrivance in this matter and there is naught to do save
marrying him with the girl.” By these words the King was persuaded and
caused the knot to be knotted and bade them lead the bridegroom in
procession to the bride, after which the youth set her in the
garden-palace and cohabited with her in all joy and enjoyment and
pleasure and disport. On this wise fared it with them; but as regards
the case of the Jew, when he lost the cock he went forth in sore
disappointment like unto one Jinn-mad; and neither was his sleep sound
and good nor were meat and drink pleasant food, and he ceased not
wandering about till the Fates threw him into that garden. Now he had
noted in past time that a huge heap of ashes stood under the
palace-windows and when he looked he cried, “Verily, the youth hath been
here and all this work is the work of the signet-ring, for that none
other than the Márids of the Jánn could remove such a hillock.” So
saying, the Jew returned to his place, where he brought out a parcel of
fine pearls and some few emeralds and specimens of coral and other
precious minerals, and set them as for sale in a tray. Then he
approached the palace which was builded in the garden and cried out
saying, “The pearls! and the emeralds! and the corals! and various kinds
of fine jewels!” and he kept up this cry.——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
King suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was
The Four Hundred and Sixty-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 the Jew fell to hawking about his minerals and
crying them for sale beside the garden-palace and the Sultan’s daughter
hearing him exclaimed, “O Handmaid, bring me that which is for sale with
this Jew.” So the girl went down and said to the man, “What hast thou by
thee?” and said the other, “Precious stones.” Quoth she, “Wilt thou sell
them for gold?” and quoth he, “No, O my lady, I will sell them for
nothing save for rings which must be old.”[382] Accordingly she returned
and herewith acquainted her lady who said, “By Allah, my Lord hath in
his pencase[383] an old worn-out ring, so do thou go and bring it to me
while he sleepeth.” But she knew not what was hidden for her in the
Secret Purpose, nor that which was fated to be her Fate. So presently
she brought out of the pencase the bezel ring afore-mentioned and gave
it to the handmaid who took it and faring outside the house handed it to
the Jew, and he received it with extreme joy and in turn presented to
her the tray with all thereon. Then he went forth the city and set out
on a voyage to the Seven Islands which are not far from the
earth-surrounding Ocean;[384] and when he arrived thither he landed upon
a sea-holm and travelled to the middlemost thereof. Anon he took seat,
and presently brought out the signet-ring and rubbed it, when the slave
appeared and cried, “Here I stand and between thy hands, what is it thou
needest of me?” “I require of thee,” quoth the Jew, “to transport hither
the bower of the Sultan’s daughter and to restore the ash-heap to the
stead it was in whilome under the lattice of the King’s Palace.” Now ere
night had passed away both Princess and Palace were transported to the
middlemost of the island; and when the Jew beheld her his heart flamed
high for the excess of her beauty and loveliness. So he entered her
bower and fell to conversing with her, but she would return to him no
reply and, when he would have approached her, she started away in
disgust. Hereupon, seeing no signs of conquest, the Jew said in his
mind, “Let her wax accustomed to me and she will be satisfied,” and on
this wise he continued to solace her heart. Now as regards the son of
the Fisherman his sleep had extended deep into the forenoon and when the
sun burnt upon his back he arose and found himself lying on the ash-heap
below the Palace, so he said to himself, “Up and away, otherwise the
Sultan will look out of the window and will behold this mound returned
to its place as it was before, and he will order thy neck to be
smitten.” So he hurried him forth hardly believing in his escape, and he
ceased not hastening his pace until he came to a coffee-house, which he
entered; and there he took him a lodging and used to lie the night, and
to rise a-morn. Now one day of the days behold, he met a man who was
leading about a dog and a cat and a mouse[385] and crying them for sale
at the price of ten faddahs; so the youth said in his mind, “Let me buy
these at their cheap price;” and he called aloud to the man and having
given him the ten silverings took away his purchase. After this he would
fare every day to the slaughter-house and would buy for them a bit of
tripe or liver and feed them therewith, but ever and anon he would sit
down and ponder the loss of the Ring and bespeak himself and say, “Would
Heaven I wot that which Allah Almighty hath done with my Ring and my
Palace and my bride the Sultan’s daughter!” Now the dog and the cat and
the mouse heard him, and one day of the days as, according to his
custom, he took them with him and led them to the slaughter-house and
bought a meal of entrails and gave somewhat to each that it might eat
thereof, he sat down in sad thought and groaned aloud and sorrow
prevailed upon him till he was overcome by sleep. The season was the
mid-forenoon[386] and the while he slumbered and was drowned in
drowsiness, the Dog said to the Cat and the Mouse, “O brethren mine, in
very deed this youth, who hath bought us for ten faddahs, leadeth us
every day to this stead and giveth us our rations of food. But he hath
lost his Ring and the Palace wherein was his bride, the daughter of the
Sultan: so let us up and fare forth and seek therefor and do ye twain
mount upon my back so that we can overwander the seas and the
island-skirts.” They did as he bade them and he walked down with them to
the waters and swam with them until they found themselves amiddlemost
the main; nor did he cease swimming with them for about a day and a
night until the morning morrowed and they saw from afar a somewhat that
glittered. So they made for it till they drew near, when they saw that
it was the Palace in question, whereat the Dog continued swimming till
such time as he came ashore and dismounted the Cat and the Mouse. Then
he said to them, “Let us abide here.”——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 how enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is
this compared with that I should 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 Four Hundred and Sixty-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 Dog said to the Cat and the Mouse, “I will
abide and await you here, and do ye twain fare into the Palace, where
the Cat shall take her station upon the crenelles over the lattice
window and the Mouse shall enter the mansion and roam about and search
through the rooms until she come upon the Ring required.” So they did
the Dog’s bidding and sought the places he had appointed to them and the
Mouse crept about but found naught until she approached the bedstead and
beheld the Jew asleep and the Princess lying afar off. He had been
longsome in requiring of her her person and had even threatened her with
slaughter, yet he had no power to approach her nor indeed had he even
looked upon the form of her face. Withal the Mouse ceased not faring
about until she approached the Jew, whom she discovered sleeping upon
his back and drowned in slumber for the excess of his drink that weighed
him down. So she drew near and considered him and saw the Ring in his
mouth below the tongue whereat she was perplext how to recover it; but
presently she went forth to a vessel of oil and dipping her tail therein
approached the sleeper and drew it over his nostrils, whereat he sneezed
with a sneeze so violent that the Ring sprang from between his jaws and
fell upon the side of the bedstead. Then she seized it in huge joy and
returning to the Cat said to her, “Verily the prosperity of our lord
hath returned to him.” After this the twain went back to the Dog whom
they found expecting them, so they marched down to the sea and mounted
upon his back and he swam with them both, all three being in the highest
spirits. But when they reached the middle of the main, quoth the Cat to
the Mouse, “Pass the Ring to me that I may carry it awhile;” and the
other did so, when she placed it in her chops for an hour of time. Then
quoth the Dog to them, “Ye twain have taken to yourselves charge of the
Ring, each of you for a little time, and I also would do likewise.” They
both said to him, “O our brother, haply ’twill fall from thy mouth:” but
said he to them, “By Allah, an ye give it not to me for a while I will
drown you both in this very place.” Accordingly the two did in their
fear as the Dog desired and when he had set it in his chops it dropped
therefrom into the abyss of the ocean; seeing which all repented thereat
and they said, “Wasted is our work we have wrought.” But when they came
to land they found their lord sleeping from the excess of his cark and
his care, and so the trio stood on the shore and were sorrowing with
sore sorrow, when behold, there appeared to them a Fish strange of
semblance who said to them, “Take ye this Signet-ring and commit it to
your lord, the son of the Fisherman, and when giving it to him
say:—Since thou didst a good deed and threwest the Fish into the sea thy
kindness shall not be for naught; and, if it fail with the Creature, it
shall not fail with Allah the Creator. Then do ye inform him that the
Fish which his father the Fisher would have presented to the King and
whereupon he had mercy and returned her to the waters, that Fish am I,
and the old saw saith, This for that, and tit for tat is its reward!”
Hereupon the Dog took the Signet-ring and the other two went up with him
to their lord and awaking him from sleep returned to him his Ring. But
when he saw it he became like one Jinn-mad from the excess of his joy
and the three related to him the affair of the Signet; how they had
brought it away from the Jew and how it had dropped from the Dog’s mouth
into the abyss of the sea and lastly how the Fish who had found it
brought it back to them declaring that it was she whom his sire had
netted and whom the son had returned to the depths. Cried he,
“Alhamdolillah—Glory be to the Lord—who caused us work this weal and
requited us for our kindness;” after which he took the Signet and waited
until night had nighted. Then he repaired to the mound which was under
the Sultan’s Palace and brought out the Ring and rubbed it, when the
Slave appeared and cried to him, “Here I stand (and fair befal thy
command!) between thy hands: what is it needest thou and requirest thou
of me?” The other replied, “I demand that thou carry off for me this
mound.”——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 King suffer me to survive?” Now
when it was the next night and that was
The Four Hundred and Sixty-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 Son of the Fisherman bade the Slave of the
Ring remove the mound and return the garden as whilome it was and
restore the Palace containing the Jew and the Sultan’s daughter. Nor did
that hour pass before everything was replaced in its proper stead. Then
the Youth went up to the saloon where he found the Jew recovered from
his drunkenness and he was threatening the Princess and saying, “Thou!
for thee there is no escape from me.” But cried she, “O dog, O accurst,
joy from my lord is well nigh to me.” Hearing these words the Youth fell
upon the Jew and dragging him along by his neck, went down with him and
bade them light a furious fire, and so they did till it flamed and
flared; after which he pinioned his enemy and caused him to be cast
therein when his bones were melted upon his flesh. Then returning to the
Palace he fell to blaming the Sultan’s daughter for the matter of the
Ring, and asking her, “Why didst thou on this wise?” She answered, “From
Fate there is no flight, and Alhamdolillah—praise to the Lord—who after
all that befel us from the Jew hath brought us together once more.” Now
all that happened from the Jew and the return of the Sultan’s daughter
and the restoring of the Palace and the death of his deceiver remained
unknown to the Sultan, and here is an end to my history. And when the
second Larrikin held his peace quoth the King, “Allah quicken thee for
this story; by the Almighty ’tis wondrous, and it delighteth the hearer
and rejoiceth the teller.” Then cried the third Larrikin, “I also have
by me an history more marvellous than these two; and, were it written in
water of gold upon the pages of men’s hearts, it were worthy thereof.”
Quoth the King, “O Larrikin, if it prove stranger and rarer than these I
will surely largesse thee.” Whereupon quoth he, “O King of the Age,
listen to what I shall relate,” and he fell to telling the
_TALE OF THE THIRD LARRIKIN CONCERNING HIMSELF._
In my early years I had a cousin, the daughter of my paternal uncle, who
loved me and I loved her whilst her father loathed me. So one day she
sent to me saying, “Do thou fare forth and demand me in marriage from my
sire;” and, as I was poor and her father was a wealthy merchant, she
sent me to her dowry fifty gold pieces which I took; and, accompanied by
four of my comrades, I went to the house of my father’s brother and
there arrived I went within. But when he looked upon me his face showed
wrath and my friends said to him, “Verily, thy nephew seeketh in
marriage the daughter of his uncle;” and as soon as he heard these words
he cried aloud at them and reviled me and drave me from his doors. So I
went from him well nigh broken-hearted and I wept till I returned to my
mother who cried, “What is to do with thee, O my son!” I related to her
all that had befallen me from my uncle and she said to me, “O my child,
to a man who loveth thee not thou goest, forsooth, to ask his daughter
in marriage!” Whereto I replied, “O mother mine, she sent a message
bidding me so do and verily she loveth me.” Quoth my mother, “Take
patience, O my son!” I heartened my heart, and my parent promised me all
welfare and favour from my cousin; moreover she was thinking of me at
all times and presently she again sent to me and promised me that she
never would love any other. Then behold, a party of folk repaired to her
father and asked her to wife of him and prepared to take her away. But
when the tidings reached her that her parent purposed marrying her to
one of those people, she sent to me saying, “Get thee ready for this
midnight and I will come to thee.” When night was at its noon she
appeared, carrying a pair of saddle bags wherein was a somewhat of money
and raiment, and she was leading a she-mule belonging to her father
whereupon her saddle-bags were packed. “Up with us,” she cried, so I
arose with her in that outer darkness and we went forth the town
forthright and the Veiler veiled us, nor did we stint faring till
morning when we hid ourselves in fear lest we be overtaken. And when the
next night fell we made ready and set out again, but we knew not whither
we were wending, for the Predestinator existeth and what is decided for
us is like Destiny. At last we came to a wide and open place where the
heat smote us, and we sat down under a tree to smell the air. Presently
sleep came upon me and I was drowned in slumber from the excess of my
toil and travail, when suddenly a dog-faced baboon came up to the
daughter of my uncle——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 how
enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with
that I should 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 Four Hundred and Seventy-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 of deeds fair-seeming and
worthy celebrating, that the Larrikin continued his tale saying to the
King:—And as I was drowned in slumber a dog-faced baboon came up to the
daughter of my uncle and assaulted her and knew her carnally; then,
having taken her pucelage he ran away,[387] but I knew nothing thereof
from being fast asleep. Now when I awoke I found my cousin was changed
of case and her colour had waxed pale and she was in saddest condition;
so I asked her and she told me all that had betided her and said to me,
“O son of my uncle, from Fate there is no flight, even as saith one of
those who knoweth:——
And when death shall claw with his firm-fixt nail ✿ I saw that
spells[388] were of scant avail.