house-owner's black slave returned and knocked at the door, Ali the
Cairene, son of the merchant Hasan, opened it to him and the negro,
seeing him comfortably sitting, returned in haste to his master with
the good tidings, saying, "O my Lord, the merchant, who is lodged in
the house inhabited by the Jinn,[FN#272] is alive and well and sitteth
on the bench behind the door." Then the merchant rose joyfully and went
to the house, taking breakfast with him; and, when he saw Ali, he
embraced him and kissed him between the eyes, asking, "How hath Allah
dealt with thee?"; and Ali answered, "Right well, I slept upstairs in
the marble saloon." Quoth the merchant, "Did aught come to thee or
didst thou see any thing?" and quoth Ali "No, I recited some little of
the Sublime Koran and slept till morning, when I arose and, after
making the minor ablution and praying, seated myself on the bench
behind the door." "Praised be Allah for safety!" exclaimed the
merchant, then left him and presently sent him black slaves and white
Mamelukes and handmaidens with household gear. They swept the house
from top to bottom and furnished it with magnificent furniture; after
which three white slaves and three blacks and four slave-girls remained
with him, to serve him, while the rest returned to their master's
house. Now when the merchants heard of him, they sent him presents of
all manner things of price, even to food and drink and clothes, and
took him with them to the market, asking, "When will thy baggage
arrive?" And he answered, "After three days it will surely come." When
the term had elapsed, the servant of the first hoard, the golden rain,
came to him and said, "Go forth and meet the treasure I have brought
thee from Al-Yaman together with thy Harim; for I bring part of the
wealth in the semblance of costly merchandise; but the eunuchs and
Mamelukes and the mules and horses and camels are all of the Jann." Now
the Jinni, when he betook himself to Cairo, found Ali's wife and
children in sore misery, naked and hungry; so he carried them out of
the city in a travelling-litter and clad them in sumptuous raiment of
the stuffs which were in the treasure of Al-Yaman. So when Ali heard
this, he arose and repairing to the merchants, said to them, "Rise and
go forth with us from the city, to meet the caravan bringing my
merchandise, and honour us with the presence of your Harims, to meet my
Harim." "Hearkening and obedience," answered they and, sending for
their Harims, went forth all together and took seat in one of the
city-gardens; and as they sat talking, behold, a dust-cloud arose out
of the heart of the desert, and they flocked forth to see what it was.
Presently it lifted and discovered mules and muleteers, tent-pitchers
and linkmen, who came on, singing and dancing, till they reached the
garden, when the chief of the muleteers walked up to Ali and kissing
his hand, said to him, "O my master, we have been long on the way, for
we purposed entering yesterday; but we were in fear of the bandits, so
abode in our station four days, till Almighty Allah rid us of them."
Thereupon the merchants mounted their mules and rode forward with the
caravan, the Harims waiting behind, till Ali's wife and children
mounted with them; and they all entered in splendid train. The
merchants marvelled at the number of mules laden with chests, whilst
the women of the merchants wondered at the richness of the apparel of
his wife and the fine raiment of her children; and kept saying each to
other, "Verily, the King of Baghdad hath no such gear; no, nor any
other of the kings or lords or merchants!" So they ceased not to fare
forwards in high great state, the men with Ali of Cairo and the Harims
with his Harim, till they came to the mansion,—And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Thirtieth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that they ceased not
to fare forwards in high state, the men with Ali's men and the women
with his wife, till they came to the mansion, where they alighted and
brought the mules and their burdens into the midst of the courtyard.
Then they unloaded them and warehoused the goods whilst the merchants'
wives went up with Ali's family to the saloon, which they found as it
were a luxuriant garden, spread with magnificent furniture. They sat in
mirth and good cheer till noon, when they brought them up the midday
meal, all manner meats and sweetmeats of the very best; and they ate
and drank costly sherbets and perfumed themselves thereafter with
rose-water and scented woods. Then they took leave and went home, men
and women; and, when the merchants returned to their places, they sent
presents to the husband according to their conditions; and their wives
likewise sent presents to the wife, so that there came to them great
store of handmaids and negroes and Mamelukes; and all kinds of goods,
such as grain, sugar and so forth, in abundance beyond account. As for
the Baghdad merchant, the landlord of the house, he abode with Ali and
quitted him not, but said to him, "Let the black slaves and servants
take the mules and the common cattle into one of my other houses, to
rest." Quoth Ali, "They set out again to-night for such a place." Then
he gave them leave to go forth and camp outside the city, that they
might start on their journey at night-come; whereupon, hardly believing
that they were dismissed, they took leave of him and departing to the
outliers of the city, flew off through the air to their several abodes.
So Ali and his house-owner sat together till a third of the night was
past, when their colloquy ended and the merchant returned to his own
house and Ali went up to his wife and children and after saluting them,
said, "What hath befallen you in my absence all this time?" So she told
him what they had suffered of hunger and nakedness and travail, and he
said, "Praised be Allah for safety! How did ye come?" Answered she, "O
my lord, I was asleep with my children yesternight, when suddenly and
unexpectedly one raised us from the ground and flew with us through the
firmament without doing us any hurt, nor did he leave flying with us,
till he set us down in a place as it were an Arab camping-ground, where
we saw laden mules and a travelling litter borne upon two great mules,
and around it servants, all boys and men. So I asked them, 'Who are ye
and what are these loads and where are we?;' and they answered, 'We are
the servants of the merchant Ali of Cairo, son of the merchant-
jeweller, who hath sent us to fetch you to him at Baghdad.' Quoth I,
'Tell me, is it far or near, hence to Baghdad?' They replied, 'Near:
there lieth between us and the city but the darkness of the night.'
Then they mounted us in the litter and, when the morrow dawned, we
found ourselves with thee, without having suffered any hurt whatever."
Quoth he, "Who gave you these dresses?;" and quoth she, "The chief of
the caravan opened one of the boxes on the mules and taking out thereof
these clothes, clad me and thy children each in a suit; after which he
locked the case and gave me the key, saying, 'Take care of it, till
thou give it to thy husband.' And here it is safe by me." So saying,
she gave him the key, and he said, "Dost thou know the chest?" Said
she, "Yes, I know it." So he took her down to the magazine and showed
her the boxes, when she cried, "This is the one whence the dresses were
taken;" upon which he put the key in the lock and opened the chest,
wherein he found much raiment and the keys of all the other cases. So
he took them and fell to opening them, one after another, and feasting
his eyes upon the gems and precious ores they contained, whose like was
not found with any of the kings; after which he locked them again, took
the keys, and returned to the saloon, saying to his wife, "This is of
the bounty of Almighty Allah!" Then bringing her to the secret slab he
turned the pin and opened the door of the closet, into which he entered
with her and showed her the gold he had laid up therein. Quoth she,
"Whence came all this to thee?" "It came to me by the grace of my
Lord," answered he:—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Thirty-first Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Ali's wife
had looked upon the gold she said to him, "Whence came all this to
thee?" "It came to me by the grace of my Lord," answered he: "When I
left thee in my trouble, I shipped at Bulak for Damietta and met a
friend there who forwarded me to Damascus": in brief he told her all
that had befallen him, from first to last. Said she, "O my lord, all
this cometh by boon of thy father's blessing and orisons when he prayed
for thee, before his death, saying, 'I beseech Allah to cast thee into
no straits except He grant thee ready relief!' So praised be Allah
Almighty for that He hath brought thee deliverance and hath requited
thee with more than went from thee! But Allah upon thee, O my lord,
return not to thy practice of associating with doubtful folk; but look
thou fear Allah (whose name be exalted!) both in private and in
public." And as she went on to admonish him, he said, "I accept thine
admonition and beg the Almighty to remove the froward from amongst us
and stablish us in His obedience and in the observance of the law and
practice of His Prophet, on whom be blessings and peace!" After that
Ali and his wife and children were in all solace of life and gladness;
and he opened him a shop in the merchants' bazar and, stocking it with
a somewhat of jewels and bullion, sat therein with his children and
white servants. Presently he became the most considerable of the
merchants of Baghdad, and his report reached the King of that
city,[FN#273] who sent a messenger to command his attendance, saying,
"Answer the summons of the King who requireth thee." He replied, "I
hear and obey," and straightway prepared his present and he took four
trays of red gold and, filling them with jewels and precious metals,
such as no King possessed, went up to the palace and presenting himself
before the presence, kissed the ground between his hands and wished him
endurance of goods and glory in the finest language he could command.
Said the King, "O merchant, thou cheerest our city with thy presence!"
and Ali rejoined, "O King of the age, thy slave hath brought thee a
gift and hopeth for acceptance thereof from thy favour." Then he laid
the four trays before the King, who uncovered them and seeing that they
contained gems, whose fellows he possessed not and whose worth equalled
treasuries of money, said, "Thy present is accepted, O merchant, and
Inshallah! we will requite thee with its like." And Ali kissed his
hands and went away; whereupon the King called his grandees and said to
them, "How many of the Kings have sought my daughter in marriage?"
"Many," answered they; and he asked, "Hath any of them given me the
like of this gift?"; whereto they replied, "Not one, for that none of
them hath its like;" and he said, "I have consulted Allah Almighty by
lot as to marrying my daughter to this merchant. What say ye?" "Be it
as thou reckest," answered they. Then he bade the eunuch carry the four
trays into his serraglio and going in to his wife, laid them before
her. She uncovered them and seeing therein that whose like she
possessed not; no, nor a fraction thereof, said to him, "From which of
the Kings hadst thou these?: perchance of one of the royalties that
seek thy daughter in marriage?" Said he, "Not so, I had them of an
Egyptian merchant, who is lately come to this our city. Now when I
heard of his coming I sent to command him to us, thinking to make his
acquaintance, so haply we might find with him somewhat of jewels and
buy them of him for our daughter's trousseau. He obeyed our summons and
brought us these four trays, as a present, and I saw him to be a
handsome youth of dignified aspect and intelligent as elegant, almost
such as should be the sons of Kings. Wherefore my heart inclined to him
at sight, and my heart rejoiced in him and I thought good to marry my
daughter to him. So I showed the gift to my grandees, who agreed with
me that none of the Kings hath the like of these and I told them my
project. But what sayst thou?"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Thirty-second Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the King of
Baghdad, after showing the presents to his wife and highly praising
Ali, the merchant-jeweller, and informing her of the proposed marriage,
asked, "But what sayst thou?" She replied, "O King of the age, the
ordering this affair is in Allah's hand, and thine, and whatso Allah
willeth shall come to pass." Rejoined the King, "If it be His will, I
will marry her to none other than this young man." He slept on this
resolve and on the morrow, he went out to his Divan and summoned Ali
and the rest of the merchants of Baghdad, and when all came bade them
be seated. Then said he, "Bring me the Kazi of the Divan" and they
brought him; whereupon the King said to him, "O Kazi, write the
contract of marriage between my daughter and the merchant Ali the
Cairene." But Ali said, "Thy pardon, O our lord the Sultan! It
befitteth not that a trader such as I, be the King's son-in-law." Quoth
the King, "It is my will to bestow this favour upon thee, as well as
the Wazirate;" and he invested him forthwith in the Wazir's office and
ministerial robes. Then Ali sat down in the chair of the Wazirate and
said, "O King of the age, thou hast bestowed on me this; and indeed I
am honoured by thy bounties; but hear one word I have to say to thee!"
He replied, "Say on, and fear not." Quoth Ali, "Since it is thine
august resolution to marry thy daughter, thou wouldst do better to
marry her to my son. Quoth the King, "Hast thou then a son?"; and Ali
replied, "Yes." "Send for him forthwith," said the King. Thereupon
answered Ali "Hearkening and obedience!", and despatched a servant to
fetch his son, who came and kissing the ground before the King, stood
in an attitude of respect. The King looked at him and seeing him to be
yet comelier than his daughter and goodlier than she in stature and
proportion and brightness and perfection, said to him, "What is thy
name, O my son?" "My name is Hasan, O our lord the Sultan," replied the
young man, who was then fourteen years old. Then the Sultan said to the
Kazi, "Write the contract of marriage between my daughter Husn al-Wujdd
and Hasan, son of the merchant Ali the Cairene." So he wrote the
marriage-contract between them, and the affair was ended in the
goodliest fashion; after which all in the Divan went their ways and the
merchants followed the Wazir Ali, escorting him to his house, where
they gave him joy of his advancement and departed. Then he went in to
his wife, who seeing him clad in the Wazir's habit, exclaimed, "What is
this?"; when he told her all that had passed from first to last and she
joyed therein with exceeding joy. So sped the night and on the morrow,
he went up to the Divan, where the King received him with especial
favour and seating him close by his side, said, "O Wazir, we purpose to
begin the wedding festivities and bring thy son in to our daughter."
Replied Ali, "O our lord the Sultan, whatso thou deemest good is good."
So the Sultan gave orders to celebrate the festivities, and they
decorated the city and held high festival for thirty days, in all joy
and gladness; at the end of which time, Hasan, son of the Wazir Ali,
went in to the Princess and enjoyed her beauty and loveliness. When the
Queen saw her daughter's husband, she conceived a warm affection for
him, and in like manner she rejoiced greatly in his mother. Then the
King bade build for his son-in-law Hasan Ali-son a palace beside his
own; so they built him with all speed a splendid palace in which he
took up his abode; and his mother used to tarry with him some days and
then go down to her own house. After awhile the Queen said to her
husband, "O King of the age, Hasan's lady-mother cannot take up her
abode with her son and leave the Wazir; neither can she tarry with the
Wazir and leave her son." "Thou sayest sooth," replied the King, and
bade edify a third palace beside that of Hasan, which being done in a
few days he caused remove thither the goods of the Wazir, and the
Minister and his wife took up their abode there. Now the three palaces
communicated with one another, so that when the King had a mind to
speak with the Wazir by night, he would go to him or send to fetch him;
and so with Hasan and his father and mother. On this wise they dwelt in
all solace and in the greatest happiness—And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Thirty-third Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the King and the
Wazir and his son ceased not to dwell in all solace and in the greatest
happiness awhile, till the King fell ill and his sickness grew on him.
So he summoned the lords of his realm and said to them, "There is come
upon me a sore malady, peradventure a mortal; and I have therefore
summoned you to consult you respecting a certain matter, on which I
would have you counsel me as you deem well." They asked, "What is the
matter of which thou wouldst take counsel with us, O King?"; and he
answered, "I am old and sickly and I fear for the realm after me from
its enemies; so I would have you all agree upon some one, that I may
proclaim him King in my lifetime and so ye may be at ease." Whereupon
quoth they with one voice, "We all approve of thy daughter's husband
Hasan, son of the Wazir Ali; for we have seen his wit and perfect
understanding, and he knoweth the place of all, great and small." Asked
the King, "Are ye indeed agreed upon this?" and they answered, "Yes."
Rejoined he "Peradventure ye all say this to my face, of respect for
me; but behind my back ye will say otherwise." However, they all
replied, "By Allah, our word is one and the same in public and in
private, and we accept him frankly and with heartiness of heart and
breadth of breast." Quoth he, "Since the case is thus, bring the Kazi
of the Holy Law and all the Chamberlains and Viceroys and Officers of
state before me to-morrow, and we will order the affair after the
goodliest fashion." "We hear and we obey," answered they and
withdrawing, notified all the Olema,[FN#274] the doctors of the law and
the chief personages among the Emirs. So when the morrow dawned, they
came up to the Divan and, having craved and obtained permission to
enter, they saluted the King, saying, "Here are we all in thy
presence." Whereto he made reply, "O Emirs of Baghdad, whom will ye
have to be King over you after me, that I may inaugurate him during my
lifetime, before the presence of you all?" Quoth they with one voice,
"We are agreed upon thy daughter's husband Hasan, son of the Wazir
Ali." Quoth he, "If it be so, go all of you and bring him before me."
So they all arose and, repairing to Hasan's palace, said to him, "Rise,
come with us to the King." "Wherefore?" asked he, and they answered,
"For a thing that will benefit both us and thee." So he went in with
them to the King and kissed the ground before his father-in-law who
said to him, "Be seated, O my son!" He sat down and the King continued,
"O Hasan, all the Emirs have approved of thee and agreed to make thee
King over them after me; and it is my purpose to proclaim thee, whilst
I yet live, and so make an end of the business." But Hasan stood up
and, kissing the ground once more before the King, said to him, "O our
lord the King, among the Emirs there be many who are older than I and
greater of worth; acquit me therefore of this thing." But all the Emirs
cried out saying, "We consent not but that thou be King over us." Then
said Hasan, "My father is older than I, and I and he are one thing; and
it befits not to advance me over him." But Ali said, "I will consent to
nothing save whatso contenteth my brethren; and they have all chosen
and agreed upon thee; wherefore gainsay thou not the King's commandment
and that of thy brethren." And Hasan hung his head abashed before the
King and his father. Then said the King to the Emirs, "Do ye all accept
of him?" "We do," answered they and recited thereupon seven
Fαtihahs.[FN#275] So the King said, "O Kazi, draw up a legal instrument
testifying of these Emirs that they are agreed to make King over them
my daughter's husband Hasan." The Kazi wrote the act and made it
binding on all men,[FN#276] after they had sworn in a body the oath of
fealty to Hasan. Then the King did likewise and bade him take his seat
on the throne of kingship; whereupon they all arose and kissed King
Hasan's hands and did homage to him, and swore lealty to him. And the
new King dispensed justice among the people that day in fashion right
royal, and invested the grandees of the realm in splendid robes of
honour. When the Divan broke up, he went in to and kissed the hands of
his father-in-law who spake thus to him, "O my son, look thou rule the
lieges in the fear of Allah;"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Thirty-fourth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when King Hasan
was quit of the Divan, he went in to and kissed the hands of his wife's
father, who spake thus to him, "O my son, look thou rule the lieges in
the fear of Allah;" whereto he replied, "O my father, through thy
prayers for me, the grace and guidance of Allah will come to me." Then
he entered his own palace and was met by his wife and her mother and
their attendants, who kissed his hands and gave him joy of his
advancement, saying, "Be this day blessed!" Next he went in to his
father and mother, who joyed with exceeding joy in that which Allah had
vouchsafed him of his advancement to the kingship, and his father
charged him to fear Allah and to deal mercifully with his subjects. He
passed the night in glee and gladness, and on the morrow, having prayed
the obligatory prayers ending with the usual short chapters[FN#277] of
the Koran, he went up to the Divan, whither came all his officers and
dignitaries. He passed the day in dispensing justice among the folk,
bidding to graciousness and forbidding ungraciousness and appointing to
place and displacing, till day- end, when the Divan broke up, after the
goodliest fashion, and all the troops withdrew and each went his own
way. Then he arose and repaired to the palace, where he found his
father-in-law's sickness grown heavy upon him and said to him, "May no
ill befal thee!" At this the old King opened his eyes and said, "O
Hasan!" and he replied, "At thy service, O my lord." Quoth the old King
"Mine appointed hour is at hand: be thou careful of thy wife and her
mother, and look thou fear Allah and honour thy parents; and bide in
awe of the majesty of the Requiting King and bear in mind that He
commandeth justice and good works." And King Hasan replied, "I hear and
obey." Now after this the old King lingered three days and then
departed into the mercy of Almighty Allah. So they laid him out and
shrouded and buried him and held over him readings and perlections of
the Koran, to the end of the customary forty days. And King Hasan, son
of the Wazir, reigned in his stead, and his subjects joyed in him and
all his days were gladness; moreover, his father ceased not to be his
chief Wazir on his right hand, and he took to himself another Wazir, to
be at his left hand. His reign was a prosperous and well ordered, and
he lived a long life as King of Baghdad; and Allah blessed him, by the
old King's daughter, with three sons who inherited the kingdom after
him; and they abode in the solace of life and its pleasures till there
came to them the Destroyer of delights and the Severer of societies.
And the glory be to Him who is eternal and in whose hand are annulling
and confirming. And of the tales they tell is one of
THE PILGRIM MAN AND THE OLD WOMAN.
A man of the pilgrims once slept a long sleep and awaking, found no
trace of the caravan. So he rose up and walked on, but lost his way and
presently came to a tent, where he saw an old woman standing at the
entrance and by her side a dog asleep. He went up to the tent and,
saluting the old woman, sought of her food, when she replied, "Go to
yonder Wady and catch thy sufficiency of serpents, that I may broil of
them for thee and give thee to eat." Rejoined the pilgrim, "I dare not
catch serpents nor did I ever eat them." Quoth the old woman, "I will
go with thee and catch some; fear not." So she went with him, followed
by the dog, to the valley and, catching a sufficient number of
serpents, proceeded to broil them. He saw nothing for it (saith the
story teller) but to eat, in fear of hunger and exhaustion; so he ate
of the serpents.[FN#278] Then he was athirst and asked for water to
drink; and she answered, "Go to the spring and drink." Accordingly, he
went to the spring and found the water thereof bitter; yet needs must
he drink of it despite its bitterness, because of the violence of his
thirst. Presently he returned to the old woman and said to her, "I
marvel, O ancient dame, at thy choosing to sojourn in this place"—And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted
say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Thirty-fifth Night,