continued: "When the angel said, 'And know thou that my hands lay hold
upon the roots of the earth,' he asked, 'And hath Allah created other
worlds than this within the mountain Kaf?' The Angel answered, 'Yes, He
hath made a world white as silver, whose vastness none knoweth save
Himself, and hath peopled it with Angels, whose meat and drink are His
praise and hallowing and continual blessings upon His Prophet Mohammed
(whom Allah bless and keep!). Every Thursday night[FN#531] they repair
to this mountain and worship in congregation Allah until the morning,
and they assign the future recompense of their lauds and litanies to
the sinners of the Faith of Mohammed (whom Allah assain and save!) and
to all who make the Ghusl ablution of Friday; and this is their
function until the Day of Resurrection.' Asked Bulukiya, 'And hath
Allah created other mountains behind the mountain Kaf?'; whereto he
answered, 'Yes, behind this mountain is a range of mountains five
hundred years' journey long, of snow and ice, and this it is that
wardeth off the heat of Jahannam from the world, which verily would
else be consumed thereby. Moreover, behind the mountain Kaf are forty
worlds, each one the bigness of this world forty times told, some of
gold and some of silver and others of carnelian. Each of these worlds
hath its own colour, and Allah hath peopled them with angels, that know
not Eve nor Adam nor night nor day, and have no other business than to
celebrate His praises and hallow Him and make profession of His Unity
and proclaim His Omnipotence and supplicate Him on behalf of the
followers of Mohammed (whom Allah bless and keep!). And know, also, O
Bulukiya, that the earths were made in seven stages, one upon another,
and that Allah hath created one of His Angels, whose stature and
attributes none knoweth but Himself and who beareth the seven stages
upon his shoulders. Under this Angel Almighty Allah hath created a
great rock, and under the rock a bull, and under the bull a huge fish,
and under the fish a mighty ocean.[FN#532] God once told Isa (with whom
be peace! ) of this fish, and he said, 'O Lord show me the fish, that I
may look upon it.' So the Almighty commanded an angel to take Isa and
show him the fish. Accordingly, he took him up and carried him (with
whom be peace!) to the sea, wherein the fish dwelt, and said, 'Look, O
Isa, upon the fish.' He looked but at first saw nothing, when,
suddenly, the fish darted past like lightning. At this sight Isa fell
down aswoon, and when he came to himself, Allah spake to him by
inspiration, saying, 'O Isa, hast thou seen the fish and comprehended
its length and its breadth?' He replied, 'By Thy honour and glory, O
Lord, I saw no fish; but there passed me by a great bull, whose length
was three days' journey, and I know not what manner of thing this bull
is.' Quoth Allah, 'O Isa, this that thou sawest and which was three
days in passing by thee, was but the head of the fish;[FN#533] and know
that every day I create forty fishes like unto this.' And Isa hearing
this marvelled at the power of Allah the Almighty. Asked Bulukiya,
'What hath Allah made beneath this sea which containeth the fish?'; and
the Angel answered, 'Under the sea the Lord created a vast abyss of
air, under the air fire, and under the fire a mighty serpent, by name
Falak; and were it not for fear of the Most Highest, this serpent would
assuredly swallow up all that is above it, air and fire and the Angel
and his burden, without sensing it.'"—And Shahrazed perceived the dawn
of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Ninety-seventh Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the angel said to
Bulukiya when describing the serpent, "'And were it not for fear of the
Most Highest, this serpent would assuredly swallow up all that is above
it, air and fire, and the Angel and his burden, without sensing it.
When Allah created this serpent He said to it by inspiration, 'I will
give thee somewhat to keep for me, so open thy mouth.' The serpent
replied, 'Do whatso Thou wilt;' and opened his mouth and God placed
Hell into his maw, saying, 'Keep it until the Day of Resurrection. When
that time comes, the Almighty will send His angels with chains to bring
Hell and bind it until the Day when all men shall meet; and the Lord
will order Hell to go open its gates and there will issue therefrom
sparks bigger than the mountains.' When Bulukiya heard these things he
wept with sore weeping and, taking leave of the Angel, fared on
westwards, till he came in sight of two creatures sitting before a
great shut gate. As he drew near, he saw that one of the gatekeepers
had the semblance of a lion and the other that of a bull; so he saluted
them and they returned his salam and enquired who and whence he was and
whither he was bound. Quoth he, 'I am of the sons of Adam, a wanderer
for the love of Mohammed (whom Allah assain and save!) and I have
strayed from my way.' Then he asked them what they were and what was
the gate before which they sat, and they answered, 'We are the
guardians of this gate thou seest and we have no other business than
the praise and hallowing of Allah and the invocation of blessings on
Mohammed (whom may He bless and keep!).' Bulukiya wondered and asked
them, 'What is within the gate?'; and they answered, 'We wot not.' Then
quoth he, 'I conjure you, by the truth of your glorious Lord, open to
me the gate, that I may see that which is therein.' Quoth they, 'We
cannot, and none may open this gate, of all created beings save
Gabriel, the Faithful One, with whom be peace!' Then Bulukiya lifted up
his voice in supplication to Allah, saying, 'O Lord, send me thy
messenger Gabriel, the Faithful One, to open for me this gate that I
may see what be therein;' and the Almighty gave ear unto his prayer and
commanded the Archangel to descend to earth and open to him the gate of
the Meeting-place of the Two Seas. So Gabriel descended and, saluting
Bulukiya, opened the gate to him, saying, 'Enter this door, for Allah
commandeth me to open to thee.' So he entered and Gabriel locked the
gate behind him and flew back to heaven. When Bulukiya found himself
within the gate, he looked and beheld a vast ocean, half salt and half
fresh, bounded on every side by mountain ranges of red ruby whereon he
saw angels singing the praises of the Lord and hallowing Him. So he
went up to them and saluted them and having received a return of his
salam, questioned them of the sea and the mountains. Replied they,
'This place is situate under the Arsh or empyreal heaven; and this
Ocean causeth the flux and flow of all the seas of the world; and we
are appointed to distribute them and drive them to the various parts of
the earth, the salt to the salt and the fresh to the fresh,[FN#534] and
this is our employ until the Day of Doom. As for the mountain ranges
they serve to limit and to contain the waters. But thou, whence comest
thou and whither art thou bound?' So he told them his story and asked
them of the road. They bade him traverse the surface of the ocean which
lay before him: so he anointed his feet with the juice of the herb he
had with him, and taking leave of the angels, set out upon the face of
the sea and sped on over the water nights and days; and as he was
faring, behold, he met a handsome youth journeying along like himself,
whereupon he greeted him and he returned his greeting. After they
parted he espied four great Angels wayfaring over the face of the sea,
and their going was like the blinding lightning; so he stationed
himself in their road, and when they came up to him, he saluted them
and said to them, 'I ask you by the Almighty, the Glorious, to tell me
your names and whither are ye bound?' Replied the first Angel, 'My name
is Gabriel and these my companions are called Isrαfνl and Mνkα'νl and
Azrα'νl. There hath appeared in the East a mighty dragon, which hath
laid waste a thousand cities and devoured their inhabitants; wherefore
Allah Almighty hath commanded us to go to him and seize him and cast
him into Jahannam.' Bulukiya marvelled at the vastness of their stature
and fared on, as before, days and nights, till he came to an island
where he landed and walked about for a while,"—And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Ninety-eighth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that "Bulukiya landed
on the island and walked about for a while, till he saw a comely young
man with light shining from his visage, sitting weeping and lamenting
between two built tombs. So he saluted him and he returned his
salutation, and Bulukiya said to him, 'Who art thou and what are these
two built tombs between which thou sittest, and wherefore this
wailing?' He looked at him and wept with sore weeping, till he drenched
his clothes with his tears; then said, 'Know thou, O my brother, mine
is a marvellous story and a wondrous; but I would have thee sit by me
and first tell me thy name and thine adventures and who thou art and
what brought thee hither; after which I will, in turn, relate to thee
my history.' So Bulukiya sat down by him and related to him all that
had befallen him from his father's death,[FN#535] adding, 'Such is my
history, the whole of it, and Allah alone knoweth what will happen to
me after this.' When the youth heard his story, he sighed and said, 'O
thou unhappy! How few things thou hast seen in thy life compared with
mine. Know, O Bulukiya, that unlike thyself I have looked upon our lord
Solomon, in his life, and have seen things past count or reckoning.
Indeed, my story is strange and my case out of range, and I would have
thee abide with me, till I tell thee my history and acquaint thee how I
come to be sitting here.'" Hearing this much Hasib again interrupted
the Queen of the Serpents and said to her, "Allah upon thee, O Queen,
release me and command one of thy servants carry me forth to the
surface of the earth, and I will swear an oath to thee that I will
never enter the Hammam-bath as long as I live." But she said, "This is
a thing which may not be nor will I believe thee upon thine oath." When
he heard this, he wept and all the serpents wept on his account and
took to interceding for him with their Queen, saying, "We beseech thee,
bid one of us carry him forth to the surface of the earth, and he will
swear thee an oath never to enter the bath his life long." Now when
Yamlaykhα (for such was the Queen's name) heard their appeal, she
turned to Hasib and made him swear to her an oath; after which she bade
a serpent carry him forth to the surface of the earth. The serpent made
ready, but as she was about to go away with him, he turned to Queen
Yamlaykha and said, "I would fain have thee tell me the history of the
youth whom Bulukiya saw sitting between two tombs." So she said: "Know,
O Hasib, that when Bulukiya sat down by the youth and told him his
tale, from first to last, in order that the other might also recount
his adventures and explain the cause of his sitting between the two
tombs."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Ninety-ninth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Queen
continued: "When Bulukiya ended his recount, the youth said, 'How few
things of marvel hast thou seen in thy life, O unhappy! Now I have
looked upon our lord Solomon while he was yet living and I have
witnessed wonders beyond compt and conception.' And he began to relate
The Story of Janshah.[FN#536]
'Know, O my brother, that my sire was a King called Teghmϊs, who
reigned over the land of Kabul and the Banu Shahlαn, ten thousand
warlike chiefs, each ruling over an hundred walled cities and a hundred
citadels; and he was suzerain also over seven vassal princes, and
tribute was brought to him from the broad lands between East and West.
He was just and equitable in his rule and Allah Almighty had given him
all this and had bestowed on him such mighty empire, yet had He not
vouchsafed him a son (though this was his dearest wish) to inherit the
kingdom after his decease. So one day it befell that he summoned the
Olema and astrologers, the mathematicians and almanac-makers, and said,
'Draw me my horoscope and look if Allah will grant me a son to succeed
me.' Accordingly, they consulted their books and calculated his
dominant star and the aspects thereof; after which they said to him,
'Know, O King, that thou shalt be blessed with a son, but by none other
than the daughter of the King of Khorαsαn.' Hearing this Teghmus joyed
with exceeding joy and, bestowing on the astrologers and wizards
treasure beyond numbering or reckoning, dismissed them. His chief Wazir
was a renowned warrior, by name Ayn Zαr, who was equal to a thousand
cavaliers in battle; so him he summoned and, repeating to him what the
astrologers had predicted, he said, 'O Wazir, it is my will that thou
equip thee for a march to Khorasan and demand for me the hand of its
King Bahrwan's daughter.' Receiving these orders the Wazir at once
proceeded to get ready for the journey and encamped without the town
with his troops and braves and retinue, whilst King Teghmus made ready
as presents for the King of Khorasan fifteen hundred loads of silks and
precious stones, pearls and rubies and other gems, besides gold and
silver; and he also prepared a prodigious quantity of all that goeth to
the equipment of a bride; then, loading them upon camels and mules,
delivered them to Ayn Zar, with a letter to the following purport.
'After invoking the blessing of Heaven, King Teghmus to King Bahrwan,
greeting. Know that we have taken counsel with the astrologers and
sages and mathematicians, and they tell us that we shall have boon of a
boy child, and that by none other than thy daughter. Wherefore I have
despatched unto thee my Wazir Ayn Zar, with great store of bridal gear,
and I have appointed him to stand in my stead and to enter into the
marriage-contract in my name. Furthermore I desire that of thy favour
thou wilt grant him his request without stay or delay; for it is my
own, and all graciousness thou showest him, I take for myself; but
beware of crossing me in this, for know, O King Bahrwan, that Allah
hath bestowed upon me the Kingdom of Kabul, and hath given me dominion
over the Banu Shahlan and vouchsafed me a mighty empire; and if I marry
thy daughter, we will be, I and thou, as one thing in kingship; and I
will send thee every year as much treasure as will suffice thee. And
this is my desire of thee.' Then King Teghmus sealed the letter with
his own ring and gave it to the Wazir, who departed with a great
company and journeyed till he drew near the capital of Khorasan. When
King Bahrwan heard of his approach, he despatched his principal Emirs
to meet him,[FN#537] with a convoy of food and drink and other
requisites, including forage for the steeds. So they fared forth with
the train till they met the Wazir; then, alighting without the city,
they exchanged salutations and abode there, eating and drinking, ten
days; at the end of which time they mounted and rode on into the town,
where they were met by King Bahrwan, who came out to greet the Wazir of
King Teghmus and alighting, embraced him and carried him to his
citadel. Then Ayn Zar brought out the presents and laid them before
King Bahrwan, together with the letter of King Teghmus, which when the
King read and understood, he joyed with joy exceeding and welcomed the
Wazir, saying, 'Rejoice in winning thy wish; and know that if King
Teghmus sought of me my life, verily I would give it to him.' Then he
went in forthright to his daughter and her mother and his kinsfolk, and
acquainting them with the King of Kabul's demand sought counsel of
them, and they said, 'Do what seemeth good to thee.'—And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundredth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that "King Bahrwan
consulted his daughter and her mother and his kinsfolk and they said,
'Do what seemeth good to thee.' So he returned straightway to the
Minister Ayn Zar and notified to him that his desire had been
fulfilled; and the Wazir, abode with him two months, at the end of
which time he said to him, 'We beseech thee to bestow upon us that
wherefore we came, so we may depart to our own land.' 'I hear and
obey,' answered the King. Then he prepared all the gear wanted for the
wedding; and when this was done he assembled his Wazirs and all his
Emirs and the Grandees of his realm and the monks and priests who tied
the knot of marriage between his daughter and King Teghmus by proxy.
And King Bahrwan bade decorate the city after the goodliest fashion and
spread the streets with carpets. Then he equipped his daughter for the
journey and gave her all manner of presents and rarities and precious
metals, such as none may describe; and Ayn Zar departed with the
Princess to his own country. When the news of their approach reached
King Teghmus, he bade celebrate the wedding festivities and adorn the
city; after which he went in unto the Princess and abated her
maidenhead; nor was it long before she conceived by him and,
accomplishing her months, bare a man-child like the moon on the night
of its full. When King Teghmus knew that his wife had given birth to a
goodly son, he rejoiced with exceeding joy and, summoning the sages and
astrologers and mathematicians, said to them, 'I would that ye draw the
horoscope of the newborn child with his ascendant and its aspects and
acquaint me what shall befall him in his lifetime.' So they made their
calculations and found them favourable; but, that he would, in his
fifteenth year, be exposed to perils and hardships, and that if he
survived, he would be happy and fortunate and become a greater king
than his father and a more powerful. The King rejoiced greatly in this
prediction and named the boy Janshah. Then he delivered him to the
nurses, wet and dry, who reared him excellently well till he reached
his fifth year, when his father taught him to read the Evangel and
instructed him in the art of arms and lunge of lance and sway of sword,
so that in less than seven years he was wont to ride a-hunting, and
a-chasing; he became a doughty champion, perfect in all the science of
the cavalarice and his father was delighted to hear of his knightly
prowess. It chanced one day that King Teghmus and his son accompanied
by the troops rode out for sport into the woods and wilds and hunted
till mid afternoon of the third day, when the Prince started a gazelle
of a rare colour, which fled before him. So he gave chase to it,
followed by seven of King Teghmus's white slaves all mounted on swift
steeds, and rode at speed after the gazelle, which fled before them
till she brought them to the sea shore. They all ran at her to take her
as their quarry, but she escaped from them and, throwing herself into
the waves,"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and First Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that "when Janshah and
the Mamelukes ran at the gazelle, to take her as their quarry, she
escaped from them and, throwing herself into the waves, swam out to a
fishing bark, that was moored near the shore, and sprang on board.
Janshah and his followers dismounted and, boarding the boat, made prize
of the gazelle and were minded to return to shore with her, when the
Prince espied a great island in the offing and said to his merry men,
'I have a longing to visit yonder island.' They answered, 'We hear and
obey,' and sailed on till they came to the island, where they landed
and amused themselves with exploring the place. Then they again
embarked and taking with them the gazelle, set out to return homeward,
but the murk of evening overtook them and they missed their way on the
main. Moreover a strong wind arose and crave the boat into mid-ocean,
so that when they awoke in the morning, they found themselves lost at
sea. Such was their case; but as regards King Teghmus, when he missed
his son, he commanded his troops to make search for him in separate
bodies; so they dispersed on all sides and a company of them, coming to
the sea shore, found there the Prince's white slave whom he had left in
charge of the horses. They asked him what was become of his master and
the other six, and he told them what had passed whereupon they took him
with them and returned to the King and acquainted him with what they
had learnt. When Teghmus heard their report, he wept with sore weeping
and cast the crown from his head, biting his hands for vexation. Then
he rose forthright and wrote letters and despatched them to all the
islands of the sea. Moreover he got together an hundred ships and
filling them with troops, sent them to sail about in quest of Janshah,
while he himself withdrew with his troops to his capital, where he
abode in sore concern. As for Janshah's mother, when she heard of his
loss she buffeted her face and began the mourning ceremonies for her
son making sure that he was dead. Meanwhile, Janshah and his men ceased
not driving before the wind and those in search of them cruised about
for ten days till, finding no trace they returned and reported failure
to the King. But a stiff gale caught the Prince's craft which went
spooning till they made a second island, where they landed and walked
about. Presently they came upon a spring of running water in the midst
of the island and saw from afar a man sitting hard by it. So they went
up to him and saluted him, and he returned their salam, speaking in a
voice like the whistle[FN#538] of birds. Whilst Janshah stood
marvelling at the man's speech he looked right and left and suddenly
split himself in twain, and each half went a different way.[FN#539]
Then there came down from the hills a multitude of men of all kinds,
beyond count and reckoning; and they no sooner reached the spring, than
each one divided into two halves and rushed on Janshah and his
Mamelukes to eat them. When the voyagers saw this, they turned and fled
seawards; but the cannibals pursued them and caught and ate three of
the slaves, leaving only three slaves who with Janshah reached the boat
in safety; then launching her made for the water and sailed nights and
days without knowing whither their ship went. They killed the gazelle,
and lived on her flesh, till the winds drove them to a third island
which was full of trees and waters and flower-gardens and orchards
laden with all fashion of fruits: and streams strayed under the tree
shade: brief, the place was a Garden of Eden. The island pleased the
Prince and he said to his companions, 'Which of you will land and
explore?' Then said one of the slaves, 'That will I do'; but he
replied, 'This thing may not be; you must all land and explore the
place while I abide in the boat.' So he set them ashore,"— And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted
say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Second Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that "the Prince set
them ashore, and they searched the island, East and West, but found no
one; then they fared on inland to the heart thereof, till they came to
a Castle compassed about with ramparts of white marble, within which
was a palace of the clearest crystal and, set in its centre a garden
containing all manner fruits beyond description, both fresh and dry,
and flowers of grateful odour and trees and birds singing upon the
boughs. Amiddlemost the garden was a vast basin of water, and beside it
a great open hall with a raised dais whereon stood a number of stools
surrounding a throne of red gold, studded with all kinds of jewels and
especially rubies and seeing the beauty of the Castle and of the Garden
they entered and explored in all directions, but found no one there, so
after rummaging the Castle they returned to Janshah and told him what
they had seen. When he heard their report, he cried, 'Needs must I
solace myself with a sight of it;' so he landed and accompanied them to
the palace, which he entered marvelling at the goodliness of the place.
They then visited every part of the gardens and ate of the fruits and
continued walking till it waxed dark, when they returned to the estrade
and sat down, Janshah on the throne in the centre and the three others
on the stools ranged to the right and left. Then the Prince, there
seated, called to mind his separation from his father's
throne-city[FN#540] and country and friends and kinsfolk; and fell
a-weeping and lamenting over their loss whilst his men wept around him.
And as they were thus sorrowing behold, they heard a mighty clamour,
that came from seaward and looking in the direction of the clamour saw
a multitude of apes, as they were swarming locusts. Now the castle and
the island belonged to these apes, who, finding the strangers' boat
moored to the strand, had scuttled it and after repaired to the palace,
where they came upon Janshah and his men seated." Here the Serpent-
queen again broke off her recital saying, "All this, O Hasib, was told
to Bulukiya by the young man sitting between the two tombs." Quoth
Hasib, "And what did Janshah do with the apes?"; so the Queen resumed
her tale: "He and his men were sore affrighted at the appearance of the
apes, but a company of them came up to the throne whereon he sat and,
kissing the earth before him, stood awhile in his presence with their
paws upon their breasts in posture of respect. Then another troop
brought to the castle gazelles which they slaughtered and skinned; and
roasting pieces of the flesh till fit for food they laid them on
platters of gold and silver and spreading the table, made signs to
Janshah and his men to eat. The Prince and his followers came down from
their seats and ate, and the apes ate with them, till they were
satisfied, when the apes took away the meat and set on fruits of which
they partook and praised Allah the most Highest. Then Janshah asked the
apes by signs what they were and to whom the palace belonged, and they
answered him by signals, 'Know ye that this island belonged of yore to
our lord Solomon, son of David (on both of whom be peace!), and he used
to come hither once every year for his solace,'"—And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Third Night,