Shamsah entered the new palace, she smelt the scent of her flying
feather-gear and knew where it was and determined to take it. So she
waited till midnight, when Janshah was drowned in sleep; then she rose
and going straight to the place where the marble coffer was buried
under the arches she hollowed the ground alongside till she came upon
it; when she removed the lead where with it was soldered and, taking
out the feather-suit, put it on. Then she flew high in air and perching
on the pinnacle of the palace, cried out to those who were therein,
saying, 'I pray you fetch me Janshah, that I may bid him farewell.' So
they told him and he came out and, seeing her on the terrace roof of
the palace, clad in her feather-raiment, asked her, 'Why hast thou done
this deed?'; and she answered 'O my beloved and coolth of mine eyes and
fruit of my heart, by Allah, I love thee passing dear and I rejoice
with exceeding joy in that I have restored thee to thy friends and
country and thou hast seen thy mother and father. And now, if thou love
me as I love thee, come to me at Takni, the Castle of Jewels.' So
saying, she flew away forthright to find her family and friends, and
Janshah fell down fainting, being well-nigh dead for despair. They
carried the news to King Teghmus, who mounted at once and riding to the
palace, found his son lying senseless on the ground; whereat he wept
knowing that the swoon was caused by the loss of his love, and
sprinkled rose- water on his face.[FN#552] When the Prince came to
himself and saw his sire sitting at his head, he wept at the thought of
losing his wife and the King asked what had befallen him. So he
replied, 'Know, O my father, that the lady Shamsah is of the daughters
of the Jann and she hath done such and such' (telling him all that had
happened); and the King said, 'O my son, be not troubled and thus
concerned, for I will assemble all the merchants and wayfarers in the
land and enquire of them anent that castle. If we can find out where it
is, we will journey thither and demand the Princess Shamsah of her
people, and we hope in Allah the Almighty that He will give her back to
thee and thou shalt consummate thy marriage.' Then he went out and,
calling his four Wazirs without stay or delay, bade them assemble all
the merchants and voyagers in the city and question them of Takni, the
Castle of Jewels, adding, 'Whoso knoweth it and can guide us thither, I
will surely give him fifty thousand gold pieces.' The Wazirs
accordingly went forth at once and did as the King bade them, but
neither trader nor traveller could give them news of Takni, the Castle
of Jewels; so they returned and told the King. Thereupon he bade bring
beautiful slave-girls and concubines and singers and players upon
instruments of music, whose like are not found but with the Kings: and
sent them to Janshah, so haply they might divert him from the love of
the lady Shamsah. Moreover, he despatched couriers and spies to all the
lands and islands and climes, to enquire for Takni, the Castle of
Jewels, and they made quest for it two months long, but none could give
them news thereof. So they returned and told the King, whereupon he
wept bitter tears and going in to his son found Janshah sitting amidst
the concubines and singers and players on harp and zither and so forth,
not one of whom could console him for the lady Shamsah. Quoth Teghmus,
O my son, I can find none who knoweth this Castle of Jewels; but I will
bring thee a fairer one than she.' When Janshah heard this his eyes ran
over with tears and he recited these two couplets,
'Patience hath fled, but passion fareth not; * And all my frame
with pine is fever-hot:
When will the days my lot with Shamsah join? * Lo, all my bones
with passion-lowe go rot!'
Now there was a deadly feud between King Teghmus and a certain King of
Hind, by name Kafνd, who had great plenty of troops and warriors and
champions; and under his hand were a thousand puissant chieftains, each
ruling over a thousand tribes whereof every one could muster four
thousand cavaliers. He reigned over a thousand cities each guarded by a
thousand forts and he had four Wazirs and under him ruled Emirs,
Princes and Sovereigns; and indeed he was a King of great might and
prowess whose armies filled the whole earth. Now King Teghmus had made
war upon him and ravaged his reign and slain his men and of his
treasures had made gain. But when it came to King Kafid's knowledge
that King Teghmus was occupied with the love of his son, so that he
neglected the affairs of the state and his troops were grown few and
weak by reason of his care and concern for his son's state, he summoned
his Wazirs and Emirs and said to them, 'Ye all know that whilom King
Teghmus invaded our dominions and plundered our possessions and slew my
father and brethren, nor indeed is there one of you, but he hath
harried his lands and carried off his goods and made prize of his wives
and slain some kinsmen of his. Now I have heard this day that he is
absorbed in the love of his son Janshah, and that his troops are grown
few and weak; and this is the time to take our blood revenge on him. So
make ready for the march and don ye your harness of battle; and let
nothing stay or delay you, and we will go to him and fall upon him and
slay him and his son, and possess ourselves of his reign.'"—And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted
say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Seventeenth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that "Kafid, King
of Hind, commanded his troops and armies to mount and make for the
dominions of King Teghmus, saying, 'Get ye ready for the march and don
ye your harness of war; and let nothing stay or delay you; so we will
go to him and fall upon him and slay him and his son and possess
ourselves of his reign.' They all answered with one voice, saying, 'We
hear and obey,' and fell at once to equipping themselves and levying
troops; and they ceased not their preparations for three months and,
when all was in readiness, they beat the drums and sounded the trumps
and flew the flags and banners: then King Kafid set out at the head of
his host and they fared on till they reached the frontiers of the land
of Kabul, the dominions of King Teghmus, where they began to harry the
land and do havoc among the folk, slaughtering the old and taking the
young prisoners. When the news reached King Teghmus, he was wroth with
exceeding wrath and assembling his Grandees and officers of state, said
to them 'Know that Kafid hath come to our land and hath entered the
realm we command and is resolved to fight us hand to hand, and he
leadeth troops and champions and warriors, whose number none knoweth
save Allah Almighty; what deme deem ye?' Replied they, 'O King of the
age, let us go out to him and give him battle and drive him forth of
our country; and thus deem we.' So he bade them prepare for battle and
brought forth to them hauberks and cuirasses and helmets and swords and
all manner of warlike gear, such as lay low warriors and do to death
the champions of mankind. So the troops and braves and champions
flocked together and they set up the standards and beat the drums and
sounded the trumpets and clashed the cymbals and piped on the pipes;
and King Teghmus marched out at the head of his army, to meet the hosts
of Hind. And when he drew near the foe, he called a halt, and encamping
with his host in the Zahrαn Valley,[FN#553] hard by the frontier of
Kabul despatched to King Kafid by messenger the following letter: 'Know
that what thou hast done is of the doings of the villain rabble and
wert thou indeed a King, the son of a King, thou hadst not done thus,
nor hadst thou invaded my kingdom and slain my subjects and plundered
their property and wrought upright upon them. Knowest thou not that all
this is the fashion of a tyrant! Verily, had I known that thou durst
harry my dominions, I had come to thee before thy coming and had
prevented thee this long while since. Yet, even now, if thou wilt
retire and leave mischief between us and thee, well and good; but if
thou return not, meet me in the listed field and measure thyself with
me in cut and thrust.' Lastly he sealed his letter and committed to an
officer of his army and sent with him spies to spy him out news. The
messenger fared forth with the missive and, drawing near the enemy's
camp, he descried a multitude of tents of silk and satin, with pennons
of blue sendal, and amongst them a great pavilion of red satin,
surrounded by a host of guards. He ceased not to advance till he made
this tent and found on asking that it was that of King Kafid, whom he
saw seated on a chair set with jewels, in the midst of his Wazirs and
Emirs and Grandees. So he brought out the letter and straightway there
came up to him a company of guards, who took it from him and carried it
to the King; and Kafid read it and wrote a reply to this purport:
'After the usual invocations, We let King Teghmus know that we mean to
take our blood-revenge on thee and wash out our stain and waste thy
reign and rend the curtain in twain and slay the old men and enslave
the young men. But to-morrow, come thou forth to combat in the open
plain, and to show thee thrust and fight will I deign.' Then he sealed
the letter and delivered it to the messenger, who carried it to King
Teghmus."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Eighteenth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that "King Kafid
delivered the answering letter to the messenger who carried it to King
Teghmus and delivered it, after kissing the ground between his hands.
Then he reported all that he had seen, saying, 'O King of the age, I
espied warriors and horsemen and footmen beyond count nor can I assist
thee to the amount.' When Teghmus read the reply and comprehended its
contents, he was with furious rage enraged and bade his Wazir Ayn Zar
take horse and fall upon the army of Kafid with a thousand cavaliers,
in the middle watch of the night when they would easily ride home and
slay all before them. Ayn Zar replied, 'I hear and I obey,' and at once
went forth to do his bidding. Now King Kafid had a Wazir,
Ghatrafαn[FN#554] by name, whom he bade take five thousand horse and
attack the host of King Teghmus in like manner. So Ghatrafan did his
bidding and set out on his enterprise marching till midnight. Thus the
two parties met halfway and the Wazir Ghatrafan fell upon the Wazir,
Ayn Zar. Then man cried out against man and there befell sore battle
between them till break of day, when Kafid's men were routed and fled
back to their King in confusion. As Kafid saw this, he was wroth beyond
measure and said to the fugitives, 'Woe to you! What hath befallen you,
that ye have lost your captains?' and they replied, 'O King of the age,
as the Wazir Ghatrafan rode forth to fall upon King Teghmus, there
appeared to us halfway and when night was half over, the Wazir, Ayn
Zar, with cavaliers and champions, and we met on the slopes of Wady
Zahran; but ere we were where we found ourselves in the enemy's midst,
eye meeting eye; and we fought a fierce fight with them from midnight
till morning, many on either side being slain. Then the Wazir and his
men fell to shouting and smiting the elephants on the face till they
took fright at their furious blows, and turning tail to flee, trampled
down the horsemen, whilst none could see other for the clouds of dust.
The blood ran like a rain torrent and had we not fled, we had all been
cut off to the last man.' When King Kafid heard this, he exclaimed,
'May the sun not bless you and may he be wroth with you and sore be his
wrath!' Meanwhile Ayn Zar, the Wazir, returned to King Teghmus and told
him what had happened. The King gave him joy of his safety and rejoiced
greatly and bade beat the drums and sound the trumpets, in honour of
the victory; after which he called the roll of his troops and behold,
two hundred of his stoutest champions had fallen. Then King Kafid
marched his army into the field and drew them out ordered for battle in
fifteen lines of ten thousand horses each, under the command of three
hundred captains, mounted on elephants and chosen from amongst the
doughtiest of his warriors and his champions. So he set up his
standards and banners and beat the drums and blew the trumpets whilst
the braves sallied forth, offering battle. As for King Teghmus, he drew
out his troops line after line and lo! there were ten of ten thousand
horses each, and with him were an hundred champions, riding on his
right hand and on his left. Then fared forward to the fight each
renowned knight, and the hosts clashed together in their might, whilst
the earth for all its wideness was straitened because of the multitude
of the cavaliers and ears were deafened by drums and cymbals beating
and pipes and hautboys sounding and trumpets blaring and by the thunder
of horse-tramp and the shouting of men. The dust arched in canopy over
their heads and they fought a sore fight from the first of the day till
the fall of darkness, when they separated and each army drew off to its
own camp."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Nineteenth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that "each army drew
off to its own camp. Then King Kafid called the roll of his troops and,
finding that he had lost five thousand men, raged with great rage; and
King Teghmus mustered his men and seeing that of them were slain three
thousand riders, the bravest of his braves, was wroth with exceeding
wrath. On the morrow King Kafid again pushed into the plain and did
duty as before, while each man strove his best to snatch victory for
himself; and Kafid cried out to his men, saying, 'Is there any of you
will sally forth into the field and open us the chapter of fray and
fight?' And behold came out from the ranks a warrior named Barkayk, a
mighty man of war who, when he reached the King, alighted from his
elephant and kissing the earth before him, sought of him leave to
challenge the foe to combat singular. Then he mounted his elephant and
driving into mid-field, cried out, 'Who is for duello, who is for
derring do, who is for knightly devoir?' When King Teghmus heard this,
he said to his troops, 'Which of you will do single battle with this
sworder?' And behold, a cavalier came out from the ranks, mounted on a
charger, mighty of make, and driving up to the King kissed the earth
before him and craved his permission to engage Barkayk. Then he mounted
again and charged at Barkayk, who said to him, 'Who art thou and what
art thou called, that thou makest mock of me by coming out against me
and challenging me, alone?' 'My name is Ghazanfar[FN#555] son of
Kamkhνl,' replied the Kabul champion; and the other, 'I have heard tell
of thee in my own country; so up and do battle between the ranks of the
braves!' Hearing these words Ghazanfar drew a mace of iron from under
his thigh and Barkayk took his good sword in hand, and they laid on
load till Barkayk smote Ghazanfar on the head with his blade, but the
morion turned the blow and no hurt befell him therefrom; whereupon
Ghazanfar, in his turn, dealt Barkayk so terrible a stroke on the head
with his mace, that he levelled him down to his elephant's back and
slew him. With this out sallied another and crying to Ghazanfar, 'Who
be thou that thou shouldst slay my brother?'; hurled a javelin at him
with such force that it pierced his thigh and nailed his coat of mail
to his flesh. Then Ghazanfar, feeling his hurt, hent his sword in hand
and smote at Barkayk's brother and cut him in sunder, and he fell to
the earth, wallowing in his life blood, whilst the challenger of Kabul
galloped back to King Teghmus. Now when Kafid saw the death of his
champions, he cried out to his troops, saying, 'Down with you to the
plain and strike with might and main!' as also did King Teghmus, and
the two armies fought the fiercest of fights. Horse neighed against
horse and man cried out upon man and brands were bared, whilst the
drums beat and the trumpets blared; and horseman charged upon horseman
and every brave of renown pushed forward, whilst the faint of heart
fled from the lunge of lance and men heard nought but slogan-cry and
the clash and clang of armoury. Slain were the warriors that were
slain[FN#556] and they stayed not from the mellay till the decline of
the sun in the heavenly dome, when the Kings drew off their armies and
returned each to its own camp.[FN#557] Then King Teghmus took tally of
his men and found that he had lost five thousand, and four standards
had been broken to bits, whereat he was sore an-angered; whilst King
Kafid in like manner counted his troops and found that he had lost six
hundred, the bravest of his braves, and nine standards were wanting to
the full tale. The two armies ceased joining battle and rested on their
arms three days' space, after which Kafid wrote a letter and sent it by
messenger to a King called Fakun al-Kalb (with whom he claimed kinship
by the spindle side): and this kinsman forthwith mustered his men and
marched to meet the King of Hind."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Twentieth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that "King Fakun
mustered his men and marched to meet the King of Hind: and whileas King
Teghmus was sitting at his pleasance, there came one in to him and
said, 'I see from afar a cloud of dust spireing high in air and
overspreading the lift.' So he commanded a company to fare forth and
learn the meaning of this; and, crying, 'To hear is to obey,' they
sallied out and presently returned and said to him, 'O King, when we
drew near the cloud of dust, the wind rent it and it lifted and showed
seven standards and under each standard three thousand horse, making
for King Kafid's camp.' Then King Fakun joined himself to the King of
Hind and saluting him, asked, 'How is it with thee, and what be this
war in which thou arrest?'; and Kafid answered, 'Knowest thou not that
King Teghmus is my enemy and the murtherer of my father and brothers?
Wherefore I am come forth to do battle with him and take my brood wreak
on him.' Quoth Fakun, 'The blessing of the sun be upon thee!'; and the
King of Hind carried King Fakun al-Kalb to his tent and rejoiced in him
with exceeding joy. Such was the case of the two hostile Kings; but as
regards King Janshah, he abode two months shut up in his palace,
without seeing his father or allowing one of the damsels in his service
to come in to him; at the end of which time he grew troubled and
restless and said to his attendants, 'What aileth my father that he
cometh not to visit me?' They told him that he had gone forth to do
battle with King Kafid, whereupon quoth Janshah, 'Bring me my steed,
that I may go to my sire.' They replied, 'We hear and obey,' and
brought his horse; but he said in himself, 'I am taken up with the
thought of myself and my love and I deem well to mount and ride for the
city of the Jews, where haply Allah shall grant me the boon to meet the
merchant who hired me for the ruby business and may be he will deal
with me as he dealt before, for none knoweth whence good cometh.' So he
took with him a thousand horse and set out, the folk saying, 'At last
Janshah hath fared forth to join his father in the field, and to fight
by his side;' and they stinted not pushing on till dusk, when they
halted for the night in a vast meadow. As soon as he knew that all his
men were asleep, the Prince rose privily and girding his waist, mounted
his horse and rode away intending to make Baghdad, because he had heard
from the Jews that a caravan came thence to their city once in every
two years and he made up his mind to journey thither with the next
cafilah. When his men awoke and missed the Prince and his horse, they
mounted and sought him right and left but, finding no trace of him,
rejoined his father and told him what his son had done; whereat he was
wroth beyond measure and cast the crown from his head, whilst the
sparks were like to fly from his mouth, and he said 'There is no
Majesty and there is no Might but in Allah! Verily I have lost my son,
and the enemy is still before me.' But his Wazirs and vassals said to
him, 'Patience, O King of the age! Patience bringeth weal in wake.'
Meanwhile Janshah, parted from his lover and pained for his father, was
in sore sorrow and dismay, with heart seared and eyes tear-bleared and
unable to sleep night or day. But when his father heard the loss his
host had endured, he declined battle, and fled before King Kafid, and
retiring to his city, closed the gates and strengthened the walls.
Thereupon King Kafid followed him and sat down before the town;
offering battle seven nights and eight days, after which he withdrew to
his tents, to tend his wounded while the citizens defended themselves
as they best could, fortifying the place and setting up mangonels and
other engines on the walls. Such was the condition of the two Kings,
and war raged between them for a space of seven years."—And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Twenty-first Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that "Kings Teghmus
and Kafid continued in this condition for seven years; but, as regards
Janshah, he rode through wild and wold and when ever he came to a town
he asked anent Takni, the Castle of Jewels, but none knew of it and all
answered, 'Of a truth we never heard of such place, not even by name.'
At last he happened to enquire concerning the city of the Jews from a
merchant who told him that it was situated in the extreme Orient,
adding, 'A caravan will start this very month for the city of Mizrakαn
in Hind; whither do thou accompany us and we will fare on to Khorasan
and thence to the city of Shima'ϊn and Khwαrazm, from which latter
place the City of the Jews is distant a year and three months'
journey.' So Janshah waited till the departure of the caravan, when he
joined himself thereto and journeyed, till he reached the city of
Mizrakan whence, after vainly asking for Takni, the Castle of Jewels,
he set out and enduring on the way great hardships and perils galore
and the extreme of hunger and thirst, he arrived at the town of
Shima'un. Here he made enquiry for the City of the Jews, and they
directed him to the road thither. So he fared forth and journeyed days
and nights till he came to the place where he had given the apes the
slip, and continued his journey thence to the river, on the opposite
bank of which stood the City of the Jews. He sat down on the shore and
waited till the Sabbath came round and the river dried up by decree of
Allah Almighty, when he crossed over to the opposite bank and, entering
the city, betook himself to the house wherein he had lodged on his
former journey. The Jew and his family saluted him and rejoiced in his
return and, setting meat and drink before him, asked, 'Where hast thou
been during thine absence?'; and he answered, 'In the kingdom of
Almighty Allah!'[FN#558] He lay with them that night and on the morrow
he went out to solace himself with a walk about the city and presently
heard a crier crying aloud and saying, 'O folk, who will earn a
thousand gold pieces and a fair slave-girl and do half a day's work for
us?' So Janshah went up to him and said, 'I will do this work.'[FN#559]
Quoth the crier, 'Follow me,' and carrying him to the house of the Jew
merchant, where he had been afore time, said, 'This young man will do
thy need.' The merchant not recognising him gave him welcome and
carried him into the Harim, where he set meat and drink before him, and
he ate and drank. Then he brought him the money and formally made over
to him the handsome slave-girl with whom he lay that night. As soon as
morning dawned, he took the diners and the damsel and, committing them
to his Jew host with whom he had lodged afore time, returned to the
merchant, who mounted and rode out with him, till they came to the foot
of the tall and towering mountain, where the merchant, bringing out a
knife and cords, said to Janshah, 'Throw the mare.' So he threw her and
bound her four legs with the cords and slaughtered her and cut off her
head and four limbs and slit her belly, as ordered by the Jew;
whereupon quoth he, 'Enter her belly, till I sew it up on thee; and
whatsoever thou seest therein, tell me of it, for this is the work
whose wage thou hast taken.' So Janshah entered the mare's belly and
the merchant sewed it up on him; then, withdrawing to a fair distance,
hid himself. And after an hour a great bird swooped down from the lift
and, snatching up the carcass in his pounces soared high toward the
sky. Then he perched upon the mountain peak and would have eaten the
prey, but Janshah sensing his intent took out his knife and slit the
mare's belly and came forth. The bird was scared at his sight and flew
away, and Janshah went up to a place whence he could see below, and
looking down, espied the merchant standing at the foot of the mountain,
as he were a sparrow. So he cried out to him, 'What is thy will, O
merchant?' Replied the Jew, 'Throw me down of the stones that lie about
thee, that I may direct thee in the way down.' Quoth Janshah, 'Thou art
he who didst with me thus and thus five years ago, and through thee I
suffered hunger and thirst and sore toil and much trouble; and now thou
hast brought me hither once more and thinkest to destroy me. By Allah,
I will not throw thee aught!' So saying, he turned from him and set out
for where lived Shaykh Nasr, the King of the Birds."—And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Twenty-second Night,