way for where lived Shaykh Nasr, the King of the Birds. And he ceased
not faring on many days and nights, tearful-eyed and heavy-hearted;
eating, when he was anhungered, of the growth of the ground and
drinking, when he thirsted, of its streams, till he came in sight of
the Castle of the lord Solomon and saw Shaykh Nasr sitting at the gate.
So he hastened up to him and kissed his hands; and the Shaykh saluted
him and bade him welcome and said to him, 'O my son, what aileth thee
that thou returnest to this place, after I sent thee home with the
Princess Shamsah, cool of eyes and broad of breast?' Janshah wept and
told him all that had befallen him and how she had flown away from him,
saying, 'An thou love me, come to me in Takni, the Castle of Jewels;'
at which the old man marvelled and said, 'By Allah, O my son, I know it
not, nor, by the virtue of our lord Solomon, have I ever in my life
heard its name!' Quoth Janshah, 'What shall I do? I am dying of love
and longing.' Quoth Shaykh Nasr, 'Take patience until the coming of the
birds, when we will enquire at them of Takni, the Castle of Jewels;
haply one of them shall wot thereof.' So Janshah's heart was comforted
and, entering the Palace, he went straight to the chamber which gave
upon the Lake in which he had seen the three maidens. After this he
abode with Shaykh Nasr for a while and, one day as he was sitting with
him, the Shaykh said, 'O my son, rejoice for the time of the birds'
coming draweth nigh.' Janshah gladdened to hear the news; and after a
few days the birds began to come and Shaykh Nasr said to him, 'O my
son, learn these names[FN#560] and address thyself with me to meet the
birds.' Presently, the fowls came flying up and saluted Shaykh Nasr,
kind after kind, and he asked them of Takni, the Castle of Jewels, but
they all made answer, 'Never heard we of such a place.' At these words
Janshah wept and lamented till he swooned away; whereupon Shaykh Nasr
called a huge volatile and said to him, 'Carry this youth to the land
of Kabul,' and described to him the country and the way thither. Then
he set Janshah on the bird's back, saying, 'Be careful to sit straight
and beware of leaning to either side, else thou wilt be torn to pieces
in the air; and stop thine ears from the wind, lest thou be dazed by
the noise of the revolving sphere and the roaring of the seas.' Janshah
resolved to do his bidding and the bird took flight high in sky and
flew with him a day and a night, till he set him down by the King of
the Beasts, whose name was Shαh Badrν, and said to his rider, 'We have
gone astray from the way directed by Shaykh Nasr.' And he would have
taken him up again and flown on with him; but Janshah said, 'Go thy
ways and leave me here; till I die on this spot or I find Takni, the
Castle of Jewels, I will not return to my country.' So the fowl left
him with Shah Badri, King of the Beasts and flew away. The King
thereupon said to him, 'O my son, who art thou and whence comest thou
with yonder great bird?' So Janshah told him his story from beginning
to end, whereat Shah Badri marvelled and said, 'By the virtue of the
lord Solomon, I know not of this castle; but if any one of the beasts
my subjects know it, we will reward him bountifully and send thee by
him thither.' Hereat Janshah wept bitterly but presently he took
patience and abode with Shah Badri, and after a short time the King of
the Beasts said to him, 'O my son, take these tablets and commit to
memory that which is therein; and when the beasts come, we will
question them of the Castle of Jewels.' "—And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Twenty-third Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that "the King of
the Beasts said to Janshah, 'Commit to memory what is in these tablets;
and whenas the beasts come, we will ask them anent that castle.' He did
as the King bade him, and before long, up came the beasts, kind after
kind, and saluted Shah Badri who questioned them of Takni, the Castle
of Jewels, but they all replied, 'We know not this castle, nor ever
heard we of it.' At this Janshah wept and lamented for that he had not
gone with the bird that brought him from Shaykh Nasr's castle; but Shah
Badri said to him, 'Grieve not, O my son, for I have a brother, King
Shimαkh highs, who is older than I; he was once a prisoner to King
Solomon, for that he rebelled against him; nor is there among the Jinn
one elder than he and Shaykh Nasr. Belike he knoweth of this castle; at
any rate he ruleth over all the Jinn in this country side.' So saying
he set Janshah on the back of a beast and gave him a letter to his
brother, commending him to his care. The beast set off with the Prince
forthwith and fared on days and nights, till it came to King Shimakh's
abiding place. And when it caught sight of the King it stood still afar
off, whereupon Janshah alighted and walked on, till he found himself in
the presence. Then he kissed hands and presented his brother's letter.
The King read the missive and, having mastered the meaning, welcomed
the Prince, saying, 'By Allah, O my son, in all my born days I never
saw nor heard of this castle!' adding (as Janshah burst into tears),
'but tell me thy story and who and whence thou art and whither thou art
bound.' So Janshah related to him his history from beginning to end, at
which Shimakh marvelled and said, 'O my son, I do not believe that even
the lord Solomon ever saw this castle or heard thereof; but O my
son,[FN#561] I know a monk in the mountains, who is exceeding old and
whom all birds and beasts and Jann obey; for he ceased not his
conjurations against the Kings of the Jann, till they submitted
themselves to him in their own despite, by reason of the might of his
oaths and his magic; and now all the birds and the beasts are his
servants. I myself once rebelled against King Solomon and he sent
against me this monk, the only being who could overcome me with his
craft and his conjurations and his gramarye; then he imprisoned me, and
since that time I have been his vassal. He hath travelled in all
countries and quarters and knoweth all ways and regions and places and
castles and cities; nor do I think there is any place hidden from his
ken. So needs must I send thee to him; haply he may direct thee to the
Castle of Jewels; and, if he cannot do this, none can; for all things
obey him, birds and beasts and the very mountains and come at his beck
and call, by reason of his skill in magic. Moreover, by the might of
his egromancy he hath made a staff, in three pieces, and this he
planteth in the earth and conjureth over it; whereupon flesh and blood
issue from the first piece, sweet milk from the second and wheat and
barley from the third; then he withdraweth the staff and returneth to
his place which is highs the Hermitage of Diamonds. And this magical
monk is a cunning inventor and artificer of all manner strange works;
and he is a crafty warlock full of guiles and wiles, an arch deceiver
of wondrous wickedness, who hath mastered every kind of magic and
witchcraft. His name is Yaghmϊs and to him I must needs send thee on
the back of a big bird with four wings,'"—And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Twenty-fourth Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that "Shimakh said
to Janshah, 'I must needs send thee to the monk Yaghmus on the back of
a big bird with four wings, each measuring thirty Hαshimi[FN#562]
cubits in length; and it hath feet like those of an elephant, but it
flieth only twice a year.' And there was with King Shimakh an officer,
by name Timshun, who used every day to carry off two Bactrian[FN#563]
camels from the land of Irak and cut them up for the bird that it might
eat them. So King Shimakh bade the fowl take up Janshah and bear him to
the cell of the hermit Yaghmus; and it rose into the air and flew on
days and nights, till it came to the Mountain of the Citadels and the
Hermitage of Diamonds where Janshah alighted and going up to the
hermitage, found Yaghmus the Monk at his devotions. So he entered the
chapel and, kissing the ground stood respectfully before the hermit.
When Yaghmus saw him, he said, 'Welcome, O my son, O parted from thy
home and garred ferforth to roam! Tell me the cause of thy coming
hither.' So Janshah wept and acquainted him with all that had befallen
him from beginning to end and that he was in quest of the Castle of
Jewels. The Monk marvelled greatly at his story and said, 'By Allah, O
my son, never in my life heard I of this castle, nor ever saw I one who
had heard of it or had seen it, for all I was alive in the days of
Noah, Allah's Prophet (on whom be peace!),[FN#564] and I have ruled the
birds and beasts and Jinn ever since his time; nor do I believe that
Solomon David son himself knew of it. But wait till the birds and
beasts and chiefs of the Jann come to do their homage to me and I will
question them of it; peradventure, some one of them may be able to give
us news of it and Allah Almighty shall make all things easy to thee.'
So Janshah homed with the hermit, until the day of the assembly, when
all the birds and beasts and Jann came to swear fealty; and Yaghmus and
his guest questioned them anent Takni, the Castle of Jewels; but they
all replied, 'We never saw or heard of such a place.' At this, Janshah
fell a weeping and lamenting and humbled himself before the Most High;
but, as he was thus engaged, behold, there flew down from the heights
of air another bird, big of bulk and black of blee, which had tarried
behind the rest, and kissed the hermit's hands. Yaghmus asked it of
Takni, the Castle of Jewels, and it answered, saying 'O Monk, when I
and my brothers were small chicks we abode behind the Mountain Kaf on a
hill of crystal, in the midst of a great desert; and our father and
mother used to set out for it every morning and in the evening come
back with our food. They went out early one day, and were absent from
us a sennight and hunger was sore upon us; but on the eighth day they
returned, both weeping, and we asked them the reason of their absence.
Quoth they: 'A Marid swooped down on us and carried us off in his claws
to Takni, the Castle of Jewels, and brought us before King Shahlan, who
would have slain us; but we told him that we had left behind us a brood
of fledgelings; so he spared our lives and let us go. And were my
parents yet in the bonds of life they would give thee news of the
castle.' When Janshah heard this, he wept bitter tears and said to the
hermit, 'Prithee bid the bird carry me to his father and mother's nest
on the crystal hill, behind the Mountain Kaf.' So the hermit said, 'O
bird, I desire thee to obey this youth in whatsoever he may command
thee.' 'I hear and obey thy bidding,' replied the fowl; and, taking
Janshah on its back, flew with him days and nights without ceasing till
it set him down on the Hill of Crystal and there alighted. And having
delayed there a resting while, it again set him on its back and flew
off and ceased not flying for two whole days till it reached the spot
where the nest was."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Twenty-fifth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that "the fowl ceased
not flying with Janshah two full days; till it reached the spot where
the nest was, and set him down there and said, 'O Janshah, this is
where our nest was.' He wept sore and replied, 'I pray thee bear me
farther on to where thy parents used to forage for food.' The bird
consented; so it took him up again and flew on with him seven nights
and eight days, till it set him down on the top of a high hill Karmus
highs and left him there saying, 'I know of no land behind this hill.'
Then it flew away and Janshah sat down on the hill-top and fell asleep.
When he awoke, he saw a something gleaming afar off as it were
lightning and filling the firmament with its flashings; and he wondered
what this sheen could be without wotting that it was the Castle he
sought. So he descended the mountain and made towards the light, which
came from Takni, the Castle of Jewels, distant two months' journey from
Karmϊs, the hill whereon he had alit, and its foundations were
fashioned of red rubies and its buildings of yellow gold. Moreover, it
had a thousand turrets builded of precious metals, and stones of price
studded and set in the minerals brought from the Main of Murks, and on
this account it was named the Castle of Jewels, Takni. It was a vast
great castle and the name of its king was King Shahlan, the father of
the lady Shamsah and her sisters. Such was the case with Janshah; but
as regards Princess Shamsah, when she fled from Janshah, she made
straight for the Castle of Jewels and told her father and mother all
that had passed between the Prince and herself; how he had wandered the
world and seen its marvels and wonders and how fondly he loved her and
how dearly she loved him. Quoth they, 'Thou hast not dealt righteously
with him, as Allah would have thee deal.' Moreover King Shahlan
repeated the story to his guards and officers of the Marids of the Jinn
and bade them bring him every mortal they should see. For the lady
Shamsah had said to her parents, 'Janshah loveth me with passionate
love and forsure he will follow me; for when flying from his father's
roof I cried to him, 'An thou love me, seek me at Takni, the Castle of
Jewels!' Now when Janshah beheld that sheen and shine, he made straight
for it wishing to find out what it might be. And as chance would have
it, Shamsah had that very day despatched a Marid on an occasion in the
direction of the hill Karmus, and on his way thither he caught sight of
a man, a mortal; so he hastened up to him and saluted him. Janshah was
terrified at his sight, but returned his salam, and the Marid asked,
'What is thy name?' and he answered, 'My name is Janshah, and I have
fallen madly in love with a Jinniyah known as Princess Shamsah, who
captivated me by her beauty and loveliness; but despite my dear love
she fled from the palace wherein I placed her and behold, I am here in
quest of her.' Herewith he wept with bitter weeping. The Marid looked
at him and his heart burned with pity on hearing the sad tale, and he
said, 'Weep not, for surely thou art come to thy desire. Know that she
loveth thee fondly and hath told her parents of thy love for her, and
all in yonder castle love thee for her sake; so be of good cheer and
keep thine eyes cool of tear.' Then he took him on his shoulders and
made off with him to the Castle of Jewels, Takni. Thereupon the bearers
of fair tidings hastened to report his coming and when the news reached
Shamsah and her father and mother, they all rejoiced with exceeding
joy, and King Shahlan took horse and rode out, commanding all his
guards and Ifrits and Marids honourably to meet the Prince."—And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted
say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Twenty-sixth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that "King Shahlan
commanded all his guards and Ifrits and Marids to meet the Prince; and,
as soon as he came up with him, he dismounted and embraced him, and
Janshah kissed his hand. Then Shahlan bade put on him a robe of honour
of many coloured silk, laced with gold and set with jewels, and a
coronet such as man never saw, and, mounting him on a splendid mare of
the steeds of the Kings of the Jinn, took horse himself and, with an
immense retinue riding on the right hand and the left, brought him in
great state to the Castle. Janshah marvelled at the splendour of this
edifice, with its walls builded of rubies and other jewels and its
pavement of crystal and jasper and emerald, and fell a weeping at the
memory of his past miseries; but the King and Queen, Shamsah's mother,
wiped away his tears and said, 'Now no more weeping and be of good
cheer, for thou hast won to thy will.' Then Shahlan carried him into
the inner court of the Castle, where he was received by a multitude of
beautiful damsels and pages and black Jinn-slaves, who seated him in
the place of honour and stood to do him service, whilst he was lost in
amazement at the goodliness of the place, and its walls all edified of
precious metals and jewels of price. Presently King Shahlan repaired to
his hall of audience, where he sat down on his throne and, bidding the
slave-girls and the pages introduce the Prince, rose to receive him and
seated him by his side on the throne. Then he ordered the tables to be
spread and they ate and drank and washed their hands; after which in
came the Queen Shamsah's mother, and saluting Janshah, bade him welcome
in these words, 'Thou hast come to thy desire after weariness and thine
eyes shall now sleep after watching; so praised be Allah for thy
safety!' Thus saying, she went away and forthwith returned with the
Princess Shamsah, who saluted Janshah and kissed his hands, hanging her
head in shame and confusion before him and her parents, after which as
many of her sisters as were in the palace came up to him and greeted
him in like manner. Then quoth the Queen to him, 'Welcome, O my son,
our daughter Shamsah hath indeed sinned against thee, but do thou
pardon her misdeed for our sakes.' When Janshah heard this, he cried
out and fell down fainting, whereat the King marvelled and they
sprinkled on his face rose water mingled with musk and civet, till he
came to himself and, looking at Princess Shamsah, said, 'Praised be
Allah who hath brought me to my desire and hath quenched the fire of my
heart!' Replied she, 'May He preserve thee from the Fire!, but now tell
me, O Janshah, what hath befallen thee since our parting and how thou
madest thy way to this place; seeing that few even of the Jann ever
heard of Takni, the Castle of Jewels; and we are independent of all the
Kings nor any wotteth the road hither.' Thereupon he related to her
every adventure and peril and hardship he had suffered and how he had
left his father at war with King Kafid, ending with these words, 'And
all for thy sake, my lady Shamsah!' Quoth the Queen, 'Now hast thou thy
heart's desire, for the Princess is thy handmaid, and we give her in
free gift to thee.' Janshah joyed exceedingly at these words and the
Queen added, 'Next month, if it be the will of Almighty Allah, we will
have a brave wedding and celebrate the marriage festival and after the
knot is tied we will send you both back to thy native land, with an
escort of a thousand Marids of our body-guard, the least of whom, an
thou bid him slay King Kafid and his folk, would surely destroy them to
the last man in the twinkling of an eye. Furthermore if it please thee
we will send thee, year after year, a company of which each and every
can so do with all thy foes.'"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Twenty-seventh Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that "the lady
Shamsah's mother ended with saying, 'And if it so please thee we will
send thee, year after year, a company of which each and every can
destroy thy foes to the last man.' Then King Shahlan sat down on his
throne and, summoning his Grandees and Officers of state, bade them
make ready for the marriage- festivities and decorate the city seven
days and nights. 'We hear and we obey,' answered they and busied
themselves two months in the preparations, after which they celebrated
the marriage of the Prince and Princess and held a mighty festival,
never was there its like. Then they brought Janshah in to his bride and
he abode with her in all solace of life and delight for two years, at
the end of which time he said to her, 'Thy father promised to send us
to my native land, that we might pass one year there and the next
here.' Answered she, I hear and obey,' and going in to King Shahlan at
nightfall told him what the Prince had said. Quoth he, 'I consent; but
have patience with me till the first of the month, that I may make
ready for your departure.' She repeated these words to her husband and
they waited till the appointed time, when the King bade his Marids
bring out to them a great litter of red gold, set with pearls and
jewels and covered with a canopy of green silk, purfled in a profusion
of colours and embroidered with precious stones, dazzling with its
goodliness the eyes of every beholder. He chose out four of his Marids
to carry the litter in whichever of the four quarters the riders might
choose. Moreover, he gave his daughter three hundred beautiful damsels
to wait upon her and bestowed on Janshah the like number of white
slaves of the sons of the Jinn. Then the lady Shamsah took formal leave
of her mother and sisters and all her kith and kin; and her father
fared forth with them. So the four Marids took up the litter, each by
one corner, and rising under it like birds in air, flew onward with it
between earth and heaven till mid-day, when the King bade them set it
down and all alighted. Then they took leave of one another and King
Shahlan commended Shamsah to the Prince's care, and giving them in
charge to the Marids, returned to the Castle of Jewels, whilst the
Prince and Princess remounted the litter, and the Marids taking it up,
flew on for ten whole days, in each of which they accomplished thirty
months' journey, till they sighted the capital of King Teghmus. Now one
of them knew the land of Kabul; so when he saw the city, he bade the
others let down the litter at that populous place which was the
capital."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Twenty-eighth Night,