"Pardon, O King of the age; thou art right as regards the table, for
thy slave is indeed a Nazarene." Whereupon all present, gentle and
simple, wondered at the King's skill in hitting upon the truth by
geomancy, and said, "Verily this King is a diviner, whose like there is
not in the world." Thereupon Queen Zumurrud bade flay the Nazarene and
stuff his skin with straw and hang it over the gate of the race-course.
Moreover, she commended to dig a pit without the city and burn therein
his flesh and bones and throw over his ashes offal and ordure. "We hear
and obey," answered they, and did with him all she bade; and, when the
folk saw what had befallen the Christian, they said, "Serve him right;
but what an unlucky mouthful was that for him!" And another said, "Be
the far one's wife divorced if this vow be broken: never again to the
end of my days will I eat of sugared rice!"; and the Hashish-eater
cried "Praised be Allah, who spared me this fellow's fate by saving me
from eating of that same rice!" Then they all went out, holding it
thenceforth unlawful to sit over against the dish of sweet rice as the
Nazarene had sat. Now when the first day of the third month came, they
laid the tables according to custom, and covered them with dishes and
chargers, and Queen Zumurrud came down and sat on her throne, with her
guards in attendance, as of wont, in awe of her dignity and majesty.
Then the townsfolk entered as before and went round about the tables,
looking for the place of the dish of sweet rice, and quoth one to
another, "Hark ye, O Hбjн[FN#308] Khalaf!"; and the other answered, "At
thy service, O Hбjн Khбlid." Said Khбlid, "Avoid the dish of sweet rice
and look thou eat not thereof; for, if thou do, by early morning thou
will be hanged."[FN#309] Then they sat down to meat around the table;
and, as they were eating, Queen Zumurrud chanced to look from her
throne and saw a man come running in through the gate of the
horse-course; and having considered him attentively, she knew him for
Jawan the Kurdish thief who murdered the trooper. Now the cause of his
coming was this: when he left his mother, he went to his comrades and
said to them, "I did good business yesterday; for I slew a trooper and
took his horse. Moreover there fell to me last night a pair of
saddle-bags, full of gold, and a young lady worth more than the money
in pouch; and I have left all that with my mother in the cave." At this
they rejoiced and repaired to the cavern at night-fall, whilst Jawan
the Kurd walked in front and the rest behind; he wishing to bring them
the booty of which he had boasted. But he found the place clean empty
and questioned his mother, who told him all that had befallen her;
whereupon he bit his hands for regret and exclaimed, "By Allah, I will
assuredly make search for the harlot and take her, wherever she is,
though it be in the shell of a pistachio-nut,[FN#310] and quench my
malice on her!" So he went forth in quest of her and ceased not
journeying from place to place, till he came to Queen Zumurrud's city.
On entering he found the town deserted and, enquiring of some women
whom he saw looking from the windows, they told him that it was the
Sultan's custom to make a banquet for the people on the first of each
month and that all the lieges were bound to go and eat of it.
Furthermore the women directed him to the racing-ground, where the
feast was spread. So he entered at a shuffling trot; and, finding no
place empty, save that before the dish of sweet rice already noticed,
took his seat right opposite it and stretched out his hand towards the
dish; whereupon the folk cried out to him, saying, "O our brother, what
wouldst thou do?" Quoth he, "I would eat my fill of this dish."
Rejoined one of the people, "If thou eat of it thou wilt assuredly find
thyself hanged to-morrow morning." But Jawan said, "Hold thy tongue and
talk not so unpleasantly." Then he stretched out his hand to the dish
and drew it to him; but it so chanced that the Hashish-eater of whom we
have spoken, was sitting by him; and when he saw him take the dish, the
fumes of the Hashish left his head and he fled from his place and sat
down afar off, saying, "I will have nothing to do with yonder dish."
Then Jawan the Kurd put out his hand (which was very like a raven's
claws,[FN#311] scooped up therewith half the dishful and drew out his
neave as it were a camel's hoof,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Three Hundred and Twenty-second Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Jawan the Kurd
drew his neave from the dish as it were a camel's hoof and rolled the
lump of rice in the palm of his hand, till it was like a big orange,
and threw it ravenously into his mouth; and it rolled down his gullet,
with a rumble like thunder and the bottom of the deep dish appeared
where said mouthful had been. Thereupon quoth to him one sitting by his
side, "Praised be Allah for not making me meat between thy hands; for
thou hast cleared the dish at a single mouthful;" and quoth the
Hashish-eater, "Let him eat; methinks he hath a hanging face." Then,
turning to Jawan he added, "Eat and Allah give thee small good of it."
So Jawan put out his hand again and taking another mouthful, was
rolling it in his palm like the first, when behold, the Queen cried out
to the guards saying, "Bring me yonder man in haste and let him not eat
the mouthful in his hand." So they ran and seizing him as he hung over
the dish, brought him to her, and set him in her presence, whilst the
people exulted over his mishap and said one to the other, "Serve him
right, for we warned him, but he would not take warning. Verily, this
place is bound to be the death of whoso sitteth therein, and yonder
rice bringeth doom to all who eat of it." Then said Queen Zumurrud to
Jawan, "What is thy name and trade and wherefore comest thou to our
city?" Answered he, "O our lord the Sultan, my name is Othman; I work
as a gardener and am come hither in quest of somewhat I have lost."
Quoth Zumurrud, "Here with a table of sand!" So they brought it, and
she took the pen and drawing a geomantic scheme, considered it awhile,
then raising her head, exclaimed, "Woe to thee, thou loser! How darest
thou lie to Kings? This sand telleth me that of a truth thy name is
Jawan the Kurd and that thou art by trade a robber, taking men's goods
in the way of unright and slaying those whom Allah hath forbidden to
slay save for just cause." And she cried out upon him, saying, "O hog,
tell me the truth of thy case or I will cut off thy head on the spot."
Now when he heard these words, he turned yellow and his teeth
chattered; then, deeming that he might save himself by truth-telling,
he replied, "O King, thou sayest sooth; but I repent at thy hands
henceforth and turn to Allah Almighty!" She answered, "It were not
lawful for me to leave a pest in the way of Moslems;" and cried to her
guards, "Take him and skin him and do with him as last month ye did by
his like." They obeyed her commandment; and, when the Hashish- eater
saw the soldiers seize the man, he turned his back upon the dish of
rice, saying, "'Tis a sin to present my face to thee!" And after they
had made an end of eating, they dispersed to their several homes and
Zumurrud returned to her palace and dismissed her attendants. Now when
the fourth month came round, they went to the race-course and made the
banquet, according to custom, and the folk sat awaiting leave to begin.
Presently Queen Zumurrud entered and, sitting down on her throne,
looked at the tables and saw that room for four people was left void
before the dish of rice, at which she wondered. Now as she was looking
around, behold, she saw a man come trotting in at the gate of the
horse- course; and he stayed not till he stood over the food-trays;
and, finding no room save before the dish of rice, took his seat there.
She looked at him and knowing him for the accursed Christian who called
himself Rashid al-Din, said in her mind, "How blessed is this device of
the food,[FN#312] into whose toils this infidel hath fallen" Now the
cause of his coming was extraordinary, and it was on this wise. When he
returned from his travels,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Three Hundred and Twenty-third Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
accursed, who had called himself Rashid al-Din, returned from travel,
his household informed him that Zumurrud was missing and with her a
pair of saddle-bags full of money; on hearing which ill tidings he rent
his raiment and buffeted his face and plucked out his beard. Then he
despatched his brother Barsum in quest of her to lands adjoining and,
when he was weary of awaiting news of him, he went forth himself, to
seek for him and for the girl, whenas fate led him to the city of
Zumurrud. He entered it on the first day of the month and finding the
streets deserted and the shops shut and women idling at the windows, he
asked them the reason why, and they told him that the King made a
banquet on the first of each month for the people, all of whom were
bound to attend it, nor might any abide in his house or shop that day;
and they directed him to the racing-plain. So he betook himself thither
and found the people crowding about the food, and there was never a
place for him save in front of the rice-dish now well-known. Here then
he sat and put forth his hand to eat thereof, whereupon Zumurrud cried
out to her guards, saying, "Bring me him who sitteth over against the
dish of rice." So they knew him by what had before happened and laid
hands on him and brought him before Queen Zumurrud, who said to him,
"Out on thee! What is thy name and trade, and what bringeth thee to our
city?" Answered he, "O King of the age, my name is Rustam[FN#313] and I
have no occupation, for I am a poor dervish." Then said she to her
attendants, "Bring me table of sand and pen of brass." So they brought
her what she sought, as of wont; and she took the pen and made the dots
which formed the figure and considered it awhile, then raising her head
to Rashid al-Din, she said, "O dog, how darest thou lie to Kings? Thy
name is Rashid al-Din the Nazarene, thou art outwardly a Moslem, but a
Christian at heart, and thine occupation is to lay snares for the
slave-girls of the Moslems and make them captives. Speak the truth, or
I will smite off thy head." He hesitated and stammered, then replied,
"Thou sayest sooth, O King of the age!" Whereupon she commanded to
throw him down and give him an hundred blows with a stick on each sole
and a thousand stripes with a whip on his body; after which she bade
flay him and stuff his skin with herds of flax and dig a pit without
the city, wherein they should burn his corpse and cast on his ashes
offal-and ordure. They did as she bade them and she gave the people
leave to eat. So they ate and when they had eaten their fill they went
their ways, while Queen Zumurrud returned to her palace, saying, "I
thank Allah for solacing my heart of those who wronged me." Then she
praised the Creator of the earth and the heavens and repeated these
couplets,
"They ruled awhile and theirs was harsh tyrannic rule, * But soon
that rule went by as though it never were:
If just they had won justice; but they sinned, and so * The world
collected all its bane for them to bear:
So died they and their case's tongue declares aloud * This is for
that so of the world your blaming spare."
And when her verse was ended she called to mind her lord Ali Shar and
wept flowing tears; but presently recovered herself and said, "Haply
Allah, who hath given mine enemies into my hand, will vouchsafe me the
speedy return of my beloved;" and she begged forgiveness of Allah (be
He extolled and exalted')—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Three Hundred and Twenty-fourth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Queen begged
forgiveness of Allah (be He extolled and exalted!), and said, "Haply He
will vouchsafe me speedy reunion with my beloved Ali Shar for He can do
what He willeth and to His servants showeth grace, ever mindful of
their case!" Then she praised Allah and again besought forgiveness of
Him, submitting herself to the decrees of destiny, assured that each
beginning hath his end, and repeating the saying of the poet,
"Take all things easy; for all worldly things * In Allah's hand
are ruled by Destiny:
Ne'er shall befal thee aught of things forbidden, * Nor what is
bidden e'er shall fail to thee!"
And what another saith.
"Roll up thy days[FN#314] and easy shall they roll * Through
life, nor haunt the house of grief and dole:
Full many a thing, which is o'er hard to find,* Next hour shall
bring thee to delight thy soul."
And what a third saith,[FN#315]
"Be mild what time thou'rt ta'en with anger and despite * And
patient, if there fall misfortune on thy head.
Indeed, the nights are quick and great with child by Time * And
of all wondrous things are hourly brought to bed."
And what a fourth saith,
"Take patience which breeds good if patience thou can learn; * Be
calm soured, scaping anguish-draughts that gripe and bren:
Know, that if patience with good grace thou dare refuse, * With
ill-graced patience thou shalt bear what wrote the Pen."
After which she abode thus another whole month's space, judging the
folk and bidding and forbidding by day, and by night weeping and
bewailing her separation from her lord Ali Shar. On the first day of
the fifth month, she bade them spread the banquet on the race-plain,
according to custom, and sat down at the head of the tables, whilst the
lieges awaited the signal to fall to, leaving the place before the dish
of rice vacant. She sat with eyes fixed upon the gate of the
horse-course, noting all who entered and saying in her soul, "O Thou
who restoredest Joseph to Jacob and diddest away the sorrows of
Job,[FN#316] vouchsafe of Thy might and Thy majesty to restore me my
lord Ali Shar; for Thou over all things art Omnipotent, O Lord of the
Worlds! O Guide of those who go astray! O Hearer of those that cry! O
Answerer of those who pray, answer Thou my prayer, O Lord of all
creatures." Now hardly had she made an end of her prayer and
supplication when behold, she saw entering the gate of the horse-plain
a young man, in shape like a willow branch, the comeliest of youths and
the most accomplished, save that his face was wan and his form wasted
by weariness. Now as he entered and came up to the tables, he found no
seat vacant save that over against the dish of sweet rice so he sat
down there; and, when Zumurrud looked upon him, her heart fluttered
and, observing him narrowly, she knew him for her lord Ali Shar, and
was like to have cried out for joy, but restrained herself, fearing
disgrace before the folk and, albeit her bowels yearned over him and
her heart beat wildly, she hid what she felt. Now the cause of his
coming thither was on this wise. After he fell asleep upon the bench
and Zumurrud let herself down to him and Jawan the Kurd seized her, he
presently awoke and found himself lying with his head bare, so he knew
that some one had come upon him and had robbed him of his turband
whilst he slept. So he spoke the saying which shall never shame its
sayer and, which is, "Verily, we are Allah's and to Him are we
returning!" and, going back to the old woman's house, knocked at the
door. She came out and he wept before her, till he fell down in a
fainting fit. Now when he came to himself, he told her all that had
passed, and she blamed him and chid him for his foolish doings saying,
"Verily thine affliction and calamity come from thyself." And she gave
not over reproaching him, till the blood streamed from his nostrils and
he again fainted away. When he recovered from his swoon,—And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Three Hundred and Twenty-fifth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Ali Shar
recovered from his swoon he saw the old woman bewailing his griefs and
weeping over him; so he complained of his hard lot and repeated these
two couplets,
"How bitter to friends is a parting, * And a meeting how sweet to
the lover!
Allah join all the lovers He parteth, * And save me who of love
ne'er recover."[FN#317]
The old woman mourned over him and said to him, "Sit here, whilst I go
in quest of news for thee and return to thee in haste." "To hear is to
obey," answered he. So she left him on her good errand and was absent
till midday, when she returned and said to him, "O Ali, I fear me thou
must die in thy grief; thou wilt never see thy beloved again save on
the bridge Al-Sirбt;[FN#318] for the people of the Christian's house,
when they arose in the morning, found the window giving on the garden
torn from its hinges and Zumurrud missing, and with her a pair of
saddle-bags full of the Christian's money. And when I came thither, I
saw the Chief of Police standing at the door, he and his many, and
there is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious,
the Great!" Now, as Ali Shar heard these words, the light in his sight
was changed to the darkness of night and he despaired of life and made
sure of death; nor did he leave weeping, till he lost his senses. When
he revived, love and longing were sore upon him; there befel him a
grievous sickness and he kept his house a whole year; during which the
old woman ceased not to bring him doctors and ply him with ptisanes and
diet-drinks and make him savoury broths till, after the twelve-month
ended, his life returned to him. Then he recalled what had passed and
repeated these couplets,
"Severance-grief nighmost, Union done to death, * Down-railing
tear-drops, heart fire tortureth!
Redoubleth pine in one that hath no peace * For love and wake and
woe he suffereth:
O Lord, if there be thing to joy my soul * Deign Thou bestow it
while I breathe my breath."
When the second year began, the old woman said to him, "O my son, all
this thy weeping and wailing will not bring thee back thy mistress.
Rise, therefore, gird the loins of resolution and seek for her in the
lands: peradventure thou shalt light on some news of her." And she
ceased not to exhort and hearten him, till he took courage and she
carried him to the Hammam. Then she made him drink strong wine and eat
white meats, and thus she did with him for a whole month, till he
regained strength; and setting out journeyed without ceasing till he
arrived at Zumurrud's city where he went to the horse-course, and sat
down before the dish of sweet rice and put out his hand to eat of it.
Now when the folk saw this, they were concerned for him and said to
him, "O young man, eat not of that dish, for whoso eateth thereof,
misfortune befalleth him." Answered he, "Leave me to eat of it, and let
them do with me what they will, so haply shall I be at rest from this
wearying life." Accordingly he ate a first mouthful, and Zumurrud was
minded to have him brought before her, but then she bethought her that
belike he was an hungered and said to herself, "It were properer to let
him eat his fill." So he went on eating, whilst the folk looked at him
in astonishment, waiting to see what would betide him; and, when he had
satisfied himself, Zumurrud said to certain of her eunuchry, "Go to
yonder youth who eateth of the rice and bring him to me in courteous
guise, saying: 'Answer the summons of the King who would have a word
with thee on some slight matter.'" They replied, "We hear and obey,"
and going straightways up to Ali Shar, said to him, "O my lord, be
pleased to answer the summons of the King and let thy heart be at
ease." Quoth he, "Hearkening and obedience;" and followed the
eunuchs,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
When it was the Three Hundred and Twenty-sixth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Ali Shar
rejoined, "Hearkening and obedience;" and followed the eunuchs, whilst
the people said to one another, "There is no Majesty and there is no
Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! I wonder what the King
will do with him!" And others said, "He will do him naught but good:
for had he intended to harm him, he had not suffered him to eat his
fill." Now when the Castratos set him in presence of Zumurrud he
saluted and kissed the earth before her, whilst she returned his
salutation and received him with honour. Then she asked him, "What may
be thy name and trade, and what brought thee to our city?"; and he
answered, "O King my name is Ali Shar; I am of the sons of the
merchants of Khorasan; and the cause of my coming hither is to seek for
a slave-girl whom I have lost for she was dearer to me than my hearing
and my seeing, and indeed my soul cleaveth to her, since I lost her;
and such is my tale." So saying he wept, till he swooned away;
whereupon she bade them sprinkle rose-water on his face, which they did
till he revived, when she said, "Here with the table of sand and the
brass pen." So they brought them and she took the pen and struck a
geomantic scheme which she considered awhile; and then cried, "Thou
hast spoken sooth, Allah will grant thee speedy reunion with her; so be
not troubled." Upon this she commanded her head- chamberlain to carry
him to the bath and afterwards to clothe him in a handsome suit of
royal-apparel, and mount him on one of the best of the King's horses
and finally bring him to the palace at the last of the day. So the
Chamberlain, after saying "I hear and I obey," took him away, whilst
the folk began to say to one another, "What maketh the King deal thus
courteously with yonder youth?" And quoth one, "Did I not tell you that
he would do him no hurt?; for he is fair of aspect; and this I knew,
ever since the King suffered him to eat his fill." And each said his
say; after which they all dispersed and went their ways. As for
Zumurrud, she thought the night would never come, that she might be
alone with the beloved of her heart. As soon as it was dark, she
withdrew to her sleeping-chamber and made her attendants think her
overcome with sleep; and it was her wont to suffer none to pass the
night with her save those two little eunuchs who waited upon her. After
a while when she had composed herself, she sent for her dear Ali Shar
and sat down upon the bed, with candles burning over her head and feet,
and hanging lamps of gold lighting up the place like the rising sun.
When the people heard of her sending for Ali Shar, they marvelled
thereat and each man thought his thought and said his say; but one of
them declared, "At all events the King is in love with this young man,
and to- morrow he will make him generalissimo of the army."[FN#319] Now
when they brought him into her, he kissed the ground between her hands
and called down blessings her, and she said in her mind, "There is no
help for it but that I jest with him awhile, before I make myself known
to him.''[FN#320] Then she asked him, "O Ali, say me, hast thou been to
the Hammam?"[FN#321] and he answered, "Yes, O my lord." Quoth she,
"Come, eat of this chicken and meat, and drink of this wine and sherbet
of sugar; for thou art weary; and after that come thou hither." "I hear
and I obey," replied he and did as she commanded him do. Now when he
had made an end of eating and drinking, she said to him, "Come up with
me on the couch and shampoo[FN#322] my feet." So he fell to rubbing
feet and kneading calves, and found them softer than silk. Then said
she, "Go higher with the massage;" and he, "Pardon me, O my lord, to
the knee but no farther!" Whereupon quoth she, "Durst thou disobey me?:
it shall be an ill-omened night for thee!"—And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Three Hundred and Twenty-seventh Night,