made him a daily allowance of three scones and a little clarified butter
and honey. Now such butter was dear in those parts and the Devotee laid
all that came to him together in a jar he had, till he filled it and
hung it up over his head for safe keeping. One night, as he sat on his
bed staff in hand, he fell a-musing upon the butter and the greatness of
its price and said in himself:—Needs must I sell all this butter I have
by me and buy with the price an ewe and take to partner therein a
Fellah[68] fellow who hath a ram. The first year she will bear a male
lamb and a female and the second a female and a male and these in their
turn will bear other males and other females, nor will they give over
bearing females and males, till they become a great matter. Then will I
take my share and vent thereof what I will. The males I will sell and
buy with them bulls and cows, which will also increase and multiply and
become many; after which I will purchase such a piece of land and plant
a garden therein and build thereon a mighty fine[69] palace. Moreover, I
will get me robes and raiment and slaves and slave-girls and hold a
wedding never was seen the like thereof. I will slaughter cattle and
make rich meats and sweetmeats and confections and assemble all the
musicians and mimes and mountebanks and player-folk and after providing
flowers and perfumes and all manner sweet herbs I will bid rich and
poor, Fakirs and Olema, captains and lords of the land, and whoso asketh
for aught, I will cause it to be brought him; and, I will make ready all
manner of meat and drink and send out a crier to cry aloud and say,
“Whoso seeketh aught, let him ask and get it.” Lastly I will go in to my
bride, after her unveiling and enjoy her beauty and loveliness; and I
will eat and drink and make merry and say to myself, “Verily, hast thou
won thy wish,” and will rest from devotion and divine worship. Then in
due time my wife will bear me a boy, and I shall rejoice in him and make
banquets in his honour and rear him daintily and teach him philosophy
and mathematics and polite letters;[70] so that I shall make his name
renowned among men and glory in him among the assemblies of the learned;
and I will bid him do good and he shall not gainsay me, and I will
forbid him from lewdness and iniquity and exhort him to piety and the
practice of righteousness; and, I will bestow on him rich and goodly
gifts; and, if I see him obsequious in obedience, I will redouble my
bounties towards him: but, an I see him incline to disobedience, I will
come down on him with this staff. So saying, he raised his hand, to beat
his son withal but the staff hit the jar of butter which overhung his
head, and brake it; whereupon the shards fell upon him and the butter
ran down upon his head, his rags and his beard. So his clothes and bed
were spoiled and he became a caution to whoso will be cautioned.
“Wherefore, O King,” added the Wazir, “it behoveth not a man to speak of
aught ere it come to pass.” Answered the King, “Thou sayest sooth! Fair
fall thee for a Wazir! Verily the truth thou speakest and righteousness
thou counsellest. Indeed, thy rank with me is such as thou couldst
wish[71] and thou shalt never cease to be accepted of me.” Thereupon the
Wazir prostrated himself before the King and wished him permanence of
prosperity, saying, “Allah prolong thy days and thy rank upraise! Know
that I conceal from thee naught, nor in private nor in public aught; thy
pleasure is my pleasure, and thy displeasure my displeasure. There is no
joy for me save in thy joyance and I cannot sleep o’ nights an thou be
angered against me, for that Allah the Most High hath vouchsafed me all
good through thy bounties to me; wherefore I beseech the Almighty to
guard thee with His angels, and to make fair thy reward whenas thou
meetest Him.” The King rejoiced in this, whereupon Shimas arose and went
out from before him. In due time the King’s wife bare a male child, and
the messengers hastened to bear the glad tidings and to congratulate the
Sovran, who rejoiced therein with joy exceeding and thanked all with
abundant thanks, saying, “Alhamdolillah—laud to the Lord—who hath
vouchsafed me a son, after I had despaired, for He is pitiful and
ruthful to His servants.” Then he wrote to all the lieges of his land,
acquainting them with the good news and bidding them to his capital; and
great were the rejoicings and festivities in all the realm. Accordingly
there came Emirs and Captains, Grandees and Sages, Olema and literati,
scientists and philosophers from every quarter to the palace and all
presenting themselves before the King, company after company, according
to their different degrees, gave him joy, and he bestowed largesse upon
them. Then he signed to the seven chief Wazirs, whose head was Shimas,
to speak, each after the measure of his wisdom, upon the matter which
concerned him the most. So the Grand Wazir Shimas began and sought leave
of the King to speak, which being granted, he spake as follows.[72]
“Praised be Allah who brought us into existence from non-existence and
who favoureth His servants with Kings that observe justice and equity in
that wherewith He hath invested them of rule and dominion, and who act
righteously with that which he appointeth at their hands of provision
for their lieges; and most especially our Sovereign by whom He hath
quickened the deadness of our land, with that which He hath conferred
upon us of bounties, and hath blessed us of His protection with ease of
life and tranquillity and fair dealing! What King did ever with his folk
that which this King hath done with us in fulfilling our needs and
giving us our dues and doing us justice, one of other, and in abundant
carefulness over us and redress of our wrongs? Indeed, it is of the
favour of Allah to the people that their King be assiduous in ordering
their affairs and in defending them from their foes; for the end of the
enemy’s intent is to subdue his enemy and hold him in his hand; and many
peoples[73] bring their sons as servants unto Kings, and they become
with them in the stead of slaves, to the intent that they may repel
ill-willers from them.[74] As for us, no enemy hath trodden our soil in
the days of this our King, by reason of this passing good fortune and
exceeding happiness, that no describer may avail to describe, for indeed
it is above and beyond all description. And verily, O King, thou art
worthy of this highest happiness, and we are under thy safeguard and in
the shadow of thy wings, may Allah make fair thy reward and prolong thy
life![75] Indeed, we have long been diligent in supplication to Allah
Almighty that He would vouchsafe an answer to our prayers and continue
thee to us and grant thee a virtuous son, to be the coolth of thine
eyes: and now Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) hath accepted of us
and replied to our petition”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Nine Hundred and Third Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Shimas the Wazir
said to the King, “And now Almighty Allah hath accepted of us and
answered our petition and brought us speedy relief, even as He did to
the Fishes in the pond of water.” The King asked, “And how was that, and
what is the tale?”; and Shimas answered him, “Hear, O King the story of
_THE FISHES AND THE CRAB_.”
In a certain place there was a piece of water, wherein dwelt a number of
Fishes, and it befel that the pond dwindled away and shrank and wasted,
till there remained barely enough to suffice them and they were nigh
upon death and said, “What will become of us? How shall we contrive and
of whom shall we seek counsel for our deliverance?” Thereupon arose one
of them, who was the chiefest in wit and age, and cried, “There is
nothing will serve us save that we seek salvation of Allah; but let us
consult the Crab and ask his advice: so come ye all[76] and hie we
himwards and hear his rede for indeed he is the chiefest and wisest of
us all in coming upon the truth.” Each and every approved of the Fish’s
advice and betook themselves in a body to the Crab, whom they found
squatted in his hole, without news or knowledge of their strait. So they
saluted him with the salam and said, “O our lord, doth not our affair
concern thee, who art ruler and the head of us?” The Crab returned their
salutation, replying, “And on you be The Peace! What aileth you and what
d’ye want?” So they told him their case and the strait wherein they were
by reason of the wastage of the water, and that, when it should be dried
up, destruction would betide them, adding, “Wherefore we come to thee,
expecting thy counsel and what may bring us deliverance, for thou art
the chiefest and the most experienced of us.” The Crab bowed his head
awhile and said, “Doubtless ye lack understanding, in that ye despair of
the mercy of Allah Almighty and His care for the provision of His
creatures one and all. Know ye not that Allah (extolled and exalted be
He!) provideth all His creatures without account and that He
fore-ordained their daily meat ere He created aught of creation and
appointed to each of His creatures a fixed term of life and an allotted
provision, of His divine All might? How then shall we burthen ourselves
with concern for a thing which in His secret purpose is indite?
Wherefore it is my rede that ye can do naught better than to seek aid of
Allah Almighty, and it behoveth each of us to clear his conscience with
his Lord, both in public and private, and pray Him to succour us and
deliver us from our difficulties; for Allah the Most High disappointeth
not the expectation of those who put their trust in Him and rejecteth
not the supplications of those who prefer their suit to Him. When we
have mended our ways, our affairs will be set up and all will be well
with us, and when the winter cometh and our land is deluged, by means of
a just one’s prayer, He will not cast down the good He hath built up. So
’tis my counsel that we take patience and await what Allah shall do with
us. An death come to us, as is wont, we shall be at rest, and if there
befal us aught that calleth for flight, we will flee and depart our land
whither Allah will.”[77] Answered all the fishes with one voice “Thou
sayst sooth, O our lord: Allah requite thee for us with weal!” Then each
returned to his stead, and in a few days the Almighty vouchsafed unto
them a violent rain and the place of the pond was filled fuller than
before. “On like wise, O King,” continued Shimas, “we despaired of a
child being born to thee, and now that God hath blessed us and thee with
this well-omened son, we implore Him to render him blessed indeed and
make him the coolth of thine eyes and a worthy successor to thee and
grant us of him the like of that which He hath granted us of thee; for
Almighty Allah disappointeth not those that seek Him and it behoveth
none to cut off hope of the mercy of his God.” Then, rose the second
Wazir and saluting the King with the salam spake, after his greeting was
returned, as follows: “Verily, a King is not called a King save he give
presents and do justice and rule with equity and show munificence and
wisely govern his lieges, maintaining the obligatory laws and apostolic
usages established among them and justifying them, one against other,
and sparing their blood and warding off hurt from them; and of his
qualities should be that he never abide incurious of the poor and that
he succour the highest and lowest of them and give them each the rights
to them due, so that they all bless him and are obedient to his command.
Without doubt, a King who is after this wise of his lieges is beloved
and gaineth of this world eminence and of the next honour and favour
with the Creator thereof. And we, the body politic of thy subjects,
acknowledge in thee, O King, all the attributes of kingship I have
noted, even as it is said:—The best of things is that the King of a
people be just and equitable, their physician skilful and their teacher
experience-full, acting according to his knowledge. Now we enjoy this
happiness, after we had despaired of the birth of a son to thee, to
inherit thy kingship; however, Allah (extolled be His name!) hath not
disappointed thine expectation, but hath granted thy petition, by reason
of the goodliness of thy trust in Him and thy submission of thine
affairs to Him. Then fair fall thy hope! There hath betided thee that
which betided the Crow and the Serpent.” Asked the King, “What was
that?”; and the Wazir answered, “Hear, O King, the tale of
_THE CROW AND THE SERPENT_.”
A crow once dwelt in a tree, he and his wife, in all delight of life,
till they came to the time of the hatching of their young, which was the
midsummer season, when a Serpent issued from its hole and crawled up the
tree wriggling around the branches till it came to the Crows’ nest,
where it coiled itself up and there abode all the days of the summer,
whilst the Crow was driven away and found no opportunity to clear his
home nor any place wherein to lie. When the days of heat were past, the
Serpent went away to its own place and quoth the Crow to his wife, “Let
us thank Almighty Allah, who hath preserved us and delivered us from
this Serpent, albeit we are forbidden from increase this year. Yet the
Lord will not cut off our hope; so let us express our gratitude to Him
for having vouchsafed us safety and soundness of body: indeed, we have
none other in whom to confide, and if He will and we live to see the
next year, He shall give us other young in the stead of those we have
missed this year.” Next summer when the hatching-season came round, the
Serpent again sallied forth from its place and made for the Crows’ nest:
but, as it was coiling up a branch, a kite swooped down on it and struck
claws into its head and tare it, whereupon it fell to the ground
a-swoon, and the ants came out upon it and ate it.”[78] So the Crow and
his wife abode in peace and quiet and bred a numerous brood and thanked
Allah for their safety and for the young that were born to them. In like
manner, O King, continued the Wazir, “it behoveth us to thank God for
that wherewith He hath favoured thee and us in vouchsafing us this
blessed child of good omen, after despair and the cutting off of hope.
May He make fair thy future reward and the issue of thine affair!”——And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Nine Hundred and Fourth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
second Wazir had ended with the words, “Allah make fair thy future
reward and the issue of thine affair!”; the third Wazir presently rose
and said, “Rejoice, O just King, in the assurance of present prosperity
and future felicity; for him, whom the denizens of Earth love, the
denizens of Heaven likewise love; and indeed Almighty Allah hath made
affection to be thy portion and hath stablished it in the hearts of the
people of thy kingdom; wherefore to Him be thanks and praise from us and
from thee, so He may deign increase His bounty unto thee and unto us in
thee! For know, O King, that man can originate naught but by command of
Allah the Most High and that He is the Giver and all good which
befalleth a creature hath its end and issue in Him. He allotteth His
favours to His creatures, as it liketh Him; to some he giveth gifts
galore while others He doometh barely to win their daily bread. Some He
maketh Lords and Captains, and others Recluses, who abstain from the
world and aspire but to Him, for He it is who saith:—I am the Harmer
with adversity and the Healer with prosperity. I make whole and make
sick. I enrich and impoverish. I kill and quicken: in my hand is
everything and unto Me all things do tend. Wherefore it behoveth all men
to praise Him. Now, especially thou, O King, art of the fortunate, the
pious, of whom it is said:—The happiest of the just is he for whom Allah
uniteth the weal of this world and of the next world; who is content
with that portion which Allah allotteth to him and who giveth Him thanks
for that which He hath stablished. And indeed he that is rebellious and
seeketh other than the dole which God hath decreed unto him and for him,
favoureth the wild Ass and the Jackal.”[79] The King asked, “And what is
the story of the twain?”; the Wazir answered, “Hear, O King, the tale of
_THE WILD ASS AND THE JACKAL_.”
A certain Jackal was wont every day to leave his lair and fare forth
questing his daily bread. Now one day, as he was in a certain mountain,
behold, the day was done and he set out to return when he fell in with
another Jackal who saw him on the tramp, and each began to tell his mate
of the quarry he had gotten. Quoth one of them, “The other day I came
upon a wild Ass and I was anhungred, for it was three days since I had
eaten; so I rejoiced in this and thanked Almighty Allah for bringing him
into my power. Then I tear out his heart and ate it and was full and
returned to my home. That was three days ago, since which time I have
found nothing to eat, yet am I still full of meat.” When the other
Jackal heard his fellow’s story, he envied his fulness and said in
himself, “There is no help but that I eat the heart of a wild Ass.” So
he left feeding for some days, till he became emaciated and nigh upon
death and bestirred not himself neither did his endeavour to get food,
but lay coiled up in his earth. And whilst he was thus, behold, one day
there came out two hunters trudging in quest of quarry and started a
wild Ass. They followed on his trail tracking him all day, till at last
one of them shot at him a forked[80] arrow, which pierced his vitals and
reached his heart and killed him in front of the Jackal’s hole. Then the
hunters came up and finding him dead, pulled out the shaft from his
heart, but only the wood came away and the forked head abode in the
Ass’s belly. So they left him where he lay, expecting that others of the
wild beasts would flock to him; but, when it was eventide and nothing
fell to them, they returned to their abiding-places. The Jackal, hearing
the commotion at the mouth of his home, lay quiet till nightfall, when
he came forth of his lair, groaning for weakness and hunger, and seeing
the dead Ass lying at his door, rejoiced with joy exceeding till he was
like to fly for delight and said, “Praised be Allah who hath won me my
wish without toil! Verily, I had lost hope of coming at a wild Ass or
aught else; and assuredly[81] the Almighty hath sent him to me and drave
him fall to my homestead.” Then he sprang on the body and tearing open
its belly, thrust in his head and with his nose rummaged about its
entrails, till he found the heart and tearing a tid-bit swallowed it:
but, as soon as he had so done, the forked head of the arrow struck deep
in his gullet and he could neither get it down into his belly nor bring
it forth of his throttle. So he made sure of destruction and said, “Of a
truth it beseemeth not the creature to seek for himself aught over and
above that which Allah hath allotted to him. Had I been content with
what He appointed to me, I had not come to destruction.” “Wherefore, O
King,” added the Wazir, “it becometh man to be content with whatso Allah
hath distributed to him and thank Him for His bounties to him and cast
not off hope of his Lord. And behold, O King, because of the purity of
thy purpose and the fair intent of thy good works, Allah hath blessed
thee with a son, after despair: wherefore we pray the Almighty to
vouchsafe him length of days and abiding happiness and make him a
blessed successor, faithful in the observance of thy covenant, after thy
long life.” Then arose the fourth Wazir and said, “Verily, an the King
be a man of understanding, a frequenter of the gates of wisdom,”——And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Nine Hundred and Fifth Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the fourth
Wazir arose and said, “Verily an the King be a man of understanding, a
frequenter of the gates of wisdom, versed in science, government and
policy, and eke upright in purpose and just to his subjects, honouring
those to whom honour is due, revering those who are digne of reverence,
tempering puissance with using clemency whenas it behoveth, and
protecting both governors and governed, lightening all burthens for them
and bestowing largesse on them, sparing their blood and covering their
shame and keeping his troth with them. Such a King, I say, is worthy of
felicity both present and future worldly and otherworldly, and this is
of that which protecteth him from ill-will and helpeth him to the
stablishing of his Kingdom and the victory over his enemies and the
winning of his wish, together with increase of Allah’s bounty to him and
His favouring him for his praise of Him and the attainment of His
protection. But an the King be the contrary of this, he never ceaseth
from misfortunes and calamities, he and the people of his realm; for
that his oppression embraceth both stranger far and kinsman near and
there cometh to pass with him that which befel the unjust King with the
pilgrim Prince.” King Jali’ad asked, “And how was that?” and the Wazir
answered, “Hear, O King, the tale of
_THE UNJUST KING AND THE PILGRIM PRINCE_.”