giving ear to her speech and doing according to her rede. Moreover, he
had a garden, which he had newly planted with his own hand, and was wont
to go thither every day, to tend it and water it. One day his wife asked
him, “What hast thou planted in thy garden?”: and he answered, “All thou
lovest and desirest, and I am assiduous in tending and watering it.”
Quoth she, “Wilt thou not carry me thither and show it to me, so I may
look upon it and offer thee up a pious prayer for its prosperity, seeing
that my orisons are effectual?” Quoth he, “I will well; but have
patience with me till the morrow, when I will come and take thee.” So
early on the ensuing day, he carried her to the garden which he entered
with her. Now two young men saw them enter from afar and said each to
other, “Yonder man is an adulterer and yonder woman an adulteress, and
they have not entered this garden but to commit adultery.” Thereupon
they followed the couple to see what they would do, and hid themselves
in a corner of the garden. The man and his wife after entering abode
awhile therein, and presently he said to her, “Pray me the prayer thou
didst promise me;” but she replied, saying, “I will not pray for thee,
until thou do away my desire of that which women seek from men.” Cried
he, “Out on thee, O woman! Hast thou not thy fill of me in the house?
Here I fear scandal, especially as thou divertest me from my affairs.
Fearest thou not that some one will see us?” Quoth she, “We need have no
care for that, seeing that we do neither sin nor lewdness; and, as for
the watering of the garden, that may wait, because thou canst water it
when thou wilt.” And she would take neither excuse nor reason from him,
but was instant with him in seeking carnal coition. So he arose and lay
with her, which when the young men aforesaid saw, they ran upon them and
seized them,[149] saying, “We will not let you go, for ye are
adulterers, and except we have carnal knowledge of the woman, we will
report you to the police.” Answered the man, “Fie upon you! This is my
wife and I am the master of the garden.” They paid no heed to him, but
fell upon the woman, who cried out to him for succour, saying, “Suffer
them not to defile me!” Accordingly he came up to them, calling out for
help; but one of them turned on him and smote him with his dagger and
slew him.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
Now when it was the Nine Hundred and Twentieth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that after slaying
the husband the two young men returned to the wife and ravished her.
“This I tell thee, O King,” continued the Wazir, “but that thou mayst
know that it becometh not men to give ear unto a woman’s talk neither
obey her in aught nor accept her judgment in counsel. Beware, then, lest
thou don the dress of ignorance, after the robe of knowledge and wisdom,
and follow perverse rede, after knowing that which is righteous and
profitable. Wherefore pursue thou not a paltry pleasure, whose trending
is to corruption and whose inclining is unto sore and uttermost
perdition.” When the King heard this from Shimas he said to him,
“To-morrow I will come forth to them, an it be the will of Allah the
Most High.” So Shimas returned to the Grandees and Notables who were
present and told them what the King had said. But this came to the ears
of the favourite wife; whereupon she went in to the King and said to
him, “The subjects of a King should be his slaves; but I see, O King,
thou art become a slave to thy subjects, because thou standest in awe of
them and fearest their mischief.[150] They do but desire to make proof
of thine inner man; and if they find thee weak, they will disdain thee;
but, if they find thee stout and brave, they will dread thee. On this
wise do ill Wazirs with their King, for that their wiles are many; but I
will make manifest unto thee the truth of their malice. An thou comply
with the conditions they demand, they will cause thee cease ruling and
do their will; nor will they leave leading thee on from affair to
affair, till they cast thee into destruction; and thy case will be as
that of the Merchant and the Robbers.” Asked the King, “How was that?”
and she answered, “I have heard tell this tale anent
_THE MERCHANT AND THE ROBBERS_.”
There was once a wealthy Merchant, who set out for a certain city
purposing to sell merchandise there, and when he came thither, he hired
him a lodging wherein he took up his abode. Now certain Robbers saw him,
men wont to lie in wait for merchants, that they might rob their goods;
so they went to his house and sought some device whereby to enter in,
but could find no way thereto, and their Captain said, “I’ll manage you
his matter.” Then he went away and, donning the dress of a leach, threw
over his shoulder a bag containing somewhat of medicines, after which he
set out, crying, “Who lacks a doctor?” and fared on till he came to the
merchant’s lodging and him sitting eating the noonday dinner. So he
asked him, “Dost thou need thee a physician?;” and the trader answered,
“I need naught of the kind; but sit thee down and eat with me.” The
thief sat down facing him and began to eat. Now this merchant was a
_belle fourchette_; and the Robber seeing this, said to himself, “I have
found my chance.” Then he turned to his host and said to him, “’Tis but
right for me to give thee an admonition; and after thy kindness to me, I
cannot hide it from thee. I see thee to be a great eater and the cause
of this is a disorder in thy stomach; wherefore unless thou take speedy
measures for thy cure, thine affair will end in perdition.” Quoth the
merchant, “My body is sound and my stomach speedy of digestion, and
though I be a hearty eater, yet is there no disease in my body, to Allah
be the praise and the thanks!” Quoth the Robber, “It may appear thus
unto thee; but I know thou hast a disease incubating in thy vitals and
if thou hearken to me, thou wilt medicine thyself.” The Merchant asked,
“And where shall I find him who knoweth my remedy?”; and the Robber
answered “Allah is the Healer; but a physician like myself cureth the
sick to the best of his power.” Then the other said, “Show me at once my
remedy and give me thereof.” Hereupon he gave him a powder, wherein was
a strong dose of aloes,[151] saying, “Use this to-night;” and he
accepted it gratefully. When the night came, the Merchant tasted
somewhat of the powder and found it nauseous of gust; nevertheless he
misdoubted not of it, but swallowed it all and therefrom found ease that
night. Next night the thief brought him another powder, wherein was yet
more aloes, and he took it: it purged him that night, but he bore
patiently with this and rejected it not. When the Robber saw that he
gave ear unto his word and put trust in him nor would gainsay him in
aught, he brought him a deadly drug[152] and gave it to him. The
Merchant swallowed it and no sooner had he done this than that which was
in his stomach fell down and his bowels were rent in sunder, and by the
morrow he was a dead man; whereupon the Robbers came and took all the
merchandise and monies that belonged to him. “This I tell thee, O King,”
added the favourite “but that thou mayst not accept one word from these
deluders; else will there befal thee that whereby thou wilt destroy
thyself.” Cried the King, “Thou sayst sooth; I will not go forth to
them.” Now when the morning morrowed, the folk assembled together and
repairing to the King’s door, sat there the most part of the day, till
they despaired of his coming forth, when they returned to Shimas and
said to him, “O sage philosopher and experienced master, seest thou not
that this ignorant lad doth naught but redouble in falsehood to us?
Verily ’twere only reasonable and right to take the Kingdom from him and
give it to another, so our affairs may be ordered and our estates
maintained; but go thou in to him a third time and tell him that naught
hindereth us from rising against him and taking the Kingship from him
but his father’s goodness to us and that which he required from us of
oaths and engagements. However, to-morrow, we will all, to the last of
us, assemble here with our arms and break down the gate of the
citadel[153]; and if he come forth to us and do that which we wish, no
harm is yet done[154]; else we will go in to him and slay him and put
the Kingdom in the hand of other than he.” So the Wazir Shimas went in
to him and said, “O King, that grovellest in thy gusts and thy lusts,
what is this thou dost with thyself? Would Heaven I wot who seduced thee
thereto! An it be thou who sinnest against thyself, there hath ceased
from thee that which we knew in thee aforetime of integrity and wisdom
and eloquence. Could I but learn who hath thus changed thee and turned
thee from wisdom to folly and from fidelity to iniquity and from
mildness to harshness and from acceptation of me to aversion from me!
How cometh it that I admonish thee thrice and thou acceptest not mine
admonition and that I counsel thee rightfully and still thou gainsayest
my counsel? Tell me, what is this child’s play and who is it prompteth
thee thereunto? Know that the people of thy Kingdom have agreed together
to come in to thee and slay thee and give thy Kingdom to another. Art
able to cope with them all and save thyself from their hands or canst
quicken thyself after being killed? If, indeed, thou be potent to do all
this, thou art safe and hast no occasion for my rede; but an thou have
any concern for thy life and thy kingship, return to thy sound sense and
hold fast thy reign and show forth to the folk the power of thy prowess
and persuade the people with thine excuse, for they are minded to tear
away that which is in thy hand and commit it unto other, being resolved
upon revolt and rebellion, led thereto by that which they know of thy
youth and thy self-submission to love-liesse and lusts; for that stones,
albeit they lie long under water, an thou withdraw them therefrom and
smite one upon other, fire will be struck from them. Now thy lieges are
many folk and they have taken counsel together against thee, with a
design to transfer the Kingship from thee to another and accomplish upon
thee whatso they desire of thy destruction. So shalt thou fare as did
the Jackals with the Wolf.”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Nine Hundred and Twenty-first Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wazir
Shimas concluded with saying, “And they shall accomplish upon thee
whatso they desire of thy destruction: so shalt thou fare as fared the
Jackals with the Wolf.” Asked the King, “How was that?” and the Wazir
answered, “They tell the following tale of
_THE JACKALS AND THE WOLF_.”
A pack of Jackals[155] went out one day to seek food, and as they
prowled about in quest of this, behold, they happened upon a dead camel
and said in themselves, “Verily we have found wherewithal we may live a
great while; but we fear lest one of us oppress the other and the strong
bear down the weak with his strength and so the puny of us perish.
Wherefore it behoveth us seek one who shall judge between us and appoint
unto each his part, so the force-full may not lord it over the feeble.”
As they consulted together on such subject, suddenly up came a Wolf, and
one of the Jackals said to the others, “Right is your rede; let us make
this Wolf judge between us, for he is the strongest of beasts and his
father was Sultan over us aforetime; so we hope in Allah that he will do
justice between us.” Accordingly they accosted the Wolf and acquainting
him with what they had resolved concerning him said, “We make thee judge
between us, so thou mayst allot unto each of us his day’s meat, after
the measure of his need, lest the strong of us bear down the weak and
some of us destroy other of us.” The Wolf accepted the governance of
their affairs and allotted to each of them what sufficed him that day;
but on the morrow he said in his mind, “An I divide this camel amongst
these weaklings, no part thereof will come to me, save the pittance they
will assign to me, and if I eat it alone, they can do me no harm, seeing
that they are a prey to me and to the people of my house. Who, then, is
the one to hinder me from taking it all for myself? Surely, ’tis Allah
who hath bestowed it on me by way of provision without any obligation to
any of them. It were best that I keep it for myself, and henceforth I
will give them naught.” Accordingly, next morning when the Jackals came
to him, as was their wont, and sought of him their food, saying, “O Abu
Sirhán,[156] give us our day’s provender,[157]” he answered saying, “I
have nothing left to give you.” Whereupon they went away in the sorriest
plight, saying, “Verily, Allah hath cast us into grievous trouble with
this foul traitor, who regardeth not Allah nor feareth Him; but we have
neither stratagem nor strength on our side.” Moreover one of them said,
“Haply ’twas but stress of hunger that moved him to this; so let him eat
his fill to-day, and to-morrow we will go to him again.” Accordingly, on
the morrow, they again betook themselves to the Wolf and said to him, “O
Father of Foray, we gave thee authority over us, that thou mightest
apportion unto each of us his day’s meat and do the weak justice against
the strong of us, and that, when this provaunt is finished, thou
shouldst do thine endeavour to get us other and so we be always under
thy watch and ward. Now hunger is hard upon us, for that we have not
eaten these two days; so do thou give us our day’s ration and thou shalt
be free to dispose of all that remaineth as thou wilt.” But the Wolf
returned them no answer and redoubled in his hardness of heart and when
they strave to turn him from his purpose he would not be turned. Then
said one of the Jackals to the rest, “Nothing will serve us but that we
go to the Lion and cast ourselves on his protection and assign unto him
the camel. If he vouchsafe us aught thereof, ’twill be of his favour,
and if not, he is worthier of it than this scurvy rascal.” So they
betook themselves to the Lion and acquainted him with that which had
betided them from the Wolf, saying, “We are thy slaves and come to thee
imploring thy protection, so thou mayst deliver us from this Wolf, and
we will be thy thralls.” When the Lion heard their story, he was jealous
for Almighty Allah[158] and went with them in quest of the Wolf who,
seeing him approach addressed himself to flight; but the Lion ran after
him and seizing him, rent him in pieces and restored their prey to the
Jackals. “This showeth,” added Shimas, “that it fitteth no King to
neglect the affairs of his subjects; wherefore do thou hearken to my
rede and give credit to the words which I say to thee.” Quoth the King,
“I will hearken to thee and to-morrow, Inshallah, I will go forth to
them.” Accordingly Shimas went from him and returning to the folk, told
them that the King had accepted his advice and promised to come out unto
them on the morrow. But, when the favourite heard this saying reported
of Shimas and was certified that needs must the King go forth to his
subjects, she betook herself to him in haste and said to him, “How great
is my wonder at thy submissiveness and thine obedience to thy slaves!
Knowest thou not that these Wazirs are thy thralls? Why then dost thou
exalt them to this highmost pitch of importance that they imagine them
it was they gave thee this kingship and advanced thee to this rank and
that it is they who confer favours on thee, albeit they have no power to
do thee the least damage? Indeed, ’tis not thou who owest submission to
them; but on the contrary they owe it to thee, and it is their duty to
carry out thine orders. How cometh it then, that thou art so mightily
affrighted at them? It is said:—Unless thy heart be like iron, thou art
not fit to be a Sovran. But thy mildness hath deluded these men, so that
they presume upon thee and cast off their allegiance, although it
behoveth that they be constrained unto thy obedience and enforced to thy
submission. Therefore an thou hasten to accept their words and leave
them as they now are and vouchsafe to them the least thing against thy
will, they will weigh heavily upon thee and require other concessions of
thee, and this will become their habit. But, an thou hearken to me, thou
wilt not advance any one of them to power neither wilt thou accept his
word nor encourage him to presume upon thee; else wilt thou fare with
them as did the Shepherd with the Rogue.” Asked the King, “How was
that?” and she answered, “They relate this adventure of
_THE SHEPHERD AND THE ROGUE_.[159]
There was once a Shepherd, who fed a flock of sheep in the wold and kept
over them strait watch. One night, there came to him a Rogue thinking to
steal some of his charges and finding him assiduous in guarding them,
sleeping not by night nor neglecting them by day, prowled about him all
the livelong night, but could plunder nothing from him. So, when he was
weary of striving, he betook himself to another part of the waste and
trapping a lion, skinned him and stuffed his hide with bruised
straw[160]; after which he set it up on a high place in the desert,
where the Shepherd might see it and be assured thereof. Then he accosted
the Shepherd and said to him, “Yonder lion hath sent me to demand his
supper of these sheep.” The Shepherd asked, “Where is the lion?” and the
Rogue answered, “Lift thine eyes: there he standeth.” So the Shepherd
raised his eyes and seeing the semblance deemed it a very lion and was
much affrighted;——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to
say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Nine Hundred and Twenty-second Night,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Shepherd saw the semblance of the lion, he deemed it a very lion and was
affrighted with the sorest fright, trembling for dread; so he said to
the thief, “O my brother take what thou wilt, I will not gainsay thee.”
Accordingly the Rogue took what he would of the sheep and redoubled in
greed by reason of the excess of the Shepherd’s fear. Accordingly, every
little while, he would hie to him and terrify him, saying, “The lion
hath need of this and requireth that, and his intent is to do thus and
thus,” and take his sufficiency of the sheep; and he stinted not to do
thus with him, till he had wasted the most part of his flock. “This, O
King,” added the favourite, “I tell thee only that thou suffer not the
Grandees of thy realm to be deluded by thy mildness and easiness of
temper and presume on thee; and, in right rede, their death were better
than that they deal thus with thee.” Quoth the King, “I accept this thy
counsel and will not hearken to their admonition neither will I go out
unto them.” On the morrow the Wazirs and Officers of State and heads of
the people assembled; and, taking each with him his weapon, repaired to
the palace of the King, so they might break in upon him and slay him and
seat another in his stead. When they came to the door, they required the
doorkeeper to open to them; but he refused, whereupon they sent to fetch
fire, wherewith to burn down the doors and enter. The doorkeeper,
hearing what they said went in to the King in haste and told him that
the folk were gathered together at the gate, adding, “They required me
to open to them, but I refused; and they have sent to fetch fire to burn
down the doors withal, so they may come into thee and slay thee. What
dost thou bid me do?” Quoth the King in himself, “Verily, I am fallen
into uttermost perdition.” Then he sent for the favourite; and, as soon
as she came, said to her, “Indeed, Shimas never told me aught but I
found it true, and now great and small are come purposing to slay me and
thee: and because the doorkeeper would not open to them, they have sent
to fetch fire, to burn the doors withal: so will the house be burnt and
we therein. What dost thou counsel me to do?” She replied, “No harm
shall betide thee, nor let thine affair affright thee. This is a time
when the simple rise against their Kings.” Quoth he, “What dost thou
counsel me to do and how shall I act in this affair?” Quoth she, “My
rede is that thou fillet thy head and feign thyself sick: then send for
the Wazir Shimas, who will come and see the plight wherein thou art; and
do thou say to him:—Verily I purposed to go forth to the folk this day;
but this malady hindered me. So go thou out to them and acquaint them
with my condition and tell them that to-morrow I will fare forth without
fail to them and do their need and look into their affairs, so they may
be reassured and their rage may subside. Then do thou summon ten of thy
father’s slaves, stalwart men of strength and prowess, to whom thou
canst entrust thyself, hearing to thy best and complying with thy
commandment, surely keeping thy secret and lief to thy love; and charge
them on the morrow to stand at thy head and bid them suffer none of the
folk to enter, save one by one; and all who enter do thou say:—Seize
them and do them die. An they agree with thee upon this, to-morrow set
up thy throne in the Divan[161] and open thy doors. When the folk see
that thou hast opened to them their minds will be set at ease and they
will come to thee with a whole heart, and seek admission to thee. Then
do thou admit them, one after one, even as I said to thee and work with
them thy will; but it behoveth thee begin by slaying Shimas, their chief
and leader; for he is the Grand Wazier and head of the matter. Therefore
do him die first and after put all the rest to death, one after other,
and spare none whom thou knowest to have broken with thee his covenant;
and in like way slaughter all whose violence thou fearest. An thou deal
thus with them, there will be left them no power to make head against
thee; so shalt thou be at rest from them with full repose, and shalt
enjoy thy kingship in peace and do whatso thou wilt; and know that there
is no device that will profit thee more than this.” Quoth the King,
“Verily, this thy counsel is just and that which thou biddest me is to
the point and I will assuredly do as thou directest.” So he called for a
fillet and bound his head therewith and shammed sickness. Then he sent
for the Grand Wazir and said to him, “O Shimas, thou knowest that I love
thee and hearken to the counsel of thee and thou art to me as brother
and father both in one; also thou knowest that I do all thou biddest me
and indeed thou badest me go forth to the lieges and sit to judge
between them. Now I was assured that this was right rede on thy part,
and purposed to go forth to them yesterday; but this sickness assailed
me and I cannot sit up. It hath reached me that the folk are incensed at
my failure to come forth to them and are minded of their mischief to do
with me that which is unmeet for that they know not what ailment aileth
me. So go thou forth to them and acquaint them with my case and the
condition I am in; and excuse me to them, for I am obedient to their
bidding and will do as they desire; wherefore order this affair and
engage thyself for me herefor, even as thou hast been a loyal counsellor
to me and to my sire before me, and it is of thy wont to make peace
between the people. To-morrow, Inshallah, I will without fail come forth
to them, and peradventure my sickness will cease from me this night, by
the blessing of the purest intent and the good I purpose them in my
heart.” So Shimas prostrated himself to Allah and called down blessings
on the King and kissed his hand, rejoicing at this. Then he went forth
to the folk and told them what he had heard from the King and forbade
them from that which they had a mind to do, acquainting them with what
excused the King for his absence and informing them that he had promised
to come forth to them on the morrow and deal with them according to
their desires; whereupon they dispersed and hied them to their
houses.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
Now when it was the Nine Hundred and Twenty-third Night,