the presence to the ringleaders of the commons and said to them,
“To-morrow the Sovran will come forth to you and will deal with you as
ye desire.” So they hied them to their homes. On such wise fared it with
them; but as regards the Monarch, he summoned ten slaves of gigantic
stature,[162] men of hard heart and prow of prowess, whom he had chosen
from amongst his father’s body-guards; and said to them, “Ye know the
favour, esteem and high rank ye held with my sire and all the bounties,
benefits and honours he bestowed on you, and I will advance you to yet
higher dignity with me than this. Now I will tell you the reason thereof
and ye are under safeguard of Allah from me. But first I will ask you
somewhat, wherein if ye do my desire, obeying me in that which I shall
bid you and conceal my secret from all men, ye shall have of me largesse
and favour surpassing expectation. But above all things obedience!” The
ten thralls answered him with one mouth and in sequent words, saying,
“Whatso thou biddest us, O our liege, that we will do, nor will we
depart in aught from thy commandment, for thou art our lord and master.”
Quoth the King, “Allah allot you weal! Now will I tell you the reason
why I have chosen you out for increase of honour with me. Ye know how
liberally my father dealt with the folk of his realm and the oath he
took from them on behalf of me and how they promised him that they would
not break faith with me nor gainsay the bidding of me; and ye saw how
they did yesterday, whenas they gathered all together about me and would
have slain me. Now I am minded to do with them somewhat; and ’tis this,
for that I have considered their action of yesterday and see that naught
will restrain them from its like save exemplary chastisement: wherefore
I perforce charge you privily to do to death whom I shall point out to
you, to the intent that I may ward off mischief and calamity from my
realm by slaying their leaders and Chiefs; and the manner thereof shall
be on this wise. To-morrow I will sit on this seat in this chamber and
give them admission to me one by one, coming in at one door and going
out at another; and do ye, all ten, stand before me and be attentive to
my signs: and whoso entereth singly, take him and drag him into yonder
chamber and kill him and hide his corpse.” The slaves answered, “We
hearken to thy hest and obey thy order”: whereupon he gave them gifts
and dismissed them for the night. On the morrow he summoned the thralls
and bade set up the royal seat: then he donned his kingly robes and
taking the Book of law-cases[163] in his hands, posted the ten slaves
before him and commanded to open the doors. So they opened the doors and
the herald proclaimed aloud, saying, “Whoso hath authority, let him come
to the King’s carpet[164]!” Whereupon up came the Wazirs and Prefects
and Chamberlains and stood, each in his rank. Then the King bade admit
them, one after one, and the first to enter was Shimas, according to the
custom of the Grand Wazir; but no sooner had he presented himself before
the King, and ere he could beware, the ten slaves gat about him, and
dragging him into the adjoining chamber, despatched him. On like wise
did they with the rest of the Wazirs and Olema and Notables, slaying
them, one after other, till they made a clean finish.[165] Then the King
called the headsmen and bade them ply sword upon all who remained of the
folk of valour and stowre: so they fell on them and left none whom they
knew for a man of mettle but they slew him, sparing only the proletaires
and the refuse of the people. These they drove away and they returned
each to his folk, whilst the King secluded himself with his pleasures
and surrendered his soul to its lusts, working tyranny, oppression and
violence, till he outraced all the men of evil who had forerun him.[166]
Now this King’s dominion was a mine of gold and silver and jacinths and
jewels and the neighbouring rulers, one and all, envied him this empire
and looked for calamity to betide him. Moreover, one of them, the King
of Outer Hind, said in himself, “I have gotten my desire of wresting the
realm from the hand of yonder silly lad, by reason of that which hath
betided of his slaughter of the Chiefs of his State and of all men of
valour and mettle that were in his country. This is my occasion to
snatch away that which is in his hand, seeing he is young in years and
hath no knowledge of war nor judgment thereto, nor is there any left to
counsel him aright or succour him. Wherefore this very day will I open
on him the door of mischief by writing him a writ wherein I will flyte
him and reproach him with that which he hath done and see what he will
reply.” So he indited him a letter to the following effect:—“In the name
of Allah the Compassionating, the Compassionate * And after * I have
heard tell of that which thou hast done with thy Wazirs and Olema and
men of valiancy * and that whereinto thou hast cast thyself of calamity
* so that there is neither power nor strength left in thee to repel
whoso shall assail thee, more by token that thou transgressest and
orderest thyself tyrannously and profligately * Now Allah hath assuredly
given me the conquering of thee and the mastery over thee and into my
hand hath delivered thee; wherefore do thou give ear to my word and obey
the commandment of me and build me an impregnable castle amiddlemost the
sea * An thou can not do this, depart thy realm and with thy life go
flee * for I will send unto thee, from the farthest ends of Hind, twelve
hordes[167] of horse, each twelve thousand fighting-men strong, who
shall enter thy land and spoil thy goods and slay thy men and carry thy
women into captivity * Moreover, I will make my Wazir, Badí’a captain
over them and bid him lay strait siege to thy capital till the master he
be; * and I have bidden the bearer of this letter that he tarry with
thee but days three * So, an thou do my demand, thou shalt be saved;
else will I send that which I have said unto thee.” Then he sealed the
scroll and gave it to a messenger, who journeyed with it till he came to
the capital of Wird Khan and delivered it to him. When the King read it,
his strength failed him, his breast waxed strait and he made sure of
destruction, having none to whom he might resort for aid or advice.
Presently he rose and went in to his favourite wife who, seeing him
changed of colour, said to him, “What mattereth thee, O King?” Quoth he,
“This day I am no King, but slave to the King.” And he opened the letter
and read it to her, whereupon she fell to weeping and wailing and
rending her raiment. Then he asked her, “Hast thou aught of rede or
resource in this grievous strait?”; but she answered, “Women have no
resource in time of war, nor have women any strength or aught of
counsel. ’Tis men alone who in like of this affair have force and
discourse and resource.” When the King heard her words, there befel him
the utmost regret and repentance and remorse for that he had
transgressed against his Wazirs and Officers and Lords of his land,——And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Nine Hundred and Twenty-fourth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when King
Wird Khan heard the words of his favourite wife there befel him the
utmost regret and repentance for having transgressed against and slain
his Wazirs and the chiefs of his state, and he would that he had died
ere there came to him the like of these shameful tidings. Then he said
to his women, “Verily, there hath betided me from you that which befel
the Francolin and the Tortoises.” Asked they, “What was that?”, and he
answered, “Men tell this tale of
_THE FRANCOLIN AND THE TORTOISES_.”
It is said that sundry Tortoises dwelt once in a certain island
abounding in trees and fruiterers and rills, and it fortuned, one day,
that a Francolin, passing over the island, was overcome with the fiery
heat and fatigue and being in grievous suffering stayed his flight
therein. Presently, looking about for a cool place, he espied the resort
of the Tortoises and alighted down near their home. Now they were then
abroad foraging for food, and when they returned from their
feeding-places to their dwelling, they found the Francolin there. His
beauty pleased them and Allah made him lovely in their eyes, so that
they exclaimed “Subhána ’lláh,” extolling their Creator and loved the
Francolin with exceeding love and rejoiced in him, saying one to other,
“Forsure this is of the goodliest of the birds;” and all began to caress
him and entreat him with kindness. When he saw that they looked on him
with eyes of affection, he inclined to them and companioned with them
and took up his abode with them, flying away in the morning whither he
would and returning at eventide to pass the night by side of them. On
this wise he continued a long while until the Tortoises, seeing that his
daily absence from them desolated them and finding that they never saw
him save by night (for at dawn he still took flight in haste and they
knew not what came of him, for all that their love grew to him), said
each to other, “Indeed, we love this Francolin and he is become our true
friend and we cannot bear parting from him, so how shall we devise some
device tending to make him abide with us always? For he flieth away at
dawn and is absent from us all day and we see him not save by night.”
Quoth one of them, “Be easy, O my sisters: I will bring him not to leave
us for the turn of an eye.” and quoth the rest, saying, “An thou do
this, we will all be thy thralls.” So, when the Francolin came back from
his feeding-place and sat down amongst them, that wily Tortoise drew
near unto him and called down blessings on him, giving him joy of his
safe return and saying, “O my lord, know that Allah hath vouchsafed thee
our love and hath in like manner set in thy heart the love of us,
whereby thou art become to us a familiar friend and a comrade in this
desert. Now the goodliest of times for those who love one another is
when they are united and the sorest of calamities for them are absence
and severance. But thou departest from us at peep of day and returnest
not to us till sundown, wherefore there betideth us extreme desolation.
Indeed this is exceeding grievous to us and we abide in sore longing for
such reason.” The Francolin replied, “Indeed, I love you also and yearn
for you yet more than you can yearn for me, nor is it easy for me to
leave you; but my hand hath no help for this, seeing that I am a fowl
with wings and may not wone with you always, because that is not of my
nature. For a bird, being a winged creature, may not remain still, save
it be for the sake of sleep o’ nights; but, as soon as it is day, he
flieth away and seeketh his morning-meal in what place soever pleaseth
him.” Answered the Tortoise, “Sooth thou speakest! Nevertheless he who
hath wings hath no repose at most seasons, for that the good he getteth
is not a fourth part of what ill betideth him, and the highmost aims of
the creature are repose and ease of life. Now Allah hath bred between us
and thee love and fellowship and we fear for thee, lest some of thine
enemies catch thee and thou perish and we be denied the sight of thy
countenance.” Rejoined the Francolin, “True! But what rede hast thou or
resource for my case?” Quoth the Tortoise, “My advice is that thou pluck
out thy wing-feathers, wherewith thou speedest thy flight, and tarry
with us in tranquillity, eating of our meat and drinking of our drink in
this pasturage, that aboundeth in trees rife with fruits yellow-ripe and
we will sojourn, we and thou, in this fruitful stead and enjoy the
company of one another.” The Francolin inclined to her speech, seeking
ease for himself, and plucked out his wing-feathers, one by one, in
accordance with the rede approved of by the Tortoise; then he took up
his abode with them and contented himself with the little ease and
transient pleasure he enjoyed. Presently up came a Weasel[168] and
glancing at the Francolin, saw that his wings were plucked, so that he
could not fly, whereat he rejoiced with joy exceeding and said to
himself, “Verily yonder Francolin is fat of flesh and scant of feather.”
So he went up to him and seized him, whereupon the Francolin called out
to the Tortoises for help; but when they saw the Weasel hend him, they
drew apart from him and huddled together, choked with weeping for him,
for they witnessed how the beast tortured him. Quoth the Francolin, “Is
there aught with you but weeping?”; and quoth they, “O our brother, we
have neither force nor resource nor any course against a Weasel.” At
this the Francolin was grieved and cutting off all his hopes of life
said to them, “The fault is not yours, but mine own fault, in that I
hearkened to you and plucked out my wing-feathers wherewith I used to
fly. Indeed I deserve destruction for having obeyed you, and I blame you
not in aught.” “On like wise,” continued the King, “I do not blame you,
O women; but I blame and reproach myself for that I remembered not that
ye were the cause of the transgression of our father Adam, by reason
whereof he was cast out from the Garden of Eden and for that I forgot ye
are the root of all evil and hearkened to you, in mine ignorance, lack
of sense and weakness of judgment, and slew my Wazirs and the Governors
of my State, who were my loyal advisers in all mine actions and my glory
and my strength against whatsoever troubled me. But at this time find I
not one to replace them nor see I any who shall stand me in their stead;
and I fall into utter perdition.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Nine Hundred and Twenty-fifth Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the King blamed
himself saying, “’Twas I that hearkened to you in mine ignorance and
slew my Wazirs so that now I find none to stand in their stead; and
unless Allah succour me with one of sound judgment, who shall guide me
to that wherein is my deliverance, I am fallen into utter perdition.”
Then he arose and withdrew into his bedchamber, bemoaning his Wazirs and
wise men and saying, “Would Heaven those lions were with me at this
time, though but for an hour; so I might excuse myself unto them and
look on them and bemoan to them my case and the travail that hath
betided me after them!” And he abode all his day sunken in the sea of
cark and care neither eating nor drinking. But as soon as the night fell
dark, he arose and changing his raiment, donned old clothes and
disguised himself and went forth at a venture to walk about the city, so
haply he might hear from any some word of comfort. As he wandered about
the main streets, behold, he chanced upon two boys who had sought a
retired seat by a wall and he observed that they were equal in age, or
about twelve years old. As they talked together he drew near them
whereas he might hear and apprehend what they said, unseen of them, and
heard one say to the other, “Listen, O my brother, to what my sire told
me yesternight of the calamity which hath betided him in the withering
of his crops before their time, by reason of the rarity of rain and the
sore sorrow that is fallen on this city.” Quoth the other, “Wottest thou
not the cause of this affliction?”; and quoth the first, “No! and, if
thou ken it, pray tell it me.” Rejoined the other, “Yes, I wot it and
will tell it thee. Know that I have heard from one of my father’s
friends that our King slew his Wazirs and Grandees, not for aught of
offence done of them, but only by reason of his love for women and
inclination to them; for that his Ministers forbade him from this, but
he would not be forbidden and commanded to do them die in obedience to
his wives. Thus he slew Shimas my sire, who was his Wazir and the Wazir
of his father before him and the chief of his council; but right soon
thou shalt see how Allah will do with him by reason of his sins against
them and how He shall avenge them of him.” The other boy asked, “What
can Allah do now that they are dead?”; and his fellow answered, “Know
that the King of Outer Hind[169] maketh light of our monarch, and hath
sent him a letter berating him and saying to him:—Build me a castle
amiddlemost the sea, or I will send unto thee Badi’a my Wazir, with
twelve hordes of horse, each twelve thousand strong, to seize upon thy
kingdom and slay thy men and carry thee and thy women into captivity.
And he hath given him three days’ time to answer after the receipt of
that missive. Now thou must know, O my brother, that this King of Outer
Hind is a masterful tyrant, a man of might and prowess in fight, and in
his realm are much people; so unless our King make shift to fend him off
from himself, he will fall into perdition, whilst the King of Hind,
after slaying our Sovran, will seize on our possessions and massacre our
men and make prize of our women.” When the King heard this their talk,
his agitation increased and he inclined to the boys, saying, “Surely,
this boy is a wizard, in that he is acquainted with this thing without
learning it from me; for the letter is in my keeping and the secret also
and none hath knowledge of such matter but myself. How then knoweth this
boy of it? I will resort to him and talk with him and I pray Allah that
our deliverance may be at his hand.” Hereupon the King approached the
boy softly and said to him, “O thou dear boy, what is this thou sayest
of our King, that he did ill of the evilest in slaying his Wazirs and
the Chiefs of his State? Indeed he sinned against himself and his
subjects and thou art right in that which thou sayest. But tell me, O my
son, whence knowest thou that the King of Outer Hind hath written him a
letter, berating him and bespeaking him with the grievous speech whereof
thou tellest?” The boy replied, “O brother, I know this from the
sand[170] wherewith I take compt of night and day and from the saying of
the ancients:—No mystery from Allah is hidden; for the sons of Adam have
in them a spiritual virtue which discovereth to them the darkest
secrets.” Answered Wird Khan, “True, O my son, but whence learnedest
thou geomancy and thou young of years?” Quoth the boy, “My father taught
it me;” and quoth the King, “Is thy father alive or dead?” “He is dead,”
replied the boy. Then Wird Khan asked, “Is there any resource or device
for our King, whereby to ward off from himself and his kingdom this sore
calamity?” And the boy answered, saying, “It befitteth not that I speak
with thee of this; but, an the King send for me and ask me how he shall
do to baffle his foe and get free of his snares, I will acquaint him
with that wherein, by the power of Allah Almighty, shall be his
salvation.” Rejoined Wird Khan, “But who shall tell the King of this
that he may send for thee and invite thee to him?” The boy retorted, “I
hear that he seeketh men of experience and good counsel, so I will go up
with them to him and tell him that wherein shall be his welfare and the
warding off of this affliction from him; but, an he neglect the pressing
matter and busy himself with his love-liesse among his women and I go to
him of my own accord designing to acquaint him with the means of
deliverance, he will assuredly give orders to slay me, even as he slew
those his Wazirs, and my courtesy to him will be the cause of my
destruction. Wherefore the folk will think slightly of me and belittle
my wit and I shall be of those of whom it is said:—He whose science
excelleth his sense perisheth by his ignorance.” When the King heard the
boy’s words, he was assured of his sagacity; and the excellence of his
merit was manifest and he was certified that deliverance would betide
him and his subjects at the boy’s hands. So presently he resumed the
colloquy and asked him, “Whence art thou and where is thy home?”; and
the boy answered, “This is the wall of our house.” The King took note of
the place and farewelling the boy, returned to his palace in high
spirits. There he changed his clothes and called for meat and wine,
forbidding his women from him; and he ate and drank and returned thanks
to Allah the Most High and besought Him of succour and deliverance; and
he craved His pardon and forgiveness for that which he had done with his
Wazirs and Olema and turned to Him with sincere repentance, imposing on
himself many a prayer and long fasting, by way of discipline-vow. On the
morrow, he called one of his confidential eunuchs and describing to him
the boy’s home, bade him repair thither and bring him to his presence
with all gentleness. Accordingly the slave sought out the boy and said
to him, “The King summoneth thee, that good may betide thee from him and
that he may ask thee a question; then shalt thou return safe and sound
to thy dwelling.” Asked the boy, “What is the King’s need of me that he
biddeth me to him on this wise?”; and the eunuch answered, “My lord’s
occasion with thee is question and answer.” “A thousand times hearkening
and a thousand times obeying the commandment of the King!” replied the
boy and accompanied the slave to the palace. When he came into the
presence, he prostrated himself before Allah and after salaaming, called
down blessings on the King who returned his salutation and bade him be
seated.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
Now when it was the Nine Hundred and Twenty-sixth Night,