and displayed to them all that was with me of treasures and told them
what I had beheld in the City of Stone, adding, “Had ye hearkened to me
and gone with me, ye had gotten of these things great gain.”——And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Nine Hundred and Eighty-fourth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Abdullah bin
Fazil said to his shipmates and to his two brothers, “Had ye gone with
me, ye had gotten of these things great gain.” But they said, “By Allah,
had we gone, we had not dared to go in to the King of the city!” Then I
said to my brothers, “No harm shall befal you; for that which I have
will suffice us all and this is our lot.[527]” So I divided my booty
into four parts according to our number and gave one to each of my
brothers and to the Captain, taking the fourth for myself, setting aside
somewhat for the servants and sailors, who rejoiced and blessed me: and
all were content with what I gave them, save my brothers who changed
countenance and rolled their eyes. I perceived that lust of lucre had
gotten hold of them both; so I said to them, “O my brothers, methinketh
what I have given you doth not satisfy you; but we are brothers and
there is no difference between us. My good and yours are one and the
same thing, and if I die none will inherit of me but you.” And I went on
to soothe them. Then I bore the Princess on board the galleon and lodged
her in the cabin, where I sent her somewhat to eat and we sat talking, I
and my brothers. Said they, “O our brother, what wilt thou do with that
damsel of surpassing beauty?” And I replied, “I mean to contract
marriage with her, as soon as I reach Bassorah and make a splendid
wedding and go in to her there.” Exclaimed one of them, “O my brother,
verily, this young lady excelleth in beauty and loveliness and the love
of her is fallen on my heart; wherefore I desire that thou give her to
me and I will espouse her.” And the other cried, “I too desire this:
give her to me, that I may espouse her.” “O my brothers,” answered I,
“indeed she took of me an oath and a covenant that I would marry her
myself; so, if I give her to one of you, I shall be false to my oath and
to the covenant between me and her, and haply she will be
broken-hearted, for she came not with me but on condition that I marry
her. So how can I wed her to other than myself? As for your both loving
her, I love her more than you twain, for she is my treasure-trove, and
as for my giving her to one of you, that is a thing which may not be.
But, if we reach Bassorah in safety, I will look you out two girls of
the best of the damsels of Bassorah and demand them for you in marriage
and pay the dower of my own monies and make one wedding and we will all
three go into our brides on the same night. But leave ye this damsel,
for she is of my portion.” They held their peace, and I thought they
were content with that which I had said. Then we fared onwards for
Bassorah, and every day I sent her meat and drink; but she came not
forth of the cabin, whilst I slept between my brothers on deck. We
sailed thus forty days, till we sighted Bassorah city and rejoiced that
we were come near it. Now I trusted in my brothers and was at my ease
with them, for none knoweth the hidden future save Allah the Most High;
so I lay down to sleep that night; but, as I abode drowned in slumber, I
suddenly found myself caught up by these my brothers, one seizing me by
the legs and the other by the arms, for they had taken counsel together
to drown me in the sea for the sake of the damsel. When I saw myself in
their hands, I said to them, “O my brothers, why do ye this with me?”
And they replied, “Ill-bred that thou art, wilt thou barter our
affection for a girl?: we will cast thee into the sea, because of this.”
So saying, they threw me overboard. (Here Abdullah turned to the dogs
and said to them, “Is this that I have said true O my brothers or not?”;
and they bowed their heads and fell awhining, as if confirming his
speech; whereat the Caliph wondered). Then Abdullah resumed;—O Commander
of the Faithful, when they threw me into the sea, I sank to the bottom;
but the water bore me up again to the surface, and before I could think,
behold a great bird, the bigness of a man, swooped down upon me and
snatching me up, flew up with me into upper air. I fainted and when I
opened my eyes, I found myself in a strong-pillared place, a
high-builded palace, adorned with magnificent paintings and pendants of
gems of all shapes and hues. Therein were damsels standing with their
hands crossed over their breasts and, behold in their midst was a lady
seated on a throne of red gold, set with pearls and gems, and clad in
apparel whereon no mortal might open his eyes, for the lustre of the
jewels wherewith they were decked. About her waist she wore a girdle of
jewels no money could pay their worth and on her head a three-fold tiara
dazing thought and wit and dazzling heart and sight. Then the bird which
had carried me thither shook and became a young lady bright as sun
raying light. I fixed my eyes on her and behold, it was she whom I had
seen in snake form on the mountain and had rescued from the dragon which
had wound his tail around her. Then said to her the lady who sat upon
the throne, “Why hast thou brought hither this mortal?”; and she
replied, “O my mother, this is he who was the means of veiling my
honour[528] among the maidens of the Jinn.” Then quoth she to me,
“Knowest thou who I am?”; and quoth I, “No.” Said she, I am she who was
on such a mountain, where the black dragon strave with me and would have
forced my honour, but thou slewest him.” And I said, “I saw but a white
snake with the dragon.” She rejoined, “’Tis I who was the white snake;
but I am the daughter of the Red King, Sovran of the Jann and my name is
Sa’ídah.[529] She who sitteth there is my mother and her name is
Mubárakah, wife of the Red King. The black dragon who attacked me and
would have done away my honour was Wazir to the Black King, Darfíl by
name, and he was foul of favour. It chanced that he saw me and fell in
love with me; so he sought me in marriage of my sire, who sent to him to
say, “Who art thou, O scum of Wazirs, that thou shouldst wed with Kings’
daughters?” Whereupon he was wroth and sware an oath that he would
assuredly do away my honour, to spite my father. Then he fell to
tracking my steps and following me whithersoever I went, designing to
ravish me; wherefore there befel between him and my parent mighty fierce
wars and bloody jars, but my sire could not prevail against him, for
that he was fierce as fraudful and as often as my father pressed hard
upon him and seemed like to conquer he would escape from him, till my
sire was at his wits’ end. Every day I was forced to take new form and
hue; for, as often as I assumed a shape, he would assume its contrary,
and to whatsoever land I fled he would snuff my fragrance and follow me
thither, so that I suffered sore affliction of him. At last I took the
form of a snake and betook myself to the mountain where thou sawest me;
whereupon he changed himself to a dragon and pursued me, till I fell
into his hands, when he strove with me and I struggled with him, till he
wearied me and mounted me, meaning to have his lustful will of me: but
thou camest and smotest him with the stone and slewest him. Then I
returned to my own shape and showed myself to thee, saying:—I am
indebted to thee for a service such as is not lost save with the son of
adultery.[530] So, when I saw thy brothers do with thee this treachery
and throw thee into the sea, I hastened to thee and saved thee from
destruction, and now honour is due to thee from my mother and my
father.” Then she said to the Queen, “O my mother, do thou honour him as
deserveth he who saved my virtue.” So the Queen said to me, “Welcome, O
mortal! Indeed thou hast done us a kindly deed which meriteth honour.”
Presently she ordered me a treasure-suit,[531] worth a mint of money,
and store of gems and precious stones, and said, “Take him and carry him
in to the King.” Accordingly, they carried me in to the King in his
Divan, where I found him seated on his throne, with his Marids and
guards before him; and when I saw him my sight was blent for that which
was upon him of jewels; but when he saw me, he rose to his feet and all
his officers rose also, to do him worship. Then he saluted me and
welcomed me and entreated me with the utmost honour, and gave me of that
which was with him of good things; after which he said to some of his
followers, “Take him and carry him back to my daughter, that she may
restore him to the place whence she brought him.” So they carried me
back to the Lady Sa’idah, who took me up and flew away with me and my
treasures. On this wise fared it with me and the Princess; but as
regards the Captain of the galleon, he was aroused by the splash of my
fall, when my brothers cast me into the sea, and said, “What is that
which hath fallen overboard?” Whereupon my brothers fell to weeping and
beating of breasts and replied, “Alas, for our brother’s loss! He
thought to do his need over the ship’s side[532] and fell into the
water!” Then they laid their hands on my good, but there befel dispute
between them because of the damsel, each saying, “None shall have her
but I.” And they abode jangling and wrangling each with other and
remembered not their brother nor his drowning and their mourning for him
ceased. As they were thus, behold Sa’idah alighted with me in the midst
of the galleon——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Nine Hundred and Eighty-fifth Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Abdullah bin
Fazil continued, “As they were thus, behold, Sa’idah alighted with me in
the midst of the galleon and when my brothers saw me, they embraced me
and rejoiced in me, saying, “O our brother, how hast thou fared in that
which befel thee? Indeed our hearts have been occupied with thee.” Quoth
Sa’idah, “Had ye any heart-yearnings for him or had ye loved him, ye had
not cast him into the sea; but choose ye now what death ye will die.”
Then she seized on them and would have slain them; but they cried out,
saying, “In thy safeguard, O our brother!” Thereupon I interceded and
said to her, “I claim of thine honour not to kill my brothers.” Quoth
she, “There is no help but that I slay them, for they are traitors.” But
I ceased not to speak her fair and conciliate her till she said, “To
content thee, I will not kill them, but I will enchant them.” So saying,
she brought out a cup and filling it with sea-water, pronounced over it
words that might not be understood; then saying, “Quit this human shape
for the shape of a dog;” she sprinkled them with the water, and
immediately they were transmewed into dogs, as thou seest them, O Vicar
of Allah.” Whereupon he turned to the dogs and said to them, “Have I
spoken the truth, O my brothers?” And they bowed their heads, as they
would say, “Thou hast spoken sooth.” At this he continued, “Then she
said to those who were in the galleon:—Know ye that Abdullah bin Fazil
here present is become my brother and I shall visit him once or twice
every day: so, whoso of you crosseth him or gainsayeth his bidding or
doth him hurt with hand or tongue, I will do with him even as I have
done with these two traitors and bespell him to a dog, and he shall end
his days in that form, nor shall he find deliverance.” And they all said
to her, “O our lady, we are his slaves and his servants every one of us
and will not disobey him in aught.” Moreover, she said to me, “When thou
comest to Bassorah, examine all thy property and if there lack aught
thereof, tell me and I will bring it to thee, in whose hands and in what
place soever it may be, and will change him who took it into a dog. When
thou hast magazined thy goods, clap a collar[533] of wood on the neck of
each of these two traitors and tie them to the leg of a couch and shut
them up by themselves. Moreover, every night, at midnight, do thou go
down to them and beat each of them a bout till he swoon away; and if
thou suffer a single night to pass without beating them, I will come to
thee and drub thee a sound drubbing, after which I will drub them.” And
I answered, “To hear is to obey.” Then said she, “Tie them up with ropes
till thou come to Bassorah.” So I tied a rope about each dog’s neck and
lashed them to the mast, and she went her way. On the morrow we entered
Bassorah and the merchants came out to meet me and saluted me, and no
one of them enquired of my brothers. But they looked at the dogs and
said to me, “Ho, such and such,[534] what wilt thou do with these two
dogs thou hast brought with thee?” Quoth I, “I reared them on this
voyage and have brought them home with me.” And they laughed at them,
knowing not that they were my brothers. When I reached my house, I put
the twain in a closet and busied myself all that night with the
unpacking and disposition of the bales of stuffs and jewels. Moreover,
the merchants were with me being minded to offer me the salam; wherefore
I was occupied with them and forgot to beat the dogs or chain them up.
Then without doing them aught of hurt, I lay down to sleep, but suddenly
and unexpectedly there came to me the Red King’s daughter Sa’idah and
said to me, “Did I not bid thee clap chains on their necks and give each
of them a bout of beating?” So saying, she seized me and pulling out a
whip, flogged me till I fainted away, after which she went to the place
where my brothers were and with the same scourge beat them both till
they came nigh upon death. Then said she to me, “Beat each of them a
like bout every night, and if thou let a night pass without doing this,
I will beat thee;” and I replied, “O my lady, to-morrow I will put
chains on their necks, and next night I will beat them nor will I leave
them one night unbeaten.” And she charged me strictly to beat them and
disappeared. When the morning morrowed it being no light matter for me
to put fetters of iron on their necks, I went to a goldsmith and bade
him make them collars and chains of gold. He did this and I put the
collars on their necks and chained them up, as she bade me; and next
night I beat them both in mine own despite. This befel in the Caliphate
of Al-Mahdi,[535] third of the sons of Al-Abbas, and I commended myself
to him by sending him presents, so he invested me with the government
and made me viceroy of Bassorah. On this wise I abode some time and
after a while I said to myself, “Haply her wrath is grown cool;” and
left them a night unbeaten, whereupon she came to me and beat me a bout
whose burning I shall never forget long as I live. So, from that time to
this, I have never left them a single night unbeaten during the reign of
Al-Mahdi; and when he deceased and thou camest to the succession, thou
sentest to me, confirming me in the government of Bassorah. These twelve
years past have I beaten them every night, in mine own despite, and
after I have beaten them, I excuse myself to them and comfort them and
give them to eat and drink; and they have remained shut up, nor did any
of the creatures of Allah know of them, till thou sentest to me Abu
Ishak the boon-companion, on account of the tribute, and he discovered
my secret and returning to thee, acquainted thee therewith. Then thou
sentest him back to fetch me and them; so I answered with ‘Hearkening
and obedience,’ and brought them before thee, whereupon thou
questionedst me and I told thee the truth of the case; and this is my
history.” The Caliph marvelled at the case of the two dogs and said to
Abdullah, “Hast thou at this present forgiven thy two brothers the wrong
they did thee, yea or nay?” He replied, “O my lord, may Allah forgive
them and acquit them of responsibility in this world and the next!
Indeed, ’tis I who stand in need of their forgiveness, for that these
twelve years past I have beaten them a grievous bout every night!”
Rejoined the Caliph, “O Abdullah, Inshallah, I will endeavour for their
release and that they may become men again, as they were before, and I
will make peace between thee and them; so shall you live the rest of
your lives as brothers loving one another; and like as thou hast
forgiven them, so shall they forgive thee. But now take them and go down
with them to thy lodging and this night beat them not, and to-morrow
there shall be naught save weal.” Quoth Abdullah, “O my lord, as thy
head liveth, if I leave them one night unbeaten, Sa’idah will come to me
and beat me, and I have no body to brook beating.” Quoth the Caliph,
“Fear not, for I will give thee a writing under my hand.[536] An she
come to thee, do thou give her the paper and if, when she has read it,
she spare thee, the favour will be hers; but, if she obey not my
bidding, commit thy business to Allah and let her beat thee a bout and
suppose that thou hast forgotten to beat them for one night and that she
beateth thee because of that: and if it fall out thus and she thwart me,
as sure as I am Commander of the Faithful, I will be even with her.”
Then he wrote her a letter on a piece of paper, two fingers broad, and
sealing it with his signet-ring, gave it to Abdullah, saying, “O
Abdullah, if Sa’idah come, say to her:—The Caliph, King of mankind, hath
commanded me to leave beating them and hath written me this letter for
thee; and he saluteth thee with the salam. Then give her the warrant and
fear no harm.” After which he exacted of him an oath and a solemn pledge
that he would not beat them. So Abdullah took the dogs and carried them
to his lodging, saying to himself, “I wonder what the Caliph will do
with the daughter of the Sovran of the Jinn, if she cross him and
trounce me to-night! But I will bear with a bout of beating for once and
leave my brothers at rest this night, though for their sake I suffer
torture.” Then he bethought himself awhile, and his reason said to him,
“Did not the Caliph rely on some great support, he had never forbidden
me from beating them.” So he entered his lodging and doffed the collars
from the dogs’ necks, saying, “I put my trust in Allah,” and fell to
comforting them and saying, “No harm shall befal you; for the Caliph,
fifth[537] of the sons of Al-Abbas, hath pledged himself for your
deliverance and I have forgiven you. An it please Allah the Most High,
the time is come and ye shall be delivered this blessed night; so
rejoice ye in the prospect of peace and gladness.” When they heard these
words, they fell to whining with the whining of dogs,——And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
[Illustration]
Now when it was the Nine Hundred and Eighty-sixth Night,