My tale, O my lord the Sultan, is marvellous and 'twas as
follows. My father was by profession a schoolmaster and, when he
fared to the ruth of Almighty Allah, I took his place in the
school and taught the boys to read after the fashion of my sire.
Now over the schoolroom was an upper lattice whereto planks had
been nailed and I was ever casting looks at it till one chance
day I said to myself, "By Allah, this lattice thus boarded up
needs must contain hoards or moneys or manuscripts which my
father stored there before his decease; and on such wise I am
deprived of them." So I arose and brought a ladder and lashed it
to another till the two together reached the lattice and I clomb
them holding a carpenter's adze[FN#143] wherewith I prized up the
planks until all were removed. And behold, I then saw a large
fowl, to wit, a kite,[FN#144] setting upon her nestlings. But
when she saw me she flew sharply in my face and I was frightened
by her and thrown back; so I tumbled from the ladder-top to the
ground and brake both knee-caps. Then they bore me home and
brought a leach to heal me; but he did me no good and I fell into
my present state. Now this, O our lord the Sultan, proveth the
weakness of my wit and the greatness of my greed; for there is a
saw amongst men that saith "Covetise aye wasteth and never
gathereth: so 'ware thee of covetise." Such, O lord of the Age
and the Time, is my tale. Hereupon the King bade gifts and
largesse be distributed to the three old schoolmasters, and when
his bidding was obeyed they went their ways. Then the Sultan
turned to the Minister and said, "O Wazir, now respecting the
matter of the three maidens and their mother, I would have thee
make enquiry and find out their home and bring them hither; or
let us go to them in disguise and hear their history, for indeed
it must he wonderful. Otherwise how could they have understood
that we served them that sleight by marking their door and they
on their part set marks of like kind upon all the doors of the
quarter that we might lose the track and touch of them. By Allah,
this be rare intelligence on the part of these damsels; but we, O
Wazir, will strive to come upon their traces." Then the Minister
fared forth, after changing his dress and demeanour, and walked
to the quarter in question, but found all the doors similarly
marked. So he was sore perplext concerning his case and fell to
questioning all the folk wont to pass by these doors but none
could give him any information; and he walked about sore
distraught until even-tide, when he returned to the Sultan
without aught of profit. As he went in to the presence, his liege
lord asked him saying, "What bringest thou of tidings?" and he
answered, "O King, I have not found the property,[FN#145] but
there passed through my mind a stratagem which, an we carry it
out, peradventure shall cause us to happen upon the maidens."
Quoth the Sultan, "What be that?" and quoth he, "Do thou write me
an autograph-writ and give it to the Crier that he may cry about
the city, 'Whoso lighteth wick after supper-tide shall have his
head set under his heels.'" The Sultan rejoined, "This thy rede
is right." Accordingly, on the next day the King wrote his letter
and gave it to the Crier bidding him fare through the city and
forbid the lighting of lamps after night-prayers; and the man
took the royal rescript and set it in a green bag. Then he went
forth and cried about the street saying, "According to the
commandment of our King, the Lord of prosperity and Master of the
necks of God's servants, if any light wick after night-prayers
his head shall be set under his heels, his good shall be spoiled
and his women shall be cast into jail." And the Crier stinted not
crying through the town during the first day and the second and
the third, until he had gone round the whole place; nor was there
a citizen but who knew the ordinance. Now the King waited
patiently till after the proclamation of the third day; but on
the fourth night he and his Minister went down from the palace in
disguise after supper-tide to pry about the wards and espy into
the lattices of the several quarters. They found no light till
they came to the ward where the three damsels lived, and the
Sultan, happening to glance in such a direction, saw the gleam of
a lamp in one of the tenements. So he said to the Wazir, "Ho!
there is a wick alight." Presently they drew near it and found
that it was within one of the marked houses; wherefore they came
to a stand and knocked at the door,?And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say.
Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy
tale, O sister mine, and enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she,
"And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on
the coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it
was the next night and that was
The Three Hundred and Sixty-fifth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that when the
Sultan and the Wazir stood over against the door behind which was
the light and knocked at it, the youngest of the sisters cried
out, "Who is at the door?" and they replied, "Guests and
Darwayshes." She rejoined, "What can you want at this hour and
what can have belated you?" And they, "We be men living in a
Khan; but we have lost our way thither and we fear to happen upon
the Chief of Police. So of your bountiful kindness open ye to us
and house us for the remnant of the night; and such charity shall
gain you reward in Heaven." Hereto the mother added, "Go open to
them the door!" and the youngest of the maidens came forward and
opened to them and admitted them. Then the parent and her
children rose up and welcomed them respectfully and seated them
and did them honour and set before them somewhat of food which
they ate and were gladdened. Presently the King said, "O damsels,
ye cannot but know that the Sultan proclaimed forbiddal of
wick-burning; but ye have lighted your lamps and have not obeyed
him when all the citizens have accepted his commandment." Upon
this the youngest sister accosted him saying, "O Darwaysh, verily
the Sultan's order should not be obeyed save in commandments
which be reasonable; but this his proclamation forbidding lights
is sinful to accept; and indeed the right direction[FN#146]
wherein man should walk is according to Holy Law which saith, 'No
obedience to the creature in a matter of sin against the
Creator.' The Sultan (Allah make him prevail!) herein acteth
against the Law and imitateth the doings of Satan. For we be
three sisters with our mother, making four in the household, and
every night we sit together by lamp-light and weave a half-pound
weight of linen web[FN#147] which our mother taketh in the
morning for sale to the Bazar and buyeth us therewith half a
pound of raw flax and with the remainder what sufficeth us of
victual." The Sultan now turned to his Minister and said, "O
Wazir, this damsel astonisheth me by her questions and answers.
What case of casuistry can we propose to her and what disputation
can we set up? Do thou contrive us somewhat shall pose and
perplex her." "O my lord," replied the Wazir, "we are here in the
guise of Darwayshes and are become to these folk as guests: how
then can we disturb them with troublesome queries in their own
home?" Quoth the Sultan, "Needs must thou address them;" so the
Wazir said to the girl, "O noble one, obedience to the royal
orders is incumbent upon you as upon all lieges." Said she,
"True, he is our Sovran; but how can he know whether we be
starving or full-fed?" "Let us see," rejoined the Wazir, "when he
shall send for you and set you before the presence and question
you concerning your disobeying his orders, what thou wilt say?"
She retorted, "I would say to the Sultan, 'Thou hast contraried
Holy Law.'" At this the Minister resumed, "An he ask thee sundry
questions wilt thou answer them?" and she replied, "Indeed I
will." Hereat the Minister turned to the King and said, "Let us
leave off question and answer with this maiden on points of
conscience and Holy Law and ask if she understand the fine arts."
Presently the Sultan put the question when she replied, "How
should I not understand them when I am their father and their
mother?" Quoth he, "Allah upon thee, O my lady, an thou wouldst
favour us, let us hear one of thine airs and its words." So she
rose and retired but presently returning with a lute sat down and
set it upon her lap and ordered the strings and smote it with a
masterly touch: then she fell to singing amongst other verses
these ordered couplets:?
"Do thou good to men and so rule their necks: * Long reigns who
by benefit rules mankind:
And lend aid to him who for aidance hopes: * For aye grateful is
man with a noble mind:
Who brings money the many to him will incline * And money for
tempting of man was designed:
Who hindereth favour and bounties, ne'er * Or brother or friend
in creation shall find:
With harsh looks frown not in the Sage's face; * Disgusteth the
freeman denial unkind:
Who frequenteth mankind all of good unknow'th: * Man is lief of
rebellion, of largesse loath."
When the Sultan heard these couplets, his mind was distraught and
he was perplext in thought; then turning to his Wazir, he said,
"By Allah, these lines were surely an examination of and an
allusion to our two selves; and doubtless she weeteth of us that
I am the Sultan and thou art the Wazir, for the whole tenor of
her talk proveth her knowledge of us." Then he turned to the
maiden and said, "Right good are thy verse and thy voice, and thy
words have delighted us with exceeding delight." Upon this she
sang the following two couplets:?
"Men seek for them sorrow, and toil * Thro' long years as they
brightly flow;
But Fate, in the well like the tank[FN#148] * Firm-fixt, ruleth
all below."
Now as soon as the Sultan heard these last two couplets he made
certain that the damsel was aware of his quality. She did not
leave off her lute-playing till near daylight, when she rose and
retired and presently brought in a breakfast befitting her degree
(for indeed she was pleased with them); and when she had served
it up they ate a small matter which sufficed them. After this she
said, "Inshallah, you will return to us this night before
supper-tide and become our guests;" and the twain went their ways
marvelling at the beauty of the sisters and their loveliness and
their fearlessness in the matter of the proclamation; and the
Sultan said to the Wazir, "By Allah, my soul inclineth unto that
maiden." And they stinted not walking until they had entered the
palace. But when that day had gone by and evening drew nigh, the
Monarch made ready to go, he and the Minister, to the dwelling of
the damsels?And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and
fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her
sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how
enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared
with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran
suffer me to survive." Now when it was the next night and that
was
The Three Hundred and Sixty-sixth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the King
and the Councillor made ready to go to the dwelling of the
damsels taking with them somewhat of gold pieces, the time being
half an hour after set of sun; and presently they repaired to the
house of the sisters whither they had been invited on the past
night. So they rapped at the door when the youngest maiden came
to it and opened and let them in: then she salam'd to them and
greeted them and entreated them with increased respect saying,
"Welcome to our lords the Darwayshes." But she eyed them with the
eye of the physiognomist[FN#149] and said in herself, "Verily
these two men are on no wise what they seem and, unless my
caution and intelligence and power of knowledge have passed away
from me, this must be the Sultan and that his Wazir, for grandeur
and majesty are evident on them." Then she seated them and
accosted them even more pleasantly and set before them supper,
and when they had eaten enough, she brought basins and ewers for
handwashing and served up coffee causing them to enjoy themselves
and to give and take in talk till their pleasure was perfect. At
the time of night-orisons they arose and, after performing the
Wuzú-ablution, prayed, and when their devotions were ended the
Sultan hent in hand his purse and gave it to the youngest sister
saying, "Expend ye this upon your livelihood." She took the bag
which held two thousand dinars and kissed his right hand, feeling
yet the more convinced that he must be the Sultan: so she proved
her respect by the fewness of her words as she stood between his
hands to do him service. Also she privily winked at her sisters
and mother and said to them by signs, "Verily this be the Monarch
and that his Minister." The others then arose and followed suit
as the sister had done, when the Sultan turned to the Wazir and
said, "The case is changed: assuredly they have comprehended it
and ascertained it;" presently adding to the girl, "O damsel, we
be only Darwaysh folk and yet you all stand up in our service as
if we were sovrans. I beseech you do not on this wise." But the
youngest sister again came forwards and kissed the ground before
him and blessed him and recited this couplet:
"Fair fate befal thee to thy foe's despite: * White be thy days
and his be black as night.[FN#150]
By Allah, O King of the Age, thou art the Sultan and that is the
Minister." The Sovran asked, "What cause hast thou for supposing
this?" and she answered, "From your grand demeanour and your
majestic mein; for such be the qualities of Kings which cannot be
concealed." Quoth the Monarch, "Thou hast spoken sooth; but, tell
me, how happeneth it that you wone here without men protectors?"
and quoth she, "O my lord the King, our history is wondrous and
were it graven with graver-needles upon the eye-corners it were a
warning to whoso would be warned." He rejoined, "What is it?" and
she began the