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
Bhang-eater continued:?I said to my wife, "Do thou go and return
the moneys of Solomon's Mother to their own place;" but she would
not and flatly refused. Then I repeated[FN#243] my words but
without avail, so I flew into a fury and leaving her ceased not
trudging till I found the Wali and said to him, "O my lord, my
wife Such-an-one hath hit upon a hoard and 'tis now with
her."[FN#244] The Chief of Police asked, "O man, hast thou seen
it?" and I answered, "Yes." So he sent a body of his followers to
bring her before him and when she came said to her, "O woman,
where is the treasure trove?" Said she, "O my lord, this report
is a baseless;" whereupon the Chief of Police bade her be led to
jail. They did his bidding and she abode in the prison a whole
day, after which the Wali summoned her and repeated his words to
her adding, "An thou bring not the hoard I will slay thee and
cast thy corpse into the bogshop[FN#245] of the Hammam." The
woman (my wife) rejoined, "O my lord, I never found aught;" and
when he persisted threatening her with death she cried, "O my
lord, wherefore oppress me on this wise and charge such load of
sin upon thine own neck? I never came upon treasure at all, at
all!" The Chief of Police retorted, "My first word and my last
are these:?Except thou bring the treasure trove I will slay thee
and cast thee into the jakes." Herewith quoth she, "O my lord,
ask my husband where it was I hit upon the hoard and at what
time, by day or by night," and the Wali's men cried, "By Allah,
these her words are just and right, nor is therein aught of
harm." So he sent to summon me and asked me, "O man, when did thy
wife hit upon the hoard?" I answered, "O my lord, she found it on
the night when the skies rained drink and food and fishes." Now
when the Wali heard my words he said to me, "O man, the skies are
not wont to shed aught save rainwater; and a man in his right
wits speaketh not such speech as this." Said I, "By the life of
thy head, O my lord, they did rain all three of them;" but the
officers cried, "O my lord, verily this man be Jinn-mad and his
wife who telleth plain truth is wronged by him: the fellow
deserveth confining in the Máristán."[FN#246] Accordingly the
Chief of Police bade the men set the woman free and let her wend
her ways and seize me and throw me into the madhouse. They did
his bidding and I remained there the first day and the second
till the third when my wife said to herself, "There is no Majesty
and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! By
the Lord, needs must I go and relieve my husband from Bedlam and
charge him never again to speak of that treasure trove." So she
came to the Maristan and entering said to me, "Ho, Such-an-one,
if any ask of thee saying, 'What do the skies rain?'[FN#247] do
thou make answer, 'They rain water!' Furthermore if they inquire
of thee, 'Do they ever rain drink and food and fishes?' reply
thou, 'This is clean impossible, nor can such thing ever take
place!' Then haply they will say to thee, 'How many days are in
the week?' and do thou say, 'Seven days and this day be such a
day!' Lastly have a guard on thyself when speaking." I rejoined,
"'Tis well, and now hie thee forth and buy me half a faddah's
worth of Bhang, for during these days I have not eaten aught
thereof." So she went and bought me somewhat of food and of Hashish.?And Shahrazad was surprised by 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 Four Hundredth 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
Bhang-eater's wife fared forth and brought back somewhat of food
and of Hashish: then returning to the Maristan (he continued) she
gave both to me and I ate of them, after which I said to her,
"Let us up and be off!" whereto she, "And when we go to the Wali
what wilt thou say?" Then the Bhang wrought in the brains and I
cried, "O bawd,[FN#248] O my nice young lady, well thou wottest
that the skies did rain flesh and drink and fishes! Why then
didst thou not tell the truth before the Chief of Police?"
Thereupon the Manager of the Madhouse cried to me, "O fellow,
this is the babble of madmen!" and I, "By Allah, I ate of them
boiled; and doubtless the same kind of rain fell in your house."
The other exclaimed, "There be nor doubt nor hesitation anent the
insanity of one who sayeth such say!" Now all this was related by
the Bhang-eater to the Sultan who marvelled and asked him, "What
could have made thee go to the Manager and recount to him such
absurdities?" But the Bhang-eater resumed, saying, "I dwelt in
the Maristan twenty days until at last having no Bhang to eat I
came to my senses and confessed that the skies shed only
rain-water, that the week containeth seven days and that this day
be such-and-such; in fact I discoursed like a man in his right
mind. So they discharged me and I went my ways." But when the
Kazi heard this tale he cried out to the Sultan, "O King of the
Age, my story is still more wondrous than this, which is only a
prank played by a wife. My name was originally Abú Kásim
al-Tambúri[FN#249] and I was appointed Kazi after a neat thing I
did, and if thou, O our lord the Sultan, desire to be told of the
adventures which befel me and of the clever trick wherefor they
made me a judge, deign give thy commandment and I will commence
it." Quoth the Sultan, "Recount to us why and where they entitled
thee Kazi," and the judge began to relate
How Drummer Abu Kasim Became a Kazi.
There was once, O King of the Age, a merchant and a man of
Bassorah who went about trading with eunuchs and slave-boys and
who bore his goods in bales[FN#250] from Bassorah to Ajam-land
there to sell them and to buy him other merchandise for vending
in Syria. On this wise he tarried a long while until one year of
the years he packed up his property, as was his wont, and fared
forth with it to Persia. But at that time there fortuned to be a
famine and when he arrived at one of the cities of the Ajam-land,
where formerly the traders bought his goods, on this occasion
none of them would come near him. In such case he continued a
long while till at last a Khwájah appeared before him, a man who
owned abundant riches in Persia, but his home was distant three
days from the place. The visitor asked saying, "O Bassorite, wilt
thou sell me thy stock-in-trade?" whereto the other answered,
"And how? Of course I'll sell it!" So the buyer opened the gate
of bidding and offered such-and-such; but the Bassorah man cried,
"Allah openeth." Then the purchaser added somewhat and the seller
rejoined, "Give me yet more?" At last the buyer exclaimed, "I
will give nothing more than 'Anaught';"[FN#251] and the seller
accepted the offer saying, "May Allah grant us gain!" Thereupon
the Persian Khwajah took over all the goods from the vendor and
next day the twain met to settle money-matters. Now I, O King of
the Age, happened to be abiding in that city. The seller received
from the buyer payment in full nor did anything remain; but
after, the Bassorah man said to his customer, "Thou still owest
me the 'Anaught,' which thou must hand over to me." The other
replied jeeringly, "And the 'Anaught' is a naught; to wit, no
thing;" but the Bassorite rejoined, "Here with that 'Anaught'!"
Upon this a violent ruffle befel between them, the cause was
carried before the King and payment was required in the Divan,
for the Bassorite still demanded from the purchaser his
"Anaught." The Sultan asked, "And what be this 'Anaught'?" and
the Bassorah man answered, "I wot not, O King of the Age;"
whereat the Sultan marvelled.?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 Four Hundred and First 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 deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the Sultan
marvelled at the action of this Bassorite and his saying, "Give
me my 'Anaught!'" Presently the tidings of that cause reached me,
O King; so I went to the Divan which was thronged with folk and
all present kept saying, "How would it be if this 'Anaught' were
a fraud or a resiliation of the contract?" Thereupon the Sultan
exclaimed, "Whoso shall settle this case, to him verily will I be
bountiful." So I came forward, O King of the Age, thinking of a
conceit and kissed ground and said to him, "I will conclude this
cause," and he rejoined, "An thou determine it and dispose of it
I will give thee largesse; but if not, I will strike off thy
head." I rejoined, "To hear is to obey." Then I bade them bring a
large basin which could hold a skinful of water and ordered them
fill it; after which I called out to the Bassorite, "Draw near,"
and he drew near. Then I cried to the claimant, "Close thy fist!"
and he did accordingly, and again I commanded him to close it and
to keep it tight closed. He obeyed my bidding and I continued
"Dip thy neave into the basin," and he dipped it. Presently I
asked, "Is thy hand in the water and thy fist closed?" and he
replied, "It is." Then said I, "Withdraw it," and he withdrew it,
and I cried, "Open thy neave," and he opened it. Then I asked,
"What thing hast thou found therein?" and he answered, "A naught;" whereupon I cried to him, "Take thine 'Anaught' and wend thy ways." Hereupon the Sultan said to the Bassorite, "Hast thou
taken thine 'Anaught,' O man?" and said he "Yes." Accordingly the
King bade him gang his gait. Then the Sultan gifted me with
costly gifts and named me Kazi; and hence, O King of the Age, is
the cause of the title in the case of one who erst was Abu Kasim
the Drummer. Hereat quoth the Sultan, "Relate to us what rare
accident befel thee in thy proper person." So the judge began to
recount
The Story of the Kazi and his Slipper.
Once upon a time, O King of the Age, I had a slipper which hardly
belonged to its kind nor ever was there seen a bigger. Now one
day of the days I waxed aweary of it and sware to myself that I
would never wear it any more; so in mine anger I flung it away
and it fortuned to fall upon the flat roof of a Khwájah's house
where the stucco was weakest. Thence it dropped through, striking
a shelf that held a number of phials full of the purest
rose-water and the boarding yielded breaking all the bottles and
spilling their contents. The house-folk heard the breakage
ringing and rattling; so they crowded one after other to discover
what had done the damage and at last they found my papoosh
sprawling amiddlemost the room. Then they made sure that the
shelf had not been broken except by the violence of that slipper,
and they examined it when, behold, the house-master cried,
saying, "This be the papoosh of Abu Kasim the Drummer." Hereupon
he took it and carried it to the Governor who summoned me and set
me before him; then he made me responsible for the phials and
whatso was therein and for the repairing of the terrace-roof and
upraising it again. And lastly he handed to me the slipper which
was exceedingly long and broad and heavy and, being cruel old it
showed upwards of an hundred and thirty patches nor was it
unknown to any of the villagers. So I took it and fared forth
and, being anangered with the article, I resolved to throw it
into some dark hole or out-of-the-way place; ?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 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 Four Hundred and Second 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 Abu Kasim
the Drummer continued to the Sultan; I resolved to throw it into
some dark hole or out-of-the-way place; and presently I came to
the watercloset of the Hammam and cast it into the conduit
saying, "Now shall none ever see it again; nor shall I be
troubled with its foul aspect for the rest of my life." Then I
returned home and abode there the first day and the second, but
about noon on the third a party of the Governor's men came and
seized me and bore me before him; and no sooner did he see me
than he cried out, "Throw him!" Accordingly they laid me out at
fullest length and gave me an hundred cuts with a scourge[FN#252]
which I bore stoutly and presently said, "O my Sultan,[FN#253]
what be the cause of this fustigation and wherefor do they
oppress me?" Said he, "O man, the conduit[FN#254] of the jakes
attached to the Mosque was choked by thy slipper and the flow,
unable to pass off, brimmed over, whereby sundry houses belonging
to the folk were wrecked."[FN#255] I replied, "O my lord, can a
slipper estopp the flowing of a water that feedeth a Hammam?"
Thereupon the Governor said to me, "Take it away and if any find
it in his place and again bring me a complaint thereanent, I will
cut off thy head." So they haled me away after tossing my slipper
to me, and I repaired to the Efendi[FN#256] of the town and said
to him, "O our lord, I have a complaint against this Papoosh
which is not my property nor am I its owner: prithee do thou
write me a deed to such purport between me and the Slipper and
all who pass down this road." The Efendi replied, "O man, how
shall I write thee a deed between thee and thy Papoosh, which is
a senseless thing? Nay, take it thyself and cut it up and cast it
into some place avoided of the folk." Accordingly I seized it and
hacked it with a hatchet into four pieces which I threw down in
the four corners of the city, saying to myself the while, "By
Allah, I shall nevermore in my life hear any further of its
adventures;" and walked away barefoot. But I had thrown one bit
under a bridge that crossed a certain of the small canals; and
the season was the dries, wherefore it collected a heap of sand
which rose thereupon, and raised the pile higher until the
archway was blocked up by a mound. Now when the Níl[FN#257]
flooded and reached that archway the water was dammed up and
ceased running so the townsfolk said, "What may be the matter?
The Nile-inundation hath reached the bridge but cannot pass under
it. Come let us inspect the archway." They did so and presently
discovered the obstacle; to wit, the mound before the arch which
obstructed the waterway; whereupon a party kilted their clothes
and waded into the channel that they might clear it. But when
they came to the mound-base they found my quarter-slipper, and
they exclaimed with one cry, "This be the Papoosh of Abu Kasim
the Drummer!" But as soon as the tidings reached me, I fared
away, flying from that town, and while so doing was met by a
comrade, yonder Bhang-eater; so we agreed that we would travel
together and he companied me till we came to this city, e'en as
thou seest us, O our lord the Sultan." Thereupon the King said to
them, "Do ye twain abide with me amongst my servants; but I have
a condition with you which is that ye be righteous in your
service and that ye be ready to join my séance every night after
supper-tide." Then he cautioned them against disobedience and
quoth he, "Be ye not deluded by becoming my companions nor say to
yourselves, We be the assessors of the King; for that the byword
declareth: Whenas the King sitteth beware of his severity, and be
not refractory whenever he shall say to thee 'Do.'" They agreed
to this condition and each whispered his mate, "Do thou have a
care to act righteously!" Then they left the King nor did they
see him again till one day of the days when behold, a Khwajah
appeared before the Sultan?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 Four Hundred and Third 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 one day of
the days, behold a Khwajah appeared before the Sultan and said,
"'Tis not lawful in Allah's sight, O King of the Age, that a
Bhang-eater should propose to dishonour me in the person of my
daughter and load me with infamy amongst His worshippers saying
the while, "I am of the King's suite.'" Now the cause of the
merchant's complaint was as follows. One day of the days the
Bhang-eater was passing by under the latticed window of the
Khwajah's home when by decree of the Decreer, the daughter of the
house was looking out at the casement and was solacing herself by
observing all who walked the street. Perchance the Bhang-eater's
glance fell upon the maiden and that sight of eyes entailed a
thousand sighs, so he said to himself, "By Allah, if I meet not
this maiden, although it be only once, I shall die of a broken
heart nor shall any one know of my death." He then took to
passing under the window every day and to gazing upwards and to
tarrying there from morning-tide to set of sun; but the more he
looked the less he saw of her because Fortune which was fair to
him the first time had now turned foul. So he continued in this
condition for a while, coming every day to look at the lattice
and seeing naught. Presently his case became strait and ill
health entered his frame for love to the merchant's daughter; and
by reason of its excess he betook himself to his pillow turning
and tossing right and left and crying, "O her eyes! O her
loveliness! O her stature! O her symmetrical grace!" But as he
was repeating these words behold, an old woman came in to him
and, seeing his concern and chagrin, accosted him and said, "No
harm to thee!" Quoth he, "Ah, my reverend mother, unless thou
come to my aid I perish," and quoth she, "What is upon thy mind?"
So he disclosed to her all he felt of fondness and affection for
the Khwajah's daughter and she rejoined. "Thou wilt never win to
thy wish in this matter except through me." Then she left him and
repaired to her own place, pondering the wiles of women, till she
entered her house and there she donned a woolen robe and hung
three rosaries around her neck, after which she hent a palm-staff
in hand and set out for the merchant's quarters. She ceased not
walking till she reached the place and entered in her garb of a
religious mendicant[FN#258] crying out, "Allah, there is no god
but the God! extolled be Allah! Allah be with you all!" When the
girl, whose name was Sitt al-Husn?the Lady of Beauty?heard
these words she met her, hoping for a blessing, and saying, "O my
mother, pray for me!" and the old woman responded, "The name of
Allah be upon thee! Allah be thy safeguard!"[FN#259] Then she sat
down and the damsel came and took seat beside her; so likewise
did the girl's mother and both sought a blessing from her and
conversed together till about noon when she arose and made the
Wuzú-ablution and span out her prayers, whilst those present
exclaimed, "By Allah this be a pious woman!" When her orisons
were ended they served up dinner to her; but she said, "I'm
fasting;" whereat they increased in love and belief herwards and
insisted upon her abiding with them until sunset that she might
break her fast within their walls. On such wise she acted but it
was all a fraud. Then they persisted in keeping her for the
night; so she nighted with them, and when it was morn she arose
and prayed and mumbled words, some intelligible and others not to
be understanded of any, while the household gazed upon her and,
whenever she would move from place to place, supported her with
their hands under her armpits. At last, when it was mid-forenoon
she fared forth from them albeit their intent was not to let her
depart. But early on the next day she came in to them and all met
her with greetings and friendly reception, kissing her hands and
bussing her feet; so she did as she had done on the first day and
in like guise on the third while they showed her increased honour
and worship. On the fourth day she came to them, as was her wont,
and they prayed her be seated; however she refused and said, "I
have a daughter whom I am about to marry and the bridal
festivities will be in my house; but I come to you at this hour
to let you know my desire that Sitt al-Husn may accompany me and
be present at my girl's wedding-feast and thus she will gain a
blessing." Her mother replied, "We dread lest somewhat befal
her," but the ancient woman rejoined, "Fear not for her as the
Hallows[FN#260] are with her!" Thereupon cried the girl, "There
is no help but that I accompany her and be present at her
daughter's wedding ceremony and enjoy the spectacle and take my
pleasure." The mother said, "'Tis well;" and the old trot added,
"I will go and return within this moment." So saying, she went
off as one aweary to the house of the Bhang-eater and told him
what she had done; then she returned to the maiden whom she found
drest and decorated and looking her best. So she took the girl
and fared forth with her?And Shahrazad was surprised by 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 Four Hundred and Fourth 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
ancient woman took the girl and fared forth with her and led her
to the Bhang-eater's house and brought her in to him who, seeing
her in all her beauty and loveliness, arose forthright and his
wits fled him and he drew near to her of his excessive love
herwards. Therewith the "Lady of Beauty" understood that the old
woman was an accursed procuress who had beguiled her in order to
bring her and the man together. So of her cleverness and clear
intelligence she said to her lover, "O my brave, whoso expecteth
a visit of his beloved getteth ready somewhat of meat and
somewhat of fruit and somewhat of wine, that their pleasure may
be perfected; and, if thou purpose love-liesse we will pass the
night in this place." Quoth the Bhang-eater, "By Allah, O my
lady, thou speakest sooth but what shall we do at such hour as
this?" and quoth she, "Hie thee to the market-street and bring
all whereof I spoke." Said he, "Hearkening and obedience," and
said she, "I will sit down, I and this my mother in this place,
the while thou goest and comest." He rejoined, "A sensible
saying!" and forthright he was right gladsome nor knew what was
prepared for him in the hidden future. Now as soon as he went the
damsel arose and without making aught of noise locked the door
closely upon herself and the old trot: then she wandered about
the rooms and presently came upon a butcher's chopper[FN#261]
which she seized. Hereupon tucking up her sleeves above her
elbows, in the firmness of her heart she drew near the old crone
until she was hard by her right and so clove her skull asunder
that she fell weltering in her blood and her ghost fled her
flesh. After this the damsel again went about the house and all
worth the taking she took, leaving whatso was unworthy, till she
had collected a number of fine robes which the man had brought
together after he had become a cup-companion of the Sultan; and,
lastly, she packed the whole in a sheet[FN#262] and went forth
therewith. Now the season was morning but The Veiler veiled her
and none met her on the way until she reached her home and went in to her mother whom she found awaiting her and saying, "By Allah, to-day my girl hath tarried long at the bridal
festivities of the Ascetic's daughter." And behold Sitt al-Husn
came in to her carrying a large sheet stuffed with raiment, and
as her mother saw her agitated and in disorder she questioned her
of her case and of what was packed in the bundle. But the girl,
who returned no reply and could not speak one syllable for the
emotion caused by the slaughter of the ancient woman, fell to the
ground in a fit. Her swoon endured from noon until eventide, her
mother sitting at her head the while and sorrowing for her
condition. But about set of sun behold, in came her father who
found his daughter aswoon; so he questioned his wife who began by
recounting to him what they had noted in the old woman of prayer
and display of devotion and how she had told them, "I have a
daughter whom I am about to marry and the bridal festivities will
be in my house." "And," pursued the mother, "she invited us to
visit her; so at undurntide I sent with her the girl; who at
noontide came back bringing somewhat wrapped up and bundled,
which be this. But when she entered the house she fell to the
floor in a fainting fit and she is even as thou seest; nor do I
know what befel her." Then the father rose up and besprinkled
somewhat of water upon her face which revived her and she said,
"Where am I?" whereto said he, "Thou art with us." And when she
had recovered and returned to her senses, and her condition was
as before the swoon, she told them of the old woman and her ill
designs and of her death and lastly how the clothes had been
brought by herself from the house of the Bhang-eater. As soon as
her sire had heard her words, he set out from his home and sought
the Sultan.?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 Four Hundred and 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 whilst the
Sultan was sitting behold, the Khwajah came in and complained to
him of the Bhang-eater, whereupon he ordered a company to go
fetch the accused and they went off and found him not. So they
returned and reported accordingly. Such was the cause of the
Khwajah coming to the King and such was the case with them; but
as regards the Bhang-eater, when he went off rejoicing to the
Bazar in order to buy whatso the merchant's daughter had asked
him, he brought many a thing wherewith he returned to his
lodging. However as he returned he beheld the old woman
slaughtered and weltering in her blood and he found nothing at
all of the choice articles wherewith his house was fulfilled; so
he fell to quoting this couplet:[FN#263]?
"'Twas as a hive of bees that greatly thrived; * But, when the
bee-swarm fled, 'twas clean unhived."
And when he beheld that condition of things he turned from his
home in haste and without stay or delay left it about the hour of
mid-afternoon and fared forth from the city. There he found a
caravan bound to some bourne or other, so he proceeded therewith
hardly believing in his own safety and he ceased not accompanying
the Cafilah[FN#264] for the space of five days till it made the
city the travellers sought, albeit he was fatigued and footsore
from the stress of hardships and weariness he had endured. So he
entered the place and wandered about until he found a Khan
wherein he hired him a cell by way of nighting-stead and every
day he would go forth to seek service for wages whereby he might
make a livelihood. Now one day of the days a woman met him face
to face on the highway and said to him, "Dost thou do service?"
and said he, "Indeed I do, O my lady." She continued, "There is a
wall about my place which I desire to level and build another in
lieu thereof for that 'tis old and very old." He replied to her,
"'Tis well," and she took him and repaired with him to her house
and showing him the wall in question handed to him a pickaxe and
said, "Break it down as much as thou art able be it for two or
three days, and heap up the stones in one place and the dried mud
in another." He replied, "Hearkening and obedience;" after which
she brought to him somewhat of food and of water and he ate and
drank and praised Almighty Allah. After this he rose and began
breaking down the wall and he ceased not working and piling up
the stones and the dried mud until it was sunset time when the
woman paid him to his wage ten faddahs and added a something of
food which he took and turned towards his own cell. As soon as it
was the second day he repaired to the house of the woman who
again gave him somewhat to break his fast and he fell to felling
the wall even as he had done on the first day and he worked till
noon; but when it was midday and all the household was asleep, lo
and behold! he found in the middle of the foundation a
crock[FN#265] full of gold. So he opened it and considered its
contents whereat he was rejoiced and he went forth without
leisure or loss of time seeking his own cell and when he reached
it he locked himself within for fear lest any look upon him. Then
he opened the crock and counted therein one hundred dinars which
he pouched in his purse and stowed away in his breast-pocket.
Presently he returned, as he was, to break down the rest of the
wall and whilst he was trudging along the highway suddenly he
sighted a box surrounded by a crowd of whom none knew what might
be its contents and its owner was crying out, "For an hundred
gold pieces!" Thereupon the Bhang-eater went forwards saying to
himself, "Buy thee yonder box for the hundred dinars and thy luck
be thy lot, for it there be inside of it aught of wonderful 'tis
well, and if otherwise thou shalt stand by thy bad bargain." So
he drew near the broker[FN#266] and said to him, "This box for
how much?"[FN#267] and the other answered, "For an hundred gold
dinars!" But when he questioned him as to its contents the man
replied, "I know not; whoso taketh it his luck be his lot."
Thereupon he brought out to him the hundred ducats and the broker
made over to him the box which he charged upon his shoulders and
carried off to his cell. There arrived he bolted himself in and
opened the coffer wherein he found a white slave-girl which was a
model of beauty and loveliness and stature and perfect grace: but
she was like one drunken with wine. So he shook her but she was
not aroused when he said to himself, "What may be the story of
this handmaiden?" and he was never tired of looking upon her
while she was in that condition and he kept saying to himself,
"Would Heaven I wot and she be on life or in death; withal I see
her breath coming and going." Now when it was about midnight, the
handmaiden revived and looking around and about her, cried,
"Where am I?" and said the Bhang-eater, "Thou, O my lady, art in
my home;" whereby she understood what had befallen her?And
Shahrazad was surprised by 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 Four Hundred and 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
handmaiden understood what had befallen her at the hands of her
enemies. Now the cause thereof was that the Sultan of that city
had bought him for concubine one Kút al-Kulúb,[FN#268] or
Heart's-food hight, and she became to him the liefest of all the
women he before had, amongst whom his wife, the daughter of his
uncle, had been preferred; but all fell into the rank of the
common and from the time he bought the new handmaid he was wholly
occupied with her love and he never went near the other inmates
of his Harem, not even his cousin. So they were filled with
exceeding jealousy against Heart's-food the new comer. Now one
day of the days the Sultan went forth to hunt and bird and enjoy
the occasion and solace himself in the gardens together with the
Lords of his land, and they rode on till they found themselves
amiddlemost of the waste pursuing their quarry. But when two days
had passed, his wife together with the women which were
concubines arose and invited all the neighbourhood whereamong was
Kut al-Kulub, and she spread for them a sumptuous banquet and
lavished upon the new comers all manner of attentions and the
wife began to play with her rival and to disport with her until
it was thought that she loved none in the assembly save
Heart's-food; and on such wise she continued to cheer her and
solace her and gambol with her and make her laugh until the trays
were laid and the meats were dispread and all the guests came
forward and fell to eating and drinking. Thereupon the King's
cousin-wife brought a plate seasoned with Bhang and set it before
the concubine who had no sooner eaten it and it had settled in
her stomach than she trembled as with sudden palsy and fell to
the ground without power of motion. Then the Queen bade place her
in a box and having locked her therein sent for one who was
Shaykh of the Brokers and committed to him the coffer saying, "Do
thou sell it for an hundred gold pieces whilst it is locked and
fast locked and suffer not any open it, otherwise we will work
for the cutting off of thy hands." He replied, "To hear is to
obey;" and took up the box and went with it to the market-street
where he said to the brokers, "Cry for sale this coffer at an
hundred dinars and if any attempt to open it, open it not to any
by any manner of means." So they took their station and made
auction of it for an hundred gold pieces, when by the decree of
Destiny the Bhang-eater passed down the street exulting in his
hundred dinars which he had found in the crock while levelling
the wall belonging to the woman. Thereupon he came up and having
paid the price required carried off his coffer saying in his
mind, "My luck is my livelihood." After this he went to his own
cell and opened it and found there the handmaid in condition as
though drunken with wine. Such is the history of that concubine
Kut al-Kulub and she fell not into the hand of the Bhang-eater
save by the wile and guile of the Sultan's cousin-wife. But when
she recovered from her fainting fit and gazed around and
understood what had befallen her she concealed her secret and
said to the man, "Verily this thy cell becometh us not;" and, as
she had somewhat of gold pieces with her and a collar of jewels
around her neck worth a thousand dinars, she brought out for him
some money and sent him forth to hire for them a house in the
middle of the quarter beffiting great folk and when this was done
she had herself transported thither. Then she would give him
every day spending-money to buy whatso she ever required and she
would cook the delicatest dishes fit for the eating of the Kings
wherewith she fed herself and her owner. This continued for
twenty days when suddenly the Sultan returned from his hunting
party and as soon as he entered his palace he asked for Kut
al-Kulub?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 should 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 Four Hundred and Seventh 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 as soon as
the Sultan returned from the chase he asked after Kut al-Kuluh
from his exceeding desire to her, and the daughter of his uncle
told him the tidings saying, "By Allah, O King of the Age, three
days after the time thou faredst forth there came upon her malaise and malady wherein she abode six days and then she deceased to the mercy of Almighty Allah." He exclaimed, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! Verily we are the Almighty's and unto Him shall we return." Then befel him the extreme of grief and straitness of breast and he passed that night in exceeding cark and care for Kut al-Kulub. And when it was morning he sent after the Wazir and summoned him between his hands and bade him go forth to the Tigris-bank and there approve some place whereon he might build a palace which should command all the roads. The Minister replied, "Hearkening and obeying;" and hied to do his lord's bidding taking with him architects[FN#269] and others, and having found a piece of level ground he ordered them to measure an hundred ells of length for the building by a breadth of seventy cubits. Presently he sent for surveyors and master-masons whom he commanded to make ready every requisite for the work, of ashlar and lime and lead; also to dig trenches for the base of the walls. Then they fell to laying the foundations, and the builders and handicraftsmen began to pile the stones and prepare the loads while the Wazir stood by them bidding and forbidding. Now when it was the third day, the Sultan went forth the Palace to look at the masons and artizans who were working at the foundations of his new edifice. And as soon as he had inspected it, it pleased him, so he said to the Wazir, "Walláhi! none would befit this palace save and except Kut al-Kulub, when 'twould have been full of significance;" and so saying he wept with sore weeping at the remembrance of her. Quoth the Wazir to him, "O King of the Age, have patience when calamity afflicteth thee, even as said one of them with much meaning, anent long-suffering:?
'Be patient under weight of wrath and blow of sore calamities: *
The Nights compressed by Time's embrace gravidæ miras gerunt
res.'"[FN#270]
Then quoth the Sultan, "'Tis well, O Wazir, I know that patience
is praiseworthy and fretfulness is blameworthy, for indeed quoth
the poet:?
When Time shall turn on thee, have patience for 'tis best of
plight: * Ease shall pursue unease and naught but suffrance
make it light;'
and by Allah, O Wazir, human nature is never free from sad
thought and remembrance. Verily that damsel pleased me and I
delighted in her; nor can I ever think to find one like her in
beauty and loveliness." Thereupon the Wazir fell to guiding the
Sultan with fair words until his breast was broadened and the two
began to solace themselves by inspecting the masons. After this
the Sultan would go forth every morning for solace to Tigris-bank
and tidings reached the ears of Kut al-Kulub that her lord was
engaged on building a riverine palace, whereupon she said to the
Bhang-eater, "Day by day we expend money upon our condition, and
our outgoing is without incoming, so 'twere but right that each
morning thou fare and work with the workmen who are edifying a
mansion for the Sultan, inasmuch as the folk declare that he is
of temper mild and merciful and haply thou shalt gain from him
profit and provision." "O my lady," he replied, "by Allah, I have
no patience to part with thee or to be far from thee;" and he
said so because he loved her and she loved him, for that since
the time he had found her locked in the box and had looked upon
her he had never required of her her person and this was indeed
from his remembrance, for he bore in mind but too well what had
befallen him from the Khwajah's daughter. And she on her side
used to say, "'Tis a wondrous thing that yon Bhang-eater never
asketh me aught nor draweth nigh me seeing that I be a captive of
his right hand." So she said to him, "Assuredly thou dost love
me?" and said he, "How can it be otherwise when thou art the
blood of my life and the light of mine eyes?" "O light of mine
eyes," she replied, "take this necklace and set it in thy
breast-pocket and go work at the Sultan's palace, and as often as
thou shalt think of me, do thou take it out and consider it and
smell it and it shall be as if thou wert to see me." Hearing this
he obeyed her and went forth till he reached the palace where he
found the builders at work and the Sultan and the Wazir sitting
in a Kiosk hard by overseeing the masons and the workmen; ?And
Shahrazad was surprised by 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 Four Hundred and Eighth 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
Bhang-eater joined the masons he saw the Sultan and Wazir
overseeing them; and, as soon as the King sighted him, he opened
his breast to him and said, "O man, wilt thou also do work?" and
said the other, "Yes." So he bade him labour with the builders
and he continued toiling till hard upon noon-tide, at which time
he remembered his slave-girl and forthright he bowed his head
upon his bosom-pocket and he sniffed thereat. The Wazir saw him
so doing and asked him, "What is the meaning of thy sniffing at
what is in thy poke?" and he answered him, "No matter." However
the Minister espied him a second time occupied in like guise and
quoth he to the Sultan, "Look, O King of the Age, at yon labourer
who is hiding something in his pocket and smelling thereat."
"Haply," responded the Sovran, "there is in his pouch something
he would look at." However when the Sultan's glance happened to
fall that way he beheld the Bhang-eater sniffing and smelling at
his poke, so he said to the Wazir, "Walláhi! Verily this
workman's case is a strange." Hereupon both fixed their eyes upon
him and they saw him again hiding somewhat in his pouch and
smelling at it. The Wazir cried, "Verily this fellow is
a-fizzling and he boweth his head toward his breast in order that
he may savour his own farts."[FN#271] The Sultan laughed and
said, "By Allah, if he do on this wise 'tis a somewhat curious
matter, or perhaps, O Wazir, he have some cause to account for
it; at any rate do thou call out to him and ask him." So the
Wazir arose and drawing near to him asked him saying, "Ho, this
one![FN#272] every time thou fizzlest thou smellest and sniffest
at thy fizzlings;" whereto answered the workman, "Wag not thy
tongue with these words seeing thou art in the presence of a King
glorious of degree." Quoth the Minister, "What is the matter with
thee in this case that thou art sniffing at thy pocket?" and
quoth the labourer, "Verily my beloved is in my pouch." The Wazir
wondered hereat and reported the same to the Sultan who cried,
"Return to him and say, 'Is it possible that thou display to us
thy beloved who is in thy breast-pocket?'" So he returned to him
and said, "Show us what there is in thy pouch." Now the origin of
this necklace was that the King had bought it for Kut al-Kulub at
the price of a thousand dinars and the damsel had given it to the
Bhang-eater with the sole object that the Sultan might look upon
it and thereby be directed unto her and might learn the reason of
her disappearance and her severance from him. Hereupon the man
brought out to them the necklace from his breastpocket and the
Sultan on seeing it at once recognised it and wondered how it had
fallen into the hands of that workman; accordingly he asked who
was its owner and the other answered, "It belongeth to the
handmaid whom I bought with an hundred dinars." Quoth the Sultan
to him, "Is it possible[FN#273] thou invite us to thy quarters
that we may look upon this damsel;" and quoth the other, "Would
you look upon my slave-girl and not be ashamed of yourselves?
However I will consult her, and if she be satisfied therewith we
will invite you." They said to him, "This be a rede that is right
and an affair which no blame can excite." When the day had
reached its term the masons and workmen were dismissed after they
had taken their wage; but as for the Bhang-eater the Sultan gave
him two gold pieces and set him free about sunset tide; so he
fared to his handmaid and informed her of what had befallen him
from the King, adding, "He hath indeed looked upon the necklace
and hath asked me to invite him hither as well as the Wazir."
Quoth she, "No harm in that; but to-morrow (Inshallah!) do thou
bring all we require for a state occasion of meats and drinks,
and let me have them here by noon-tide, so they may eat the early
meal. But when he shall ask to buy me of thee compose thy mind
and say thou, 'No,' when he will reply to thee, 'Give me this
damsel in free gift.' Hereat do thou say, 'She is a present from
me to thee'; because indeed I am his slave and bought with his
money for one thousand and five hundred dinars; and thou hadst
never become my lord save through my foes who devised a device
against me and who sold me when thou boughtest me. However the
hour of thy prosperity hath now come." And when morning morrowed
she gave him five gold pieces and said to him, "Bring for me
things that be such and such," and said he, "Hearing and
obedience." So he went to the market-street where he purchased
all the supplies wherewith she had charged him and returned to
her forthright. Hereupon she arose and tucking up her sleeves
prepared meats that befitted the King and likewise she got ready
comfits and the daintiest of dainties and sherbets and she
tempered the pastilles and she besprinkled the room with
rosewater and looked to the furniture of the place. About midday
she sent to the Sultan and the Wazir with notice that she was
ready; so the Bhang-eater repaired to the Palace and having gone
in to the presence said, "Have the kindness!"[FN#274] The twain
arose without more ado and hied with him privily till they
reached his house and entered therein.?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 should 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 Four Hundred and Ninth 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 Sultan
and the Wazir entered the place wherein were the Bhang-eater and
the damsel, and took their seats. Now the meats were ready and
they served up to them the trays and the dishes, when they fell
to and were cheered by the sumptuous viands until they had eaten
after the measure of their sufficiency. And when their hands were
washed, the confections and sherbet and coffee were set before
them, so they ate and were satisfied and gladdened and made
merry. After this quoth the Sultan to the Bhang-eater, "Where is
the damsel?" and quoth the man, "She is here," whereat he was
commanded to bring her. Accordingly he went off and led her in
and as soon as the King sighted her he recognised her and ordered
her owner to make her over to him and said when he did so, "O
man, wilt thou sell to me this damsel?" But the other kissed
ground before him and replied, "O King of the Age, she is from me
a free gift to thee;" and quoth the Sultan, "She is accepted from
thee, O Shaykh, and do thou come and bring her thyself to the
Palace about sundown-time." He replied, "To hear is to obey." And
at the hour named he took the damsel and ceased not faring with
her till he brought her to the Serai,[FN#275] where the Eunuchry
met her and took her and carried her in to the Sultan. But as
soon as she entered she nestled in his bosom and he threw his
arms round her neck and kissed her of his excessive desire to
her. Then he asked her saying, "This man who purchased thee, hath
he any time approached thee?" whereto she answered, "By Allah, O
King, from the time he bought me in the box which he opened and
found me alive therein until this present never hath he looked
upon my face, and as often as I addressed him he would bow his
brow earthwards." Quoth the Sultan, "By Allah, this wight
deserveth an aidance for that he paid down for thee an hundred
dinars and he hath presented thee in free gift to me." Now when
morrowed the morning the King sent after the Bhang-eater and
summoned him between his hands and bestowed upon him one thousand
five hundred dinars with a suit of royal raiment, after which he
presented to him, by way of honourable robe,[FN#276] a white
slave-girl. He also set apart for him an apartment and made him
one of his boon companions. So look thou, O hearer,[FN#277] how
it happened to this Bhang-eater from the Khwajah's daughter and
his love herwards; how he failed to win her and how he gained of
blows whatso he gained; and after what prosperity befel him from
the part of Kut al-Kulub. And ever afterwards when the Sultan
would ride out for disport or for the hunt and chase he would
take the man with him. Presently of the perfection of his
prosperity this Bhang-eater fully mastered the affairs of the
kingdom, both its income and its outgo, and his knowledge
embraced all the regions and cities which were under the rule of
his lord. Furthermore, whenever he would counsel the King, his
advice was found to be in place and he was consulted upon all
State affairs, and whenever he heard of any business he
understood its inner as well as its outer meaning until the
Sultan and the Wazir both sought rede of him, and he would point
out to them the right and unright, and that which entaileth
trouble and no trouble, when they could fend it off and overthrow
it or by word or by deed of hand. Now one day of the many days
the King was in a certain of his gardens a-solacing himself with
the sights when his heart and stomach became full of pain and he
fell ill and his illness grew upon him, nor did he last four days
ere he departed to the mercy of Allah Almighty. As he had no
issue, either son or daughter, the country remained without a
King for three days, when the Lords of the land forgathered and
agreed upon a decision, all and some, that they would have no
King or Sultan save the Wazir and that the man the Bhang-eater
should be made Chief Councillor. So they agreed upon this matter
and their words went forth to the Minister who at once took
office. After this he gave general satisfaction and lavished alms
on the mean and miserable, also on satisfaction and lavished alms
on the mean and miserable, also on the widows and orphans, when
his fame was bruited abroad and it dispread far and wide till men
entitled him the "Just Wazir" and in such case he governed for a
while of time.?And Shahrazad was surprised by 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 Four Hundred and Tenth 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 Wazir
governed for a while of time with all justice of rule so that the
caravans spread abroad the name and fame of him throughout every
city and all the countries. Presently there befel him an affair
between two women which were sister-wives to one man.[FN#278] Now
these had conceived by him in the same month and when the time of
their pregnancy had passed, the twain were delivered in the same
place at the same hour and the midwife was one and the same. One
brought forth a babe but it was a daughter which incontinently
died and the other a man-child who lived. The women quarrelled
and fought about the boy-babe and both of them said, "This is my
child;" and there befel between them exceeding contention and
excessive hostility. So they carried their cause before the
divines and the Olema and the head men of the place, yet did none
of them know how to decide between the twain and not a few of the
folk said, "Let each woman take the child to her for a month,"
whilst others declared that they might keep it between them at
all times, whilst of the women one said, "'Tis well: this be my
boy!" and the other declared, "'Tis well, this be my son!" nor
could any point out to which of the women the boy belonged. So
the town's people were gathered together and said, "None can
determine this dispute except the Just Wazir;" and they agreed
upon this, so that the husband of the two women and sundry of his
associates arose and took the twain of them and travelled with
them to hear the Minister's judgment. Also the Olema and the
great men of the place declared "By Allah, we also needs must
travel with the party and produce the two women and be present at
the Just Wazir's judgment." So they all assembled and followed
after the two adversaries, nor did they cease travelling until
they entered the city where the Minister abode. There they
delayed for rest during one day and on the second they all joined
one another and went in to the Wazir and recounted to him the
case of the two women. Hearing this he bowed his brow groundwards
and presently raising it he cried, "Bring me two eggs and void
them of their contents and see that the shells be clean empty."
Then he commanded that each of the women drain somewhat of milk
from her nipple into the egg-shell till she had filled it. They
did accordingly and set before him the egg-shells brimful when he
said, "Bring me a pair of scales."[FN#279] After this he placed
both eggs in the balance-pan and raising it aloft from its
rounded stead perceived that one was weighty and the other was
light. Quoth he, "The milk of the woman in this egg is the
heavier and she is the mother of the boy-babe whereas the other
bare the girl-child and we know not an it be alive or dead."
Hereat the true mother of the boy held her peace but the other
wailed aloud and said, "'Tis well: still this be my babe!"
Thereupon quoth the Wazir, "I am about to take the boy and hew
him in halves whereof I will give one to each of you twain." But
the true mother arose and cried out, "No! O my lord, do not on
this wise: I will forfeit my claim for Allah's sake;" while the
other one exclaimed, "All this is right good!" Now all the folk
of the city who were then standing by heard these words and
looked on; but when this order was pronounced and the woman was
satisfied and declared, "I will take half the boy," the Wazir
gave orders forthright that they seize her and hang her; so they
hanged her and he gave the babe to the right mother. Then said
they to him, "O our lord, how was it proved to thee that the boy
was the child of this one?" and he said, "It became evident to me
from two sides; in the first place because her milk was the
heavier, so that I knew that the boy was her boy, and secondly
when I commanded, 'Let us cut the boy in half,' the real mother
consented not to this and the matter was hard upon her because
the child was a slice of her liver, and she said to herself, 'His
life is better than his death, even though my sister-wife take
him, at any rate I shall be able to look upon him.' But the
second woman designed only to gratify her spite whether the boy
died or not and to harm her sister-wife; so when I saw that she
was contented to have the babe killed, I knew that it was right
to do her die." Then all who were present of the Lords of the
land and the Olema and divines and notables wondered at the
judgment and exclaimed, "By Allah, well done,[FN#280] O Wazir of
the realm." Now this history of the Minister's perspicacity and
penetration was spread abroad and all folk went from his presence
and everyone who had wives that had borne girls took somewhat of
milk from the women and went to each and every of those who had
borne boys and took from them milk in the same quantity as the
Wazir had taken, and weighted it in the scales, when they found
that the mothers of males produced milk that was not equal to,
nay it weighed two-fold that of those who bare girls. Hereupon
they said, "It is not right that we call this Minister only the
Just Wazir;" and all were agreed that he should be titled "The
Wazir-wise-in-Allah-Almighty;"[FN#281] and the reason whereof was
the judgment which he passed in the cause between the two women.
Now after this it befel him to deliver a decision more wondrous
than the former.?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
enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared
with that I should 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 Four Hundred and Eleventh 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 to the
Wazir-wise-in-Almighty-Allah there befel between his hands a
strange matter which was as follows. As he was sitting one day of
the days there came in to him unexpectedly two men, of whom one
led a cow and a little colt whilst the second had with him a mare
and a little calf. Now the first who came forward was the owner
of the mare and quoth he, "O my lord, I have a claim upon this
man." Quoth the Minister, "What be thy claim?" And the plaintiff
continued, "I was going a-morn to the meadow for pasture and with
me was my mare followed by her young one, her little colt, when
yonder man met me upon the road and the colt began to play and to
throw up gravel with its hoofs as is the wont of horse-flesh and
draw near to the cow. Hereupon this man came up and seized it and
said, 'This colt is the offspring of my cow,' and so saying he
took it away and he gave me his calf, crying, 'Take this which be
the issue of thy mare.'" So the Wazir turning to the master of
the cow asked, "O man, what sayest thou concerning what thy
comrade hath spoken?" and the other answered, "O my lord, in very
deed this colt is the produce of my cow and I brought it up by
hand." Quoth the Wazir, "Is it right that black cattle should
bring forth horses and that horses should bear cows? indeed the
intelligence of an intelligent man may not compass this;" and
quoth the other, "O my lord, Allah createth whatso He willeth and
maketh kine to produce horses and horses to produce kine."
Hereupon the Minister said to him, "O Shaykh, when thou seest a
thing before thee and lookest thereon canst thou speak of it in
the way of truth?" And the other assented. Then the Wazir
continued addressing the two men, "Wend your ways at this time
and on the morrow be present here at early morn and let it be at
a vacant hour." Accordingly they forthright went forth, and the
next day early the two men came to the divan of the Wazir who set
before them a she-mouse he had provided and called for a sack
which he filled with earth. And as the men stood between his
hands he said, "Wait ye patiently without speaking a word;" so
they held their peace and presently he bade them set the sack and
the mouse before him and he ordered the men to load the sack upon
the mouse. Both cried, "O our lord, 'tis impossible that a mouse
can carry a sack full of earth," when he answered, "How then can
a cow bear a colt? and when a mouse shall be able to bear a sack
then shall a cow bear a colt." All this and the Sultan was
looking out at the latticed window listening and gazing. Hereupon
the Wazir gave an order that the master of the mare take her colt
and the master of the cow carry off her calf; after which he bade
them go about their business.?And Shahrazad was surprised by 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 Four Hundred and Twelfth 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
Sultan, whose Minister was the Wazir-wise-in-Allah-Almighty, on a
certain day summoned his Chief Councillor and when he came said
to him, "Verily my breast is straitened and I am beset by unease,
so I desire to hear something which may broaden my bosom;" and
said the other, "O King of the age, by Allah, I have a friend who
is named Mahmúd the 'Ajami and that man is a choice spirit and he
hath all kind of rare tales and strange anecdotes and wondrous
histories and marvellous adventures." Said the Sultan, "There is
no help but that thou summon him to us hither and let us hear
from him somewhat." So the Wazir sent after the Persian and when
the man stood in the presence said to him, "Verily the Sultan
hath summoned thee." He replied, "Hearing and obeying," when he
was taken and set before the Sovran and as he entered he saluted
him with the salams of the Caliphs and blessed him and prayed for
him.[FN#282] The King returned his greeting and after seating him
said to him, "O Mahamud, at this moment my breast is indeed
straitened and I have heard of thee that thou hast a store of
rare stories which I would that thou cause me hear[FN#283] and
let it be somewhat sweet of speech which shall banish my cark and
my care and the straitness of my breast." Hereto the other
replied, "Hearing and obeying;" and began to relate the