It is told anent a man, one of the Kings of Orient-land, that he
had three sons, of whom the eldest one day of the days heard the
folk saying, "In such a place there is a bird hight the shrilling
Philomelet,[FN#290] which transmews everyone who comes to it into
a form of stone. Now when the heir apparent heard this report he
went to his father and said, "'Tis my desire to fare forth and to
get that marvellous bird;" and said the father, "O my son, thou
wouldst work only to waste thy life-blood and to deprive us of
thee; for that same bird hath ruined Kings and Sultans, not to
speak of Bashas and Sanjáks,[FN#291] men in whose claws[FN#292]
thou wouldst be as nothing." But the son replied, "Needs must I
go and if thou forbid my going I will kill myself." So quoth his
father, "There is no Majesty and no Might save in Allah, the
Glorious, the Great;" and saith the son, "Affects are affected
and steps are sped towards a world that is vile and distributed
daily bread."[FN#293] Then he said to him, "O my child, set out
upon thy journey and mayest thou win to thy wish." Hereupon they
prepared for him somewhat of victual and he went forth on his
wayfare. But before departing he took off his seal-ring from his
finger and gave it to his second brother saying, "O my brother,
an this signet press hard upon thy little finger do thou know and
make certain that mishap hath happened to me." So the second
Prince took it and put it upon his minim finger, after which the
eldest youth farewelled his father and his mother and his
brothers and the Lords of the land and departed seeking the city
wherein the Bird woned. He ceased not travelling by nights and
days, the whole of them, until he reached the place wherein was
the bird Philomelet whose habit it was to take station upon his
cage between mid-afternoon and sunset, when he would enter it to
pass the night. And if any approached him with intent of
capturing him, he would sit afar from the same and at set of sun
he would take station upon the cage and would cry aloud speaking
in a plaintive voice, "Ho thou who sayest to the mean and
mesquin, 'Lodge!'[FN#294] Ho thou who sayest to the sad and
severed, 'Lodge!' Ho thou who sayest to the woeful and doleful,
'Lodge!'" Then if these words were grievous to the man standing
before him and he make reply "Lodge!" ere the words could leave
his lips the Bird would take a pinch of dust from beside the cage
and hovering over the wight's head would scatter it upon him and
turn him into stone. At length arrived the youth who had resolved
to seize the Bird and sat afar from him till set of sun: then
Philomelet came and stood upon his cage and cried, "Ho thou who
sayest to the mean and mesquin, 'Lodge!' Ho thou who sayest to
the sad and severed, 'Lodge!' Ho thou who sayest to the woeful
and the doleful, 'Lodge!'" Now the cry was hard upon the young
Prince and his heart was softened and he said, "Lodge!" This was
at the time when the sun was disappearing, and as soon as he
spake the word the Bird took a somewhat of dust and scattered it
upon the head of the youth, who forthright became a stone. At
that time his brother was sitting at home in thought concerning
the wanderer, when behold, the signet squeezed his finger and he
cried, "Verily my brother hath been despoiled of life and done to
death!"?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 Eighteenth 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 second
Prince, when the signet squeezed his little finger, cried out
saying, "My brother, by Allah, is ruined and lost; but needs must
I also set forth and look for him and find what hath befallen
him." Accordingly he said to his sire, "O my father, 'tis my
desire to seek my brother;" and the old King answered, "Why, O my
son, shouldst thou become like thy brother, both bereaving us of
your company?" But the other rejoined, "There is no help for that
nor will I sit at rest till I go after my lost one and espy what
hath betided him." Thereupon his sire gave orders for his journey
and got ready what would suffice him of victual, and he departed,
but before he went he said to his youngest brother, "Take thou
this ring and set it upon thy little finger, and if it press hard
thereupon do thou understand and be certified that my life's
blood is shed and that I have perished." After this he farewelled
them and travelled to the place of the Enchanting Bird, and he
ceased not wayfaring for whole days and nights and nights and
days until he arrived at that stead. Then he found the bird
Philomelet and sat afar from him till about sundown when he took
station upon his cage and began to cry, "Ho thou who sayest to
the mean and mesguin, 'Lodge!' Ho thou who sayest to the sad and
severed, 'Lodge!' Ho thou who sayest to the woeful and doleful,
'Lodge!'" Now this cry of the Bird was hard upon the young Prince
and he had no sooner pronounced the word "Lodge!" than the
Philomelet took up somewhat of dust beside his cage and scattered
it upon him, when forthright he became a stone lying beside his
brother. Now the youngest of the three Princes was sitting at
meat with his sire when suddenly the signet shrank till it was
like to cut off his finger; so he rose forthright to his feet and
said, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah,
the Glorious, the Great." Quoth his father, "What is to do with
thee, O my son?" and quoth he, "By Allah, my brother is ruined
and wasted, so needs must I also fare forth and look after the
twain of them." Exclaimed his sire, "Why, O my son, should you
three be cut off?" but the other answered, "Needs must I do this,
nor can I remain after them without going to see what hath
betided them, and either we three shall return in safety and
security or I also shall become one of them." So the father bade
them prepare for his journey and after they had got ready for him
a sufficiency of provision he farewelled him and the youth set
out. But when he departed from his sire the old man and his wife
filleted their brows with the fillets of sorrow[FN#295] and they
fell to weeping by night and by day. Meanwhile the youth left not
wayfaring till he reached the stead of the Bird and the hour was
mid-afternoon, when he found his brothers ensorcelled to stones,
and about sunset he sat down at the distance from Philomelet who
took station upon his cage and began to cry, "Ho thou who sayest
to the mean and mesquin, 'Lodge!' Ho thou who sayest to the sad
and severed, 'Lodge!'" together with many words and instances of
the same kind. But the Prince hardened his heart nor would speak
the word, and albeit the Bird continued his cry none was found to
answer him. Now when the sun evanished and he had kept up his
appeal in vain he went into the cage, whereupon the youngest of
the Princes arose and running up shut the door upon him. Quoth
the Bird, "Thou hast done the deed, O son of the Sultan," and the
youth replied, "Relate to me whatso thou hast wrought in magic to
these creations of God." Replied Philomelet, "Beside thee lie two
heaps of clay whereof one is white and the other blue: this is
used in sorcery and that to loose the spells."?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 Twentieth 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 Bird
said to the youngest son of the Sultan, "By the side of my cage
are two heaps of clay, this blue and that white; and the first is
the material for sorcery whilst the second looseth the spell."
Hereupon the youth approached them and finding the mounds took
somewhat of the white and scattered it upon the stones and cried,
"Be ye returned unto your olden shapes;" and, as he did so, each
and every of the stones became men as they had been. Now amongst
them were sundry sons of the Sultans, also the children of Kings
and Wazirs and Bashas and Lords of the land, and of the number
two were the elder brothers of the young Prince: so they salamed
to him and all congratulated one another to their safety. After
this one came forward to the youth and said to him, "Verily this
place is a city, all and some of whose folk are ensorcelled." So
he took a somewhat of clay from the white and entered the
streets, where, finding the case as described to him, he fell to
sifting the clay upon them and they were transmewed from statutes
of stone into the shapes of Adam's sons. Then, at last, the sons
of that city rose one and all and began offering to the Prince
gifts and rarities until he had of them a mighty matter. But when
his brothers saw that he had become master of the bird Philomelet
and his cage, and all these presents and choice treasures, they
were filled with envy of him[FN#296] and said each to other, "How
shall our brother win him all this and we abide with him in
servile condition, especially when we hie us homewards and return
to our own land? And will not folk say that the salvation of the
two elder brothers was by the hand of the youngest? But we cannot
endure such disgrace as this!" So envy entered them and in their
jealousy they planned and plotted the death of their cadet, who
knew not that was in their minds or whatso was hidden from him in
the Limbo of Secrets. And when they had wrought their work the
youngest Prince arose and bade his pages and eunuchs lade the
loads upon the camels and mules and, when they had done his
bidding, they all set forth on the homewards march. They
travelled for whole days and nights till they drew near their
destination and the youngest Prince bade his attendants seeks an
open place wherein they might take repose, and they said,
"Hearkening and obedience." But when they came upon it they found
a well builded of stone, and the brothers said to the cadet,
"This be a place befitting the rest by reason of this well being
here; for the water thereof is sweet and good for our drink and
therefifth we can supply our folk and our beasts." Replied the
youth, "This is what we desire." So they set up their tents hard
by that well, and when the camp was pitched they let prepare the
evening meal, and as soon as it was sun-set-tide they spread the
trays and supped their sufficiency until presently night came
down upon them. Now the youngest Prince had a bezel'd signet-ring
which he had taken from the bird Philomelet, and he was so
careful thereof that he never slept without it. But his brothers
awaited until he was drowned in sleep, when coming softly upon
him they pinioned him and carried him off and cast him into the
well without anyone knowing aught thereof. Then as soon as
morning morrowed the two eldest Princes arose and commanded the
attendants to load, but these said to them, "Where be our lord?"
and said the others, "He is sleeping in the Takhtrawán." So the
camel men arose and loaded the loads and the litter and the two
Princes sent forwards to the King their sire a messenger of glad
tidings who when he found him informed him of the fair news.
Accordingly he and all his Lords took horse and rode forth to
meet his sons upon the road that he might salam to them and give
them joy of their safe return. Now he chanced in their train to
catch sight of the caged bird which is called "the shrilling
Philomelet," and he rejoiced thereat and asked them, "How did ye
become masters of him?" Then he enquired anent their
brother.?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 Twenty-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 the Sultan
enquired of the two elder sons concerning their younger brother
and they said, "We made ourselves masters of the Bird and we have
brought him hither and we know nothing about our cadet." However,
the King who loved his youngest with exceeding love put the
question, "Have ye not looked after him and have ye not been in
his company?" whereto they answered saying, "A certain wayfarer
declared to have seen him on some path or other." When the father
heard this from them he cried, "There is no Majesty and there is
no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great;" and he fell to
striking palm upon palm.[FN#297] On this wise it befel these, but
as regards the case of their brother, when they cast him into the
well he awoke from his sleep and he felt himself falling into the
depths, so he cried, "I take refuge with the All-sufficient Words
of Allah[FN#298] from the mischief He hath created." And by the
blessing of these Holy Names he reached the sole of the well
without aught of harm or hurt. Here finding himself pinioned, he
strained upon his bonds and loosed them; but the well was deep of
bottom and he came upon an arched recess, so he sat in it and
exclaimed, "Verily we are Allah's and to Him we are returning and
I who wrought for them such work[FN#299] am rewarded with the
contrary thereof; withal the power is unto Allah." And suddenly
he heard the sound of speaking at some little distance beside
him, and the voice was saying, "O Black of Head, who hath come
amongst us?" and his comrade responded, "By Allah, this youth is
the son of the Sultan and his best beloved, and the same hath
released his brothers from sorcery and was carrying them to their
homes when they played him false and cast him into this well.
However, he hath a signet-ring with a bezel which if he rub
'twill bespeak him with whatso he desireth, and will do what he
may wish." So the Prince said in his mind, "I bid the Servant of
this Ring to take me out;" after which he rubbed it and the Jinni
appeared and cried, "Yea verily, O son of the Sultan, what is it
thou requirest of me?"?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 Twenty-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 the
Ring-bezel said to him, "What dost thou require of me?" and said
the Prince, "I demand that thou hoist me out of the well: and
this done that thou summon for me an host with Pages and Eunuchs
and tents and pavilions and ensigns and banners." Whereto the
other replied, "Present."[FN#300] Then he brought him forth the
well and the youth found hard by it all he needed, so he bade
them load their belongings upon the beasts and when this was done
he set out seeking the city of his sire. And as he drew so near
it that it was within shot of eye, he alighted there upon a broad
plain and ordered them to pitch the camp. Accordingly they set up
the tents and the sitting pavilions while the Farráshes fell to
sprinkling water upon the ground afront the abodes and to setting
up the ensigns and colours whilst the band of kettledrums went
dub-a-dub and the trumpets blared tantaras. The cooks also began
at once to prepare the evening meal. Now when the city-folk saw
this pomp and circumstance, they held in their minds that the new
comer was some Sultan approaching to take their town; so they
gathered together and went in to their own King and informed him
thereof. But he, having heard their words, felt his heart melt
and his vitals throb and a certain joy penetrate into his heart,
so he said, "Praise to the Lord, there hath entered into my heart
a certain manner of pleasure, albeit I know not what may be the
case and Allah hath said in his Holy Book, 'We have heard good
news.'"[FN#301] Hereupon he and the Lords of his land took horse
and rode till they reached the front of the pavilions where the
King dismounted from his steed. Now the Prince his younger son
was dressed in a habit that might have belonged to a hidden
Hoard, and when he saw his father he recognised him, so he rose
and met him and kissed his hands, but his sire knew him not by
reason of the case the youth was in, so he supposed him to be a
strange Sultan. Presently, the Prince asked him, "Where be thy
youngest son?" and the King hearing this fell down a-fainting,
but, soon recovering from his swoon, he said, "Verily my son hath
wasted the blood of his life and hath become food for wild
beasts." Hereupon the youth laughed aloud and cried, "By Allah,
thy son hath not suffered aught from the shifts and changes of
the World, and he is still in the bonds of life, safe and sound;
nor hath there befallen him anything of harm whatever." "Where is
he?" quoth the father: "He standeth between thy hands," quoth the
son. So the Sultan looked at him and straightly considering him
found that it was his very son who was bespeaking him, and of his
delight he threw his arms around his neck and fell with him
aswoon to the ground. This lasted for a full-told hour; but when
he recovered from his fainting he asked his son what had betided
him, so he told all that had befallen, to wit how he had become
master of the Enchanting Bird Philomelet and also of the magical
clay wherewith he had besprinkled his brethren and others of the
city-folk who had been turned to stone, all and some, and how
they had returned to the shapes whilome they wore. Moreover he
recounted to him the presents and offerings which had been made
to him and also how, when they arrived at a certain place, his
brothers had pinioned him and cast him into the well. And ere he
finished speaking, lo and behold! the two other Princes came in
and when they looked upon his condition and noted the state of
prosperity he was in, surrounded as he was by all manner of weal,
they felt only increase of envy and malice. But as soon as their
sire espied them he cried, "Ye have betrayed me in my son and
have lied to me and, by Allah, there is no retribution for you on
my part save death;" and hereupon the Sultan bade do them die.
Then the youngest Prince made intercession for his brethren and
said, "O my sire, whoso doeth a deed shall meet its deserts," and
thus he obtained their pardon. So they passed that night one and
all in camp and when morning morrowed they loaded and returned to
the city and all were in the most pleasurable condition. Now when
the King heard this tale from the owner of the fruit it pleased
him and he rejoiced therein and said, "By Allah, O Shaykh, indeed
that hath gone from us which we had of cark and care; and in good
sooth this history deserveth that it be written with water of
gold upon the pages of men's hearts." Replied the other, "By
Allah, O King of the Age, this adventure is marvellous, but I
have another more wondrous and pleasurable and delectable than
any thou hast yet heard." Quoth the Sultan, "Needs must thou
repeat it to us," and quoth the fruit-seller, "Inshallah?God
willing?I will recite it to thee on the coming night." Hereupon
the Sultan called for a hand-maiden who was a model of beauty and
loveliness and stature and perfect grace and from the time of his
buying her he never had connection with her nor had he once slept
with her, and he gave her in honourable gift to the reciter. Then
he set apart for them both an apartment with its furniture and
appurtenances and the slave-girl rejoiced greatly thereat. Now
when she went in to her new lord she donned her best of dresses
so he lay down beside her and sought carnal copulation, but his
prickle would not stand erect, as was its wont, although he knew
not the cause thereof.?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 Twenty-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 the
prickle of the Fruiterer would not stand to the handmaid as was
the wont thereof, so he cried, "Verily this is a wondrous
business." Then the girl fell to rubbing it up and to toying
therewith, her object being to stablish an erection. But the
article in question grew not and remained limp, whereupon she
said, "O my lord, Allah increase the progress of thy pego!"
Thereupon she arose and opened a bag wherefrom she drew out
kerchiefs and dried aromatic herbs[FN#302] such as are scattered
upon corpses; and she also brought a gugglet of water. Presently
she fell to washing the prickle as it were a dead body, and after
bathing it she shrouded it with a kerchief: then she cried upon
her women and they all bewept the untimely fate of his yard which
was still clothed in the kerchief.[FN#303] And when morning
morrowed the Sultan sent after the man and summoned him and said
to him, "How passed thy night?" So he told him all that had
betided him, and concealed from him naught; and when the Sultan
heard this account from him he laughed at him on such wise that
from excess of merriment he well nigh fell upon his back and
cried, "By Allah, if there be such cleverness in that girl, she
becometh not any save myself." Accordingly he sent to fetch her
as she stood and left the furniture of the place wholly and
entirely to the owner of the fruit. And when this was done the
Sultan made of him a boon-companion for that day from morning to
evening and whenever he thought of the handmaid's doings he
ordered the man to repeat the tale and he laughed at him and
admired the action of the slave-girl with the Limpo. When
darkness came on they prayed the night-prayer and they supped and sat down to converse and to tell anecdotes.[FN#304] Thereupon the King said to the Fruiterer, "Relate us somewhat of that thou hast heard anent the Kings of old;" and said the other, "Hearing and obeying," and forthwith began the
Story of the King of Al-Yaman and his Three Sons.
It is related that there was a Sultan in the land of Al-Yaman who
had three male children, two of them by one mother and a third by
another. Now that King used to dislike this second wife and her
son, so he sent her from him and made her, together with her
child, consort with the handmaids of the kitchen, never asking
after them for a while of time. One day the two brothers-german
went in to their sire and said to him, "'Tis the desire of us to
go forth a-hunting and a-chasing," whereto their father replied,
"And have ye force enough for such sport?" They said, "Yea,
verily, we have!" when he gave to each of them a horse with its
furniture of saddle and bridle, and the twain rode off together.
But as soon as the third son (who together with his mother had
been banished to the kitchen) heard that the other two had gone
forth to hunt, he went to his mother and cried, "I also would
fain mount and away to the chase like my brethren." His mother
responded, saying, "O my son, indeed I am unable to buy thee a
horse or aught of the kind;" so he wept before her and she
brought him a silvern article, which he took and fared forth with
it to the bazar, and there, having sold it for a gold piece, he
repaired to a neighbouring mill and bought him a lame garron.
After this he took a bittock of bread; and, backing the beast
without saddle or bridle, he followed upon the footsteps of his
brothers through the first day and the second, but on the third
he took the opposite route. Presently he reached a Wady, when
behold, he came across a string[FN#305] of pearls and emeralds
which glittered in the sunlight, so he picked it up and set it
upon his head and he fared onwards singing for very joy. But when
he drew near the town he was met by his two brothers who seized
him and beat him and, having taken away his necklace, drove him
afar from them. Now he was much stronger and more beautiful than
they were, but as he and his mother had been cast off by the
King, he durst not offer aught of resistance.[FN#306] Now the two
brothers having taken the necklace from him went away joyful, and
repairing to their father, showed him the ornament and he
rejoiced in them and hending it in his hand marvelled thereat.
But the youngest son went to his mother with his heart well nigh
broken. Then the Sultan said to his two sons, "Ye have shown no
cleverness herein until ye bring me the wearer of this necklace."
They answered, "Hearkening and obedience, and we will set out to
find her."?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 King
suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that
was
The Four Hundred and Twenty-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 the sons
of the Sultan made them ready for the march whereby they might
bring back the bird to whom the necklace belonged. So they took
them a sufficiency of provision and, farewelling their father,
set out for the city wherein they judged the bird might be. Such
was their case; but as regards their unhappy brother, when he
heard the news of their going he took with him a bittock of bread
and having bidden adieu to his mother mounted his lame garron and
followed upon the traces of his brethren for three days.
Presently he found himself in the midst of the wild and the wold,
and he ceased not faring therethrough till he came to a city
whose folk were all weeping and wailing and crying and keening.
So he accosted an aged man and said to him, "The Peace be upon
thee!" and when the other returned his salam and welcomed him he
asked saying, "O my uncle, tell me what causeth these groans and
this grief?" The other replied, "O my son, verily our city is
domineered over by a monstrous Lion who every year cometh about
this time and he hath already done on such wise for forty and
three years. Now he expecteth every twelvemonth as he appeareth
to be provided with a damsel arrayed and adorned in all her
finery, and if he chance to come as is his wont and find her not
he would assault the city and destroy it. So before the season of
his visit they cast lots upon the maidens of the place and whomso
these befal, her they decorate and lead forth to a place without
the walls that the monster may take her. And this year the sort
hath fallen upon the King's daughter."[FN#307] When the youth
heard these words he held his peace and, having taken seat by the
old man for an hour or so, he arose and went forth to the place
where the Lion was wont to appear and he took his station there,
when behold, the daughter of the King came to him and right heavy
was she of heart. But as she found the youth sitting there, she
salam'd to him and made friendship with him and asked, "What
brought thee to this stead?" Answered he, "That which brought
thee brought me also." Whereto quoth she, "Verily at this hour
the Lion shall come to seize me, but as soon as he shall see me
he will devour thee before me, and thus both of us shall lose our
lives; so rise up and depart and save thyself, otherwise thou
wilt become mere wasted matter in the belly of the beast." "By
Allah, O my lady," quoth he, "I am thy sacrifice at such a moment
as this!" And as they were speaking, suddenly the world was
turned topsy-turvy,[FN#308] and dust-clouds and
sand-devils[FN#309] flew around and whirlwinds began to play
about them, and lo and behold! the monster made his appearance;
and as he approached he was lashing his flanks with his tail like
the sound of a kettle-drum. Now when the Princess espied him, the
tears poured down her cheeks, whereat the youth sprang to his
feet in haste, and unsheathing his sword, went forth to meet the
foe, who at the sight of him gnashed his tusks at him. But the
King's son met him bravely, springing nimbly from right to left,
whereat the Lion raged furiously, and with the design to tear him
limb from limb, made a rush at the youth, who smote him with all
the force of his forearm and planted between his eyes a sway of
scymitar so sore that the blade came out flashing between his
thighs, and he fell to the ground slain and bleeding amain. When
the Princess saw this derring-do of her defender, she rejoiced
greatly and fell to wiping with her kerchief the sweat from his
brow; and the youth said to her, "Arise and do thou fare to thy
family." "O my lord, and O light of mine eyes!" said she, "we
twain together will wend together as though we were one flesh;"
but he rejoined, "This is on no wise possible." Then he arose
from beside her and ceased not faring until he had entered the
city, where he rested himself beside a shop. She also sprang up,
and faring homewards, went in to her father and mother, showing
signs of sore sorrow. When they saw her, their hearts fluttered
with fear lest the monster should attack the town and destroy it,
whereupon she said to them, "By Allah, the Lion hath been slain
and lieth there dead." They asked her saying, "What was it killed
him?" and she answered, "A handsome youth fair of favour," but
they hardly believed her words and both went to visit the place,
where they found the monster stone-dead. The folk of the city,
one and all, presently heard this fair news, and their joy grew
great, when the Sultan said to his daughter, "Thou! knowest thou
the man who slew him?" to which she answered, "I know him." But
as all tidings of the youth were cut off, the King let proclaim
about the city.?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 King suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next
night and that was
The Four Hundred and Twenty-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 King
let proclaim through the city how none should oppose him or delay
to obey his bidding; nay, that each and every, great and small,
should come forth and pass before the windows of his daughter's
palace. Accordingly the Crier went abroad and cried about the
city to that purport, bidding all the lieges muster and defile in
front of the Princess's windows; and they continued so doing for
three full-told days, while she sat continually expecting to
sight the youth who had slain the lion, but to no purpose. At
last never a soul remained who had not passed in the review, so
the Sultan asked, "Is there anyone who hath absented himself?"
and they answered, "There is none save a stranger youth who
dwelleth in such and such a place." "Bring him hither!" cried the
King, "and command him to pass muster," when the others hastened
to fetch him; and as soon as he drew near the window, behold, a
kerchief was thrown upon him.[FN#310] Then the Sultan summoned
him, and he, when standing in the presence, saluted and made
obeisance and blessed the Sovran with the blessings fit for the
Caliphs. The Sultan was pleased thereat and said, "Art thou he
who slew the Lion?" and said the other, "I did." Hereupon quoth
the King, "Ask a favour of me, that I grant it to thee;" and
quoth the Youth, "I pray of Allah and then of our lord the Sultan
that he marry me to his daughter." But the King continued, "Ask
of me somewhat of wealth," and all the Lords of the land
exclaimed, "By Allah, he deserveth the Princess who saved her
from the Lion and slew the beast." Accordingly the King bade the
marriage-knot be tied, and let the bridegroom be led in
procession to the bride, who rejoiced in him with extreme joy,
and he abated her maidenhead and the two lay that night together.
But the Prince arose about the latter hours without awaking his
bride, and withdrawing her seal-ring from her finger, passed his
own thereupon and wrote in the palm of her hand, "I am
'Aláeddín,[FN#311] son of King Such-and-such, who ruleth in the
capital of Al-Hind, and, given thou love me truly, do thou come
to me, otherwise stay in thy father's house." Then he went forth
without awaking her and fared through wilds and wolds for a term
of ten days, travelling by light and by night, till he drew near
a certain city which was domineered over by an Elephant. Now this
beast would come every year and take from the town a damsel; and
on this occasion it was the turn of the Princess, daughter to the
King who governed that country. But as the youth entered the
streets he was met by groans and moans and crying and keening; so
he asked thereanent and was answered that the Elephant was
presently approaching to seize the maiden and devour her.[FN#312]
He asked, "To what stead cometh he?" and they pointed out to him
a place without the city whereto he repaired and took his seat.
Suddenly the Princess presented herself before him a-weeping and
with tears down her cheeks a-creeping, when he said to her, "O my
lady, there is no harm for thee." Said she, "O youth, by Allah!
thou wastest thy life to no purpose and seekest thy death without
cause, so rise up and save thyself, for the Elephant will be here
this very hour." And behold, the beast came up to the heart of
the waste and he was raising a dust-cloud and trumpeting with
rage[FN#313] and lashing flanks with tail. But when he arrived at
the wonted place he was confronted by the youth who, with heart
stronger than granite, hastened to fall upon him[FN#314] and
fatigued him and dealt blows without cease; and, when the
Elephant charged down upon him, he met the monster with a stroke
between the eyes dealt with all the force of his forearm, and the
blade came flashing out from between his thighs, when the beast
fell to the ground slain and weltering in his blood amain.
Thereupon, in the stress of her joy, the Princess arose hurriedly
and walked towards the youth?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 King suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next
night and that was
The Four Hundred and Thirtieth 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
Princess walked hurriedly towards the youth and in the stress of
her joy she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him between
the eyes and cried, "O my lord, may thy hands never palsied grow
nor exult over thee any foe!" Said he to her, "Return to thy
people!" and said she, "There is no help but that I and thou fare
together." But he replied, "This matter is not the right rede,"
and he went from her at a double quick pace, saying, "O Allah,
may none see me!" until he entered the city and presently seating
him beside a tailor's shop fell to conversing with its owner.
Presently the man said, "There is no Majesty and there is no
Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great: by this time the
daughter of the King will have been seized by the Elephant and
torn to pieces and devoured, and she the mainstay of her mother
and her father." And behold loud lullilooing[FN#315] flew about
the city and one began exclaiming, "Verily the Elephant which is
wont to come hither year by year hath been slaughtered by a man
quite young in years, and the Sultan hath sent a Crier to cry
amongst the crowds, 'Let the slayer of the beast come into the
presence and crave a boon and marry the maiden.'" So quoth the
Youth to the tailor, "What is to do?" and the other informed him
of the truth of the report, whereupon he asked, "If I go to the
King will he give her to me?" Answered the tailor, "Who art thou
that thou shouldest intermarry with the daughter of the King?"
and the Prince rejoined, "We will go and bespeak him and lie to
him saying, I am he who slew the monster." But the other
retorted, "O Youth, thou art willingly and wilfully going to thy
death, for an thou lie to him he will assuredly cut off thy
head." Presently the Prince, who was listening to the Crier, said
to his companion, "Up with thee and come with us that thou mayest
look upon my execution;" and cried the other, "Why so, O thou
true-born son?"[FN#316] whereto the Youth replied, "Needs must I
do this!" Hereupon he and the man arose and went till they came
to the palace of the Sultan, where they craved leave to enter,
but were forbidden by the Chamberlain, when lo and behold! the
Princess looked out from the lattice and saw the Prince together
with the tailor. So she threw the kerchief upon his head and
cried aloud, "By Allah, here he be, and 'tis none but he who slew
the Elephant and who saved me from him." Hereat the tailor fell
to wondering at the youth, but when the King saw that his
daughter had thrown the kerchief upon him, he presently sent to
summon him between his hands and asked him how it happened, and
heard from him the truth of the tale. Then said he, "By Allah,
verily my daughter was lost, so that this youth well deserveth
her." Thereupon he tied the marriage tie between the twain and
the youth after wedding her went to her in procession and did
away her pucelage, and lay the night with her. And presently when
day was nigh, the young Prince arose and seeing her slumbering
wrote in the palm of her hand, "I am Such-and-such, the son of
such a King in Such-and-such a capital; and if thou love me
truly, come to find me, or otherwise stay in thy father's house."
Then without awaking her he fared forth to the city of the
Enchanting Bird and ceased not cutting athwart the wilds and the
wolds throughout the nights and the days till he arrived at the
place wherein dwelt the Bird Philomelet whereto the necklace
belonged. And she was the property of the Princess the daughter
to the Sovran whose seat was in that capital, and it was the
greatest of cities and its King was the grandest of the Kings.
When he entered the highways he leant against the shop of an
Oilman to whom he said, "The Peace be upon you," and the other
returned his salutation and seated him beside himself, and the
two fell to conversing. Presently the Prince asked him, "O my
lord, what canst thou tell me concerning a certain Bird and her
owner?" and the other made answer, "I know nothing but of oil and
of honey and of clarified butter, whereof whatever thou requirest
I will give to thee." Quoth the youth, "This is no reply to my
question," and quoth the oilman, "I know not nor regard aught
save what is by me in my shop." So the Prince rising from beside
him left him and went forth to continue his search; but whenever
he asked concerning the Bird and its owner, the folk changed the
subject and returned him no reply save, "We know not." This
lasted until he accosted a man well stricken in years, whose age
was nigh to an hundred; and he was sitting alone at one side of
the city; so the Youth walked up to him and salam'd; and, after the other returned his greeting and kindly welcomed him and
seated him near him, the two fell a-talking together, and the
Prince asked him, "O my uncle, what canst thou tell me concerning
the Bird whose necklet is of precious stones, and what concerning
the owner thereof?" The aged man held his peace for awhile and
presently exclaimed, "O my son, why ask me of this? O my
child,[FN#317] verily the Kings and sons of the Kings have sought
her in marriage but could not avail; indeed and the lives of
folks manifold have been wasted upon her. How, then, canst thou
hope to win her? Nevertheless, O my son, go and buy thee seven
lambs and slaughter them and skin them, after which do thou roast
them and cut them in halves; for she hath seven doors at each
whereof standeth as warder a rending Lion; and at the eighth
which guardeth the maiden and the Bird are posted forty slaves
who at all times are there lying. And now I leave thee to thy
luck, O my son." But when the Prince heard these words he asked
his aidance of the Shaykh and went forth from him?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 how enjoyable
and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that
I would relate to you on the coming night an the King suffer me
to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was,
The Four Hundred and Thirty-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 the Prince
craved for the prayers of the Shaykh, who blessed him. Then he
went forth from him and bought of the lambs what he had been
charged to buy, and these he slaughtered and skinned and roasted
and he cut each and every into two halves. He waited until night
descended with its darkness and ceased the to-ing and fro-ing of
folk, when he arose and walked to the place pointed out and there
he found the Lion whose shape and size equaled the stature of a
full-grown bull. He threw to him half a lamb and the beast
allowed him to pass through that door, and it was the same with
the other entrances, all seven of them, until he reached the
eighth. Here he found the forty slaves who were bestrewn on the
ground bedrowned in sleep; so he went in with soft tread and
presently he came upon the Bird Philomelet in a cage encrusted
with pearls and precious stones and he saw the Princess who owned
him lying asleep upon a couch. Hereat he wrote upon the palm of
her hand, "I am Such-and-such, son to the King Such-and-such, of
such a city; and I have come in upon thee and beheld thee bared
whilst thou wast sleeping, and I have also taken away the Bird.
However, an thou love me and long for me, do thou come to me in
mine own city." Then he seized the Bird to his prize and fared
forth and what he did with the Lions coming that he did when
going out. The Veiler[FN#318] veiled him, and he went forth the
city and met not a single soul, and he ceased not faring the
livelong night till next morning did appear, when he hid in a
place seeking repose and he ate somewhat of victual. But as soon as
the daylight shone bright, he arose and continued his journey,
praying Allah for protection on his wayfare, till it was
mid-afternoon: then he found, like an oasis in the middle of the
waste, certain pastures of the wild Arabs and as he drew near the
owner met him and salam'd to him and greeted him and blessed him.
So he lay that night with them till dawn when the Shaykh of the
encampment who had heard of the stranger came to him and welcomed
him and found him a youth fair of form and favour and saw by his
side the Enchanting Bird in its cage. He recognised it and
wondered at the young man's derring-do and cried, "Subhana 'llah?praise be to God?who hath committed his secret unto the
weakliest of His creation![FN#319] Verily this Bird hath caused
on its account to be slain many of the Wazirs and the Kings and
the Sultans, yet hath yonder lad mastered it and carried it away.
This however is by virtue of his good fortune." Then the old man
had compassion on him and gave him a horse that he had by him
together with somewhat of provaunt. The Prince took them from him
and returning to his march traversed the wilds and the wolds for
days and nights, all of them; and he continued in that case when
he drew near his father's capital which rose within eye-shot. And
as he walked on without heed, behold, his brethren met him and
confronted him and fell upon him and, having taken away the
Enchanting Bird, reviled him and beat him and shook him off and
drove him away. Then they entered the city and sought their sire
who received them with fair reception and greeted them and
rejoiced in them; after which they presented him with the Bird
Philomelet, and said, "Here we bring him to thee and there befel
us through his account much toil and trouble." But their brother
who had really won the prize went to his mother in sadness of
heart?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 King
suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that
was,
The Four Hundred and Thirty-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 the young
Prince who had brought the Bird and whom his brothers had beaten
and robbed of his prize, went to his mother in sadness of heart
and shedding tears. Quoth she, "What is thy case and what hath
befallen thee?" So he told her what had betided him and she said,
"Sorrow not, O my son; the course of the right shall be made
manifest." Then she quieted him and soothed his heart. This is
what happened to these persons; but as regards the Princess, the
owner of the Bird, when she awoke at dawn of day and opened her
eyes, she found her favourite gone and as her glance fell upon
the things about her, suddenly she saw something written in the
palm of her hand. But as soon as she had read it and comprehended
its purport, she cried aloud with a mighty grievous cry which
caused the palace-women to flock around,[FN#320] and her father
to ask what was to do but none could explain it because no one
knew. So the Sultan arose forthright and, going in to his
daughter, found her buffeting her face for the sake of her Bird
and asked her, "What is to do with thee?" So she informed him of
what had befallen her, adding, "Verily he who came into my bower
and discovered me bare and looked upon me and wrote upon the palm
of my hand, him I am determined to have and none other save that
one." Quoth her father, "O my daughter, many sons of the Wazirs
and the Kings have sought the bird and have failed; and now do
thou suppose that he hath died;" but quoth the Princess, "I
desire none save the man who found me in sleep and looked upon
me, and he is the son of King So-and-so, reigning in such a
capital." Said her father, "Then how standeth the case?" and said
she, "Needs must I thank him and seek his city and marry him, for
assuredly amongst the sons of the Kings, all of them, none can be
fairer or more delightsome than he who hath craftily devised this
entrance to me in so guarded a stead as this. How then can anyone
be his peer?"[FN#321] Hereupon her father bade muster the forces
without the city and he brought out for his daughter rarities and
presents and mule-litters, and they pitched the tents and after
three days they loaded the loads for travel. Then they fared for
whole days and nights until they drew near the city wherein the
youth had slain the Elephant and had saved the daughter of the
King. So the Sultan set up his encampment with its tents and
pavilions hard by the walls, to the end that all might take their
rest, but when the King of the City saw this he rode forth to
visit the stranger, and after greeting asked him the cause of his
coming with such a host. The Sultan apprised him of what had
happened to his daughter, how she had lost the Enchanting Bird,
also how the youth had come into her bower and had written a writ
upon the palm of her hand. But when the King heard from him this
account he knew and was certified that it was the same Prince who
had also slain the Elephant and who had on such wise saved his
daughter's life; so he said to the Sultan, "Verily he who took
the Bird belonging to thy Princess hath also married my daughter,
for he hath done such-and-such deeds." After which he related to
him the slaughter of the Elephant and all that had happened from
beginning to end. Now as soon as the Sultan heard these words he cried, "By
Allah my daughter is excusable and she hath shown her insight
and her contrivance;" and presently he arose and going in to her
related what he had heard from the King of the City, and she
wondered at the tale of the youth's adventures and the killing of
the Elephant. They nighted in that stead and the tidings soon
reached the ears of the youth's wife, the Princess who had been
saved from the Elephant, and she said to her sire, "I also needs
must go to him and forgather with him." Hereupon the King her
father bade muster his troops together with the Lords of the land
without the city beside the host of the chief Sultan, and on the
second day both Sovrans bade the loads be loaded for the march.
When their bidding was obeyed the twain set out together and
travelled for days and nights until they drew near to the capital
of the King where the youth had slain the Lion, and they pitched
their tents in its neighbourhood. Presently the Sovran of that
capital came out and greeted them and asked them the cause of
their coming; so they informed him of their adventures from
commencement to conclusion; and he, when certified of the truth
of this tale, returned to inform his daughter thereof.?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 King
suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that
was
The Four Hundred and Thirty-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 the third
King informed his daughter of the certainty of the tidings, and
she also exclaimed, "Needs must I as well as they set out to seek
him and forgather with him." So her father returned to the Sultan
and the King and told them of the adventures of the youth, and
how he was the cause of his daughter's salvation from the Lion
which he had slain; and when the twain heard his words they
marveled and cried, "By Allah, verily this youth is fortunate in
all his doings: would Heaven we knew how be his condition with
his father and whether he is loved or he is loathed." Then the
three fell to talking of the Prince's qualities, and presently
the third King arose and gave orders for gathering together the
Lords of his land and his army, and he brought out for his
daughter mule-litters, and gat ready all she might require of
rarities and offerings. Then the three Kings gave orders to load
the beasts and fared together, taking with them their three
daughters who, whenever they conversed together used to praise
the high gifts of the Prince and she who was the mistress of the
Bird would say, "Ye twain have forgathered with him;" and the
others would answer, "We passed with him no more than a single
night;" after which they would relate to her the slaughter of the
Lion and the Elephant. So she wondered and cried, "By Allah!
verily he is auspicious of fortune. And they ceased not to be in
such case for whole days and nights, and nights and days,
throughout the length of the journey till they drew near the
far-famed[FN#322] city which was the bourne of their wayfare and
the object of their wishes. Now this happened about sunset-tide,
so the three Kings who had alighted together bade their tents and
pavilions be set up, and when their behest was obeyed, each and
every of the three commanded that the firemen and the linkmen
light up their torches and cressets, and they did so, one and
all, until that Wady was illumined as by the sheen of day. But
when the city folk saw what was done by the three Kings, their
hearts quaked and their flesh quivered, and they cried, "Verily
for the mighty hosts of these Kings there needs must be a cause
of coming." However the strangers nighted in sight until morn
grew light, when the three Sovrans forgathered, and sent a
messenger with an invite to the Lord of the city, who on
receiving him, exclaimed, "Hearkening and obedience!" Then
mounting without stay or delay he rode forth till he reached the
strangers' camp, where he alighted and went in and greeted them;
and they, on similar guise, arose to him and wished him long
life, and seated him and fell to conversing with him for a
full-told hour. But he was whelmed in the ocean of thought, and
he kept saying to himself, "Would Heaven I knew what be the cause
of the Kings coming to this my country." However, the four
Sovrans continued to converse until the noon-tide hour, when the
trays were dispread for them, and the tables were laid with
sumptuous meats in platters and chargers of precious metal, the
very basins and ewers being of virgin gold. But when the King of
that city beheld this he marveled, and said in his mind, "By
Allah, there is not with me aught of rarities like these." As
soon as they had ended eating what sufficed them, water was
brought to them and they washed their hands, after which they
were served with confections and coffee and sherbets. Anon the
three Kings said to their guest, "Thou, hast thou any children?"
and said he, "Yes, I have two sons." Quoth they, "Summon them
before us that we may look upon them;" so he sent and bade them
make act of presence. The Princes donned their finest dresses and
perfumed themselves; then they took horse and rode until they had
reached their father's palace. But the three Princesses stood to
look at them, and she who was the owner of the Bird Philomelet
asked of the two others, saying, "Is he amongst these twain?" and
they answered, "Nay, he is not." She exclaimed, "By Allah, both
of them be fine men," and the others cried, "Indeed, our husband
is far fairer and finer than they." But when the Kings saw the
two brothers they said to their sire, "Verily our need is not
with them."?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 King
suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that
was,
The Four Hundred and Thirty-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 the two
Kings said to the lord of the city, "Verily our need is not in
this pair of youths," and the third King added, "By Allah, indeed
these two young men be fair of favour," for that he had not seen
the Prince who had taken his daughter's Bird Philomelet.
Presently the two asked the father saying, "Thou, is there by
thee no issue other than these two?" and said he, "Yes, I have a
son, but I have cast him out and I have placed his mother amongst
the handmaids of the kitchen." "Send to fetch him," quoth they;
so he dispatched a messenger to bring him into the presence. And
he came, withal he was without any finery of dress; but as soon
as the two damsels saw him they communed concerning him and he
inclined to them and went into their pavilion, when they rose to
him and threw their arms round his neck and kissed him between
his eyes. Hereupon the mistress of the Bird said to the two
others, "Be this he?" and said they, "Yes;" so she also arose and
kissed his hand. But when he had finished greeting them he at
once went forth to the assembled Kings, who stood up in honour to
him and welcomed him and greeted him; and when his father saw
that case he wondered with great wonderment. Then the youth took
seat afar from his brothers and addressed them, saying, "Which of
the twain was first to take the necklace?" And they held their
peace. He resumed speech and said to them, "Which of you killed
the Lion and which of you slew the Elephant and which of you
embraved his heart and going into the bower of the august damsel,
daughter to this Sultan, carried off her Bird Philomelet?" But
they answered him never a syllable and were far from offering a
reply. So he resumed, "Wherefore did you fall upon me and beat me
and take away the Enchanting Bird, when I was able to slay you
both? Yet to everything is its own time and this my father had
banished me and banished my mother nor did he give her aught of
what became her." Saying these words the youth fell upon his two
brethren with his sword and striking a single stroke he slew the
twain, after which he would have assaulted his sire, and put him
to death. However the three Kings forbade him and presently he
whose daughter owned the Bird put an end to this by insisting
upon the marriage-tie with him being tied. So he went in unto her
that very night and the three damsels became his acknowledged
spouses. After this his father gave command that his mother be
admitted into the Palace and he honoured her and banished the
parents of his two elder sons for he was assured that their cadet
had done such derring-do by slaying the Lion and the Elephant and
by bringing into the presence Philomelet the Enchanting Bird and
he was certified that the deed had been done by none other. So he
set apart a palace for the young Prince and his three Princesses
and he gave him a commandment and their joys ever increased. And
lastly the three Kings ceased not abiding in that place for forty
days after which they devised their departure.?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 King suffer me to
survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was,
The Four Hundred and Thirty-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 the three
Kings desired, one and all of them, to depart and return to their
countries and their capitals; and their son-in-law presented them
with gifts and rarities, whereupon they blessed him and went
their ways. After this the young Prince, who had become Sovran
and Sultan, took seat upon the throne of his realm and by the
reign he was obeyed and the servants of Allah for him prayed.
Presently on a day of the days he inclined to the hunt and the
chase, so he went off with his suite till they found themselves
in the middle of the wildest of wolds where the ruler came upon
an underground cavern. He proposed to enter therein, when his
followers prevented him and behold, a man came to him from the
desert showing the signs of wayfare and carrying a somewhat of
water and victual and his garments were all threadbare. The King
enquired of him saying, "Whence hast thou come and wither art
thou going?" and the other replied, "We be three in this antre
who have fled our country; and whenever we require aught of meat
and drink, one of us fareth forth to fetch what will suffice us
of provision for ten days." "And what is the cause of your flying
your native land?" asked the King, and the other answered,
"Verily our tale is wondrous and our adventures are joyous and
marvellous." Hereupon quoth the King, "Walláhi, we will not quit
this spot till such time as we shall have heard your histories;
and let each one of you three recount to us what befell him, so
that we hear it from his own mouth." Hereupon the King commanded
sundry of his suite to set forth home and the rest to abide
beside him; and he sent a Chamberlain of the Chamberlains that he
might go bring from the city somewhat of victual and water and
wax candles and all the case required, saying the while to
himself, "Verily the hearing of histories is better than hunting
and birding, for haply they may solace and gladden the hearts of
men."[FN#323] So the Chamberlain went forth and, after an absence
of an hour or so he returned bringing all the King had commanded;
upon which he and the suite brought in the Larrikin[FN#324]
together with his two companions until they led them to the
presence and seated the three together. All this while none of
the vagabonds knew that the personage before them was King of the
city. So they fell to conversing until the next night came on
when the Sovran bade them tell their tales of themselves and what
had befallen each and every of them. They replied, "Hearkening
and obedience;" and the foremost of them began to recite the
History of the First Larrikin.
Verily, O King, my tale is a rare and it is e'en as follows:?I
had a mother of whose flocks the World had left her but a single
kid, and we owned ne'er another. Presently we determined to sell
it; and, having so done, we bought it with its price a young
calf, which we brought up for a whole year till it grew fat and
full-sized. Then my mother said to me, "Take yon calf and go sell
it;" so I went forth with it to the Bazar, and I saw that not one
was like it, when behold, a body of vagabonds,[FN#325] who
numbered some forty, looked at the beast, and it pleased them; so
they said one to other, "Let us carry this away and cut its
throat and flay it." Then one of them, as all were standing afar
off, came near me and said, "O youth, wilt thou sell this kid?"
and quoth I, "O my uncle, verily this is a calf and not a kid;"
and the other rejoined, "Art thou blind? This is a kid." Cried I,
"A calf!" So he asked, "Wilt thou take from me a dollar?"[FN#326]
and I answered, "Nay, O my uncle!" Thereupon he went away from
me, and another came after him and said, "O youth, wilt thou sell
this kid?" and said I, "This is a calf," and quoth he "This is a
kid," and reviled me the while I held my peace. Again quoth he,
"Wilt thou take for this a dollar?" but I was not satisfied
therewith, and they ceased not to wrangle with me, one after
other, each coming up and saying, "O youth, wilt thou sell this
kid?" At last their Shaykh[FN#327] accosted me and cried, "Wilt
thou sell it?" and I rejoined, "There is no Majesty save in
Allah! I will sell it on one condition, to wit, that I take from
thee its tail." Replied to me[FN#328] the Shaykh of the
Vagabonds, "Thou shalt take the tail when we have slaughtered
it;" then, paying me a dollar, he led off the beast, and returned
to his own folk. Presently they killed it and flayed it, when I
took the tail and hastened back to my mother. She said to me,
"Hast thou sold the calf?" and said I, "Yes, I have sold it, and
have taken a dollar and the calf's tail." "And what wilt thou do
for the tail?" asked she; and I answered, "I will do him
brown[FN#329] who took it from me saying, This is a kid, and I
will serve him a sleight which shall get out of him to its price
ten times one hundred."[FN#330] With these words I arose and,
taking the tail, I flayed it and studded it with nails and bits
of glass, and I asked of my mother a maiden's dress, which she
brought me; and presently I covered my face with a
Burka'-veil[FN#331] and I adorned me and perfumed myself and I
girded my loins underneath my clothes with the tail of that calf.
Then went I forth like a virgin girl till I reached the barrack
of those blackguards, when I found that they had cooked the whole
calf and naught of it remained undressed, and they had prepared
to spread the table and were about sitting down to supper. Then I
went[FN#332] in to them and said, "The Peace be upon you," and
they rose to me in a body of their joy, and returned my greetings
and said, "By Allah, our night is a white one." So I entered to
them and supped with them, and they all inclined to me, and their
mustachios wagged in token that they would disport with me. But
when darkness came on they said, "This night is for our Shaykh,
but after this each one of us shall take her for his own
night."?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 King
suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that
was
The Four Hundred and Forty-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 of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the
vagabonds said, "Each one of us shall take her to him for a night
after the Shaykh," and so saying they left me and went their
ways. Then the Chief fell to chatting with me and he was in high
spirits, when suddenly my glance fell upon a rope hanging from
the ceiling of that barrack and I cried, "O Shaykh!" whereto he
replied, "Yes, O my lady and light of mine eyes." Said I to him,
"What may be this cord thus suspended?" and said he, "This is
called 'hanging-gear'; and, when any of ours requireth
chastisement from my associates, we hoist him up by this rope and
we bash him." Quoth I, "Hang me up and let me see how 'tis done,"
but quoth he, "Heaven forfend, O my lady! I will hang myself in
thy stead and thou shalt look upon me." Hereat he arose and tied
himself tight and cried, "Haul up this rope and make it fast in
such a place!" I did his bidding and bound it right firmly and
left him hanging in the air. Presently he cried, "Let go the
cord," and replied I, "O Shaykh, first let me enoy the
spectacle." Then I stripped him of all his clothing and drawing
forth the calf's tail which was studded with nails and glass
splinters, I said to him, "O Shaykh, is this the tail of a kid or
of a calf?" "What woman art thou?" asked he, and I answered, "I
am the owner of the calf;" and then, tucking up my two sleeves to
the elbows, I beat him till I stripped him of his skin and he
lost his senses and he had no breath wherewith to speak.
Thereupon I arose and fell to searching the hall, where I found
sundry valuables amongst which was a box, so I opened it and came
upon three hundred gold pieces and a store of reals[FN#333] and
silverlings and jadids.[FN#334] I laid hands on the whole of it
and bore off somewhat of the most sumptuous dresses; and, having
wrapped them all up in a sheet, I carried them away; and about
dawn I went in to my mother and cried, "Take thee to the price of
the calf, which I have received from the purchaser." But when the
day was high and the sun waxed hot the whole troop of the Shaykh
collected and said, "Verily our Elder hath slept till the undurn
hour;" and one of them declared, "'Tis from enjoying so much
pleasure and luxury, he and the girl; and doubtless their night
hath been a white[FN#335] night." So they ceased not talking
together and each of them had his word until the noon was high,
when certain of them said, "Come with us and let us rouse him
from sleep:" and, saying thus, all went to the door of the hall
and opened it. Hereupon they found their Shaykh hanging up and
his body bleeding profusely;[FN#336] so they asked him, "What
hath befallen thee?" and he answered in a weak voice, "Verily
that girl is no girl at all, but she is the youth who owned the
calf." They replied, "By Allah, there is no help but that we
seize him and slay him;" whereto the Elder said, "Loose me and
lead me to the Hammam that I may wash clean my skin of all this
blood." Then they let him down and after mounting him upon a
donkey they bore him to the baths. Hereat I went to the
slaughter-house and and covered my body with bullocks' blood and
stuck to it pledgets of cotton so that I became like one sorely
diseased and I repaired to the same Hammam propped upon a staff
and required admittance. They refused me saying, "The Shaykh of
the Vagabonds is now in the baths nor may anyone go in to him."
Quoth I to them, "I am a man with a malady," whereto quoth one of
them, "This is a poor wight, so let him come within." Accordingly
I entered and found the Chief alone, whereupon I drew forth the
tail and asked him, "O Shaykh, is this the tail of a calf or a
kid?" "Who art thou?" said he, and I said, "I am the owner of the
calf;" after which I fell to beating him with the tail until his
breath was clean gone. Then I left him and went forth from the
Hammam by another door so as to avoid his followers.?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 how
enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared
with that I should relate to you on the coming night an the King
suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that
was
The Four Hundred and Forty-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 the youth,
the owner of the calf, after beating the Shaykh of the Vagabonds
with a sore bashing within the Bath went forth by the back door.
Whereupon (continued the Larrikin) the followers of the Chief
went in and they found him at his last breath and moaning from
the excess of blows. Quoth they, "What is the matter with thee?"
and quoth he, "That man with a malady who came into the Hammam is
none other but the owner of the calf and he hath killed me." So
they took him up and carried him from the place and he said to
them, "Do ye bear me outside the city and set up for me a tent
and lay me therein, after which do ye gather round about me and
never leave me at all." Hereat they mounted him upon an ass and
bore him to the place he described and, pitching a tent, set him
therein and all sat around him. Presently the tidings reached me,
whereupon I changed my clothes for a disguise and drew near the
tent whereabouts I found a Badawi-man feeding his sheep. So I
said to him, "O Badawi, take this ducat and draw near yonder tent
and call aloud, saying, 'I am the owner of the calf;' after which
make off with thy life for an they catch thee they will slay
thee." "By Allah," quoth the Arab, "even if they rode their best
mares none of them could come up with me!" So I took charge of
the sheep while the Badawi approaching the tent cried in his
loudest voice, "By Allah, I am the owner of the calf." Hearing
this the vagabonds sprang to their feet as one body and drew
their weapons and rushed after the Badawi; but, when he had run
some distance from the tent with all the men behind him, I went
in and drawing from below my clothes the tail of the calf said,
"O Shaykh, is this the tail of a calf or a kid?" The Elder asked,
"Art thou not he who cried out, I am the owner of the calf?" and
I answered, "No, I am not," and came down upon him with the tail
and beat him until he could no longer breathe. Then I took the
properties belonging to his party and wrapping them in a sheet
carried them off and quitting the place I went in to my mother
and said to her, "Take them to the worth of the calf." Now those
who had run after the Badawi ceased not pursuing him, yet could
none of them come up with him and when they were tired they
returned from the chase and stinted not walking until they
entered the tent. There they found the Shaykh breathless nor
could he move save to make signs; so they sprinkled a little
water upon his face; and the life returned to him and he said to
them, "Verily the owner of the calf came to me and beat me till
he killed me and the wight who cried, 'I am the owner of the
calf' is an accomplice of his." Thereupon all waxed furious and
the Elder said to them, "Bear me home and give out that your
Shakyh is deceased; after which do you bathe my body and carry me
to the cemetery and bury me by night and next morning disinter me
so that the owner of this calf may hear that I am dead and leave
me in peace. Indeed as long as I continue in this condition he
will devise for me device after device and some day will come into me and kill me downright." They did what their Shaykh bade
them and began crying and keening and saying, "Verily our Chief
is deceased," so that the report was bruited abroad that the
Shaykh of the Vagabonds had died. But I, the owner of the calf,
said to myself, "By Allah, an he be dead, they will assuredly
make for him some mourning ceremony." Now when they had washed
him and shrouded him and carried him out upon the bier, and were
proceeding to the graveyard that they might bury him, and had
reached half way to it, lo and behold! I joined the funeral train
and suddenly walking under the coffin with a sharp
packing-needle[FN#337] in hand,?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 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 King suffer me to survive?" Now when it was
the next night and that was
The Four Hundred and Forty-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 I walked
under the bier packing-needle in hand, and thrust it into the
Shaykh of the Vagabonds, whereat he cried out and sprang up and
sat upright upon his shell.[FN#338] Now when the King heard this
tale he laughed and was cheered and the Larrikin resumed:?By
Allah, when I thrust the needle into him and he sat upright in
his coffin all the folk fell to wondering and cried, "Verily the
dead hath come to life." Hereupon, O my lord, my fear waxed great
and I said to myself, "All adventures are not like one another:
haply the crowd[FN#339] will recognise me and slay me." So I went
forth the city and came hither. Cried the King, "Of a truth, this
tale is marvellous;" when the second Larrikin exclaimed, "By
Allah, O my lord, my tale is rarer and stranger than this, for
indeed therein I did deeds worthy of the Jinn-mad and amongst the
many tricks that came from my hand I died and was buried and I
devised a device whereby they drew me from my tomb." Quoth the
King, "Walláhi, if thy tale be more wondrous than that which
forewent it I needs must reward thee with somewhat. But now tell
us of what betided thee." So the man began to relate the
History of the Second Larrikin.
I was living, O my lord, under the same roof with my father's
wife and I had with me some bundles of sesame cobs, but no great
quantity, which I stored in a little basket hanging up in the
great ceiling-vault of our house. Now one day of the days a party
of merchants, numbering five or so, together with their head man,
came to our village and began asking for sesame; and they
happened to meet me on the road hard by our place, so they put me
the same question. I asked them, "Do you want much of it?" and
they answered, "We require[FN#340] about an hundred
ardabbs."[FN#341] Quoth I, "By me is a large quantity thereof;"
and quoth they, "Have the kindness to show us the
muster;"[FN#342] whereto I rejoined, "Upon the head and the eye!"
Hereat I led them into the room wherein the basket was suspended
with a few cobs of sesame (there being none other) and I went up
by an outside staircase to the top of the vault, which I pierced,
and putting forth my hand, took up a palm-full and therewith
returned to them and showed the specimen. They saw that the
sesame was clean grain, and said one to other, "This house is
naught but full to the vault,[FN#343] for had there been a small
quantity there he would have opened the door and shown us the
heaps." Hereupon I conversed with them and settled the price and
they paid me as earnest money for an hundred ardabbs of sesame
six hundred reals. I took the coin and gave it to the wife of my
father, saying to her, "Cook for us a supper that shall be
toothsome." Then I slaughtered for her five chickens and charged
her that, after she should have cooked the supper, she must
prepare for us a pot of Baysárah[FN#344] which must be slab and
thick. She did as I bade her and I returned to the merchants and
invited them to sup with us and night in our house. Now when
sunset time came I brought them in for the evening meal and they
supped and were cheered, and as soon as the hour for night-prayer
had passed I spread for them sleeping-gear and said to them, "O
our guests, be careful of yourselves lest the wind come forth
from your bellies, for with me dwelleth the wife of my father,
who disgusteth fizzles and who dieth if she hear a fart." After
this they slept soundly from the stress of their fatigue and were
overwhelmed with slumber; but when it was midnight, I took the
pot of Baysarah and approached them as they still slumbered and I
besmeared[FN#345] their backsides with the Baysarah and returned
and slept until dawn of day in my own stead hard beside them. At
this time all five were awake, and as each one arose before his
companions he sensed a somewhat soft below him and putting forth
his hand felt his bum bewrayed[FN#346] with the stuff, and said
to his neighbour, "Ho, such an one, I have skited!" and the other
said, "I also have conskited myself;" and then all said together, "We have skited." But when I heard this, O my lord, I arose
forthwith and cried out saying, "Haste ye to my help, O ye folk,
for these guests have killed my father's wife."?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 how enjoyable
and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that
I should relate to you on the coming night an the King suffer me
to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was
The Four Hundred and Forty-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 quoth the
second Larrikin to the King:?O my lord, I cried out saying, "The
guests have slain the wife of my father." But when they heard me
the merchants arose and ran away, each following other, so I
rushed after them, shouting aloud, "Ye have killed my father's
wife," till such time as they had disappeared from sight. Then
said I to myself, "Inshallah! they will never more come back."
But after they had disappeared for a whole year they returned and
demanded their coin, to wit, six hundred reals; and I, when the
tidings reached me, feigned myself dead and ordered my father's
wife to bury me in the cemetery and I took to my grave a portion
of charcoal and a branding-iron. Now when the five merchants came
and asked after me the folk said, "He hath deceased and they have
graved him in his grave;" whereupon the creditors cried, "By
Allah, there is no help but that we go and piss upon his fosse."
Now I had made a crevice in the tomb[FN#347] and I had lighted
the charcoal and I had placed the branding-iron ready till it
became red hot and, when they came to piddle upon my grave, I
took the iron and branded their hinder cheeks with sore branding,
and this I did to one and all till the five had suffered in the
flesh. Presently they departed to their own country, when my
father's wife came and opened the tomb and drew me forth and we
returned together to our home. After a time, however, the news
reached these merchants in their towns that I was living and
hearty, so they came once more to our village and demanded of the
Governor that I be given up to them. So the rulers sent for and
summoned me, but when the creditors made a claim upon me for six
hundred reals, I said to the Governor, "O my lord, verily these
five fellows were slaves to my sire in bygone-times." Quoth the
ruler, "Were ye then in sooth chattels to his sire?" and said
they to me, "Thou liest!" Upon this I rejoined, "Bare their
bodies; and, if thou find a mark thereupon, they be my father's
serviles, and if thou find no sign then are my words false." So
they examined them and they found upon the rumps of the five,
marks of the branding-iron, and the Governor said, "By Allah, in
good sooth he hath told the truth and you five are the chattels
of his father." Hereupon began dispute and debate between us, nor
could they contrive aught to escape from me until they paid me
three hundred reals in addition to what I had before of them.
When the Sultan heard these words from the Larrikin he fell to
wondering and laughing at what the wight had done and he said,
"By Allah, verily thy deed is the deed of a vagabond who is a
past-master in fraud." Then the third Larrikin spoke and said,
"By Allah, in good sooth my story is more marvellous and wondrous
than the tales of this twain, for that none (methinketh) save I
could have done aught of the kind." The King asked him, "And what
may be thy story?" so he began to relate
The Tale of the Third Larrikin.
O my lord, I was once an owner of herds whereof naught remained
to me but a single bull well advanced in years and unhealthy of
flesh and of hide; and when I sought to sell him to the butchers
none was willing to buy him of me, nor even to accept him as a
gift. So I was disgusted with the beast and with the idea of
eating him; and, as he could not be used either to grind[FN#348]
or to plough, I led him into a great courtyard, where I
slaughtered him and stripped off his hide. Then I cut the flesh
into bittocks?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 King
suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that
was
The Four Hundred and Forty-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 the
whilome owner of the bull said to the King:?O my lord, I cut his
flesh into bittocks and went forth and cried aloud upon the dogs
of the quarter, when they all gathered together nor did one
remain behind. Then I caused them to enter the court and having
bolted the door gave to each dog a bit of the meat weighing half
a pound.[FN#349] So all ate and were filled, after which I shut
them up in the house which was large, for a space of three days
when, behold, the folk came seeking their tykes and crying,
"Whither can the curs have gone?" So I related how I had locked
them up within the house and hereupon each man who had a hound
came and took it away. Then quoth I, "Thy dog hath eaten a full
pound of flesh," and I took from each owner six faddahs and let
him have his beast until I had recovered for the meat of that
bull a sum of two thousand faddahs.[FN#350] At last of these dogs
there remained to me but one unclaimed and he had only a single
eye and no owner. So I took up a staff and beat him and he ran
away and I ran after him to catch him until he came upon a house
with the door open and rushed within. Now by the decree of the
Decreer it so happened that the mistress of the house had a man
living with her who was one-eyed and I ran in and said to her,
"Bring out the one-eyed that is with thee," meaning the dog. But
when the house mistress heard me say, "Bring out the one-eyed,"
she fancied that I spoke of her mate, so knowing naught about the
matter of the tyke she came up to me and cried, "Allah upon thee,
O my lord, do thou veil what Allah hath veiled and rend not our
reputation and deal not disgrace to us;"[FN#351] presently
adding, "Take this bangle from me and betray us not." So I took
it and left her and went my ways, after which she returned to the
house and her heart was heaving and she found that her man had
been in like case ever since he heard me say, "Bring out the
one-eyed." So I went away carrying off the bracelet and fared
homeward. But when she looked about the room, lo and behold! she
espied the one-eyed dog lying in a corner and, as soon as she
caught sight of him, she was certified that I had alluded to the
beast. So she buffeted her face and regretted the loss of her
bangle and following me she came up and said to me, "O my lord, I
have found the one-eyed dog, so do thou return with me and take
him;" whereat I had pity upon the woman and restored to her the
ornament. However, when this had befallen me, fear possessed my
heart lest she denounce me, and I went away from my village and
came to this place where the three of us forgathered and have
lived ever since. When the King had given ear to this story he
was cheered and said, "By Allah, verily the adventures of you
three are wondrous, but my desire of you is to know if any of you
have heard aught of the histories of bygone Sultans; and, if so,
let him relate them to me. First, however, I must take you into
the city that you may enjoy your rest." "O my lord," quoth they,
"who art thou of the citizens?" and quoth he, "I am the King of
this country, and the cause of my coming hither was my design to
hunt and chase and the finding you here hath diverted me
therefrom." But when they heard his words, they forthwith rose to
their feet and did him obeisance saying, "Hearing and obeying,"
after which the three repaired with him to the city. Here the
King commanded that they set apart for them an apartment and
appointed to them rations of meat and drink and invested them
with robes of honour; and they remained in company one with other
till a certain night of the nights when the Sultan summoned them
and they made act of presence between his hands and the season
was after the King had prayed the Isha[FN#352] prayers. So he
said to them, "I require that each and every of you who knoweth
an history of the Kings of yore shall relate it to me," whereat
said one of the four, "I have by me such a tale." Quoth the King,
"Then tell it to us;" when the first Larrikin began to relate the