They tell that whilome there was a Fisherman, a poor man with a
wife and family, who every day was wont to take his net and go
down to the river a-fishing for his daily bread which is
distributed. Then he would sell a portion of his catch and buy
victual and the rest he would carry to his wife and children that
they might eat. One day of the many days he said to his son who
was growing up to a biggish lad, "O my child, come forth with me
this morning, haply All-Mighty Allah may send us somewhat of
livelihood by thy footsteps;" and the other answered, "'Tis well,
O my father." Hereupon the Fisherman took his son and his net and
they twain went off together till they arrived at the river-bank,
when quoth the father, "O my boy I will throw the net upon the
luck of thee." Then he went forward to the water and standing
thereby took his net and unfokled it so that it spread when
entering the stream, and after waiting an hour or so he drew it
in and found it heavy of weight; so he cried, "O my son, bear a
hand" and the youth came up and lent him aidance in drawing it
in. And when they had haled it to shore they opened it and found
a fish of large size and glittering with all manner of colours.
Quoth the father, "O my son, by Allah, this fish befitteth not
any but the Caliph; do thou therefore abide with it till I go and
fetch a charger wherein to carry it as an offering for the Prince
of True Believers." The youth took his seat by the fish and when
his father was afar off he went up to her and said, "Doubtless
thou hast children and the byword saith, Do good and cast it upon
the waters." Then he took up the fish and setting her near the
river besprinkled[FN#375] her and said, "Go thou to thy children,
this is even better than being eaten by the Caliph." But having
thrown the fish into the stream, his fear of his father grew
strong upon him, so he arose and without stay or delay fled his
village; and he ceased not flying till he reached the Land of
Al-Irák whose capital was under a King wide of dominions (and
praise be to the King of all kingdoms!). So he entered the
streets and presently he met a baker-man who said to him, "O my
son, wilt thou serve?" whereto he replied, "I will serve, O
uncle." The man settled with him for a wage of two silver nusfs a
day together with his meat and his drink, and he remained working
with him for a while of time. Now one day of the days behold, he
saw a lad of the sons of that city carrying about a cock with the
intention of vending it, when he was met by a Jew who said to
him, "O my child, wilt thou sell this fowl?" and the other said,
"I will." Quoth the Jew, "For ten faddahs?" and quoth the youth,
"Allah openeth!" Said the other, "For twenty faddahs?" and the
lad, "Allah veileth!"[FN#376] Then the Jew fell to increasing his
offer for the cock until he reached a full dinar.?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 Sixty-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 Jew
raised his bid for the cock till he reached a gold piece when the
lad said, "Here with it." So the man gave him the dinar and took
from him the fowl and slaughtered it forthright. Then he turned
to a boy, one of his servants, and said to him, "Take this cock
and carry it home and say to thy mistress, 'Pluck it, but open it
not until such time as I shall return.'" And the servant did his
bidding. But when the Fisherman's son who was standing hard by
heard these words and saw the bargain, he waited for a while and
as soon as the servant had carried off the fowl, he arose and
buying two cocks at four faddahs he slaughtered them and repaired
with them to the house of the Jew. Then he rapped at the door and
when the mistress came out to him he bespoke her saying, "The
house master saith to thee, 'Take these two silvers and send me
the bird which was brought to thee by the servant boy.'"[FN#377]
Quoth she, "'Tis well," so he gave her the two fowls and took
from her the cock which her husband had slaughtered. Then he
returned to the bakery, and when he was private he opened the
belly of the cock and found therein a signet-ring with a
bezel-gem which in the sun showed one colour and in the shade
another. So he took it up and hid it in his bosom, after which he
gutted the bird and cooked it in the furnace and ate it.
Presently the Jew having finished his business, returned home and
said to his wife, "Bring me the cock." She brought him the two
fowls and he seeing them asked her, "But where be the first
cock?" And she answered him, "Thou thyself sentest the boy with
these two birds and then orderedst him to bring thee the first
cock." The Jew held his peace but was sore distressed at heart,
so sore indeed that he came nigh to die and said to himself,
"Indeed it hath slipped from my grasp!" Now the Fisherman's son
after he had mastered the ring waited until the evening evened
when he said, "By Allah, needs must this bezel have some
mystery;" so he withdrew into the privacy of the furnace and
brought it out from his bosom and fell a-rubbing it. Thereupon
the Slave of the Ring appeared and cried, "Here I
stand[FN#378] between thy hands." Then the Fisherman's son said
to himself, "This indeed is the perfection of good fortune," and
returned the gem to his breast-pocket as it was. Now when morning
morrowed the owner of the bakery came in and the youth said to
him, "O my master, I am longing for my people and my native land
and 'tis my desire to fare and look upon them and presently I
will return to thee." So the man paid him his wage, after which
he left him and walked from the bakery till he came to the Palace
of the Sultan where he found near the gate well nigh an hundred
heads which had been cut off and there suspended; so he leaned
for rest against the booth of a sherbet-seller and asked its
owner, "O master, what is the cause of all these heads being hung
up?" and the other answered, "O my son, inquire not, anent what
hath been done." However when he repeated the question the man
replied, "O my son, verily the Sultan hath a daughter, a model of
beauty and loveliness, of symmetric stature and perfect grace, in
fact likest a branch of the Rattan-palm;[FN#379] and whoso cometh
ever to seek her in marriage her father conditioneth with him a
condition." Cried the Fisherman's son, "What may be that
condition?" and the other replied, "There is a great mound of
ashes under the latticed windows of the Sultan's palace, and
whoso wisheth to take his daughter to wife he maketh a covenant
with him that he shall carry off that heap. So the other accepted
the agreement with only the proviso that he should have forty
days' grace and he consented that, an he fail within that time,
his head be cut off." "And the heap is high?" quoth the
Fisherman's son. "Like a hill," quoth the other. Now when the
youth had thoroughly comprehended what the sherbet-seller had
told him, he farewelled him and left him; then, going to a Khan,
he hired him a cell and taking seat therein for a time he
pondered how he should proceed, for he was indeed fearful yet was
his heart hanging to the love of the Sultan's daughter. Presently
he brought out his ring, and rubbed it, when the voice of the
Slave cried to him, "Here I stand between thy hands and what
mayst thou require of me?" Said the other, "I want a suit of
kingly clothes;" whereat without delay a bundle was set before
him and when he opened it he found therein princely gear. So he
took it and rising without loss of time he went into the Hammam
and caused himself to be soaped and gloved and thoroughly washed,
after which he donned the dress and his case was changed into
other case?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 Sixty-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 when the
son of the Fisherman came forth the Bath-house and donned his
fine dress, his was changed into other case and he appeared
before the folk in semblance of the sons of Kings. Presently he
went to the Sultan's palace and entering therein made his salam
and, blushing for modesty, did his obeisance and blessed the
Sultan with the blessing due to Caliphs. His greetings were
returned and the King welcomed him and after that looked at him,
and finding him after princely fashion, asked him, "What is thy
need, O Youth, and what requirest thou?" Answered the other, "I
seek connection with thy house, and I come desirous of betrothal
with the lady concealed and the pearl unrevealed, which is thy
daughter." "Art thou able to perform the condition, O Youth?"
asked the King; "For I want neither means nor moneys nor precious
stones nor other possession; brief, none other thing save that
thou remove yon mound of ashes from beneath the windows of my
palace." Upon this he bade the youth draw near him and when he
obeyed threw open the lattice; and, showing him the hillock that
stood underneath it, said, "O Youth, I will betroth to thee my
daughter an thou be pleased to remove this heap; but if thou
prove thee unable so to do I will strike off thy head." Quoth the
Fisherman's son, "I am satisfied therewith," presently adding, "A
delay![FN#380] grant me the term of forty days." "I have allowed
thy request to thee," said the King and wrote a document bearing
the testimony of those present, when cried the youth, "O King,
bid nail up thy windows and let them not be unfastened until the
fortieth day shall have gone by." "These words be fair," quoth
the Sultan, and accordingly he gave the order. Hereat the youth
went forth from him whereupon all present in the palace cried, "O
the pity of it, that this youngster should be done to die; indeed
there were many stronger than he, yet none of them availed to
remove the heap." In this way each and every said his say, but
when the Fisherman's son returned to his cell (and he was
thoughtful concerning his life and perplext as to his affair) he
cried, "Would Heaven I knew whether the Ring hath power to carry
it off." Then shutting himself up in his cell he brought out the
signet from his breast-pocket and rubbed it, and a Voice was
heard to cry, "Here I stand (and fair befal thy command) between
thy hands. What requirest thou of me, O my lord?" The other
replied, "I want thee to remove the ash-heap which standeth under
the windows of the royal palace, and I demand that thou lay out
in lieu thereof a garden wide of sides in whose middlemost must
be a mansion tall and choice-builded of base, for the special
domicile of the Sultan's daughter; furthermore, let all this be
done within the space of forty days." "Aye ready," quoth the
Jinni, "to do all thou desirest." Hereupon the youth felt his
affright assuaged and his heart rightly directed; and after this
he would go every day to inspect the heap and would find one
quarter of it had disappeared, nor did aught of it remain after
the fourth morning for that the ring was graved with the
cabalistic signs of the Cohens[FN#381] and they had set upon the
work an hundred Marids of the Jann that they might carry out the
wishes of any who required aught of them. And when the mound was
removed they dispread in its site a garden wide of sides in whose
midst they edified a palace choice-builded of base, and all this
was done within the space of fifteen days, whilst the Fisherman's
son ever repaired thither and inspected the work. But when he had
perfected his intent he entered to the Sultan and kissing ground
between his hands and having prayed for his glory and permanence,
said, "O King of the Age, deign open the lattices of thy Palace!"
So he went to them and threw them open when lo and behold, he
found in lieu of the mound a mighty fine garden wherein were
trees and rills and blooms and birds hymning the praises of their
Creator; moreover he saw in that garden a palace, an edifice
choice-builded of base which is not to be found with any King or
Kaysar. Seeing this he wondered at the circumstance and his wits
were wildered and he was perplext as to his affair; after which
he sent for the Minister and summoned him and said, "Counsel me,
O Wazir, as to what I shall do in the case of this youth and in
what way shall I fend him from me." Replied the Councillor, "How
shall I advise thee, seeing that thou madest condition with him
that should he fail in his undertaking thou wouldst strike off
his head? Now there is no contrivance in this matter and there is
naught to do save marrying him with the girl." By these words the
King was persuaded and caused the knot to be knotted and bade
them lead the bridegroom in procession to the bride, after which
the youth set her in the garden-palace and cohabited with her in
all joy and enjoyment and pleasure and disport. On this wise
fared it with them; but as regards the case of the Jew, when he
lost the cock he went forth in sore disappointment like unto one
Jinn-mad; and neither was his sleep sound and good nor were meat
and drink pleasant food, and he ceased not wandering about till
the Fates threw him into that garden. Now he had noted in past
time that a huge heap of ashes stood under the palace-windows and
when he looked he cried, "Verily, the youth hath been here and
all this work is the work of the signet-ring, for that none other
than the Márids of the Jánn could remove such a hillock." So
saying, the Jew returned to his place, where he brought out a
parcel of fine pearls and some few emeralds and specimens of
coral and other precious minerals, and set them as for sale in a
tray. Then he approached the palace which was builded in the
garden and cried out saying, "The pearls! and the emeralds! and
the corals! and various kinds of fine jewels!" and he kept up
this cry.?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 Sixty-fifth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the Jew
fell to hawking about his minerals and crying them for sale
beside the garden-palace and the Sultan's daughter hearing him
exclaimed, "O Handmaid, bring me that which is for sale with this
Jew." So the girl went down and said to the man, "What hast thou
by thee?" and said the other, "Precious stones." Quoth she, "Wilt
thou sell them for gold?" and quoth he, "No, O my lady, I will
sell them for nothing save for rings which must be old."[FN#382]
Accordingly she returned and herewith acquainted her lady who
said, "By Allah, my Lord hath in his pencase[FN#383] an old
worn-out ring, so do thou go and bring it to me while he
sleepeth." But she knew not what was hidden for her in the Secret
Purpose, nor that which was fated to be her Fate. So presently
she brought out of the pencase the bezel-ring afore-mentioned and
gave it to the handmaid who took it and faring outside the house
handed it to the Jew, and he received it with extreme joy and in
turn presented to her the tray with all thereon. Then he went
forth the city and set out on a voyage to the Seven Islands which
are not far from the earth-surrounding Ocean;[FN#384] and when he
arrived thither he landed upon a sea-holm and travelled to the
middle-most thereof. Anon he took seat, and presently brought out
the signet-ring and rubbed it, when the slave appeared and cried,
"Here I stand and between thy hands, what is it thou needest of
me?" "I require of thee," quoth the Jew, "to transport hither the
bower of the Sultan's daughter and to restore the ash-heap to the
stead it was in whilome under the lattice of the King's Palace."
Now ere night had passed away both Princess and Palace were
transported to the middlemost of the island; and when the Jew
beheld her his heart flamed high for the excess of her beauty and
loveliness. So he entered her bower and fell to conversing with
her, but she would return to him no reply and, when he would have
approached her, she started away in disgust. Hereupon, seeing no
signs of conquest, the Jew said in his mind, "Let her wax
accustomed to me and she will be satisfied," and on this wise he
continued to solace her heart. Now as regards the son of the
Fisherman his sleep had extended deep into the forenoon and when
the sun burnt upon his back he arose and found himself lying on
the ash-heap below the Palace, so he said to himself, "Up and
away, otherwise the Sultan will look out of the window and will
behold this mound returned to its place as it was before, and he
will order thy neck to be smitten." So he hurried him forth
hardly believing in his escape, and he ceased not hastening his
pace until he came to a coffee-house, which he entered; and there
he took him a lodging and used to lie the night, and to rise
amorn. Now one day of the days behold, he met a man who was
leading about a dog and a cat and a mouse[FN#385] and crying them
for sale at the price of ten faddahs; so the youth said in his
mind, "Let me buy these at their cheap price;" and he called
aloud to the man and having given him the ten silverlings took
away his purchase. After this he would fare every day to the
slaughter-house and would buy for them a bit of tripe or liver
and feed them therewith, but ever and anon he would sit down and
ponder the loss of the Ring and bespeak himself and say, "Would
Heaven I wot that which Allah Almighty hath done with my Ring and
my Palace and my bride the Sultan's daughter!" Now the dog and
the cat and the mouse heard him, and one day of the days as,
according to his custom, he took them with him and led them to
the slaughter-house and bought a meal of entrails and gave
somewhat to each that it might eat thereof, he sat down in sad
thought and groaned aloud and sorrow prevailed upon him till he
was overcome by sleep. The season was the mid-forenoon[FN#386]
and the while he slumbered and was drowned in drowsiness, the Dog
said to the Cat and the Mouse, "O brethren mine, in very deed
this youth, who hath bought us for ten faddahs, leadeth us every
day to this stead and giveth us our rations of food. But he hath
lost his Ring and the Palace wherein was his bride, the daughter
of the Sultan; so let us up and fare forth and seek therefor and
do ye twain mount upon my back so that we can overwander the seas
and the island-skirts." They did as he bade them and he walked
down with them to the waters and swam with them until they found
themselves amiddlemost the main; nor did he cease swimming with
them for about a day and a night until the morning morrowed and
they saw from afar a somewhat that glittered. So they made for it
till they drew near, when they saw that it was the Palace in
question, whereat the Dog continued swimming till such time as he
came ashore and dismounted the Cat and the Mouse. Then he said to
them, "Let us abide here."?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 Sixty-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 Dog
said to the Cat and the Mouse, "I will abide and await you here,
and do ye twain fare into the Palace, where the Cat shall take
her station upon the crenelles over the lattice window and the
Mouse shall enter the mansion and roam about and search through
the rooms until she come upon the Ring required." So they did the
Dog's bidding and sought the places he had appointed to them and
the Mouse crept about but found naught until she approached the
bedstead and beheld the Jew asleep and the Princess lying afar
off. He had been longsome in requiring of her her person and had
even threatened her with slaughter, yet he had no power to
approach her nor indeed had he even looked upon the form of her
face. Withal the Mouse ceased not faring about until she
approached the Jew, whom she discovered sleeping upon his back
and drowned in slumber for the excess of his drink that weighed
him down. So she drew near and considered him and saw the Ring in
his mouth below his tongue whereat she was perplext how to
recover it; but presently she went forth to a vessel of oil and
dipping her tail therein approached the sleeper and drew it over
his nostrils, whereat he sneezed with a sneeze so violent that
the Ring sprang from between his jaws and fell upon the side of
the bedstead. Then she seized it in huge joy and returning to the
Cat said to her, "Verily the prosperity of our lord hath returned
to him." After this the twain went back to the Dog whom they
found expecting them, so they marched down to the sea and mounted
upon his back and he swam with them both, all three being in the
highest spirits. But when they reached the middle of the main,
quoth the Cat to the Mouse, "Pass the Ring to me that I may carry
it awhile;" and the other did so, when she placed it in her chops
for an hour of time. Then quoth the Dog to them, "Ye twain have
taken to yourselves charge of the Ring, each of you for a little
time, and I also would do likewise." They both said to him, "O
our brother, haply 'twill fall from thy mouth;" but said he to
them, "By Allah, an ye give it not to me for a while I will drown
you both in this very place." Accordingly the two did in their
fear as the Dog desired and when he had set it in his chops it
dropped therefrom into the abyss of the ocean; seeing which all
repented thereat and they said, "Wasted is our work we have
wrought." But when they came to land they found their lord
sleeping from the excess of his cark and his care, and so the
trio stood on the shore and were sorrowing with sore sorrow, when
behold, there appeared to them a Fish strange of semblance who
said to them, "Take ye this Signet-ring and commit it to your
lord, the son of the Fisherman, and when giving it to him say,
'Since thou diddest a good deed and threwest the Fish into the
sea thy kindness shall not be for naught; and, if it fail with
the Creature, it shall not fail with Allah the Creator.' Then do
ye inform him that the Fish which his father the Fisher would
have presented to the King and whereupon he had mercy and
returned her to the waters, that Fish am I, and the old saw
saith, 'This for that, and tit for tat is its reward!'" Hereupon
the Dog took the Signet-ring and the other two went up with him
to their lord and awaking him from sleep returned to him his
Ring. But when he saw it he became like one Jinn-mad from the
excess of his joy and the three related to him the affair of the
Signet; how they had brought it away from the Jew and how it had
dropped from the Dog's mouth into the abyss of the sea and lastly
how the Fish who had found it brought it back to them declaring
that it was she whom his sire had netted and whom the son had
returned to the depths. Cried he, "Alham-dolillah"?Glory be to
the Lord?who caused us work this weal and requited us for our
kindness;" after which he took the Signet and waited until night
had nighted. Then he repaired to the mount which was under the
Sultan's Palace and brought out the Ring and rubbed it, when the
Slave appeared and cried to him, "Here I stand (and fair befal
thy command!) between thy hands: what is it needest thou and
requirest thou of me?" The other replied, "I demand that thou
carry off for me this mound."?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 Sixty-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 Son of
the Fisherman bade the Slave of the Ring remove the mound and
return the garden as whilome it was and restore the Palace
containing the Jew and the Sultan's daughter. Nor did that hour
pass before everything was replaced in its proper stead. Then the
Youth went up to the saloon where he found the Jew recovered from
his drunkenness and he was threatening the Princess and saying,
"Thou! for thee there is no escape from me." But cried she, "O
dog, O accurst, joy from my lord is well nigh to me." Hearing
these words the Youth fell upon the Jew and dragging him along by
his neck, went down with him and bade them light a furious fire,
and so they did till it flamed and flared; after which he
pinioned his enemy and caused him to be cast therein when his
bones were melted upon his flesh. Then returning to the Palace he
fell to blaming the Sultan's daughter for the matter of the Ring,
and asking her, "Why didst thou on this wise?" She answered,
"From Fate there is no flight, and Alhamdolillah?praise to the
Lord?who after all that befel us from the Jew hath brought us
together once more." Now all that happened from the Jew and the
return of the Sultan's daughter and the restoring of the Palace
and the death of his deceiver remained unknown to the Sultan, and
here is an end to my history. And when the second Larrikin held
his peace quoth the King, "Allah quicken thee for this story; by
the Almighty 'tis wondrous, and it delighteth the hearer and
rejoiceth the teller." Then cried the third Larrikin, "I also
have by me an history more marvelous than these two; and, were it
written in water of gold upon the pages of men's hearts, it were
worthy thereof." Quoth the King, "O Larrikin, if it prove
stranger and rarer than these I will surely largesse thee."
Whereupon quoth he, "O King of the Age, listen to what I shall
relate," and he fell to telling the
Tale of the Third Larrikin Concerning Himself.
In my early years I had a cousin, the daughter of my paternal
uncle, who loved me and I loved her whilst her father loathed me.
So one day she sent to me saying, "Do thou fare forth and demand
me in marriage from my sire;" and, as I was poor and her father
was a wealthy merchant, she sent me to her dowry fifty gold
pieces which I took; and, accompanied by four of my comrades, I
went to the house of my father's brother and there arrived I went
within. But when he looked upon me his face showed wrath and my
friends said to him, "Verily, thy nephew seeketh in marriage the
daughter of his uncle;" and as soon as he heard these words he
cried aloud at them and reviled me and drave me from his doors.
So I went from him well nigh broken-hearted and I wept till I
returned to my mother who cried, "What is to do with thee, O my
son!" I related to her all that had befallen me from my uncle and
she said to me, "O my child, to a man who loveth thee not thou
goest, forsooth, to ask his daughter in marriage!" Whereto I
replied, "O mother mine, she sent a message bidding me so do and
verily she loveth me." Quoth my mother, Take patience, O my son!"
I heartened my heart, and my parent promised me all welfare and
favour from my cousin; moreover she was thinking of me at all
times and presently she again sent to me and promised me that she
never would love any other. Then behold, a party of folk repaired
to her father and asked her to wife of him and prepared to take
her away. But when the tidings reached her that her parent
purposed marrying her to one of those people, she sent to me
saying, "Get thee ready for this midnight and I will come to
thee." When night was at its noon she appeared, carrying a pair
of saddle-bags wherein was a somewhat of money and raiment, and
she was leading a she-mule belonging to her father whereupon her
saddle-bags were packed. "Up with us," she cried, so I arose with
her in that outer darkness and we went forth the town forthright
and the Veiler veiled us, nor did we stint faring till morning
when we hid ourselves in fear lest we be overtaken. And when the
next night fell we made ready and set out again, but we knew not
whither we were wending, for the Predestinator existeth and what
is decided for us is like Destiny. At last we came to a wide and
open place where the heat smote us, and we sat down under a tree
to smell the air. Presently sleep came upon me and I was drowned
in slumber from the excess of my toil and travail, when suddenly
a dog-faced baboon came up to the daughter of my uncle?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 Seventy-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
Larrikin continued his tale saying to the King:?And as I was
drowned in slumber a dog-faced baboon came up to the daughter of
my uncle and assaulted her and knew her carnally; then, having
taken her pucelage he ran away,[FN#387] but I knew nothing
thereof from being fast asleep. Now when I awoke I found my
cousin was changed of case and her colour had waxed pale and she
was in saddest condition; so I asked her and she told me all that
had betided her and said to me, "O son of my uncle, from Fate
there is no flight, even as saith one of those who knoweth:?
'And when death shall claw with his firm-fixt nail * I saw that
spells[FN#388] were of scant avail.'
And one of them also said:?
'When God would execute His will in anything On one endowed with
sight, hearing and reasoning,
He stops his ears and blinds his eyes and draws his will From
him, as one draws out the hairs to paste that cling;
Till, His decrees fulfilled, He gives him back his wit, That
therewithal he may receive admonishing.'"[FN#389]
Then she spake concerning the predestination of the Creator till
she could say no more thereof. Presently we departed that stead
and we travelled till we came to a town of the towns frequented
by merchants, where we hired us a lodging and furnished it with
mats and necessaries. Here I asked for a Kazi and they pointed
out to me one of them amongst the judges of the place whom I
summoned with two of his witnesses; then I made one of them
deputy[FN#390] for my cousin and was married to her and went in
unto her and I said to myself, "All things depend upon Fate and
Lot." After that I tarried with her for a full told year in that
same town, a disease befel her and she drew nigh unto death.
Hereat quoth she to me, "Allah upon thee, O son of my uncle, when
I shall be dead and gone and the Destiny of Allah shall come upon
thee and drive thee to marry again, take not to wife any but a
virgin-girl or haply do thou wed one who hath known man but
once;[FN#391] for by Allah, O my cousin, I will say thee nothing
but sooth when I tell thee that the delight of that dog-faced
baboon who deflowered me hath remained with me ever
since."[FN#392] So saying she expired[FN#393] and her soul fled
forth her flesh. I brought to her a woman who washeth the dead
and shrouded her and buried her; and after her decease I went
forth from the town until Time bore me along and I became a
wanderer and my condition was changed and I fell into this case.
And no one knew me or aught of my affairs till I came and made
friends with yonder two men. Now the King hearing these words
marvelled at his adventure and what had betided him from the
Shifts of Time and his heart was softened to him and he largessed
him and his comrades and sent them about their business. Then
quoth one of the bystanders to the King, "O Sultan, I know a tale
still rarer than this;" and quoth the King, "Out with it;"
whereat the man began to relate
THE HISTORY OF ABU NIYYAH AND ABU
NIYYATAYN[FN#394]
It is recounted that in Mosel was a king and he was Lord of
moneys and means and troops and guards. Now in the beginning of
his career his adventures were strange for that he was not of
royal rank or race, nor was he of the sons of Kings but
prosperity met him because of the honesty of his manners and
morals. His name was Abu Niyyah, the single-minded?and he was
so poor that he had naught of worldly weal, so quoth he to
himself, "Remove thee from this town and haply Allah will widen
thy means of livelihood inasmuch as the byword saith, ‘Travel, for indeed much of the joys of life are in travelling.'" So he fixed his mind upon removal from the town; and, having very few
articles of his own, he sold them for a single dinar which he
took and fared forth from his place of birth seeking another
stead. Now when journeying he sighted following him a man who
was also on the move and he made acquaintance with him and the
two fell to communing together upon the road. Each of the twain
wished to know the name of his comrade and Abu Niyyah asked his
fellow, saying, "O my brother, what may be thy name?" whereto the
other answered, "I am called Abu Niyyatayn?the two-minded."
"And I am Abu Niyyah!" cried the other, and his fellow-traveller
questioned him, saying, "Hast thou with thee aught of money?"
Whereto he replied, "I have with me a single Ashrafi and no
more." Quoth the other, "But I have ten gold pieces, so do thou
have a care of them and the same will be eleven." Abu Niyyah
accepted the charge and they went upon the road together and as
often as they entered a town they nighted therein for a single
night or two and in the morning they departed therefrom. This
continued for a while of time until they made a city which had
two gates and Abu Niyyah forewent his fellow through one of the
entrances and suddenly heard an asker which was a slave begging
and saying, "O ye beneficent, O doers of good deeds, an alms
shall bring ten-fold." And, as the chattel drew near[FN#395] and
Abu Niyyah noted his words, his heart was softened and he gave
him his single Ashrafi; whereupon his comrade looked upon him and
asked, "What hast thou doled to him?" Answered he, "An Ashrafi;"
and quoth the other, "Thou hast but a single gold piece while I
have ten;" so he took the joint stock from him and left him and
went his way.?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 Seventy-third Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish 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 man Abu
Niyyatayn took from Abu Niyyah the ten Ashrafis[FN#396] and said
to him, "The gold piece belonging to thee thou hast given to the
asker;" then, carrying away the other ten he left him and went
about his business. Now Abu Niyyah had with him not a single
copper neither aught of provaunt so he wandered about the town to
find a Cathedral-mosque and seeing one he went into it and made
the Wuzu-ablution and prayed that which was incumbent on him of
obligatory prayers. Then he seated himself to rest until the
hour of the sunset devotions and he said to himself "Ho, Such-an-
one! this be a time when no one knoweth thee; so go forth and
fare round about the doors and have a heed, haply Allah Almighty
our Lord shall give thee somewhat of daily bread thou shalt eat
blessing the creator." Hereupon he went forth the Mosque and
wandered through the nearest quarter, when behold, he came upon a
lofty gate and a well adorned; so he stood before it and saw a
slave lad coming out therefrom and bearing on his head a platter
wherein was a pile of broken bread and some bones, and the boy
stood there and shook the contents of the platter upon the
ground. Abu Niyyah seeing this came forward and fell to picking
up the orts of bread and ate them and gnawed the flesh from
sundry of the bones until he was satisfied and the slave diverted
himself by looking on. After that he cried, "Alhamdolillah?
Glory be to God!"[FN#397] and the chattel went upstairs to his
master and said, "O my lord, I have seen a marvel!" Quoth the
other, "And what may that be?" and quoth the servile, "I found a
man standing at our door and he was silent and spoke not a word;
but when he saw me throwing away the remnants[FN#398] of our
eating-cloth he came up to them and fell to devouring bittocks of
the bread and to breaking the bones and sucking them, after which
he cried, ‘Alhamdolillah.'" Said the master, "O my good slave,
do thou take these ten Ashrafis and give them to the man;" so the
lad went down the stair and was half-way when he filched one of
the gold-pieces and then having descended he gave the nine.
Hereupon Abu Niyyah counted them and finding only nine, said,
"There wanted one Ashrafi, for the asker declared, An almsdeed
bringeth tenfold, and I gave him a single gold piece." The
house-master heard him saying, "There wanteth an Ashrafi," and he
bade the slave call aloud to him and Abu Niyyah went upstairs to
the sitting room, where he found the owner, a merchant of repute,
and salam'd to him. The other returned his greeting and said,
"Ho fellow!" and the other said "Yes," when the first resumed,
"The slave, what did he give thee?" "He gave me," said Abu
Niyyah, "nine Ashrafis;" and the house-master rejoined,
"Wherefore didst thou declare, There faileth me one gold piece?
Hast thou a legal claim of debt upon us for an Ashrafi, O thou
scanty of shame?" He answered, "No, by Allah, O my lord; my
intent was not that but there befel me with a man which was a
beggar such-and-such matter." Hereupon the merchant understood
his meaning and said to him, "Do thou sit thee down here and pass
the night with us." So Abu Niyyah seated himself by his side and
nighted with the merchant until the morning. Now this was the
season for the payment of the poor-rates,[FN#399] and that
merchant was wont to take the sum from his property by weight of
scales, so he summoned the official weigher who by means of his
balance computed the account and took out the poor-rate and gave
the whole proceeds to Abu Niyyah. Quoth he, "O my lord, what
shall I do with all this good, especially as thou hast favoured
me with thy regard?" "No matter for that," quoth the other; so
Abu Niyyah went forth from the presence of his patron and hiring
himself a shop fell to buying what suited him of all kinds of
merchandise such as a portion of coffee-beans and of pepper and
of tin;[FN#400] and stuffs of Al-Hind, together with other
matters, saying to himself, "Verily this shop is the property of
thy hand." So he sat there selling and buying and he was in the
easiest of life and in all comfort rife for a while of time when
behold, his quondam companion, Abu Niyyatayn was seen passing
along the market-street. His eyes were deep[FN#401] sunken and
he was propped upon a staff as he begged and cried, "O good folk,
O ye beneficent, give me an alms for the love of Allah!" But
when his sometime associate, Abu Niyyah looked upon him, he knew
him and said to the slave whom he had bought for his service, "Go
thou and bring me yonder man." Hereat the chattel went and
brought him and Abu Niyyah seated him upon the shop-board and
sent his servile to buy somewhat of food and he set it before Abu
Niyyatayn who ate till he was filled. After this the wanderer
asked leave to depart but the other said to him, "Sit thou here,
O Shaykh; for thou art my guest during the coming night."
Accordingly he seated himself in the shop till the hour of
sundown, when Abu Niyyah took him and led him to his lodging
where the slave served up the supper-tray and they ate till they
had eaten their sufficiency. Then they washed their hands and
abode talking together till at last quoth Abu Niyyah, "O my
brother, hast thou not recognised me?" to which the other
responded, "No, by Allah, O my brother." Hereupon said the
house-master, "I am thy whilome comrade Abu Niyyah, and we came
together, I and thou, from such-and-such a place to this city.
But I, O my brother, have never changed mine intent[FN#402] and
all thou seest with me of good, the half thereof belongeth to
thee." When it was morning tide he presented him with the moiety
of all he possessed of money and means and opened for him a shop
in the Bazar by the side of his own and Abu Niyyatayn fell to
selling and buying, and he and his friend Abu Niyyah led the most
joyous of lives. This endured for a while of time until one day
of the days when quoth Abu Niyyatayn to Abu Niyyah, "O my
brother, we have exhausted our sitting in this city, so do thou
travel with us unto another." Quoth Abu Niyyah, "Why, O my
brother, should we cease abiding here in comfort when we have
gained abundance of wealth and moveables and valuables and we
seek naught save a restful life?" However Abu Niyyatayn ceased
not to repeat his words to him and persist in his purpose and
reiterate his demand, till Abu Niyyah was pleased with the idea
of travelling?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 and the King suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the
next night and that was
The Four Hundred and Seventy-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 Abu Niyyah
was pleased with the idea of travelling companied with Abu
Niyyatayn: so they got themselves ready and loaded a caravan of
camels and mules and went off from that city and travelled for a
space of twenty days. At last they came to a camping-ground
about sunset-hour and they alighted therein seeking rest and a
nighting stead, and next morning when they arose they sought
where they could fodder and water their cattle. Now the only
place they found was a well and one said to other, "Who will
descend therein and draw for us drink?" Cried Abu Niyyah, "I
will go down" (but he knew not what was fated to him in the
Eternal Purpose), and so saying he let himself down by the rope
into the well and filled for them the water-buckets till the
caravan had its sufficiency. Now Abu Niyyatayn for the excess of
his envy and hatred was scheming in his heart and his secret soul
to slay Abu Niyyah, and when all had drunk he cut the cord and
loaded his beasts and fared away leaving his companion in the
well, for the first day and the second until the coming of night.
Suddenly two 'Ifrits forgathered in that well and sat down to
converse with each other, when quoth the first, "What is to do
with thee and how is thy case and what mayest thou be?" Quoth
his fellow, "By Allah, O my brother, I am satisfied with extreme
satisfaction and I never leave the Sultan's daughter at all at
all." The second Ifrit asked, "And what would forbid thee from
her?" and he answered, "I should be driven away by somewhat of
wormwood-powder scattered beneath the soles of her feet during
the congregational prayers of Friday." Then quoth the other, "I
also, by Allah, am joyful and exulting in the possession of a
Hoard of jewels buried without the town near the Azure Column
which serveth as bench-mark."[FN#403] "And what," asked the other to his friend, "would expel thee therefrom and expose the jewels to the gaze of man?" whereto he answered, "A white cock in his tenth month[FN#404] slaughtered upon the Azure Column would drive me away from the Hoard and would break the Talisman when the gems would be visible to all." Now as soon as Abu Niyyah had heard the words of the two Ifrits, they arose and departed from the well; and it was the morning hour when, behold, a caravan was
passing by that place, so the travellers halted seeking a drink
of water. Presently they let down a bucket which was seized by
Abu Niyyah and as he was being drawn up they cried out and asked,
"What art thou, of Jinn-kind or of man-kind?" and he answered, "I
am of the Sons of Adam." Hereupon they drew him up from the pit
and questioned him of his case and he said, "I have fallen into
it and I am sore ahungered." Accordingly they gave him somewhat
to eat and he ate and travelled with them till they entered a
certain city and it was on First day.[FN#405] So they passed
through the market streets which were crowded and found the
people in turmoil and trouble;[FN#406] and as one enquired the
cause thereof he was answered, "Verily the Sultan hath a
beautiful daughter who is possessed and overridden by an 'Ifrit,
and whoso of the physicians would lay[FN#407] the Spirit and is
unable or ignorant so to do, the King taketh him and cutteth off
his head and hangeth it up before his palace. Indeed of late
days a student came hither, a youth who knew nothing of expelling
the Evil One, and he accepted the task and the Sultan designeth
to smite his neck at this very hour; so the people are flocking
with design to divert themselves at the decapitation." Now when
Abu Niyyah heard these words he rose without stay or delay and
walked in haste till he came into the presence of the Sultan whom
he found seated upon his throne and the Linkman standing with his
scymitar brandished over the head of the young student and
expecting only the royal order to strike his neck. So Abu Niyyah
salam'd to him and said, "O King of the Age, release yonder youth
from under the sword and send him to thy prison, for if I avail
to laying the Spirit and driving him from thy daughter thou shalt
have mercy upon yonder wight, and if I fail thou wilt shorten by
the head me as well as him." Hereupon the King let unbind the
youth and sent him to jail; then he said to Abu Niyyah, "Wouldst
thou go at once to my daughter and unspell her from the Jinni?"
But the other replied, "No, O King, not until Meeting-day[FN#408]
at what time the folk are engaged in congregational prayers."
Now when Abu Niyyah had appointed the Friday, the King set apart
for his guest an apartment and rationed him with liberal
rations.?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 Hundredth and Seventy-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 Abu Niyyah
having appointed the Sultan for Meeting-day, when he would
unsorcel the Princess, waited till the morning dawned. Then he
went forth to the Bazar and bought him a somewhat of
wormwood[FN#409] for a silvern Nusf and brought it back, and, as
soon as the time of congregational prayers came, the Sultan went
forth to his devotions and gave orders that Abu Niyyah be
admitted to his daughter whilst the folk were busy at their
devotions. Abu Niyyah repaired to his patient, and scattered the
Absinthium beneath the soles of her feet, when, lo, and behold!
she was made whole, and she groaned and cried aloud, "Where am
I?" Hereat the mother rejoiced and whoso were in the Palace;
and, as the Sultan returned from the Mosque, he found his
daughter sitting sane and sound, after they had dressed her and
perfumed her and adorned her, and she met him with glee and
gladness. So the two embraced and their joy increased, and the
father fell to giving alms and scattering moneys amongst the
Fakirs and the miserable and the widows and orphans, in gratitude
for his daughter's recovery. Moreover he also released the
student youth and largessed him, and bade him gang his gait.
After this the King summoned Abu Niyyah into the presence and
said to him, "O young man, ask a boon first of Allah and then of
me and let it be everything thou wishest and wantest." Quoth the
other, "I require of thee to wife the damsel from whom I drove
away the Spirit," and the King turning to his Minster said,
"Counsel me, O Wazir." Quoth the other, "Put him off until the
morrow;" and quoth the Sultan, "O youth, come back to me hither
on the morning of the next day." Hereupon Abu Niyyah was
dismissed the presence, and betimes on the day appointed he came
to the Sultan and found the Wazir beside him hending in hand a
gem whose like was not to be found amongst the Kings. Then he
set it before the Sultan and said to him, "Show it to the Youth
and say to him, The dowry of the Princess, my daughter, is a
jewel like unto this." But whilst Abu Niyyah was standing
between his hands the King showed him the gem and repeated to him
the words of the Wazir, thinking to himself that it was a pretext
for refusing the youth, and saying in his mind, "He will never be
able to produce aught like that which the Wazir hath brought."
Hereupon Abu Niyyah asked, "An so be I bring thee ten equal to
this, wilt thou give me the damsel?" and the King answered, "I
will." The youth went from him when this was agreed upon and
fared to the Market Street, where he bought him a white cock in
its tenth month, such as had been described by the 'Ifrit, whose
plume had not a trace of black or red feathers but was of the
purest white. Then he fared without the town and in the
direction of the setting sun until he came to the Azure Column,
which he found exactly as he had heard it from the Jinni, and
going to it, he cut the throat of the cock thereupon, when all of
a sudden the earth gaped and therein appeared a chamber full of
jewels sized as ostrich eggs. That being the Hoard, he went
forth and brought with him ten camels, each bearing two large
sacks, and returning to the treasure-room, he filled all of these
bags with gems and loaded them upon the beasts. Presently he
entered to the Sultan with his string of ten camels and, causing
them to kneel in the court-yard of the Divan, cried to him, "Come
down, O King of the Age, and take the dowry of thy daughter." So
the Sultan turned towards him and, looking at the ten camels,
exclaimed, "By Allah, this Youth is Jinn-mad; yet will I go down
to see him." Accordingly he descended the staircase to the place
where the camels had been made kneel, and when the sacks had
been unloaded and as the King came amongst them, the bags were
opened and were found full of jewels greater and more glorious
than the one was with him. Hereupon the Sultan was perplext and
his wits were bewildered, and he cried to the Wazir, "Walláhi!
I think that all the Kings of the Earth in its length and its
breadth have not one single gem the like of these: but say me how
shall I act, O Wazir?" The Minister replied, "Give him the
girl."?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 Seventy-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 Wazir
said to the King, "Give him the girl." Hereupon the marriage-tie
was tied and the bridegroom was led in to the bride, and either
rejoiced mightily in his mate,[FN#410] and was increased their
joy and destroyed was all annoy. Now Abu Niyyah was a favourite
of Fortune, so the Sultan appointed him the government during
three days of every week, and he continued ruling after that
fashion for a while of time. But one day of the days, as he was
sitting in his pleasaunce, suddenly the man Abu Niyyatayn passed
before him leaning on a palm-stick, and crying, "O ye beneficent,
O ye folk of good!" When Abu Niyyah beheld him he said to his
Chamberlain, "Hither with yonder man;" and as soon as he was
brought he bade them lead him to the Hammam and dress him in a
new habit. They did his bidding and set the beggar before his
whilome comrade who said to him, "Dost thou know me?" "No, O my
lord," said the other; and he, "I am thy companion of old whom
thou wouldst have left to die in the well; but I, by Allah, never
changed my intent, and all that I own in this world I will give
unto thee half thereof." And they sat in converse for a while of
time, until at last quoth the Double-minded one, "Whence camest thou by all this?" and quoth he, "From the well wherein thou threwest me." Hereupon from the excess of his envy and malice Abu Niyyatayn said to Abu Niyyah, "I also will go down that well and what to thee was given the same shall be given to me." Then he left him and went forth from him, and he ceased not faring until he made the place. Presently he descended, and having reached the bottom, there sat until the hour of nightfall, when behold! the two 'Ifrits came and, taking seat by the well-mouth, salam'd each to other. But they had no force nor contrivance and both were as weaklings; so said one of them, "What is thy case, O my brother, and how is thy health?" and said the other, "Ah me, O my brother, since the hour that I was with thee in this place on such a night, I have been cast out of the Sultan's daughter, and until this tide I have been unable to approach her or indeed at any other time." Said his comrade, "I also am like thee, for the Hoard hath gone forth from me, and I have waxed feeble."[FN#411] Then cried the twain, "By Allah, the origin of our losses is from this well, so let us block it up with stones." Hereupon the twain arose and brought with them crumbling earth and pebbles,[FN#412] and threw it down the well when it fell upon Abu Niyyatayn, and his bones were crushed upon his flesh.[FN#413] Now
his comrade, Abu Niyyah, sat expecting him to return, but he came
not, so he cried, "Walláhi! needs must I go and look for him in
yonder well and see what he is doing." So he took horse and
fared thither and found the pit filled up; so he knew and was
certified that his comrade's intent had been evil, and had cast
him into the hands of death.?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 Eightieth 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 Niyyah
knew and was certified of his comrade Abu Niyyatayn being dead,
so he cried aloud, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might
save in Allah the Glorious, the Great. O Allah mine, do thou
deliver me from envy, for that it destroyeth the envier and haply
jealousy may lead to frowardness against the Lord (glorified be
His Glory!);" and so saying he returned to the seat of his
kingdom. Now the Sultan's daughter his spouse had two sisters,
both married,[FN#414] and she after the delay of a year or so
proved with child, but when her tale of days was told and her
delivery was nearhand her father fell sick and his malady grew
upon him. So he summoned the Lords of his court and his kingdom
one and all, and he said, "In very deed this my son-in-law shall
after my decease become my successor;" and he wrote a writ to
that purport and devised to him the realm and the reign before
his demise; nor was there long delay ere the old King departed to
the ruth of Allah and they buried him. Hereupon trouble arose
between his two other sons-in-law who had married the Princesses
and said they, "We were connected with him ere this man was and
we are before him in our claim to the kingdom." Thereupon said
the Wazir, "This rede is other than right, for that the old King
before his decease devised his country to this one and also write
it in his will and testament: here therefor ye are opposing him,
and the result will be trouble and repentance." And when the
Minister spoke on such wise they kept to their houses. Presently
the wife of Abu Niyyah bare him a babe, her two sisters being
present at her accouchement; and they gave to the midwife an
hundred gold pieces and agreed upon what was to be done. So when
the babe was born they put in his place a pup and taking the
infant away sent it by a slave-girl who exposed it at the gate of
the royal garden. Then they said and spread abroad, "Verily, the
Sultan's wife hath been delivered of a doglet," and when the
tidings came to Abu Niyyah's ears he exclaimed, "Verily this also
is a creation of Allah Almighty's:" so they clothed the pup and
tended it with all care. Anon the wife became pregnant a second
time and when her days were fulfilled she bare a second babe
which was the fairest of its time and the sisters did with it as
they had done with the first and taking the infant they exposed
him at the door of the garden. Then they brought to the mother
another dog-pup in lieu of her babe, saying, "Verily the Queen
hath been delivered a second time of a doglet." Now in this wise
it fared with them: but as regards the two infants which were
cast away at the garden gate the first was taken up by the
Gardener whose wife, by decree of the Decreer, had become a
mother on that very same night; so the man carried away the
infant he found exposed and brought the foundling home and the
woman fell to suckling it. After the third year the Gardener
went forth one day of the days and happening upon the second
infant in similar case he bore it also back to his wife who began
to suckle it and wash it and tend it and nurse it, till the twain
grew up and entered into their third and fourth years. The
Sultan had in the meantime been keeping the two pups which he
deemed to have been brought forth by his wife until the Queen
became in the family-way for the third time. Hereupon the Sultan
said, "By Allah, 'tis not possible but that I be present at and
witness her accouchement;" and the while she was bringing forth
he sat beside her. So she was delivered of a girl-child, in whom
the father rejoiced with great joy and bade bring for her wet-
nurses who suckled her for two years until the milk time was
past.[FN#415] This girl grew up till she reached the age of four
years and she could distinguish between her mother and her father
who, whenever he went to the royal garden would take her with
him. But when she beheld the Gardener's two boys she became
familiar with them and would play with them; and, as each day
ended, her father would carry her away from the children and lead
her home, and this parting was grievous to her and she wept right
sore. Hereat the Sultan would take also the boys with her until
sleep prevailed over her, after which he would send the twain
back to their sire the Gardener. But Abu Niyyah the Sultan would
ever wonder at the boys and would exclaim, "Praise be to Allah,
how beautiful are these dark-skinned children!" This endured
until one day of the days when the King entered into the garden
and there found that the two beautiful boys[FN#416] had taken
some clay and were working it into the figures of horses and
saddles and weapons of war and were opening the ground and making
a water-leat;[FN#417] so the Sultan wondered thereat time after
time for that he ever found them in similar case. And he
marvelled the more because whenever he looked upon them his heart
was opened to both and he yearned to the twain and he would give
them some gold pieces although he knew not the cause of his
affection. Now one day he entered the garden, as was his wont, and he came upon the two boys of whom one was saying, "I am the Sultan!" and the other declaring, "I am the Wazir!" He wondered at their words and forthwith summoned the Gardener and asked him concerning the lads, and lastly quoth he to him, "Say me sooth and fear naught from me." Quoth the other, "By Allah, O King of the Age, albe falsehood be saving, yet is soothfastness more saving and most saving; and indeed as regards these children the elder was found by me exposed at the gateway of the royal garden on such a night of such a year, and I came upon the second in the very same place; so I carried them to my wife who suckled them and tended them and they say to her, 'O mother,' and they say to me, 'O father.'" Hereupon Abu Niyyah the King returned home and
summoning the midwife asked her, saying, "By the virtue of my
predecessors in this kingdom, do thou tell me the truth
concerning my spouse, whether or no she was delivered of two dog-
pups," and she answered, "No, by Allah, O King of the Age, verily
the Queen bare thee two babes like full moons and the cause of
their exposure before the garden gate was thy wife's two sisters
who envied her and did with her these deeds whereof she was not
aware."[FN#418] Hereupon cried Abu Niyyah, "Alhamdolillah?Glory
be to God who hat brought about this good to me and hath united
me with my children, and soothfast is the say, ‘Whoso doeth an
action shall be requited of his Lord and the envious wight hath
no delight and of his envy he shall win naught save
despight.'"[FN#419] Then the King of Mosul, being a man of good
intent, did not put to death his wife's sisters and their
husbands, but banished them his realm, and he lived happily with
his Queen and children until such time as the Destroyer of
delights and the Severer of societies came to him and he deceased
to the mercy of Almighty Allah.