“Then he repented and would have got back his wife, and his wife also

was willing. They sought a legal decision, but the muftī said, ‘It may

not be without an intermediary.’[34] The khoja bethought him whom he

could get for intermediary when the prince came into his mind, and he

said in himself, ‘That stranger youth is he; I shall make him

intermediary.’ So he married the woman to the prince. When it was

evening he took him and put him into a dark house with the lady; but the

lady made shift to light a candle, and as soon as she saw the prince she

fell in love with him with all her heart. And the prince as soon as he

saw her fell in love with her with all his heart. Then these two moons

came together, and, after making merry, the lady showed the prince

sumptuous stuffs, and countless gold, and precious stones, such as the

tale and number of them cannot be written, and she said, ‘O my life, all

this wealth is mine, it is my inheritance from my mother and my father,

and all the wealth too that that khoja has is mine; if thou will not

dismiss me to-morrow, but accept me as thy legal wife, all this wealth

is thine.’

“The prince consented to this proposal, and the woman said, ‘O youth,

when the khoja comes to-morrow he will say, “Come, let us go to the

cadi;” say thou, “Why should we go to the cadi?” If he say, “Divorce the

woman,” do thou reply, “By God, it were shame in us to take a wife and

then divorce her.” And he will be unable to find any answer thereto.’

The prince was glad and accepted the lady’s advice. When it was morning

the khoja came and knocked at the door, and the prince went forth and

kissed the khoja’s hand. The khoja said, ‘Come, let us go to the cadi;’

the prince answered, ‘Why should we go to the cadi?’ Quoth the khoja,

‘Divorce the woman.’ The prince replied, ‘By God, it were mighty shame

in us to divorce the woman; I will not divorce her.’ The khoja

exclaimed, ‘Ah youth, what word is that? I trusted thee, thinking thee

an upright youth, why speakest thou thus?’

“The prince answered, ‘Is not this which I have said the commandment of

God and the word of the Apostle?’ The khoja looked and saw that there

was no help; he wished to go to the cadi, but the folk said to him,

‘Khoja, now that woman is his, she is pleased with him and he is pleased

with her, they cannot be divorced by force.’ The khoja was filled with

grief and said, ‘He shall not be questioned concerning what he

doth;’[35] and he ceased from trying.

“He fell ill from his rage and became bedridden; then he called the

prince and said to him, ‘Hast thou any knowledge of what I prayed for

thee under the Golden Spout?’ The prince replied, ‘I know naught of it.’

The khoja said, ‘Although I would have prayed otherwise, this came upon

my tongue: “My God, apportion to this youth my wealth, my sustenance,

and my wife.” O youth, would I had not taken from thee yon girdle! O

youth, my wife was my existence, now that too is become thine. Now let

these sitting here be witnesses that when I am dead all that I possess

belongs to thee.’ Three days afterward he died; he perished through

grief for that scheming woman; and the prince became possessor of his

wealth.

“O king, I have told this story for that thou mayst know that fidelity

comes not from women, and that their love is not to be trusted. When

they cannot help it, they are obedient to their husbands, and, fearing

the rod of the law, they wrap their feet in their skirts and sit quiet,

otherwise they would ruin the world with craft and trickery. Now, O

king, act not on the woman’s word.” From seven places he performed the

salutation due to kings, and begged for the prince’s life. The king

heard this story from the vezir, and that day, too, he sent his son to

the prison, and went himself to the chase.

When it was evening, the king returned from the chase and came to the

palace, and the lady rose to greet him, and they sat down. After the

repast, the lady brought about an opportunity, and began upon the youth.

The king said, “To-day such an one of my vezirs made intercession for

him, and I have sent him to the prison.” Quoth the lady, “These vezirs

are all of them traitors to thee, and they are schemers and plotters.

Each of them says words concerning me which if he heard, no true man

would bear; a man’s wife is equal with his life. All the people marvel

at thee, and say thou hast no sense of honor. But these vezirs have

bewitched thee. Thy lies, too, are many; every night thou sayest, ‘I

will kill this youth;’ then thou killest him not, and falsifiest thy

words. O king, through truth is one acceptable both to God and man. O

king, no good will come from a youth like this; it were better such a

son did not remain after thee than that he did remain. Mayhap my king

has not heard the story of a certain merchant.” The king said, “Tell on,

let us hear.” Quoth the lady:

THE MERCHANT’S BEQUEST

“There was of old time a great merchant, and he had two sons. One day

the merchant laid his head on the pillow of death, and he called his

sons before him, and brought together some wise persons, and said,

‘Moslems, if it please God most high, these boys will live for many

years; reckon at the rate of a hundred years from to-day, and allow to

each of them a daily grant of a thousand aspres, and whatever the sum

may amount to, that sum will I give them, that after me they may stand

in need of no one till they die, but pass their lives in ease in this

transient world.’ Then they reckoned up, and he gave them much money;

and a few days afterward he passed to the abiding home.

“The sons buried their father, and then began to waste that money. Their

father’s friends gave them much advice, but they would not accept it.

One of them would enter the shop of a confectioner and buy up all the

sweetmeats that were therein, and load porters with them, and take them

to the square of the city, and cry out, ‘This is spoil!’ and the folk

would scramble for them, and he would laugh. And his business was ever

thus. The other youth would buy wine and meat, and enter a ship with

some flattering buffoons, and eat and drink and make merry; and when he

was drunk he would mix up gold and silver coins before him, and throw

them by handfuls into the sea, and their flashing into the water pleased

him, and he would laugh. And his business likewise was ever thus. By

reason of these follies, the wealth of both of them came to an end in

little time, in such wise that they were penniless, so that they sat by

the way and begged.

“At length the merchants, their father’s friends, came together, and

went to the king and said, ‘The sons of such and such a merchant are

fallen a prey to a plight like this; if they be not disgraced now,

to-morrow will our sons also act like them. Do thou now put them to

death, for the love of God, that they may be an example, and that others

may not act as they.’ Then the king commanded that they bring them both

into his presence, and the king said to them, ‘O unhappy ones, what

plight is this plight in which ye are? Where is the headsman?’ And he

ordered them to be killed. They said, ‘O king, be not wroth at our

having fallen into this plight, and kill us not; our father is the cause

of our being thus, for he commended us not to God most high, but

commended us to money; and the end of the child who is commended to

money is thus.’ Their words seemed good to the king, and he said, ‘By

God, had ye not answered thus, I had cleft ye in twain.’ And then he

bestowed on each of them a village.

“Now, O king, I have related this story for that among youths there is

nor shame nor honor, neither is there zeal for friend or foe. Beware and

beware, be not negligent, ere the youth kill thee do thou kill him, else

thou shalt perish.” When the king heard this story from the lady he

said, “On the morrow will I kill him.”

When it was morning, and the darkness of night, like the wealth of that

merchant, was scattered, the king sat upon his throne and commanded the

executioner, saying, “Smite off the youth’s head.” Then the eleventh

vezir came forward and said, “O king of the world, hurry not in this

affair, and whatsoever thou doest, do according to the command of God

and the word of the Apostle; and the holy Apostle hath said that when

the resurrection is near, knowledge will vanish and ignorance will

increase and the spilling of blood will be oft. O king, leave not the

Law, and spill not blood unjustly on thine own account, and pity the

innocent; for they have said that whoso taketh a fallen one by the hand

to raise him shall be happy; but whoso, having the power, raiseth him

not shall himself burn in the fire of regret. Mayhap the king has not

heard the story of a certain king and a vezir’s son.” The king said,

“Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the vezir:

THE KING AND THE VEZIR’S SON

“Of old time there was a king, and that king had a sage vezir. God most

high had given that vezir a son; and the people of the world were

bewildered at the beauty of that boy. And the king loved him so that he

could not endure to be a moment without seeing him, and he never parted

from him. So his parents yearned for the boy, but what avail? they had

needs have patience through fear of the king. One day, the king while

drunk entered the palace and saw this boy playing with another page,

and thereupon was he wroth and he commanded the executioner, ‘Smite off

the head of this degenerate boy.’ And they dragged the boy out.

Thereupon word was sent to the vezir, and he came straightway, and

crying, ‘My life! my son!’ went up to the headsman and said, ‘O

headsman, now is the king drunk and senseless and he knows not the words

he says; if thou kill the boy to-night, to-morrow the king will not

spare thee; but will kill thee likewise.’ The headsman said, ‘How should

we do? he said to me, “Quick, smite off his head and bring it.”’

“The vezir answered, ‘Go to the prison and smite off the head of some

man meriting death, and bring it; at this time the king has not his

senses and will believe it.’ And he gave the headsman much gold. The

headsman took the sequins and was glad, and went forthwith to the prison

and smote off the head of a robber and brought it to the king. The king

was pleased and gave the headsman a robe of honor. And the vezir took

the boy and brought him to his own house and hid him there. When it was

morning and the king’s senses returned, he asked for the boy, and they

said, ‘This night thou didst command the executioner that he smote off

the boy’s head.’ As soon as the king heard this he fell senseless and

his understanding forsook him. After a while his understanding returned

and he sat beating his knees and he fell a-weeping. Then the vezir,

feigning not to know, came before the king and said, ‘O king, what

plight is this?’ Quoth the king, ‘O vezir, where is that source of my

life? where is that spring of my soul?’ The vezir said, ‘O king, whom

meanest thou?’ The king replied, ‘Thy son, who was the joy of my heart.’

And he cried and wept beyond control, and the vezir rent his collar and

wailed and lamented.

“For two months the one business of the king was sighing and crying;

during the nights he would not sleep till dawn for weeping, and he would

say, ‘My God, shall I never behold his face? mayhap I shall behold it at

the resurrection. To me henceforth life is not beseeming.’ Mad words

like these would he utter. And he ceased from eating and drinking, and

retired from the throne and sought a private house and wept ever, and it

wanted little but he died. When the vezir saw this, he one day decked

out the boy like a flower and took him and went to the private place

where the king dwelt. He left the boy at the door and went in himself

and saw that the king had bowed his head in adoration and was praying to

God and weeping and thus saying, ‘My God, henceforth is life unlawful

for me, do thou in thy mercy take my soul;’ and he was lamenting,

recalling the darling fashions of the boy.

“The vezir heard this wail of the king and said, ‘O king, how thou

weepest! thou hast forsaken manhood, and art become a by-word in the

world.’ The king replied, ‘Henceforth advice profits me not; lo,

begone.’ Quoth the vezir, ‘O king, if God most high took pity on thee

and brought the boy to life, wouldst thou forgive his fault? and what

wouldst thou give to him who brought thee news thereof?’ The king said,

‘O would that it could be so! all the wealth that I have in my treasury

would I give to him who brought me news thereof, and my kingdom would I

give to the boy; and I should be content to look from time to time on

the boy’s face.’ Then the vezir beckoned to the boy and he came in, and

went and kissed the king’s hand. As soon as the king saw the boy his

senses forsook him, and the vezir sprinkled rose-water on the king’s

face and withdrew. When the king’s senses returned he saw the boy beside

him and he thought that his soul had gone and returned.

“When it was morning the vezir came before the king, and the king said,

‘As thou hast brought the boy to me whole, go, all that is in my

treasury is thine.’ The vezir answered, ‘O king of the world, rather is

the wealth which is in my treasury thine; we are both of us the meanest

of the king’s slaves. May God (glorified and exalted be he!) grant

fortune to our king and long life! We too shall live in thy felicity.’

The king was glad at the words of the vezir, and bestowed many towns and

villages on the son of the vezir, and offered up many sacrifices, and

gave away much alms.

“O king, I have told this story for that the king may take profit and

not do a deed without reflection, that he be not afterward repentant,

like that king, and suffer not bitter regret and remorse. That king

suffered so great regret and remorse for a vezir’s son, yet this one is

the darling of thine own heart. The rest the king knows. Beware, O king,

slay not the prince on the woman’s word.” And he kissed the ground and

made intercession for the prince for that day. So the king sent the

youth to the prison and went himself to the chase.

When it was evening the king returned from the chase and came to the

palace, and the lady rose to greet him, and they sat down. After the

repast the lady commenced to speak about the youth. The king said,

“To-day too such an one of my vezirs made intercession for him and I

sent him to the prison.” The lady said, “O king, three things are the

signs of folly; the first is to put off to-day’s business till

to-morrow, the second is to speak words foolishly, and the third is to

act upon senseless words. O king, whatsoever thy vezirs say, that thou

believest straightway and actest upon. Satan is of a surety entered into

these thy vezirs and into thy boy; in whose heart soever he plants the

love of office or of wealth, him in the end does he leave without the

faith. Mayhap the king has not heard the story of the King and the

Weaver.” The king said, “Relate it, let us hear.” Quoth the lady:

THE KING AND THE WEAVER

“Of old time there was a great king. One day a man came before him and

said, ‘My king, I shall weave a turban such that one born in wedlock

will see it, while the bastard will see it not.’ The king marvelled and

ordered that that weaver should weave that turban; and the weaver

received an allowance from the king and tarried a long while. One day he

folded up this side and that side of a paper and brought it and laid it

before the king and said, ‘O king, I have woven that turban.’ So the

king opened the paper and saw that there was nothing; and all the vezirs

and nobles who stood there looked on the paper and saw nothing. Then the

king said in his heart, ‘Dost thou see? I am then a bastard;’ and he was

sad. And he thought, ‘Now, the remedy is this, that I say it is a goodly

turban and admire it, else will I be put to shame before the folk.’ And

he said ‘Blessed be God! O master, it is a goodly turban, I like it

much.’

“Then that weaver youth said, ‘O king, let them bring a cap that I may

wind the turban for the king.’ They brought a cap, and the weaver youth

laid that paper before him and moved his hands as though he wound the

turban, and he put it on the king’s head. All the nobles who were

standing there said, ‘Blessed be it! O king, how fair, how beautiful a

turban!’ and they applauded it much. Then the king rose and went with

two vezirs into a private room and said, “O vezirs, I am then a bastard;

I see not the turban.’ Quoth the vezirs, ‘O king, we too see it not,’ At

length they knew of a surety that the turban had no existence, and that

that weaver had thus played a trick for the sake of money.

“O king, thou too sayest, ‘On the morrow will I kill him; I will do this

and I will do that;’ and yet there is nothing. O king, I had that dream

this night, there is no doubt that it is as I have interpreted. O king,

if the king’s life and throne go, who knows what they will do to hapless

me?” And she began to weep. When the king saw the lady thus weeping his

heart was pained and he said, “On the morrow I will indeed refuse the

words of whichsoever of my vezirs makes intercession for him, and I will

indeed kill the youth; for, according to the dream thou hast had, this

is no light affair.”

When it was morning the king came and sat upon his throne, and he caused

the youth to be brought and commanded the executioner, “Smite off his

head.” Whereupon the thirteenth vezir came forward and sought to make

intercession, but the king was wroth and said, “Be silent, speak not.”

Thereupon the vezir drew a paper from his breast and said, “For God’s

sake read this paper, then thou wilt know.” Then the king looked at the

paper and saw that there was written thereon, “O king, yesterday I

looked at the astrolabe; for forty days is the prince’s ruling star in

very evil aspect, such that the prince may even lose his head.” Then all

the forty vezirs came forward at once and said, “O king, for the love of

God and the honor of Muhammed Mustafa, for the forty days have patience

and slay not the prince; thereafter it is certain that this affair will

be made clear, and when its origin is known must each one receive his

due.” Then said the vezir, “There is a story suitable to this; if the

king grant leave I will tell it.” The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.”

Quoth the vezir:

THE VICISSITUDES OF LIFE

“There was in the palace of the world a great king and he ruled over the

Seven Climes. But he had neither son nor daughter, and he was ever

offering sacrifices in the way of God. One day God most high accepted

his sacrifice and bestowed on him from his bounty a fair son who was in

his time a second Joseph. So the king was glad, and that day he held a

high feast, and at that feast he gave robes of honor and money to many

men. After that he assembled the astrologers and made them cast the

prince’s horoscope; and the astrologers looked the one at the other and

were bewildered and confounded. Then the king said, ‘What see ye that ye

stand looking the one at the other?’ The astrologers replied, ‘O king of

the world, we have cast the prince’s horoscope; and in the astrolabe and

the Jāmesb-Nāma they thus rule, that from his thirtieth year to his

sixtieth the prince’s ruling star is afflicted so that he shall wander

in strange lands, with tribulation and pain for his companions: “None

... knoweth the unseen save God.”‘[36] After the king had heard these

things from the astrologers, at times his heart would be sad and at

times he would plunge into the ocean of deliberation. Saying, ‘God knows

the end of the boy,’ he began to train up the prince. When the latter

entered his seventh year he appointed him a teacher, and he passed some

years in acquiring reading and writing. When he was become a young man

his father got for him a king’s daughter; and after a time the prince

had two sons. These children, too, in a little time acquired knowledge;

and from time to time they would go out a-pleasuring with their father.

“One day the prince’s heart desired a sea-voyage, and he commanded that

they prepare a ship, and with his children and forty slaves and

attendants he entered the ship. For many days they sailed the sea full

pleasantly. But there was there a Frankish corsair filled with infidels,

and they encountered the prince’s ship and straightway flung their

grappling-irons, and took captive the prince and his two sons and forty

servants, and went off. They took the prince and the forty men and sold

them to the cannibal negroes; but the two boys they sold not, but kept

by them. The negroes fed up the prince and the men with delicate and

delicious foods, and every day they took one of them to their king’s

kitchen and cut his throat, and cooked him at the fire and ate him. When

they had eaten the forty men, the prince’s turn came, him too they took

and brought to the kitchen that they might cut his throat. The prince

perceived that plight, and he entreated God in his heart to give him

strength, and he burst the fetters that were round his wrists and,

striking about with the chains that were in his hands, he slipped

through them and rushed out.

“While he was running on, a vast forest appeared before him, he entered

it, and although the negroes searched for him they could not find him.

Then he came out thence and fared on many stages till one day he came to

a great city. The people crying, ‘He is an enemy,’ rushed upon him. And

the prince exclaimed, ‘O Lord, what tribulation is this!’ and fought

with them. Word was brought to their king, and he came and saw that the

prince was fighting like a dragon. When the king saw the prince’s valor

he admired it, and said to his soldiers who were there, ‘Let no one

attack the stranger.’ Then the soldiers dispersed, and the king took the

prince and went to the palace. He prepared a suit of clothes, and sent

him to the bath, and caused his head to be shaven and made him put on

those clothes, and brought him back to the palace. The king said, ‘Come,

remain by me, I have a daughter, I will give her thee.’ The prince

consented; so they gave him the king’s daughter; and he remained there

two years and his lot was right pleasant. One day the prince’s wife

died; now this was their custom, they had a great deep pit, and if a man

died they put his wife with him alive into that pit, and if a woman died

they did the same with her husband; and they let down along with them a

loaf of bread and a pitcher of water, and covered over the pit with a

great stone.

“So they brought the prince and his wife with a loaf of bread and a

pitcher of water to that pit, and, saying, ‘It is our custom,’ lowered

both of them into the pit and placed that great stone over them. When

the prince saw himself in such case he was bewildered and said, ‘My God!

what plight is this!’ and he prayed to God. And he searched the inside

of the pit carefully and saw a fair girl seated there, and he asked her,

‘What manner of girl art thou?’ She replied, ‘I am a young bride; they

have put me into this pit with my husband.’ And the prince examined the

pit, and saw it to be all full of the bodies of men, some of which were

decayed and some of which were writhing in the agonies of death; and

dread overcame the prince. Of a sudden, while he was seated, a rustling

sound came from one part of the pit; the prince knew that it was some

beast, and he arose and went with the girl straight to that place, and

he found the passage through which that beast had come in. They went for

a time through that passage, and at length came out on the skirt of a

mountain on the bank of a great river. And they were glad thereat, and

thanked God much.

“And there they found a boat, and they gathered fruit from that mountain

and filled the boat, and they both entered the boat and went along with

the current of the river. That river grew wider day by day; but it

passed underneath a great mountain. When they came near to the tunnel

under that mountain they could not govern the boat, and the water took

the boat and bore it under the mountain. When the prince saw this he

exclaimed, ‘My God! O Lord! what tribulation is this too! how shall we

escape from this!’ Helpless they sat in the boat; now the water dashed

the boat against the rocks, now it made it fly down precipices, and now

the mountain became low and pushed the boat under the water; and they,

never ceasing, emptied the water out of the boat. They knew not at all

whither the boat was going, neither did they know whether it was night

or day. For a long time they were a prey to that anguish; and scarce a

spark of life remained in their bodies when, at length, after a hundred

thousand perils, their boat came out from under the mountain on to the

surface of the earth.

“They were glad, and they drew their boat to the shore and got out of

it, and took fruits from the trees that were there, and ate them. While

standing there they saw a great white vaulted building, the dome whereof

was of crystal. The prince and the girl went up to it, and they saw that

it was a great castle, and that the domed building was within the

castle, and on the door of the castle was written, ‘O thou who wouldst

open this door, O thou who desirest to overcome this talisman, bring a

five-footed animal and kill it before here, that the bolts of this

talisman may be opened thereby,’ The prince marvelled and said, ‘Is

there in the world a five-footed animal?’ and he wondered. And they sat

by the gate of the castle and lice tormented them, and they began to

louse themselves. The prince killed a louse, and straightway the bolts

of the castle fell, and they knew that the said five-footed animal was

the louse. Then they both entered by a door, and they saw a garden, such

that of every tree which is in the world there was therein; and ripe

fruits were hanging there and running streams were flowing.

“And the prince felt a longing for those fruits and he went to pluck one

of them that he might eat it, when he saw that those trees were of gold

and their fruits of silver and jewels, and that precious stones were

lying at the foot of the trees, scattered like pebbles in a brook. They

passed through and came to that dome, it was fashioned of crystal, they

entered by a silver door and saw that within that dome was another dome

all of pure gold. It too they entered and saw yet another dome, all the

walls and the top of which were of ruby, built after the fashion of

paradise. They entered it and saw a throne upon which was a coffin made

of jewels, and at the head of the coffin was a tablet whereon was

written: ‘O son of Adam, who comest hither and seest me, know thou that

I was a king, and that all the world was in my hands, and my wealth was

beyond bounds or computation. Men and demons and fairies and jinn were

my warriors; and I lived in the world for a thousand years, and I never

said, “I shall die;” and I made not any preparation against death. One

day, of a sudden, I fell sick, and I knew of a surety that I was about

to die, and I commanded that this dome was built in three days, and I

made it a sepulchre for myself. And by my head are two fountains; drink,

and pray for me.’

“And the prince saw those two fountains and drank; and from one of them

flowed sugared sherbet and from the other milk. And they drank of both

of them and remained a long while by that grave, and they nourished

themselves on the milk and drank of the sherbet. At length they found

some vases, and they took of the milk and the sherbet and the jewels and

the gold, and filled their boat with them, and again set forth on their

voyage. After they had gone for a time the wind drove their boat upon

an island, and they went forth from the boat to look for fruit on the

mountain that they might eat. Of a sudden a body of men came and seized

them; and the prince saw these that they had no heads, their mouths were

in their breasts and their eyes in their shoulders, and their speech,

when they spake together, was as the chirping of birds. And they took

the two and brought them to their king; and they remained there

prisoners a long time.

“At length one day they found an opportunity and escaped, and again they

entered their boat and sailed for a long time upon the sea. Brief, the

prince wandered for thirty years upon the seas, sometimes happening

among nine-headed men, and sometimes among bird-headed, and sometimes

falling among elephant-headed folk, and sometimes among ox-headed, and

then escaping; and each of them inflicted different torments on the

prince. Still God most high opened a way and he escaped. And he saw

these strange and wondrous creatures, and he marvelled. At length,

through the grace of God (glorified and exalted be he!), the wind drove

the prince’s ship before a city, and he saw that the inhabitants of that

country were all men, and he came out. When these saw the prince they

cried, ‘He is a spy,’ and seized him and bound his arms behind his back,

and tied a rope round his neck, and took him alongside a horse, and

said, ‘Our lord has put down: when ships come from the sea and touch at

our country, seize their spies and take them to our king.’ And the

prince exclaimed, ‘What tribulation is this too! how to go alongside a

horse!’ And while he was praying in his heart they reached the city. And

they took the prince in this plight to their king.

“When the king saw the prince he asked, ‘What manner of man art thou?’

The prince said, ‘Many marvellous things have befallen me;’ and he

related his adventures from their beginning to their end. When the king

heard his story he loosed the prince’s bands and took him to his side

and clad him in sumptuous robes of honor. The prince asked for the

jewels that were in his ship. The king bade bring them and said, ‘O

prince, I know thy kingdom, and I heard that the Franks had taken thee;

and I know thy father too. Come, go not away, stay; I have a daughter, I

will give her thee, and we shall live pleasantly together.’ The prince

replied, ‘O king, when I was born of my mother, my father caused my

horoscope to be cast, and the astrologers thus ruled, that my life was

afflicted for thirty years; mayhap if I took the king’s daughter, some

evil might befall the king’s daughter by reason of my affliction; I may

not consent.’ Then the king brought the astrologers and made them cast

the prince’s horoscope. The astrologers gave good news, saying, ‘Glad

tidings be to thee, those thirty afflicted years are passed, now his

ruling star has entered the sign of good fortune.’ The prince was

exceeding glad and joyful.

“Thereupon the king commanded that they made ready a festival, and he

gave his daughter to the prince, and he greatly honored and reverenced

him. After some time the king died, and the prince became king in his

stead. One day when he was seated on his throne they said, ‘O king, a

Frank has come with much merchandise; if the king grant leave, he will

bring his merchandise.’ The king replied, ‘There is leave, let him bring

it.’ And the Frank brought his merchandise before the king. The king saw

his two sons at the Frank’s side, then the blood of love boiled, and the

affection of paternity yearned for them; and he asked that Frank, ‘Are

these youths thine?’ The Frank answered, ‘They are my slaves.’ The king

said, ‘I will buy them.’ And he took the youths to a place apart and

said, ‘Where did this Frank get you?’ Then they related their adventures

from their beginning to their end; and the king knew of a certainty that

they were his own sons, and he pressed them to his heart and kissed each

of them on the eyes, and said, ‘I am your father.’ Then the king arose;

and they killed the Frank with a thousand torments.

“O king, I have told this story for that the king may know that haps

such as this often befall princes. Their happy fortune passes into the

sign of inauspiciousness, and they become a prey to a thousand

tribulations and distresses, so that even gold turns into black earth in

their hands, and all their friends become enemies to them. Afterward the

malefic aspect gives place to prosperity and auspiciousness, then

everyone is their friend. O king, this youth’s ruling star is likewise

afflicted for a few days. Beware, O king, until the days of the malefic

aspect be fulfilled, slay not the youth, else afterward thou wilt be

repentant, and too late repentance profits not. The rest the king

knows.” When the king heard this story from the vezir he asked for the

youth’s governor, but he could not be found. So again he sent the youth

to the prison and went himself to the chase.

When it was evening the king returned from the chase and came to the

palace, and the lady rose to greet him, and they sat down. After the

repast the lady again began to speak about the youth. The king said,

“To-day also such an one of my vezirs made intercession for him and I

sent him to the prison.” And he related to the lady that story which the

vezir had told. Then said the lady, “O king, the reason of these vezirs

stirring up trouble is that they wish to sow enmity between thee and me.

Beware, O king, go not by the words of these, but follow well my words,

that thy present state and thy hereafter may be happy. When God most

high decrees good between husband and wife he gives mildness and accord.

And, moreover, O king, be it good news to thee, a week ago did I

conceive by thee; till now I have not told thee, but now I have told

thee and do thou believe it true.” And the king believed it. Then she

continued, “O king, lo, these vezirs say that this youth’s star has

fallen into a malefic aspect. His star became afflicted what time he

made for thy life and thy kingdom and for me. God most high aided us and

afflicted his star and brought down his head.” And the lady was glad and

said, “Thy true son is he that is in my womb; that youth is without

doubt base-born. Mayhap the king has not heard the story of him who had

no sons.” The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the lady:

THE KING AND THE SHEYKH

“There was in the palace of the world a great king, and he had neither

son nor daughter. And there was in his country a sheykh whose prayers

were answered. One day the king, while conversing with the sheykh, said,

‘O sheykh, God most high has given me no son; do thou strive in prayer

that God most high give me a son.’ The sheykh replied, ‘Send an offering

to the convent that the dervishes may eat, and we shall pray for thee;

God most high is a gracious king, he will give thee a son.’ Now the king

had a golden-ankleted fat ram that was valiant in fight; and he sent

that ram to the sheykh’s convent with some loads of rice and honey and

oil. That night the dervishes ate and were pleased; and the sheykh sent

of that meat in an earthen bowl to the king, saying, ‘Let him desire a

son and eat of the dervishes’ portion.’ Then the dervishes danced, after

which they prayed and besought of God a son for the king. By the divine

decree the king’s wife conceived that night, and in a short time she

brought forth a moon-faced boy.

“The king was delighted, and called the people of the country to the

feast; and he took the prince and laid him on the sheykh’s skirt, and he

bestowed many gifts on the sheykh’s convent. One day, some time after

that, when the king was conversing with the sheykh, he said, ‘O sheykh,

what if thou were to pray and beseech of God another son for me?’ The

sheykh replied, ‘The favors of God are many; to pray is ours, to give is

his; send then an offering to the dervishes.’ Now the king had a

favorite plump horse, that sent he forthwith to the convent. The

devotees cut its throat and roasted it, and again sent an earthen bowl

of it to the king. They ate the rest themselves, and prayed and besought

of God a son for the king. By the divine decree the lady again

conceived, and in a short time she brought forth a moon-faced boy. And

the king was delighted and sent many gifts to the dervishes. Some time

afterward the king requested the sheykh to beg of God yet another son.

The sheykh said, ‘To pray is ours, to give is God’s; send again an

offering to the devotees.’ Now the king had a good mule, that sent he to

the convent. The devotees sold that mule and took its price and

therewith prepared a confection. And they sent a bowl of that too to the

king. After the dance they prayed and besought of God a son for the

king.

“Again the king’s wife conceived and gave birth to a moon-faced boy. And

the king was glad and sent many gifts to the dervishes. When the king’s

sons grew up, the eldest turned out very valiant; the second proved

swift of foot and accomplished and possessed of understanding and

sagacity; but the youngest was ill-omened and ill-natured, and oppressed

men, and wounded and wasted the hearts of many poor creatures with the

sword of his tongue. And the king was sore grieved because of him. One

day while conversing with the sheykh he complained of his youngest son

and said, ‘O sheykh, would that we had not besought of God that youngest

boy.’ The sheykh replied, ‘O king, why art thou grieved? thou art

thyself the cause of that youth being thus.’ The king asked, ‘How am I

the cause?’ The sheykh answered, ‘First thou gavest in the cause of God

a ram[37] among beasts, and God most high hath given thee a son of

courage among men; then thou gavest in the cause of God a courser of the

plain of earth among beasts, and God most high hath given thee a courser

of the plain of glory and fortune and understanding and accomplishments

among men; and after that thou gavest in the cause of God an ill-omened

and base-born brute among beasts, and God hath given thee such an one

among men. O king, he who sows barley reaps not wheat.’ In the end the

king got no rest until he had killed the youth.

“Now, O king, I have told this story for that the king may know that

from this ill-omened, base-born one no good will come. They have said

that the base-born are of two classes; the one the fruit of adultery,

the other the fruit of illicit union. This thy son is without doubt of

one of these two sets; lo, thy true-born offspring is about to come into

existence.” When the king heard these beguiling words of the lady he

said, “On the morrow will I kill the youth, be not sad.”

When it was morning the king came and sat upon his throne and ordered

the executioner that he bring the youth, and he said, “Smite off his

head.” The fifteenth vezir came forward and said, “O king of the world,

it is not seemly to kill the prince in compliance with the woman’s word,

for the angels that are in heaven are not safe against woman’s wiles.

Hast thou heard the story of the King’s Remorse?” The king said,

“Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the vezir:

THE KING’S REMORSE

“There was in the palace of the world a famous king and God most high

had given him a son. After some time the son became afflicted with a

heartburn, and he would ever complain of his heart. The king brought

together all the physicians that were to be got, and they treated the

boy’s ailment; but it was in vain, the physicians were powerless. As

often as the boy said, ‘Father, my heart,’ the king would say, ‘Son, my

heart aches more than thy heart;’ and the king was afflicted at his

pain. At length the boy died. After the dismay, the king came up by the

boy and said, ‘Cut him open that I may see what pain was in his heart.’

When they had cut open the boy the king saw that a bone had grown on the

top of his heart. The king ordered that they took out that bone and then

buried the boy; and the king caused that bone to be made into the handle

of a knife.

“One day they placed a water-melon before the king; the king cut the

melon with that knife and ate some of it, and he stuck the knife into

the remains of the melon and left it. Then the king caused the chess

things to be brought and he began to play; afterward he went to take up

the knife when he saw that the part of the handle which had penetrated

into the melon was melted and had vanished. As soon as the king saw this

he exclaimed, ‘Dost thou see? the cure for my son’s sickness was

water-melon; and I knew it not.’ And his heart was grieved thereat, and

he began to weep, and said, ‘Son, it has gone from thy heart and come

into my heart; would that thou hadst not come to earth!’ And at length

that king died of anguish of soul.

“Now, O king, I have told this story for that thou mayst beware and slay

not thy child on the woman’s word, lest thou too die of anguish of

soul.” And he kissed the ground and made intercession for the prince.

When the king heard this story from the vezir he sent the youth to the

prison and went himself to the chase.

When it was evening the king returned from the chase and came to the

palace, and the lady rose to greet him, and they passed on and sat down.

After the repast the lady began to speak about the youth. The king said,

“This day also such an one of my vezirs made intercession for him and I

sent him to the prison.” The lady said, “O king, this youth is a dragon,

until he be killed thou shalt not be safe from his malice; it is even as

it was with a certain king who until he had killed his son could not

escape from his pain; mayhap the king has not heard that story.” Then

the king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the lady:

LUQMĀN’S DEVICE

“They have related that a great king was wroth with Luqmān,[38] and

commanded that they lowered him into a pit and closed up the mouth of

the pit with a great stone. By Luqmān the sage was a pill, of the

bigness of a walnut, which he had made by his science. He ever smelled

it, and his hunger was satisfied and his thirst was quenched; and for a

long time he remained in that pit. The king who imprisoned him died, and

his son became king in his stead. And sickness seized upon this king;

and the physicians treated him, but he grew no better, and his trouble

increased upon him. They were helpless and said, ‘O king, had Luqmān

been alive he could have cured thy pain.’ Then said the king, ‘What

manner of man was Luqmān?’ They replied, ‘Thy father was wroth with him

and put him into the pit; by now his bones are rotten. But Luqmān was a

man such that God most high hath mentioned him in the noble Koran; such

a sage has never come to earth.’ The king said, ‘If it be so, open the

pit, belike he has in some way saved himself.’

“They went and opened that pit and went down and saw him sitting there,

and they came and told the king. The king said, ‘Quick, go bring him.’

They went to pull him out of the pit, when Luqmān said, ‘If the king

wish me, wrap me in cotton and draw me out; and bring to me a leech

every night.’ They did so, and after forty days he arose and came before

the king, and he saw the king lying without strength. After praising and

lauding him, he asked of the king’s trouble and felt his pulse, and

said, ‘O king, thou hast a hard sickness.’ Then he asked, ‘Has the king

a son?’ They replied, ‘He has.’ Luqmān said, ‘O king, until the throat

of thy son be cut and his blood rubbed on thy body, this thy pain will

not leave thee.’ The king answered, ‘O Luqmān, thou art thyself a great

man; I will consent to my own death, but I will not consent to my

son’s.’ Quoth Luqmān, ‘O king, I have told thee the cure; the rest thou

knowest.’ And he arose and went away.

“After some days the king’s trouble increased, and he called Luqmān to

his side and said, ‘O Luqmān, is there no other remedy?’ Luqmān

answered, ‘O king, there is no cure save the cutting of thy son’s

throat.’ The king’s soul came up to his throat through that trouble.

Quoth Luqmān, ‘O king, when thou art well, sons will not be lacking

thee.’ Then said the king, ‘Now get the boy and cut his throat in a

distant place that mine eyes see it not.’ Luqmān said, ‘There is no good

if it be done in another place, it is needful that it be done before

thine eyes.’ Then they gave the boy into Luqmān’s hands. And Luqmān

bound the boy’s hands and feet, and cunningly tied a bladder filled with

blood round the boy’s throat, and laid him down before the king. Then he

took a diamond knife in his hand and said, ‘O king, now look, see how I

cut the prince’s throat.’

“When the king’s two eyes were fixed on the boy, he struck against the

boy’s throat with the knife and the blood gushed out. When the king saw

the blood on the boy’s throat he sighed; and when Luqmān saw him he

thanked God. And straightway he raised the boy from the ground and

kissed his two eyes; and Luqmān said, ‘O king, I could find no other way

to turn off thy sickness than this trick.’ Then the king greatly

applauded Luqmān and bestowed upon him much wealth.

“Now, O king, I have told this story for that until the king have killed

his son, he too will have no security from trouble.” When the king heard

this story from the lady he was wroth and said, “To-morrow will I kill

him.”

When it was morning the king went and sat upon his throne and he caused

the youth to be brought and ordered the executioner, “Smite off his

head.” The sixteenth vezir came forward and said, “O king of the world,

it is not beseeming thy glory that thou castest to the waters the words

of the vezirs; for men are either good or bad concerning the king,

whatsoever they say, the king is informed thereof, and the king is given

word of evil or hurt about to be, and all that goes on without is known

to the king, that he may make preparation accordingly. It is even as in

the tradition, ‘Speak to men according to their understanding.’ Mayhap

my king has not heard the story of the dervish and the king.” The king

said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the vezir:

THE KING AND THE DERVISH

“There was in a palace of the world a king and his name was Aydin

(light). One day a dervish came before him and spake pleasantly with

fair discretion; and whatsoever they asked, he answered the whole of it,

and his every word seemed good to the king. The king said, ‘O dervish,

go not away, let us spend this evening together.’ The dervish blessed

him and said, ‘On head and eye.’ Now it was then very cold. So the king

took the dervish, and they went to the palace and sat down. The king

ordered that they laid wood upon the fireplace and set light to it,

whereupon the dervish repeated these verses--

‘Take in winter fire from garden-land;

Take the goblet from the drunken band;

Should there no loveling for cup-bearer be,

Take from orange-breasted damsel’s hand.’

“As these verses seemed right good to the king, he wrote them in his

album; and he said to the dervish, ‘Tell some merry story.’ Quoth the

dervish, ‘O king, once there was a king, and by him there was a devotee.

One day they said to the king, “Yon devotee is a Rāfizī.”[39] The king,

to try him, one day asked that devotee, “O devotee, lovest thou Saint

Abu Bekr the True?” The devotee replied, “Nay.” He said, “Lovest thou

Saint ‘Omar?” He answered, “Nay.” “Then lovest thou Saint ‘Othmān?” He

answered, “Nay, nay.” “Then lovest thou Saint ‘Alī the Approved?” He

answered, “Nay.” Thereupon the king’s difficulties from being one became

two, and he thought and said in himself, “If this devotee were a Rāfizī,

he would love Saint ‘Alī, though he loved not the other Noble Companions

our Lords; if he were a Sunnī, he would love all of the Four Chosen

Friends our Lords.” And he turned and said to the devotee, “Thou lovest

none of the Glorious Companions, whom then lovest thou?”

“‘The devotee replied, “There is at the gate of the bazaar a loveling of

the age; lo, that is whom I love.” The king was pleased with this jest

of the devotee and gave him many gifts.’ And that dervish told stories

such as this to the king, and he amused the king with many jests. That

night they ate and drank, and when their converse was finished,

drowsiness came upon the king, and he would have lain down, but the

devotee was at ease and would not rise and go. The slaves thought to say

to the devotee, ‘Arise and go,’ but they feared the king and were

silent. The king too wished that the devotee might perceive by his

discretion that he should arise; but where was that discretion? The king

looked, but it was not.

“Then he called to his servants, ‘Strike the fagot that the glow (ishiq)

may go out.’ The servants understood not and remained still. Thereupon

the devotee said, ‘Why wait ye? Strike the log that the light (aydin)

may spring up.’ Now the king’s name was Aydin (light) and the devotee’s

name was Ishiq (glow).[40] The king said, ‘I sent thee off with a fagot,

that is struck thee with a fagot, but thou didst strike me with a log.’

The devotee said, ‘My king, thou didst not strike me with a fagot,

neither did I strike my king with a log; so do thou rest on the one side

of the hearth and I shall rest on the other.’ And the king was pleased

with these words of the devotee; and they lay down and rested.

“Now, O king, I have told this story for that thou mayst know that a

certain freedom is usual with the accomplished. Now there are no learned

men equal to these forty vezirs of my king, each one of whom utters

these many good sayings and fair words; and indeed the good or bad of

these has many a time been tried. And what is incumbent upon my king is

this, that he listen not to the words of these inattentively nor cast

them to the winds.” The king said, “This demand leaves me in

bewilderment. Our Lord the Apostle of God hath said concerning women,

that they are enemies to you, but that one of them is needful to each of

you. And God most high hath said in his glorious Word, ‘Your wealth and

your children are but a trial.’[41] Now I ask these affairs of this

youth and he answers not at all; and so long as he will not speak, will

my difficulty remain unsolved. Thus it seems to me that this youth has

done this wantonness, and therefore cannot speak.”

When the vezir saw this much consideration on the part of the king he

said, “My king, in everything the mysterious workings of God most high

are many; let not my king regard the not speaking of the youth. One day

will he speak indeed; yea, there is also in that noble verse concerning

children, ‘And God: with him is great reward.’” And he kissed the ground

and made intercession for the prince. And the king sent the youth to the

prison and went himself to the chase. That day, when they were hunting,

a deer rose, and the hounds pursued it, and all the attendants pushed

their horses after that deer, and the king too pushed on. Each one went

in a different direction, and the king was left alone. When it was

evening there was with him no attendant nor anyone; the king looked and

there was none, and he said, “There is in this some divine working.” And

straightway he disguised himself and pushed on and came to a village and

was guest in a shepherd’s house.

On the morrow he rose betimes, and while he was watching the sheep and

lambs, he looked and saw a lamb that had lost its mother. Seeking about,

it went up to a sheep, and that sheep butted at the lamb, and the lamb

fell. It rose again and went to another sheep; and that sheep likewise

butted at the lamb. The king asked this from the shepherd, “Why do these

sheep butt at that lamb?” The shepherd said, “To-day this lamb’s mother

died; these, being not its mother, receive it not.” Then the king sighed

in his soul and said in his heart, “May God most high leave not a

servant of his an orphan.”

Let us to our story: The attendants returned to the city, and each one

turned his horse’s head straight to the palace. They arrived at the

castle, and one of them called out and learned the circumstance (of the

king’s absence) from the watchmen; so they went to look for news of the

king. On the other hand the watchmen informed the grand vezir of the

matter; and straightway the grand vezir commanded that all of those

watchmen were secured in prison,[42] and he himself walked about the

city till morning. He sent a vezir to the king’s attendants, saying, “Go

tell the attendants that they publish not this affair, and do thou go

with the whole of them to seek the king.” On her part, the lady looked

and the time passed and the king came not, and she caused the grand

vezir to be questioned; the vezir sent word to her, “This night there

is a great council; our king will not go in.”

The vezir questioned the king’s attendants; and while they were going to

the place where they had left the king, the king himself set out from

the village where he was and came to the place where the attendants had

dispersed. The attendants saw the king, and brought word to the vezir;

so the vezir pushed on his horse and came up to the king. The king said

in his heart, “These will have enthroned the prince and sent this vezir

to me; now is he coming to give me the sherbet; O how the lady’s words

were true!” The vezir saw from the king’s countenance that he was

thinking thus, and he came up quickly to him, and kissed the ground

before the king, and said, “My king, what plight is this plight? Is it

beseeming to remain without at such a time? Above all, as the prince has

been these many days imprisoned, everyone says that the king’s senses

have well nigh left him.”

Thereupon the king said, “Have ye taken the prince from prison?” The

vezir replied, “Nay, my king; the grand vezir secured in prison the

watchmen who had learned of my king’s remaining out in the evening from

the attendants who came to the gate; and he sent me and the attendants

to seek my king.” The king’s mind was somewhat comforted, but his heart

would not believe. Then the vezir perceived that the king’s heart was

not at ease and he said to the king, “My king, thy grand vezir sent me

hither in the evening; to learn the events of to-day are my eyes now on

the road.” And he kissed the ground and was silent. The king said, “If

we went on now it were too quick; but let an attendant go and inform the

vezir of the affair.” They sent on an attendant; and that day, when it

was evening, the king came to the palace and found everything in its

proper place, and his heart was again at rest concerning his vezir.

After the repast he entered the harem. The lady had rubbed a dye upon

her eyes and made them red, and she rose to greet the king as if

weeping; and the king passed on and sat in his place. When coffee and

sherbets had been drunk she asked of the haps of the night, and the king

related the events to her. She said, “O king, the thing thou hast done

might be in two ways; the one, of purpose, to distinguish between friend

and foe; the other, by chance. In this instance thou hast passed the

evening outside by chance, and thy heart is at ease for that thy vezirs

have done no unseemly deed. But, my king, beware, trust not these

vezirs; for they would make the youth king. Praise be to God! thou art

well, but they still watch their opportunity; and this youth has no

dread of thee, thou hast brought him up full insolent; that is not good.

And they have said that if a person treat thee as a brother, do thou

treat him as a master and deem him great. Kings are like fire; if thou

be a lion, thou must be on thy guard against the fire, even as lions are

on their guard against fire.

“There is a fable suitable to this: The lynxes go along with the lion,

but they go not close to him. One day they asked one of them, ‘Thou

goest along with the lion; why goest thou not near to him?’ He replied,

‘Firstly, the lion hunts beasts and I eat his leavings; secondly, when

an enemy comes against me I go to him and take refuge; as these two

things are good for me I go along with him. And the reason of my going

not near is this, that his glory is that of a render, one day it might

be that he should rend me like the leopard; therefore go I not near

him.’ Wise is he who acts before kings like the lynx; for nearness to

the sultan is a burning fire. Even as the lynx is content with and eats

the lion’s leavings, must the wise man be content with the king’s

leavings; else, if he stretch forth his hand to the morsel that is in

the king’s mouth--the plight of him who stretches forth his hand is

notorious. If an enemy appear, it is needful to take refuge with the

king; so one must ever be between dread and entreaty, and must measure

his words. A word is like an arrow that has left the bow, when once it

leaves the mouth it returns not again. Mayhap my king has not heard the

story of Sultan Mahmūd[43] and Hasan of Maymand.”[44] The king said,

“Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the lady:

MAHMŪD AND HASAN

“A word was the cause of Sultan Mahmūd dismissing his vezir Hasan of

Maymand, and confiscating all his property and banishing him. So what

could Hasan of Maymand do but yield consent to misfortune and bear

calamity with patience? One day, during his exile, while he was passing

along a street, a group of children were playing, one was prince and one

was vezir. The prince got angry and wished to banish the vezir and

confiscate his property. The child who was vezir said, ‘Art thou just or

art thou a tyrant?’ The prince answered, ‘I am just,’ Then said the

vezir, ‘Thou art just; well, when I came to thee I was young, and I have

spent my life in thy service and gained my property; now thou

confiscatest my property and takest away my office, I now ask back from

thee my life that I have spent in thy service; if thou be just, it is

right that thou give me my life.’ The prince was silent and made that

child vezir again.

“Hasan of Maymand liked the child’s words, and straightway he went and

composed a petition and sent it to Sultan Mahmūd. When the petition

arrived they took it and gave it to the king. The king read it, and when

he perceived its import, he straightway ordained that he was pardoned

and reinstated in his office. So he was dismissed by one word and

reinstated by one word.

“O king, I deemed this story suitable in that a master of speech comes

not readily to hand; and a master of speech is one who knows the speech

that ought to be spoken. For speech is of two kinds; one kind is truth,

another kind is folly. A wise man distinguishes between the speech of a

sage and the speech of a fool. A sage speaks with understanding, but a

fool speaks with trickery. The man who distinguishes not between these

is like a beast, for a beast knows only when it is hungry and when it is

full. Now this thy degenerate son has made for thy life and thy throne;

this is beseeming, that thou give him neither grace nor time. Thou must

kill him to-morrow, else he will slay thee.” When the king heard this

story from the lady he said, “To-morrow will I finish his affair.”

When it was morning and the sun shed light (aydin) and, like the words

of the king and the dervish, the glow (ishiq) appeared, and the world

was illuminated with radiance, the happy-fortuned king passed and sat

upon his throne, and he caused the executioner to bring the youth and

commanded, “Smite off his head.” The eighteenth vezir came forward and

said, “O king of the world, two things are indeed incumbent upon kings;

the first is to have pity on the folk, and the second is to have mercy

in the time of wrath. Long will be the life of the king who is thus, and

God most high will protect him from all calamities. It is even as said

our lord the Holy Apostle of God, ‘Be merciful to those upon the earth

that the dwellers in heaven may have mercy upon you.’ And the friends of

a king who is generous are many, and he triumphs over his enemies, and

is of the host of the prophets and the saints. And there is a story of

Sultan Mahmūd suitable to this; if the king grant leave, I will relate

it.” The king said, “Relate, let us hear.” Quoth the vezir:

STORY OF SULTAN MAHMŪD

“One day while Sultan Mahmūd, the son of Sebuktekīn, was hunting, he got

separated from his soldiers, and he saw someone going along in a

trackless place. He pushed on and came up to that man and saluted him

and said, ‘O man, whence art thou and what is thy origin?’ The man

replied, ‘From the kingdom; and my origin my mother knows.’ Then the

sultan saw that he was wrapped up in black clothes and mounted on a

black ass; and the king asked, ‘Whither goest thou now?’ That man

replied, ‘I go to Sultan Mahmūd,’ The king said, ‘What is thy desire of

the sultan?’ The man answered, ‘I want 10,000 aspres of him; I have a

debt, perchance he may give it me and I shall be freed from my debt.’

The sultan said, ‘If he give it not, how wilt thou act?’ The man

replied, ‘If he will not give 10,000, let him give 1,000.’ Again the

sultan said, ‘If he will not give even 1,000, what wilt thou do?’ The

man replied, ‘If he will not give a thousand aspres, let him give a

hundred aspres.’ The sultan said, ‘If he will not give even that, what

wilt thou do?’ Then the fellow replied, ‘If he will not give even a

hundred aspres, I shall say, _Bu qara eshegimin durt ayaghi ‘avretinin

ferjine!_[45] and shall turn and go.’ The king wondered at this man’s

self and words.

“After a little he met his soldiers and went to his palace and sat upon

his throne and thus commanded the grand chamberlain, ‘A man clad in

black and mounted on a black ass will come, give him leave to enter.’

The next day, early in the morning, that man came, and the grand

chamberlain took him and brought him into the king’s presence. When he

saw the king he knew that it was he whom he had seen yesterday, and

straightway he prayed for the king and asked 10,000 aspres. The king

said, ‘May God give it thee.’ The man said, ‘Give 1,000 aspres.’ Again

the king answered, ‘May God give it thee.’ The man said, ‘Let it be a

hundred aspres.’ Again the king answered, ‘May God give it thee.’ Then

the man said, ‘Be thou well; the black ass is tied at the door.’

Thereupon a courtier[46] said, ‘The king has bestowed nothing on thee;

let the black ass be.’ The man said, ‘If he has not, then it means,

_eshegimin durt ayaghi ‘avretinin ferjine!_ And I shall be off.’ But his

boldness pleased the king who said, ‘This poor man’s desire is but to be

delivered from distress and find rest, as he got no boon from us he

mounts his ass and goes.’ And this remained as a proverb, ‘The black ass

is tied at the door.’ However, he bestowed on him somewhat.

“And this story resembles it: A certain khoja was going from Hindustan

to Bagdad, and while on the road he thus thought, ‘When I enter the city

of Bagdad what goods should I buy?’ Anyhow he entered Bagdad, and there

was there a naked abdal[47] who had plucked out his beard and put it in

a piece of paper. He came up to the khoja and said, ‘I have heard, O

khoja, that thou hast come to buy goods; I have something, buy it.’ And

he gave the paper into the khoja’s hand. The khoja took it and opened it

and saw in it the hairs of the beard, and he said, ‘What shall I do with

this?’ The abdal said, ‘Take it, and give the money.’ The khoja

answered, ‘I shall not give money for this.’ The abdal said, ‘Why wilt

thou not give money? that is indeed a beard; is it not worth a hundred

aspres?’ The khoja replied, ‘It is not.’ The abdal said, ‘Let it be ten

aspres; is it not worth that?’ The khoja answered, ‘It is not.’ The

abdal said, ‘Let it be five aspres; is it not worth that?’ The khoja

said, ‘It is not.’ Then said the abdal, ‘A beard is not worth five

aspres; why then dost thou carry one? shave it off and let it go.’ The

khoja was pleased with this jest of the abdal and gave him a hundred

aspres.

“Now, O king, I have told these stories for that the king may know that

it is needful for kings to raise the fallen and bestow favors on the

poor.” And he kissed the ground and made intercession for the prince.

When the king heard these stories from the vezir he sent the prince to

the prison and went himself to the chase.

When it was evening the king returned from the chase and came to the

palace, and the lady rose to greet him, and they sat down. After the

repast the lady asked for news about the youth. The king said, “To-day

likewise such an one of my vezirs made intercession for him and I sent

him to the prison.” The lady said, “O king, think not thou this youth

would maintain thy place after thee and observe the ordinances of kings.

To exercise sovereignty is a hard work. I know that he is no true man;

he watches his opportunity, and one day he will slay thee and shed

blood, and then they will kill him too. Moreover, family and descent are

needful for one; he who is not of family cannot exercise sovereignty.

And one’s nature must be good. There are men of family and descent who

are yet themselves of evil nature; for there is not honey in every bee

nor a pearl in every oyster. Then this youth’s nature is evil; he has

not the qualities of a king; his work would ever be wickedness and he

would do wrong to those who do good. It is like the story of a certain

merchant’s son; mayhap my king has not heard it.” The king said, “Tell

on, let us hear.” Quoth the lady:

STORY OF THE MERCHANT’S SON

“There was of old time a cobbler in the city of Orfa. One day he saw a

dervish passing, the seams of whose shoes had given way. The cobbler

said, ‘Dervish, come, sit down till I sew up the seams of thy shoes and

patch the holes.’ The dervish answered, ‘If thou hast a remedy, apply it

to the hole in my heart.’ The cobbler gave him his right hand and he

came and sat down; and the cobbler gave him food to eat and sewed up the

holes in his shoes and said, ‘O dervish, I too wish to journey; what

counsel dost thou give me?’ The dervish answered, ‘I have three

counsels; see thou keep them: my first is this, set not out on the

journey till thou hast found a good fellow-traveller; for the Apostle of

God hath said, “The companion, then the road.” My second is this, light

not in a waterless place. My third is this, enter great cities when the

sun is rising.’ Then he went his way. After some days the cobbler found

some suitable fellow-travellers and set out. While they were on the

road, one day in the afternoon a city appeared before them. The cobbler

youth asked, ‘What city is this city?’ The companions answered, ‘It is

the city of Aleppo.’ The youth said, ‘To-day it is near evening; I shall

not enter the city to-day.’

“Howsoever the companions urged him, it was no use; so at length they

left him and went on. The youth went and lighted on the bank of a stream

and remained there that night. Now there were tombs near the youth; and

when it was midnight he saw two men coming from the city carrying

something which they laid in the graveyard, and then they went away.

Then the youth went up to that grave, and, striking a light with a flint

and steel, lit a candle; he saw that they had laid there a new coffin,

and that from the four sides of that coffin streams of blood were

running. The cobbler youth opened the lid of the coffin and looked to

see what he might see; there was a body bathed in blood, the garments

were of massive gold embroidery and on the finger was a ring in which a

stone glittered. The youth coveted the ring and took hold of it that he

might pull it off, whereupon the body raised its head and said, ‘O

youth, fearest thou not God that thou wouldst take my ring?’ Then the

youth saw that it was a girl like the moon of fourteen nights, a torment

of the age, like a lovely rose; and he said, ‘What is this plight?’ The

girl said, ‘Now is not the time for questions; if thou be able, relieve

me; and afterward I will help thine affairs.’

“Straightway the youth pulled off his outer robe and tore it in pieces

and bound up the girl’s wounds and laid her in a place. When it was

morning he took her on his back and brought her into the city and placed

her in a cell in a certain place; and to all who asked of her he said,

‘She is my sister; passion came upon me and I brought this plight upon

this poor creature, and she innocent.’ The youth tended the girl’s

wounds and in the course of a month or two she became well. One day she

went to the bath, and when she returned she asked the youth for inkhorn,

reed, and paper. The youth brought them and placed them before her. The

girl wrote a letter and gave it into the youth’s hands; and therein was

written thus: ‘Thou who art Khoja Dibāb, the superintendent of the

bazaar, give the bearer of this letter a hundred sequins and send him to

me; and disclose nothing to my father of my health or my death; if thou

do, thou shalt reflect well upon the issue.’ She sealed it and said,

‘Go, give this letter to a khoja who sits in such and such a place in

the bazaar, and take whatever he gives thee and bring it.’

“The youth took that letter and went to the bazaar and asked, and they

showed him to him, and he gave the letter into his hand. When the khoja

opened the letter and read it, he kissed it and raised it to his head,

and straightway drew forth a purse of gold and gave it to the youth. The

youth brought it and laid it before the girl. The girl said, ‘Go, take a

house, and buy with what is over clothes for thee and me.’ The youth

went and took a house and bought sumptuous clothes and brought them to

the girl. And they arose and went to that house which they had taken.

Again she wrote a letter which she gave to the youth who took it to the

khoja, who this time gave him two purses which he took to the girl. She

said to him, ‘Go, my youth, and buy some provisions and furniture for

the house.’ And the youth went and bought them. Then the girl got

another purse of sequins, and she said to the youth, ‘Go, buy thyself

horses and arms and male slaves and female slaves.’ And the youth went

and bought them, and he brought them and gave them to the girl, and he

said, ‘Now tell me what are these matters.’ The girl answered, ‘Now is

not the time, by and bye.’

“Gradually the girl built palaces there and increased the number of her

male slaves and female slaves, and whenever she gave the youth a letter

he went and got two or three purses of gold from that khoja. One day the

girl gave the youth a purse of gold and said, ‘In the bazaar is a youth

they call Ghazanfer Agha; now go and find him, and ask of him some

precious stuff, and he will show it thee, and whatever price he ask for

it, give him the double thereof, and take and bring it.’ So the youth

went and found him, and sat a while and talked with him; and whatever

the price of it was he gave the double, and took it; and Ghazanfer Agha

marvelled at this. The youth returned and gave it to the girl, and again

he asked of these matters, but the girl said that this too was not the

time. And she took out a purse of jewels and gave it to the youth and

said, ‘Take these jewels and go to Ghazanfer Agha and ask him to put a

value on them, and take them out and lay them before him, and see what

he will say to thee; and when putting the jewels back into the purse

present him with three of them.’ So she sent him off. The youth said, ‘I

shall go; but when I come back tell me the things that have befallen

thee.’ He went and did as the girl had said.

“When Ghazanfer Agha saw these gifts he said to the youth, ‘O youth,

thou hast made us ashamed; pray be troubled to come once to our house

and honor us that we may show our affection.’ The youth replied, ‘What

though it be so; to-morrow I shall go.’ And he bade him farewell and he

came and told the girl, and the girl said, ‘Go to-morrow; but when thou

enterest his house look not to this side nor that side, but look

straight before thee.’ And thus did she warn him. When it was morning

the youth arose; and Ghazanfer Agha looked and saw the youth coming and

he said, ‘Welcome!’ and took him and led him to his house. And the youth

looked at nothing, but passed on and sat down; and Ghazanfer Agha

treated and entertained that youth with all manner of delicious foods,

and then sent him away. And the youth came and told the girl, and she

said, ‘Go again to-morrow and talk with him, and when thou risest, do

thou too invite him; and be not jealous.’

“And the youth reflected and said in his heart. ‘This Ghazanfer Agha

must be the friend of this girl; anyhow we shall see; whatever God does

he does well.’ In the morning he went and invited him, and then came to

the girl and gave her word and said, ‘Tell me and let me hear of the

matters of that night.’ The girl answered, ‘Now is not the time; go and

get these things which are needful.’ The youth went and got them and

brought them and gave her them and said, ‘Lo, I have brought them; tell

me.’ The girl said, ‘Now is the guest coming, it cannot be; by and bye I

will tell thee.’ When Ghazanfer Agha came the youth gave the girl word

and she said, ‘Go and meet him, and lead him and bring him here.’ The

youth said in his heart, ‘This is not without reason; but wait, we shall

see.’ And he led him respectfully, and he entered and sat down with the

girl. After that, came foods and they ate and drank and made merry till

the evening. Then the girl sent word and the youth came in, and she

said, ‘Take care, be it not that thou lettest Ghazanfer Agha leave this

evening.’ And the youth said, ‘What is this of thee that thou dost not

dismiss him?’ The girl answered, ‘I will tell thee afterward.’ The youth

said in his heart, ‘I shall slay the two of you this night.’ And he went

out. When it was night Ghazanfer Agha asked leave to go away, but the

youth would not let him, and Ghazanfer Agha saw that it was not to be,

so he remained; and they brought out a clean coverlet and mattress and

made a bed for him. And Ghazanfer Agha lay down, and the youth lay down,

but he slept not that he might watch the girl.

“When it was midnight the girl arose and the youth saw her, but he made

no sound, and the girl went up close to Ghazanfer Agha. The youth,

unable to endure it any longer, rose from his place and said fiercely to

the girl, ‘What seekest thou there?’ The girl saw that the youth spake

angrily and she took him by the hand and drew him to a place apart and

said, ‘I am about to slay this Ghazanfer Agha.’ The youth said, ‘What is

the reason of it?’ The girl replied, ‘The reason of it is this: I am the

daughter of the king of this land, and this youth was a butcher’s

apprentice. One day, when going to the bath, I met this youth selling

meat upon the road; as soon as I saw him I fell in love with him, and

the bird, my heart, was taken, so that I was without rest and could not

remain quiet. I saw there was no help for it, so I got him by force of

money, and sometimes I went to his house, and sometimes I had him

brought in disguise to my palace. One night I went in disguise to his

house, and I saw him sitting conversing with a gipsy, and I got angry

and I cursed the two of them. This youth was wont to use the dagger, and

he gave me many wounds, and thought me dead and put me in a coffin and

sent me with two men who laid me in that tomb thou sawest. Praise be to

God! my time was not yet; thou didst come to me like Khizr: now, do thou

kill him.’

“The youth said, ‘I shall kill him. Wilt thou marry me according to the

ordinance of God?’ She answered, ‘I will not marry thee; but the vezir

has a daughter fairer than I, her will I get for thee.’ Then the youth

smote him and killed him. The girl said, ‘In the morning go to my father

and give him good news; and go to-night and bring here all the

possessions of this youth.’ The youth said, ‘To-morrow thy father will

bring them.’ When it was morning the youth went and gave the good news

to the king. And the king sent slave-girls who brought the girl to the

palace. And her mother was glad when she saw her safe and sound.[48] And

they confiscated the property of Ghazanfer Agha and bestowed it on that

youth.

“But what would the youth do with the wealth? his desire was the girl.

The king’s vezirs said, ‘My king, it were right if thou give the girl to

the youth.’ The king answered, ‘It is my desire too; for when my

daughter disappeared and we sought but could not find her, I made a

promise, saying, that to him who brought good news of my daughter I

should give her; but the girl does not wish it.’ The vezirs said, ‘My

king, our daughters are thine; make this youth thy client; whichever

girl thou pleasest, give her to him.’ The king said, ‘I shall make a

proposal;’ and he went and spake with her mother. And the girl’s mother

went to her and with difficulty persuaded her; and then sent word to the

king. That hour they performed the marriage ceremony, and the king made

the youth a vezir; and they lived for a long time in joyance and

delight.

“O king, I have told this story for that thou mayst know that thy son

will not accept counsel, but purposes for thy life. Because that cobbler

youth accepted the words of the saints he attained to fortune; and that

butcher’s apprentice, for that he was a fool, wounded his benefactress,

the king’s daughter; and if the girl had not killed him, he would have

made her disgraced before the world. Do thou then, O king, take profit

by the tale; beware, spare not this foolish youth, but kill him; else

thou shalt be repentant.” When the king heard this story from the lady

he said, “To-morrow will I kill him.”

When it was morning and the sun had appeared, like as appeared the

kindness shown by the king’s daughter to the butcher’s apprentice, and

the world was illumined with light, the king passed and sat upon his

throne, and he caused the youth to be brought and commanded the

executioner, “Smite off his head.” The nineteenth vezir came forward and

said, “O king, beware, hurry not in this matter, look to the thought of

the hereafter and the way of the Law. The Apostle (peace on him!) saith,

‘God most high maketh wise in the Truth him to whom he wisheth to do

good.’ According to this sacred tradition, what is befitting the king is

this, that he transgress not the bounds of God. The truth is this, that

in this matter the prince is sinless. O king, when can one obtain a son?

Slay not thy prince, or grief for thy son will be full hard, and in the

end thou shalt be unable to endure it. There is a story suitable to

this; if the king grant leave I will relate it.” The king said, “Relate

it, let us hear.” Quoth the vezir:

HASAN OF BASRA

“Hasan of Basra[49] (the mercy of God on him!) was in his first estate a

seller of jewels. One day he rose up to trade, and came before a king

and transacted business, and then he transacted business with the vezir.

The vezir said, ‘To-day we go to a pageant at a certain place; wilt thou

come with us?’ Hasan answered, ‘Yea, I shall go.’ When the vezir and the

king had mounted their steeds, they brought a horse for Hasan likewise,

and they all went out of the gate and came to a plain. Hasan saw that in

the middle of that plain was a white pavilion, the dome of which reared

its head into the air. Then they went up close to that pavilion and all

of them alighted. From another side came a procession of people; Hasan

of Basra saw that it was a party of doctors and holy men who were

carrying their lecterns and copies of the sacred volume. They came and

entered that pavilion and recited the Koran with sweet voice; then they

came and walked three times round that dome, and then stood at the door

and said, ‘O prince, what can we? were there release to thy sweet soul

by reading of the Koran, we would, all of us, cease not therefrom day or

night; but it is the decree of that almighty King; there is no avail for

his command save acquiescence and patience.’

“And they went away. After them came white-bearded elders and devotees

reciting chants, and they walked three times round that dome, and then

stood at the door and said, ‘O prince, what can we? were there release

to thy sweet soul by chant and prayer, we would, all of us, devote

ourselves to chant and prayer; but what profit? it is the decree of that

almighty King; there is no avail therefor save resignation.’ And they

went away. After them came many moon-faced damsels, in the hand of each

of whom was a golden dish filled full of all manner of jewels, and they

walked three times round that dome, and then stood at the door and said,

‘O prince, what can we? were there release to thy sweet soul by the

giving of riches, we would give all these jewels, and we ourselves would

become slaves; but what avail? it is the decree of that almighty King,

and he hath no need of such things; there is no help for his decree save

patience.’

“And they went away. After them came an innumerable army which

surrounded that dome, rank on rank, and they said, ‘O prince, were there

release to thy sweet soul by battle, night and day would we, all of us,

do battle in thy cause; but what avail? it is the decree of that

almighty King; there is no help therefor but patience and resignation.’

And they went away. After them came the king the father of that prince,

and the vezirs and the nobles, and they walked three times round that

dome, and then stood at the door, and the king said, ‘O light of my

eyes, darling of my heart, were there release to thy sweet soul to be

found by science, I had found it by means of the learned; or were it by

gifts and bounties, I had assembled all my army and made war and

attained it; but what avail? decree is God’s. He is in want of naught;

there is no help save patience and acquiescence in his judgment.’

“And he wept full bitterly, and all the nobles and vezirs wept likewise.

When Hasan of Basra saw these things he asked the vezir, ‘What plight is

this plight?’ The vezir said, ‘O Hasan, our king had a son: he was in

beauty a second Joseph; and in writing, reading, chivalry, and all

accomplishments he had no rival; and as he was the king’s only child he

loved him very much. One day death spared him not, and he passed to the

abiding home. After the wailing and dismay, as there was no help save

patience under the heavenly decree, they brought him and buried him in

this dome. And once every year they come and thus visit the tomb.’ When

Hasan of Basra heard these words from the vezir and saw these things

with his eyes, wealth and riches went forth from his eye and heart; and

he abandoned the whole of them and turned dervish and donned the

khirqa;[50] and now, when his name is mentioned, they add, ‘The mercy of

God on him!’

“Now, O king, I have told this story for that the king may know that

grief for children is full bitter. As yet thou hast not felt it, and may

God most high not show it thee thus through him. O king, slay not the

prince, else afterward thou shalt be repentant and shalt sigh and groan

until thou die.” And he made intercession for the prince for that day.

When the king heard this story from the vezir compassion came into his

heart, and he sent the youth to the prison and went himself to the

chase.

When it was evening the king returned from the chase and came to the

palace, and again the lady rose to greet him, and she sat with the king.

After the repast the lady asked for news of the youth. The king said,

“To-day likewise such an one of my vezirs made intercession for him, and

I have sent him again to the prison.” The lady said, “O king, why dost

thou leave my counsel and act according to thine own understanding? Hast

not thou heard these words they have said concerning the heedless:

‘Whoso is presumptuous through reason is abased.’ And the sages have

said that eight things bring disgrace upon a man: the first is going to

dine at a place without invitation, the second is interfering between

another and his wife, the third is giving ear to everyone’s words, the

fourth is slighting the king, the fifth is setting one’s self above a

great man, the sixth is speaking to those who listen not to one’s words,

the seventh is begging a favor of an avaricious and indifferent person,

and the eighth is going to the enemies’ gate.

“Now, O king, those vezirs interfere between thee and me. Beware, act

not according to their words. They have said that he who acts according

to a stranger’s word will divorce his wife. Their words are many; and

they are forty vezirs, and each one of them for this long time is

planning wiles. Mayhap my king has not heard the story of the old

gardener and his son.” The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the

lady:

THE GARDENER AND HIS SON

“In the by-gone time an old gardener had mounted his son upon an ass and

was proceeding to the garden, himself on foot. They met some men who

said, ‘See this old pederast, how he has mounted the boy upon the ass;

and is himself running alongside.’ Whenever the old man heard this he

made the boy alight and mounted himself. Again they met some other folk,

these likewise said, ‘Look at this heartless old man, he rides the ass

himself and makes the poor child go on foot.’ Whenever the old man heard

this he took his son up in front of him. Then some people saw them and

said, ‘See this old pederast, how he has taken the boy up in front of

him.’ The old man heard this, and he put his son up behind him. Again

certain folks saw them and said, ‘See this old catamite, how he has

taken the boy up behind him.’ The old man knew not what to do, so he put

his son down and alighted himself and drove the ass before them. The

garden was near, and both of them were on foot, and they reached the

garden before meeting with any others.

“Now, O king, I have told this story that thou mayst know that no one in

the world can escape the tongue of the folk. Each one says a different

thing. It is even as when a boil came out on the foot of a certain king

who showed it to someone and said, ‘Come, look at this boil; is it ripe

or unripe?’ He looked and said, ‘It is ripe.’ Then he showed it to

another person, and he said, ‘It is unripe.’ Then the king said, ‘We

cannot get sure information concerning even one foot.’ Do thou too, O

king, go by no one’s word, lose not the opportunity; no good will come

to thee from this youth.” When the king heard this story from the lady

he said, “To-morrow will I kill him.”

When it was morning the king came and sat upon his throne, and he caused

the youth to be brought and ordered the executioner, “Smite off his

head.” The twentieth vezir came forward and said, “O king of the world,

I will speak a good word to thee: all these vezirs who have spoken these

many words are well-wishers to thee. The holy Apostle of God hath said,

‘Whoso hath believed in God and the last day; when he witnesseth to

aught, let him speak with good or let him be silent,’ Now, what is best

for thee in this thy affair is this, as all thy vezirs say, ‘Slay not

the prince,’ I too say, have patience, else the end of this will be care

and sorrow. Mayhap the king has not heard the story of a certain king.”

The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the vezir:

THE DERVISH’S ADVICE

“Of old time there was a great king. One day, when returning from the

chase, he saw a dervish sitting by the way, crying, ‘I have a piece of

advice; to him who will give me 1,000 sequins I will tell it.’ When the

king heard these words of the dervish he drew in his horse’s head and

halted, and he said to the dervish, ‘What is thy counsel?’ The dervish

replied, ‘Bring the sequins and give me them that I may tell my

counsel.’ The king ordered that they count 1,000 sequins into the

dervish’s lap. The dervish said, ‘O king, my advice to thee is this,

whenever thou art about to do a deed, consider the end of that deed, and

then act.’ The nobles who were present laughed together at these words

and said, ‘Anyone knows that.’ But the king rewarded that poor man. He

was greatly pleased with the words of the dervish and commanded that

they wrote them on the palace gate and other places.

“Now that king had an enemy, a great king; and this hostile king was

ever watching his opportunity; but he could find no way save this, he

said in himself, ‘Let me go and promise the king’s barber some worldly

good and give him a poisoned lancet; some day when the king is sick he

can bleed him with that lancet.’ So he disguised himself, and went and

gave the barber a poisoned lancet and 10,000 sequins. And the barber was

covetous and undertook to bleed the king with that lancet what time it

should be needful. One day the king was sick, and he sent word to the

barber to come and bleed him. Thereupon the barber took that poisoned

lancet with him and went. The attendants prepared the basin, and the

barber saw written on the rim of the basin, ‘Whenever thou art about to

perform a deed, think on the end thereof.’

“When the barber saw this he said in himself, ‘I am now about to bleed

the king with this lancet and doubtless he will perish, then they will

not leave me alive, but will inevitably kill me; after I am dead what

use will these sequins be to me?’ And he took up that lancet and put it

in its place and drew out another lancet that he might bleed the king.

When he took his arm a second time, the king said, ‘Why didst thou not

bleed me with the first lancet?’ The barber answered, ‘O king, there was

some dust on its point.’ Then the king said, ‘I saw it, it is not the

treasury lancet; there is some secret here, quick, tell it, else I will

slay thee.’ When the barber saw this importunity, he related the story

from beginning to end and how he had seen the writing on the basin and

changed his intention. The king put a robe of honor on the barber and

let him keep the sequins which his enemy had given him. And the king

said, ‘The dervish’s counsel is worth not 1,000 sequins but 100,000

sequins.’

“Now, O king, I have told this story for that the king may know that it

is as when the dervish said, ‘Whatsoever deed thou doest, consider the

end thereof, then act.’ If thou slay the prince, at last thou shalt be

repentant. The rest the king knows.” And he made intercession for the

prince. When the king heard these words from the vezir he sent the

prince to the prison and himself mounted for the chase.

When it was evening the king returned from the chase and came to the

palace, and the lady rose to greet him, and they sat down. After the

repast the lady again asked for news of the youth. The king said,

“To-day such an one of my vezirs made intercession for him and I sent

him to the prison.” The lady said, “O king, it is related of the Caliph

Ma’mūn[51] that he said, ‘Four things are hurtful to kings; the first is

the nobles being negligent, the second is the ministers being envious,

the third is the mean being bold, and the fourth is the vezirs being

treacherous.’ And the Moorish sages say, ‘In nobles there is no

friendship, in liars there is no fidelity, in the envious there is no

peace, in the indifferent there is no generosity, and in the

evil-natured there is no greatness.’ O king, these thy vezirs are, like

thy traitor son, liars and evil-natured. Thou believest the words of

these. The story of thee and this youth altogether resembles the story

of those Turkman children.” The king said, “Tell that story, let us hear

it.” Quoth the lady:

THE TURKMAN CHILDREN

“Certain Turkmans from an encampment went one day into a city. When they

were returning from the city to the encampment they were an hungered,

and when they were come near they ate some bread and onions at a

spring-head. The juice of the onions went into the Turkmans’ eyes, and

the tears came forth from their eyes. Now the children of the Turkmans

had gone out to meet them, and they saw that the tears were streaming

from their fathers’ eyes and they thought that some one of them had died

in the city. So without asking and without knowing, they ran back and

came to the encampment and said to their mothers, ‘One of ours is dead

in the city, our fathers are coming weeping,’ All the women and children

of that encampment came forth to meet them, weeping together. The

Turkmans who were coming from the city thought that one of theirs had

died in the encampment; so were they without knowledge one of the other,

and they raised a weeping and crying together such that it cannot be

described.

“At length the elders of the camp stood up in the midst and said, ‘May

all ye remain whole; the command is God’s, there is none other help than

patience.’ And they questioned them. The Turkmans who were coming from

the city asked, ‘Who is dead in the encampment?’ The others said, ‘No

one is dead in the encampment; who has died in the city?’ Those coming

from the city answered, ‘No one has died in the city.’ They said, ‘Then

for whom are we wailing and lamenting?’ At length they perceived that

all this tumult arose from their thus trusting the words of children.

“Now, O king, I have told this story for that the king may know that

confusion like to that is brought about by youths. What I know is this,

if thou slay not the youth he will slay thee.” When the king heard these

words from the lady he said, “To-morrow will I kill him.”

When it was morning the king came and sat upon his throne, and he caused

the youth to be brought and ordered the executioner, “Smite off his

head.” The twenty-first vezir came forward and said, “O king of the

world, yesterday, when reading in a book, I saw that they had written

that there was a great king in the land of Hindustan, and in his time

there was a work on wisdom, and they laded three camels with it and

brought it to him. One day the king said to the sages, ‘Abridge this

book for me, that I may study it.’ Then all the sages of Hind came

together and collected the necessary words from that work and made a

book. When the king read it he was pleased. And the words that they

wrote were these: ‘O king, be not presumptuous, being deceived by the

world; for the world showeth itself like a fair woman and fondleth men

in its bosom; and when they are asleep and heedless, of a sudden it

woundeth and slayeth them. Knowing of a surety that it is thus, have

care if it offer itself to thee, that thou keep thyself from it, so that

thou be prosperous. And expend what thou gainest of wealth in the way of

God most high, and guard against iniquity, and show forth thy name

through generosity, and abandon avarice.

“‘O king, the light of the world is darkness, and its newness is

oldness, and its being is non-being. O king, strive that thou save

thyself from it; and incline not to the amassing of unlawful wealth, for

it will pass from thy hand and be a woe to thee. Strive to collect

wealth lawfully, and expend it on good works, and show thyself just

among the folk to the utmost of thy power, that all the people of the

world may love thee, and that thou be secured against the punishment of

God most high. And guard thy faith for the hereafter. And love not women

and tell not them thy secrets. O king, be not deceived by womankind; for

in body are they weak, but in guile are they strong.’ Now, O king, these

counsels are exceeding good counsels, and it behooves the king to keep

them; and their saying is true that women are weak in body but strong in

guile. Mayhap the king has not heard what befell a certain king with a

woman.” The king said, “Relate it, let us hear.” Quoth the vezir:

A QUEEN’S DECEIT

“There was in the palace of the world a great king, and he had a

beautiful wife, such that many a soul dangled in the tresses on her

cheek. That lady had a secret affair with a youth, and she used to hide

the youth in a chest in the palace. One day that youth said to the lady,

‘If the king were aware of this our work, he would slay the two of us.’

The lady said, ‘Leave that thought, I can do so that I shall hide thee

in the chest and say to the king, “Lo, my lover is lying in this

chest;” and then, when the king is about to kill thee, I shall make him

repentant by one word.’ While the youth and the lady were saying these

words, the king came, and the lady straightway put the youth into the

chest and locked it. The king said, ‘Why lockest thou that chest thus

hastily? What is in the chest?’ The lady answered, ‘By God, it is my

lover; I saw thee coming and I put him into the chest and locked it.’

Then was the king wroth, and he bared his sword and thought to slay him

who was in the chest, when the lady said, ‘O king, art thou mad, where

is gone thine understanding? Am I mad that I should advance a strange

man to thy couch and then say to thee, “Lo, he is in the chest?” In

truth, I wondered if thou were sincere in thy trust of me, and I tried

thee, and now I know that thou thinkest evil concerning me.’ And she

ceased and sat in a corner.

“Then did the king repent him of what he had done; and he begged and

besought of his wife, saying, ‘Forgive me,’ And he gave her many things,

and craved pardon for his fault. When the king had gone out from the

harem into the palace the lady took that youth forth of the chest and

said, ‘Didst thou see what a trick I played the king?’ And they gave

themselves up to mirth and merriment.

“Now, O king, I have told this story for that the king may know that

guile and trickery such as this abound in women. O king, beware, slay

not the prince on the woman’s word, else afterward thou shalt be

repentant, and too late repentance profits not.” And he made

intercession for the prince for that day. When the king heard this story

from the vezir he sent the prince to the prison and himself mounted for

the chase.

When it was evening the king returned from the chase and came to the

palace, and the lady rose to greet him, and they sat down. After the

repast the lady again began to speak about the youth. The king said,

“To-day too such an one of my vezirs made intercession for him and I

sent him to the prison.” The lady said, “O king, this youth is ignoble.

It is even as when God most high told Noah (peace on him!) of the

impurity of his son: said God most high, ‘He is not of thy family;

verily, it is a work that is not right.’[52] Then it is known that if a

person follow not the way of his father, and be not endowed with the

nature of his father, he cannot be called a lawful son. Therefore, when

the wise see a fault in others they hinder and cover it, and if they see

that fault in themselves they strive to banish it far from them. There

is no help for the ignoble that he should follow the path of the noble.

Mayhap the king has not heard the story of a certain abdal and a king.”

The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the lady:

THE ABDAL AND THE KING

“There was of old time a great king, and there was by him an abdal. One

day the king mounted for the chase, and the abdal said, ‘O king, I am

able for soldiering and hunting; give me too horse and gear and bird,

that I may go forth with thee to ride about and hunt.’ So the king gave

the abdal a horse and gear, and gave him a falcon on his wrist, and took

him along with him to the chase, and they went off. While they were

riding, the king saw a bird go into a bush, and he said to the abdal,

‘Go, cast the falcon at the bird.’ And the king stood to look on. The

abdal went up close to the bush with the falcon, and a man stirred the

bush, and the bird came out and flew off. The king said to the abdal,

‘The bird is away, throw off the falcon.’ And the abdal threw off the

falcon from his wrist without slipping the leash, and he swung it round

and round his head. The king shouted, ‘Out on thee! throw off the

falcon!’ The abdal said, ‘O king, I have thrown it off, what am I to

do?’ But he left not to swing the falcon round his head. The king

shouted, ‘Out on thee! let the falcon go!’ And the abdal let go the

leash; but the falcon’s eyes were darkened from its having been turned

round, and it could not fly, and fell to the ground. And the king was

angry and ill-pleased. Then the abdal said, ‘O king, wherefore art thou

angry? thou saidest, “Throw off the falcon,” and I threw it off; then

thou saidest, “Let it go,” and I let it go; this falcon knows not how to

fly: what fault is mine?’ These words of the abdal were pleasant to the

king and he fainted from laughing; and he perceived how no good comes

from anything ignoble.[53]

“Now, O king, I have told this story for that the king may know that no

good comes from the ignoble man who follows not the path of his father

and mother. Beware, O king, be not negligent in the affair of this

youth, or in the end some hurt will befall thee from him; the rest thou

knowest.” When the king heard this story from the lady he said, “On the

morrow will I kill the youth.”

When it was morning the king came and sat upon his throne, and he caused

the youth to be brought and commanded the executioner, “Smite off his

head.”

Thus did the king, day after day, order the execution of his innocent

son, being temporarily diverted from committing this crime by the

stories and wise advice of the forty vezirs, only to be urged again at

night to commit the crime by the false accusations of his baffled and

revengeful wife.

The story of the fortieth vezir demonstrated how the crafty wife of a

tailor played him false and then deceived him with a lying and plausible

version of what had happened. After relating this story the fortieth

vezir said:

“Now, O king, I have told this story for that the king may know that

tricks like to these and all manner of craftiness abound in women.

Beware, slay not the prince on the woman’s word, or afterward thou shalt

be repentant.” And he kissed the ground, and made intercession for the

prince for that day. And the king granted it, and sent the youth to the

prison, and went himself to the chase.

When it was evening the king returned from the chase and came to the

palace, and the lady rose to greet him, and they sat down. After the

repast the lady asked for news of the youth. The king said, “To-day,

too, such an one of my vezirs made intercession for him and I sent him

to the prison.” The lady said, “O king, be it known that not one of

those vezirs is thy friend; God knows what pact they have with the

youth. Mayhap the king has not heard what befel between the Sultan of

Egypt and his vezirs.” The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the

lady:

THE SULTAN AND HIS TRAITOROUS SON

“There was of old time in the city of Cairo a great sultan, and he had a

youthful son. And that youth made a pact with the vezirs, saying, ‘If

ye make me sultan, I will give you leave to do whatever ye may please.’

When they had agreed to this, he sowed enmity between the king and the

vezirs and nobles; and each of them rose in revolt in a different

quarter, and they took the youth for their chief, and waged war and did

battle with the king. The king could not overcome them, and at length

they made the youth king. They began to feast with the new king every

day, and to accomplish their desires. And the king’s father saw that the

purpose of the vezirs and the youth was evil, and he called a confidant,

and one night they fled in disguise and entered a cave; and for seven

days and seven nights the king went not forth from that cave. The new

king heard of his father having fled, and he and the vezirs began to

seek him and to send out criers, who proclaimed, ‘Whoso seizes my father

and brings him to me, him will I honor.’ And the old king and his

courtier went forth from the cave and came to a village, and were guests

of an old woman in that village; and that old woman sowed seed. And she

bestirred herself to entertain them, and brought them a mat, and they

sat down. The king was hungry, and he pulled out a sequin and gave it to

the old woman, and said, ‘Mother, go, fetch us food that we may eat.’

The woman said, ‘What will ye do with a sequin’s worth of food?’ The

king replied, ‘No harm, fetch it.’ And the woman went and brought all

manner of delicacies and set them before the king. And they sat down and

ate. After the repast they began to talk with the woman; and the woman

said, ‘What youths be ye?’ The king said, ‘We are of the servants of the

fugitive king; we are seeking our master.’ The woman said, ‘I fear that

ye too are followers of that unworthy youth, and would seize the king

and take him.’ The king asked, ‘Does that unworthy youth seek his

father?’ The woman replied, ‘Does he seek him? What means that? Those

traitor vezirs and nobles every day cause criers to proclaim, “To him

who seizes and brings that fugitive sultan we will give the lordship of

whatever place he may wish; but of him who conceals him, or in whose

house he is found, are the head and family gone.”’

“When the king heard these words from the woman his soul was troubled,

and he said to her, ‘And are the nobles also submissive to the youth?’

The woman answered, ‘He has deposed many nobles, and appointed other

nobles; these new nobles are all of them submissive to him.’ The king

said, ‘Is there any of those old nobles whom thou knowest?’ The woman

replied, ‘There is a vezir who was deposed by the fugitive sultan; I go

about his house on business--I know him.’ As soon as the king heard this

he turned and said to his confidant, ‘What sayest thou, shall I tell

this woman that I am the sultan?’ The confidant replied, ‘Command is the

king’s.’ The sultan turned and said to the woman, ‘O mother, I have a

secret; if I tell it thee, canst thou keep it?’ The woman said, ‘I will

give my head, but I will not give your secret,’ The king made the woman

swear, and then said, ‘O mother, dost thou know me who I am?’ She

answered, ‘Nay,’ Then the king said, ‘Lo, I am the fugitive sultan; be

it not that this word escape thy mouth,’ When the woman heard this the

blood went from her face, and she fell at the king’s feet. The king

said, ‘Hast thou son or daughter?’ She replied, ‘I have a son,’ The king

said, ‘If God most high seat me on my throne, I will give thy son

whatever lordship he please,’ The woman bowed down and fell at the

king’s feet. Then the king said to her, ‘Go now to the house of that

vezir, and call him to a private place and salute him from me, and say,

“The king is now seated in my house and wants thee, be it not that thou

flinchest and comest not.”’

“When it was evening the woman went to the vezir’s house, and took the

vezir to a private place, and gave him the king’s greeting, and told him

all and how that he was sitting in her house. The vezir was glad, and he

said, ‘Do thou now be off, I too will come now;’ and he sent her away.

The woman came and told these things to the king. After a little he saw

the vezir in the dress of an Arab, and he came and fell at the king’s

feet and mourned and wept. The king said, ‘O vezir, I wronged thee and

took thy wealth and deposed thee; ah! the past is past, the gone is

gone. Befriend me as much as in thee lies, and if God most high raise me

to my throne, I know the honor I will do thee.’ The vezir said, ‘O king,

if thou tookest my wealth, it was thine own wealth; if thou didst depose

me, I was thy slave and had done wrong; thou didst well. Now this is the

way, that thou follow my words and lay aside kingship till our plan be

accomplished; if afterward thou art wroth with me, then command; now

let us work.’ The king said, ‘Do what thou wilt; now is not the time for

words.’ The vezir said, ‘O king, arise and take my lamp in thine hand,

and go on through the desert before thee till thou comest to my house;

if anyone see thee he will think thee my man and recognize thee not.’

The king took the vezir’s lamp in his hand, and they went on and passed

through the bazaars of Cairo, and came to the vezir’s house; and the

vezir prepared a private room for the king.

“The king remained there some days, and the vezir secretly sent word to

all the great nobles who had been deposed, and assembled them. And one

night he brought them to the king and reconciled them, and said, ‘On the

morrow be ye ready and show zeal each one of you for his estate.’ That

night they gathered together all the disbanded soldiers who were there;

and when it was morning they beat the kettledrums on every side, and ere

those traitor nobles and vezirs had arisen they put many of them to the

sword; and they seized the king’s son and all the rest of his vezirs,

and brought them before the king. And the king executed the whole of

them, slaying each of them with a different torment. Thenceforth he sat

upon his throne with tranquillity of heart, and enjoyed happiness and

delight.

“Now, O king, I have told this story for that the king may know that

vezirs are not to be altogether trusted; and be thou ready, for these

vezirs purpose evil against the king, and the like of this story shall

befall thee. I have watched for my king and told him. And I know of a

surety that they have made a pact if left till the morrow to seat the

youth upon the throne, and to seize thee and to give thee into the

youth’s hands. God knows what will happen to ill-fortuned me. Woe is

me!” And she wept full bitterly. When the king heard this story from the

lady, and beheld this plight, he believed the lady’s words, and held

them to be true; and fear for his life fell upon the king. He said: “O

lady, weep not; on the morrow will I seize the whole of the vezirs, and,

after I have put the youth to death, I will give to each of them, one by

one, his due.” When the lady heard these words from the king she was

glad, and said, “O king, when thou hast slain the whole of them, appoint

nobles vezirs in their stead, and then lean thy back against the wall

of retirement, and give thyself up to mirth and merriment: till thou

hast done thus thou shalt not be at ease.” And the king consented to

this proposal, and they passed that night till the morning conversing.

CONCLUSION

When it was morning the king was wrathful, and he came and sat upon his

throne, and he said, “Where is the youth? let him come.” They brought

him, and the king said, “Ask ye him if he confesses to the charge of his

mother.” Thereupon the grand vezir said, “Let him come before you and be

asked, and it will be well; bring him, let us ask him.” The king

commanded that they brought him, and he said, “Youth, speak; how hast

thou done by thy mother?” The youth was silent. The king turned and

said, “Be not silent, there is leave to thee, speak.” The youth was

silent. Again the grand vezir said, “Perchance his governor might make

him tell.”

Straightway the king commanded that they should bring his governor; and

they sought him but found him not, and came and told the king. The king

said, “This day it is needful to make manifest my justice; let the

executioner come.” He came; and the king commanded, saying, “Take the

youth and all those vezirs; and kill them.” And they took the whole of

them from the presence of the king; and they made clean the

judgment-square and sprinkled it with sand. And they made the vezirs sit

down by tens, and they brought the youth too. Then the executioner set

the prince upon his knees and bound his eyes, and he drew his sword from

its scabbard and bared it, and said, “Is there leave, O king? In thy

glory is my arm strong and my sword keen. The cut-off head grows not

again, and too late repentance profits not.” And he went twice round the

divan and asked leave of the king; and the king commanded him, saying,

“Smite off his head.” The executioner went round the divan once more,

and as he was again asking leave of the king, the bearer of glad tidings

came, crying, “The prince’s governor comes!” The king said, “Quick,

seize and bring him.”

Forthwith the slaves brought the governor, not letting his feet touch

the ground. When the king saw the governor he was wroth, and said,

“Kill him!” The governor said, “O king, wherefore art thou angry? If it

be thy desire to make the youth speak, bring him and let him speak.”

Quoth the king, “Is it thou who saidest to the youth, ‘Speak not’?” The

governor answered, “Yea.” The king said, “Why?” The governor said, “O

king of the world, I saw the prince’s ruling star in the astrolabe that

for forty days it was in evil aspect, such evil aspect that if he

uttered the least word he should perish, but that if he spake not he

should escape. I taught him a Name, and charged him straitly that he

should not speak the least word. Now is the time accomplished, and I am

come; command that they bring him, and I shall give him leave to speak.”

The king commanded that they brought the youth, and the governor said,

“My prince, be my life a ransom for thy father and for thee! Praise be

to God! the evil aspect of thy star is accomplished; loose thy

nightingale tongue and speak; what is this plight?”

Straightway the youth said, “In the name of God!” And he related what

befell him with the lady from its beginning to its end; and then he fell

upon the ground and began to weep. And the king put his finger to his

mouth and wondered. And the members of the divan marvelled at this deed

of the woman, and they said, “The prince’s words are with reason and

truth, and such like trickery comes from womankind.”

Then the king asked the slave-girls, and they bare witness that they had

been behind the wall and had heard the thing, and that the prince spake

truly. And the king saw that the right was the prince’s, and he repented

him of what he had done. And he besought pardon, and kissed the prince’s

two eyes, and pressed him to his heart and wept full bitterly. And

straightway he commanded that they bring the vezirs; and the king made

many excuses to them, and clad each of them in sumptuous robes, and

bestowed boundless gifts and favors upon them, and begged forgiveness of

all of them. And the vezirs said, “My king, whatsoever cruelty and

injustice thou hast done us, be it all forgiven thee; our fear was lest

thou should slay the prince, acting on the woman’s word; for our

vezirship is by the health and safety of our king and our prince; and

their existence is a mercy to the world; after they were perished the

perishing of the whole of us were a thing assured.” And they all kissed

the ground together, and asked for retribution on the woman.

And the king commanded that they bring a wild ass; and they took the

lady to the square of judgment and set her upon that ass, and bound her

fast to his tail and legs, and took her forth to the desert. And they

smote the ass with a whip, and the ass began to gallop and the woman

fell from his back to the ground; and the wild ass looked, and when he

saw the woman behind him he shied and ran off. And the woman was torn

into pieces small even as her ear, and left upon the shrubs and stones.

Thus that which she had purposed against the prince befel herself. The

sires say, “Wish good that good may come to thee: if thou dig a pit for

another, dig it deep; for it is like thou shalt fall therein thyself;

then thou needest not trouble trying to get out.” And from that time has

the saying been among the folk, “May I see thee on the ass!” After that

the king summoned all the vezirs and the nobles and the commonalty, and

he made a great feast with all manner of minstrels and music, and for

forty days and forty nights they feasted and made merry gratefully. And

then they lived for many years, and did justice and dealt with equity.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] A fabulous bird, a species of vulture or gigantic condor.

[2] Drugs.

[3] Koran, lii. 15.

[4] Ib. xii. 31.

[5] Not necessarily a Chinese woman, simply a beauty; China and Chinese

Tartary being regarded as pre-eminent for the beauty of their women.

[6] A term of endearment.

[7] Probably he was afraid lest the king should put him to death for

giving such bad news.

[8] The Prophet Mahomet.

[9] I.e., beautiful.

[10] Koran, iv. 94.

[11] As servants do.

[12] In the time of Murad II an aspre was worth about 2½d. stg. Turkish

sequins were not struck till the time of his successor, Mahomet II,

when they were equivalent to about 12s. 6d. Foreign gold coins,

especially Venetian, were used previously.

[13] Qāf is the name of a fabled mountain chain, formerly supposed to

encircle the world: “the castle” is simply a metaphor for the mountain

peaks.

[14] This famous speech is usually attributed to ‘Omar, the second

caliph.

[15] Bal’am-bin-Bā’ūr.

[16] ‘Uj-bin-‘Unuq. He is said, in the Talmud, to have been a monstrous

giant. The ‘Adīs, we are told, were from sixty to one hundred cubits

high. Compare Numbers xiii. 33.

[17] Koran, v. 29.

[18] Koran, vii. 175.

[19] A mysterious being, of the number of the prophets, who appears to

and aids Moslems in distress; he is frequently mentioned in Mahometan

fiction, where he plays a part similar to that of Elijah in the Talmud.

[20] Compare Boethius thus translated by Chaucer: All thynges seken

ayen to hir propre course, and all thyngs rejoysen on hir retourninge

agayne to hir nature.

[21] The emerald was supposed to have the effect of blinding snakes

when they looked upon it.

[22] There is an Eastern myth to that effect.

[23] Joseph is the type of youthful beauty.

[24] A fabulous bird of great size. Solomon, it should be said,

according to the Talmudic and Koranic legends, was acquainted with the

language of beasts and birds, with whom he used often to converse.

[25] Koran, iii. 128.

[26] The celebrated Caliph of Bagdad, and hero of so many of the

stories in the “Thousand and One Nights.”

[27] Koran, iii. 128.

[28] D’Herbelot relates the same story in his “Bibliothèque Orientale,”

but substitutes Hasan son of ‘Ali, the Prophet’s son-in-law, for

Harun-er-Reshid.

[29] Bāyezīd of Bestam was a famous saint who, according to

Ibn-Khallikān, died in 261 or 264 (A.D. 875 or 878).

[30] One of the most famous kings of pre-Islamitic Persia, he reigned

from A.D. 531 to 579.

[31] The Cubical (House), i.e., the Sacred Temple at Mecca.

[32] One of the ceremonies performed by the pilgrims at Mecca.

[33] For a description of it see Captain Burton’s “Pilgrimage,” vol.

iii, p. 164.

[34] Such as is required by the Mahometan law in case of a triple

divorce.

[35] Koran, xxi. 23.

[36] Koran, xxvii. 66.

[37] The ram is a type of courage.

[38] A legendary sage. He here pretends to kill the boy, that the king

may recover through joy on finding his son alive.

[39] An adherent of the Shī’a sect, which acknowledges ‘Alī, but

rejects Abu-Bekr, ‘Othmān and ‘Omar as lawful caliphs.

[40] So the point of this story turns upon an untranslatable pun.

[41] Koran, viii. 128, and lxiv. 15.

[42] To prevent their spreading the report of the king’s disappearance.

[43] Sultan Mahmūd, the son of Sebuktekīn, of Ghazni.

[44] Hasan of Maymand was a minister, not of Sultan Mahmūd, but of that

monarch’s father. Hasan’s son, Ahmed, was Mahmūd’s vezir.

[45] I have thought it best to leave the uncivil remark of the owner of

the black ass in the inimitable simplicity of the uncivil remark of the

original.

[46] In Belletēte this courtier is said to be Firdausī of Tūs, and he

is made to tell Mahmūd the following story of the khoja and the abdal,

for which the Sultan rewards him with a purse of gold.

[47] A kind of religious mendicant.

[48] The original is somewhat more explicit here; Vālidesi qizin

muhrini teftīsh eyledi, chun muhrini muhrlu buldi, qizin iki guzinden

updi.

[49] Hasan of Basra was a very pious and learned man. He died in 110

(A.D. 728).

[50] The dervish’s cloak.

[51] El-Ma’mūn, the son of Hārūn-er-Reshīd, was proclaimed caliph in

198 (A.D. 813); he died in 218 (A.D. 833).

[52] Koran, xi. 48.

[53] The point of this story is lost in the translation. To let fly a

falcon at game, is, in Turkish, to swing a falcon; the king says to the

abdal, “Swing the falcon,” meaning, let it fly at the bird; but the

abdal understands him literally, and swings the falcon round his head.