"I deemed my brethren mail of strongest steel * And so they were—from
foes to fend my dart!
I deemed their arrows surest of their aim; * And so they were—when
aiming at my heart!"
When the headsman heard my lines (he had been sworder to my sire and he
owed me a debt of gratitude) he cried, "O my lord, what can I do, being
but a slave under orders?" presently adding, "Fly for thy life and
nevermore return to this land, or they will slay thee and slay me with
thee, even as the poet said:—
Take thy life and fly whenas evils threat; * Let the ruined house tell
its owner's fate:
New land for the old thou shalt seek and find * But to find new life
thou must not await.
Strange that men should sit in the stead of shame, * When Allah's world
is so wide and great!
And trust not other, in matters grave * Life itself must act for a life
beset:
Ne'er would prowl the lion with maned neck, * Did he reckon on aid or
of others reck."
Hardly believing in my escape, I kissed his hand and thought the loss
of my eye a light matter in consideration of my escaping from being
slain. I arrived at my uncle's capital; and, going in to him, told him
of what had befallen my father and myself; whereat he wept with sore
weeping and said, "Verily thou addest grief to my grief, and woe to my
woe; for thy cousin hath been missing these many days; I wot not what
hath happened to him, and none can give me news of him." And he wept
till he fainted. I sorrowed and condoled with him; and he would have
applied certain medicaments to my eye, but he saw that it was become as
a walnut with the shell empty. Then said he, "O my son, better to lose
eye and keep life!" After that I could no longer remain silent about my
cousin, who was his only son and one dearly loved, so I told him all
that had happened. He rejoiced with extreme joyance to hear news of his
son and said, "Come now and show me the tomb;" but I replied, "By
Allah, O my uncle, I know not its place, though I sought it carefully
full many times, yet could not find the site." However, I and my uncle
went to the graveyard and looked right and left, till at last I
recognised the tomb and we both rejoiced with exceeding joy. We entered
the sepulchre and loosened the earth about the grave; then, upraising
the trap door, descended some fifty steps till we came to the foot of
the staircase when lo! we were stopped by a blinding smoke. Thereupon
said my uncle that saying whose sayer shall never come to shame, "There
is no Majesty and there is no Might, save in Allah, the Glorious, the
Great!" and we advanced till we suddenly came upon a saloon, whose
floor was strewed with flour and grain and provisions and all manner
necessaries; and in the midst of it stood a canopy sheltering a couch.
Thereupon my uncle went up to the couch and inspecting it found his son
and the lady who had gone down with him into the tomb, lying in each
other's embrace; but the twain had become black as charred wood; it was
as if they had been cast into a pit of fire. When my uncle saw this
spectacle, he spat in his son's face and said, "Thou hast thy deserts,
O thou hog![FN#196] this is thy judgment in the transitory world, and
yet remaineth the judgment in the world to come, a durer and a more
enduring "— And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
When it was the Twelfth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Kalandar
thus went on with his story before the lady and the Caliph and
Ja'afar:—My uncle struck his son with his slipper[FN#197] as he lay
there a black heap of coal. I marvelled at his hardness of heart, and
grieving for my cousin and the lady, said, "By Allah, O my uncle, calm
thy wrath: dost thou not see that all my thoughts are occupied with
this misfortune, and how sorrowful I am for what hath befallen thy son,
and how horrible it is that naught of him remaineth but a black heap of
charcoal? And is not that enough, but thou must smite him with thy
slipper?" Answered he,"O son of my brother, this youth from his boyhood
was madly in love with his own sister;[FN#198] and often and often I
forbade him from her, saying to myself:—They are but little ones.
However, when they grew up sin befel between them; and, although I
could hardly believe it, I confined him and chided him and threatened
him with the severest threats; and the eunuchs and servants said to
him:—Beware of so foul a thing which none before thee ever did, and
which none after thee will ever do; and have a care lest thou be
dishonoured and disgraced among the Kings of the day, even to the end
of time. And I added:—Such a report as this will be spread abroad by
caravans, and take heed not to give them cause to talk or I will
assuredly curse thee and do thee to death. After that I lodged them
apart and shut her up; but the accursed girl loved him with passionate
love, for Satan had got the mastery of her as well as of him and made
their foul sin seem fair in their sight. Now when my son saw that I
separated them, he secretly built this souterrain and furnished it and
transported to it victuals, even as thou seest; and, when I had gone
out a-sporting, came here with his sister and hid from me. Then His
righteous judgment fell upon the twain and consumed them with fire from
Heaven; and verily the last judgment will deal them durer pains and
more enduring!" Then he wept and I wept with him; and he looked at me
and said, "Thou art my son in his stead." And I bethought me awhile of
the world and of its chances, how the Wazir had slain my father and had
taken his place and had put out my eye; and how my cousin had come to
his death by the strangest chance: and I wept again and my uncle wept
with me. Then we mounted the steps and let down the iron plate and
heaped up the earth over it; and, after restoring the tomb to its
former condition, we returned to the palace. But hardly had we sat down
ere we heard the tomtoming of the kettle drum and tantara of trumpets
and clash of cymbals; and the rattling of war men's lances; and the
clamours of assailants and the clanking of bits and the neighing of
steeds; while the world was canopied with dense dust and sand clouds
raised by the horses' hoofs.[FN#199] We were amazed at sight and sound,
knowing not what could be the matter; so we asked and were told us that
the Wazir who usurped my father's kingdom had marched his men; and that
after levying his soldiery and taking a host of wild Arabs[FN#200] into
service, he had come down upon us with armies like the sands of the
sea; their number none could tell and against them none could prevail.
They attacked the city unawares; and the citizens, being powerless to
oppose them, surrendered the place: my uncle was slain and I made for
the suburbs saying to myself, "If thou fall into this villain's hands
he will assuredly kill thee." On this wise all my troubles were
renewed; and I pondered all that had betided my father and my uncle and
I knew not what to do; for if the city people or my father's troops had
recognised me they would have done their best to win favour by
destroying me; and I could think of no way to escape save by shaving
off my beard and my eyebrows. So I shore them off and, changing my fine
clothes for a Kalandar's rags, I fared forth from my uncle's capital
and made for this city; hoping that peradventure some one would assist
me to the presence of the Prince of the Faithful,[FN#201] and the
Caliph who is the Viceregent of Allah upon earth. Thus have I come
hither that I might tell him my tale and lay my case before him. I
arrived here this very night, and was standing in doubt whither I
should go, when suddenly I saw this second Kalandar; so I salam'd to
him saying—"I am a stranger!" and he answered:—"I too am a stranger!"
And as we were conversing behold, up came our companion, this third
Kalandar, and saluted us saying:—"I am a stranger!" And we
answered:—"We too be strangers!" Then we three walked on and together
till darkness overtook us and Destiny crave us to your house. Such,
then, is the cause of the shaving of my beard and mustachios and
eyebrows; and the manner of my losing my right eye. They marvelled much
at this tale and the Caliph said to Ja'afar, "By Allah, I have not seen
nor have I heard the like of what hath happened to this Kalandar!"
Quoth the lady of the house, "Rub thy head and wend thy ways;" but he
replied, "I will not go, till I hear the history of the two others."
Thereupon the second Kalandar came forward; and, kissing the ground,
began to tell
The Second Kalandar’s Tale.
Know, O my lady, that I was not born one eyed and mine is a strange
story; an it were graven with needle graver on the eye corners, it were
a warner to whoso would be warned. I am a King, son of a King, and was
brought up like a Prince. I learned intoning the Koran according the
seven schools;[FN#202] and I read all manner books, and held
disputations on their contents with the doctors and men of science;
moreover I studied star lore and the fair sayings of poets and I
exercised myself in all branches of learning until I surpassed the
people of my time; my skill in calligraphy exceeded that of all the
scribes; and my fame was bruited abroad over all climes and cities, and
all the kings learned to know my name. Amongst others the King of Hind
heard of me and sent to my father to invite me to his court, with
offerings and presents and rarities such as befit royalties. So my
father fitted out six ships for me and my people; and we put to sea and
sailed for the space of a full month till we made the land. Then we
brought out the horses that were with us in the ships; and, after
loading the camels with our presents for the Prince, we set forth
inland. But we had marched only a little way, when behold, a dust cloud
up flew, and grew until it walled[FN#203] the horizon from view. After
an hour or so the veil lifted and discovered beneath it fifty horsemen,
ravening lions to the sight, in steel armour dight. We observed them
straightly and lo! they were cutters off of the highway, wild as wild
Arabs. When they saw that we were only four and had with us but the ten
camels carrying the presents, they dashed down upon us with lances at
rest. We signed to them, with our fingers, as it were saying, "We be
messengers of the great King of Hind, so harm us not!" but they
answered on like wise, "We are not in his dominions to obey nor are we
subject to his sway." Then they set upon us and slew some of my slaves
and put the lave to flight; and I also fled after I had gotten a wound,
a grievous hurt, whilst the Arabs were taken up with the money and the
presents which were with us. I went forth unknowing whither I went,
having become mean as I was mighty; and I fared on until I came to the
crest of a mountain where I took shelter for the night in a cave. When
day arose I set out again, nor ceased after this fashion till I arrived
at a fair city and a well filled. Now it was the season when Winter was
turning away with his rime and to greet the world with his flowers came
Prime, and the young blooms were springing and the streams flowed
ringing, and the birds were sweetly singing, as saith the poet
concerning a certain city when describing it:—
A place secure from every thought of fear * Safety and peace for ever
lord it here:
Its beauties seem to beautify its sons * And as in Heaven its happy
folk appear.
I was glad of my arrival for I was wearied with the way, and yellow of
face for weakness and want; but my plight was pitiable and I knew not
whither to betake me. So I accosted a Tailor sitting in his little shop
and saluted him; he returned my salam, and bade me kindly welcome and
wished me well and entreated me gently and asked me of the cause of my
strangerhood. I told him all my past from first to last; and he was
concerned on my account and said, "O youth, disclose not thy secret to
any: the King of this city is the greatest enemy thy father hath, and
there is blood wit[FN#204] between them and thou hast cause to fear for
thy life." Then he set meat and drink before me; and I ate and drank
and he with me; and we conversed freely till night fall, when he
cleared me a place in a corner of his shop and brought me a carpet and
a coverlet. I tarried with him three days; at the end of which time he
said to me, "Knowest thou no calling whereby to win thy living, O my
son?" "I am learned in the law," I replied, "and a doctor of doctrine;
an adept in art and science, a mathematician and a notable penman." He
rejoined, "Thy calling is of no account in our city, where not a soul
understandeth science or even writing or aught save money making." Then
said I, "By Allah, I know nothing but what I have mentioned;" and he
answered, "Gird thy middle and take thee a hatchet and a cord, and go
and hew wood in the wold for thy daily bread, till Allah send thee
relief; and tell none who thou art lest they slay thee." Then he bought
me an axe and a rope and gave me in charge to certain wood cutters; and
with these guardians I went forth into the forest, where I cut fuel
wood the whole of my day and came back in the evening bearing my bundle
on my head. I sold it for half a diner, with part of which I bought
provision and laid by the rest. In such work I spent a whole year and
when this was ended I went out one day, as was my wont, into the
wilderness; and, wandering away from my companions, I chanced on a
thickly grown lowland[FN#205] in which there was an abundance of wood.
So I entered and I found the gnarled stump of a great tree and loosened
the ground about it and shovelled away the earth. Presently my hatchet
rang upon a copper ring; so I cleared away the soil and behold, the
ring was attached to a wooden trap door. This I raised and there
appeared beneath it a staircase. I descended the steps to the bottom
and came to a door, which I opened and found myself in a noble hall
strong of structure and beautifully built, where was a damsel like a
pearl of great price, whose favour banished from my heart all grief and
cark and care; and whose soft speech healed the soul in despair and
captivated the wise and ware. Her figure measured five feet in height;
her breasts were firm and upright; her cheek a very garden of delight;
her colour lively bright; her face gleamed like dawn through curly
tresses which gloomed like night, and above the snows of her bosom
glittered teeth of a pearly white.[FN#206] As the poet said of one like
her:—
Slim waisted loveling jetty hair encrowned * A wand of willow on a
sandy mound: