A certain King had a son, whom he loved and favoured with exceeding
favour, over all his other children; and this son said to him one day,
“O my father, I have a mind to fare a-coursing and a-hunting.” So the
King bade furnish him and commanded one of his Wazirs to bear him
company and do all the service he needed during his trip. The Minister
accordingly took everything that was necessary for the journey and they
set out with a retinue of eunuchs and officers and pages, and rode on,
sporting as they went, till they came to a green and well-grassed
champaign abounding in pasture and water and game. Here the Prince
turned to the Minister and told him that the place pleased him and he
purposed to halt there. So they set down in that site and they loosed
the falcons and lynxes and dogs and caught great plenty of game,
whereat they rejoiced and abode there some days, in all joyance of life
and its delight. Then the King’s son gave the signal for departure;
but, as they went along, a beautiful gazelle, as if the sun rose
shining from between her horns, that had strayed from her mate, sprang
up before the Prince, whereupon his soul longed to make prize of her
and he coveted her. So he said to the Wazir, “I have a mind to follow
that gazelle;” and the Minister replied, “Do what seemeth good to
thee.” Thereupon the Prince rode single-handed after the gazelle, till
he lost sight of his companions, and chased her all that day till dusk,
when she took refuge in a bit of rocky ground[FN#172] and darkness
closed in upon him. Then he would have turned back, but knew not the
way; whereat he was sore concerned and said, “There is no Majesty and
there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!” He sat his
mare all night till morning dawned, in quest of relief, but found none;
and, when the day appeared, he fared on at hazard fearful, famished,
thirsty, and knowing not whither to wend till it was noon and the sun
beat down upon him with burning heat. By that time he came in sight of
a great city, with massive base and lofty bulwarks; but it was ruined
and desolate, nor was there any live thing therein save owl and raven.
As he stood among the buildings, marvelling at their ordinance, lo! his
eyes fell on a damsel, young, beautiful and lovely, sitting under one
of the city walls wailing and weeping copious tears. So he drew nigh to
her and asked, “Who art thou and who brought thee hither?” She
answered, “I am called Bint al-Tamimah, daughter of Al-Tiyakh, King of
the Gray Country. I went out one day to obey a call of nature,[FN#173]
when an Ifrit of the Jinn snatched me up and soared with me between
heaven and earth; but as he flew there fell on him a shooting-star in
the form of a flame of fire and burned him, and I dropped here, where
these three days I have hungered and thirsted; but when I saw thee I
longed for life.” —And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
to say her permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-second Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Prince when
addressed by the daughter of King Al-Tiyakh who said to him, “When I
saw thee I longed for life,” was smitten with ruth and grief for her
and took her up on his courser’s crupper, saying, “Be of good cheer and
keep thine eyes cool and clear; for, if Allah (extolled and exalted be
He!) restore me to my people and family, I will send thee back to thine
own folk.” Then he rode on, praying for deliverance, and presently the
damsel said to him, “O King’s son, set me down, that I may do an
occasion under this wall.” So he drew bridle and she alighted. He
waited for her a long while as she hid herself behind the wall; and she
came forth, with the foulest of favours; which when he saw, his hair
stood on end and he quaked for fear of her and he turned deadly pale.
Then she sprang up on his steed, behind him, wearing the most loathly
of aspects, and presently she said to him, “O King’s son, what ails
thee that I see thee troubled and thy favour changed?” “I have
bethought me of somewhat that troubles me.” “Seek aid against it of thy
father’s troops and his braves.” “He whom I fear careth naught for
troops, neither can braves affright him.” “Aid thyself against him with
thy father’s monies and treasures.” “He whom I fear will not be
satisfied with wealth.” “Ye hold that ye have in Heaven a God who seeth
and is not seen and is Omnipotent and Omniscient.” “Yes, we have none
but Him.” “Then pray thou to Him; haply He will deliver thee from me
thine enemy!” So the King’s son raised his eyes to heaven and began to
pray with his whole heart, saying, “O my God, I implore Thy succour
against that which troubleth me.” Then he pointed to her with his hand,
and she fell to the ground, burnt black as charcoal. Therewith he
thanked Allah and praised Him and ceased not to fare forwards; and the
Almighty (extolled and exalted be He!) of His grace made the way easy
to him and guided him into the right road, so that he reached his own
land and came upon his father’s capital, after he had despaired of
life. Now all this befel by the contrivance of the Wazir, who travelled
with him, to the end that he might cause him to perish on the way; but
Almighty Allah succoured him. “And this” (said the damsel) “have I told
thee, O King, that thou mayst know that wicked Wazirs deal not honestly
by nor counsel with sincere intent their Kings; wherefore be thou wise
and ware of them in this matter.” The King gave ear to her speech and
bade put his son to death; but the third Wazir came in and said to his
brother Ministers, “I will warrant you from the King’s mischief this
day” and, going in to him, kissed the ground between his hands and
said, “O King, I am thy true counsellor and solicitous for thee and for
thine estate, and indeed I rede thee the best of rede; it is that thou
hasten not to slay thy son, the coolth of thine eyes and the fruit of
thy vitals. Haply his sin is but a slight slip, which this damsel hath
made great to thee; and indeed I have heard tell that the people of two
villages once destroyed one another, because of a drop of honey.” Asked
the King, “How was that?”; and the Wazir answered, saying, “Know, O
King, that I have heard this story anent