A woman of the daughters of the merchants was married to a man who was
a great traveller. It chanced once that he set out for a far country
and was absent so long that his wife, for pure ennui, fell in love with
a handsome young man of the sons of the merchants, and they loved each
other with exceeding love. One day, the youth quarrelled with another
man, who lodged a complaint against him with the Chief of Police, and
he cast him into prison. When the news came to the merchant’s wife his
mistress, she wellnigh lost her wits; then she arose and donning her
richest clothes repaired to the house of the Chief of Police. She
saluted him and presented a written petition to this purport, “He thou
hast clapped in jail is my brother, such and such, who fell out with
such an one; and those who testified against him bore false witness. He
hath been wrongfully imprisoned, and I have none other to come in to me
nor to provide for my support; therefore I beseech thee of thy grace to
release him.” When the magistrate had read the paper, he cast his eyes
on her and fell in love with her forthright; so he said to her, “Go
into the house, till I bring him before me; then I will send for thee
and thou shalt take him.” “O my lord,” replied she, “I have none to
protect me save Almighty Allah!: I am a stranger and may not enter any
man’s abode.” Quoth the Wali, “I will not let him go, except thou come
to my home and I take my will of thee.” Rejoined she, “If it must be
so, thou must needs come to my lodging and sit and sleep the siesta and
rest the whole day there.” “And where is thy abode?” asked he; and she
answered, “In such a place,” and appointed him for such a time. Then
she went out from him, leaving his heart taken with love of her, and
she repaired to the Kazi of the city, to whom she said, “O our lord the
Kazi!” He exclaimed, “Yes!” and she continued, “Look into my case, and
thy reward be with Allah the Most High!” Quoth he, “Who hath wronged
thee?” and quoth she, “O my lord, I have a brother and I have none but
that one, and it is on his account that I come to thee; because the
Wali hath imprisoned him for a criminal and men have borne false
witness against him that he is a wrong-doer; and I beseech thee to
intercede for him with the Chief of Police.” When the Kazi looked on
her, he fell in love with her forthright and said to her, “Enter the
house and rest awhile with my handmaids whilst I send to the Wali to
release thy brother. If I knew the money-fine which is upon him, I
would pay it out of my own purse, so I may have my desire of thee, for
thou pleasest me with thy sweet speech.” Quoth she, “If thou, O my
lord, do thus, we must not blame others.” Quoth he, “An thou wilt not
come in, wend thy ways.” Then said she, “An thou wilt have it so, O our
lord, it will be privier and better in my place than in thine, for here
are slave-girls and eunuchs and goers-in and comers-out, and indeed I
am a woman who wotteth naught of this fashion; but need compelleth.”
Asked the Kazi, “And where is thy house?”; and she answered, “In such a
place,” and appointed him for the same day and time as the Chief of
Police. Then she went out from him to the Wazir, to whom she preferred
her petition for the release from prison of her brother who was
absolutely necessary to her: but he also required her of herself,
saying, “Suffer me to have my will of thee and I will set thy brother
free.” Quoth she, “An thou wilt have it so, be it in my house, for
there it will be privier both for me and for thee. It is not far
distant and thou knowest that which behoveth us women of cleanliness
and adornment.” Asked he, “Where is thy house?” “In such a place,”
answered she and appointed him for the same time as the two others.
Then she went out from him to the King of the city and told him her
story and sought of him her brother’s release. “Who imprisoned him?”
enquired he; and she replied, “Twas thy Chief of Police.” When the King
heard her speech, it transpierced his heart with the arrows of love and
he bade her enter the palace with him, that he might send to the Kazi
and release her brother. Quoth she, “O King, this thing is easy to
thee, whether I will or nill; and if the King will indeed have this of
me, it is of my good fortune; but, if he come to my house, he will do
me the more honour by setting step therein, even as saith the poet,
‘O my friends, have ye seen or have ye heard * Of his visit whose
virtues I hold so high?’”
Quoth the King, “We will not cross thee in this.” So she appointed him
for the same time as the three others, and told him where her house
was.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-fourth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the woman told
the King where her house was and appointed him for the same time as the
Wali, the Kazi and the Wazir. Then she left him and betaking herself to
a man which was a carpenter, said to him, “I would have thee make me a
cabinet with four compartments one above other, each with its door for
locking up. Let me know thy hire and I will give it thee.” Replied he,
“My price will be four dinars; but, O noble lady and well-protected, if
thou wilt vouchsafe me thy favours, I will ask nothing of thee.”
Rejoined she, “An there be no help but that thou have it so, then make
thou five compartments with their padlocks;” and she appointed him to
bring it exactly on the day required. Said he, “It is well; sit down, O
my lady, and I will make it for thee forthright, and after I will come
to thee at my leisure.” So she sat down by him, whilst he fell to work
on the cabinet, and when he had made an end of it she chose to see it
at once carried home and set up in the sitting-chamber. Then she took
four gowns and carried them to the dyer, who dyed them each of a
different colour; after which she applied herself to making ready meat
and drink; fruits, flowers and perfumes. Now when the appointed
trysting day came, she donned her costliest dress and adorned herself
and scented herself, then spread the sitting-room with various kinds of
rich carpets and sat down to await who should come. And behold, the
Kazi was the first to appear, devancing the rest, and when she saw him,
she rose to her feet and kissed the ground before him; then, taking him
by the hand, made him sit down by her on the couch and lay with him and
fell to jesting and toying with him. By and by, he would have her do
his desire, but she said, “O my lord, doff thy clothes and turband and
assume this yellow cassock and this head-kerchief,[FN#212] whilst I
bring thee meat and drink; and after thou shalt win thy will.” So
saying, she took his clothes and turband and clad him in the cassock
and the kerchief; but hardly had she done this, when lo! there came a
knocking at the door. Asked he, “Who is that rapping at the door?” and
she answered, “My husband.” Quoth the Kazi, “What is to be done, and
where shall I go?” Quoth she, “Fear nothing, I will hide thee in this
cabinet;” and he, “Do as seemeth good to thee.” So she took him by the
hand and pushing him into the lowest compartment, locked the door upon
him. Then she went to the house-door, where she found the Wali; so she
bussed ground before him and taking his hand brought him into the
saloon, where she made him sit down and said to him, “O my lord, this
house is thy house; this place is thy place, and I am thy handmaid:
thou shalt pass all this day with me; wherefore do thou doff thy
clothes and don this red gown, for it is a sleeping gown.” So she took
away his clothes and made him assume the red gown and set on his head
an old patched rag she had by her; after which she sat by him on the
divan and she sported with him while he toyed with her awhile, till he
put out his hand to her. Whereupon she said to him, “O our lord, this
day is thy day and none shall share in it with thee; but first, of thy
favour and benevolence, write me an order for my brother’s release from
gaol that my heart may be at ease.” Quoth he, “Hearkening and
obedience: on my head and eyes be it!”; and wrote a letter to his
treasurer, saying, “As soon as this communication shall reach thee, do
thou set such an one free, without stay or delay; neither answer the
bearer a word.” Then he sealed it and she took it from him, after which
she began to toy again with him on the divan when, behold, some one
knocked at the door. He asked, “Who is that?” and she answered, “My
husband.” “What shall I do?” said he, and she, “Enter this cabinet,
till I send him away and return to thee.” So she clapped him into the
second compartment from the bottom and padlocked the door on him; and
meanwhile the Kazi heard all they said. Then she went to the house-door
and opened it, whereupon lo! the Wazir entered. She bussed the ground
before him and received him with all honour and worship, saying, “O my
lord, thou exaltest us by thy coming to our house; Allah never deprive
us of the light of thy countenance!” Then she seated him on the divan
and said to him, “O my lord, doff thy heavy dress and turband and don
these lighter vestments.” So he put off his clothes and turband and she
clad him in a blue cassock and a tall red bonnet, and said to him,
“Erst thy garb was that of the Wazirate; so leave it to its own time
and don this light gown, which is better fitted for carousing and
making merry and sleep.” Thereupon she began to play with him and he
with her, and he would have done his desire of her; but she put him
off, saying, “O my lord, this shall not fail us.” As they were talking
there came a knocking at the door, and the Wazir asked her, “Who is
that?”: to which she answered, “My husband.” Quoth he, “What is to be
done?” Quoth she, “Enter this cabinet, till I get rid of him and come
back to thee and fear thou nothing.” So she put him in the third
compartment and locked the door on him, after which she went out and
opened the house-door when lo and behold! in came the King. As soon as
she saw him she kissed ground before him, and taking him by the hand,
led him into the saloon and seated him on the divan at the upper end.
Then said she to him, “Verily, O King, thou dost us high honour, and if
we brought thee to gift the world and all that therein is, it would not
be worth a single one of thy steps us-wards.”—And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-fifth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the King
entered the lady’s house she said to him, “Had we brought thee to gift
the world and all which is therein, it would not be worth a single one
of thy steps us-wards.” And when he had taken his seat upon the divan
she said, “Give me leave to speak one word.” “Say what thou wilt,”
answered he, and she said, “O my lord, take thine ease and doff thy
dress and turband.” Now his clothes were worth a thousand dinars; and
when he put them off she clad him in a patched gown, worth at the very
most ten dirhams, and fell to talking and jesting with him; all this
while the folk in the cabinet hearing everything that passed, but not
daring to say a word. Presently, the King put his hand to her neck and
sought to do his desire of her; when she said, “This thing shall not
fail us, but I had first promised myself to entertain thee in this
sitting-chamber, and I have that which shall content thee.” Now as they
were speaking, some one knocked at the door and he asked her, “Who is
that?” “My husband,” answered she, and he, “Make him go away of his own
good will, or I will fare forth to him and send him away perforce.”
Replied she, “Nay, O my lord, have patience till I send him away by my
skilful contrivance.” “And I, how shall I do!” enquired the King;
whereupon she took him by the hand and making him enter the fourth
compartment of the cabinet, locked it upon him. Then she went out and
opened the house-door when behold, the carpenter entered and saluted
her. Quoth she, “What manner of thing is this cabinet thou hast made
me?” “What aileth it, O my lady?” asked he, and she answered, “The top
compartment is too strait.” Rejoined he, “Not so;” and she, “Go in
thyself and see; it is not wide enough for thee.” Quoth he, “It is wide
enough for four,” and entered the fifth compartment, whereupon she
locked the door on him. Then she took the letter of the Chief of Police
and carried it to the treasurer who, having read and understood it,
kissed it and delivered her lover to her. She told him all she had done
and he said, “And how shall we act now?” She answered, “We will remove
hence to another city, for after this work there is no tarrying for us
here.” So the twain packed up what goods they had and, loading them on
camels, set out forthright for another city. Meanwhile, the five abode
each in his compartment of the cabinet without eating or drinking three
whole days, during which time they held their water until at last the
carpenter could retain his no longer; so he staled on the King’s head,
and the King urined on the Wazir’s head, and the Wazir piddled on the
Wali and the Wali pissed on the head of the Kazi; whereupon the Judge
cried out and said, “What nastiness[FN#213] is this? Doth not what
strait we are in suffice us, but you must make water upon us?” The
Chief of Police recognised the Kazi’s voice and answered, saying aloud,
“Allah increase thy reward, O Kazi!” And when the Kazi heard him, he
knew him for the Wali. Then the Chief of Police lifted up his voice and
said, “What means this nastiness?” and the Wazir answered, saying,
“Allah increase thy reward, O Wali!” whereupon he knew him to be the
Minister. Then the Wazir lifted up his voice and said, “What means this
nastiness?” But when the King heard and recognised his Minister’s
voice, he held his peace and concealed his affair. Then said the Wazir,
“May God damn[FN#214] this woman for her dealing with us! She hath
brought hither all the Chief Officers of the state, except the King.”
Quoth the King, “Hold your peace, for I was the first to fall into the
toils of this lewd strumpet.” Whereat cried the carpenter, “And I, what
have I done? I made her a cabinet for four gold pieces, and when I came
to seek my hire, she tricked me into entering this compartment and
locked the door on me.” And they fell to talking with one another,
diverting the King and doing away his chagrin. Presently the neighbours
came up to the house and, seeing it deserted, said one to other, “But
yesterday our neighbour, the wife of such an one, was in it; but now no
sound is to be heard therein nor is soul to be seen. Let us break open
the doors and see how the case stands, lest it come to the ears of the
Wali or the King and we be cast into prison and regret not doing this
thing before.” So they broke open the doors and entered the saloon,
where they saw a large wooden cabinet and heard men within groaning for
hunger and thirst. Then said one of them, “Is there a Jinni in this
cabinet?” and his fellow, “Let us heap fuel about it and burn it with
fire.” When the Kazi heard this, he bawled out to them, “Do it
not!”—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-sixth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
neighbours proposed to heap fuel about the cabinet and to burn it the
Kazi bawled out to them, “Do it not!” And they said to one another,
“Verily the Jinn make believe to be mortals and speak with men’s
voices.” Thereupon the Kazi repeated somewhat of the Sublime Koran and
said to the neighbours, “Draw near to the cabinet wherein we are.” So
they drew near, and he said, “I am so and so the Kazi, and ye are such
an one and such an one, and we are here a company.” Quoth the
neighbours, “Who brought you here?” And he told them the whole case
from beginning to end. Then they fetched a carpenter, who opened the
five doors and let out Kazi, Wazir, Wali, King and carpenter in their
queer disguises; and each, when he saw how the others were accoutred,
fell a-laughing at them. Now she had taken away all their clothes; so
every one of them sent to his people for fresh clothes and put them on
and went out, covering himself therewith from the sight of the folk.
“Consider, therefore, O our lord the King” (said the Wazir), “what a
trick this woman played off upon the folk! And I have heard tell also a
tale of
The Three Wishes,[FN#215] or the Man who Longed to see the Night of
Power.
A certain man had longed all his life to look upon the Night of
Power,[FN#216] and one night it befel that he gazed at the sky and saw
the angels, and Heaven’s gates thrown open; and he beheld all things
prostrating themselves before their Lord, each in its several stead. So
he said to his wife, “Harkye, such an one, verily Allah hath shown me
the Night of Power, and it hath been proclaimed to me, from the
invisible world, that three prayers will be granted unto me; so I
consult thee for counsel as to what shall I ask.” Quoth she, “O man,
the perfection of man and his delight is in his prickle; therefore do
thou pray Allah to greaten thy yard and magnify it.” So he lifted up
his hands to heaven and said, “O Allah, greaten my yard and magnify
it.” Hardly had he spoken when his tool became as big as a column and
he could neither sit nor stand nor move about nor even stir from his
stead; and when he would have carnally known his wife, she fled before
him from place to place. So he said to her, “O accursed woman, what is
to be done? This is thy list, by reason of thy lust.” She replied, “No,
by Allah, I did not ask for this length and huge bulk, for which the
gate of a street were too strait. Pray Heaven to make it less.” So he
raised his eyes to Heaven and said, “O Allah, rid me of this thing and
deliver me therefrom.” And immediately his prickle disappeared
altogether and he became clean smooth. When his wife saw this, she
said, “I have no occasion for thee, now thou are become pegless as a
eunuch, shaven and shorn;” and he answered her, saying, “All this comes
of thine ill-omened counsel and thine imbecile judgment. I had three
prayers accepted of Allah, wherewith I might have gotten me my good,
both in this world and in the next, and now two wishes are gone in pure
waste, by thy lewd will, and there remaineth but one.” Quoth she, “Pray
Allah the Most High to restore thee thy yard as it was.” So he prayed
to his Lord and his prickle was restored to its first estate. Thus the
man lost his three wishes by the ill counsel and lack of wit in the
woman; “And this, O King” (said the Wazir), “have I told thee, that
thou mightest be certified of the thoughtlessness of women and their
inconsequence and silliness and see what cometh of hearkening to their
counsel. Wherefore be not persuaded by them to slay thy son, thy
heart’s core, who shall cause thy remembrance to survive thee.” The
King gave ear to his Minister’s words and forbore to put his son to
death; but, on the seventh day, the damsel came in, shrieking, and
after lighting a great fire in the King’s presence, made as she would
cast herself therein; whereupon they laid hands on her and brought her
before him. He asked her, “Why hast thou done this?”; and she answered,
“Except thou do me justice on thy son, I will cast myself into this
very fire and accuse thee of this on the Day of Resurrection, for I am
a-weary of my life, and before coming into thy presence I wrote my last
will and testament and gave alms of my goods and resolved upon death.
And thou wilt repent with all repentance, even as did the King of
having punished the pious woman who kept the Hammam.” Quoth the King,
“How was that?” and quoth she, “I have heard tell, O King, this tale
concerning
The Stolen Necklace.
There was once a devotee, a recluse, a woman who had devoted herself to
religion. Now she used to resort to a certain King’s palace,[FN#217]
whose dwellers were blessed by her presence and she was held of them in
high honour. One day she entered that palace according to her custom
and sat down beside the King’s wife. Presently the Queen gave her a
necklace, worth a thousand dinars, saying, “Keep this for me, O woman,
whilst I go to the Hammam.” So she entered the bath, which was in the
palace, and the pious woman remaining in the place where the Queen was
and awaiting her return laid the necklace on the prayer-carpet and
stood up to pray. As she was thus engaged, there came a magpie[FN#218]
which snatched up the necklace, while she went out to obey a call of
nature and carrying it off, hid it inside a crevice in a corner of the
palace-walls. When the Queen came out of the bath, she sought the
necklace of the recluse, who also searched for it, but found it not nor
could light on any trace of it; so she said to the King’s wife, “By
Allah, O my daughter, none hath been with me. When thou gavest me the
necklace, I laid it on the prayer-carpet, and I know not if one of the
servants saw it and took it without my heed, whilst I was engaged in
prayer. Almighty Allah only knoweth what is come of it!” When the King
heard what had happened, he bade his Queen put the bath-woman to the
question by fire and grievous blows, —And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Ninety-seventh Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the King
bade his Queen question the bath-woman with fire and grievous blows,
they tortured her with all manner tortures, but could not bring her to
confess or to accuse any. Then he commanded to cast her into prison and
manacle and fetter her; and they did as he bade. One day, after this,
as the King sat in the inner court of his palace, with the Queen by his
side and water flowing around him, he saw the pie fly into a crevice in
a corner of the wall and pull out the necklace, whereupon he cried out
to a damsel who was with him, and she caught the bird and took the
necklace from it. By this the King knew that the pious bath-woman had
been wronged and repented of that he had done with her. So he sent for
her to the presence and fell to kissing her head and with many tears
sought pardon of her. Moreover, he commanded much treasure to be given
to her, but she refused and would none of it. However, she forgave him
and went away, swearing never again to enter any one’s house. So she
betook herself to wandering in the mountains and valleys and worshipped
God until she died, and Almighty Allah have mercy upon her! “And for an
instance of the malice of the male sex” (continued the damsel), “I have
heard, O King, tell this tale of