They tell that El Hejjaj[FN#70] once commanded the Master of
Police [of Bassora] to go round about [the city] by night, and
whomsoever he found [abroad] after nightfall, that he should
strike off his head. So he went round one night of the nights and
came upon three youths staggering from side to side, and on them
signs of [intoxication with] wine. So the officers laid hold of
them and the captain of the watch said to them, "Who are ye that
ye transgress the commandment of the [lieutenant of the]
Commander of the Faithful and come abroad at this hour?" Quoth
one of the youths, "I am the son of him to whom [all]
necks[FN#71] abase themselves, alike the nose-pierced[FN#72] of
them and the [bone-]breaker;[FN#73] they come to him in their own
despite, abject and submissive, and he taketh of their
wealth[FN#74] and of their blood."
The master of police held his hand from him, saying, "Belike he
is of the kinsmen of the Commander of the Faithful," and said to
the second, "Who art thou?" Quoth he, "I am the son of him whose
rank[FN#75] time abaseth not, and if it descend[FN#76] one day,
it will assuredly return [to its former height]; thou seest the
folk [crowd] in troops to the light of his fire, some standing
around it and some sitting." So the master of the police
refrained from slaying him and said to the third, "Who art thou?"
Quoth he, "I am the son of him who plungeth through the
ranks[FN#77] with his might and correcteth[FN#78] them with the
sword,[FN#79] so that they stand straight;[FN#80] his feet are
not loosed from the stirrup,[FN#81] whenas the horsemen on the
day of battle are weary." So the master of police held his hand
from him also, saying, "Belike, he is the son of a champion of
the Arabs."
Then he kept them under guard, and when the morning morrowed, he
referred their case to El Hejjaj, who caused bring them before
him and enquiring into their affair, found that the first was the
son of a barber-surgeon, the second of a [hot] bean-seller and
the third of a weaver. So he marvelled at their readiness of
speech[FN#82] and said to his session-mates, "Teach your sons
deportment;[FN#83] for, by Allah, but for their ready wit, I had
smitten off their heads!"
HAROUN ER RESHID AND THE WOMAN OF THE
BARMECIDES.[FN#84]
They tell that Haroun er Reshid was sitting one day to do away
grievances, when there came up to him a woman and said to him, "O
Commander of the Faithful, may God accomplish thine affair and
cause thee rejoice in that which He hath given thee and increase
thee in elevation! Indeed, thou hast done justice[FN#85] and
wrought equitably."[FN#86] Quoth the Khalif to those who were
present with him, "Know ye what this woman meaneth by her
saying?" And they answered, "Of a surety, she meaneth not
otherwise than well, O Commander of the Faithful." "Nay,"
rejoined Haroun; "she purposeth only in this an imprecation
against me. As for her saying, 'God accomplish thine affair!' she
hath taken it from the saying of the poet, 'When an affair is
accomplished, its abatement[FN#87] beginneth. Beware of
cessation, whenas it is said, "It is accomplished."' As for her
saying 'God cause thee rejoice in that which He hath given thee,'
she took it from the saying of God the Most High, 'Till, whenas
they rejoiced in that which they were given, we took them
suddenly and lo, they were confounded!'[FN#88] As for her saying,
'God increase thee in elevation!' she took it from the saying of
the poet, 'No bird flieth and riseth up on high, but, like as he
flieth, he falleth.' And as for her saying, 'Indeed, thou hast
done justice and wrought equitably,' it is from the saying of the
Most High, '[If ye deviate[FN#89] or lag behind or turn aside,
verily, God of that which ye do is aware;'[FN#90] and] 'As for
the transgressors,'[FN#91] they are fuel for hell[-fire]."[FN#92]
Then he turned to the woman and said to her, "Is it not thus?"
"Yes, O Commander of the Faithful," answered she; and he said,
"What prompted thee to this?" Quoth she, "Thou slewest my father
and my mother and my kinsfolk and tookest their goods." "Whom
meanest thou?" asked the Khalif, and she replied, "I am of the
house of Bermek."[FN#93] Then said he to her, "As for the dead,
they are of those who are past away, and it booteth not to speak
of them; but, as for that which I took of wealth, it shall be
restored to thee, yea, and more than it." And he was bountiful to
her to the utmost of munificence.
THE TEN VIZIERS; OR THE HISTORY OF KING
AZADBEKHT AND HIS SON.[FN#94]
There was once, of old days, a king of the kings, whose name was
Azadbekht; his [capital] city was called Kuneim Mudoud and his
kingdom extended to the confines of Seistan and from the
frontiers of Hindustan to the sea He had ten viziers, who ordered
his state and his dominion, and he was possessed of judgment and
exceeding wisdom. One day he went forth with certain of his
guards to the chase and fell in with an eunuch on horseback,
holding in his hand the halter of a mule, which he led along. On
the mule's back was a litter of gold-inwoven brocade, garded
about with an embroidered band set with gold and jewels, and over
against the litter was a company of horsemen. When King Azadbekht
saw this, he separated himself from his companions and making for
the mule and the horsemen, questioned the latter, saying, "To
whom belongeth this litter and what is therein?". The eunuch
answered, (for he knew not that he was King Azadbekht,) saying,
"This litter belongeth to Isfehend, vizier to King Azadbekht, and
therein is his daughter, whom he purposeth to marry to Zad Shah
the King."
As the eunuch was speaking with the king, behold, the damsel
raised a corner of the curtain that shut in the litter, so she
might look upon the speaker, and saw the king. When Azadbekht
beheld her and noted her fashion and her loveliness (and indeed
never set story-teller[FN#95] eyes on her like,) his soul
inclined to her and she took hold upon his heart and he was
ravished by her sight. So he said to the eunuch, "Turn the mule's
head and return, for I am King Azadbekht and I will marry her
myself, for that Isfehend her father is my vizier and he will
accept of this affair and it will not be grievous to him." "O
king," answered the eunuch, "may God prolong thy continuance,
have patience till I acquaint my lord her father, and thou shalt
take her in the way of approof, for it befitteth thee not neither
is it seemly unto thee that thou take her on this wise, seeing
that it will be an affront to her father if thou take her without
his knowledge." Quoth Azadbekht, "I have not patience [to wait]
till thou go to her father and return, and no dishonour will
betide him, if I marry her." "O my lord," rejoined the eunuch,
"nought that is done in haste is long of durance nor doth the
heart rejoice therein; and indeed it behoveth thee not to take
her on this foul wise. Whatsoever betideth thee, destroy not
thyself with [undue] haste, for I know that her father's breast
will be straitened by this affair and this that thou dost will
not profit thee." But the king said, "Verily, Isfehend is [my
boughten] servant and a slave of my slaves, and I reck not of her
father, if he be vexed or pleased." So saying, he drew the reins
of the mule and carrying the damsel, whose name was Behrjaur, to
his house, married her.
Meanwhile, the eunuch betook himself, he and the horsemen, to her
father and said to him, "O my lord, the king is beholden to thee
for many years' service and thou hast not failed him a day of the
days; and now, behold, he hath taken thy daughter against thy
wish and without thy permission." And he related to him what had
passed and how the king had taken her by force. When Isfehend
heard the eunuch's story, he was exceeding wroth and assembling
many troops, said to them, "Whenas the king was occupied with his
women [and concerned not himself with the affairs of his
kingdom], we took no reck of him; but now he putteth out his hand
to our harem; wherefore methinketh we should do well to look us
out a place, wherein we may have sanctuary."
Then he wrote a letter to King Azadbekht, saying to him, "I am a
servant of thy servants and a slave of thy slaves and my daughter
is a handmaid at thy service, and may God the Most High prolong
thy days and appoint thy times [to be] in delight and
contentment! Indeed, I still went girded of the waist in thy
service and in caring for the preservation of thy dominion and
warding off thine enemies from thee; but now I abound yet more
than before in zeal and watchfulness, for that I have taken this
to charge upon myself, since my daughter is become thy wife." And
he despatched a messenger to the king with the letter and a
present.
When the messenger came to King Azadbekht and he read the letter
and the present was laid before him, he rejoiced with an
exceeding joy and occupied himself with eating and drinking, hour
after hour. But the chief Vizier of his Viziers came to him and
said, "0 king, know that Isfehend the Vizier is thine enemy, for
that his soul liketh not that which thou hast done with him, and
the message that he hath sent thee [is a trick; so] rejoice thou
not therein, neither be thou deluded by the sweetness of his
words and the softness of his speech." The king hearkened [not]
to his Vizier's speech, but made light of the matter and
presently, [dismissing it from his thought], busied himself with
that which he was about of eating and drinking and merrymaking
and delight
Meanwhile, Isfehend the Vizier wrote a letter and despatched it
to all the Amirs, acquainting them with that which had betided
him with King Azadbekht and how he had taken his daughter by
force and adding, "And indeed he will do with you more than he
hath done with me." When the letter reached the chiefs [of the
people and troops], they all assembled together to Isfehend and
said to him, "What is to do with him?"[FN#96] So he discovered to
them the affair of his daughter and they all agreed, of one
accord, that they should endeavour for the slaughter of the king
and taking horse with their troops, set out, intending for him.
Azadbekht knew not [of their design] till the noise [of the
invasion] beset his capital city, when he said to his wife
Behrjaur, "How shall we do?" And she answered, saying, "Thou
knowest best and I am at thy commandment." So he let bring two
swift horses and bestrode one himself, whilst his wife mounted
the other. Then they took what they might of gold and went forth,
fleeing, in the night, to the desert of Kerman; what while
Isfehend entered the city and made himself king.
Now King Azadbekht's wife was big with child and the pains of
labour took her in the mountain; so they alighted at the
mountain-foot, by a spring of water, and she gave birth to a boy
as he were the moon. Behrjaur his mother pulled off a gown of
gold-inwoven brocade and wrapped the child therein, and they
passed the night [in that place], what while she gave him suck
till the morning. Then said the king to her, "We are hampered by
this child and cannot abide here nor can we carry him with us; so
methinks we were better leave him here and go, for Allah is able
to send him one who shall take him and rear him." So they wept
over him exceeding sore and left him beside the spring, wrapped
in the gown of brocade: then they laid at his head a thousand
dinars in a bag and mounting their horses, departed, fleeing.
Now, by the ordinance of God the Most High, a company of thieves
fell in upon a caravan hard by that mountain and made prize of
that which was with them of merchandise. Then they betook
themselves to the mountain, so they might share their booty, and
looking at the foot thereof, espied the gown of brocade. So they
descended, to see what it was, and finding the child wrapped
therein and the gold laid at his head, marvelled and said,
"Extolled be the perfection of God! By what wickedness cometh
this child here?" Then they divided the money between them and
the captain of the thieves took the boy and made him his son and
fed him with sweet milk and dates, till he came to his house,
when he appointed him a nurse, who should rear him.
Meanwhile, King Azadbekht and his wife stayed not in their flight
till they came to [the court of] the King of Fars,[FN#97] whose
name was Kutrou.[FN#98] When they presented themselves to him, he
entreated them with honour and entertained them handsomely, and
Azadbekht told him his story, first and last. So he gave him a
great army and wealth galore and he abode with him some days,
till he was rested, when he made ready with his host and setting
out for his own dominions, waged war upon Isfehend and falling in
upon the capital, defeated the rebel vizier and slew him. Then he
entered the city and sat down on the throne of his kingship; and
whenas he was rested and the kingdom was grown peaceful for him,
he despatched messengers to the mountain aforesaid in quest of
the child; but they returned and informed the king that they had
not found him.
As time went on, the boy, the son of the king, grew up and fell
to stopping the way[FN#99] with the thieves, and they used to
carry him with them, whenas they went a-thieving. They sallied
forth one day upon a caravan in the land of Seistan, and there
were in that caravan strong and valiant men and with them
merchandise galore. Now they had heard that in that land were
thieves; so they gathered themselves together and made ready
their arms and sent out spies, who returned and gave them news of
the thieves. Accordingly, they prepared for battle, and when the
robbers drew near the caravan, they fell in upon them and they
fought a sore battle. At last the folk of the caravan
overmastered the thieves, by dint of numbers, and slew some of
them, whilst the others fled. Moreover they took the boy, the son
of King Azadbekht, and seeing him as he were the moon, possessed
of beauty and grace, brightfaced and comely of fashion,
questioned him, saying, "Who is thy father, and how camest thou
with these thieves?" And he answered, saying, "I am the son of
the captain of the thieves." So they took him and carried him to
the capital of his father King Azadbekht
When they reached the city, the king heard of their coming and
commanded that they should attend him with what befitted [of
their merchandise]. So they presented themselves before him, [and
the boy with them,] whom when the king saw, he said to them, "To
whom belongeth this boy?" And they answered, "O king, we were
going in such a road, when there came out upon us a sort of
robbers; so we made war upon them and overcame them and took this
boy prisoner. Then we questioned him, saying, 'Who is thy
father?' and he answered, 'I am the captain's son of the
thieves.'" Quoth the king, "I would fain have this boy." And the
captain of the caravan said, "God maketh thee gift of him, O king
of the age, and we all are thy slaves." Then the king dismissed
[the people of] the caravan and let carry the youth into his
palace and he became as one of the servants, what while his
father the king knew not that he was his son. As time went on,
the king observed in him good breeding and understanding and
knowledge[FN#100] galore and he pleased him; so he committed his
treasuries to his charge and straitened the viziers' hand
therefrom, commanding that nought should be taken forth therefrom
except by leave of the youth. On this wise he abode a number of
years and the king saw in him nought but fidelity and
studiousness in well-doing.
Now the treasuries aforetime had been in the viziers' hand, so
they might do with them what they would, and when they came under
the youth's hand, that of the viziers was straitened from them,
and the youth became dearer to the king than a son and he could
not brook to be separated from him. When the viziers saw this,
they were jealous of him and envied him and cast about for a
device against him whereby they might oust him from the king's
favour, but found no opportunity. At last, when came the destined
hour,[FN#101] it chanced that the youth one day drank wine and
became drunken and wandered from his wits; so he fell to going
round about within the palace of the king and fate led him to the
lodging of the women, in which there was a little
sleeping-chamber, where the king lay with his wife. Thither came
the youth and entering the chamber, found there a couch spread,
to wit, a sleeping place, and a candle burning. So he cast
himself on the couch, marvelling at the paintings that were in
the chamber, and slept and slumbered heavily till eventide, when
there came a slave-girl, bringing with her all the dessert,
eatables and drinkables, that she was wont to make ready for the
king and his wife, and seeing the youth lying on his back, (and
none knowing of his case and he in his drunkenness unknowing
where he was,) thought that he was the king asleep on his bed; so
she set the censing-vessel and laid the essences by the couch,
then shut the door and went away.
Presently, the king arose from the wine-chamber and taking his
wife by the hand, repaired with her to the chamber in which he
slept. He opened the door and entering, saw the youth lying on
the bed, whereupon he turned to his wife and said to her, "What
doth this youth here? This fellow cometh not hither but on thine
account." Quoth she, "I have no knowledge of him." With this, the
youth awoke and seeing the king, sprang up and prostrated himself
before him, and Azadbekht said to him, "O vile of origin,[FN#102]
O lack-loyalty, what hath prompted thee to outrage my dwelling?"
And he bade imprison him in one place and the woman in another.
The First Day.
OF THE USELESSNESS OF ENDEAVOUR AGAINST
PERSISTENT ILL FORTUNE.
When the morning morrowed and the king sat on the throne of his
kingship, he summoned the chief of his viziers and said to him,
"What deemest thou of this that yonder robber-youth hath done?
Behold, he hath entered my house and lain down on my bed and I
fear lest there be an intrigue between him and the woman. How
deemest thou of the affair?" "God prolong the king's
continuance!" replied the vizier. "What sawest thou in this youth
[to make thee trust in him]? Is he not vile of origin, the son of
thieves? Needs must a thief revert to his vile origin, and whoso
reareth the young of the serpent shall get of them nought but
biting. As for the woman, she is not at fault; for, since [the]
time [of her marriage with thee] till now, there hath appeared
from her nought but good breeding and modesty; and now, if the
king give me leave, I will go to her and question her, so I may
discover to thee the affair."
The king gave him leave for this and the vizier betook himself to
the queen and said to her, "I am come to thee, on account of a
grave reproach, and I would have thee be truthful with me in
speech and tell me how came the youth into the sleeping-chamber."
Quoth she, "I have no knowledge whatsoever [of it]" and swore to
him a solemn oath thereof, whereby he knew that she had no
knowledge of the matter and that she was not at fault and said to
her, "I will teach thee a device, where- with thou mayst acquit
thyself and thy face be whitened before the king." "What is it?"
asked she; and he answered, saying, "When the king calleth for
thee and questioneth thee of this, say thou to him, 'Yonder youth
saw me in the privy-chamber and sent me a message, saying, "I
will give thee a hundred jewels, to whose price money may not
avail, so thou wilt suffer me to foregather with thee." I laughed
at him who bespoke me with these words and rebuffed him; but he
sent again to me, saying, "An thou fall not in with my wishes, I
will come one of the nights, drunken, and enter and lie down in
the sleeping-chamber, and the king will see me and kill me; so
wilt thou be put to shame and thy face will be blackened with him
and thine honour abased."' Be this thy saying to the king, and I
will presently go to him and repeat this to him." Quoth the
queen, "And I also will say thus."
So the vizier returned to the king and said to him, "Verily, this
youth hath merited grievous punishment, after abundance of bounty
[bestowed on him], and it may not be that a bitter kernel should
ever become sweet; but, as for the woman, I am certified that
there is no fault in her." Then he repeated to the king the story
which he had taught the queen, which when Azadbekht heard, he
rent his clothes and bade fetch the youth. So they brought him
and stationed him before the king, who let bring the headsman,
and the folk all fixed their eyes upon the youth, so they might
see what the king should do with him.
Then said Azadbekht to him (and indeed his words were [prompted]
by anger and those of the youth by presence of mind and good
breeding), "I bought thee with my money and looked for fidelity
from thee, wherefore I chose thee over all my grandees and
servants and made thee keeper of my treasuries. Why, then, hast
thou outraged my honour and entered my house and played the
traitor with me and tookest no thought unto that which I have
done thee of benefits?" "O king," answered the youth, "I did this
not of my choice and freewill and I had no [evil] intent in being
there; but, of the littleness of my luck, I was driven thither,
for that fate was contrary and fair fortune lacking. Indeed, I
had striven with all endeavour that nought of foul should proceed
from me and kept watch over myself, lest default appear in me;
but none may avail to make head against ill fortune, nor doth
endeavour profit in case of lack of luck, as appeareth by the
example of the merchant who was stricken with ill luck and his
endeavour profited him not and he succumbed to the badness of his
fortune." "What is the story of the merchant," asked the king,
"and how was his luck changed upon him by the sorriness of his
fortune?" "May God prolong the king's continuance!" answered the
youth.
Story of the Unlucky Merchant.
"There was once a man, a merchant, who was fortunate in trade,
and at one time his [every] dirhem profited [him] fifty.
Presently, his luck turned against him and he knew it not; so he
said in himself, 'I have wealth galore, yet do I weary myself and
go round about from country to country; I were better abide in my
own country and rest myself in my house from this travail and
affliction and sell and buy at home.' Then he made two parts of
his money, with one whereof he bought wheat in summer, saying,
'When the winter cometh, I will sell it at a great profit.' But,
when the winter came, wheat became at half the price for which he
had bought it, whereat he was sore concerned and left it till the
next year. However, next year, the price fell yet lower and one
of his friends said to him, 'Thou hast no luck in this wheat; so
do thou sell it at whatsoever price.' Quoth the merchant, 'This
long while have I profited and it is allowable that I lose this
time. God is all- knowing! If it abide [with me] half a score
years, I will not sell it save at a profit.'
Then, in his anger, he walled up the door of the granary with
clay, and by the ordinance of God the Most High, there came a
great rain and descended from the roofs of the house wherein was
the wheat [so that the latter rotted]; and needs must the
merchant give the porters five hundred dirhems from his purse, so
they should carry it forth and cast it without the city, for that
the smell of it was noisome. So his friend said to him, 'How
often did I tell thee thou hadst no luck in wheat? But thou
wouldst not give ear to my speech, and now it behoveth thee to go
to the astrologer and question him of thy star.' Accordingly the
merchant betook himself to the astrologer and questioned him of
his star, and the astrologer said to him, 'Thy star is
unpropitious. Put not thy hand to any business, for thou wilt not
prosper therein.' However, he paid no heed to the astrologer's
words and said in himself, 'If I do my occasion,[FN#103] I am not
afraid of aught.' Then he took the other part of his money, after
he had spent therefrom three years, and built [therewith] a ship,
which he loaded with all that seemed good to him and all that was
with him and embarked on the sea, so he might travel.
The ship tarried with him some days, till he should be certified
what he would do,[FN#104] and he said, 'I will enquire of the
merchants what this merchandise profiteth and in what country it
lacketh and how much is the gain thereon.' [So he questioned them
and] they directed him to a far country, where his dirhem should
profit a hundredfold. Accordingly, he set sail and steered for
the land in question; but, as he went, there blew on him a
tempestuous wind and the ship foundered. The merchant saved
himself on a plank and the wind cast him up, naked as he was, on
the sea-shore, hard by a town there. So he praised God and gave
Him thanks for his preservation; then, seeing a great village
hard by, he betook himself thither and saw, seated therein, a
very old man, whom he acquainted with his case and that which had
betided him. The old man grieved sore for him, when he heard his
story, and set food before him. So he ate and the old man said to
him, 'Abide here with me, so I may make thee my steward and
factor over a farm I have here, and thou shall have of me five
dirhems [FN#105] a day.' 'God make fair thy reward,' answered the
merchant, 'and requite thee with benefits!'
So he abode in this employ, till he had sowed and reaped and
threshed and winnowed, and all was sheer in his hand and the
owner appointed neither inspector nor overseer, but relied
altogether upon him. Then he bethought himself and said, '_I_*
misdoubt me the owner of this grain will not give me my due; so I
were better take of it, after the measure of my hire; and if he
give me my due, I will restore him that which I have taken.' So
he took of the grain, after the measure of that which fell to
him, and hid it in a privy place. Then he carried the rest to the
old man and meted it out to him, and he said to him, 'Come, take
[of the grain, after the measure of] thy hire, for which I agreed
with thee, and sell it and buy with the price clothes and what
not else; and though thou abide with me half a score years, yet
shall thou still have this wage and I will acquit it to thee
thus.' Quoth the merchant in himself, 'Indeed, I have done a foul
thing in that I look it without his leave.'
Then he went to fetch that which he had hidden of the grain, but
found it not and returned, perplexed and sorrowful, to the old
man, who said to him, 'What aileth thee to be sorrowful?' And he
answered, 'Methought thou wouldst not pay me my due; so I took of
the grain, after the measure of my hire; and now thou hast paid
me my due and I went to bring back to thee that which I had
hidden from thee, but found it gone, for those who had happened
upon it had stolen it.' The old man was wroth, when he heard
this, and said to the merchant, 'There is no device [can cope]
with ill luck! I had given thee this, but, of the sorriness of
thy luck and thy fortune, thou hast done this deed, O oppressor
of thine own self! Thou deemedst I would not acquit thee thy
wage; but, by Allah, nevermore will I give thee aught.' And he
drove him away from him.
So the merchant went forth, afflicted, sorrowful, weeping, [and
wandered on along the sea-shore], till he came to a sort of
divers diving in the sea for pearls. They saw him weeping and
mourning and said to him, 'What is thy case and what maketh thee
weep?' So he acquainted them with his history, from first to
last, whereby they knew him and said to him, 'Art thou [such an
one] son of such an one?' 'Yes,' answered he; whereupon they
condoled with him and wept sore for him and said to him, 'Abide
here till we dive for thy luck this next time and whatsoever
betideth us shall be between us and thee.' Accordingly, they
dived and brought up ten oysters, in each two great pearls;
whereat they marvelled and said to him, 'By Allah, thy luck hath
returned and thy good star is in the ascendant!' Then they gave
him ten pearls and said to him, 'Sell two of them and make them
thy capital [whereon to trade]; and hide the rest against the
time of thy straitness.' So he took them, joyful and contented,
and addressed himself to sew eight of them in his gown, keeping
the two others in his mouth; but a thief saw him and went and
advertised his mates of him; whereupon they gathered together
upon him and took his gown and departed from him. When they were
gone away, he arose, saying, 'These two pearls [in my mouth] will
suffice me,' and made for the [nearest] city, where he brought
out the pearls [and repairing to the jewel- market, gave them to
the broker], that he might sell them.
Now, as destiny would have it, a certain jeweller of the town had
been robbed of ten pearls, like unto those which were with the
merchant; so, when he saw the two pearls in the broker's hand, he
said to him, 'To whom do these pearls belong?' and the broker
answered, 'To yonder man.' [The jeweller looked at the merchant
and] seeing him in sorry case and clad in tattered clothes,
misdoubted of him and said to him (purposing to surprise him into
confession), 'Where are the other eight pearls?' The merchant
thought he asked him of those which were in the gown and
answered, 'The thieves stole them from me.' When the jeweller
heard his reply, he doubted not but that it was he who had taken
his good; so he laid hold of him and haling him before the chief
of the police, said to him, 'This is the man who stole my pearls:
I have found two of them upon him and he confesseth to the other
eight.'
Now the magistrate knew of the theft of the pearls; so he bade
clap the merchant in prison. Accordingly they imprisoned him and
flogged him, and he abode in the prison a whole year, till, by
the ordinance of God the Most High, the Master of Police arrested
one of the divers aforesaid and imprisoned him in the prison
where the merchant lay. He saw the latter and knowing him,
questioned him of his case; whereupon he told them his story and
that which had befallen him, and the diver marvelled at the
sorriness of his luck. So, when he came forth of the prison, he
acquainted the Sultan with the merchant's case and told him that
it was he who had given him the pearls. The Sultan bade bring him
forth of the prison and questioned him of his story, whereupon he
told him all that had befallen him and the Sultan pitied him and
assigned him a lodging in his own palace, together with an
allowance for his living.
Now the lodging in question adjoined the king's house, and whilst
the merchant was rejoicing in this and saying, 'Verily, my luck
hath returned and I shall live in this king's shadow the rest of
my life,' he espied an opening walled up with stones and clay. So
he pulled out the stones and clearing away the earth from the
opening, found that it was a window giving upon the lodging of
the king's women. When he saw this, he was affrighted and rising
in haste, fetched clay and stopped it up again. But one of the
eunuchs saw him and misdoubting of him, repaired to the Sultan
and told him of this. So he came and seeing the stones pulled
out, was wroth with the merchant and said to him, 'Is this my
recompense from thee, that thou seekest to violate my harem?' And
he bade pluck out his eyes. So they did as he commanded and the
merchant took his eyes in his hand and said, 'How long [wilt thou
afflict me], O star of ill-omen? First my wealth and now my
life!' And he bewailed himself, saying, 'Endeavour profiteth me
nought against evil fortune. The Compassionate aided me not and
endeavour was useless.'
On like wise, O king," continued the youth, "whilst fortune was
favourable to me, all that I did came to good; but now that it is
grown contrary to me, everything turneth against me."
When the youth had made an end of his story, the king's anger
subsided a little and he said, "Restore him to the prison, for
the day draweth to an end, and tomorrow we will took into his
affair."