When it was the time of the evening meal, the king repaired to
the sitting-chamber and summoning the vizier, sought of him the
story he had promised him; and the vizier said, "They avouch, O
king, that
STORY OF THE KING WHO KNEW THE
QUINTESSENCE[FN#204] OF THINGS.
There came to a king of the kings, in his old age, a son, who
grew up comely, quick-witted and intelligent, and when he came to
years of discretion and became a young man, his father said to
him, 'Take this kingdom and govern it in my stead, for I desire
to flee [from the world] to God the Most High and don the gown of
wool and give myself up to devotion.' Quoth the prince, 'And I
also desire to take refuge with God the Most High.' And the king
said, 'Arise, let us flee forth and make for the mountains and
worship in them, for shamefastness before God the Most High.'
So they gat them raiment of wool and clothing themselves
therewith, went forth and wandered in the deserts and wastes;
but, when some days had passed over them, they became weak for
hunger and repented them of that which they had done, whenas
repentance profited them not, and the prince complained to his
father of weariness and hunger. 'Dear my son,' answered the king,
'I did with thee that which behoved me,[FN#205] but thou wouldst
not hearken to me, and now there is no means of returning to thy
former estate, for that another hath taken the kingdom and become
its defender; but I will counsel thee of somewhat, wherein do
thou pleasure me.' Quoth the prince, 'What is it?' And his father
said, 'Take me and go with me to the market and sell me and take
my price and do with it what thou wilt, and I shall become the
property of one who will provide for my support,' 'Who will buy
thee of me,' asked the prince, 'seeing thou art a very old man?
Nay, do thou rather sell me, for the demand for me will be
greater.' But the king said, 'An thou wert king, thou wouldst
require me of service.'
So the youth obeyed his father's commandment and taking him,
carried him to the slave-dealer and said to the latter, 'Sell me
this old man.' Quoth the dealer, 'Who will buy this fellow, and
he a man of fourscore?' Then said he to the king, 'In what crafts
dost thou excel?' Quoth he, 'I know the quintessence of jewels
and I know the quintessence of horses and that of men; brief, I
know the quintessence of all things.' So the dealer took him and
went about, offering him for sale to the folk; but none would
buy. Presently, up came the overseer of the [Sultan's] kitchen
and said, 'What is this man?' And the dealer answered, 'This is a
slave for sale.' The cook marvelled at this and bought the king
for ten thousand dirhems, after questioning him of what he could
do. Then he paid down the money and carried him to his house, but
dared not employ him in aught of service; so he appointed him an
allowance, such as should suffice for his livelihood, and
repented him of having bought him, saying, 'What shall I do with
the like of this fellow?'
Presently, the king [of the city] was minded to go forth to his
garden,[FN#206] a-pleasuring, and bade the cook forego him
thither and appoint in his stead one who should dress meat for
the king, so that, when he returned, he might find it ready. So
the cook fell a-considering of whom he should appoint and was
bewildered concerning his affair. As he was on this wise, the old
man came to him and seeing him perplexed how he should do, said
to him, 'Tell me what is in thy mind; belike, I may avail to
relieve thee.' So he acquainted him with the king's wishes and he
said, 'Have no care for this, but leave me one of the serving-men
and go thou in peace and surety, for I will suffice thee of
this.' So the cook departed with the king, after he had brought
the old man what he needed and left him a man of the guards.
When he was gone, the old man bade the trooper wash the
kitchen-vessels and made ready passing goodly food. When the king
returned, he set the meat before him, and he tasted food whose
like he had never known; whereat he marvelled and asked who had
dressed it. So they acquainted him with the old man's case and he
summoned him to his presence and awarded him a handsome
recompense.[FN#207] Moreover, he commanded that they should cook
together, he and the cook, and the old man obeyed his
commandment.
Awhile after this, there came two merchants to the king with two
pearls of price and each of them avouched that his pearl was
worth a thousand dinars, but there was none who availed to value
them. Then said the cook, 'God prosper the king! Verily, the old
man whom I bought avouched that he knew the quintessence of
jewels and that he was skilled in cookery. We have made proof of
him in cookery and have found him the skilfullest of men; and
now, if we send after him and prove him on jewels, [the truth or
falsehood of] his pretension will be made manifest to us.'
So the king bade fetch the old man and he came and stood before
the Sultan, who showed him the two pearls. Quoth he, 'As for this
one, it is worth a thousand dinars.' And the king said, 'So saith
its owner.' 'But for this other,' continued the old man, 'it is
worth but five hundred.' The folk laughed and marvelled at his
saying, and the merchant, [the owner of the second pearl], said
to him, 'How can this, which is greater of bulk and purer of
water and more perfect of rondure, be less of worth than that?'
And the old man answered, 'I have said what is with me.'[FN#208]
Then said the king to him, 'Indeed, the outward appearance
thereof is like unto that of the other pearl; why then is it
worth but the half of its price?' 'Yes,' answered the old man,
'[its outward resembleth the other]; but its inward is corrupt.'
'Hath a pearl then an outward and an inward?' asked the merchant,
and the old man said, 'Yes. In its inward is a boring worm; but
the other pearl is sound and secure against breakage.' Quoth the
merchant, 'Give us a token of this and prove to us the truth of
thy saying.' And the old man answered, 'We will break the pearl.
If I prove a, liar, here is my head, and if I speak truth, thou
wilt have lost thy pearl.' And the merchant said, 'I agree to
that.' So they broke the pearl and it was even as the old man had
said, to wit, in its midst was a boring worm.
The king marvelled at what he saw and questioned him of [how he
came by] the knowledge of this. 'O king,' answered the old man,
'this [kind of] jewel is engendered in the belly of a creature
called the oyster and its origin is a drop of rain and it is firm
to the touch [and groweth not warm, when held in the hand]; so,
when [I took the second pearl and felt that] it was warm to the
touch, I knew that it harboured some living thing, for that live
things thrive not but in heat.'[FN#209] So the king said to the
cook, 'Increase his allowance.' And he appointed to him [fresh]
allowances.
Awhile after this, two merchants presented themselves to the king
with two horses, and one said, 'I ask a thousand dinars for my
horse,' and the other, 'I seek five thousand for mine.' Quoth the
cook, 'We have experienced the old man's just judgment; what
deemeth the king of fetching him?' So the king bade fetch him,
and when he saw the two horses, he said, 'This one is worth a
thousand and the other two thousand dinars.' Quoth the folk,
'This [horse that thou judgeth the lesser worth] is an evident
thoroughbred and he is younger and swifter and more compact of
limb than the other, ay, and finer of head and clearer of skin
and colour. What token, then, hast thou of the truth of thy
saying?' And the old man said, 'This ye say is all true, but his
sire is old and this other is the son of a young horse. Now, when
the son of an old horse standeth still [to rest,] his breath
returneth not to him and his rider falleth into the hand of him
who followeth after him; but the son of a young horse, if thou
put him to speed and make him run, [then check him] and alight
from off him, thou wilt find him untired, by reason of his
robustness.'
Quoth the merchant, 'Indeed, it is as the old man avoucheth and
he is an excellent judge.' And the king said, 'Increase his
allowance.' But the old man stood still and did not go away. So
the king said to him, 'Why dost thou not go about thy business?'
And he answered, 'My business is with the king.' 'Name what thou
wouldst have,' said the king, and the other replied, 'I would
have thee question me of the quintessences of men, even as thou
hast questioned me of the quintessences of horses.' Quoth the
king, 'We have no occasion to question thee of [this].' But the
old man replied, 'I have occasion to acquaint thee.' 'Say what
thou pleasest,' rejoined the king, and the old man said, 'Verily,
the king is the son of a baker.' Quoth the king 'How knowest thou
that?' And the other replied, 'Know, O king, that I have examined
into degrees and dignities[FN#210] and have learnt this.'
Thereupon the king went in to his mother and questioned her of
his father, and she told him that me king her husband was
weak;[FN#211] 'wherefore,' quoth she, 'I feared for the kingdom,
lest it pass away, after his death; so I took to my bed a young
man, a baker, and conceived by him [and bore a son]; and the
kingship came into the hand of my son, to wit, thyself.' So the
king returned to the old man and said to him, 'I am indeed the
son of a baker; so do thou expound to me the means whereby thou
knewest me for this.' Quoth the other, 'I knew that, hadst thou
been a king's son, thou wouldst have given largesse of things of
price, such as rubies [and the like]; and wert thou the son of a
Cadi, thou hadst given largesse of a dirhem or two dirhems, and
wert thou the son of a merchant, thou hadst given wealth galore.
But I saw that thou guerdonest me not but with cakes of bread
[and other victual], wherefore I knew that thou wast the son of a
baker.' Quoth the king, 'Thou hast hit the mark.' And he gave him
wealth galore and advanced him to high estate."
This story pleased King Shah Bekht and he marvelled thereat; but
the vizier said to him, "This story is not more extraordinary
than that of the rich man who married his fair daughter to the
poor old man." The king's mind was occupied with the [promised]
story and he bade the vizier withdraw to his lodging. So he
[returned to his house and] abode there the rest of the night and
the whole of the following day.
The Fourth Night of the Month.
When the evening evened, the king withdrew to his privy
sitting-chamber and bade fetch the vizier. When he presented
himself before him, he said to him, "Tell me the story of the
wealthy man who married his daughter to the poor old man." "It is
well," answered the vizier. "Know, O puissant king, that
STORY OF THE RICH MAN WHO GAVE HIS FAIR
DAUGHTER IN MARRIAGE TO THE POOR OLD
MAN.
A certain wealthy merchant had a fair daughter, who was as the
full moon, and when she attained the age of fifteen, her father
betook himself to an old man and spreading him a carpet in his
sitting-chamber, gave him to eat and caroused with him. Then said
he to him, 'I desire to marry thee to my daughter.' The other
excused himself, because of his poverty, and said to him, 'I am
not worthy of her nor am I a match for thee.' The merchant was
instant with him, but he repeated his answer to him, saying, 'I
will not consent to this till thou acquaint me with the reason of
thy desire for me. If I find it reasonable, I will fall in with
thy wish; and if not, I will not do this ever.'
'Know, then,' said the merchant, 'that I am a man from the land
of China and was in my youth well-favoured and well-to-do. Now I
made no account of womankind, one and all, but followed after
boys, and one night I saw, in a dream, as it were a balance set
up, and it was said by it, "This is the portion of such an one."
Presently, I heard my own name; so I looked and beheld a woman of
the utmost loathliness; whereupon I awoke in affright and said,
"I will never marry, lest haply this loathly woman fall to my
lot." Then I set out for this city with merchandise and the
voyage was pleasant to me and the sojourn here, so that I took up
my abode here awhile and got me friends and factors, till I had
sold all my merchandise and taken its price and there was left me
nothing to occupy me till the folk[FN#212] should depart and
depart with them.
One day, I changed my clothes and putting money in my sleeve,
sallied forth to explore the holes and corners of this city, and
as I was going about, I saw a handsome house. Its goodliness
pleased me; so I stood looking on it, and behold, a lovely woman
[at the lattice]. When she saw me, she made haste and descended,
whilst I abode confounded. Then I betook myself to a tailor there
and questioned him of the house and to whom it belonged. Quoth
he, "It belongeth to such an one the notary, may God curse him!"
"Is he her father?" asked I; [and he replied, "Yes."] So I
repaired in haste to a man, with whom I had been used to deposit
my goods for sale, and told him that I desired to gain access to
such an one the notary. Accordingly he assembled his friends and
we betook ourselves to the notary's house. When we came in to
him, we saluted him and sat with him, and I said to him, "I come
to thee as a suitor, desiring the hand of thy daughter in
marriage." Quoth he, "I have no daughter befitting this man." And
I rejoined, "God aid thee! My desire is for thee and not for
her."[FN#213] But he still refused and his friends said to him,
"This is an honourable man and thine equal in estate, and it is
not lawful to thee that thou hinder the girl of her fortune."
Quoth he to them, "Verily, my daughter whom ye seek is passing
foul-favoured and in her are all blameworthy qualities." And I
said, "I accept her, though she be as thou sayest." Then said the
folk, "Extolled be the perfection of God! A truce to talk! [The
thing is settled;] so say the word, how much wilt thou have [to
her dowry]?" Quoth he, "I must have four thousand dinars." And I
said, "Hearkening and obedience."
So the affair was concluded and we drew up the contract of
marriage and I made the bride-feast; but on the wedding-night I
beheld a thing[FN#214] than which never made God the Most High
aught more loathly. Methought her people had contrived this by
way of sport; so I laughed and looked for my mistress, whom I had
seen [at the lattice], to make her appearance; but saw her not.
When the affair was prolonged and I found none but her, I was
like to go mad for vexation and fell to beseeching my Lord and
humbling myself in supplication to Him that He would deliver me
from her. When I arose in the morning, there came the
chamber-woman and said to me, "Hast thou occasion for the bath?"
"No," answered I; and she said, "Art thou for breakfast?" But I
replied, "No;" and on this wise I abode three days, tasting
neither meat nor drink.
When the damsel[FN#215] saw me in this plight, she said to me, "O
man, tell me thy story, for, by Allah, an I may avail to thy
deliverance, I will assuredly further thee thereto." I gave ear
to her speech and put faith in her loyalty and told her the story
of the damsel whom I had seen [at the lattice] and how I had
fallen in love with her; whereupon quoth she, "If the girl belong
to me, that which I possess is thine, and if she belong to my
father, I will demand her of him and deliver her to thee." Then
she fell to calling slave-girl after slave-girl and showing them
to me, till I saw the damsel whom I loved and said, "This is
she." Quoth my wife, "Let not thy heart be troubled, for this is
my slave-girl. My father gave her to me and I give her to thee.
So comfort thyself and be of good heart and cheerful eye."
Then, when it was night, she brought her to me, after she had
adorned her and perfumed her, and said to her, "Gainsay not this
thy lord in aught that he shall seek of thee." When she came to
bed with me, I said in myself, "Verily, this damsel[FN#216] is
more generous than I!" Then I sent away the slave-girl and drew
not nigh unto her, but arose forthright and betaking myself to my
wife, lay with her and did away her maidenhead. She straightway
conceived by me and accomplishing the time of her pregnancy, gave
birth to this dear little daughter; in whom I rejoiced, for that
she was lovely to the utterest, and she hath inherited her
mother's wit and her father's comeliness.
Indeed, many of the notables of the people have sought her of me
in marriage, but I would not marry her to any, for that, one
night, I saw, in a dream, the balance aforesaid set up and men
and women being weighed, one against the other, therein, and
meseemed I saw thee [and her] and it was said to me, "This is
such a man,[FN#217] the allotted portion of such a
woman."[FN#218] Wherefore I knew that God the Most High had
allotted unto her none other than thyself, and I choose rather to
marry thee to her in my lifetime than that thou shouldst marry
her after my death.'
When the poor man heard the merchant's story, he became desirous
of marrying his daughter. So he took her to wife and was
vouchsafed of her exceeding love. Nor," added the vizier, "is
this story more extraordinary than that of the rich man and his
wasteful heir."
When the king heard his vizier's story, he was assured that he
would not slay him and said, "I will have patience with him, so I
may get of him the story of the rich man and his wasteful heir."
And he bade him depart to his own house.