returned to her palace, rejoicing in her device and saying to herself,
“Inshallah, I shall surely by this means happen on news of my lord Ali
Shar.” When the first day of the second month came round, she did as
before and when they had spread the tables she came down from her palace
and took place on her throne and commanded the lieges to sit down and
fall to. Now as she sat on her throne, at the head of the tables,
watching the people take their places company by company and one by one,
behold her eye fell on Barsum, the Nazarene who had bought the curtain
of her lord; and she knew him and said in her mind, “This is the first
of my joy and the winning of my wish.” Then Barsum came up to the table
and, sitting down with the rest to eat, espied a dish of sweet rice,
sprinkled with sugar; but it was far from him, so he pushed up to it
through the crowd and, putting out his hand to it, seized it and set it
before himself. His next neighbour said to him, “Why dost thou not eat
of what is before thee? Is not this a disgrace to thee? How canst thou
reach over for a dish which is distant from thee? Art thou not ashamed?”
Quoth Barsum, “I will eat of none save this same.” Rejoined the other,
“Eat then, and Allah give thee no good of it!” But another man, a
Hashish-eater, said, “Let him eat of it, that I may eat with him.”
Replied his neighbour, “O unluckiest of Hashish-eaters, this is no meat
for thee; it is eating for Emirs. Let it be, that it may return to those
for whom it is meant and they eat it.” But Barsum heeded him not and
took a mouthful of the rice and put it in his mouth; and was about to
take a second mouthful when the Queen, who was watching him, cried out
to certain of her guards, saying, “Bring me yonder man with the dish of
sweet rice before him and let him not eat the mouthful he hath ready but
throw it from his hand.”[304] So four of the guards went up to Barsum
and haled him along on his face, after throwing the mouthful of rice
from his hand, and set him standing before Zumurrud, whilst all the
people left eating and said to one another, “By Allah, he did wrong in
not eating of the food meant for the likes of him.” Quoth one, “For me I
was content with this porridge[305] which is before me.” And the
Hashish-eater said, “Praised be Allah who hindered me from eating of the
dish of sugared rice for I expected it to stand before him and was
waiting only for him to have his enjoyment of it, to eat with him, when
there befel him what we see.” And the general said, one to other, “Wait
till we see what shall befal him.” Now as they brought him before Queen
Zumurrud she cried, “Woe to thee, O blue eyes! What is thy name and why
comest thou to our country?” But the accursed called himself out of his
name, having a white turband[306] on, and answered, “O King, my name is
Ali; I work as a weaver and I came hither to trade.” Quoth Zumurrud,
“Bring me a table of sand and a pen of brass,” and when they brought her
what she sought, she took the sand and the pen, and struck a geomantic
figure in the likeness of a baboon; then, raising her head, she looked
hard at Barsum for an hour or so and said to him, “O dog, how darest
thou lie to Kings? Art thou not a Nazarene, Barsum by name, and comest
thou not hither in quest of somewhat? Speak the truth, or by the glory
of the Godhead, I will strike off thy head!” At this Barsum was
confounded and the Emirs and bystanders said, “Verily, this King
understandeth geomancy: blessed be He who hath gifted him!” Then she
cried out upon the Christian and said, “Tell me the truth, or I will
make an end of thee!” Barsum replied, “Pardon, O King of the age; thou
art right as regards the table, for the far one[307] is indeed a
Nazarene”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
Now when it was the Three Hundred and Twenty-first Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Barsum replied,
“Pardon, O King of the age; thou art right as regards the table, for thy
slave is indeed a Nazarene.” Whereupon all present, gentle and simple,
wondered at the King’s skill in hitting upon the truth by geomancy, and
said, “Verily this King is a diviner, whose like there is not in the
world.” Thereupon Queen Zumurrud bade flay the Nazarene and stuff his
skin with straw and hang it over the gate of the race-course. Moreover,
she commanded to dig a pit without the city and burn therein his flesh
and bones and throw over his ashes offal and ordure. “We hear and obey,”
answered they, and did with him all she bade; and, when the folk saw
what had befallen the Christian, they said, “Serve him right; but what
an unlucky mouthful was that for him!” And another said, “Be the far
one’s wife divorced if this vow be broken: never again to the end of my
days will I eat of sugared rice!”; and the Hashish-eater cried “Praised
be Allah, who spared me this fellow’s fate by saving me from eating of
that same rice!” Then they all went out, holding it thenceforth unlawful
to sit over against the dish of sweet rice as the Nazarene had sat. Now
when the first day of the third month came, they laid the tables
according to custom, and covered them with dishes and chargers, and
Queen Zumurrud came down and sat on her throne, with her guards in
attendance, as of wont, in awe of her dignity and majesty. Then the
townsfolk entered as before and went round about the tables, looking for
the place of the dish of sweet rice, and quoth one to another, “Hark ye,
O Hájí[308] Khalaf!”; and the other answered, “At thy service, O Hájí
Khálid.” Said Khálid, “Avoid the dish of sweet rice and look thou eat
not thereof; for, if thou do, by early morning thou will be
hanged.”[309] Then they sat down to meat around the table; and, as they
were eating, Queen Zumurrud chanced to look from her throne and saw a
man come running in through the gate of the horse-course; and having
considered him attentively, she knew him for Jawan the Kurdish thief who
murdered the trooper. Now the cause of his coming was this: when he left
his mother, he went to his comrades and said to them, “I did good
business yesterday; for I slew a trooper and took his horse. Moreover
there fell to me last night a pair of saddle-bags, full of gold, and a
young lady worth more than the money in pouch; and I have left all that
with my mother in the cave.” At this they rejoiced and repaired to the
cavern at nightfall, whilst Jawan the Kurd walked in front and the rest
behind; he wishing to bring them the booty of which he had boasted. But
he found the place clean empty and questioned his mother, who told him
all that had befallen her; whereupon he bit his hands for regret and
exclaimed, “By Allah, I will assuredly make search for the harlot and
take her, wherever she is, though it be in the shell of a
pistachio-nut,[310] and quench my malice on her!” So he went forth in
quest of her and ceased not journeying from place to place, till he came
to Queen Zumurrud’s city. On entering he found the town deserted and,
enquiring of some women whom he saw looking from the windows, they told
him that it was the Sultan’s custom to make a banquet for the people on
the first of each month and that all the lieges were bound to go and eat
of it. Furthermore the women directed him to the racing-ground, where
the feast was spread. So he entered at a shuffling trot; and, finding no
place empty, save that before the dish of sweet rice already noticed,
took his seat right opposite it and stretched out his hand towards the
dish; whereupon the folk cried out to him, saying, “O our brother, what
wouldst thou do?” Quoth he, “I would eat my fill of this dish.” Rejoined
one of the people, “If thou eat of it thou wilt assuredly find thyself
hanged to-morrow morning.” But Jawan said, “Hold thy tongue and talk not
so unpleasantly.” Then he stretched out his hand to the dish and drew it
to him; but it so chanced that the Hashish-eater of whom we have spoken,
was sitting by him; and when he saw him take the dish, the fumes of the
Hashish left his head and he fled from his place and sat down afar off,
saying, “I will have nothing to do with yonder dish.” Then Jawan the
Kurd put out his hand (which was very like a raven’s claws),[311]
scooped up therewith half the dishful and drew out his neave as it were
a camel’s hoof——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to
say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Three Hundred and Twenty-second Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Jawan the Kurd
drew his neave from the dish as it were a camel’s hoof and rolled the
lump of rice in the palm of his hand, till it was like a big orange, and
threw it ravenously into his mouth; and it rolled down his gullet, with
a rumble like thunder and the bottom of the deep dish appeared where
said mouthful had been. Thereupon quoth to him one sitting by his side,
“Praised be Allah for not making me meat between thy hands; for thou
hast cleared the dish at a single mouthful;” and quoth the
Hashish-eater, “Let him eat; methinks he hath a hanging face.” Then,
turning to Jawan he added, “Eat and Allah give thee small good of it.”
So Jawan put out his hand again and taking another mouthful, was rolling
it in his palm like the first, when behold, the Queen cried out to the
guards saying, “Bring me yonder man in haste and let him not eat the
mouthful in his hand.” So they ran and seizing him as he hung over the
dish, brought him to her, and set him in her presence, whilst the people
exulted over his mishap and said one to the other, “Serve him right, for
we warned him, but he would not take warning. Verily, this place is
bound to be the death of whoso sitteth therein, and yonder rice bringeth
doom to all who eat of it.” Then said Queen Zumurrud to Jawan, “What is
thy name and trade and wherefore comest thou to our city?” Answered he,
“O our lord the Sultan, my name is Othman; I work as a gardener and am
come hither in quest of somewhat I have lost.” Quoth Zumurrud, “Here
with a table of sand!” So they brought it, and she took the pen and
drawing a geomantic scheme, considered it awhile, then raising her head,
exclaimed, “Woe to thee, thou losel! How darest thou lie to Kings? This
sand telleth me that of a truth thy name is Jawan the Kurd and that thou
art by trade a robber, taking men’s goods in the way of unright and
slaying those whom Allah hath forbidden to slay save for just cause.”
And she cried out upon him, saying, “O hog, tell me the truth of thy
case or I will cut off thy head on the spot.” Now when he heard these
words, he turned yellow and his teeth chattered; then, deeming that he
might save himself by truth-telling, he replied, “O King, thou sayest
sooth; but I repent at thy hands henceforth and turn to Allah Almighty!”
She answered, “It were not lawful for me to leave a pest in the way of
Moslems;” and cried to her guards, “Take him and skin him and do with
him as last month ye did by his like.” They obeyed her commandment; and,
when the Hashish-eater saw the soldiers seize the man, he turned his
back upon the dish of rice, saying, “’Tis a sin to present my face to
thee!” And after they had made an end of eating, they dispersed to their
several homes and Zumurrud returned to her palace and dismissed her
attendants. Now when the fourth month came round, they went to the
race-course and made the banquet, according to custom, and the folk sat
awaiting leave to begin. Presently Queen Zumurrud entered; and, sitting
down on her throne, looked at the tables and saw that room for four
people was left void before the dish of rice, at which she wondered. Now
as she was looking around, behold, she saw a man come trotting in at the
gate of the horse-course; and he stayed not till he stood over the
food-trays; and, finding no room, save before the dish of rice, took his
seat there. She looked at him and knowing him for the accursed Christian
who called himself Rashid al-Din, said in her mind, “How blessed is this
device of the food,[312] into whose toils this infidel hath fallen!” Now
the cause of his coming was extraordinary, and it was on this wise. When
he returned from his travels——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Three Hundred and Twenty-third Night,
She said, it hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the accursed,
who had called himself Rashid Al-Din, returned from travel, his
household informed him that Zumurrud was missing and with her a pair of
saddle-bags full of money; on hearing which ill tidings he rent his
raiment and buffetted his face and plucked out his beard. Then he
despatched his brother Barsum in quest of her to lands adjoining and,
when he was weary of awaiting news of him, he went forth himself, to
seek for him and for the girl, whenas fate led him to the city of
Zumurrud. He entered it on the first day of the month and finding the
streets deserted and the shops shut and women idling at the windows, he
asked them the reason why, and they told him that the King made a
banquet on the first of each month for the people, all of whom were
bound to attend it, nor might any abide in his house or shop that day;
and they directed him to the racing-plain. So he betook himself thither
and found the people crowding about the food, and there was never a
place for him save in front of the rice-dish now well-known. Here then
he sat and put forth his hand to eat thereof, whereupon Zumurrud cried
out to her guards, saying, “Bring me him who sitteth over against the
dish of rice.” So they knew him by what had before happened and laid
hands on him and brought him before Queen Zumurrud, who said to him,
“Out on thee! What is thy name and trade, and what bringeth thee to our
city?” Answered he, “O King of the age, my name is Rustam[313] and I
have no occupation, for I am a poor dervish.” Then said she to her
attendants, “Bring me table of sand and pen of brass.” So they brought
her what she sought, as of wont; and she took the pen and made the dots
which formed the figure and considered it awhile, then raising her head
to Rashid al-Din, she said, “O dog, how darest thou lie to Kings? Thy
name is Rashid al-Din the Nazarene, thou art outwardly a Moslem, but a
Christian at heart, and thine occupation is to lay snares for the
slave-girls of the Moslems and make them captives. Speak the truth, or I
will smite off thy head.” He hesitated and stammered, then replied,
“Thou sayest sooth, O King of the age!” Whereupon she commanded to throw
him down and give him an hundred blows with a stick on each sole and a
thousand stripes with a whip on his body; after which she bade flay him
and stuff his skin with hards of flax and dig a pit without the city,
wherein they should burn his corpse and cast on his ashes offal and
ordure. They did as she bade them and she gave the people leave to eat.
So they ate and when they had eaten their fill they went their ways,
while Queen Zumurrud returned to her palace, saying, “I thank Allah for
solacing my heart of those who wronged me.” Then she praised the Creator
of the earth and the heavens and repeated these couplets:—
They ruled awhile and theirs was harsh tyrannic rule, ✿ But soon that
rule went by as though it never were:
If just they had won justice; but they sinned, and so ✿ The world
collected all its bane for them to bear:
So died they and their case’s tongue declares aloud ✿ This is for that;
so of the world your blaming spare.
And when her verse was ended she called to mind her lord Ali Shar and
wept flowing tears; but presently recovered herself and said, “Haply
Allah, who hath given mine enemies into my hand, will vouchsafe me the
speedy return of my beloved;” and she begged forgiveness of Allah (be He
extolled and exalted!),——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Three Hundred and Twenty-fourth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Queen begged
forgiveness of Allah (be He extolled and exalted!), and said, “Haply He
will vouchsafe me speedy reunion with my beloved Ali Shar for He can do
what He willeth and to His servants showeth grace, ever mindful of their
case!” Then she praised Allah and again besought forgiveness of Him,
submitting herself to the decrees of destiny, assured that each
beginning hath his end, and repeating the saying of the poet:—
Take all things easy; for all worldly things ✿ In Allah’s hand are ruled
by Destiny:
Ne’er shall befal thee aught of things forbidden, ✿ Nor what is bidden
e’er shall fail to thee!
And what another saith:—
Roll up thy days[314] and easy shall they roll ✿ Through life, nor haunt
the house of grief and dole:
Full many a thing, which is o’er hard to find, ✿ Next hour shall bring
thee to delight thy soul.
And what a third saith[315]:—
Be mild what time thou ‘rt ta’en with anger and despite ✿ And patient,
if there fall misfortune on thy head.
Indeed, the nights are quick and great with child by Time ✿ And of all
wondrous things are hourly brought to bed.
And what a fourth saith:—
Take patience which breeds good if patience thou can learn; ✿ Be
calm-souled, scaping anguish-draughts that gripe and bren:
Know, that if patience with good grace thou dare refuse, ✿ With
ill-graced patience thou shalt bear what wrote the Pen.
After which she abode thus another whole month’s space, judging the folk
and bidding and forbidding by day, and by night weeping and bewailing
her separation from her lord Ali Shar. On the first day of the fifth
month, she bade them spread the banquet on the race-plain, according to
custom, and sat down at the head of the tables, whilst the lieges
awaited the signal to fail to, leaving the place before the dish of rice
vacant. She sat with eyes fixed upon the gate of the horse-course,
noting all who entered and saying in her soul, “O Thou who restoredest
Joseph to Jacob and diddest away the sorrows of Job,[316] vouchsafe of
Thy might and Thy majesty to restore me my lord Ali Shar; for Thou over
all things art Omnipotent, O Lord of the Worlds! O Guide of those who go
astray! O Hearer of those that cry! O Answerer of those who pray, answer
Thou my prayer, O Lord of all creatures.” Now hardly had she made an end
of her prayer and supplication when behold, she saw entering the gate of
the horse-plain a young man, in shape like a willow branch, the
comeliest of youths and the most accomplished, save that his face was
wan and his form wasted by weariness. Now as he entered and came up to
the tables, he found no seat vacant save that over against the dish of
sweet rice so he sat down there; and, when Zumurrud looked upon him, her
heart fluttered and, observing him narrowly, she knew him for her lord
Ali Shar, and was like to have cried out for joy, but restrained
herself, fearing disgrace before the folk; and, albeit her bowels
yearned over him and her heart beat wildly, she hid what she felt. Now
the cause of his coming thither was on this wise. After he fell asleep
upon the bench and Zumurrud let herself down to him and Jawan the Kurd
seized her, he presently awoke and found himself lying with his head
bare, so he knew that some one had come upon him and had robbed him of
his turband whilst he slept. So he spoke the saying which shall never
shame its sayer and, which is, “Verily, we are Allah’s and to Him are we
returning!” and, going back to the old woman’s house, knocked at the
door. She came out and he wept before her, till he fell down in a
fainting fit. Now when he came to himself, he told her all that had
passed, and she blamed him and chid him for his foolish doings saying,
“Verily thine affliction and calamity come from thyself.” And she gave
not over reproaching him, till the blood streamed from his nostrils and
he again fainted away. When he recovered from his swoon——And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Three Hundred and Twenty-fifth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Ali Shar
recovered from his swoon he saw the old woman bewailing his griefs and
weeping over him; so he complained of his hard lot and repeated these
two couplets:—
How bitter to friends is a parting, ✿ And a meeting how sweet to the
lover!
Allah join all the lovers He parteth, ✿ And save me who of love ne’er
recover.[317]
The old woman mourned over him and said to him, “Sit here, whilst I go
in quest of news for thee and return to thee in haste.” “To hear is to
obey,” answered he. So she left him on her good errand and was absent
till midday, when she returned and said to him, “O Ali, I fear me thou
must die in thy grief; thou wilt never see thy beloved again save on the
bridge Al-Sirát;[318] for the people of the Christian’s house, when they
arose in the morning, found the window giving on the garden torn from
its hinges and Zumurrud missing, and with her a pair of saddle-bags full
of the Christian’s money. And when I came thither, I saw the Chief of
Police standing at the door, he and his many, and there is no Majesty
and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!” Now, as
Ali Shar heard these words, the light in his sight was changed to the
darkness of night and he despaired of life and made sure of death; nor
did he leave weeping, till he lost his senses. When he revived, love and
longing were sore upon him; there befel him a grievous sickness and he
kept his house a whole year; during which the old woman ceased not to
bring him doctors and ply him with ptisanes and diet-drinks and make him
savoury broths till, after the twelve-month ended, his life returned to
him. Then he recalled what had passed and repeated these couplets:—
Severance-grief nighmost, union done to death, ✿ Down-railing
tear-drops, heart fire tortureth!
Redoubleth pine in one that hath no peace ✿ For love and wake and woe he
suffereth:
O Lord, if there be thing to joy my soul ✿ Deign Thou bestow it while I
breathe my breath.
When the second year began, the old woman said to him, “O my son, all
this thy weeping and wailing will not bring thee back thy mistress.
Rise, therefore, gird the loins of resolution and seek for her in the
lands: peradventure thou shalt light on some news of her.” And she
ceased not to exhort and hearten him, till he took courage and she
carried him to the Hammam. Then she made him drink strong wine and eat
white meats, and thus she did with him for a whole month, till he
regained strength; and setting out, journeyed without ceasing till he
arrived at Zumurrud’s city, where he went to the horse-course, and sat
down before the dish of sweet rice and put out his hand to eat of it.
Now when the folk saw this, they were concerned for him and said to him,
“O young man, eat not of that dish, for whoso eateth thereof, misfortune
befalleth him.” Answered he, “Leave me to eat of it, and let them do
with me what they will, so haply shall I be at rest from this wearying
life.” Accordingly he ate a first mouthful, and Zumurrud was minded to
have him brought before her; but then she bethought her that belike he
was anhungered and said to herself, “It were properer to let him eat his
fill.” So he went on eating, whilst the folk looked at him in
astonishment, waiting to see what would betide him; and, when he had
satisfied himself, Zumurrud said to certain of her eunuchry, “Go to
yonder youth who eateth of the rice and bring him to me in courteous
guise, saying:—Answer the summons of the King who would have a word with
thee on some slight matter.” They replied, “We hear and obey,” and going
straightways up to Ali Shar, said to him, “O my lord, be pleased to
answer the summons of the King and let thy heart be at ease.” Quoth he,
“Hearkening and obedience;” and followed the eunuchs,——And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Three Hundred and Twenty-sixth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Ali Shar rejoined,
“Hearkening and obedience;” and followed the eunuchs, whilst the people
said to one another, “There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in
Allah, the Glorious, the Great! I wonder what the King will do with
him!” And others said, “He will do him naught but good: for had he
intended to harm him, he had not suffered him to eat his fill.” Now when
the Castratos set him in presence of Zumurrud he saluted and kissed the
earth before her, whilst she returned his salutation and received him
with honour. Then she asked him, “What may be thy name and trade, and
what brought thee to our city?”; and he answered, “O King my name is Ali
Shar; I am of the sons of the merchants of Khorasan; and the cause of my
coming hither is to seek for a slave-girl whom I have lost for she was
dearer to me than my hearing and my seeing, and indeed my soul cleaveth
to her, since I lost her; and such is my tale.” So saying he wept, till
he swooned away; whereupon she bade them sprinkle rose-water on his
face, which they did till he revived, when she said, “Here with the
table of sand and the brass pen.” So they brought them and she took the
pen and struck a geomantic scheme which she considered awhile; and then
cried, “Thou hast spoken sooth, Allah will grant thee speedy reunion
with her; so be not troubled.” Upon this she commanded her
head-chamberlain to carry him to the bath and afterwards to clothe him
in a handsome suit of royal apparel, and mount him on one of the best of
the King’s horses and finally bring him to the palace at the last of the
day. So the Chamberlain, after saying “I hear and I obey,” took him
away; whilst the folk began to say to one another, “What maketh the King
deal thus courteously with yonder youth?” And quoth one, “Did I not tell
you that he would do him no hurt?; for he is fair of aspect; and this I
knew, ever since the King suffered him to eat his fill.” And each said
his say; after which they all dispersed and went their ways. As for
Zumurrud, she thought the night would never come, that she might be
alone with the beloved of her heart. As soon as it was dark, she
withdrew to her sleeping-chamber and made her attendants think her
overcome with sleep; and it was her wont to suffer none to pass the
night with her save those two little eunuchs who waited upon her. After
a while when she had composed herself, she sent for her dear Ali Shar
and sat down upon the bed, with candles burning over her head and feet,
and hanging lamps of gold lighting up the place like the rising sun.
When the people heard of her sending for Ali Shar, they marvelled
thereat and each man thought his thought and said his say; but one of
them declared, “At all events the King is in love with this young man,
and to-morrow he will make him generalissimo of the army.”[319] Now when
they brought him into her, he kissed the ground between her hands and
called down blessings on her, and she said in her mind, “There is no
help for it but that I jest with him awhile, before I make myself known
to him.”[320] Then she asked him, “O Ali, say me, hast thou been to the
Hammam?”[321] and he answered, “Yes, O my lord.” Quoth she, “Come, eat
of this chicken and meat, and drink of this wine and sherbet of sugar;
for thou art weary; and after that come thou hither.” “I hear and I
obey,” replied he, and did as she commanded him do. Now when he had made
an end of eating and drinking, she said to him, “Come up with me on the
couch and shampoo[322] my feet.” So he fell to rubbing feet and kneading
calves, and found them softer than silk. Then said she, “Go higher with
the massage;” and he, “Pardon me, O my lord, to the knee but no
farther!” Whereupon quoth she, “Durst thou disobey me?: it shall be an
ill-omened night for thee!”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Three Hundred and Twenty-seventh Night,