There was once in a city of the cities a woman fair of favour,
who took to lover a trooper wight. Her husband was a fuller, and
when he went out to his work, the trooper used to come to her and
tarry with her till the time of the fuller's return, when he
would go away. After this fashion they abode awhile, till one day
the trooper said to his mistress, "I mean to take me a tenement
close to thine and dig a Sardábsouterrain from my house to thy
house, and do thou say to thy spouse, 'My sister hath been absent
with her husband and now they have returned from their travels;
and I have made her home herself in my neighbourhood, in order
that I may foregather with her at all times. So go thou to her
mate the trooper and offer him thy wares for sale, and thou wilt
see my sister with him and wilt see that she is I and I am she,
without a doubt. Now, Allah, Allah,[FN#363] go to my sister's
husband and give ear to that which he shall say to thee.'" So the
trooper bought him a house near hand and made therein a tunnel
abutting upon his mistress's house. When he had accomplished his
affair, the wife bespoke her husband as her lover had lessoned
her and he went out to go to the trooper's house, but turned back
by the way, whereupon said she to him, "By Allah, go at once, for
my sister asketh of thee." The fool of a fuller went out and made
for the trooper's house, whilst his wife forewent him thither by
the underground passage, and going up, sat down beside the
soldier her leman. Presently, the fuller entered and saluted the
trooper and salamed to his own wife and was confounded at the
coincidence of the case.[FN#364] Then, doubt befalling him, he
returned in haste to his dwelling; but she preceded him by the
Sardab to her chamber and donning her wonted clothes, sat
awaiting him and said to him, "Did I not bid thee go to my sister
and greet her husband and make friends with them?" Quoth he, "I
did this, but I misdoubted of my affair, when I saw his wife;"
and quoth she, "Did I not tell thee that she favoureth me and I
her, and there is naught to distinguish between us but our
clothes? Go back to her and make sure." Accordingly, of the
heaviness of his wit, he believed her, and returning on his way,
went in to the trooper; but she had foregone him, and when he saw
her by the side of her lover, he began looking on her and
pondering. Then he saluted her and she returned him the salam;
and when she spoke he was clean bewildered. So the trooper asked
him, "What aileth thee to be thus?" and he answered, "This woman
is my wife, and the speech is her speech." Then he rose in haste
and, returning to his own house, saw his wife, who had preceded
him by the secret passage. So he went back to the trooper's house
and found her sitting as before; whereupon he was abashed in her
presence and seating himself in the trooper's sitting-chamber,
ate and drank with him and became drunken and abode senseless all
that day till nightfall, when the trooper arose and, the fuller's
hair being long and flowing, he shaved off a portion of it after
the fashion of the Turks,[FN#365] clipped the rest short and
clapped a Tarbúsh on his head. Then he thrust his feet into
walking-boots and girt him with a sword and a girdle and bound
about his middle a quiver and a bow and arrows. He also put some
silvers in his poke and thrust into his sleeve letters-patent
addressed to the governor of Ispahan, bidding him assign to
Rustam Khamártakani a monthly allowance of an hundred dirhams and
ten pounds of bread and five pounds of meat and enrol him among
the Turks under his commandment. After which he took him up and
carrying him forth, left him in one of the mosques. The fuller
ceased not sleeping till sunrise, when he awoke and finding
himself in this plight, misdoubted of his affair and fancied that
he was a Turk and fell a-putting one foot forward and drawing the
other back. Then said he in himself, "I will go to my dwelling,
and if my wife know me, then am I Ahmad the fuller; but an she
know me not, I am a Turk." So he betook himself to his house; but
when his wife, the cunning witch, saw him, she cried out in his
face, saying, "Whither now, O trooper? Wilt thou break into the
house of Ahmad the fuller, and he a man of repute, having a
brother-in-law a Turk, a man of rank with the Sultan? An thou
depart not, I will acquaint my husband and he will requite thee
thy deed." When he heard her words, the dregs of his drink
wobbled in his brain and he fancied that he was indeed a Turk. So
he went out from her and putting his hand to his sleeve, found
therein a writ and gave it to one who read it to him. When he
heard that which was in the scroll, his mind was confirmed in his
phantasy; but he said to himself, "My wife may be seeking to put
a cheat on me; so I will go to my fellows the fullers; and if
they recognise me not, then am I for sure Khamartakani the Turk."
So he betook himself to the fullers and when they espied him afar
off, they thought that he was really Khamartakani or one of the
Turks, who used to send their washing to them without payment and
give them never a stiver. Now they had complained of them
aforetime to the Sultan, and he said, "If any one of the Turks
come to you, pelt him with stones." Accordingly, when they saw
the fuller, they fell upon him with sticks and stones and pelted
him; whereupon quoth he, "Verily, I am a Turk and knew it not."
Then he took of the dirhams in his pouch and bought him victual
for the way and hired a hackney and set out for Ispahan, leaving
his wife to the trooper. "Nor," continued the Wazir, "is this
stranger than the story of the Merchant and the Crone and the
King." The Minister's tale pleased King Shah Bakht and his heart
clave to the story of the merchant and the old woman; so he bade
Al-Rahwan withdraw to his lodging, and he went away to his house
and abode there the next day till he should be summoned to the
presence.
The Eighth Night of the Month.
When the evening evened, the king sat private in his chamber and
bade fetch the Wazir, who presented himself before him, and the
king required of him the story. So the Wazir answered "With love
and gladness. Hear, O king,
The Tale of the Merchant, the Crone and the King.
There was once a family of affluence and distinction, in a city
of Khorasan, and the townsfolk used to envy them for that which
Allah had vouchsafed them. As time went on, their fortune ceased
from them and they passed away, till there remained of them but
one old woman. When she grew feeble and decrepit, the townsfolk
succoured her not with aught, but thrust her forth of the city,
saying, "This old woman shall not neighbour with us, for that we
do good to her and she requiteth us with evil."[FN#366] So she
took shelter in a ruined place and strangers used to bestow alms
upon her, and in this way she tarried a length of time. Now the
king of that city had aforetime contended for the kingship with
his uncle's son, and the people disliked the king; but Allah
Almighty decreed that he should overcome his cousin. However,
jealousy of him abode in his heart and he acquainted the Wazir,
who hid it not and sent him money. Furthermore, he fell to
summoning all strangers who came to the town, man after man, and
questioning them of their creed and their goods, and whoso
answered him not satisfactory, he took his wealth.[FN#367] Now a
certain wealthy man of the Moslems was way-faring, without
knowing aught of this, and it befel that he arrived at that city
by night, and coming to the ruin, gave the old woman money and
said to her, "No harm upon thee." Whereupon she lifted up her
voice and blessed him: so he set down his merchandise by her and
abode with her the rest of the night and the next day. Now
highwaymen had followed him that they might rob him of his
monies, but succeeded not in aught: wherefore he went up to the
old woman and kissed her head and exceeded in bounty to her. Then
she warned him of that which awaited strangers entering the town
and said to him, "I like not this for thee and I fear mischief
for thee from these questions that the Wazir hath appointed for
addressing the ignorant." And she expounded to him the case
according to its conditions: then said she to him, "But have thou
no concern: only carry me with thee to thy lodging, and if he
question thee of aught enigmatical, whilst I am with thee, I will
expound the answers to thee." So he carried the crone with him to
the city and lodged her in his lodging and entreated her
honourably. Presently, the Wazir heard of the merchant's coming;
so he sent to him and bade bring him to his house and talked with
him awhile of his travels and of whatso had befallen him therein,
and the merchant answered his queries. Then said the Minister, "I
will put certain critical questions to thee, which an thou answer
me, 'twill be well for thee," and the merchant rose and made him
no answer. Quoth the Wazir, "What is the weight of the elephant?"
The merchant was perplexed and returned him no reply, giving
himself up for lost; however, at last he said, "Grant me three
days of delay." The minister granted him the time he sought and
he returned to his lodging and related what had passed to the old
woman, who said, "When the morrow cometh, go to the Wazir and say
to him, 'Make a ship and launch it on the sea and put in it an
elephant, and when it sinketh in the water, mark the place
whereunto the water riseth. Then take out the elephant and cast
in stones in its place, till the ship sink to that same mark;
whereupon do thou take out the stones and weigh them and thou
wilt presently know the weight of the elephant.'"[FN#368]
Accordingly, when he arose in the morning, he went to the Wazir
and repeated to him that which the old woman had taught him;
whereat the Minister marvelled and said to him, "What sayest thou
of a man, who seeth in his house four holes, and in each hole a
viper offering to sally out upon him and slay him, and in his
house are four sticks and each hole may not be stopped but with
the ends of two sticks? How, then, shall he stop all the holes
and deliver himself from the vipers?" When the merchant heard
this, there befel him such concern that it garred him forget the
first and he said to the Wazir, "Grant me delay, so I may reflect
on the reply"; and the Minister cried, "Go out, and bring me the
answer, or I will seize thy monies." The merchant fared forth and
returned to the old woman who, seeing him changed of complexion,
said to him, "What did his hoariness ask thee?" So he acquainted
her with the case and she cried, "Fear not; I will bring thee
forth of this strait." Quoth he, "Allah requite thee with weal!"
Then quoth she, "To-morrow go to him with a stout heart and say,
'The answer to that whereof thou asketh me is this. Put the heads
of two sticks into one of the holes; then take the other two
sticks and lay them across the middle of the first two and stop
with their two heads the second hole and with their ferrules the
fourth hole. Then take the ferrules of the first two sticks and
stop with them the third hole.'"[FN#369] So he repaired to the
Wazir and repeated to him the answer; and he marvelled at its
justness and said to him, "Go; by Allah; I will ask thee no more
questions, for thou with thy skill marrest my
foundation."[FN#370] Then he treated him as a friend and the
merchant acquainted him with the affair of the old woman;
whereupon quoth the Wazir, "Needs must the intelligent company
with the intelligent." Thus did this weak woman restore to that
man his life and his monies on the easiest wise; "Nor," continued
the Wazir, "is this stranger than the story of the Simpleton
Husband." When the king heard this, he said, "How like it must be
to this our own case!" Then he bade the Minister retire to his
lodging; so he withdrew and on the morrow he abode at home till
the king should summon him to his presence.
The Ninth Night of the Month.
When the night came, the king sat private in his chamber and
sending after the Wazir, sought of him the story; and he said
"Hear, O august king,