 The Book of a Thousand Nights and a Night Volume 1 Section 4 This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For further information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org The Book of a Thousand Nights and a Night Volume 1 Translated by Richard Burton Section 4 Such was the case with King Yunan, but as regards the sage Dubaan, he returned home and slept as usual, and when morning dawned, he repaired to the palace and craved audience. The king ordered him to be admitted. Then, having kissed the ground between his hands, in allusion to the king, he recited these cutlets with solemn intonation. Happy is eloquence when thou art named her Sire, but mourn she when, as other man, the title claimed. O Lord of fairest presence, whose eluming rays clear off the fogs of doubt, I, veiling deeds, high-famed. Now cease thy face to shine like dawn and rise of mourn, and never show time's face with heat of ire inflamed. Thy grace hath favoured us with gifts that worked such wise as rain clouds raining on the hills by words inflamed. Freely thou lavishest thy wealth to rise on high, till one from time the heights were at thy grandeur aim. Now, when the sage ceased reciting, the king rose quickly to his feet and fell on his neck. Then, seating him by his side, he bad-dress him in a sumptuous dress, for it had so happened that when the king left the Hamam, he looked on his body and saw no trace of leprosy. The skin was all clean as virgin silver. He joyed there at with exceeding joy his breast broadened with delight, and he felt thoroughly happy. Presently, when it was full day, he entered his audience hall, and sat upon the throne of his kingship, whereupon his chamberlands and grandees flocked to the presence, and with them the sage Dubarn. Seeing the leech, the king rose to him in honour, and seated him by his side. Then the food trays furnished with the daintiest vians were brought, and the physician ate with the king, nor did he cease accompanying him all that day. Moreover, at nightfall, he gave the physician Dubarn two thousand gold pieces, besides the usual dress of honour and other gifts galore, and sent him home on his own steed. After the sage had faired forth, king Yunan again expressed his amazement at the leech's art, saying, So king Yunan passed the night in joy and gladness, for that his body had been made whole, and had thrown off so pernicious a malady. On the morrow the king went forth from his sorrelio, and sat upon his throne, and the lords of his state stood about him, and the emirs and wazirs sat as was their want on his right hand and on his left. Then he asked for the sage Dubarn, who came in and kissed the ground before him. When the king rose to greet him, and seating him by his side, ate with him, and wished him long life. Moreover, he robed him and gave him gifts, and ceased not conversing with him until night approached. Then the king ordered him, by way of salary, five dresses of honour and a thousand dinars. The physician returned to his own house full of gratitude to the king. Now, when next morning dawned, the king repaired to his audience hall, and his lords and nobles surrounded him, and his chamberlains and his ministers, as the white and clotheseth the black of the eye. Now, the king had a wazir among his wazirs, unsightly to look upon, and ill omen spectacle, sordid, ungenerous, full of envy and evil will. When this minister saw the king place the physician near him, and give him all these gifts, he jealous him, and planned to do him harm, as in the saying on such subject, envy lurks in everybody, and the saying, oppression hideeth in every heart, power revealeth it, and weakness concealeth it. Then the minister came before the king, and kissing the ground between his hands said, O king of the age and of all time, thou in whose benefits I have grown to manhood, I have weighty advice to offer thee, and if I withhold it, I were a son of adultery, and no true-born man, wherefore, and thou order me to disclose it, I will do so forthwith. Quoth the king, and he was troubled at the words of the minister, and what is this council of thine? Quoth he, O glorious monarch, the wise of old have said, Whoso regardeth not the end hath not fortune to friend, and indeed I have lately seen the king on far other than the right way, for he lavisheth largesse on his enemy, on one whose object is the decline and fall of his kingship. To this man he hath shown favour, honouring him with over-honour, and making of him an intimate, wherefore I fear for the king's life. The king, who was much troubled and changed colour, asked, Whom dost thou suspect, and anent whom dost thou hint? And the minister answered, O king, and thou be a sleep, wake up! I point to the physician Dubaan. Rejoined the king, fire upon thee, this is a true friend who is favoured by me above all men, because he cured me with some thing which I held in my hand, and he healed my leprosy which had baffled all physicians. Indeed, he is one whose like may not be found in these days, no, not in the whole world, from furthest east to utmost west, and it is of such a man thou sayest such hard sayings. Now from this day forward I lot him a settled soul and allowances, every month a thousand gold pieces, and were I to share with him my realm to er but a little matter. Perforce I must suspect that thou speakest on this wise from mere envy and jealousy, as they relate of the king's syndibad. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of the day, and ceased saying her permitted say, Then quoth Dunyazad, O my sister, how pleasant is thy tale, and how tasteful, how sweet, and how grateful! She replied, And where is this, compared with what I could tell thee on the coming night, if the king dain spare my life? Then said the king in himself, By Allah I will not slay her until I hear the rest of her tale, for truly it is wondrous. So they rested that night in mutual embrace until the dawn. Then the king went forth to his hall of rule, and the wazir and the troops came in, and the audience chamber was thronged, and the king gave orders and judged and appointed and deposed and bade and forbade during the rest of that day till the court broke up, and king Shahriar returned to his palace. When it was the fifth night her sister said, Do you finish for us thy story if thou be not sleepy? And she resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious king and mighty monarch, that king Yunan said to his minister, O wazir, thou art one whom the evil spirit of envy hath possessed because of this physician, and thou plotst for my putting him to death, after which I should repent me full sorely, even as repented king Sindhibad for killing his falcon. Quoth the wazir, Pardon me, O king of the age, how was that? So the king began the story of king Sindhibad and his falcon. It is said, but Allah is all-knowing, that there was a king of the king of phas, who was fond of pleasuring and diversion, especially coursing and hunting. He had reared a falcon which he carried all night on his fist, and whenever he went to chasing he took with him this bird, and he bade mate for her a golden couplet hung around her neck to give her drink therefrom. One day, as the king was sitting quietly in his palace, behold the high falconer of the household suddenly addressed him, O king of the age, this is indeed a day fit for birding. The king gave orders accordingly and set out taking the hawk on fist, and they fared merrily forwards till they met a wadi, where they planted a circle of nets for the chase. When low a gazelle came within the toils and the king cried, who so alloweth young gazelle to spring over his head and looseth her, that man will I surely slay. They narrowed the nets about the gazelle when she drew near the king's station and planting herself on her hind quarter crossed her forehand over her breast as if about to kiss the earth before the king. He bowed his brow low in acknowledgement to the beast when she bounded high over his head and took the way of the waist. Thereupon the king turned towards his troops and seeing them winking and pointing at him, he asked, O Wazir, what are my men saying? and the minister answered. They say thou didst proclaim that who so alloweth the gazelle to spring over his head, that man shall be put to death. Quoth the king, now by the life of my head, I will follow her up till I bring her back. So he set off galloping on the gazelle's trail and gave not over-tracking till he reached the foothills of a mountain chain where the quarry made for a cave. Then the king cast offed it the falcon which presently caught it up and swooping down drove her talons into its eyes bewildering and blinding it and the king drew his mace and struck a blow which rolled the game over. He then dismounted and after cutting the antelope's throat and flaying the body hung it to the pommel of his saddle. At the time was that of the siesta and the wold was parched and dry nor was any water to be found anywhere and the king thirsted and his horse also so he went about searching till he saw a tree dropping water as it were melted butter from its boughs. Thereupon the king who wore gauntlets of skin to guard him against poisons took the cut from the hawk's neck and filling it with the water set it before the bird and lo the falcon struck it with her pounces and upset the liquid. The king filled it a second time with the dripping drops thinking his hawk was thirsty but the bird again struck at the cut with her talons and overturned it. Then the king waxed wroth with the hawk and filling the cup a third time offered it to his horse but the hawk upset it with a flirt of wings quoth the king Alachan found thee thou unluckiest of flying things thou keepest me from drinking and thou deprivest thyself also and the horse so he struck the falcon with his sword and cut off her wing but the bird raised her head and said by signs look at that which hangeth on the tree the king lifted up his eyes accordingly and caught sight of a brood of vipers whose poison drops he mistook for water thereupon he repented him of having struck off his falcon's wing and mounting horse fared on with the dead gazelle till he arrived at the camp his starting place he threw the quarry to the cook saying take and broil it and sat down on his chair the falcon being still on his fist when suddenly the bird gasped and died whereupon the king cried out in sorrow and remorse for having slain that falcon which had saved his life now this is what occurred in the case of king Cindybad and I am assured that were I to do as thou desirous I should repent even as the man who killed his parrot quoth the wazir and how was that? and the king began to tell the tale of the husband and the parrot a certain man and a merchant to boot but married a fair wife a woman of perfect beauty and grace symmetry and loveliness of whom he was mad jealous and who contrived successfully to keep him from travel at last an occasion compelling him to leave her he went to the bird market and bought him for one hundred gold pieces a she-parrot which he sat in his house to act as duena expecting her to acquaint him on his return with what had passed during the whole time of his absence for the bird was kenning and cunning and never forgot what she had seen and heard now his fair wife had fallen in love with a young Turk who used to visit her and she feasted him by day and lay with him by night when the man had made his journey and won his wish he came home and at once causing the parrot to be brought to him questioned her concerning the conduct of his consul whilst he was in foreign parts quoth she thy wife hath a man friend who passed every night with her during thine absence thereupon the husband went to his wife in a violent rage and bashed her with a bashing severe enough to satisfy anybody the woman suspecting that one of the slave girls had been tattling to the master called them together and questioned them upon their oaths when all swore that they had kept the secret but that the parrot had not adding, and we heard her with our own ears upon this the woman bade one of the girls to set a handmill under the cage and grind therewith and a second to sprinkle water through the cage roof and a third to run about right and left dashing a mirror of bright steel through the live long night next morning when the husband returned home after being entertained by one of his friends he bade bring the parrot before him and asked what had taken place whilst he was away pardon me or my master quoth the bird I could neither hear nor see aught by reason of the exceeding murk and the thunder and lightning which lasted throughout the night as it happened to be the summer tide the master was astounded and cried but we are now in mid-tamos and this is not the time for rains and storms I by Allah rejoined the bird I saw with these eyes what my tongue hath told thee upon this the man not knowing the case nor smoking the plot waxed exceeding wroth and holding that his wife had been wrongously accused put forth his hand and pulling the parrot from her cage dashed her upon the ground with such force that he killed her on the spot some days afterwards one of his slave girls confessed to him the whole truth yet would he not believe it till he saw the young Turk, his wife's lover coming out of her chamber when he bade his blade and slew him by a blow of the neck and he did the same by the adulteress and thus the twain laden with mortal sin went straight ways to eternal fire then the merchant knew that the parrot had told him the truth and meant all she had seen and he mourned grievously for her loss when mourning availed him not the minister hearing the words of King Yunan rejoiced oh monarch high in dignity and what harm have I done him how evil have I seen from him that I should compass his death I would not do this thing save to serve thee and soon shout thou sight that it is right and if thou accept my advice thou shalt be saved otherwise thou shalt be destroyed even as a certain wazir who acted treacherously by the young prince asked the king how was that and the minister thus began the tale of the prince and the ogres a certain king who had a son over much given to hunting and coursing ordered one of his wazirs to be in attendance upon him wither so ever he might wend one day the youth set out for the chase accompanied by his father's minister and as they jogged on together a big wild beast came in sight cried the wazir to the king's son panat she on noble quarry so the prince followed it until he was lost to every eye and the chase got away from him in the waste whereby he was confused and knew not which way to turn when low a damsel appeared ahead and she was in tears the king's son asked who art thou and she answered I am daughter to a king among the kings of Hind and I was travelling with a caravan in the desert when drowsiness overcame me and I fell from my beast unwittingly whereby I am cut off from my people and so bewildered the prince hearing these words pitted her case and mounting her on his horse's cropper travelled until he passed by an old ruin when the damsel said to him oh my master I wish to obey a call of nature he therefore set her down at the ruin where she delayed so long that the king's son thought that she was only wasting time so he followed her without her knowledge and behold she was a gulla a wicked ogress who was saying to her brood oh my children this day I bring you a fine fat youth for dinner where to they answered bring him quick to us oh our mother that we may browse upon him our bellies full the prince hearing their talk made sure of death and his side muscles quivered in fear for his life so he turned away and was about to fly the gulla came out and seeing him in sore affright for he was trembling in every limb cried wherefore art thou afraid and he replied I have hit upon an enemy whom I greatly fear asked the gulla didest thou not say I am a king's son and he answered even so then quoth she why dost not give thine enemy something of money and so satisfy him quoth he he will not be satisfied with my purse but only with my life and I mortally fear him and am a man under oppression she replied if thou be so distressed as thou demist ask aid against him from Allah who would surely protect thee from his ill doing and from the evil whereof thou art afraid then the prince raised his eyes heavenwards and cried oh thou who answerest the necessitous when he calleth upon thee he spellest his distress oh my god grant me victory over my foe and turn him from me for thou over all things art almighty the gulla hearing his prayer turned away from him and the prince returned to his father and told him the tale of the wazir whereupon the king summoned the minister to his presence and then and there slew him thou likewise oh king if thou continue to trust this leech shalt be made to die the worst of deaths he verily thou mayest much of and whom thou intreatedest as an intimate will work thy destruction seest thou not how he healed the disease from outside thy body by something grasped in thy hand be not assured that he will not destroy thee by something held in like manner replied king Yunan thou hast spoken sooth oh wazir it may well be as thou hintest oh my well advising minister and be like this sage hath come as a spy searching to put me to death for assuredly if he cured me by something held in my hand he can kill me by something given me to smell then asked king Yunan oh minister what must be done with him and the wazir answered send after him this very instant and summon him to thy presence and when he shall come strike him across the neck and thus shout thou rid thyself of him and his wickedness and deceive him ere he can deceive thee thou hast again spoken sooth oh wazir said the king and sent one to call the sage who came in joyful mood for he knew not what had appointed for him the compassionate as a certain poet saith by way of illustration oh thou who fearest fate confiding fair trust all to him and built the world and wait what fate saith be for force must be my lord and saith art thou from done decreed of fate as dubhan the physician entered he addressed the king in these lines and fail I of my thanks to thee nor thank thee day by day for whom composed I pros and verse for whom I say and lay thou lavish sheds thy generous gifts here they were craved by me thou lavish sheds thy boons unsought sans pretext or delay how shall I stint my praise of thee how shall I cease to lord the grace of thee in secrecy and patentist display nay I will thank thy benefits for I thy favours lie light on my thought and tongue though heavy on my back they weigh and he said further on the same theme turn thee from grief nor care a jot commit thy needs to fate and lot enjoy the present passing well and let the past be clean forgot for what so happily seem if worse shall work thy wheel as Allah what Allah shall do what ere he wills and in his will oppose him not and further still to though wise subtle one trust worldly things for all where to the worldling clings learn wisely well not cometh by thy will but in as willeth Allah king of kings and lastly glad some and gay forget thine every grief full often grief the wisest hearts out war thought is but folly in the feeble slave shun it and so be saved ever more said the king for soul return this thou why I have summoned thee and the sage replied Allah most highest alone canith hidden things but the king rejoined I summoned thee only to take thy life and utterly to destroy thee to barn the wise wondered at this strange address with exceeding wonder and asked oh king and wherefore wouldest thou slay me and what ill have I done thee and the king answered men tell me thou art a spy neither with intent to slay me and lo I will kill thee ere I be killed by thee then he called to his sordor and said strike me off the head of this traitor and deliver us from his evil practices quoth the sage spare me and Allah will spare thee slay me not or Allah shall slay thee and he repeated to him these very words even as I to thee oh ifrit and yet thou wouldst not let me go upon my death king Yunan only rejoined I shall not be safe without slaying thee for as thou healedest me by something held in hand so am I not secure against thy killing me by something given me to smell or otherwise said the physician this then oh king is thy requital and reward thou returnest only evil for good the king replied there is no help for it die thou must and without delay now when the physician was certified that the king would slay him without waiting he wept and regretted the good he had done to other than the good as one hath said on this subject of wit and wisdom is my moon a bear who sire in wisdom all the wits out strippeth man may not tread on mud or dust or clay save by good sense else trippeth he and slipeth hereupon the sordor stepped forward and bound the sage to barn's eyes and bared his blade saying to the king by thy leave while the physician wept and cried spare me and Allah will spare thee and slay me not or Allah shall slay thee and began repeating I was kind and scape not they were cruel and escaped and my kindness only led me to ruination hall if I live I'll ne'er be kind if I die then all be damned who follow me and curses their kindness before is this continued to barn the return I meet from thee thou givest me me seems but crocodile boon quoth the king what is the tale of the crocodile and quoth the physician impossible for me to tell it in this my state Allah upon thee spare me as thou hopeest Allah shall spare thee and he wept with exceeding weeping then one of the king's favourites stood up and said oh king grant me the blood of this physician we have never seen him sin against thee or doing aught save healingly from a disease which baffled every leech and man of science said the king ye what not the cause of my putting to death this physician and this it is if I spare him I doom myself to certain death for one who healed me of such a malady by something held in my hand surely can slay me by something held to my nose and I fear lest he kill me for a price since happily he is some spy whose sole purpose in coming hither was to compass my destruction so there is no help for it die he must and then only shall I be sure of my own life again cried Duban spare me and Allah shall spare thee and slay me not or Allah shall slay thee but it was in vain now when the physician oh ifrit knew for certain that the king would kill him he said oh king if there be no help but I must die grant me some little delay so that I may go down to my house and release myself from mine obligations and direct my folk and my neighbors where to bury me and distribute my books of medicine amongst these I have one the rarest of rarities which I would present to thee as an offering keep it as a treasure in thy treasury and what is in this book asked the king and the sage answered things beyond comped and the least of secrets is that if directly after thou has cut off my head thou open three leaves and read three lines of the page to thy left hand my head shall speak and answer every question thou dainest ask of it the king wondered with exceeding wonder and shaking with delight the novelty said oh physician dost thou really tell me that when I cut off thy head it will speak to me he replied yes so king quoth the king this is indeed a strange matter and forthwith sent him closely guarded to his house and to barn then and there settled all his obligations next day he went up to the king's audience hall where emirs and wazirs chamberlings and nebobs grandies and lords of his state were gathered together making the presence chamber gay as a garden of flower beds and lo the physician came up and stood before the king bearing a worn old volume and a little edtui of metal full of powder like that used for the eyes now he sat down and said give me a tray so they brought him one and he poured the powder upon it and levelled it and lastly Spakers follows oh king take this book but do not open it till my head falls then set it upon this tray and bid press it down upon the powder when forthright the blood will cease flowing that is the time to open the book the king thereupon took the book and made a sign to the sorda who arose and struck off the physician's head and placing it on the middle of the tray pressed it down upon the powder the blood stopped flowing duban unclosed his eyes and said now open the book go king the king opened the book and found the leaves stuck together so he put his finger to his mouth and by moistening it he easily turned over the first leaf and in lightweight the second and the third each leaf opening with much trouble and when he had unstuck six leaves he looked over them and finding nothing written thereon said oh physician there is no writing here duban replied turn over yet more and he turned over three others in the same way now the book was poisoned and before long the venom penetrated his system and he fell into strong convulsions and cried out the poison had done its work whereupon the sage duban's head began to improvise there be rulers who have ruled with a foul tyrannic sway but they soon became though they had never never been just they had won justice they oppressed and were oppressed by fortune who requited them with ban and bane and teen so they faded like the morn and the tongue of things repeats take this far that nor vent upon fortune's ways thy spleen no sooner had the head ceased speaking than the king rolled over dead now I would have thee know that if king Yunan had spared the sage duban Allah would have spared him but he refused so to do and decreed to do him dead wherefore Allah slew him and thou too oh ifreet if thou had spared me Allah would have spared thee and Chahrazad perceived the dawn of the day and ceased saying her permitted say then quoth Dunyazad oh my sister how pleasant is thy tale and how tasteful how sweet and how grateful she replied and where is this compared with what I could tell thee this coming night if I live and the king spare me said the king in himself by Allah I will not slay her until I hear the rest of her story for truly it is wondrous they rested that night in mutual embrace until dawn then the king went forth to his darbar the waziris and troops came in and the audience hall was crowded so the king gave orders and judged and appointed and deposed and bade and forbade the rest of that day when the court broke up and king Shathyaar entered his palace and of section 4 of volume 1 of the book of a thousand nights and a night the book of a thousand nights and a night volume 1 section 5 volume 1 volume 1 volume 1 volume 1 volume 1 volume 1 volume 1 volume 1 volume 1 volume 1 volume 1 volume 1 volume 1 volume 1 her, pray finish for us thy story.' And she answered, I will, if the king give me leave. Say on, quoth the king. And she continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious king, that when the fisherman said to thee, If thou had spared me, I would have spared thee, but nothing would satisfy thee save my death. So now I will do thee die by jailing thee in this jar, and I will hurl thee into this sea. Then the married roared aloud and cried, All upon thee, O fisherman, don't spare me, and pardon my past doings, and, as I have been tyrannous, so be thou generous. For it is said among sayings that go current, O thou who dust good to him who hath done thee evil, suffice for the ill-doer his ill deeds, and do not deal with me as did all mama to Attica. Asked the fisherman, And what was their case? And the Afreet answered, This is not the time for storytelling, and I in this prison, but set me free, and I will tell thee the tale. Quoth the fisherman, Leave this language. There is no help but that thou be thrown back into the sea, nor is there any way for thy getting out of it for ever and ever. Finally I placed myself under thy protection, and I humbled myself to thee with weeping, while thou sortest only to slay me, who hath done thee no injury deserving this at thy hands. Nay, so far from injuring thee by any evil act, I worked thee naught but wheel in releasing thee from that jail of thine. Now I knew thee to be an evil doer when thou didst to me what thou didst, and know that when I have cast thee back into the sea, I will warn whomsoever may fish thee up of what hath befallen me with thee, and I will advise him to toss thee back again. So shalt thou abide here under these waters, till the end of time shall make an end of thee. But the Afreet cried aloud, Set me free, this is a noble occasion for generosity, and I make covenant with thee, and vow never to do thee hurt and harm. Nay, I will help thee to watch shall put thee out of want. The fisherman accepted his promises on both conditions, not to trouble him as before, but on the contrary to do him service, and, after making firm the plight, and swearing him a solemn oath by Allah Most Highest, he opened the kukubit. Thereupon the pillar of smoke rose up till all of it was fully out, then it thickened, and once more became an Afreet of hideous presence, who forthright administered a kick to the bottle and sent it flying into the sea. The fisherman, seeing how the kukubit was treated, and making sure of his own death, piddled in his clothes, and said to himself, This promiseeth badly, but he fortified his heart and cried, O Afreet, Allah hath said, Perform your covenant, for the performance of your covenant shall be inquired into hereafter. Thou hast made a vow to me, and hast sworn an oath not to play me false, lest Allah play thee false, for verily he is a jealous God, who respite it the sinner, but leteth him not escape. I say to thee, as said the sage Douban to King Yunan, Spare me so Allah may spare thee. The Afreet burst into laughter, and stalked away, saying to the fisherman, Follow me. And the man paced after him at a safe distance, for he was not assured of escape, till they had passed round the suburbs of the city. Thence they struck into the uncultivated grounds, and crossing them descended into a broad wilderness, and low in the midst of it stood a mountain tarn. The Afreet waded into the middle, and again cried, Follow me. And when this was done he took his stand in the centre, and bade the man cast his net and catch his fish. The fisherman looked into the water, and was much astonished to see therein very coloured fishes, white and red, blue and yellow. However, he cast his net, and hauling it in, saw that he had netted four fishes, one of each colour. There at he rejoiced greatly, and more when the Afreet said to him, Carry these to the sultan, and set them in his presence, then he will give thee what shall make thee a wealthy man. And now accept my excuse, for by Allah at this time I want none other way of benefitting thee, in as much as I have lain in this sea, eighteen hundred years, and have not seen the face of the world, save within this hour. So I would not have thee fish here save once a day. The Afreet then gave him God's speed, saying, Allah grant we meet again, and struck the earth with one foot, whereupon the ground clove asunder, and swallowed him up. The fisherman, much marvelling at what had happened to him with the Afreet, took the fish, and made for the city. And as soon as he reached home he filled an earthen bowl with water, and therein threw the fish, which began to struggle and wriggle about. Then he bore off the bowl upon his head, and repairing to the king's palace, even as the Afreet had bitten him, laid the fish before the presence. And the king wondered, with exceeding wonder at the sight, for never in his lifetime had he seen fishes like these in quality or in confirmation. So he said, Give those fish to the stranger slave girl who now cooketh for us, meaning the bondmaiden whom the king of Ruhm had sent to him only three days before, so that he had not yet made trial of her talents in the dressing of meat. Thereupon the wazir carried the fish to the cook, and bade her fry them, saying, O damsel, the king sandeth this say to thee, I have not treasured thee, O tear of me, save for stress time of me. Approve then to us this day thy delicate handiwork, and thy savoury cooking, for this dish of fish is a present sent to the sultan, and evidently a rarity. The wazir, after he had carefully charged her, returned to the king, who commanded him to give the fishermen four hundred dinars. He gave them accordingly, and the man took them to his bosom, and ran off home, stumbling and falling and rising again, and deeming the whole thing to be a dream. However, he bought for his family all they wanted, and lastly he went to his wife in huge joy and gladness. So far concerning him, but as regards the cookmaid, she took the fish and cleansed them, and set them in the frying pan, basting them with oil till one side was dressed. Then she turned them over, and behold, the kitchen wall craved asunder, and therefrom came a young lady, fair of form, oval of face, perfect in grace, with eyelids which coal lines in chase. Her dress was a silken headkerchief, fringed and tassled with blue. A large ring hung from either ear, a pair of bracelets adorned her wrists. Rings with bezels of priceless gems were on her fingers, and she hint in hand a long rod of rat and cane, which she thrust into the frying pan, saying, Oh fish, oh fish, be ye constant to your covenant. When the cookmaiden saw this apparition, she swooned away. The young lady repeated her words a second time, and a third time, and at last the fishes raised their heads from the pan, and saying in articulate speech, Yes, yes, began with one voice to recite, Come back, and so will I, keep faith, and so will I, and if she feign forsake, I'll requite till quits we cry. After this the young lady upset the frying pan, and went forth by the way she came in, and the kitchen wall closed upon her. When the cookmaiden recovered from her fainting fit, she saw the four fishes charred black as charcoal, and crying out his staff break in his first bout, she again fell swooning to the ground. While she was in this case, the wazir came for the fish, and looking upon her as insensible she lay, not knowing Sunday from Thursday, shoved her with his foot, and said, Bring the fish for the sultan. Thereupon recovering from her fainting fit, she wept, and informed him of her case, and all that had befallen her. The wazir marveled greatly, and exclaiming, This is none other than a right strange matter. He sent after the fisherman, and said to him, Thou, o fisherman, must kneads fetch as four fishes, like those thou broughtest before. Thereupon the man repaired to the tarn, and cast his net, and when he landed it, lo, four fishes were therein exactly like the first. These he at once carried to the wazir, who went in with them to the cookmaiden, and said, Up with thee, and fry these in my presence, that I may see this business. The damsel arose, and cleansed the fish, and set them in the frying-pan over the fire. However they remained there but a little while, ere the wall craved asunder, and the young lady appeared, clad as before, and holding in hand the wand, which she again thrust into the frying-pan, saying, O fish, O fish, be constant to your olden covenant, and behold, the fish lifted their heads, and repeated, Yes, yes, and recited this couplet, Come back, and so will I, keep faith, and so will I, but if ye feign forsake, I'll requite till quits we cry. And sheahrazad perceived the dawn of the day, and ceased saying her permitted say. When it was the seventh night, she continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious king, that when the fishes spoke, and the young lady upset the frying-pan with her rod, and went forth by the way she came, and the wall closed up, the wazir cried out, This is a thing not to be hidden from the king. So he went, and told him what had happened, whereupon quoth the king, There is no help for it, but that I see this with my known eyes. Then he sent for the fisherman, and commanded him to bring four other fish like the first, and to take with him three men as witnesses. The fisherman at once brought the fish, and the king, after ordering them to give him four hundred gold pieces, turned to the wazir, and said, Up and fry me the fishes, here before me. The minister, replying, To hear is to obey. Bad bring the frying-pan, threw therein the cleansed fish, and set it over the fire. When low, the wall craved asunder, and outburst a black slave like a huge rock, or a remnant of the tribe ad, bearing in hand a branch of a green tree, and he cried in loud and terrible tones, Oh fish, oh fish, be ye all constant to your antique covenant. Whereupon the fishes lifted their heads from the frying-pan, and said, Yes, yes, we be true to our vow. And they again recited the couplet, Come back, and so will I, Keep faith, and so will I, But if ye feign forsake, I'll be quiet till quits we cry. Then the huge black-a-moor approached the frying-pan, and upset it with the branch, and went forth by the way he came in. When he vanished from their sight, the king inspected the fish, and finding them all charred black as charcoal, was utterly bewildered, and said to the wazir, Verily, this is a matter where an ent silence cannot be kept, and as for the fishes, assuredly some marvellous adventure connects with them. So he bad-bring the fisherman, and asked him, saying, Fire on thee, fellow, whence came these fishes? And he answered, From a town between four heights, lying behind this mountain, which is in sight of thy city. Quoth the king, how many days march? Quoth he, oh, our lord the sultan, a walk of half-hour. The king wondered, and straightway ordering his men to march, and horsemen to mount, led off the fisherman, who went before as guide, privily damning the effreet. They fared on till they had climbed the mountain, and descended unto a great desert, which they had never seen during all their lives. And the sultan and his merry men marvelled much at the wall, set in the midst of four mountains, and the tarn and its fishes of four colors, red and white, yellow and blue. The king stood fixed to the spot in wonderment, and asked his troops and all present, hath any one among you ever seen this piece of water before now? An all-made answer, oh king of the age, never did we set eyes upon it during all our days. They also questioned the oldest inhabitants they met, men well stricken in years, but they replied each endeavoury, a lakelit this we never saw in this place. Thereupon quoth the king, by Allah I will neither return to my capital, nor sit upon the throne of my forebears, till I learn the truth about this tarn and the fish therein. He then ordered his men to dismount and bivouac all around the mountain, which they did, and summoning his wazir, a minister of much experience, sagacious, of penetrating wit and well-versed in affairs, said to him, it is in my mind to do a certain thing, whereof I will inform thee. My heart telleth me to fare forth alone this night, and root out the mystery of this tarn and its fishes. Do thou take thy seat at my tent door, and say to the emirs and wazirs, the naebobs and the chamberlings, infine to all who ask thee, the sultan is ill at ease, and he hath ordered me to refuse all admittance, and be careful thou let none know my design, and the wazir could not oppose him. Then the king changed his dress and ornaments, and slinging his sword over his shoulder, took a path which led up one of the mountains, and marched for the rest of the night till morning dawned. Nor did he cease wayfaring till the heat was too much for him. After his long walk he rested a while, and then resumed his march, and fared on through the second night till dawn, when suddenly there appeared a black point in the far distance. Hereat he rejoiced and said to himself, happily someone here shall acquaint me with the mystery of the tarn and its fishes. Presently drawing near the dark object, he found it a palace built of swart stone plated with iron, and while one leaf of the gate stood wide open the other was shut. The king's spirits rose high as he stood before the gate, and rapped a light rap, but hearing no answer he knocked a second knock, and a third, yet there came no sign. Then he knocked his loudest, but still no answer, so he said, doubtless, it is empty. Thereupon he mustered up resolution, and boldly walked through the main gate into the great hall, and there cried out aloud, H'la, ye people of the palace, I am a stranger and a wayfarer, have you ought here of vital? He repeated his cry a second time and a third, but still there came no reply. So, strengthening his heart and making up his mind, he stalked through the vestibule into the very middle of the palace, and found no man in it. Yet it was furnished with silken staff's gold stard, and the hangings were let down over the doorways. In the midst was a spacious court, off which set four open saloons, each with its raised dais, saloon facing saloon. A canopy shaded the court, and in the centre was a jetting fount with four figures of lions, made of red gold, spouting from their mouths, water clear as pearls, and diaphanous gems. Round about the palace birds were let loose, and over it stretched a net of golden wire, hindering them from flying off. In brief there was everything but human beings. The king marveled mightily there at, yet felt he sad at heart, for that he saw no one to give him account of the waste and its tarn, the fishes, the mountains, and the palace itself. Presently, as he sat between the doors in deep thought, behold, there came a voice of lament, as from a heart grief spent, and he heard the voice chanting these verses. I hid what I endured of him, and yet it came to light, and nightly sleep mine eyelids fled, and changed to sleepless night. O world, o fate, withhold thy hand, and cease thy hurt and harm, look and behold my hapless sprite, in colour and a fright. Wilt ne'er show Ruth to high-born youth, who lost him on the way, of love, and fell from wealth and fame, to lowest basest white. Jealous of Zephyr's breath was I, as on your form he breathed, but when as destiny descends, she blindeth human sight. What shall a hapless archer do, who when he fronts his foe, and bends his bow to shoot the shaft, shall find his string undight? When car can care so heavy bear, on youth of generous soul, how shall he escape his lot, and where, from fate, his place of flight? Now, when the sultan heard the mournful voice, he sprang to his feet, and following the sound, found a curtain, let down over a chamber-door. He raised it, and saw behind it, a young man sitting upon a couch, about a cubit above the ground. And he, fair to the sight, a well-shaped white, with eloquence diet. His forehead was flower-white, his cheek rosy bright, and a mole on his cheek, breathed like an ambergris-might, even as the poet doth indite. A youth slim-waisted from whose locks and brow, the world in blackness and in light is set. Throughout creation's round, no fairer show, no rarer sight than I hath ever met. A nut-brown mole sits throne upon a cheek, of rosiest red beneath an eye of jet. The king rejoiced and saluted him, but he remained, sitting in his caftan of silk and stuff, pure-aid with Egyptian gold, and his crown studded with gems of sorts. But his face was sad with the traces of sorrow. He returned the royal salute, in most courteous wise, adding, O my lord, thy dignity demandeth my rising to thee, and my sole excuse is to crave thy pardon. Quoth the king, thou art excused, O youth, so look upon me as thy guest, come hither on an especial object. I would, thou quaint me, with the secrets of this tarn and its fishes, and of this palace, and thy loneliness therein, and the cause of thy groaning and wailing. When the young man heard these words, he wept with sore weeping, till his bosom was drenched with tears, and began reciting, Say him who careless sleeps, what wild the shaft of fortune flies, how many doth this shifting world lay low and raise to rise? Although thine eye be sealed in sleep, sleep not the Almighty's eyes, and who hath found time ever fair, or fate in constant guise? Then he sighed a long-fetched sigh, and recited, Confide thy case to him, the Lord who made mankind. Quit car, can care, and cultivate content of mind. Ask not the past, or how, or why it came to pass, all human things, by fate and destiny, were designed. The king marveled, and asked him, What maketh thee weep, o young man? And he answered, How should I not weep, when this is my case? Thereupon he put out his hand, and raised the skirt of his garment, when low, the lower half of him, appeared stone down to his feet, while from his navel to the hair of his head he was man. The king, seeing this his plight, grieved with sore grief, and of his compassion cried, Alack and well away, in very sooth, o youth, thou heapest sorrow upon my sorrow. I was minded to ask thee the mystery of the fishes only, whereas now I am concerned to learn thy story, as well as theirs. But there is no majesty, and there is no might, save in Allah, the glorious, the great. Lose no time, o youth, but tell me forthright thy whole tale. Quoth he, lend me thine ears, thy sight, and thine insight. And quoth the king, all are at thy service. Thereupon the youth began, Bright wondrous and marvellous is my case, and that of these fishes, and were it graven with gravers upon the eye-corners, it were a warner to whoso would be warned. How is that? asked the king, and the young man began to tell, the tale of the insorceled prince. No then, o my lord, that while on my sire was king of this city, and his name was Mahmud, entitled Lord of the Black Islands, and owner of what are now these four mountains. He ruled three score and ten years, after which he went to the mercy of the Lord, and I reigned as sultan in his stead. I took to wife my cousin, the daughter of my paternal uncle, and she loved me with such a bounding love, that whenever I was absent she ate not, and she drank not, until she saw me again. She cohabited with me for five years, till a certain day, when she went forth to the Hamam bath, and I bade the cook hasten to get ready all requisites for our supper, and I entered this palace and laid down on the bed where I was want to sleep, and bade two damsels to fan my face, one sitting by my head, and the other at my feet. But I was troubled and made restless by my wife's absence, and could not sleep, for although my eyes were closed, my mind and thoughts were wide awake. Presently I heard the slave girl at my head say to her at my feet, Almost Uda, how miserable is our master, and how wasted in his youth an old pity of his being so betrayed by our mistress, the accursed whore. The other replied, Yes indeed, ala curse all faithless women and adulterous. But the like of our master, with his fair gifts, deserved something better than this harlot, who life abroad every night. Then quoth she who sat by my head, Is our lord dumb, or fit only for bubbling, that he questioneth her not? And quoth the other, Thigh on thee, doth our lord know her ways, or doth she allow him his choice? Nay more doth she not drug every night the cup she giveth him to drink before sleep-time, and put pung into it? So he sleepeth, and what is not whether she goeth, nor what she doth? But we know that after giving him the drugged wine, she doneth her richest raiment, and perfumeth herself, and then she fereth out from him to be away till the break of day. Then she cometh to him, and burneth a pastile under his nose, and he awakeeth from his deathlight sleep. When I heard the slave girl's words, the light became black before my sight, and I thought night would never fall. Presently the daughter of my uncle came from the baths, and they set the table for us, and we ate, and sat together for a fair half hour, quaffing our wine as was ever our want. Then she called for the particular wine I used to drink before sleeping, and reached me the cup, but seeming to drink it according to my want, I poured the content into my bosom, and lying down let her hear that I was asleep. Then behold, she cried, sleep out the night and never wake again. By Allah I loathe thee, and I loathe thy whole body, and my soul turneth in disgust from cohabiting with thee, and I see not the moment when Allah shall snatch away thy life. Then she rose and donned her fairest dress, and perfumed her person, and slung my sword over her shoulder, and opening the gates of the palace went her ill way. I rose and followed her as she left the palace, and she threaded the streets until she came to the city gate, where she spoke words I understood not, and the padlocks dropped of themselves as if broken, and the gate leaves opened. She went forth, and I after her without her noticing ought, till she came at last to the outlying mounds, and a reed fence built about a round roofed hut of mud bricks. As she entered the door, I climbed up upon the roof, which commanded a view of the interior, and lo! my fair cousin had gone into a hideous negro slave with his upper lip like the cover of a pot, and his lower like an open pot, lips which might sweep up sand from the gravel floor of the cot. He was to boot a leper and a paralytic, lying upon a strew of sugarcane trash, and wracked in an old blanket and the foulest rags and tatters. She kissed the earth before him, and he raised his head so as to see her, and said, Woe to thee! what call had thou to stay away all this time? Here have been with me sundry of the black brethren, who drank their wine, and each had his young lady, and I was not content to drink because of thine absence. Then she, O my lord, my heart's love, and coalf of my eyes, noticed thou not that I'm married to my cousin, whose very look I loathe, and hate myself when in his company, and did not I fear for thy sake I would not let a single son arise before making his city a ruined heap, wherein raven should croak, and howl it hoot, and jackal and wolf harbour and loot. Nay, I had removed its very stones to the back side of Mount Kaaf. Rejoin, the slave, thou liest dam thee. Now I swear an oath by the valour and honour of Blackamore men, and deem not our manliness to be the poor manliness of white men. From today forth, if thou stay away till this hour, I will not keep company with thee, nor will I glue my body with thy body, and strum and belly bump. Thus play fast and loose with us, thou cracked pot, that we may satisfy thy dirty lusts, stinkered bitch, vilest of the vile whites. When I heard his words, and saw with mine own eyes what passed between these two wretches, the world waxed dark before my face, and my soul knew not in what place it was. But my wife humbly stood up, weeping before, and weedling the slave, and saying, O my beloved, and the very fruit of my heart, there is none left to cheer me but thy dear self, and if thou cast me off, who shall take me in? O my beloved, O light of my eyes! And she ceased not weeping and abasing herself to him, until he dain'd be reconciled with her. Then was she right glad, and stood up, and doff'd her clothes, even to her petticoat trousers, and said, O my master, what hast thou here for thy handmaiden to eat? Uncover the basin, he grumbled, and thou shalt find at the bottom the broiled bones of some rats we dined on. Pick at them, and then go to that slot-pot, where thou shalt find some leavings of beer, which thou mayst drink. So she ate, and drank, and washed her hands, and went, and laid down by the side of the slave, upon the cane-trash, and stripping herself start naked, she crept in with him under his foul covelet, and his rags and tatters. When I saw my wife, my cousin, the daughter of my uncle, do this deed, I clean lost my wits, and climbing down from the roof, I entered, and took the sword which she had with her, and drew it, determined to cut down the twain. I first struck at the slave's neck, and thought that the death decree had fallen on him. And Chathrasad perceived the dawn of the day, and ceased to say her permitted say. When it was the eighth night, she continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious king, that the young and ensorcelled prince said to the king, When I smote the slave with intent to strike off his head, I thought that I had slain him, for he groaned aloud his ingrown, but I had cut only the skin and flesh of the gullet, and the two arteries. It awoke the daughter of my uncle, so I sheathed the sword, and fared forth for the city, and entering the palace lay upon my bed, and slept till morning, when my wife aroused me, and I saw that she had cut off her hair, and had donned morning garments. Quoth she, O son of my uncle, blame me not for what I do, It hath just reached me that my mother is dead, and my father hath been killed in holy war, and of my brothers one hath lost his life by a snake sting, and the other by falling down some precipice, and I can and should do naught save weep and lament. When I heard her words I refrained from all reproach, and said only, Do as thou list, I certainly will not thwart thee. She continued sorrowing, weeping and wailing, one whole year from the beginning of its circle to the end, and when it was finished she said to me, I wish to build me in thy palace a tomb with a cupola, which I will set apart for my mourning, and will name the house of lamentations. Quoth I again, Do as thou list. Then she buildeth for herself a cenotaph, wherein to mourn, and set on its centre a dome, under which shewed a tomb like a santon sepulcher. Thither she carried the slave and lodged him. But he was exceeding weak by reason of his wound, and unable to do her love service. He could only drink wine, and from the day of his hurt he spake not a word, yet he lived on, because his appointed hour was not come. Every day, morning and evening, my wife went to him and wept and wailed over him, and gave him wine and strong soups, and left not off doing after this manner a second year, and I bore with her patiently and paid no heed to her. One day, however, I went into her unawares, and I found her weeping and beating her face and crying. Why art thou absent from my sight, O my heart's delight? Speak to me, O my life! Talk with me, O my love! Then she recited these verses. For your love my patience fails, and albeit you forget, I may not, nor to other love my heart can make reply. Bear my body, bear my soul, wheresoever you may fare, and where you pitch the camp, let my body buried lie. Cry my name above my grave, and an answer shall return, the moaning of my bones responsive to your cry. Then she recited, weeping bitterly the while, the day of my delight is the day when draw you near, and the day of my nefright is the day you turn away. Though I tremble through the night in my bitter dread of death, when I hold you in my arms, I am free from all affray. Once more she began reciting, Though amorn I may awake with all happiness in hand, though the world all be mine, and like Kizra kings I reign, to me they had the worth of the wing-lit of the net, when I failed to see thy form, when I look for thee in vain. When she had ended for a time, her words and her weeping, I said to her, Oh my cousin, let this thy mourning suffice, for in pouring forth tears there is little profit. Fought me not, answered she, in ought I do, or I will lay violent hands on myself. So I held my peace, and left her to go her own way, and she ceased not to cry and keen, and indulge her affliction for yet another year. At the end of the third year I waxed a weary of this lonesome morning. And one day I happened to enter the cenotaph, when vexed and angry with some matter which had thwarted me, and suddenly I heard her say, Oh my lord, I never hear thee vouchsafe a single word to me, why dost thou not answer me, O my master? And she began reciting, O thou tomb, O thou tomb, be his beauty set in shade, hast thou darkened that countenance all sheen years the noon. O thou tomb, neither earth nor yet heaven art to me, then how cometh it in thee are conjoined my sun and moon. When I heard such verses as these, rage was heaped upon rage, and I cried out, well away, how long is this sorrow to last? And I began repeating, O thou tomb, O thou tomb, be his horrors set in blight, hast thou darkened his countenance, that sickeneth the soul? O thou tomb, neither cesspool now pipkin art to me, then how cometh it in thee are conjoined soil and coal. When she heard my word, she sprang to her feet, crying, Fire upon thee thou cur, all this is of thy doings, thou hast wounded my heart's darling, and thereby worked me sore woe, and thou hast wasted his youth, so that these three years he hath lain a bed more dead than alive. In my wrath I cried, O thou foulest of harlots, and filthiest of whores ever futtered by negro slaves, who are hired to have at thee. Yes, indeed it was I who did this good deed, and snatching up my sword I drew it, and made it her to cut her down. But she laughed at my words, and by an intent to scorn, crying, to heal hound that thou art. Alas for the past, which shall no more come to pass, nor shall anyone avail the dead to raise. Allah hath indeed now given into my hand, him who did to me this thing, a deed that hath burned my heart with a fire which died not, and a flame which might not be quenched. Then she stood up, and pronouncing some words to me unintelligible, she said, By virtue of my necromancy, become thou half-stone and half-man, whereupon I became what thou seest, unable to rise, or to sit, and neither dead, nor alive. Moreover she ensorcelled the city with all its streets and garths, and she turned by her grammary the four islands into four mountains around the town whereof thou questionest me, and the citizens who were of four different faiths, Muslim, Nazarene, Jew and Magian, she transformed by her enchantments into fishes, the Muslims are the white, the Magians red, the Christians blue, and the Jews yellow. And every day she tortured with me, and scourged with me with a hundred stripes, each of which dreweth floods of blood, and cuteth the skin of my shoulders to strips, and lastly she clotheth my upper half with a hair-cloth, and then throweth over them these robes. Hereupon the young man again shed tears, and began reciting, In patience, oh my God, I endure my lot and fate, I will bear at will of thee whatsoever be my state. They oppress me, they torture me, they make my life a woe, yet happily heaven's happiness shall compensate my strait. Yea, straightened is my life by the bane and hate of foes, but Mustafa and Murtaza shall open me heaven's gate. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For further information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. After this, the Sultan turned towards the young prince and said, Oh youth, thou hast removed one grief, only to add another grief. But now, oh my friend, where is she? And where is the mausoleum? Where in lyeth the wounded slave? The slave lyeth under yon dome, quoth the young man, and she sitteth in the chamber, fronting yonder door. And every day at sunrise she cometh forth, and first stripeth me, and whipeth me with an hundred strokes of the leaven scourge, and I weep and shriek, but there is no power of motion in my lower limbs to keep her off. After ending her tormenting me, she visiteth the slave, bringing him wine and boiled meats. And tomorrow at an early hour she will be here. Quoth the king, by Allah, oh youth, I will assuredly do thee a good deed, which the world shall not willingly let die, and an act of daring do, which shall be chronicled long after I am dead and gone by. Then the king sat him by the side of the young prince, and talked till nightfall, when he lay down and slept. But as soon as the false dawn showed, he arose, and doffing his outer garments, bared his blade, and hastened to the place wherein lay the slave. Then he was aware of lighted candles and lamps, and the perfume of incenses and unguents, and directed by these he made for the slave, and struck him one stroke, killing him on the spot, after which he lifted him on his back, and threw him into a well that was in the palace. Presently he returned, and donning the slave's gear, lay down at length within the mausoleum, with the drawn sword laid close to and along his side. After an hour or so the accursed witch came, and first going to her husband, she stripped off his clothes, and taking a whip, flogged him cruelly, while he cried out, Ah, enough for me, the case I am in! Take pity on me, O my cousin! But she replied, Didst thou take pity on me, and spare the life of my true love on whom I doted? Then she drew the sillice over his roar and bleeding skin, and threw the robe upon all, and went down to the slave with a goblet of wine, and a bowl of meat broth in her hands. She entered under the dome, weeping and wailing, well away, and crying, O my lord, speak a word to me, O my master, talk a while with me, and began to recite these couplets. How long this harshness, this unloved shall bide? Suffice thee not, tear-floods, thou hast aspired? Thou dost prolong our parting purposely, and if wouldst please my foe, thou satisfied? Then she wept again, and said, O my lord, speak to me, talk with me! The king, low at his voice, and twisting his tongue, spoke after the fashion of the black amours, and said, Lack, lack! There be no majesty, and there be no might, save in Allah, the glorious, the great. Now when she heard these words, she shouted for joy, and fell to the ground, fainting, and when her senses returned, she asked, O my lord, can it be true that thou hast power of speech? And the king, making his voice small, and faint, answered, O my cuss! Dost thou deserve that I talk to thee, and speak with thee? Why and wherefore rejoined she? And he replied, The why is that all the live long day thou tormentest thy hubby, and he keeps calling on heaven for aid, until sleep is strange to me, even from evening till morning. And he prays and damns, cussing us to, me and thee, causing me disquiet, and much bother. Were this not so, I should long ago have got my health, and it is this which prevents my answering thee. Quoth she, with thy leave, I will release him from what spell is on him, and quoth the king. Release him, and let's have some rest! She cried, To hear is to obey. Going from the cenotaph to the palace, she took a metal bowl, and filled it with water, and spake over it certain words, which made the contents bubble and boil as a cauldron seething over the fire. With this she sprinkled her husband, saying, By virtue of the dread words I have spoken, if thou becameest thus by my spells, come forth out of that form into thine own former form. And lo and behold, the young man shook and trembled, then rose to his feet, and rejoicing at his deliverance, cried aloud, I testify that there is no God but thee God, and in very truth Mohammed is his apostle, whom Allah bless and keep. Then she said to him, Go forth and return not hither, for if thou do I will surely slay thee, screaming these words in his face. So he went from between her hands, and she returned to the dome, and going down to the sepulchre she said, O my lord, come forth to me, that I may look upon thee and thy goodliness. The king replied in faint, low words, What thing hast thou done? Thou hast rid me of the branch, but not of the root? She asked, O my darling, O my negro king, what is the root? And he answered, Fie on thee, O my cuss, the people of this city and of the four islands, every night when it's half-past, lift their heads from the tank in which thou hast turned them to fishes, and cry to heaven, and call down its anger on me and thee, and this is the reason why my body's balked from health. Go at once and set them free, then come to me and take my hand, and raise me up, for a little strength is already back in me. When she heard the king's words, and she still supposed him to be the slave, she cried joyously, O my master, on my head and on my eyes, bid I command, Bismillah! So she sprang to her feet, and full of joy and gladness ran down to the tarn, and took a little of its water in the palm of her hand, and Shahrazad perceived the dawn of the day, and ceased to say her permitted say. When it was the ninth night, she said, It hath reached me, O auspicious king, that when the young woman, the sorceress, took in hand some of the tarn water, and spake over it words not to be understood, the fishes lifted their heads, and stood up on the instant like men, the spell on the people of the city having been removed. What was the lake again became a crowded capital, the bizzars were thronged with folk who bought and sold, each citizen was occupied with his own calling, and the four hills became islands as they were while on. Then the young woman, that wicked sorceress, returned to the king, and still thinking he was the negro, said to him, O my love, stretch forth thy honoured hand, that I may assist thee to rise. Nearer to me quoth the king in a faint and faint tone, she came close as to embrace him, when he took up the sword lying hid by his side, and smote her across the breast, so that the point showed gleaming behind her back. Then he smote her a second time, and cut her in twain, and cast her to the ground in two halves, after which he fared forth, and found the young man, now freed from the spell, awaiting him, and gave him joy of his happy release, while the king kissed his hand with abundant thanks. Quoth the king, wilt thou abide in this city, or go with me to my capital? Quoth the youth, O king of the age, what is thou not what journey is between thee and thy city? Two days and a half, answered he, whereupon said the other, and thou be sleeping, O king, awake. Between thee and thy city is a year's march for a well-girt walker, and thou hadest not come hither in two days and a half, save that the city was under enchantment. And I, O king, will never part from thee, no, not even for the twinkling of an eye. The king rejoiced at his words and said, Thanks be to Allah, who hath bestowed thee upon me. From this hour thou art my son, and my only son. For that in all my life I have never been blessed with issue. Thereupon they embraced, and joyed with exceeding great joy, and reaching the palace, the prince who had been spellbound, informed his lords and his grandees, that he was about to visit the holy places as a pilgrim, and bade them get ready all things necessary for the occasion. The preparations lasted ten days, after which he set out with the sultan, whose heart burned in yearning for his city whence he had been absent a whole twelve months. They journeyed with an escort of Mamalux, carrying all manner of precious gifts and rarities. Nor stinted they wayfaring day and night for a full year, until they approached the sultan's capital, and sent on messengers to announce their coming. Then the wazir and the whole army came out to meet him in joy and gladness, for they had given up all hope of ever seeing their king, and the troops kissed the ground before him, and wished him joy of his safety. He entered and took seat upon his throne, and the minister came before him, and when acquainted with all that had befallen the young prince, he congratulated him on his narrow escape. When order was restored throughout the land, the king gave largesse to many of his people, and said to the wazir, hither the fisherman who brought us the fishes. So he sent for the man who had been the first cause of the city and the citizens being delivered from enchantment, and when he came into the presence, the sultan bestowed upon him a dress of honour, and questioned him of his condition and whether he had children. The fisherman gave him to know that he had two daughters and a son, so the king sent for them, and taking one daughter to wife, gave the other to the young prince, and made the son his head treasurer. Furthermore he invested his wazir with the sultanate of the city in the Black Islands, while on belonging to the young prince, and dispatched him the escort of fifty armed slaves together with dresses of honour for all the emirs and grandees. The wazir kissed hands and fared forth on his way, while the sultan and the prince abode at home in all the solace and the delight of life, and the fisherman became the richest man of his age, and his daughters wived with kings until death came to them. And yet, oh king, this is not more wondrous than the story of the porter and the three ladies of Baghdad. Once upon a time there was a porter in Baghdad who was a bachelor and who would remain unmarried. He came to pass on a certain day, as he stood about the street leaning idly upon his crate. Behold, there stood before him an honourable woman in a mantilla of mozal silk, broided with gold and bordered with brocade. Her walking shoes were also purpled with gold, and her hair floated in long plaques. She raised her face veil and, showing two black eyes, fringed with jetty lashes, whose glances were soft and languishing, and whose perfect beauty was ever blandishing. She accosted the porter and said in the suavist tones and choicest language, Take up thy crate and follow me. The porter was so dazzled he could hardly believe that he heard her aright, but he shouldered his basket in hot haste, saying in himself, O day of good luck, O day of Allah's grace, and walked after her till she stopped at the door of her house. There she rapped, and presently came out to her an old man, a Nazarene, to whom she gave a gold piece, receiving from him in return what she required of strained wine, clear as olive oil, and she set it safely in the hamper, saying, Lift and follow. Quoth the porter, This by Allah is indeed an auspicious day, a day propitious for the granting of all a man wisheth. He again hoisted up the crate and followed her till she stopped at her fruiterous shop, and bought from him chamois apples and osmani quinces, and omani peaches and cucumbers of nile growth, and Egyptian limes and sultani oranges and citrons, besides aleppine jasmine, scented myrtleberries, damocene nanufars, flour of privet and chamomile, blood red anemones, violets and pomegranate bloom, eglentine and narcissus, and set the hole in the porter's crate, saying, Up with it. So he lifted and followed her till she stopped at a butcher's booth, and said, Cut me off ten pounds of mutton. She paid him his price, and he wrapped it in a banana leaf, whereupon she laid it in the crate, and said, Hoist, O porter. He hoisted accordingly, and followed her as she walked on till she stopped at a grocers, where she bought dry fruits and pistachio kernels, tihama raisins, shelled almonds, and all wanted for dessert, and said to the porter, Lift and follow me. So he up with his hamper, and after her till she stayed at the confectioners, and she bought an earthen platter, and piled it with all kinds of sweetmeats in his shop, openwork tarts and fritters scented with musk, and soap cakes, and lemon loaves, and melon preserves, and zynabs, combs, and ladies' fingers, and kazi's tit bits, and goodies of every description, and placed the platter in the porter's crate. Thereupon, quoth he, being a merry man, thou shouldest have told me, and I would have brought with me a pony or a she-camel to carry all this market stuff. She smiled and gave him a little cuff on the nape, saying, Step out and exceed not in words, for, a la willing, thy wage will not be wanting. Then she stopped at a perfumers, and took from him ten sorts of waters, rose scented with musk, orange flower, water lily, willow flower, violet, and five others, and she also bought two loaves of sugar, a bottle for perfume spraying, a lump of male incense, aloe wood, ambergris and musk, with candles of Alexandria wax, and she put the hole into the basket, saying, Up with thy crate and after me. He did so, and followed until she stood before the greengrocers, of whom she bought pickled safflower, and olives in brine and in oil, with tarragon and cream cheese, and hard syrian cheese, and she stowed them away in the crate saying to the porter, take up thy basket and follow me. He did so, and went after her till she came to a fair mansion fronted by a spacious court, a tall, fine place to which columns gave strength and grace, and the gate thereof had two leaves of ebony inlaid with plates of red gold. The lady stopped at the door, and turning her face veil sideways, knocked softly with her knuckles, whilst the porter stood behind her, thinking of naught save her beauty and loveliness. Presently the door swung back, and both leaves were opened, whereupon he looked to see who had opened it, and behold, it was a lady of tall figure, some five feet high, a model of beauty and loveliness, brilliance and symmetry and perfect grace. Her forehead was flower-white, her cheeks likely anemone, ruddy, bright, her eyes were those of the wild heifer or the gazelle, with eyebrows like the crescent moon which ends Shahaban and begins Ramadan. Her mouth was the ring of Sulayman, her lips coral red, and her teeth like a line of strung pearls are of chamomile petals. Her throat recalled the antelopes, and her breasts, like two pomegranates of even size, stood at bay as it were. Her body rose and fell in waves below her dress, like the rolls of a piece of brocade, and her navel would hold an ounce of benzoe in ointment. In fine she was like her, of whom the poet said, On sun and moon of palace cast thy sight, Enjoy her flower-like face, her fragrant light, Thy eyes shall never see in hair so black, Beauty in case of brow so purely white. The ruddy rose-cheek proclaims her claim, Though fail her name whose beauties we indict, As sways her gait I smile at hips so big, And weep to see the waist they bear so slight. When the porter looked upon her, his wits were waylaid, And his senses were stormed, So that his crate went nighter-full from his head, And he said to himself, Never have I in my life seen a day more blessed than this day. Then quoth the lady-portress to the lady-cateress, Come in from the gate, And relieve this poor man of his load. So the provisioner went in, Followed by the porter and the porter, And went on till they reached a spacious ground-floor hall, Built with admirable skill, And beautified with all manner-colours and carvings, With upper balconies and groined arches, And galleries and cupboards, And recesses whose curtains hung before them. In the midst stood a great basin full of water surrounding a fine fountain, And that the upper end, on the raised dais, Was a couch of juniper wood, Set with gems and pearls, With a canopy like mosquito-curtains Of red satin silk looped up With pearls as big as filbits and bigger. Thereupon sat a lady bright of blee, With brow beaming brilliancy, The dream of philosophy, whose eyes were fraught with babel's grammary, And her eyebrows were arched as for archery, Her breath breathed ambergris and perfumery, And her lips were sugar to taste and carnelian to see. Her stature was straight as the letter E, And her face shamed the noon sun's radiancy, And she was even as a galaxy or a dome with golden marquetry, Or a bride displayed in choicest finery Or a noble maid of araby. Right well of her sang the bard when he said, Her smiles twin rows of pearls display, Camomile buds or rhymy spray, Her tresses stray as night let down, And shames her light the dawn of day. The third lady rising from the couch, Stepped forward with graceful swaying gate, Till she reached the middle of the saloon, When she said to her sisters, Why stand ye here, Take it down from this poor man's head? Then the cateress went and stood before him, And the porteress behind him, While the third helped them, And they lifted the load from the porter's head, And emptying it of all that was therein, Set everything in its place. Lastly they gave him two gold pieces, Saying, When thy ways, O porter? But he went not, For he stood looking at the ladies, And admiring what uncommon beauty was theirs, And their pleasant manners and kindly dispositions, Never had he seen goodlier. And he gazed wistfully at that good store Of wines and sweet-scented flowers And fruits and other matters. Also he marvelled with exceeding marvel, Especially to see no man in the place, And delayed his going. Whereupon quoth the eldest lady, What illithy that go is not, Happy thy wage be too little? And turning to her sister, The cateress, she said, Give him another dinar. But the porter answered, By Allah, my lady, It is not for the wage. My hire is never more than two dirhams. But in very sooth my heart and my soul Are taken up with you and your condition. I wonder to see you single, With ne'er a man about you, And not a soul to bear you company, And well you want that the minaret Topolith over, unless it stand upon four, And you want this same forth. And women's pleasure without man Is short of measure, Even as the poet said. Seest not, we want for joy, Four things all told, The harp and loot, the flute and flagellette, And be they accompanied with scents for fold, Rose, myrtle, anemonee, and violet. Nor please all eight, and four thou wouldst withhold, Good wine and youth, and gold and pretty pet. You be there and want a fourth, Who shall be a person of good sense And prudence, smart witted, and one act To keep careful counsel. His words pleased and amused them much, And they laughed at him and said, And who is to assure us of that? We are maidens, And we fear to entrust our secret Where it may not be kept, For we have read in a certain chronicle The lines of one Ibn Nassumam, Hold fast thy secret, and to none unfold, Lost is a secret when that secret's told, And fail thy breast thy secret to conceal, How canst thou hope another's breast shall hold? And Abu Naus said well on the same subject, Who trusted secret to another's hand, Upon his brow deservedth burn of brand. When the porter heard their words, he rejoined, By your lives I'm a man of sense and a discreet, Who hath read books and perused chronicles, I reveal the fair and conceal the foul, And I act as the poet-adviseth. None but the good a secret keep, And good men keep it unrevealed. It is to me a well-shut house, With keyless locks and door end sealed. When the maidens heard his verse, And its poetical application addressed to them, They said, Thou knowest that we have laid out all our moneys on this place. Now say, hast thou ought to offer us In return for entertainment, For surely we will not suffer thee To sit in our company, And be our cup companion, And gaze upon our faces so fair and so rare, Without paying around some. What is thou not the saying? Sans hope of gain, Love's not worth a grain. Where, too, the lady-portress added, If thou bring anything, Thou art a something. If nothing, be off with thee, Thou art a nothing. But the procuratrix interposed, Saying, Nay, o my sisters, leave teasing him, For by Allah he hath not failed us this day, And had he been other, he never had kept patience with me. So whatever be his shot and scot, I will take it upon myself. The porter, overjoyed, kissed the ground before her, And thanked her, saying, By Allah these moneys are the first fruits This day hath given me. Hearing this, they said, Sit thee down, and welcome to thee. And the eldest lady added, By Allah we may not suffer thee to join us, Save on one condition, And this it is, that no questions be asked As to what concern if they not, And froadness shall be soundly flogged. Answered the porter, I agree to this, my lady, On my head and my eyes, be it. Lucky, I am dumb, I have no tongue. Then arose the provisioneress, and tightening her girdle, Set the table by the fountain, and put the flowers and sweet herbs In their jars, and strained the wine, And ranged the flasks in row, And made ready every requisite. Then sat she down, She and her sisters, placing amidst them the porter, Who kept deeming himself in a dream, And she took up the wine-flagon, And poured out the first cup, and drank it off, And likewise a second, and a third. After this she filled a fourth cup, Which she handed to one of her sisters, And lastly she crowned a goblet, And passed it to the porter, saying, Drink the dear draught, drink free and feign, What healeth every grief and pain. He took the cup in his hand, And, louting low, returned his best thanks, And improvised, Drain not the bowl, save with a trusty friend, A man of worth who's good and old, For wine like wind sucks sweetness from the sweet, And stinks when over stench it happily blow. Adding, Drain not the bowl, save from dear hand like thine, A cup recall thy gifts, thou gifts of wine. After repeating this cuplet, he kissed their hands, And drank, and was drunk, And sat swaying from side to side, And pursued. All drinks wherein his blood, The law unclean doth hold, save one, The blood shed of the vine. Fill, fill, take all my wealth bequeathed, Or one, Thou fawn a willing ransom for those I'm. Then the cateress crowned a cup, And gave it to the porteress, Who took it from her hand, And thanked her, and drank. Thereupon she poured again, And passed to the eldest lady, Who sat on the couch, And filled yet another, And handed it to the porter. He kissed the ground before them, And after drinking and thanking them, He again began to recite, Here, here, by Allah, here, cups of the sweet, the dear, Fill me a brimming bowl, The fount of life I spear. Then the porter stood up Before the mistress of the house, And said, O lady, I am thy slave, Thy mamalook, Thy white thrall, are thy very bondsman. And he began reciting, A slave of slaves there standing at thy door, Lording thy generous boons and gifts galore, Beauty, May he come in a while to joy thy charms, For love and I part nevermore. She said to him, Drink, and health and happiness attend thy drink. So he took the cup, and kissed her hand, And recited these lines in sing-song. I gave her brave old wine, that like her cheeks, Blushed red, Or flame from furnace flaring up. She bust the brim, And said, with many a smile, How durst thou deal folks' cheek For folk to suck. Drink, said I, these are tears of mine, Whose tinked, is heart blood, sighs have boiled in the cup. She answered him in the following couplet, And tears of blood, for me friend, Thou hast shared, Suffer me, supp them, by thy head and eyes. Then the lady took the cup, And drank it off to her sister's health, And they ceased not drinking, The porter being in the midst of them, And dancing and laughing, And reciting verses, And singing ballads and vittonellos. All this time the porter was carrying on with them, Kissing, toying, biting, Handling, groping, fingering, Whilst one thrust a dainty morsel in his mouth, And another slapped him, And this cuffed his cheeks, And that threw sweet flowers at him, And he was in the very paradise of pleasure, As though he were sitting in the seventh sphere Among the hoories of heaven. They ceased not doing after this fashion, Until the wine played tucks in their heads, And worsted their wits, And when the drink got the better of them, The porter stood up and doffed her clothes, Till she was mother naked. However she let down her hair about her body by way of a shift, And throwing herself into the basin, Disported herself and dived like a duck, And swam up and down, And took water in her mouth, And spurted it all over the porter, And washed her limbs and between her breasts, And inside her thighs and all around her navel. Then she came up out of the cistern, And throwing herself on the porter's lap, Said, O my lord, O my love, what call is thou this article, Pointing to her slit, her solution of continuity? I call that thy cleft, quoth the porter, And she rejoined, Wa-wa, art thou not ashamed to use such a word? And she caught him by the collar, And soundly cuffed him, Said he again, thy womb, thy vulva, And she struck him a second slap, crying, O, fie, fie, this is another ugly word, Is here no shame in thee, Quoth he thy coint! And she cried, O, thou art holy destitute of modesty, And thumped and bashed him. Then cried the porter, thy clitoris, Where at the eldest lady came down upon him, With a yet saura beating, and said, No! And he said, Tis so! And the porter went on calling the same commodity By sundry other names, But whatever he said, they beat him more and more, Till his neck ached and swelled With the blows he had gotten. And on this wise they made him a butt And a laughing stock, At last he turned upon the masking, And what do you women call this article? Where, too, the damsel made answer, The basil of the bridges. Cried the porter, thank Allah for my safety, Aide me and be thou propitious, O basil of the bridges. They passed round the cup, and tossed off the bowl again, When the second lady stood up, and stripping off all her clothes, Cast herself into the system, and did as the first had done. Then she came out of the water, And throwing her naked form on the porter's lap, Pointed to her machine, and said, O light of mine eyes, Do tell me what is the name of this concern? He replied as before, thy slit. And she rejoined, hath such term, no shame for thee, And cuffed him, and buffeted him, till the saloon rang with the blows. Then quoth she, oh, fie, fie, How canst thou say this without blushing? He suggested, the basil of the bridges, But she would not have it, and said, no, no, And struck him, and slapped him on the back of the neck. Then he began calling out all the names he knew. Thy slit, thy womb, thy coin, thy clitoris. And the girls kept on saying, no, no. So he said, I stick to the basil of the bridges, And all the three laughed till they fell on their backs, And laid slaps on his neck, and said, No, no, that's not its proper name. Thereupon he cried, Oh, my sisters, what is its name? And they replied, What sayest thou to the husked sesame seed? Then the catorist donned her clothes, And they fell again to carousing, But the porter kept moaning, Oh, and oh, for his neck and shoulders, And the cut passed merrily round and round again for a full hour. After that time the eldest and handsomest lady Stood up and stripped off her garments, Whereupon the porter took his neck in hand, And rubbed and shampooed it, saying, My neck and shoulders are on the way of Allah. Then she threw herself into the basin, And swam and dived, sported and washed. And the porter looked at her naked figure, As though she had been a slice of the moon, And at her face with the sheen of Luna when at full, Or like the dawn when it brightened it, And he noted her noble stature and shape, And those glorious forms that quivered as she went, For she was naked as the Lord made her. Then he cried, Alak, Alak, And began to address her, versifying in these couplets, If I liken thy shape to the bow when green, My likeness hers, and I saw mistake it, For the bow is fairest when clad the most, And thou art fairest when mother naked. When the lady heard his verses, She came up out of the basin, And sitting herself upon his lap and knees, Pointed to her genitry, and said, Oh, my lordling, what be the name of this? Quoth he the basil of the bridges, But she said, Ba, ba! Quoth he the husked sesame, Quoth she poor, poor! Then said he thy womb, And she cried, Fie, Fie, Art thou not ashamed of thyself, And cuffed him on the nape of the neck? And whatever name he gave, declaring, Tis so, She beat him and cried, No, no! To at last he said, Oh, my sisters, And what is its name? She replied, It is entitled The Khan of Abul Mansur, Whereupon the porter replied, Oh, ha, I'll be praised for safe deliverance, O Khan of Abul Mansur. Then she came forth and dressed, And the cut went round a full hour. At last the porter rose up, And stripping off all his clothes, Jumped into the tank, And swam about and washed under his bearded chin And armpits, even as they had done. Then he came out and threw himself Into the first lady's lap, And rested his arms upon the lap of the porteress, And reposed his legs in the lap of the cateress, And pointed to his prickle and said, Oh, my mistresses, what is the name of this article? All laughed at his words till they fell on their backs, And one said, Thy pintle! But he replied, No, And gave each one of them a bite by way of forfeit. Then said they, Thy pizzle! But he cried, No, And gave each of them a hug, And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of the day, And ceased saying her permitted say. End of Section 6 of the Book of a Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 1